Saving Lives
Translator: CinderTL
Immediately after, an unpleasant static noise came through the phone, as if it was being interfered with by something, and the call was abruptly disconnected.
Jiang Cheng put down the phone and turned to look at the others.
Wang Changguo, who was caught in his gaze, couldn't help but shiver. "You're not really thinking of going to save them, are you?" Wang Changguo's tone was filled with disbelief. "On the other side is a Ghost! A Ghost!"
"This is a trap!"
"That Huai Yi is also a Ghost! He's trying to lure us there so he can kill us too!" He seemed extremely agitated. "Do you understand the tactic of besieging a point to ambush reinforcements?!"
Jiang Cheng naturally understood his reasoning, but what Jiang Cheng was thinking, Wang Changguo did not comprehend.
The Huai Yi who had just called was likely not a Ghost.
He was human.
After all, the phone had already been exposed, so repeating such a ruse would be pointless. Moreover, Jiang Cheng didn't detect any obvious flaws in Huai Yi's tone or choice of words.
In such a dire situation, calling for help was the most natural response.
This had nothing to do with whether one was a new or experienced player.
No one wanted to die.
But there was one thing Wang Changguo wasn't wrong about.
The tactic of besieging a point to ambush reinforcements—otherwise, Jiang Cheng couldn't understand why the Ghost would have Huai Yi make that call.
After some thought, Jiang Cheng decided to go and save them. He owed no obligation to Huai Yi or Du Feng, but saving them was necessary.
First.
Huai Yi was currently the only experienced player in the team besides himself.
Having him around could help share some of the pressure.
Second.
Jiang Cheng glanced around at the others, clearly sensing the atmosphere of fear spreading. Along with it, there was a growing sense of confusion and distrust toward those around them.
In a Nightmare, the most terrifying thing was losing hope.
Especially for a group of newcomers.
Once they were completely despairing, not only would they lose their lives due to emotional breakdowns, but they would also drag others down with them.
That was the most frightening part.
Since arriving here, Jiang Cheng had realized that what could spread wasn't just the Nightmare, but also fear.
He couldn't, and didn't want to, let everyone lose hope.
If he abandoned Huai Yi and Du Feng, the others would inevitably start wondering whether they, too, would be abandoned if danger struck again.
Once that happened, the group's morale would collapse.
"I'm going to save them," Jiang Cheng said, looking at everyone. "Who's coming with me?"
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one spoke. The strange emotions flickering in their eyes made the situation even more eerie.
"Clap."
"Clap, clap."
Lin Wan'er clapped her hands, smiling as she looked at the silent group, her gaze sweeping across their faces one by one. "None of you want to go and save them?"
"Then you can just wait here to die." In the next moment, Lin Wan'er's tone suddenly shifted, and everyone felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped.
"As long as we're here, places like the hallway and the stairwell are unavoidable."
"Even if you hide in your room and don't come out, the Ghost will come for you." Lin Wan'er's beautiful eyes gestured toward the wardrobe.
Not long ago, the body of Li Kaifeng, who had been killed, had been carried into that very wardrobe.
And she had been hunted down and killed!
Everyone knew that.
"If you don't go now, you'll never find the clues," Lin Wan'er stood up and walked toward Jiang Cheng. The delicate fragrance of her makeup was overshadowed by a sharp, murderous aura.
"By the way," Lin Wan'er said, tilting her head after standing still, "when we come back, don't even think about getting any clues from us. I," she said with a slight smirk, "am the best at deceiving people."
"I'll watch each of you die," Lin Wan'er added, taking Jiang Cheng's hand and walking out.
Strangely, even Wang Changguo, who was the most resistant in his heart, didn't doubt the truth of this beautiful woman's words.
It seemed that if he didn't go, the outcome would be exactly as she said.
What puzzled him even more was the inexplicable sense of danger he felt from this woman.
The woman was clearly not as tall as the young man beside her, yet she exuded a stronger presence, holding his hand as if leading a child.
Just as Lin Wan'er was about to step over the threshold, "I'll go!"
"I'll go!"
"I'll go!"
"I'll go!"
The remaining four spoke almost in unison, and after exchanging glances, they all felt a lingering fear.
They had a premonition that if they let these two leave like this, they would be in big trouble.
Lin Wan'er ignored them and walked straight out, with the others quickly following.
Jiang Cheng smiled wryly and patted Lin Wan'er's hand. She glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes.
The others followed behind them, and the corridor echoed with the sound of hurried, disorderly footsteps.
Not far out, Jiang Cheng noticed something was wrong.
The corridor was too quiet.
This was the second floor of the hospital.
Not their ward 604.
There were many other patients nearby, but now... all the ward doors were closed, and the corridor was empty.
Silent.
"Get behind me," Jiang Cheng said quickly. "Stay with them, no matter what happens, don't scatter."
Looking at Jiang Cheng's profile, Lin Wan'er nodded her chin, "Alright."
Soon, the others also noticed the strangeness, but now that they were out, going back... Wang Changguo looked back at the empty corridor they had just walked through and swallowed hard.
He certainly didn't dare.
Quickly, they reached the stairwell.
It was completely dark outside now, but to their surprise, the lights in the stairwell were still on.
Though the bulbs were old and the light was dim, it was enough to see the way.
Looking at the steps beneath their feet, after a moment of silence, Jiang Cheng took the first step.
He remained fully alert.
Above, the walls, the floor, even behind him... but by the time he reached the first floor, he hadn't encountered any problems.
Except for the absence of people.
It seemed as if everyone in the hospital had disappeared in the previous second.
"Go up."
The group ascended again, but even when they reached the sixth floor where their ward was, there was nothing unusual.
Jiang Cheng stopped.
Now the situation was slightly troublesome.
It seemed that they and Huai Yi, Du Feng existed in two different timelines.
On the stairs, the two groups had perfectly missed each other, yet neither could see the other.
"Are we also caught in this?" Wang Changguo hunched over, wishing he could shrink into the middle of the group. "How is this..."
"Shut up," Jiang Cheng suddenly said.
The surroundings instantly fell silent. Everyone froze, staring at Jiang Cheng in terror. Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows, as if he had noticed something.
After a long moment, the expressions on everyone's faces also began to shift dramatically.
They faintly heard a sound.
It seemed like footsteps!
The footsteps were chaotic, definitely not just from one or two people. Everyone's gaze immediately turned toward the ground.
The footsteps were coming from the staircase they had just walked down.
And now, they were approaching them.
(End of the Chapter)
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