Translator: CinderTL
Following this line of thought, they realized that on the library's third floor, they would "lose" their ears and be unable to hear the Ghost's voice.
As for the fourth floor, they would "lose" their noses and be unable to smell the Ghost's burnt odor.
What was even more terrifying was that these restrictions could stack.
By the time they reached the fourth floor, they would have lost their sight, hearing, and sense of smell simultaneously.
Unable to see, hear, or smell, how could they possibly evade the Ghost's pursuit?
Wouldn't that be a death trap?
But Jiang Cheng quickly calmed down. Missions never presented inescapable death traps; what seemed like a dead end always concealed a path to survival.
His first thought was whether the mission's lifeline lay in ending the task before reaching the fourth floor, leaving the Ghost with at least one vulnerability.
However, Jiang Cheng soon dismissed this idea, for the same reason he had rejected Gao Yan's suggestion.
If they couldn't reach the library's fourth floor, they would never find the burned-down Circulation Desk, let alone Xiaohui hiding inside or the book they sought.
Then their visit to the library would have been pointless.
After two encounters, Jiang Cheng realized that aside from the restrictions placed upon them, the Burnt Ghost itself wasn't particularly special.
It was less a ghost and more like a slow-moving person.
But Jiang Cheng also knew that this slowness only applied to the process of finding someone. Once it actually found its target, the Ghost would likely reveal its terrifying true nature.
In Yuan Xiaoyi's memory, a girl who had encountered the Ghost on the library's 4th Floor had witnessed it burn over a dozen people to death.
If not for the self-sacrificing rescue by one of the Night Watchers, her fate would have been the same.
Therefore, the 4th Floor was the main event, the place they absolutely had to go, the one they couldn't avoid.
And there, they would inevitably face the relentless pursuit of this nearly invincible Fierce ghost.
Where could they possibly find a path to survival?
As Jiang Cheng pondered this, a message appeared on his phone screen. It was from Huai Yi, and the content was simple:
"The Ghost has left. Come join us."
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment after reading the message. A few seconds later, he sent a message to Fatty. After receiving the same reply, he rose quietly and slipped out from behind the bookshelf.
After navigating several twists and turns, he found Fatty and the others in a more open area. They were huddled together, seemingly discussing something.
"Brother Jiang," Gao Yan greeted him, hurrying forward. "Thanks to your warning, we're all safe."
"You're exaggerating," Jiang Cheng replied.
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang," Shen Mengyun said, approaching him to express her gratitude. Then, as if recalling a recent incident, her face showed a flicker of fear. "Who would have thought the Ghost could turn invisible? No, it's more likely that we simply couldn't see it."
Gao Yan glanced at Wang Qi, who didn't object, and then shared their conclusions with Jiang Cheng.
They had reached the same conclusion about the fable.
Just as Jiang Cheng had thought, they realized that each level they ascended would strip them of one of their senses. The Ghost's true terror would be unleashed on the 4th Floor.
This was the most dangerous moment of the entire mission.
"Brother Jiang," Gao Yan said, his face radiating sincerity as he politely asked Jiang Cheng, "Do you have any thoughts on how we might find a way to survive this mission?"
"Not yet," Jiang Cheng replied. "But there's no such thing as a mission where death is guaranteed. I believe that if we remain vigilant, we'll eventually uncover clues."
Gao Yan agreed, saying, "Brother Jiang's words are wise."
Fatty and Huai Yi had been glaring at the old man from the side, annoyed by his sudden change in attitude. He certainly hadn't been this polite before.
Wang Qi, who had been staring into the distance, slowly turned his gaze back and drawled, "We'll get nowhere just chatting. Let's get upstairs."
The group found the staircase leading to the third floor. At the top of the stairs was a gate that was now open. Shen Mengyun explained, "This gate was closed earlier. I heard the ghost's footsteps, and they vanished somewhere around here."
It was clear that, just as before, the ghost had searched the area, failed to find anyone, and, due to the hourglass's time limit, had been forced to move to the third floor.
They would ascend the stairs to reach it.
As they climbed the stairs, they spotted another wooden board around the corner, split down the middle and hanging haphazardly on the wall.
"Those who pass through here will receive a second treasure, just like Lord," Fatty read aloud from the board, syllable by syllable.
The crooked, squiggly characters looked like wriggling worms, making one's skin crawl just to look at them.
Shen Mengyun nodded in confirmation, whispering, "It seems our guess was correct. This time, they're going to take our hearing."
Unexpectedly, Wang Qi spoke up, his voice slightly hoarse. "That's not entirely accurate. It's not all our hearing, just our hearing when facing Ghosts."
Noticing Fatty's frown, Wang Qi, usually taciturn, paused before explaining, unusually for him, "To put it simply, we'll still be able to hear any sound unrelated to Ghosts."
Fatty's furrowed brow slowly relaxed, as if he finally understood.
"So, we won't hear the Ghosts' footsteps or any sounds they make, but everything else will be normal, right?" Huai Yi turned to Wang Qi.
Wang Qi simply turned his head away, ignoring him completely.
After reaching the third floor, Jiang Cheng briefly surveyed the surroundings. The layout here was drastically different from the floors below, featuring long rectangular tables flanked by numerous chairs.
This area likely served as a study space for students during normal times.
In the distance, several large wooden screens stood tall, inscribed with famous quotes and aphorisms.
There were few places to hide nearby.
Since their hearing had been stripped away this time, even Jiang Cheng dared not ambush the Ghost here. He decided to join the others in searching for a hiding spot deep within the library.
To their left, a white table stood out prominently. Several magazines and a pink water bottle lay scattered across its surface.
This didn't look like a student's desk; it was likely the library teacher's workstation.
And atop this table stood a black hourglass.
Shen Mengyun stared at the hourglass, her lips moving as if she were hesitating. Finally, she spoke, "This time, we can only rely on scent to track the Ghost. Everyone, please be extra careful."
Jiang Cheng stepped forward, glanced at his phone, then turned to the group. "Ready?"
After receiving affirmative nods, he flipped the hourglass and carefully placed it back on the table.
The group sprinted deeper into the library.
(End of the Chapter)
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