Jiang Jiuguo stood rooted to the spot.
The moment he heard Number 35's words, a look of astonishment spread across his face.
"Ghost Gate Pass? The Ghost Gate Pass I'm thinking of?"
But before his thoughts could spiral.
"No," Number 35 stated directly.
Jiang Jiuguo: "..."
"I thought it was the legendary Ghost Gate Pass where souls pass on."
"The Ghost Gate Pass we destroy is not the one from folk customs and legends; it's something else."
Number 35's cold, chiseled face grew even more solemn.
"The Ghost Gate Pass I'm referring to is just a defined name we, people like us, give to that 'Entrance'."
Entrance?
What is that thing?
As expected, every time he talked with Number 35 about ghosts, new strange knowledge would be added.
When faced with the unknown, people often feel fear and dread, but also a strong thirst for knowledge.
Jiang Jiuguo was no exception.
At this moment, he was intensely curious about every piece of information coming from Number 35's mouth.
Number 35 slightly tilted his face, his indifferent pupils reflecting Jiang Jiuguo's expression full of curiosity.
"Want to know what the 'Entrance' is?" he asked in return.
"Yes."
Jiang Jiuguo didn't beat around the bush with Number 35, clearly stating his current thoughts.
"There are no ghosts in this world," Number 35 replied abruptly.
He stopped walking.
Staring at Jiang Jiuguo, his expression was very serious, like a math teacher earnestly drilling formulas into students.
He wanted Jiang Jiuguo to remember every word he said at this moment.
"But the world on the other side of the 'Entrance' has ghosts. Ghosts will come from the other side of the 'Entrance'. Ghosts are dangerous, and their arrival must be stopped."
"So the 'Entrance' must be destroyed, which means destroying the Ghost Gate Pass."
He let out a breath.
Adjusting his current complex emotions.
Number 35 continued his account in a serious tone.
"Jiang Jiuguo, if you manage to get out of here alive and encounter an 'Entrance', you must destroy it, even if it costs you your life."
Jiang Jiuguo frowned slightly.
To be honest, he couldn't understand Number 35's instruction, even after learning about the Entrance.
But with just dry explanations.
He couldn't grasp why it must be destroyed even at the cost of death.
Ever since being captured, he had often pondered 'Are there ghosts in this world?'—after all, that was why he was taken.
Therefore.
He had mentally prepared himself... that there are ghosts in this world.
The reason Number 35 and his group captured them was related to ghosts, and Number 35's words now confirm this.
There are ghosts in this world.
It's just that ghosts don't exist in *this* world.
They come from the 'Ghost Gate Pass'.
So now, learning from Number 35 that ghosts exist, Jiang Jiuguo wasn't shocked; he was mostly confused.
He didn't understand why the Ghost Gate Pass must be destroyed even at the cost of death.
Just because ghosts are dangerous?
But what exactly makes them so dangerous?
Jiang Jiuguo now felt like a virgin watching porn: he'd seen it all, could talk about techniques like an expert, and knew the theory.
But when it came to actual combat, he was clueless.
"What does the Ghost Gate Pass look like? A door? Or a passage?" he asked curiously.
Clueless or not.
It didn't stop Jiang Jiuguo from exploring and seeking knowledge.
Number 35, however, offered no further explanation.
"You don't need to ask me about these things. You'll learn them when you study the Ghost Sequence knowledge," he said.
Hearing this.
Jiang Jiuguo gave up and entered the examination room for blood tests, X-rays, ECGs, etc.
After a series of tests.
Half an hour passed.
Number 35 led Jiang Jiuguo out of the examination room and headed to the underground Second-Floor Hall... the underground Second-Floor Hall.
Jiang Jiuguo pushed the door open and entered; the hall was crowded with quite a few people.
These were the people captured with him.
However.
Looking around and making a rough count, the number had decreased by more than half compared to the initial adaptation phase.
Jiang Jiuguo wasn't surprised by this.
Even thinking with one's butt could figure out that those missing probably didn't survive their first transformation.
At this moment.
The crowd, who had been listening to Number 47's lecture on the Ghost Sequence, was drawn by the sound of the door opening.
"Hello, everyone," Jiang Jiuguo greeted the people in the hall.
The next second.
"Holy shit! It's him?!"
"You're not dead?"
"You're actually still alive?"
Everyone's faces were filled with shock, their astonishment impossible to hide.
They recognized Jiang Jiuguo.
Wasn't this the handsome guy who adapted to the fourth ghost sequence keystone?
Unbelievable... he's still alive?
Wait!
As if realizing something, their bodies stiffened abruptly.
If the handsome guy can stand here, doesn't that mean he survived his first transformation?
They were no longer as ignorant as before; having experienced the consumption of the Ghost Sequence, they deeply understood the terror of transformation.
After Number 47's instruction.
Even without having taken the fourth ghost sequence keystone, they could grasp the extreme danger of its transformation, far greater than the formulas they consumed.
Yet Jiang Jiuguo was standing alive before them.
Proving he made it through.
"You're a legend! You actually survived the transformation of the fourth ghost sequence keystone."
"How did you do it?"
They couldn't fathom how Jiang Jiuguo endured it.
What kind of willpower was required to withstand that level of agony?
"Well, I thought about how my parents bought me an apartment, and I have to pay 5,000 yuan in mortgage every month for 30 years."
Jiang Jiuguo sighed with emotion.
"If I died, they'd have to pay my mortgage—5,000 yuan every month for 30 years! So, as a mortgage slave, this little bit of pain was nothing."
Everyone: "????"
What a mortgage slave.
You almost make me want to buy a house too.
What is this? Using magic to defeat magic?
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched as they silently groaned, knowing Jiang Jiuguo was joking.
Jiang Jiuguo grinned, found a seat, and sat down.
At the same time.
Number 35 walked up to the stage and whispered something into Number 47's ear.
Then, after instructing Jiang Jiuguo to listen here and wait for him to take him back to the Numbered Room when it's over, he turned and left.
"Let's continue the lecture," Number 47 said, watching Number 35 leave.
"Wait a moment."
Jiang Jiuguo raised his hand to signal.
This place was like a classroom, so asking questions meant raising your hand.
"What is it?" Number 47 looked over.
"The content you're covering now, I've missed almost a month's worth of progress. Will I be able to understand if I listen now?"
"Yes."
Number 47 was similarly straightforward in his approach.
In fact, whether it was Number 35 or the others, they all acted with efficiency.
It seemed that in their eyes, time equaled money, and being indecisive was a sin.
"Right now, I'm explaining the folk customs and stories about ghosts and monsters that are passed down among the people."
Number 47 looked at Jiang Jiuguo.
"Just now, Number 35 told you about the 'Ghost Gate Pass' and ghosts. He said ghosts are dangerous, right?"
"Yes."
"Then before I get into the folklore, I'll give you a simple explanation of why ghosts are dangerous."
Number 47 pointed to the projection screen on the hall wall.
A movie began playing on it.
It was the scene from the movie *The Ring* where Sadako appears.
Almost whenever Sadako appears.
No one survives.
The outcome is always the same... death.
"Have you seen this movie, Jiang Jiuguo?"
"Yes. I think everyone knows *The Ring*. Even if they haven't seen it, they've at least heard of it."
"Then do you think Sadako in it is powerful, unsolvable?"
Jiang Jiuguo thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"Powerful, very unsolvable. Sadako cannot be killed. Even resolving her resentment is useless. The only way to deal with her is to pass the cursed videotape to someone else; there's no other method."
Number 47 nodded in agreement.
"Your understanding of Sadako is good. And now I can tell you one thing."
"Compared to a real ghost, the Sadako in the movie is just a small fry."
... (PS: Sorry for the late update)