Chapter 1991

The colors were dull and gray, the withered trees mottled.

Walking along the path in the villa district, Jiang Haochen always felt as if he were squeezed inside a dead person's intestines.

"Hey! Andre!"

"Do you know where the hospital is? Why does this damned place turn us into ordinary people?!"

He laboriously climbed the outer wall, Jiang Haochen complaining while trying to stand a bit higher to see if the hospital mentioned in the case file was nearby.

Unlike his complaining, Andre merely frowned at the car by the door, staring thoughtfully at the tire scuff marks.

"Climbing up is useless; just go out and find a bus stop. There should be a route map there."

Turning his head, Andre softly voiced his judgment, but as soon as he lifted his head, he noticed Jiang Haochen standing on the wall with stiff, bent legs, like a monkey urinating.

"Jiang Haochen?"

Before Andre could even ask instinctively, the next second he saw Jiang Haochen whirl his head around, lose his footing, and plop down with a thud.

"Damn it!"

"Something's there! I saw something jumping on the building's roof!"

His face turned deathly pale!

Heedless of his painful fall, Jiang Haochen scrambled up, his face ashen, and stared in shock at the distant building.

"Wh...!?"

Reacting instantly, Andre snapped his mouth shut and looked up, realizing Jiang Haochen had probably seen something. No matter how he looked, though, he saw nothing unusual.

"I don't know what it is either!"

"But that thing is fast! Damn! It leapt from one building's roof to another in just a few seconds!"

It was a black shadow! Though not close, he couldn't make out its shape, yet for some reason he felt as if he were being stared at! This immense sense of danger made every pore on his body scream.

"I've been seen!?"

"Where to run!? What to do!?"

"Bang!!"

"Bang!!! Bang!!"

Before Jiang Haochen could frantically look around, a series of booming sounds, from far to near, erupted instantly.

It was as if shells were striking the rooftops; obviously something was darting swiftly between the buildings.

At that moment, even though Andre couldn't see the ghost Jiang Haochen described, he couldn't help but change expression, realizing the gravity of the problem.

"Hide back in the villa!?"

"Leave this place!"

Both blurted out, their opinions opposite.

Unlike Jiang Haochen, who wanted to hide in the community, Andre, though he didn't yet understand what was wrong here, felt that staying would get them killed faster!

"Run out!? Running out will get us killed even more!"

"Here it's all low houses; against that thing, flat ground makes no difference! Outside there are tall buildings and underground passages!"

Seeing Jiang Haochen hesitate, Andre didn't bother explaining and charged toward the estate exit. If the villa district were a meadow, then the city outside would be a dense forest!

To evade that thing, the choice was obvious!

Jiang Haochen shivered slightly, watching Andre's retreating back; he seemed to grasp Andre's idea as well. He cursed quietly, gritted his teeth, and hurried after him.

Andre's idea wasn't wrong, but he kept feeling that the black shadow wasn't seeing him with its eyes!

His steps were hurried, anxious.

Soon, the two, one after the other, reached the main street in just a few seconds. Overhead, the silent thuds of heavy landings sounded like death omens drawing nearer; with their view obstructed, they could not tell where the ghost was!

Seeing the exposed street ahead, they exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and decided to charge straight through!

Past this street lay the most complex terrain of the commercial district; they could hide inside buildings or in the underground parking lot!

"Thud!! Thud!!"

The sound grew nearer, as if corpses were being slammed hard onto the ground overhead.

Under the invisible pressure, Andre was the first to reach the opposite side of the road; he saw himself flip and leap into the street-side shop. Turning his head, Andre noticed that Jiang Haochen seemed to feel far greater pressure than he did, so he urgently waved, signaling Jiang Haochen not to hesitate any longer!

"Come here quickly!"

From his position, he could hear that the thing had already leapt onto the opposite building—right beside Jiang Haochen!

Hearing Andre's desperately lowered urging, Jiang Haochen took a deep breath and dared not hesitate any longer.

But just before crossing the road, he couldn't help but glance up at the upper right of the building, instinctively wanting to see where the monster had landed.

Not looking would have been fine, but that one glance terrified him out of his wits!

It wasn't on the roof beside him!

All he saw was on the exterior wall of the building to his right, a corpse rotting from head to toe in bluish-black, clinging to the wall like a gecko.

His gaze acted like a signal, instantly drawing the ghost's attention!

It jerked its head around, as if turning its neck three hundred sixty degrees, and the ghost twisted its whole face to face backward, staring straight at him!

In an instant, Jiang Haochen felt as if his soul were being pulled out; though they were still a hundred meters apart, he saw his own reflection in the ghost's pitch-black pupils!

"Run!!"

It was like face-to-face, eye-to-eye! This horrifying close encounter made Jiang Haochen's brain flood with hot blood, and he sprang to his feet and ran!

He had been seen! He was now absolutely certain that the ghost had spotted him!

But it seemed everything was already too late.

Even though Andre saw nothing, in his view the exterior wall of the building to Jiang Haochen's right suddenly caved in, sending a torrent of wall plaster and tiles clattering down.

The next second, that invisible ghost slammed onto the small rooftop less than ten meters above Jiang Haochen's head.

Under the tremendous impact, street-side glass shattered! With such immense force, Andre had no doubt that both of them would be killed instantly.

As for Jiang Haochen, he only felt that death had never been this close before! In his peripheral vision, he could already see the monster's foot!

I'm going to... die!?

Bang!!

A huge thud as a heavy object fell; Jiang Haochen gave a bitter laugh—he could already feel that thing jump onto his back.

His legs went weak, as if locked on, and his head was slowly twisted by an unknown force.

He never imagined he'd die as soon as he entered the mission; thinking back, he had been full of confidence, believing he could shine and help Lin An. Now, he only felt his death was so frustrating and absurd.

Damn it..!

Didn't even make it out the door before dying...

Is this the difficulty of a Five-Star Mission!?

Even if Lin An could reset, there's no time to save me... I don't even know if that guy has reset before...

Andre! Run!! Don't worry about me!

No time to wonder why Andre can't see the ghost—Jiang Haochen shouted.

Just as he despaired, waiting to die, the next second a piercing sound of tearing air and a roar sounded simultaneously.

Close your eyes!!

Lower your head!!

Whoosh!

The spear tore through the air, tracing an arc!

The voice was incredibly familiar; in an instant, Jiang Haochen's heart jolted, recognizing it as Lin An's.

Only to see, on his left side, Lin An, after throwing his spear, close his eyes and sprint straight toward him.