Zhao Mingyue casually tossed her schoolbag onto the table, then melted into the sofa like a salted fish, exuding an air of utter laziness.
She fished her phone out of her pocket and opened her social media app.
While most people might chat or call family or friends, her message list showed the last chat was from three days ago—a classmate asking for homework answers.
Just as she was about to swipe it away, the phone buzzed. A new message appeared.
[Lu Liangting: Mingyue, no matter what sounds you hear tonight, absolutely DO NOT go outside!!!]
“Hey, he didn’t even explain why. Why can’t I go out? Well, I didn’t really want to go out anyway,” she muttered, replying with an “Okay” and a nodding kitten sticker. Zhao Mingyue tilted her head and suddenly caught a pale, white face reflected on the phone screen.
“Ah!”
Zhao Mingyue jolted in fright. Looking up, she saw Bai Yu had somehow materialized behind her, half her body protruding from the wall.
But, she had to admit, Bai Yu looked rather cute in this state—at least, cute in Zhao Mingyue’s eyes.
“So it was you. You scared me.” She shifted over, patting the space beside her. “Sit here.”
Looking at Bai Yu’s pale, bloodless face and the black, crack-like lines covering her body, Zhao Mingyue wasn’t sure what she was feeling.
Bai Yu was a Fierce Ghost, and she herself was just an ordinary person.
Like Bai Yu said, her contact with this world was all because of that little quest on the Black Phone last night. Did she regret it?
Regret playing that game? Regret encountering Ghostly Monsters?
Probably not.
Bai Yu pushed herself upright, hands on the wall, and melted into it before stepping out beside Zhao Mingyue.
“Take out the Black Phone.”
“Ah, sure.”
Knowing Bai Yu couldn’t touch the Black Phone, she unlocked it and placed it flat on the coffee table. “Now what?”
“Here’s the thing: this phone’s power is far greater than you imagine. But I can tell you this—it cannot directly help you find your family.” Bai Yu’s voice was ethereal. She knew what Zhao Mingyue wanted.
“That’s the reality. If you’re hoping this will directly find your sister, abandon that thought.”
At these words, Zhao Mingyue fell silent for a long moment. Her fine brows furrowed. She started to speak, then stopped, words stuck in her throat. She could only stare into Bai Yu’s void-like eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I don’t want to deceive you, and I have no energy to use you. I’m telling you because we must cooperate going forward—mutual benefit. As I said, this phone cannot directly help you find your sister, but it can help you grow stronger.” Bai Yu remained calm, meeting her gaze.
“Finding your family relies only on yourself. The prerequisite is that you must become powerful. Otherwise, no one can help you. Do you understand my meaning?”
“The phone will issue quests. These quests are very dangerous, even carrying the risk of death. But there won’t be a guaranteed-death quest. As long as you complete it, there will certainly be rewards.”
“Last night was just child’s play. Tonight is the true beginning. I’m telling you this to lay out the truth. Lu Liangting is also a participant in this game. He knows its horror, which is why he doesn’t want you involved.”
This was simply her nature. She didn’t want to use Zhao Mingyue, nor would she wait until halfway through to suddenly announce the reality wasn’t what it seemed, acting like a saint claiming it was all for her good.
Lay everything out from the start. Cooperate if you want, quit if you can’t handle it.
But since Zhao Mingyue dared to play that game alone, Bai Yu believed she wouldn’t quit.
“If you’ve decided, open the app where you accepted last night’s quest and take tonight’s mission.”
Bai Yu’s words were serious. Zhao Mingyue looked at the Black Phone, then back at Bai Yu. Finally, her finger moved to the quest app.
“I’ve decided. I know my sister’s disappearance is anything but simple. And with you helping me, what do I have to fear? Should I accept the quest now?”
“Mm.”
“Okay!”
She opened the app. As expected, the content had changed.
[Tomorrow Apartment (Three Stars)]
[Quest Details: Room Six, The Face Carved in the Wall, Spirit Fire, The Backward Walker, Foul Stench]
[Did you know, this place was once called Tomorrow Apartment? After that great fire, everything changed. Here’s a method for you: at midnight, walk backwards up the stairs from the fourth floor… when you cross the thirteenth step, you will see ‘them’.]
[Dongcheng Thirteenth High School (Three Stars)]
[Quest Details: Eyes in the Toilet Stall, The Meat Aroma at the Midnight Canteen, Red Dancing Shoes, Front and Back Door, The Statue Missing Its Head]
[…]
[Lantern Resort (Four Stars)]
[…]
Several quests had appeared at once. Zhao Mingyue’s gaze locked onto [Tomorrow Apartment]. If she wasn’t mistaken, this was her mission for tonight. Just reading the quest details sent a chill down her spine.
This quest was nothing like last night’s simple task!
“Accept the Tomorrow Apartment quest.”
“Okay.”
[You have accepted the quest: Tomorrow Apartment]
[Please arrive at Tomorrow Apartment before midnight. Survive until dawn. The quest completion rating will improve based on your actions.]
The quest notification appeared. Zhao Mingyue felt her heart rate quicken, her palms slightly sweaty. “Do we need to prepare anything?”
The girl in the white dress beside her was a Fierce Ghost, but she was the only one Zhao Mingyue could rely on right now.
She checked the time on her phone. It was only eight o’clock. A full four hours until midnight.
“Prepare a handy weapon.”
“A handy weapon…” Zhao Mingyue was stumped. What kind of weapon could deal with Ghostly Monsters? “I don’t have anything here for dealing with Ghosts. Is it too late to go buy some now? Like some black dog blood, a Peach Wood Sword, that sort of thing?”
She said this with utmost seriousness, leaving Bai Yu speechless.
“You don’t need to deal with the Ghostly Monsters. Those things you think are effective against ghosts are actually useless. Instead, you should prepare a weapon for dealing with people.”
“A weapon for dealing with people? Aren’t we dealing with ghosts tonight?”
“No. Sometimes, people are far more terrifying than ghosts.” Bai Yu’s words carried hidden meaning. After pondering for a moment, Zhao Mingyue retrieved the kitchen knife from the kitchen.
One kitchen knife wasn’t enough. The girl then seemed to think of something, dashed into her bedroom, rummaged around, and finally pulled out a pickaxe-shaped “magic staff.”
Yes, Bai Yu was certain it was a magic staff—a solid magic staff!
It was entirely pink, about a meter long. The head was a red, cone-shaped hawk-beak, solid and a full size larger than a fist. On the back were a pair of cute, cartoonish white wings as decoration.
Ignoring its adorable appearance, this thing was indeed a lethal weapon.
One swing to a person’s head, and it would crack it right open.
