With a ding, the elevator doors closed. This office building only has ten floors, so I pressed the button for the tenth. Word is, the boss’s secretary was the first to go mad—right on the tenth floor. That’s where I’d start.
But when I hit the elevator button, nothing happened. I waited, anxious, for a minute. Tried the open-door button—still locked tight.
I clenched my fists, ready to force the doors open and break out.
"Hahaha..."
A low, manic laugh echoed. Suddenly, a figure appeared: blue jacket, black pants—a security guard. The elevator lights snapped off.
Green light flickered. The guard’s face was corpse-white, blood pouring from every orifice. He twisted his head, laughing wildly at me.
"This elevator only goes down, never up. The bottom floor is hell—hahaha..."
With a crash, the elevator dropped. The space flickered—light, then darkness. The ghost kept laughing, shrill and relentless.
Just an illusion. Instantly, Deathbane Aura surged from inside me. I staggered forward, step by step, toward the laughing ghost. He was just a Yellow Ghost—ordinary. He tried to scare me, mouth gaping wide, but I slapped him hard across the face.
"You..."
In a flash, the illusion vanished. The ghost looked stunned. I raised my hand—Deathbane Aura seeped from the walls, forming spikes all around him.
"Speak. What the hell is going on here?"
"Ah, so you’re one of us! Haha, sorry, sorry—I thought you were just human!"
"I am human!" I roared, then slammed my fist into the ghost’s blood-soaked face—again and again. Just thinking about someone causing all this madness made my blood boil.
"Stop! Stop! Ow!"
The Yellow Ghost begged for mercy. I grabbed his neck with one hand.
"Talk."
"I’ll talk, I’ll talk! We were summoned by an old Taoist to scare people."
"Where?" I demanded.
The Yellow Ghost shook his head, pointed upward. I let him go, cursed, and he slipped into the wall.
The elevator returned to normal. I pressed the tenth floor. Earlier, I’d used the Specter Web to probe—the tenth was thick with sinister energy. Whatever was going on, I had to see it myself.
The elevator crept upward. I could feel it—the number of ghosts in this building was far from normal. Most were weak, but there were vengeful ones too.
Whitecoat Wraiths, Yellow Ghosts, Grayshade Wraiths—there were plenty. No overwhelming ghostly power, but I stayed ready, fists clenched.
Arrived—the elevator chimed. The doors slid open on the tenth floor.
A vast space outside the elevator—ghosts everywhere, packed tight. Hundreds of them.
At the front stood a vengeful ghost with dyed hair, dressed like a rebellious youth. Chewing gum, black lines painted beneath his eyes, he stared at me, arrogance radiating. Other fierce ghosts flanked him, but he was clearly the strongest—young, vicious gaze.
"What do you want, kid? Who are you? Why are you on my turf?"
I stepped forward, glaring at the rebel ghost.
"Get out of my way, or else..."
Before I could finish, all the ghosts burst into laughter—mocking, echoing, as if I’d told the world’s funniest joke.
"Who sent you here?"
I asked again. The rebellious ghost floated in front of me, hands raised arrogantly, gripping my shoulders.
"I don’t care who you are. Since you’re here, don’t even think about leaving."
As he spoke, the rebel ghost twisted my neck with both hands—crack! My head snapped off.
Instantly, the ghosts rushed at me. Blood splattered; they tried to devour my flesh, hungry and wild.
"Anyone who doesn’t want to die, scram."
I spoke low, then snapped—my body turned to mist. The blood in the air turned black. I spread Deathbane Aura through the Specter Web, filling the space.
The rebel ghost froze in terror. Many ghosts screamed, trying to escape into the walls.
Creaks echoed. The space froze into black ice. Low-level ghosts touched the ice, screamed, and shattered instantly.
In a flash, I reformed, human-shaped, standing before the rebel ghost—he’d fallen to the ground. I pointed at him.
"Get up."
The rebel ghost trembled, rising to his feet, eyes full of fear and respect.
"Sorry, boss, sorry! I didn’t know you were one of us. Please, spare me!"
"Tell me—who the hell sent you here to scare people?"
"A Taoist. We don’t know why, but he sent us all here."
I glared at the rebel ghost, anger boiling inside.
"Where is that Taoist?"
Suddenly, the rebel ghost’s body turned black. He swung his fist—crack!—right into my mouth.
Cracks rang out—the ice walls shattered. Ghosts lunged at me from all sides.
Instantly, I unleashed Deathbane Aura—spikes swept out, ensnaring the ghosts.
The rebel ghost kept attacking, but I didn’t hold back—my fist crashed into his chest, blowing open a huge hole.
Suddenly, he seemed to snap out of it, clutching his chest, screaming on the ground.
"Who is it?" I shouted, probing with the Specter Web.
"Damn it, Ethan Zhang, it’s you again, ruining my plans! I haven’t even settled the score with you about the zombie incident!"
The voice was familiar. I thought for a moment.
"Are you Thomas Tang?"
"You still recognize me, Ethan Zhang."
"If you’ve got guts, come out!"
I shouted, glaring around. Deathbane Aura rampaged through me; black mist filled the air. I extended the Specter Web beyond the building—only ghosts, no humans.
"Ethan Zhang..."
A cold, sinister voice echoed from above.
I looked up, eyes narrowing. A figure in Taoist robes stood at the end of the corridor, holding a black staff, surrounded by a swirling mass of ghosts.
It was Thomas Tang.
His eyes locked on me, cold and full of hatred.
"You ruined my plans at Corpse Village. Today, you’ll pay."
He raised his staff—ghosts howled, black mist surged. The corridor twisted, space distorting. Dozens of vengeful ghosts lunged at me, teeth bared.
I didn’t flinch. Deathbane Aura burst from me, forming a shield. The first ghost hit it and exploded into black smoke.
The rest hesitated, circling.
"Thomas Tang! This is your last warning—stop, or I’ll destroy you!"
He just laughed, voice echoing like thunder. "Try it, Ethan Zhang!"
I charged, Deathbane Aura swirling—a black blade formed in my hand.
"Die!" I roared, slashing through the ghosts. Black smoke exploded everywhere.
Thomas Tang retreated, staff raised. Black mist surged, ghosts screaming.
"You can’t kill me, Ethan Zhang!"
I didn’t hesitate. Deathbane Aura burst out, Specter Web pierced the mist—straight for Thomas Tang.
He screamed, black mist shattering around him. The ghosts vanished.
The corridor fell silent. Thomas Tang collapsed, panting, eyes full of terror.
I walked up, Deathbane Aura swirling around me.
"This is your last chance. Tell me everything."