novelraw Chapter 146: Night Encounter
Chapter 146: Night Encounter
Xiao Gui'an and Xu Zisheng had coincidentally missed each other.
By the time he reached the previous battle site, only some erased combat traces and extremely faint traces of presence remained.
Further away were those drifting ghosts.
Xiao Gui'an didn't return to the information records room in the office building from before. When he saw that ghost orphanage director, the mist before his eyes dissipated.
He clearly realized that the Acting Director's current face was one she had stolen.
That face had only undergone extremely subtle changes compared to the original director's face - others could still distinguish them - but it was enough for this instance's rules and system to recognize her.
As one of the crucial ghost instance NPCs, the orphanage needed a surface-level administrator. Regardless of who this person actually was, having this identity was sufficient.
The Proxy System didn't provide any other prompts. Xiao Gui'an estimated that Xu Zisheng and the others should be fine and had probably returned to the Student Dormitory Building long ago.
Perhaps after organizing their thoughts tonight, they could leave this instance.
But before returning, Xiao Gui'an found himself inexplicably drawn back to that most remote punishment ground in the courtyard.However, when he arrived at the similar location, those wooden boxes standing against the wall like black coffins had all completely disappeared.
How could there be nothing there?
The dark mist drifted around twice but couldn't detect any clues whatsoever.
It was like an isolated space. Without assistance from other external forces, it was impossible to break through that invisible barrier.
Time was getting quite late.
Xiao Gui'an could only take one last deep look at that empty area before finally returning the way he came.
Long after he had left, that area emitted extremely faint wooden knocking sounds.
But then came the heavy sound of dragging chains. A pupil-less eye flashed in the deepest darkness, wrapped in dark shadow walls, weaving inescapable black boxes.
During his return journey, Xiao Gui'an encountered someone completely unexpected.
The two ghosts that had been entangled outside the student canteen had completely vanished.
The cold wind once again swept through this orphanage shrouded in darkness.
Xiao Gui'an keenly heard movement coming from inside the canteen.
It was the sound of the door being pushed open and wind chimes ringing.
Was it ghosts?
Or was it Xu Zisheng and the others?
He approached and saw two sneaky figures emerging from the canteen entrance. They clearly realized they had made quite a commotion, their expressions turning extremely grim.
It was Xiao Yong and Xiao Xuan.
Why were these two children here?
And they showed no signs of mutation or ghost transformation whatsoever.
They looked exactly the same as during daytime.
It was already past midnight, entering the fourth day.
Which meant the fourth year.
Boy Xiao Xuan had grown significantly taller compared to when Xiao Gui'an saw him earlier tonight.
Although he himself was quite nervous, he still maintained a protective stance guarding Xiao Yong.
Xiao Gui'an could clearly see the other boy slightly lowering his head, as if saying some comforting words.
Why was this happening?
Shouldn't orphan-ghost NPCs be more compliant with the rules and stay in the Student Dormitory Building?
If players discovered wandering at night might face the danger of being torn apart by ghosts, what about these orphan NPCs?
Did the nighttime rules not apply to them?
If that was the case, why were they so nervous? Just like ordinary children sneaking out at night without sleeping, afraid of being punished?
Just as Xiao Gui'an quietly watched, planning to follow them back to the Student Dormitory Building, his peripheral vision caught a figure emerging from the other side door.
It was the ghost with extremely sensitive smell that Xu Zisheng encountered last night.
It was moving in this direction. Just one more corner and it would encounter those two boys.
The ghost had clearly heard the commotion or smelled something unusual. Its round head, resembling a fathead fish, trembled slightly as it took increasingly larger steps.
This ghost was probably a mutated staff member or cook from the student canteen.
If it discovered those two boys, what would happen?
Would it tear them apart and devour them like it would with caught players?
The dark mist churned slightly, and eventually that tall, straight figure gently landed on the ground.
Deep shadows fell, and the two sneaky small figures immediately froze.
But when they timidly looked up, what met their eyes were the Writer's slightly helpless and amused eyes.
His voice was very soft, without any tone of reproach, "Sleepless nights happen often, but it's late now. How about this gentleman escorts you back—"
Upon inquiry, he learned that boy Xiao Yong hadn't eaten enough and was genuinely hungry, which was why he had sneaked out.
The Writer slightly lowered his gaze, looking at the birthmarked boy's small frame. The other's belly was currently bulging, as if he had truly eaten a lot.
He then looked at the honest boy growing like a green pine beside him, his eyes flickering slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
He only said not to let it happen again and told them that eating too much at night wasn't good for their health.
The gentle, jade-like dark-haired youth led the two boys, their pace seemingly quickening momentarily, disappearing from visible range before the monster behind them could appear.
In an unnoticed corner, it seemed one of the boys glanced back toward the direction of the student canteen corner.
That aggressively approaching ghost stiffened slightly, its movements halting for two or three seconds, as if someone had pressed pause.
When time resumed, it seemed like no abnormal situation had occurred at all.
That ugly, disgusting ghost rotated its large head but ultimately couldn't see any suspicious figures or sense any presence.
"Sorry..."
"It's fine, sleep early—"
After sending the two boys back to their room, Xiao Gui'an stood quietly for a while. He detected a completely emotionless gaze falling upon him.
The Writer took steps, circled halfway, and finally saw a ghost silently standing deep in the corridor. He could probably guess who it was.
The towering ghost's entire body seemed wrapped in a cocoon. Its hands were pale and slender, quietly hanging in front of its chest, with pitch-black pupils and no expression on its face, like a sculpture.
It didn't struggle in pain like other ghosts but seemed to be undergoing punishment, perhaps atoning for its past.
This ghost didn't belong to any of those monsters brutally killed by the massive shadow yesterday, yet it was also atoning.
Their gazes seemed to collide, yet also seemed to never have intersected.
That pale sculpture-like ghost quietly retreated back into the depths of the corridor, as if it had never appeared.
[Alright, it's time to use our brains again...]
The Writer's figure ultimately disappeared into the night as Xiao Gui'an headed toward the fifth floor.
Originally planning to have a friendly discussion with Xu Zisheng about the instance, the other's first question upon finally seeing the dark mist appear made Xiao Gui'an's warning alarm blare loudly.
"Sir, where is Gui Yi?"