Resurgence of the Unknown

Chapter 51: The Missing People

The massive mall was eerily silent. There wasn't a single sound, except for the echo of Yang Jian's footsteps as he walked through the empty corridors. Outside, the fading light of the setting sun streamed through the glass windows, casting a dim glow over the darkened mall. But this light wouldn't last long. Once night fell, and with the lights turned off in the mall, it would be pitch black inside.

"Hiss... your left side. There's someone standing on your left," Jiang Yan's nervous voice crackled through the satellite phone on Yang Jian's chest.

Yang Jian turned to see a pale-faced, middle-aged man standing silently in a corridor to the left. The man's skin emitted a faint stench of rot, and his eyes were shut as he stood motionless, like a puppet.

Yang Jian glanced briefly at the man. "I see him."

He sidestepped, walking cautiously past the man. The figure remained still, not reacting to Yang Jian even as he passed right by.

"You're incredible! Your theory was right! The ghost didn't attack you," Jiang Yan exclaimed with excitement from the surveillance room.

Yang Jian remained composed, replying, "No, I now suspect these aren't the real ghosts. They're just being controlled by one. The real ghost must be hiding somewhere, or perhaps within someone. Don't waste time. The surveillance system stores footage for up to 15 days, and from what I understand, everything that has happened here occurred within the last ten days."

"If you focus and search thoroughly, you'll find the source."

"Don't worry, I know what to do now," Jiang Yan responded. Her confidence was growing, and her fear had lessened.

"Behind you, inside that shop, I see someone," Jiang Yan suddenly warned again.

Yang Jian quickly turned his head. Through the glass door of a nearby shop stood a girl dressed in vibrant, youthful clothing. Her skin had turned a dark, decaying hue, clearly indicating she had been dead for several days, even longer than the previously mentioned Wei Xiaohong. Her body was in a more advanced stage of decomposition, with her once-lustrous black hair now falling in clumps with every movement. Foul-smelling liquid oozed from her nose and eyes.

Despite her appearance, the corpse raised its hand as if trying to reach through the glass door to grab Yang Jian.

"Inside the shop as well?" Yang Jian's expression tensed, and he quickly turned away, walking backward as he went.

He continued to face the figures, carefully moving in reverse to avoid exposing his back to them. If fear drove him to run, he knew it would end badly.

Understanding the ghost's pattern made it less dangerous for Yang Jian.

"Zhou Zheng's three principles really are accurate. Once you understand the ghost's method of killing, even an ordinary person could escape," Yang Jian mused. Of course, this only applied to ghosts of this level. At higher levels, like the ghost infant, which killed indiscriminately, knowing the pattern wouldn't guarantee survival—it would only improve your chances.

After avoiding two nearby ghosts, Yang Jian quickened his pace.

He could hear more footsteps approaching from all around, along with the eerie sound of the elevators operating. Yang Jian knew that ghosts were gathering from all sides, and if he took too long, he'd be surrounded and left with no way out.

However, Yang Jian's confidence stemmed from his abilities as a ghost wielder. An ordinary person wouldn't have dared take such risks.

"The utility room is ahead, around the left corner. But you need to hurry. More ghosts are closing in on you from behind, and I can see more of them coming up in the elevator," Jiang Yan warned again, her voice tense.