Volume One: The Ghost Building Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Final Deduction

It felt as if he had suddenly plunged into a thick mist. Cheng Fan was currently analyzing, attempting to fathom the hidden meaning behind the statement.

"No need to care about your own state?"

As a university student, Cheng Fan possessed a fairly rich knowledge base. Being a literature major meant he had a deeper understanding of many terms. Taken literally, the keyword of this statement was "state." But what exactly was a "state"? According to dictionary definitions, a state refers to the form or condition exhibited by a person or thing, representing the actual situation manifested during periods of generation, survival, development, or extinction.

The lexical definition was simple enough—anyone, including himself, could easily grasp the meaning of "state." But what did "no need to care about your own state" actually mean? Was there some connection between this and the path to survival? If a link truly existed, what was the specific, profound meaning behind this survival tip?

It was as if he caught a glimpse of light within the fog. As his deductive analysis deepened, Cheng Fan gradually felt he had grasped the core. If he could keep moving forward, even if just one step, he would thoroughly comprehend the true path to survival for this instance of the challenge!

There was hope—hope to escape the building!

At this thought, Cheng Fan became instantly excited, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.

Inside the restroom, Cheng Fan’s subtle movements were naturally taken in by Zhao Linxuan, who stood to the side. It made her increasingly curious; her beautiful eyes narrowed from time to time, and she subconsciously wanted to ask, but the memory of Cheng Fan’s previous warning forced her to hold back. Instead, she began to look around, staying vigilant to observe the surroundings for both herself and Cheng Fan.

Setting aside Zhao Linxuan’s vigilance, Cheng Fan, despite his earlier excitement that he was only a step away from the true path, found to his shock that... this crucial final step was one he simply could not take. No matter how much he racked his brains, he could not decipher its meaning!

Damn it! How could this be?

"The final step, I was just one step away, and now I’m stuck here!"

"Damn it!"

Unable to grasp the underlying meaning of the statement, Cheng Fan was driven to the brink of madness. His excitement vanished instantly, replaced by agitation, confusion, bitterness, and an increasingly furrowed brow.

It seemed his analysis could only go this far; further efforts were unlikely to yield a breakthrough. If he wanted to gain anything more, he would have to resort to other methods, such as... seeking a way out through practical action?

However, knowing the female ghost was frantically searching for the explorers, Cheng Fan dared not venture out easily. If he ran into her, he would be finished. There had to be a substitute.

Fine, he would have to use that now.

"Hoo!"

As mentioned, having confirmed that analysis alone could no longer yield significant results, Cheng Fan made a major decision. After a deep breath, he activated his skill and used "Future Deduction" once more.

This was his final use of the skill; once consumed, his five allotted uses would be completely exhausted. Gambling on the outcome, Cheng Fan closed his eyes and used the skill without hesitation.

(Deduction begins!)

(Because you cannot grasp the specific meaning of the fifth survival tip, you are restless. After struggling for about a minute, you decide to go out and investigate.)

(Zhao Linxuan does not stop you, as she has already decided that wherever you go, she will follow.)

(Under your lead, you and Zhao Linxuan walk toward the door.)

(But at that very moment, an incident occurs.)

(Before you can even step out of the restroom, a chilly wind begins to blow outside the door.)

(Hearing the commotion, both you and Zhao Linxuan have your expressions change instantly.)

(You decisively abandon the idea of leaving and hide in the restroom with Zhao Linxuan.)

(Peering through the peephole, you observe the hallway. It is empty, save for the rustling of potted plants on both sides.)

(Enduring your fear, you continue to observe. Before long, you witness a horrific scene.)

(Amidst the howling wind, a hand as pale as paper slowly emerges from the ceiling of the hallway, clutching a corpse.)

(Dragging the corpse, the pale hand pulls it through the ceiling and drops it onto the floor of the hallway.)

(You instantly recognize the corpse as Zhou Cheng, who had already died.)

(Witnessing this, you understand the specific mechanism by which the female ghost transfers corpses and discover an additional, crucial detail.)

(Because his skin had been completely flayed, Zhou Cheng’s body is entirely red—covered in blood. Yet, strangely, even though the surface is drenched in blood, the ghost can touch it easily; the blood does not restrain her.)

(Seeing this, you are horrified, instinctively thinking that the blood’s ability to restrain the ghost has failed. But upon second thought, you quickly reject this conclusion, and a vague answer begins to form in your mind.)

(Perhaps only the blood of a living person can restrain the ghost; once a person dies, the blood immediately loses its effectiveness.)

(Meanwhile, after placing Zhou Cheng’s body in the hallway, the pale hand retreats into the ceiling. A moment later, you hear laughter.)

(Accompanied by a chilling, shrill laugh, the female ghost appears, drifting into the hallway from the far right staircase.)

(Seeing the ghost in red again, your heart and Zhao Linxuan’s begin to race, your bodies trembling uncontrollably.)

(Maintaining her bone-chilling, piercing laughter, the ghost spins wantonly in mid-air, twisting and spiraling like a dance of death. The scene is terrifying, making your scalp tingle and your spine break into a cold sweat.)

(The horrific dance soon ends, and the ghost drifts slowly into a room nearby.)

(You realize instantly that the ghost is searching for you and Zhao Linxuan. Once certain, relying on your extraordinary courage, you take action. As soon as the ghost enters the room, you push the door open and dash out without hesitation.)

(While the ghost is still inside the room, you and Zhao Linxuan sprint to the nearest staircase on the left.)

(Following the endless flight of stairs, you head down and quickly recognize a familiar floor.)

(This is the floor where the infirmary is located.)

(Based on a certain thought, you lead her to the floor’s hallway and return to the infirmary.)

(Before entering, you ask Zhao Linxuan to keep watch in the hallway, while you step into the room alone.)

(Once inside, you do not re-bandage your left arm wound as one might expect; instead, you stare at the window in silence.)

(You appear to be in a daze, but in reality, your brain is spinning at high speed.)

(A moment later, you exit the room, walk straight to the room next door, and stand before the window, lost in thought.)

(From then on, you move from room to room, frequently observing the various windows. No one knows what you are thinking.)

(However, when you enter the sixth room, Zhao Linxuan, who is keeping watch outside, cries out.)

(From the clearly panicked tone of the woman, you clearly hear the word: "Eyes.")