Chapter 15: The Conditions for the Old Man’s Appearance
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
As he surveyed the etched words on the unusual material, he paused briefly, his heart suffusing with a wave of lingering doubt.
In due course, a man named Miles arrived at the profound yet straightforward decision to keep the horrifying item – a piece of human skin that was laid out before him.
His logic was straightforward yet thought-provoking: he had no wish to experience the same cruel fate that his acquaintance Right had suffered, a victim of a vindictive ghost’s ruthless revenge.
Despite the skin parchment exuding an intense aura of malevolence and strangeness, it represented an enigma, a potential advantage to Miles. He hypothesized that this unusual artifact might reveal critical secrets or even provide predictions about future events.
“Maintaining possession of this parchment is likely to invite trouble,” Miles reflected, his gaze flickering with a mix of fascination and fear. “However, considering my present situation, I can’t afford to be choosy. The most severe consequence is death, but even that is less concerning than the reemergence of a wrathful spirit.” He paused before adding, “If I exercise caution and take the necessary precautions, perhaps I can control the outcome.”
With determination etched on his face, he rolled up the dreadful piece of skin and carefully placed it in his pocket.
His decision was final.
At that moment, the ringing of a phone he held, William’s phone, interrupted his contemplations. The caller ID displayed the name “Jing”.
His heart fluttered momentarily upon seeing the name. He had almost overlooked the fact that Jing was in close vicinity.
After a brief deliberation, he decided to accept the call.
“Miles, I’ve completed the task you assigned me. You can’t just disregard me now. Tell me how to get out of here!” Jing’s voice resonated through the phone, charged with evident fear.
Having completed the task that Miles had outlined, Jing found himself alone, devoid of the presence of his peers.
Although he had successfully given the slip to those who were following him, he was still trapped in the uncanny realm of the ghost. As long as he remained within this boundary, any feeling of safety was transient at best.
A look of determination swept over Miles’s face as his mind worked overtime.
An idea began to form within him – to use Jing as a test subject.
With a sense of calm calculatedness, he initiated, “Jing, I might not be able to guide you out, but I can share the survival method I’ve been employing.”
“What method? Don’t beat around the bush,” Jing demanded anxiously.
To which, Miles replied, “Is your phone internet-enabled? I’ll send you a link. Search for a forum and look for a post by a user who goes by ‘Thunder King.'”
After providing these instructions, he proceeded to share the link to the chilling ghost story that he had stumbled upon in the forum.
Jing quickly received the message and replied, “I’ve found the post by ‘Thunder King.’ It seems to be quite popular,” he confirmed.
“Just open that particular post, disregard the rest, and scroll to the bottom,” Miles instructed.
Guided by trembling hands, Jing manipulated his phone according to the instructions, his heart pounding with trepidation as he skimmed to the final part of the post.
Then a shudder of cold dread coursed through him at the sight of the photograph included there.
The photo depicted an elderly man draped in a long robe, his skin marred by signs of decay and his features devoid of any vibrancy or life.
Standing by a glass window, as if simply passing through, the old man bore an eerie similarity to the ghostly figure that had been relentlessly pounding on the classroom door.
“Do you see the file? Save it,” Miles ordered.
“Okay, okay,” Jing agreed with a pronounced gulp, his voice a pitch higher from fear, and proceeded to save the file.
After confirming Jing’s compliance, Miles quickly scanned his surroundings, his gaze sharp and wary.
One minute passed, then two, then three, yet the figure of the old man failed to materialize. It appeared as if he had left this place, his whereabouts unknown.
But Miles knew better. They were still enveloped within the ghost domain, implying that the old man had not truly departed. He was simply hidden from view.
After all, the school was extensive. It wasn’t surprising that they were unable to spot the figure of that ghostly being.
“Miles, Miles, speak up! I’ve done as you instructed, but nothing’s changed,” Jing’s voice resounded anxiously over the phone.
“Was my hypothesis incorrect? The old man didn’t appear outside the classroom because I viewed his photograph,” Miles pondered aloud, his brows furrowed in thought.
Prior to this, he had formulated three guesses.
The forum post by ‘Thunder King’ originated from a hospital in a different province, hundreds of kilometers away from Spear City.
What were the odds of encountering the same ghost from that distant hospital here at their school?
Miles reasoned that the chances were exceedingly slim unless there was only one possibility – that the old man was lured here by some factor.
Perhaps a signal, a specific condition, or even a person.
Hence, his initial hypothesis revolved around Right.
He speculated that the old man was in search of Right, who was a ghost tamer and had definitely interacted with otherworldly entities. However, the demise of Right and his own first encounter with the old man had effectively debunked this hypothesis.
The second hypothesis involved Jing.
But considering that Jing was still alive from the moment the old man manifested, this hypothesis could also be ruled out.
As such, the third supposition emerged: the old man was drawn to Miles himself.
If this theory were accurate, then the only connections between Miles and the old man would be his exposure to the forum story, his viewing of the photograph, and his listening to the recorded knocking sound created by Thunder King.
“If it’s not the photograph, then it must be the knocking sound,” Miles concluded.
Following this train of thought, he directed, “Jing, do you see the audio file below? Play it. This might be your only opportunity to escape.”
“Alright,” Jing agreed, proceeding to play the audio file.
“Thud, thud-thud.” The dull, ominous sound echoed like a heartbeat in the enveloping darkness.
Jing illuminated his surroundings with the light from his phone and reported, “Miles, nothing has changed.”
However, at the other end of the phone call, Miles’s eyes constricted sharply, a look of startled realization crossing his face.
An elderly figure, garbed in a long black robe, his features pallid and marred by spots reminiscent of a corpse, emerged on the small pathway that wound through the school’s green belt. He moved with a stiff, lethargic gait, making his way towards Jing.
Just as he’d thought, the old man had appeared.
His sudden appearance was so unexpected that it seemed as though the old man had been standing there all along.
“Damn, my theory was right. The old man came for me because I listened to the knocking sound,” a shiver of dread swept over Miles.
“Miles, hello? Miles, speak up,” Jing called, oblivious to the old man’s approach.
Miles slowly retreated, staying out of the old man’s line of sight, and said in a hushed, careful tone, “Keep playing that audio file. Don’t stop.”
“Will this really help?” Jing continued to play the audio file, sounding doubtful yet hopeful.
“Thud, thud-thud.”
The eerie sound of knocking echoed ceaselessly from his phone.
Even though there was no immediate visible change, Jing noticed that the ambient noise of footsteps had mysteriously ceased. It may not have been an overtly effective strategy, but it would be inaccurate to deem it entirely useless.
“This method of Miles’s should work,” he thought, feeling a touch of relief.
What he didn’t realize, however, was that behind him, the old man dressed in a black robe and blemished with corpse spots was gradually inching closer.
At that instant, Miles rapidly retreated from the greenery, distancing himself from the imminent danger, and made his way back to the previously encountered sports field.
He was now hundreds of meters away, far enough to not be able to spot Jing or the verdant trees.
“Jing, are you still among the living?” Miles asked abruptly.
“Nonsense, of course, I am,” Jing retorted.
“I apologize, I misled you,” Miles admitted.
“What do you mean? What deception?” Jing asked, his voice thick with confusion.
“The old man who was knocking outside the classroom earlier was attracted to me. He came for me,” Miles revealed, “I wasn’t aware of this at first, I just figured it out. I think the reason the old man was lured here has to do with the audio file – yes, the very knocking sound you just listened to.”
“What?” Jing was taken aback, his heart clenched in sudden fear, his face mirroring his terror.
If the knocking sound had the power to draw the old man towards it, and Jing had played it multiple times… A wave of dread washed over him, and he instinctively took a step back.
“Thud~!”
Jing’s body collided with something that felt cold and rigid.
As he spun around, he came face-to-face with an elderly figure, whose lifeless, corpse-spotted visage stared back blankly at him.
Immediately, his body froze, turning as icy as the old man’s gaze. A skeletal, ice-cold hand slowly lifted, creeping closer to Jing’s face. The pressure was so strong that it felt like his facial bones were being crushed.
“Mi-Miles!” Jing’s terrified and anguished scream resonated through the phone.
Miles remained unshaken, his voice echoing over the line, “You taught me this – life is no place for the overly naive.”
Having said that, he disconnected the call.