Volume One, Chapter 16: The Flesh-Eating Phantom!
“What?!” Lin Beiye’s eyes widened in shock. “Nourishment? What does that mean? Could it be that...”
The student gave a sly smile and nodded. “Yes, just as you think.”
Lin Beiye furrowed his brow, unease swelling within him. “Does the Ghost-Slaying Department just allow this to happen? Don’t they intervene?”
The student shook his head. “If the Ghost-Slaying Department intervened, how would the students behind them continue the test?”
Lin Beiye frowned slightly, asking in confusion, “If the Ghost-Slaying Department can’t stop it, isn’t there still the option to forfeit? Wouldn’t they choose to forfeit?”
The student explained, “People are always greedy. Once you enter this test, everyone wants to seize that opportunity with all their might. By the time they realize, the ghosts won’t even give them a chance to forfeit! So for the first group, unless you forfeit immediately, you’re basically waiting to die.”
“But it’s different for the later groups,” he continued. “Once the ghosts are satiated, they won’t be too reckless. At most, they’ll attack you, but by then, you’ll have reaction time. At least you won’t die inside.”
After hearing the explanation, Lin Beiye nodded slightly. “Thanks, classmate.”
The student waved carelessly. “No big deal. Oh, by the way, I’m Ye Zheng from Tianzhou City Public High School. I don’t know your name yet.”
Lin Beiye smiled and replied, “I’m Lin Beiye.”
Upon hearing Lin Beiye’s name, Ye Zheng’s expression suddenly turned mysterious. He leaned close to Lin Beiye’s ear and whispered, “I heard that among this batch of students taking the test, one has already received a recommendation spot from the Ghost-Slaying Department!”
Lin Beiye’s heart skipped a beat. “This recommendation spot… it sounds intimidating, but it probably isn’t that useful.”
“Are you serious, classmate?!” Ye Zheng stared at him incredulously. “That recommendation spot is a symbol of talent! It’s an appointment made by the Ghost-Slaying Department itself! If we can take the test alongside such a person, the chance of passing isn’t just 100%, it’d at least increase by 50%!”
Lin Beiye was bewildered. “That high?”
Ye Zheng nodded confidently. “Of course! Someone chosen by the Ghost-Slaying Department must have something extraordinary about them! If we get close to them, maybe they’ll help us pass together.”
Lin Beiye laughed awkwardly. “Sounds like you already know who that person is.”
Ye Zheng glanced toward the seats behind them. “Rumor has it, it’s the campus belle from West City High School, Lu Li.”
“Ah?” Lin Beiye followed Ye Zheng’s gaze.
Sure enough, behind them sat a gentle and refined young woman—Lu Li. At this moment, she was holding a book tightly, flipping through the pages with focused attention, as if the chaos around her meant nothing.
If Li Jinhe was a rose with thorns, then Lu Li was a fresh and elegant orchid. Every gesture she made exuded a graceful and genteel aura, like a quiet, sweet girl-next-door, radiating calm and warmth.
Lin Beiye smiled, “You know, that actually makes some sense.”
To be able to quietly read in such a crucial moment, she must be pretty formidable!
Ye Zheng patted his chest. “Buddy, I’m telling you, our info has some accuracy. But still, among the campus belles, your East City High’s Li Jinhe is more impressive—she quietly completed the fear test and even made a contract with a ghost!”
“Come on, tell me, what experience has Li Jinhe shared with you?”
It wasn’t that Lin Beiye didn’t want to say; he just hadn’t taken it seriously. So he cleared his throat and pretended to say, “Classmate, I’m not very familiar with Li Jinhe, so, you know…”
“Ah, what a pity,” Ye Zheng said regretfully. Then he put his arm around Lin Beiye’s shoulder. “Since Li Jinhe didn’t share anything useful, why don’t we go ask Lu Li later and see what we can find out?”
Lin Beiye looked toward Lu Li and nodded. “Okay, but what if she doesn’t want to talk to us?”
“Don’t worry!” Ye Zheng patted his chest again. “As long as I’m involved, there’s no girl I can’t win over!”
Seeing Ye Zheng’s confidence, Lin Beiye could only silently pray.
At that moment, Ye Zheng suddenly pointed forward and shouted, “Look! Someone’s coming out!”
Lin Beiye immediately turned his head.
A student staggered out, face full of terror, covered in extensive bloodstains. Upon closer look, it was obvious the student had lost a leg.
The Ghost-Slaying Department personnel hurried forward to rush the student to the emergency room.
Yet the shocking scene was vividly witnessed by everyone, and a quiet atmosphere of fear began to spread throughout the hall.
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“Sister Yan, it looks like all the students in the first round will perish inside.”
Li Yan frowned deeply and shook her head silently. “These ghosts haven’t fed on humans for too long. Such an outcome was expected.”
Her younger sister, Li Jinhe, sighed quietly. “Sister, how many ghosts did you release for this test?”
Li Yan glanced at her sister and slowly raised one finger.
“Only a hundred!” Li Jinhe replied with surprise.
A hundred ghosts for so many students was clearly insufficient.
Li Yan nodded. “It’s a hundred, but this test also included ten malevolent ghosts and one fierce ghost.”
Hearing this, Li Jinhe covered her mouth in shock. “Sister! Aren’t you afraid all the students will die in there!? I could understand ten evil ghosts, but adding one fierce ghost is really pushing it!”
No exaggeration: a thousand low-level spirits couldn’t compare to the oppressive presence of even a single fierce ghost.
Because the higher the ghost’s rank, the stronger its self-awareness. At the level of a fierce ghost, it has essentially regained its consciousness from life.
Li Yan said helplessly, “The original testing spirits all mysteriously disappeared, so we could only summon some evil and fierce ghosts from the ghost prison.”
“Mysteriously disappeared?” Li Jinhe suddenly recalled what the White Impermanence had told her. “The Ghost Messengers… the ones who specialize in capturing ghosts?”
Li Jinhe hurriedly asked, “Sister, have you noticed anything recently…”
Before she could finish, a pair of slender arms lifted her high from behind.
“Ahyo~” Li Jinhe instinctively made a cute sound.
“Hehe, Jinhe, you’ve been growing well lately,”
Li Yan looked up. “Zhihan, how’s the task I asked you to handle?”
Yao Zhihan took out an earpiece and smiled. “Everything’s ready. The next batch can be arranged to enter.”