Chapter 1767: Chapter 1014: An Unfulfilled Promise
The sharp sound grew more intense, like a blade repeatedly slicing through, and standing at the stairwell corner, Mitsuo Takeda realized it was the protective glass of the fire hydrant embedded in the wall that was violently shaking.
The knocking and scraping sounds originated from there, and more terrifyingly, through the frosted glass, he vaguely saw a shadow crouching inside.
The shadow wasn’t large, and it was clear that it was a child. This figure seemed to have also noticed Mitsuo Takeda’s presence, persistently knocking and scraping the glass with something in its hand, clearly trying to escape.
Indeed, this was a ghost child, and the information Yang Xiao and the others brought back was correct!
Yet, despite his rich experience and strong heart, Mitsuo Takeda hesitated when facing the ghost head-on; after all, he was alone in this dim stairwell. Should anything unexpected happen, he would surely die.
Though it’s said that a ghost won’t kill on its first appearance, that’s provided no one provokes it. And what he had to do tonight was to open the door and let the ghost out.
When Qingshui Cangjie had previously made this request, he hadn’t thought much of it — after all, he didn’t expect that he would be the first to encounter the ghost tonight. But now... he had to make a decision.
Either run away, or... go up, open the door, and take a chance.
Mitsuo Takeda hesitated no more. He strided forward, grabbed the small hammer beside the glass protective case, and smashed it down onto the glass.
No surprises there — the glass shattered on impact, and Mitsuo Takeda immediately stepped back, flashlight in one hand and hammer in the other, watching the fire hydrant warily. But nothing happened. At the moment the glass shattered, the shadow inside vanished.
In the dim safety passageway, Mitsuo Takeda dared not move, his nerves taut with tension. He didn’t know where the ghost had gone — surely, it escaped. Maybe... maybe it was right next to him.
Shining his flashlight around, including the ceiling, he searched for several minutes before confirming — the ghost had indeed left.
What this meant, he didn’t know. In a sense, he had released the ghost, and he was the first in the group to face it. Yet, it hadn’t harmed him.
This seemed to break the impasse, yet Mitsuo Takeda wasn’t so optimistic. He instinctively felt that the matter wasn’t that simple.
He had made a loud noise smashing the glass, so people nearby should have heard it. But no one came to check, much like the past two nights when others encountered the ghost.
Next was simply to follow the procedure. He returned to the corridor and shouted, and soon people came, attracted by the noise, surprised by the shattered glass case and the shards scattered all around.
"I saw that ghost — indeed, it was a child, hiding in there knocking on the glass. I shattered the glass, but it vanished immediately afterward," Mitsuo Takeda explained his encounter to the others.
Yang Xiao crouched down, cautiously picking up a piece of shattered glass from the steps. One side of the glass had clear scratch marks and abrasions, just like they’d seen before. Mitsuo Takeda had also checked before they arrived, with no issues.
"Mr. Takeda, you’re truly incredible," Nishimura Yuna said sincerely. Though this plan was agreed upon by everyone from the start, when it came to actually encountering a ghost, most people’s survival instincts would take over, which is human nature.
After closely inspecting the scene, Qingshui Cangjie approached Mitsuo Takeda, bowing slightly as he said, "Mr. Takeda, please recount the details of what happened; this is very important."
Without hiding anything, Mitsuo Takeda recounted from the beginning when he heard the footsteps, then the glass protective case being hit, and finally breaking the glass case and releasing the ghost, recalling every detail.
"So, after you broke the glass, the ghost just disappeared — you didn’t see it exiting, right?" Qingshui Cangjie asked further.
"Right, it disappeared, and I don’t know where it went," Mitsuo Takeda replied.
At this moment, Qingshui Cangjie couldn’t understand what the ghost wanted, but inwardly he agreed with Mitsuo Takeda’s judgment — this is far from over.
"The first night was on the 6th floor, last night on the 5th, and tonight at the junction of the 4th and 5th floors in the safety passage. The ghost’s assault seems to be moving downward. Could it be... that its target tonight is the 4th floor?" Shibuki Naoko suddenly said.
Unexpectedly, Hasegawa Hideji nonchalantly crossed his arms and turned to look at Takagi Sayo standing in the corner, coldly smiling as he said, "If that’s the case, then Miss Takagi better be careful."
Already terrified by recent events, Takagi Sayo was even more shaken, trembling like a leaf with fear at Hasegawa Hideji’s provocation. She leaned against the guardrail, unable to hold back her dry retches, although she hadn’t eaten dinner and couldn’t bring anything up. Fear had overwhelmed her.
At this moment, Yang Xiao’s disdain for Hasegawa Hideji peaked — not only was he unhelpful, but he also put pressure on his teammates. With him around, the difficulty of the task increased.
"Mr. Hasegawa, shut your mouth. This’s my last warning," Qingshui Cangjie issued a final threat to Hasegawa Hideji.
However, facing the threat, Hasegawa Hideji merely shrugged, indicating he understood.
Yang Xiao now had reason to suspect that this Hasegawa Hideji was a major reason why those people failed their last mission.
