Chapter 5: Footsteps in the Dead of Night
“Everyone be careful. Usually, nighttime is the most dangerous period in these eerie games. But since this is the first night, it shouldn't be too perilous. As I mentioned earlier, these supernatural entities generally fall into two categories. One type follows a pattern—they have their own killing rules. When you encounter these, you just need to patiently observe their patterns to survive. The other type is far more dangerous; we usually call them indiscriminate killers. These entities are terrifying because they kill without distinction.”
Seeing the grim expressions on everyone’s faces, Liu Tong reassured them, “Don’t worry. Although indiscriminate entities are dangerous, the game usually provides at least one way to survive. We just need to carefully observe everything we encounter.”
Hearing this, everyone finally felt a measure of relief.
“Do you think this time the way out could be that statue?” Teacher Zhang Wen suddenly pointed at the stone statue hanging above the ship’s cabin.
It was a stone figure carved with a person whose eyes were closed.
Offerings were placed beneath the statue.
“Hard to say. The way out usually isn’t placed somewhere so conspicuous,” Liu Tong said, also directing his gaze toward the statue.
He had already observed the statue for quite some time; after all, it was indeed very prominent.
But whether it was the way out or not, he had no way to tell.
Moreover, recalling the girl’s diary, Liu Tong felt an inexplicable fear toward things like gods.
Is it the way out...
Or is this the very supernatural entity within the game?
Clearly, Liu Tong was not the only one thinking this.
At that moment, Chen Weiyu and Lin Xi, who were eating, avoided looking at the statue, as if afraid it might cause trouble.
After a while, seeing that everyone had finished eating, Liu Tong said, “Everyone, once you’re done, return to your rooms. According to what the old woman said, one person per room. At the start of the game, it’s best not to break the rules. Remember to close the doors and windows properly, just as the old woman instructed. Also, an important point—do not turn on the lights.”
“Ah? Why shouldn’t we turn on the lights?” Lin Xi immediately asked.
Liu Tong explained, “Because these entities aren’t afraid of light. Turning on the lights while sleeping is just a psychological comfort. On a dark ship, light actually attracts the supernatural beings. I’ve experienced this many times before. Some girls were afraid of the dark and would leave the lights on while sleeping, but they were usually the first to die.”
Lin Xi’s face turned pale as she said, “Thanks for the advice, Liu.”
Judging by her uneasy expression, she had probably been planning to sleep with the lights on.
Liu Tong had saved her that time.
“No need to thank me. In this kind of scenario, we can only survive by helping each other. I’m really just helping myself,” Liu Tong said as he stood up, picked up his keys, and opened his own room door. “Well then, good night everyone. See you tomorrow.”
After Liu Tong went into his room, the others left the dining table as well.
Bai Wan headed toward the second room on the left, room 102.
Next to him was Chen Weiyu’s room, number 103, and as Bai Wan opened his door, Chen Weiyu opened hers simultaneously.
Chen Weiyu gave Bai Wan an awkward smile and nodded slightly before entering, probably recalling the earlier awkward moment.
Bai Wan nodded in return and entered his own room.
He sat on the bed and glanced around. The room was roughly the same as a real hotel’s layout.
A bed, a desk, a chair, and a mirror.
Everything looked clean and tidy.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Xi entered her own room, number 104.
She cautiously inspected the room for a long time, checking every corner before finally sitting on the bed and exhaling in relief.
Looking at the glowing light bulb on the ceiling, she bit her lip and walked over to the switch.
Summoning her courage, she turned it off.
Whoosh...
The moment the light went out, the room dimmed.
Moonlight filtered in through the window.
Lin Xi quickly climbed into bed and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
Staring into the pitch-black room, her body trembled uncontrollably, and she slowly began to cry.
She was a streamer who had earned quite a bit of money thanks to her good looks and willingness to take risks.
Just a week ago, she had finally secured a big sponsor.
The hotel room was already booked.
But who would have thought that on that very day, she found an invitation to the eerie game on her own desk at home.
Since then, she had woken up crying in the middle of the night countless times.
She was unwilling to accept it and kept wondering—
Why?
Why was she the unlucky one?
Now, trapped on this ghost ship, she was terrified beyond words.
But she didn’t dare to cry out loud, fearing the supernatural would notice.
So she could only bury herself in the blanket.
After some time, exhausted from crying, she eventually fell asleep.
...
“Ugh...”
Lin Xi struggled to open her eyes and touched her aching head.
A few seconds later, she realized where she was.
“Did I fall asleep?”
She fumbled for her phone in the dark; it showed 1:30 a.m...
Had it gotten so late?
She had no recollection of when she had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, she felt the urge to use the bathroom.
But looking around the pitch-black room, she had no courage to leave.
In real life, she never dared to go to the bathroom alone at night, let alone now, in this eerie world.
There really were ghosts here.
Thinking this, she forced herself to hold it in.
Just as she was about to try to sleep again, her body suddenly froze.
Because a faint sound came from outside the door.
Click.
The sound was very soft, almost inaudible if you weren’t paying attention.
Lin Xi immediately held her breath, lying perfectly still in bed, listening intently for more sounds outside.
Was it just a hallucination?
She listened carefully for a long time but heard nothing else.
Just as she was about to relax, the faint sound came again from outside.
Click.
Lin Xi’s body trembled uncontrollably.
Two consecutive sounds confirmed she hadn’t imagined it.
There was definitely something out there.
And even more terrifying, the sounds gradually became more frequent.
Click... click-click...
The footsteps seemed to come and go at varying distances.
It sounded as if someone was walking around the hall.
Lin Xi’s face turned pale.
She suddenly remembered what was written in the girl’s diary...
Annie had heard footsteps at night but when she asked all the guests, none had gone out at night...
Was this the footsteps Annie heard?
Lin Xi’s expression turned desperate.
Because in the diary, Annie disappeared not long after hearing those footsteps...
She had been targeted...
She was being watched by ghosts!
Lin Xi buried herself deeper in the blanket, hoping to block out the sounds, but it was no use.
The footsteps were like an inseparable demon whispering incessantly in her ear.
A few minutes later, the footsteps gradually faded as if moving upstairs.
Only then did Lin Xi relax slightly, though she still hid beneath the blanket, too afraid to come out.
...
At the same time, Bai Wan’s door silently creaked open.
Peering through the crack, Bai Wan cautiously observed the hall outside.
Because it was raining heavily, the glass windows were misted, making it very dark outside—virtually impossible to see anything.
The tables and chairs in the hall were shrouded in darkness, and the statue in the distance was cloaked in shadow, revealing only its outline.
He took a deep breath and tiptoed out.
Blending into the darkness, a chill ran down his spine.
Accompanied by the sound of rain outside, he moved carefully and looked up toward the second floor.
He had heard those eerie footsteps before.
Now, the owner of the footsteps seemed to be upstairs.
Just as Bai Wan prepared to sneak up to the second floor, his eyes casually swept back toward the statue in the hall—and his heart skipped a beat.
In front of the statue, a pitch-black figure was crouched, staring straight at him.