Mysterious Revival

Drip, drip!

It was already past midnight, and a few clear dripping sounds echoed through the silent, empty first floor of the laboratory building.

For some reason, the floor of the lobby was covered with wet patches, looking as though someone had come in from the rain outside, making a mess of the ground, but even someone drenched in rain could not possibly leave behind so many puddles.

Moreover, the wet patches on the ground were black and foul-smelling, not like rainwater at all, but more like the fluid that forms after something decays.

The appearance of these stains made the first floor damp and foul-smelling, an environment no one could possibly withstand.

Yet on the floor of this lobby, there were many disordered footprints. Despite the chaos, a closer look would reveal that there were actually only two distinct sets of footprints: one was that of a child, with each little mark of the toes clearly visible.

The other set of footprints was somewhat eerie. Although large in size, their shape was bizarre, lacking toes or the natural curve of the sole, resembling irregular long streaks.

It was hard to determine what kind of 'person' could have left such strange footprints.

This peculiar set of footprints, wet and glistening, extended deep into the building but then circled back. After lingering in the lobby for a bit, they ventured deeper into the building again...

It seemed as if they were repeatedly entering and exiting the building.

But this was not intentional circling of the building, rather these footprints were constantly following another set that belonged to a child.

The child's footprints belonged to a Ghost Child roving within the building.

It was chasing something, and that something was likely not a living person, because if it were, they would have been killed long ago, not aimlessly wandering inside the building.

"Doctor Chen, that noise outside has started up again," Assistant Liu, Doctor Chen, and the others had chosen to hide in a room on the second floor.

Knowing the hazard of the Ghost Child roaming the building, they dared not venture out.

They had thought they could safely get through the night, but around midnight, an unusual disturbance had arisen in the building.

Two sets of urgent footfalls chased each other within the building, distinctive because they were the sounds of bare feet, unshod.

At first, they thought someone had come to deal with the ghosts in the building, but they quickly realized that wasn't the case. From the sounds outside, they determined that what had entered the building definitely wasn't human, for no person could maintain silence while constantly being pursued by a ghost.

The rapid footsteps passed their room, exceptionally clear in the silence. Although these hurried footsteps were just passing by with no intention to enter,

the mere passage was enough to make everyone inside feel their hair stand on end and their bodies go cold.

Still, they didn't feel at ease and continued to watch the door, fearing the footsteps heard outside would stop next and burst through the door.

"There's no need to be nervous. Since we were safe initially, it indicates that we don't fit the killing pattern of the ghost outside. As long as we don't act rashly, surviving shouldn't be a problem," said Doctor Chen softly, sitting on the floor in the dim room, trying to comfort his assistants.

In moments like these, he feared the young people might not be able to withstand the pressure and have an emotional breakdown.

"Moreover, I've checked; we have enough food and water here to last us a month with no issues. We have plenty of time on our hands, during which I'm sure Professor Wang will solve the problem. He hasn't shown up yet because he's still dealing with Yang Jian's situation," he added.

Upon hearing this, Assistant Liu and the others felt noticeably more at ease.

Meanwhile, inside the building.

The Ghost Child was running, chasing after the silhouette of an eerie individual ahead.

It didn't have a "Ghost Domain," so it couldn't immediately appear in a certain place, meaning that to get close it had to use the simplest method.

Facing the newcomer invading the building, the "Ghost Child" had only one way to deal with it, and that was to kill it. The intrusion of the new "person" had already triggered the killing rule set by Yang Jian, so there was no room for compromise or surrender.

This was an attack that never ceased.

While the "Ghost Child" ran fast, the eerie voice ahead was equally quick, and for a short time it was impossible to catch up.

The figure ahead flashed by, leaving behind a puddle of fishy-smelling water on the ground. It turned a corner and headed up to the third floor without any hesitation or dullness, seeming very familiar with the layout of the place. Every choice of route was extremely precise, constantly trying to increase the distance from the "Ghost Child."

The "Ghost Child" was in pursuit, but it wasn't as stable as one would imagine. It held a "Dead Man's Head" in its hands, and sometimes during sharp turns, the head would fall, but the "Ghost Child" would choose to pick up the decaying head and resume the chase.

Although the distance was occasionally widened, the "Ghost Child" was mostly able to catch up.

This game of chase had been going on for a while. Be it the first or the second floor, the third or fourth, nearly every level was covered with the stench of the watery trails left by the eerie figure.

However, from the route of the chase, it was obvious that the figure ahead wasn't trying to shake off the "Ghost Child's" pursuit, but was stalling for time.

"Why hasn't it ended yet? If this goes on, it's going to be difficult for me," Wang Xiaoming muttered to himself.

Outside this experimental building, Gao Ming was holding an umbrella in one hand and an ice cream in the other, watching and eating at the same time.

He frowned slightly, feeling a bit surprised.

The trouble here had been lasting a bit too long. He had slipped away for two days and had only snuck back tonight to check the situation, only to see two figures chasing each other inside the building.

Gao Ming shifted his sunglasses slightly, revealing the sunken eyes beneath, empty of eyeballs and pitch-black, yet he could still see clearly. He was peering very seriously at this building and that bizarre figure.

He seemed curious about which unfortunate soul had ventured deep into the building and was now being chased by a ghost.

Gao Ming immediately locked onto that strange figure, and upon a clear look, his expression turned to one of amazement, "No way... another ghost?"

He couldn't help but shudder, witnessing an incomprehensibly terrifying scene.

Time to get out, time to get out.

Gao Ming turned on his heel with his umbrella, planning to come back in a couple of days. This place was becoming increasingly dangerous, and the "Do Not Approach" sign needed to be placed even further away.

Not long after he left,

The real danger had already erupted in the fifth basement level of the laboratory.

At this moment, inside the experimental room,

The sealed doors had already opened, and inside, Yang Jian and Wei Jing were standing eerily still in their original spots, with strange expressions and a cold aura, silent and showing no signs of life. Their faces betrayed an inexplicable evilness, a look of what seemed like tranquility, and a semblance of a smile.

Wang Xiaoming saw this scene and could no longer calm his heart; he was shaking.

It wasn't fear but a profound unease.

Because now both Yang Jian and Wei Jing had been invaded by ghosts. The consciousness of one was in the spiritual tablet, while the other might have been destroyed or maybe was being controlled.

"They're coming."

Wang Xiaoming stepped back a few more paces as he saw Yang Jian and Wei Jing slowly walking out of the experimental room.

Immediately.

The lighting around dimmed as the lights on this floor flickered non-stop.

The supernatural force, unbounded by any room, began to affect this entire floor.

"If Wei Jing had not met with an accident, the situation where only Yang Jian is invaded by a ghost could still be under control, but now... even the doors to the experiment room are open. Under these circumstances, simply relying on the sealing of the fifth basement level is not enough to stop these two ghosts from getting outside."

Wang Xiaoming's gaze flickered slightly as he calculated in his mind.

Despite the irreversible and terrifying situation that had occurred, he did not give in to despair; instead, he thought about how to deal with the current predicament.

"Compared to Wei Jing's loss of control, I'm more concerned about the revival of the ghost within Yang Jian's body, but looking at the current situation, there doesn't seem to be any sign of the ghost reviving in him... This should be because the ghost in his body has reached a balance, but this state is unlikely to last long."

"As time goes by, Yang Jian's corpse, turned into a ghost, will become more and more terrifying until all three ghosts inside are revived."

However, Wang Xiaoming didn't have much time to think.

At this moment, Yang Jian and Wei Jing, both controlled by ghosts, were already walking in his direction.

There was no conflict between the two. Instead, they showed signs of collaboration, a situation that felt utterly hopeless.

Wang Xiaoming retreated once again, no longer staying outside, and entered the safe room.

But he did not close the main door.

He was waiting, using himself as bait to lure either Yang Jian or Wei Jing in to kill him. By doing so, he might temporarily trap one of them inside the safe room.

With some luck, both could be trapped simultaneously.

But the plan failed.

Wei Jing merely passed by. He did not attack Wang Xiaoming, nor did he enter the safe room.

"Has Wei Jing not inherited the Ghost Envoy's killing patterns?" Wang Xiaoming's expression shifted slightly, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

According to the Ghost Envoy's killing patterns, they would attack individuals who are alone or ghost masters. Now, being obviously alone, he should have a high chance of being attacked.

"Has the pattern changed, or have these two become anomalies among ghosts, making it impossible to judge their behavior with previous methods?" Wang Xiaoming was unsure but even more wary.

It seemed that Yang Jian and Wei Jing were about to leave this place.

Their silhouettes began to fade away, evidently because the Ghost Domain had already invaded outside, unbeknownst to Wang Xiaoming, a mere mortal.

Very soon.

Both of them disappeared, likely having left this floor.

"The state of the two is very peculiar... They are like puppets being controlled, yet they also seem not fully accustomed to their new circumstances, the ghost's abilities, and the killing patterns have yet to manifest. Currently, only Yang Jian's Ghost Eye is active, his Headless Ghost Shadow is still, Wei Jing's Ghost Domain is unused, and the Ghost Rope has not revived."

"An opportunity, this is an opportunity."

Wang Xiaoming used himself as bait to test out a lot of information. He deduced that Yang Jian and Wei Jing, though dangerous, were not at their most perilous.

On the contrary, this was when the two were most vulnerable.

That's because the ghosts in the spirit tablets were not yet familiar with their new bodies. After all, Yang Jian had controlled three ghosts, and total takeover would surely take time.

"I remember Yang Jian left a Ghost Infant outside the building, a Second Stage Ghost Infant, to use its power to seal the building. Thus, Yang Jian and Wei Jing, who are about to leave, will likely clash with that Second Stage Ghost Infant."

"If that Ghost Infant truly possesses the abilities of a Hungry Ghost, then it must be capable of growth."

Wang Xiaoming immediately left the safe room and rushed to the laboratory room, picking up the spirit tablet drenched in a pool of blood with gloved hands.

But at this moment, an unexpected event occurred.

The black and white photo, soaked in blood, fell off the spirit tablet, as if it had been immersed in blood for too long.

The photo and the spirit tablet had become separated.

The photo representing Yang Jian's consciousness was swiftly picked up by Wang Xiaoming and put into his pocket; then he quickly left with the spirit tablet.

"It's alright that the photo fell off. The spirit tablet and the photo are two different things, after all. The photo, a product of the Ghost Camera, represents consciousness. If I can control this spirit tablet, I will have the ability to switch consciousness."

"And right now, the most suitable entity to control this spirit tablet is the Ghost Infant, which is the Second Stage Hungry Ghost."

Wang Xiaoming was clear that once the Ghost Infant devoured the spirit tablet, it would grow like the Hungry Ghost and also take control.

But there was a prerequisite.

Who would control the Ghost Infant?

In other words, who would the Ghost Infant obey?

"I'm Wang Xiaoming. The situation is urgent. Please contact Yang Jian's previous operator, Liu Xiaoyu, immediately. I need to know all of Yang Jian's recent activities: who he has met, where he has been... and who he has had close contact with."

He immediately dialed headquarters.

Instinct told Wang Xiaoming that Yang Jian, since he had left a Ghost Infant, must have prepared a contingency, a countermeasure, similar to what he did in Dachang City before. Otherwise, with his character, he wouldn't have come to participate in this experiment alone.

If he could find it and use what Yang Jian left behind, he could turn the situation around.

"Alright, contacting immediately." A voice came from the other end of the phone, followed by specialized personnel at headquarters quickly carrying out Wang Xiaoming's orders.

Wang Xiaoming's intuition was sharp.

Yang Jian had considered the possibility of something happening to himself, so when raising the Ghost Infant, in addition to himself, there was one other person who could command it.

That was Wang Shanshan.

But at the same time.

Yang Jian and Wei Jing, now controlled by ghosts, had already broken through the containment of the fifth basement level and officially arrived on the first floor of the building.

The lights in the entire building began to dim, one floor after another.

The Ghost Domain was spreading, though not as swiftly as imagined.

But at this moment, the number of ghosts inside the building had reached a very frightening level.

Yang Jian, Wei Jing, the Ghost Child, and an unknown menacing ghost that had invaded from outside—a total of four terrifying entities.