Chapter 2: Welcome

Chapter 2: Welcome

"Is... Is he a ghost? A ghost from that cursed apartment?!"

"Ha! A ghost? If he's a ghost, then the first person he will haunt is you!"

"Actually... I have heard of something like this before. A ghost from the Cycle mixes in with the players and in the end, all of the players are almost wiped out! If not for a Veteran player who got a rare prop which could directly bring him out of the game, he will definitely perish too...!"

"Cough, guys, calm down. He doesn't look dangerous at all..."

"I–I don't want to die! Say, should we... should we just throw him down from the bus?!"

"Are you crazy?! The bus has started running. The doors and windows are all locked and we can't escape!"

"Pfft... Hahahaha!" Hearing the flustered and hushed conversation behind him, Jin Jiuchi could not help but burst out in laughter. A ghost from Shishen Apartment? These people's imaginations sure were wild! He turned to the person beside him and asked cheerfully, "How about you, kid? Do you think I am a ghost too?"

Earlier, after the matter of Jin Jiuchi not having a ticket was exposed, a great uproar descended inside the bus. The corpse officer was speechless and the passengers were terrified. That left this jade doll alone who merely stared at him with nary an expression on their face. However, Jin Jiuchi's senses were keen enough to know that this child was scrutinizing him closely.

(For some inexplicable reason, Jin Jiuchi felt that this child was even more capable than others. Let's say that it was... an innate instinct.)

Alas, no matter how great the uproar was, it still did not change the fact that Jin Jiuchi had no ticket. He was the seventh person who was not supposed to be on the bus.

However, before the officer could throw him out, the bus — still with its driver missing — suddenly started to go down the main road.

Through the earlier conversation, Jin Jiuchi discovered that nobody could go down anymore once the bus started moving. That also applied to the corpse officer, who had been staring at Jin Jiuchi with those bulging eyes of his. If it was any other person, they would've already had a mental breakdown from being the recipient of that ghostly, terrifying stare. But who was Jin Jiuchi? The corpse officer could stare all day for all he cared.

He propped his chin on his palm and studied the jade doll closely with great interest. n/.OveLBIn

"Kid, why are you ignoring me?" Jin Jiuchi asked curiously. "Where are your parents? Didn't you know that running around at night without supervision will get you punished? Are you a bad kiddo?"

Veins throbbed on the beautiful jade doll's forehead, prompting another gleeful laughter from Jin Jiuchi. The jade doll took a deep breath and said in a smooth and milky voice, "There are so many seats in the bus. Why are you sitting next to me?"

Jin Jiuchi answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Of course, it's because you're the most beautiful one."

Then disregarding the glare he received, Jin Jiuchi continued his barrage of questions, "Say kid... are you kidnapped? Do you need help? Is this some kind of cult which brings people to dubious places? Are you a cult member? Kid? Kid, why don't you answer me? Hey..."

"Stop. Calling. Me. A. Kid." The child answered through gritted teeth.

"Hmm?" Jin Jiuchi raised a brow with a teasing smile on the corner of his lips. The indication behind that gesture was clear: if you're not a kid, then what are you, a ghost?

Livid, the beautiful jade doll turned their head toward the window with a harrumph, resolutely treating Jin Jiuchi like air. Out of sight, out of mind.

Their angry look was so adorable that Jin Jiuchi could not help but laugh again. How could this jade doll be so fun to tease? As if he did not notice the child's obvious anger, he continued asking, "I'm just wondering... why are they treating me like a ghost? Clearly, the one who looks more like a ghost here is you. One more thing, you clearly look so eye-catching so why are they acting like they can't see you? No, to be exact, it's like... they don't notice you at all."

Jin Jiuchi's doubt was reasonable. He had no idea about other people, but the jade doll's striking appearance had captured his attention at first sight before he noticed the corpse officer.

Even if the others were wary of the officer and waited until he finished speaking first, it was still weird how they did not address the child at all. Not to mention that the appearance of an ethereal albino child in a ghostly bus in the middle of the night warranted enough attention, they did not even try to rescue the child from him – this 'seventh passenger who was not supposed to exist' aka the infamous ghost.

It was just like... everyone had overlooked the child's presence.

Take the one sitting on the third row, Xinxin, for example. From his position, Xinxin could clearly see the both of them in one glance. However, she merely snuck a few glances at Jin Jiuchi fearfully whilst whispering something to Sister Hong. Not even once had she turned to look at the jade doll beside him.

Jin Jiuchi rubbed his chin with an amused look. He had never torn his gaze away from the jade doll and hence, he perceived the flash of shock from their micro-expression right away. The child, who was resolutely ignoring him five seconds ago, turned to him with a strange expression on their face.

They asked tentatively, "In your eyes... what do I look like?"

"Hmm...?" A confused noise escaped Jin Jiuchi's throat. What kind of question is that? He shoved his face closer to the jade doll, catching the other off guard, until he could clearly see his reflection on those pale purple eyes. Jin Jiuchi pointed at his own eyes, "Kid, look here. Can you see your face here?" Then he pointed at the window. "How about there?"

"Or..." Jin Jiuchi narrowed his eyes, mirthful. "...are you really a ghost?"

The jade doll was startled, then cleared their throat and said with a solemn tone, "My eyesight is not good. That's why I ask you that question."

Jin Jiuchi threw his head back and laughed out loud. Seeing such a serious expression on the jade doll's adorable face amused him to no end.

His demeanor of not taking the other seriously seemed to be the final nail that struck the coffin. This time, the jade doll resolutely ignored him with a frosty expression. No matter how Jin Jiuchi tried to provoke the other, they did not react anymore. But Jin Jiuchi was someone who did not know how to stop. He kept talking and talking, while the other passengers could only listen with a numb expression on their faces.

Wrapped in this strange atmosphere, the bus entered a dark tunnel.

Logically speaking, even if the bus entered a tunnel where there was no light present, the fluorescent light above their head should have still offered a weak ray to dispel the dark. At least, they could still see each other inside the bus.

But no, this was not the case this time.

The intense darkness engulfed the entire bus like a ferocious monster, so thick that Jin Jiuchi could not see his hand even if he stretched it in front of his face. From behind, there was a muffled shriek — Old Guan, he noted with lack of interest — but the other passengers clearly had anticipated this before. There was no panic reaction or mindless screaming, only sharp intake of breaths and heart palpitations.

The darkness did not linger for long. Five seconds later, it receded and the scene in front of them changed in a blink of an eye.

The bus was clearly running in the middle of the city just a moment ago, yet right now, in front of them was a narrow bumpy street.

Gone was the city hubbub and street lamps. Instead, scorched black trees lined up along the pathway, each branch so thin and dry it was like they would crumble with the slightest touch. Black ravens flapped their wings and landed on the electricity lines overhead, their crimson beady eyes staring fixedly at the yellow bus which seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The surroundings were dominated by ashy gray and black. As such, their yellow kindergarten bus seemed even more conspicuous, it was almost comical. The bus slowed down until it gradually stopped in front of the only building around the vicinity.

Due to the thick white mist shrouding the end of the streets, the lone apartment looked especially eerie and desolate, as if it was the only building left in the world.

In one glance, Jin Jiuchi could recognize it immediately. It was the Shishen Apartment, the old building like the one illustrated on their bus poster.

It was not until the building stood in front of them that the degree of creepiness was magnified tenfold. Thick vines crept over the mottled and rough walls. Dusty windows lined up along the six-story building, revealing nothing but utter darkness inside.

And if Jin Jiuchi's eyesight did not fail him, then he seemed to have seen... a pale shriveled face peeking out through a window on the fourth floor. It flashed by so fast that before he could examine it closer, it had vanished without a trace.

How to say it... It was neither man nor woman, more like dry tree bark, marred with deep lines like all the liquid in their body had been sucked away. Their eyes occupied almost two thirds of their face, bulging like they had seen something horrifying.

Jin Jiuchi's eyes squinted in smiles. How interesting...

In front of them, the corpse officer stood up and his black lips stretched into a wide smile that almost reached his ears. But the strange thing was, the muscles around his eyes did not move a bit, giving off an air of stillness and dread. Xinxin gave off a terrified yelp when she saw this.

The corpse officer said with a hint of excitement in his hoarse voice,

"Everyone, welcome to the Shishen Apartment. I wish you a pleasant stay~"