The True Path

The Raincoat Man stood frozen on the steps, staring blankly into Ji Li and the others' eyes, slowly…

Only then did he finally see something that sent chills down his spine in those three pairs of pitch-black pupils!

"Swish!"

The Raincoat Man abruptly lowered his head, only to meet a skull!

Perhaps sensing his movement, the skull hidden beneath the raincoat turned on its own, a full 180-degree rotation that defied bones and muscles!

A grating crunch of bones echoed.

The Raincoat Man finally saw clearly: the face plastered against him was none other than the Female Ghost that had tormented him for days and nights!

"Ah!!!"

"It's not necessarily... it's not necessarily a certain death situation!"

Fang Shenyan's mind was also in chaos at this moment. After prolonged mental strain, he had finally found a moment of relief.

But he never expected that this period of calm would lead to a standstill in his thinking.

In the blink of an eye, things had rapidly deteriorated, and he had neither the energy nor the conditions to re-evaluate everything!

Ji Li, Fang Shenyan, and Yu Guo were all at their limit.

But there was still "one person" who had been observing everything and whose mind remained constantly calm.

"No, what we've overlooked are two points of doubt!

Firstly, the connection between the Raincoat Man and the Female Ghost doesn't make sense.

We had hoped his vicinity was the path to survival, but now it seems that has completely collapsed!

Therefore, this last point of doubt is the key to breaking through.

Why did the hotel emphasize that specific sentence in the mission information given to the Raincoat Man!"

The Third Personality…

Unlike everyone present, due to his different mode of existence, he could always maintain an independent position as a clear observer!

Unlike the Second Personality, its insight and sensitivity were even sharper than Ji Li's, the main personality!

Now that the most critical moment had arrived, he was the only one truly beginning to function!

Ji Li's body stiffened. With the hint, he immediately thought:

"The hotel information specifically emphasized that they only had ten minutes each day to leave Room 702!"

"Right!

The Raincoat Man's situation is completely different from ours. He is an eyewitness to the entire event, even a creator, so to speak!

The initial supernatural event also began with him.

Now that the Raincoat Man is under attack, it means he holds no special significance to the Female Ghost.

The ten-minute interval mentioned by the hotel is a supplementary condition for him…

So, can we think in reverse? Why would the hotel give him such a seemingly useless extra rule?"

Ji Li's mind raced, processing the jumbled clues in his head.

"The Raincoat Man himself is the owner of Room 702. Two days before the mission even began, he had already clashed with the Ghost.

The survival information provided by the hotel was very vague, not even giving an exact time, only saying to survive until eight o'clock the next day.

Why did the hotel handle it this way…"

"Because his value lies in waiting for us to officially start the mission on October 22nd!

This mission is divided into two phases.

The two days before October 22nd were the period of collision between the Raincoat Man and the Female Ghost, as well as the time waiting for the mission to officially begin.

Tonight is the main event, because all the Staff have gathered!"

The Third Personality answered Ji Li's question, then said:

"If the Raincoat Man is not special, then why has he survived in Room 702 for two days without dying, and even been entangled with the Ghost until today!"

Ji Li vigorously shook his dizzy head and murmured softly, "He said that during those two days, because the rules given by the hotel were too vague, he never dared to leave Room 702!

Instead, tonight, when the Ghost came to kill us, he escaped Room 702 for ten minutes and was attacked by the Ghost…"

The Third Personality nodded silently. In fact, after reaching this point in the deduction, there was basically nothing more to speculate.

"The reason the hotel gave the Raincoat Man an extra rule was to have him encounter the Ghost's attack during these ten minutes!

This way, the correct hint for survival would be released!

After all, the hotel would not deploy missions with no path to survival and no hints!"

Ji Li suddenly raised his head. At this moment, the Raincoat Man's face was completely covered by the thick black hair.

His entire body was soft as if boneless, tightly enveloped by the Ghost, and the sound of cracking bones echoed all around him!

This ghost's method of killing is unique and horrifying: it crushes the bones of living people!

"The way out is Room 702!"

Ji Li suddenly grabbed Fang and Yu's arms, one with each hand, and sprinted towards the Raincoat Man.

"The reason the Raincoat Man was never harmed wasn't because of his special identity.

It's because whenever he was in close proximity to the ghost, he was always inside Room 702!

That place is a sanctuary; as long as you enter 702, you won't be attacked by the ghost!"

Fang and Yu weren't fools. As soon as Ji Li said this, they understood.

Yu Guo's heart tightened as he watched the Raincoat Man brush past them.

"No wonder the Raincoat Man, who was always fine, is being attacked by the ghost now. It must have been holding back for a long time..."

Thinking this, Yu Guo couldn't help but glance at him again.

It was this glance that made him freeze.

Ji Li glanced back at Yu Guo, then ignored the two of them and used all his strength to rush towards the seventh floor.

The Raincoat Man's death probably wouldn't buy them much more time.

Now that the real escape route had appeared, the ghost would kill the Raincoat Man in a very short time and then immediately pursue the remaining survivors!

Although time was short, Ji Li felt extremely calm.

At their speed, they could reach the door of Room 702 within five seconds, and by then, even if the ghost was faster, it would be too late.

He was the fastest, scrambling up to the seventh floor using all fours, his eyes gleaming as he grabbed the doll bear on the door and yanked it hard!

But he immediately froze.

Because with that pull, the door to Room 702 didn't budge at all!

"The door is locked!"

"Damn it! We're doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed!

That ghost was the last one to escape from Room 702, it must have locked the door when it left!"

The Second Personality was already wailing. Just as Ji Li was about to speak, he heard footsteps approaching. It was Fang Shenyan.

Fang Shenyan saw that the door was locked but showed no surprise. He simply said, "As expected!"

Ji Li couldn't help but ask, "Where's Yu Guo?"

Fang Shenyan gave him a deep look, then suddenly turned to look down the stairs:

"Yu Guo! The door is indeed locked!"

Ji Li frowned, as if realizing something, and remained silent. He looked down, and Yu Guo's panicked figure was already nearing.

In Yu Guo's hand was a silver metal key!

When they passed the Raincoat Man, Ji Li was the fastest and didn't pay much attention.

It was Yu Guo's casual glance that noticed the key to the room hanging from the Raincoat Man's waist.

Fang Shenyan had said at the time, "I'm not sure if Room 702 is that easy to get into. The ghost might have a contingency plan. Go get that key in case of future trouble!"

This task could only be handled by someone like Yu Guo, who was fearless, bold, and meticulous.

Fortunately, things went smoothly. The ghost couldn't attend to him for a moment, and he easily obtained the key.

Even so, Yu Guo broke out in a cold sweat.

When Fang Shenyan reached Room 702 and saw that the door was indeed locked, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yu Guo had his back.

This was how it all happened.

As Ji Li witnessed this, he understood everything and felt even more reliant on Fang and Yu.

One person, after all, was just one person.

He needed help now.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

Yu Guo had already reached the platform between the sixth and seventh floors. He gritted his teeth, knowing that if he kept running like this, time might not be enough.

He deliberately slowed down, raised his arm, and with a surge of strength, threw the key to Fang Shenyan!

But at the same moment, an icy, bone-chilling hand grabbed his calf!

"Ah?!"

Almost as soon as he was touched, Yu Guo's leg strength vanished, replaced by excruciating pain!

As the key flew out, he lost his balance and slammed into the wall, but he forced himself not to fall.

Yu Guo's eyes were filled with the madness of pain and the unwillingness to face a dead end.

He stared intently at the hideous female ghost just inches away, and a mouthful of blood seeped from between his pale teeth.

"I haven't found A Lian yet...

I don't want to die! I can't die!"