Unease

"Yu Jing, give me my clothes."

At this terrifying moment, a clear and elegant voice came from the bathroom at the back. In an instant, Yu Jing snapped back to reality. The terrifying woman's face that had been pressed against the window had completely vanished without a trace.

Yu Jing's body was leaning back slightly, his palms supporting himself on the edge of the bed, his arms and calves trembling slightly, his palms slick with sweat. Even when facing the Butcher inside the Research Institute, who had mutated after obtaining the 'Bloodstained Hand Axe', Yu Jing had never felt such a distinct sense of fear.

"Okay... okay."

Yu Jing shook his head to quickly clear himself of the fear and quickly handed the now water-drained clothes into the bathroom.

Yu Xiaoxiao, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, emerged along with the steaming mist from the bathroom.

Her damp black short hair, her small and delicate facial features, and her fair skin that exuded a fragrance, all made her appear as if she were an unblemished little fairy descending into the world. This scene caused Yu Jing to stare blankly at Yu Xiaoxiao.

Seeing Yu Jing, whose fear had not yet subsided, Yu Xiaoxiao asked, "Did something happen outside just now?"

Yu Jing immediately shifted his gaze and replied, "What's hidden here seems to be targeting me specifically. Just as Special Agent Lu Chuan said, this hotel has likely had me locked on for a long time. No matter where I teleport in the deep mountains, the hotel will appear accordingly... There are still many questions to sort out. I'll go take a shower first."

"Mhm."

During his hot shower, Yu Jing didn't encounter any more terrifying events. The clothes soaked by the rain had already been dried by Yu Jing using his Plant Ability. When he returned to the room, he found Yu Xiaoxiao already sitting on his bed, covering her lower body with the bedding.

Yu Jing had initially thought that a young lady from a prominent family like Yu Xiaoxiao would dislike such a shabby hotel.

In fact, from Yu Xiaoxiao's actions and demeanor from the very beginning, Yu Jing had never seen the slightest trace of a 'young lady'.

Yu Jing's slightly damp hair, and his appearance after removing his hooded jacket, somehow looked quite sunny under the light. Yu Xiaoxiao, sitting on the bed, also revealed a cute and charming smile as she looked at Yu Jing like this.

However, just as Yu Jing sat down on his bed, a metallic scraping sound came from Yu Xiaoxiao's hand.

A small dagger, about three inches long, was held in Yu Xiaoxiao's hand. She was currently using her fingernails to sharpen the blade.

What's more, the surface of the dagger was engraved with characters Yu Jing had never seen before, emitting an invisible killing intent.

"How did your dagger pass inspection?" Yu Jing asked with some surprise.

"Didn't Special Agent Lu Chuan say it? A part of the body is not restricted. Typically, the human body has 206 bones. The essential bones in the hands and feet are extremely important and irreplaceable, but some bones in the body are unnecessary. The ribs that protect the heart, for instance, don't need to be so numerous."

Yu Xiaoxiao did not hide anything at all. She lifted her short-sleeved t-shirt halfway, revealing a stitched scar on her upper abdomen. It was clear that this dagger normally replaced one of Yu Xiaoxiao's ribs, stored within her body.

"For tonight's operation, I know you're still hiding something about your body's abilities, Yu Jing. Shall we cooperate to kill whatever is in this hotel?"

On the second floor, the four-person team led by Jiang Pengyu, a newcomer from the Physical Training Academy, looked even more solemn. They had managed to dry their clothes and gathered in a circle to discuss the problems they were facing.

The team consisted of three men and one woman.

Among them, Jiang Pengyu, who was around the same age and had been admitted to the Medical School, looked like a very thin young man. The only woman in the group was a disciple of the Art School. The last person was a man in his thirties with deep-set eyes and a face covered in stubble.

There are three ways to obtain newcomer qualification for the Dihua Ability Institute:

First, through major companies and prominent families that cooperate with the Ability Institute, each having one recommendation slot per year, or by submitting a letter of recommendation from within the Chana Empire government. This method grants direct admission qualification without any review.

Second, ordinary families or companies with connections to Di Hua can submit the information and profiles of individuals they wish to cultivate to the Di Hua admissions office three months in advance for review. Those who meet the requirements will directly receive an admission notice.

Third, and the most common method, is for authorized institutions such as the research institutes, military regions, and directly affiliated potential institutes in all districts of the Chana Empire to select civilians with suitable physical requirements from society through screening measures issued by Di Hua. Those who achieve the required scores will obtain admission qualification.

However, the third screening mechanism is accompanied by a large number of deaths.

Yu Jing was admitted through the third method. But why Yu Xiaoxiao, with her powerful family background, also participated in the test is currently unknown.

Among the current four people, Jiang Pengyu is the descendant of an ordinary family. His excellent physical condition was approved by Di Hua's internal review.

The man and woman of similar age beside him also come from middle-class families. Only the man in his thirties is the sole survivor of the military region's test, with a body of strong, lean muscle and an expression that seems to have come from hell.

"None of us should have experience fighting real ghosts. In terms of combat experience, this uncle who walked out over the corpses of his comrades from the military region should be the most experienced. Uncle, do you have any thoughts or suggestions?" Jiang Pengyu asked.

The uncle with deep dark circles under his eyes habitually reached for a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. Finding that all external items had been confiscated, he sighed softly and frowned:

"When I entered this hotel, I knew it was several times more dangerous than the nightmares I experienced in the military region. Based on my experience, we should proceed from two points.

First, try to gather information from the old woman who had no signs of life but moved like a living person. This is, of course, the most dangerous method.

Second, I feel there's something off about the less conspicuous male from the previous pair. Although he masked it well and didn't draw attention, this person seems to know something about the secrets of this hotel. We four can try to cooperate with him to gather more information and ensure our safety."

"After all, none of us here have any experience fighting real ghosts. This is my thought... Actually, there's another point that puts us at a significant disadvantage. A total of eight hundred people participated in the physical training. According to the special agent's previous statement, there are single-digit ghosts in the deep mountain areas around Di Hua. On average, that should mean one ghost for every hundred people."

"But now, including the two upstairs, there are only six of us trapped in this area... Theoretically, our situation is extremely dangerous, with a possibility of over ninety percent chance of all of us dying here."

The soldier, who had witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the army, spoke with a grim expression, causing the four-person team to feel a sense of unease.

"In that case, let's try to contact Yu Jing and the others! As for Miss Yu's temperament, everyone, please bear with it a little..."

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

At this moment, the television next to them automatically turned on, and the room's ceiling lights dimmed.