The Real First Floor

"Ha, this guy getting possessed by an apparition is insane. But dead Yamauchi Haruki is even more useful than living Yamauchi Haruki."

Bai Yuze carried Yamauchi Haruki's corpse downstairs, head and all. Just as he reached the first floor, the long-limbed monster appeared again.

It roared at Bai Yuze and hurried toward him.

Bai Yuze didn't panic in the slightest. He casually tossed Yamauchi Haruki's head away.

When the monster saw the head, it changed course and chased after it.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bai Yuze hid in Room 104.

"Phew, I should rest for a bit. Yukino and Tuanzi have probably gone into the basement. When the time comes, I'll ask the front desk how to get into the basement."

The only thing Bai Yuze could use to keep track of the time was the clock, but it had been left in Room 102. With a monster outside, he couldn't go out yet. He could only rely on his instincts, or return to Room 102 when the monster left.

What Bai Yuze didn't know was that the male corpse in Room 102 had regained the ability to move. It touched its neck and first looked puzzled, then its entire body sank into the floor and disappeared...

"Xiaoxue, I think I see the way out you mentioned!"

"Mm, I see it too, Yuigahama."

The two silently repeated "exit" in their minds, and just as they'd guessed, a glowing point appeared in their field of vision as soon as they settled on their destination.

"Then let's get moving!"

Yuigahama Yui was excited, but she'd barely taken two steps when Yukino caught her by the hand.

"Don't rush. Let's search this room carefully for clues first. Bai-kun has never been here, after all. If we're going to leave, we should bring back something valuable."

"Oh, right! You're amazing, Xiaoxue!"

Yuigahama Yui suddenly understood. She'd focused entirely on the exit and overlooked the possibility that there might be unknown clues in the unfamiliar place where they were.

"No time to waste. You brought your phone, right? Turn on the flashlight."

"Okay."

Yuigahama Yui turned on her phone's flashlight. It had only thirty percent battery left, so it wouldn't last long.

"Found it!"

Yukino pulled a note out from under the bed. The dampness had left it crumpled.

[Hello. Do you still remember me? I'm Yang Peng. It's been a long time. I don't know whether I should be happy or sad for you when you find this note here.]

[As you can see, this place is damp. The floors and walls are covered in moss, and the corridor ceiling leaks from time to time. That's right: this is the real first floor.]

[It changed the rules... No, to be precise, my own assumptions were what got me into trouble. The rules described the first floor, but they never said the place where I woke up was the first floor.]

[If this is your first time here, then I'm glad. You still have a chance to make up for this mistake.]

[You need to keep telling yourself that you have to find the exit. After a while, you'll be able to make out where it is, but don't celebrate too soon. It's even more dangerous here than upstairs.]

[1. You'd better move in the dark. You can see where the exit is, anyway. Even if you trip, don't make a sound. Turn off every light source, and you won't attract their attention.]

[2. If you accidentally bump into them, ignore them. Don't pay them any mind. It's best not to invite trouble. Make your attitude clear.]

[3. Once you set out, don't turn back. This is your only chance.]

[4. The scalpel in the second-floor male corpse is a seal. Don't pull it out without permission. It'll chase you to the ends of the earth.] ＜Red text＞(A lesson learned the hard way)

[5. Stay quiet. Don't shout.]

[6. The ceiling leaks. Don't let that water touch you directly. Those drops, when they land on... will... please... then...] ＜The writing looks as if it was written with the last of the author's strength＜＞(Use anything and everything)

[7. Those who come out of the basement won't be welcome among the residents, including the front desk.]

"Damn, this is a problem. If what Yang Peng said is true, then we're on the first floor, while Bai-kun is on the second."

"So when they said the second-floor residents had bad tempers, they meant us? I mean, we do kill apparitions as soon as we see them, so I guess our tempers aren't great..."

Yuigahama Yui had finally pieced things together. No wonder the clues kept mentioning poor soundproofing and the second-floor residents' bad tempers. They were talking about their group.

"Fortunately, this is our first time here, so we still have a chance to escape." Yukino patted her chest. "But we need to be careful about the leaking ceiling. The writing was partly crossed out, so it looks like we shouldn't let the water touch us directly."

"Then what do we do? We have to move in the dark, but we can't let the water drip on us either. That's just asking too much!"

Yuigahama Yui gave up and flopped onto the bed. But after lying there for a while, she suddenly sat up.

"Oh! I've got an idea!"

"Will that work?"

Yukino looked worriedly at the bedsheet in Yuigahama Yui's hands.

"It's the best way we've got to keep the water off us. We don't have many options, so let's practice first, Xiaoxue!"

Yuigahama Yui wrapped herself in the sheet, ran toward Yukino, and spread her arms to wrap Yukino up in it too.

"Um, Yuigahama, it's a little cramped."

"We can't help it, Xiaoxue. Make do with it. We need to practice moving together."

They were so close that their bodies were practically pressed together. If one of them fell, the other would fall too.

After they'd practiced a few times, Yuigahama Yui's muffled voice came from inside the sheet.

"How's it going, Xiaoxue? Are you ready?"

"Let's go. We only have one chance."

Yukino took several deep breaths to calm herself and get into the best possible condition.

"Okay! Let's go!"

Yuigahama Yui opened the door, then wrapped the sheet around Yukino and headed outside.

Even though they could see where the exit was whether their eyes were open or closed, there were so many obstacles in front of them that it was hard to move.

On top of that, their shoes kept splashing through puddles, tormenting them both physically and mentally.

Neither of them said a word. Their silence was a sign of their trust and understanding.

Just then, they both heard the sound of children.

The children laughed, and the rumbling of the floor proved that something was really roaming around them!

They could hear each other's heartbeats and breathing. Yukino lightly touched the back of Yuigahama Yui's hand with her finger, signaling her to keep going.

Then... a loud splash rang out...