Nightmare Assault

Irregular and rapid footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. The pair moved up the stairs as they scanned their surroundings.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Zhou Taifu’s pretentiousness was gone. His tone was gravelly and worldly. His gaze was as sharp as a knife. Beside him was naturally his partner, Xu Wen. They were also lovers.

Unlike normal romance, they didn’t meet in a bar or online. They met in a swamp deep inside Southeast Asia’s rainforest. Bullets were the background music to their tale. White maggots crawling out of skulls witnessed their love. They were both mercenaries. They worked for whoever gave them the most money. It could be the government, the guerillas, private employers, tribal leaders.

In the swampy hole that was dirty and damp, they made the promise that they’d return home and open a small supermarket market whenever they collected two billion dollars. They would have a nice, peaceful life.

But…

As the money piled up, their name became more popular in the industry. Employers like people like them. They were silent and efficient. They would do any kind of job, from defending a country to kidnapping a defenceless old man. They would kill armed soldiers and small children. The money kept coming, and heads kept rolling. The corpses piled inside the swamp, and blood coloured the stones. A rain would come and wash away everything, including their sins.

Two billion, three billion, four billion. Eventually, they forgot their initial promise. They blossomed in the murders. The thrill of the hunt overpowered everything else. Human lives were theirs to take. Only then could they be perfectly at ease.

They leaned together underneath the giant tree. The smell of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of gunpowder. Shrapnel and broken body parts were scattered around them. Blood dripped down the leaves like rain. The world was silent and red.

It was at that moment that they understood.

They didn’t want money. They wanted this satisfaction that could only be garnered from claiming another human’s life.

However, mercenary work was not enough to satisfy them anymore. It was far from enough until they pushed open an unfamiliar door in their dreams.

“Are you sure this is the file room?” Zhou Taifu frowned and asked for the second time. His mercenary background sharpened his instinct but also made him very stubborn.

“Yes.” Xu Wen looked around. All the other doors were locked. The place looked deserted. “I’ve asked Ma Lan. I had to persuade her for a long time before she told me the truth.”

Zhou Taifu turned to her. “Could Ma Lan have lied to you?”

Xu Wen thought about it and shook her head. “I don’t know. We should be careful.” She pulled out her phone to glance at the time. “Move faster. Zhen Jianren wouldn’t be able to buy us that much time. If he drags the other students and staff here…”

Zhou Taifu grinned wickedly. “If they dare to come, they won’t get to return.”

“Try not to kill.” Xu Wen’s face darkened, and she said seriously, “Don’t forget about the rules here.”

“Fine. I guess.”

After they turned the corner, a strange room appeared before them. From the outside, the room was about four times the size of a normal classroom. However, it was fitted with a rather new metallic door. It looked like it had been fitted less than half a year ago. In comparison, the other doors were rusted and old.

At the same time, their faces changed. Zhou Taifu asked in a chilly tone, “Do you smell that?”

Xu Wen nodded. She looked at the door. “It’s the smell of blood.”

Something… happened inside.

Zhou Taifu shielded Xu Wen behind him. He used his left hand to open the door, and with a flick of his wrist, a dagger appeared in his right hand. After years of being together, Xu Wen naturally protected his back. The moment the door opened, Zhou Taifu jumped back.

The door creaked noisily, but there was no danger. Instead, they were hit by a palpable wall constructed by the smell of blood.

Someone was leaning against the wall inside the room. His head faced the door, and his feet faced the wall. Based on his clothes, this was Luo Yi.

“I knew it…” Xu Wen said coolly. She didn’t look surprised.

Like Jiang Cheng, she noticed something off with Luo Yi. When they had the meeting in Room 404, she noticed the camera Jiang Cheng should have looked after was gone. She looked around silently. Then, she pretended to tie her shoelaces and found the camera hidden under the bed. The camera lens faced outside.

Jiang Cheng sat beside the bed and hid the camera from view with his legs. At the same time, Xu Wen frowned slightly. She figured out why Jiang Cheng was doing this.

There was a ghost among them. It would perfectly explain why no one had died and the ghost disappearing even though they were approaching the end of the mission.

She sat up back naturally, showing no reaction. Who could it be?

Her brain turned. She eliminated Jiang Cheng and Fatty. If Fatty were the ghost, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t need to gather everyone in his room to test them. He would be the first to run… if he didn’t die first.

Then, she eliminated the three in her room. They had always been together. The ghost didn’t have the time to kill and replace any one of them.

So… only the duo from Room 405 remained.

Xu Wen glanced at Zhen Jianren and Luo Yi from the corner of her eyes. No matter how she studied them, she couldn’t see anything wrong with them. When Luo Yi heard the analysis about the ghost, fear was in his eyes.

Xu Wen was suddenly inspired and turned to Zhang Yinyin. The girl was very sensitive. It didn’t take her long to notice Xu Wen’s eyes on her. The moment their eyes met, both women turned away instantly.

After they left Room 404, Xu Wen’s group returned to Room 406.

When they were cleaning up, Xu Wen saw a glint of something in Zhang Yinyin’s hand. When she tried to look closer, the thing was gone.

She walked over casually, leaned into Zhang Yinyin’s ear and whispered, “Your little piece of mirror can reflect ghosts, right? I saw you use it yesterday.”

Zhang Yinyin paused.

Xu Wen resumed, “We… already have a ghost among us.”