A gasp echoed sharply on the staircase.
Immediately after, the sound of frantic scrambling followed.
Pan Yue was the first to flee, followed by Li Yibai, who, clutching 007, attempted to bolt upwards.
Just as Pan Yue had scrambled partway up, Keke, who had closely followed, grabbed her. "We donât need to be scared! He canât kill anymore. Donât you remember? A ghost can only kill one person a night!"
Upon hearing this, Pan Yue hesitated and stopped. The panic on her face didnât lessen, and she didnât head back down. Instead, she watched Li Wentao below from a distance.
Although Keke spoke bravely, her body honestly followed Pan Yue up a few more steps; it was clear she also didnât want to get too close to what was below.
007, being tugged along by Li Yibai, also symbolically climbed a few steps before stopping not far from Gu Mian, looking down.
Gu Mian was now the closest person to Li Wentao. He hadnât moved.
The first victim had appeared. The ghost shouldnât kill again unless it wanted to perish along with them.
At this moment, Li Wentao, who had been hiding beneath the dark staircase, emerged.
His face was still deathly pale, but his expression was one of sheer terror, not at all like a ghostâs.
Even so, the few people on the staircase retreated several more steps, warily eyeing the man below.
"You..." Li Wentaoâs face showed panic and bewilderment. "Youâre all here too..."
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he blurted out urgently, "N-No... It wasnât me! He was already dead when I got here!"
Li Wentao said this agitatedly, taking a few steps forward, wanting to ascend the stairs.
Immediately, Pan Yueâs raised voice cut in, "Donât come any closer!"
Li Wentaoâs steps faltered. He seemed at a loss but still looked pleadingly towards those on the stairs. "It really wasnât me! I couldnât do something like this! Youâve misunderstood!"
His agitated voice reverberated through the dark staircase, making oneâs hair stand on end. Li Wentao, standing at the foot of the stairs, sent a chill down everyoneâs spine.
At this point, Keke spoke, her voice trembling, "Youâre lying! We clearly saw you on the verge of death, but then you turned around and chased us like a madman! Werenât you trying to kill us?"
Hearing this, a look of dawning comprehension appeared on Li Wentaoâs face. "What âon the verge of deathâ? What âchasing youâ? I donât know what youâre talking about! Iâve been in another building the whole time; I never ran into you at all! Oh, right... Gu Mian! I ran into Gu Mian..."
As he spoke, he started to turn to look at Gu Mian behind him. But as soon as he turned his head, he saw Fattyâs face, already a ghastly blue-purple, and his movement froze.
Li Wentao didnât dare to turn his head any further. Maintaining this strange posture, he spoke urgently, "Gu Mian, werenât you with me the whole time? You can testify that I didnât chase them, right?"
Before Gu Mian could speak, Pan Yueâs sharp voice interjected, "You went to Gu Mian after chasing us! I distinctly saw you sneakily appear behind him, who knows what you were planning! And after you went over to the other side, no one chased us anymore! Youâre clearly the ghost, the murdering ghost in this game! And..."
"...And we followed the blood trail you left to find this place! Itâs obvious you came down from upstairs and killed Wang Pan! If you didnât kill him, why were you hiding down here, too scared to come out?"
"I dâ" Li Wentaoâs expression grew frantic, his voice rising. "When I arrived, he was already dead! Then I heard you coming downstairs. I... I hid here because I was afraid youâd misunderstand!"
"Right," Pan Yue glared at Li Wentao, her eyes glinting in the darkness. "You didnât have time to escape, so you hid here. You just didnât expect to accidentally make a noise and be discovered by us!"
Li Wentaoâs eyes were turning red. He stared fixedly at Pan Yue. "I told you it wasnât me! Why do you keep targeting me? Why do you say I killed him? I get it... It was you!"
"Youâre the one who killed him, and now youâre desperately trying to frame me!" Li Wentaoâs eyes were bloodshot. The moment the words left his mouth, he lunged violently at Pan Yue.
Pan Yue, caught completely off guard, hastily retreated a step but bumped into Keke. Neither managed to stay upright, and they both fell heavily to the ground.
Pan Yueâs head struck the staircase handrail, and blood began to flow.
Meanwhile, Li Wentao, his face contorted with rage, was already rushing towards her.
In her panic, Pan Yue tried to get up, but it felt as if the hem of her clothes was caught on something, and she stumbled back down onto the stairs.
Li Wentao drew nearer and nearer, reaching her in the blink of an eye.
Then, Pan Yue felt Li Wentao grab her by the collar and slam her towards the nearby wall.
"Go to hell!" the manâs furious voice thundered from above her.
"Help!" Pan Yue shrieked in terror.
But just as her head was about to smash against the wall, Li Wentao, who was in front of her, suddenly staggered, failing in his attempt.
It was Chu Changge who had grabbed Li Wentaoâs arm.
Just then, 007 also quickly caught up and grabbed Li Wentao, wrapping his arms around him.
Li Yibai was still lagging behind. Keke, on the side, remained seated on the floor, seemingly stunned with fright. Gu Mian was still making his way up the stairs.
But Li Wentao had descended into madness; two people couldnât hold him back at all. He continued to struggle, switching to strangling Pan Yueâs neck with both hands.
Although the two restraining him prevented him from using much force, Pan Yue was already starting to suffocate.
And just then, a voice suddenly resounded throughout the entire building, like the announcements for school calisthenicsâ
"The first night has ended. Voting will now begin. All players, please select your voting target within one minute."
Three oâclock!
Keke, who had been stunned speechless, lifted her head. "Whatâs this? How do we vote?"
"I donât know!" Li Yibai exclaimed, frantic. "Even if we vote someone out, what then?!"
Pan Yue was still being choked by Li Wentao, already finding it hard to breathe. At this critical juncture, Pan Yue forced out, her voice hoarse, "I... I vote for Li Wentao!"
RING RINGâ
A telephone rang in the darkness.
Yue Nu, who was in her bedroom writing something, abruptly lifted her head and looked towards the telephone in the center of the living room.
She was a player in this instance, in the same Senior Year Class 23 as 007.
However, it was only at dinnertime that she learned she was a day student. Her mother picked her up and took her home, causing her to lose contact with 007.
Yue Nu already knew the game rules, but she hadnât known how she was supposed to vote at three in the morning. Now, however, she understood.
She had mentally prepared herself, so she wouldnât be too surprised by anything happening at three in the morning. It was just a phone call at three in the morning. Only... such a loud telephone ring, yet her parents in the adjacent bedroom showed no reaction whatsoever. They were sleeping a bit too soundly.
Yue Nu didnât delay. She quickly walked to the telephone and picked it up.
Immediately, a mechanical voice sounded from the receiverâ
"The first night has ended. Voting will now begin. All players, please select your voting target within one minute."