Chapter 277 - 273: Anomaly (2)

The computer was in a corner of the internet cafe. There weren’t many people around, so it was relatively quiet.

Hu Qi looked at the keyboard in front of the computer. The keys were severely worn.

Some of the letters were blurry and indistinct, and one key was even missing a corner.

Hu Qi didn’t mind. For him, as long as it worked, it was good enough.

He reached out and moved the mouse, which made a faint scratching sound as it glided across the rough mousepad.

He began to open web pages one by one, browsing them carefully.

Hu Qi hadn’t come here to play games, of course. He had more important things to do, like searching for clues about Extraordinary Power.

According to the knowledge from Fang Xi’s memories, this world’s technological level was quite a bit behind the former Earth Star, roughly equivalent to Blue Star’s 21st century.

However, this was still the Information Age. The number of internet users was massive, and network coverage across the world’s countries and regions was quite high. People could access the internet anytime, anywhere, through various devices to obtain and transmit information.

’Searching for information this way is undoubtedly the easiest method.’

This world’s computers were slightly different from those on Earth Star, but Hu Qi possessed the memories of a Celestial Fate Person from the Noki Civilization. Combined with his fundamental nature as someone in the Apostle Realm, his ability to learn and comprehend was astonishing.

He only had to tinker with it for a short while before he was completely familiar with its operation.

Hu Qi first checked the news in his browser, looking at content like disasters and death cases.

As expected, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But in Hu Qi’s view, that was precisely what was most abnormal.

Thinking of this, his fingers tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

The next moment, the computer screen flashed, and he entered a special domain.

"Just as I thought!"

Hu Qi’s gaze shifted slightly.

Whether on Blue Star or Earth Star, besides the public internet, there was always a more hidden network.

It was more secretive than the normal web and could only be accessed through specific software, configurations, or authorization.

And right now, Hu Qi had just entered it.

After constantly switching between pages and inputting various terms related to Extraordinary Power—like "extraordinary," "death," and "power"—he finally found the information he needed in a forum.

The post’s title was [She Came for Me!]

It had a lot of upvotes.

Hu Qi clicked on it.

"I’m twenty-four this year, kind of handsome. As a recent college graduate, I was lost and didn’t know what kind of job to look for. Then I saw a security guard recruitment ad and, well, became a security guard.

But if heaven gave me another chance, I definitely wouldn’t have made that call."

"Kind of handsome, you say? Do you also eat cookies? Is there a resident named Xiao Dan?"

"How handsome is OP? Post a pic. You into guys or girls?"

"FUCK! Gays, get lost!"

"Who’s ’she’? Let’s see her legs."

...

Hu Qi looked at these comments, momentarily speechless. Clearly, no matter where you went, forum trolls were all the same.

He clicked "View OP Only" in the upper-right corner.

Instantly, the messy comment section vanished, leaving only the posts from the security guard—the original poster.

The OP’s username was "BurningTheMidnightOil."

Hu Qi’s gaze slowly drifted down. The content of the post was as follows: The hiring process went very smoothly. The place is called Ping’an Apartments. 4,500 a month, room and board included. Twelve-hour shifts, alternating between day and night once a month.

But since the previous guard had quit, I was naturally assigned to replace him, and he happened to be on the night shift.

The specific duties of an apartment security guard are to manage access control, strictly monitor people coming and going, and inspect items.

Conduct regular patrols, inspect public facilities, and check for abnormalities and safety hazards.

Monitor the security situation and respond to emergencies.

At the same time, provide assistance to residents, receive and report complaints and suggestions, and maintain the safety and order of the apartment complex.

Of course, those are just the official rules and regulations.

The actual work requires being flexible depending on the situation.

It’s quiet at night, and there’s hardly anyone around.

There isn’t much work for a guard. You just pull up a chair in the lobby and play on your phone. You can even nap for a bit if you get sleepy.

The first few days went smoothly.

But then one night, I was on a losing streak in a game and got pretty tilted, so I got up to stretch my legs.

At night, the lobby on the First Layer of the apartment building was spacious and very quiet all around.

Just as I walked to the entrance to get some fresh air, I saw something red fall from above.

No, it was a woman in a red dress.

She had slammed head-first onto the ground. There was blood everywhere. She was clearly deader than dead.

Wait, I think I knew her. When I was changing shifts this evening, I delivered a case of mineral water to her apartment.

She was wearing this same red dress back then, so she left a deep impression on me.

Seeing this, I was about to grab my phone and call the police.

But before I could even dial...

The woman in the red dress, who had been lying on the concrete, started to move.

The moment I saw that, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness.

I didn’t know anything until someone shook me awake. I found myself asleep in my chair. I told him what I saw, but Old Sun, the guy who took over my shift, just looked at me like I was an idiot and said that nobody had jumped.

I didn’t believe him and ran outside to look. But the spot where the woman had fallen was completely empty. There wasn’t a single drop of blood.

Maybe it really was just a Nightmare of mine.

But the scene was too real. I didn’t dare work the night shift anymore. I wanted to quit, but the manager said they couldn’t find a replacement yet, and I had to give a month’s notice, or I wouldn’t get my final paycheck.

So he told me to keep at it for now and eventually switched me to the day shift. I had no choice. For the money, I had to stick it out for a while.

Below this, there were a dozen or so comments from other users.

"OP, don’t worry, don’t be scared. As long as you’re brave enough, even a female ghost will take maternity leave for you."

"Not necessarily. After falling, a person might not die instantly. The body can twitch for a short time due to the nervous system’s shock response. It’s a normal phenomenon, don’t panic."

"What happens next? Judging by the title, it’s not over. OP, update faster! It’s the middle of the night and I’m hiding under my blanket, actually getting a little scared."

"You dream at night what you think of by day. OP, you’ve probably been single for too long. My personal advice: one snip, and you’re cured for good!"

Suddenly, Hu Qi’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on the very last comment.

"OP, you might have encountered a Nightmare. Be careful."

The commenter’s nickname was a string of numbers, obviously system-generated.

He clicked on their profile, but it was completely blank.

Hu Qi could only continue scrolling down.

The OP, BurningTheMidnightOil, continued his post.

After that, three days passed without any further incidents. During that time, I even saw the woman I’d delivered water to before. She was alive and well, nothing wrong with her at all.

It seemed I had really just been overthinking things.

Work got back on track. Everything was normal.

No, actually, there was one problem.

Since my job includes room and board, I live in the apartment building too.

For the past few nights, when I’ve been trying to sleep, I keep hearing a ’THUMP THUMP THUMP’ sound from upstairs.

It sounds like someone bouncing a rubber ball on the floor, and it’s really annoying.

But the strange thing is, none of the other residents have heard it.

The sound isn’t quiet, though. There’s no way they couldn’t hear it.

At this point, as if to prove the credibility of his words, BurningTheMidnightOil posted a six- or seven-second long audio clip.

After Hu Qi clicked on it, a burst of static came through the headphones, followed by the sound of somewhat ragged breathing, and then a dull ’THUMP THUMP THUMP.’

The sound was very muffled. It didn’t feel like a rubber ball to Hu Qi.

"This might just be the building aging, like the sound of marbles people often hear in old buildings.

Old folks would say it’s some ghost child playing with marbles late at night.

In reality, it’s just the sound of rebar rubbing when it expands or contracts due to temperature changes, caused by mold eroding the contact surface between the steel and concrete, creating a cavity."

Someone was dropping some science in the comments below.

BurningTheMidnightOil replied.

Right, I thought so too at first. But the noise was so loud it kept me from sleeping, so I went and bought earplugs.

But to my surprise, the sound was still there. The earplugs did nothing. It was like the sound was going directly into my brain.

And it seems to be getting closer and closer.

No, that thing is looking for me. It’s right outside my door.

It’s hitting my door.

No, I absolutely can’t let it in.

I quickly pushed my desk against the door.

At the same time, I looked out through the peephole.

Outside, there was the hem of a red dress.

I know that color well.

I get it now.

It’s the woman in the red dress who fell. She must have come for me!

I want to call the police, but even with full bars, the call won’t go through. I’ve tried everything, but it seems the only thing I can do is post here.

No, I can’t let her get me.

Thinking this, I quickly hid under the bed.

The next moment, the door was bashed open, a crack forming in it.

Immediately after, that ’THUMP THUMP THUMP’ sound drew closer.

At that moment, for some reason, I suddenly understood a few things.

Realizing this, I knew I was probably done for...

BurningTheMidnightOil’s narrative ended there.

No matter how many times the users below asked for an update, there was no response.

Hu Qi’s eyes flickered.

’It’s clear that unless something unexpected happened, this OP is already dead.’

’A peephole has a limited field of view due to its angle. If she was hitting his door, she must have been very close. How could he possibly see the hem of her dress?’

’Then there’s only one possibility.’

’The woman in the red dress was hopping over with her head planted on the ground.’

’That’s why she was making that "THUMP THUMP THUMP" sound.’

’It was the sound of a skull hitting the floor. Perhaps because she died from the fall, her body was rigid, allowing her to stay in that position.’

’However, there’s something off about the OP, too. Who would still be typing on a forum when they’re about to die? That’s a little too dedicated.’

Thinking of this, Hu Qi exited the page and searched for the name Ping’an Apartments.

A whole bunch of results came up. The name was too common; there were several just in Qishan City alone.

He re-entered the term "Nightmare" into the browser.

Instantly, just as he expected, a large number of entries appeared.

Hu Qi began to browse through them.

An hour later, he stopped.