Weng Yang shuddered violently.
Even though it was summer, the air was filled with a damp chill that felt like midwinter, seeping deep into her bones.
The cold crept up from her insteps to her calves, numbing her legs in waves.
Yet looking around, it was still the familiar campus, the familiar banyan tree, and the familiar long slope.
A nearby streetlight flickered dimly, casting erratic shadows of trees on the ground.
“Moli? Are you okay?”
Weng Yang turned to ask her friend, only to see the girl looking equally dazed.
“I'm fine, but why did it suddenly get so cold—”
Tan Moli's bangs were damp from the mist, clinging to her forehead. Her lips were turning purple from the cold.
“Weng Yang... where is this?”
Tan Moli's voice trembled on the verge of tears. “Weren't we carrying the props for tomorrow's Club Cultural Festival? When we were going up the slope, the display board rolled down, and we ran after it...”
She didn't finish the sentence.
Weng Yang remembered it clearly too.
Ten minutes ago, they had just picked up the display boards, balloons, and banners for tomorrow's event from the school gate.
Taking a shortcut over the hill toward the teaching building, they hit a steep section. Weng Yang's hand slipped, and the heaviest foam board rolled down, hitting a tree trunk with a loud thud.
They chased after it down the slope. But as they ran, their vision suddenly went white. When they opened their eyes again, they were here.
“It looks like we're still at school.”
Weng Yang took a deep breath. “This mist is too thick. Let's walk slowly first.”
Supporting each other, they carefully took two steps forward.
Underfoot was the familiar asphalt road, complete with an unfinished crack.
This was the landmark crack on the main road near the school's west gate. Road repairs last month had stopped halfway, leaving an ugly scar.
The students of Jiangcheng University constantly complained about it on the campus confession wall.
Weng Yang looked up and peered down the road.
Through the thick fog, she could faintly make out the two rows of banyan trees lining the road, their crowns spreading out like giant umbrellas.
“It's the school,” Weng Yang muttered. “We should still be inside Jiangcheng University.”
“The school?” Tan Moli froze, looking even more confused. “Why is the school so quiet?”
Indeed, it was too quiet.
It should have been just past one in the morning. Normally, the late-night food stalls near the west gate would be bustling, and most of the dormitory lights would still be on.
But now, there was no sound at all, save for the rustling of the wind through the leaves.
The honking of car horns and the clamor of the night market had completely vanished.
Even the streetlights, which usually stayed on all night, flickered in the thick fog like candles on the verge of going out.
Quiet.
A deathly silence enveloped the entire campus.
Every familiar tree and blade of grass was still there, but because they were so familiar, this empty, desolate silence felt exceptionally eerie.
It was as if... everyone in the school had vanished into thin air, leaving only the two of them.
Right then, two lines of faint black ink-like text materialized before their eyes without warning:
【Welcome to the Instance: Campus Ghost Stories】
【Current Players: 10/10】
【Instance Quest: Locate three ghost story sites on campus within seventy-two hours and complete any of the corresponding check-in tasks. A successful check-in will allow you to clear and leave the Instance.】
【1. Loud noises are strictly prohibited on campus at night.
2. Please abide by the Student Code of Conduct as much as possible.
3. Please fall asleep as quickly as possible after lights out.
4. Those who fail to complete the quest before the countdown ends will be obliterated.】
【Countdown: 71:59:47】
The blood-red numbers ticked down in the upper right corner of their vision. Tan Moli's legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed onto the ground.
“Instance... obliterated?”
Her voice shook violently. “Weng Yang, what is this? Is it a prank? Who's behind this?”
Weng Yang was also freezing, her palms slick with cold sweat.
She was no stranger to web novels; terms like “Instance” and “obliteration” were highly familiar to her.
But she had never imagined that something that only existed in fiction would actually happen to her.
“It's not a prank. There's no signal on my phone.”
Weng Yang gritted her teeth and supported the trembling Tan Moli. After all, the ink-like text and the ticking countdown in front of them defied any logical explanation.
“Then what do we do...” Tan Moli sobbed softly. “Are we going to die here?”
“We won't.”
Weng Yang said it, but she had no confidence. “This... thing says we can leave as long as we find three ghost story sites and check in.
Now we still have time. Let's find a safe place first and search slowly once it's light.”
“Then, then let's go to the administration building first. It's... it's closer.”
Tan Moli clung tightly to Weng Yang as the two of them shuffled forward inch by inch along the main road.
This bizarre mist was incredibly thick.
The near-milky white vapor completely dominated their field of view, leaving only the blurry corners of buildings visible.
“The administration building has a security room and a teacher on duty. Maybe there are other people inside.”
They walked through the thick fog, their hearts in their throats with every step.
A walk that normally took five minutes took them nearly twenty.
They didn't run into a single person along the way.
The security booth windows were dark and empty. Even the incandescent lights that usually burned all night were out.
The vending machines by the roadside were still lit, but they looked cold and lifeless.
When they passed Teaching Building 3, the entire structure was pitch black.
The more familiar the place, the more terrifying it seemed in the deserted, dense fog.
Weng Yang could even hear her own heartbeat, thumping loudly in the silent campus.
Tan Moli pressed close to her, keeping her head low, not daring to look at the side of the road.
...
Finally, the Youth League Committee Office Building appeared before them.
The entire building was dark, with only a faint light shining from the window of the first-floor duty room.
But as they drew closer, they realized the light was from an emergency lamp.
The duty room was empty, the chair pulled back, and the surveillance monitor was completely blank.
Even the lid of a thermos on the desk was left open.
“Master Wang? Master Wang, are you there?”
Weng Yang lowered her voice and called out twice toward the security booth.
She still remembered the warning text from earlier.
But there was no response.
Tan Moli gripped Weng Yang's arm in fear. “Weng Yang, there's no one... Could the whole building be empty?”
Weng Yang didn't say anything, silently pulling her upstairs.
They didn't even dare to take the elevator, slowly climbing the stairs using their phones' flashlights.
The third floor housed the Youth League Committee Office. Their advisor, Mr. Li, often worked late, so he might be there.
The light pierced the thick fog, illuminating only a few steps below them.
The stairwell landings were pitch black, like gaping mouths.
Thud, thud—
Suddenly, a soft sound came from upstairs.
Both of them stopped in their tracks and held their breath.
“Who's there?” Weng Yang called out, summoning her courage.
There was no reply.
In the silence, only their rapid breathing could be heard.
“Maybe... maybe it's just the wind,” Tan Moli whispered, though she shuddered first.
Weng Yang didn't speak. She gripped her phone tighter and continued upward.
The corridor was empty, with offices closed on both sides.
They reached the door of Mr. Li's office. It was slightly ajar, leaving a crack.
“Mr. Li?” Weng Yang gently pushed the door open.
A faint blue light shone in the office, cast by a computer screen.
The office chair was pulled back, positioned next to the desk as if its owner had just stood up and left.
An open lesson plan lay flat on the desk.
The computer screen was on, but it was filled with dense, scrambled code.
Black characters flickered frantically, resembling countless writhing insects.
No one was in the office.
“It's so quiet,” Tan Moli's voice trembled. “Where is everyone? Where did Mr. Li go?”
Weng Yang walked over to the computer and reached out to nudge the mouse.
The screen didn't respond, and the scrambled code continued to flicker wildly.
The entire administration building was terrifyingly quiet.
Aside from them, there didn't seem to be another living soul in the entire building.
Both of them took out their phones again, but the screens still displayed “No Service,” and the signal bars were empty.
“Still no signal.”
Weng Yang lowered her phone, her heart sinking further. “We can't make calls or send messages.”
“Is it really an Instance?”
Tan Moli puckered her lips, only daring to weep silently.
“Then what do we do... Are we really going to die here, just like in those novels?”
Weng Yang was about to comfort her when she suddenly heard a soft thud.
The sound came from the window.
It was very light, as if someone had gently tapped the glass with a finger.
Both turned to look at the window at the same time.
The office was on the third floor, and outside the window were the branches of plane trees.
Their hearts instantly leaped into their throats. Weng Yang, being the braver of the two, shone her phone's flashlight and stepped toward the window.
The fog was too thick, and a layer of condensation covered the glass, obscuring the view outside.
Weng Yang reached out, wanting to wipe away the condensation to see outside.
The moment her hand touched the glass—
“Bang, bang, bang!”
Rapid pounding suddenly rang out!
“Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!”
The pounding vibrated the glass, as if countless hands were frantically slapping the window from the outside.
Something, something wanted to get in!
Terrified, Weng Yang bolted backward, slamming straight into the desk.
Tan Moli let out a silent shriek, quickly covering her mouth.
The condensation on the glass froze into ice at a visible speed.
Immediately after, countless handprints appeared on the icy surface.
Large and small, some belonged to adults, others to children.
Some had fingers splayed wide, while others were curled up.
“Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!”
“Bang, bang, bang!”
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The pounding grew faster and heavier.
The entire window rattled, the frame groaning as if it would shatter at any moment.
The owners of those handprints wanted to come inside.
Weng Yang looked around and saw a metal filing cabinet in the corner. She immediately dragged Tan Moli over. “Quick! Block the door!”
Together, they pushed the heavy filing cabinet behind the door, wedging it tightly against the doorframe.
The pounding outside the window continued.
Before they could even catch their breath, they heard the door behind them rattle slightly.
Something was pushing the door from the outside.
The filing cabinet groaned against the door.
Weng Yang and Tan Moli huddled together under the desk, covering their mouths tightly, not even daring to breathe loudly.
The thing outside pushed twice. Failing to open it, it fell silent.
But they knew it hadn't left.
It was right outside, separated only by a door, just a step away from them.
A foul, fishy stench wafted through the crack under the door.
They could even sense the source of the stench standing at the door, watching them.
“Weng Yang, what... what do we do now?”
Tan Moli squeezed her eyes shut, her face contorted with terror. She was past the point of tears.
“What... what on earth is outside the door?”
“Sleep.”
Weng Yang's mind raced, turning over the hints provided by the text again and again. “Lights out has already passed. Sleep. We have to fall asleep quickly!”
Tan Moli's eyes widened in disbelief.
...
Zhao Weilai felt a chilly breeze on her face, as if someone were blowing ice shards at her.
Deng Ziwen frowned, holding a hand in front of her face to shield her from the wind.
The wind was strong, carrying the foul, fishy smell of lake water.
“Ziwen?”
Zhao Weilai rubbed her aching temples. “We...”
She froze mid-sentence.
The two of them were still by the artificial lake.
The weeping willows and the streetlights by the lake were still there.
But a thick white fog blanketed the lake, reducing visibility to less than five meters.
The dim yellow light of the streetlamps seemed covered by a thick layer of gauze, unable to illuminate the water even a few meters away.
What was even stranger was the terrifying silence around them.
Just moments ago, they had been arguing loudly, and they could hear students passing by in the distance.
But now, there was nothing.
“Let me walk you back to your dorm first. This fog is too thick.”
Deng Ziwen looked at the surrounding fog with a grim expression. “For some reason, I feel like something is wrong.”
Zhao Weilai nodded and looked around.
Only the two of them remained on the empty shore.
“Wait, where are my things? I still need to submit my resume tomorrow.”
Zhao Weilai crouched down to search the grass. “My phone, wallet, and ID card are all in my bag. How did they disappear in the blink of an eye?”
Deng Ziwen patted his pockets. They were completely empty.
His phone was gone too.
“Mine is gone too.”
He frowned. “Maybe it fell somewhere when the wind blew earlier? I'll help you look.”
Crouching in the grass, they searched for their lost belongings under the dim light of the streetlamp.
The grass was thick and deep, wet with dew, soaking their pant legs.
Zhao Weilai's hands were cut in several places by the sharp blades of grass, leaving them stinging and cold.
“Where on earth did they go...” she muttered as she searched, her heart filled with anxiety and fear.
Just then, Zhao Weilai's ankle suddenly tightened.
It was cold and slimy.
Like a human hand.
Zhao Weilai's body froze instantly.
A bone-chilling cold shot from her ankle straight to her head. Her scalp went numb, and the hairs on her neck stood on end.
“Zi... Ziwen...” She slowly turned her head. “Something... is grabbing me...”
Deng Ziwen froze, immediately looking down along Zhao Weilai's leg. “What?”
In the thick fog, he couldn't see what was in the grass.
He could only see a pale hand wrapped around Zhao Weilai's ankle, its long, sharp nails digging deep into her pant leg.
“Fuck! What the hell is that?!”
Deng Ziwen cursed. Without a second thought, he lunged forward, grabbing the “hand” with both hands and pulling with all his might.
The thing possessed immense strength and was incredibly slippery, making it impossible to hold onto. Instead, it dragged Zhao Weilai relentlessly toward the muddy shore of the lake.
“What the hell is this?!”
Zhao Weilai shrieked in terror, her hands clawing wildly at the grass on the ground in an attempt to stabilize herself.
But the mud was soft and slick, and her body continued to slide inch by inch toward the water.
“Weilai! Pull! Don't let go!”
Deng Ziwen's eyes turned red. He threw his entire body weight over Zhao Weilai's legs to anchor her, then raised his foot and stomped violently on the hand.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
He kicked with brutal force, putting everything he had into each strike.
Yet the thing seemed completely devoid of sensation, its grip on Zhao Weilai's ankle remaining unyielding.
The gravel scraped Deng Ziwen's arms and knees, but he didn't even register the pain. Zhao Weilai also turned her head and kicked frantically with her free foot—
“Splash!”
The ghostly hand was finally kicked free, flying in an arc before splashing into the water. Seizing the opportunity, Deng Ziwen grabbed Zhao Weilai's arm and dragged her forcefully away from the lake.
The two of them collapsed onto the ground, scrambling backward several meters before finally stopping.
Zhao Weilai gasped heavily. Deng Ziwen pulled up her pant leg and saw five deep, purplish bruises in the shape of fingers clearly imprinted on her ankle.
Shaken and terrified, they suddenly heard a loud splash from the lake through the dense fog.
It sounded like a massive fish thrashing, or perhaps an oar striking the water.
In the hazy white fog, a blurry silhouette emerged, moving toward the shore accompanied by the sound of splashing water.
Something was coming.
“Run!” Deng Ziwen grabbed Zhao Weilai and bolted.
But the fog was too thick; they couldn't see the path at all.
After only a few steps, Deng Ziwen nearly tripped, saved only by Zhao Weilai catching him.
The fishy stench of lake water grew stronger, almost suffocating them.
The splashing sounds behind them drew closer—splat, splat—sounding like bare feet treading on muddy ground.
At this critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.
Holding a brick, the person hurled it toward the lake without a second thought!
“Clank!”
The brick missed, clattering loudly against the concrete ground.
“Run! Run toward the cafeteria!”
Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai froze for a split second, then followed the newcomer without another thought.
As they drew closer, they realized the person who had called out to them was a middle-aged woman wearing cafeteria work clothes.
She looked to be in her late forties or early fifties, slightly plump, and wearing the cafeteria uniform, but she had a friendly face.
“Quick! Follow me, both of you!”
Without waiting for an answer, the woman dragged them toward the nearby First Cafeteria.
The three of them ran at full speed. The splashing behind them paused for only a second before resuming.
Though it was only a distance of dozens of meters, it felt like they had been running for an eternity.
Finally reaching the cafeteria entrance, the woman fumbled with her keys, trembling as she unlocked a side door. She pulled the two inside and quickly locked it behind them.
“Splash—”
“Splat, splat...”
The foul-smelling water and thick fog surged toward the door. The three of them hid far away behind the dining tables and chairs.
The splashing outside continued, and the door rattled slightly.
It was some time before the sounds finally began to recede.
They were safe.
Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen's legs gave out, and they collapsed onto the floor, still safe but shaken.
The middle-aged woman didn't react as intensely. She merely rested her hands on her hips, poked her head out to peer through the glass, and once she was sure the thing had left, she turned to them.
“You two are students, right? What were you doing by the lake in the middle of the night?”
“Auntie, thank you for saving us,” Zhao Weilai panted. “May I ask who you are?”
“I'm Liu Guilan. I usually serve food in the First Cafeteria. You've probably seen me when getting your meals.”
The woman gave an honest smile. “I'm glad I ran into some living people. I had just finished my shift and was heading home, but no matter how long I walked, I couldn't get out of the school gates. I kept looping back to the same spot, like... what do they call it, a ghost wall.
I figured something was wrong, so I came back to the cafeteria. Just as I got back, I heard a commotion by the lake. Who would've thought that when I ran over, I'd see you two being chased by that thing.”
She patted her chest, looking thoroughly spooked.
“It scared the life out of me. I couldn't see what it was, but just hearing those sounds was bone-chilling.”
Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai exchanged glances, both seeing the sheer terror in each other's eyes.
Even the cafeteria worker had experienced a ghost wall. This was no coincidence.
Just as Zhao Weilai was about to explain, the faint black ink-like text materialized before all three of them simultaneously.
It was exactly the same text that Weng Yang and the others had seen.
The Instance name, player count, quest, and the ticking blood-red countdown.
...
“Huh? What's this thing?”
Liu Guilan gasped, waving her hand in the air. “Why is it floating in front of my eyes? Am I seeing things?”
She rubbed her eyes and patted her head, but the text remained clearly suspended in front of her.
“You're not seeing things, Auntie.”
Zhao Weilai had already grasped the situation. With a pale face, she said softly, “This is an Instance.”
She explained what an Instance and a quest were, using simple terms that Liu Guilan could understand.
And what would happen if they failed to complete the quest.
Liu Guilan listened in a daze, her eyes wide with shock.
“You mean we've been pulled into some kind of game?” She pointed at her nose. “We can only leave if we complete the quest? And if we don't, we... die?”
Zhao Weilai nodded.
Liu Guilan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spat.
“What a load of nonsense. I bet it's just someone's idea of a prank. It'll be fine once it's light out!
I've lived this long; what kind of strange things haven't I seen? It's fine, don't be scared, Auntie's here!
Besides, in a school this big, with so many people suddenly missing, the police outside will definitely come to save us. Don't be scared, alright, kids?”
Though her words were tough, her legs were shaking uncontrollably.
Zhao Weilai didn't point it out.
Nearby, Deng Ziwen looked around the room.
The cafeteria was massive, spanning two floors with hundreds of seats, and rows of dining tables and chairs were neatly arranged.
The serving windows were all closed, and the kitchen utensils were still inside.
An emergency light in the corner was on, casting a faint white glow that barely illuminated the hall.
...
“It should be safe here.”
Deng Ziwen said, “Why don't we rest here first? Once it's light and the fog clears, we can see if we can leave.”
“I think so too.”
Zhao Weilai nodded and pursed her lips, her anger from their earlier argument long gone.
“As for the ghost stories... since it says there are ten players, there should be others besides us. Let's look for them when it's light.”
Even putting everything else aside, having more people would at least give them more confidence.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Instance.
——The president of Jiangcheng University was so stressed he wanted to go up to the rooftop to feel the breeze.
Rate on N.U.
