Demon Apartment - Chapter 13 - The Sound

The hallway was so silent that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard clearly.

“We… we should keep moving…”

Zhao Long didn’t dare to look at the doodles on the wall anymore. But just as he was about to take another step, he realized that Ge Qi had stopped moving. The lighter was in Ge Qi’s hand, and without it, who would dare to proceed in this pitch-black place?

“Ge Qi?”

“Zhao… Zhao Long, do we really have to… keep going?”

Ge Qi felt like his heart was pounding so hard it might burst. He genuinely thought he might have a heart attack if they continued. The intense heartbeat made it difficult for him to even walk. Comparing the doodles to the real-life scene in front of him filled him with dread. The gruesome deaths of other residents during his first Blood Letter were still vivid in his mind. For someone who had lived in peaceful times, never experiencing war, disaster, or plague, witnessing life being snuffed out so easily was enough to shatter one’s worldview and potentially lead to PTSD.

Feng Yu and Ge Qi were like that. Did they not know that continuing to explore and facing danger was the only way to find a Path to Survival? Did they not realize that hiding in their rooms offered no real safety? Rationally, they knew. But after experiencing so much fear, they couldn’t bring themselves to face danger directly, instead retreating to a self-imagined “safe zone.” They had pinned their hopes on Zhao Long, who had survived two Blood Letters, thinking, “Zhao Long survived twice, and he’s on good terms with Mo Yuan. Surely, someone will figure out the Path to Survival, and we can just reap the benefits.”

“I… I can’t go on…” Ge Qi knew admitting his fear was embarrassing, but at this point, he realized that his life was more important than his pride. “How about… I give you the lighter, and you continue exploring while we… go back and wait for news?”

By “we,” he clearly meant himself and Feng Yu.

“Yes, yes…” Feng Yu quickly agreed with Ge Qi’s suggestion. His first Blood Letter had been in a relatively spacious area, but now they were trapped in this building, making escape nearly impossible. When “those things” appeared, they could kill in an instant, often leaving no trace. One wrong step meant death. Exploring the Path to Survival required traversing many parts of this building, possibly even reaching the fourth floor.

“Are you kidding me?” Zhao Long knew these two were scared out of their wits, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

What? They would go back and wait while Zhao Long and the others continued to explore the Path to Survival? And then they would just enjoy the fruits of their labor?

A phrase popped into Zhao Long’s mind: “I’ve never seen such shameless people!”

Before Zhao Long could respond, Dong Ning sneered, “Oh? So the old residents go back and wait for news while we two new residents explore the Path to Survival? Just because you’re scared?”

Dong Ning’s words made Feng Yu and Ge Qi wish they could disappear. Dong Ning was a woman, yet she showed no sign of retreat, while the two men wanted to run back. Feng Yu, who had previously looked down on Dong Xie and Dong Ning as “new residents,” now found himself thoroughly embarrassed.

“I’m… I’m not scared!” Feng Yu stubbornly tried to save face. “I… I just think that wandering around might trigger a path of death…”

Even Feng Yu felt his excuse was weak. He and Ge Qi had lost both face and dignity. Even if they survived, if others found out about their cowardice, they would become the laughingstock of the Apartment, even though other residents might not be any better. People are always lenient with themselves and harsh with others.

“If you go back now, fine.” Zhao Long said coldly, “But if we find the Path to Survival, we won’t share it with you. We can’t let this kind of freeloading behavior spread among the residents!”

Dong Xie looked at the two with increasing disdain. He had thought they would have some courage after surviving a Blood Letter, but they turned out to be such people. Five people executing a Blood Letter together, and these two openly slacked off-what a spectacle! As the saying goes, “In a narrow path, the brave win.” Did they think avoiding danger would keep them safe?

Hearing Zhao Long’s words, Feng Yu and Ge Qi’s faces changed instantly.

Ge Qi quickly shook his head, “No… no… I was just saying… okay, I… I get it!”

Feng Yu also waved his hands, “I… I get it… let’s… keep moving!”

Zhao Long was still angry. In a Blood Letter Task, no one could stand a slacker. Of course, such people rarely survived long.

Ge Qi could sense Zhao Long’s anger, and his heart chilled, regretting that he had offended Zhao Long. Feng Yu glared at him, as if blaming him for dragging him into this. But now, there was no choice but to continue. Otherwise, Zhao Long’s anger might grow. Thinking of this, they felt even more regretful.

As they continued, Ge Qi tried to keep some distance from Zhao Long. If an Unnameable Thing suddenly appeared, Zhao Long could die first. If Zhao Long died, and he managed to return to the Apartment alive, his actions wouldn’t be known to the old residents. As for Dong Xie and Dong Ning, the new residents, even if they spoke out, their words would carry little weight.

The group’s pace was slow, and eventually, they stopped seeing any more doodles on the walls. They reached the end of the hallway on this floor.

No new discoveries.

Then…

“Boom!”

They heard a loud crash from downstairs, like something heavy had been thrown to the ground!