Chapter 4: Knocking on the Door


    The persistent, odd thumping echoed in the hallway with a rhythmical, methodical pattern akin to a finely tuned clock, ringing out its rm against the usual silence, undeterred by the unlocked ssroom doors.


    The old man remained outside, yet the darkness in the corridor, thick and imprable as squid ink, silently seeped into the room.


    In the face of this ominous invasion, the ssroom went through incredible, expansive transformations.


    The once new and smooth walls began to show signs of distress as the wallpaper continuously ked away, unveiling a coarse and irregr texture beneath. Patches of dark green mold blossomed on the weathered surface, exuding a bone-chilling, musty odor. The books ced on the chairs started to age at an rming rate, their vibrant pages rapidly turning a sickly yellow before crumbling away. The concrete floor, once sturdy and reliable, also began to decay. It weathered away to reveal the rusting iron rebar underneath, and in ces, even began to cave in.


    Time seemed to have elerated, with decades passing in what felt like a mere instant. The ssroom bore the brunt of this temporal distortion, standing ravaged and ruined as if weathered by many years of neglect.


    Yet, amidst the chaos, the ssroom lights clung onto their luminance. Their bright, white radiance flickered like a lonely candle amidst a tempest, casting a final, feeble glow as if they might be snuffed out at any given second.


    Terror etched itself onto each students face. Some let out terrified screams, others cried for help, and a few quivered in their seats. However, one man, Right, maintained hisposure. Stationed at the podium, he stood like a sentinel, surveying his surroundings, always alert for the slightest disturbance.


    Faced with a territory-controlling specter, he knew this was a situation beyond his usual capabilities.


    Right, look! Jing suddenly bellowed, breaking the tense silence. Hisplexion was ghostly pale as he pointed a trembling finger at a few students on the ssroom desks.


    Before this, theyd been unnoticed. But now, with them in in view, he finallyprehended the horrifying situation.


    Thump, thump-thump.


    The odd, rhythmic thumping resounded once again.


    In the wake of this sound, a male student who had been alive and standing among them mere moments before started convulsing, his body trembling violently before rigidly copsing to the floor.


    Li Ming, whats happened to you?


    What is going on? What is happening? We need help!


    A terrified female student sat frozen in fear, her voice choked with sobs as she cried out in desperation.


    He was perfectly fine just a second ago. How could this? A wavering voice muttered, its owner too shocked toplete the sentence.


    Jings face hardened, his eyes steeling with resolve, Why are you all panicking? Theres a ghost outside the door, we are in mortal danger. You will soon understand the true horror of a ghost capable of forming a ghost domain.


    His words hung heavy in the air, each student looking at him with pure, unadulterated fear. They were like prey trapped in a predators den, shivering with dread.


    Right, havent you figured out anything yet? If you donte up with a n, we are all going to die in this ce, Jing cried out again, his voice echoing through the transformed ssroom.


    The tremor in his heart echoed the fear that permeated the very atmosphere of the ghost domain. He realized, with an unsettling rity, that anyone within these spectral borders, himself included, could be a victim of the malicious spirits.


    If you cant stomach the suspense, take off on your own. But dont harbor illusions that Id risk my life to save yours, Right warned, his face lined with tension. The fear that was evident in his eyes showed that he was hesitant to take any rash steps in this perilous domain.


    Racing blindly through the ghost domain is a surefire way to meet a swift end. Do you really think Im oblivious to that fact? Jing shot back, irritationcing his words.


    Since youre aware of the danger, then sit still and keep quiet. Death isnt selective here, ites for us all. Dont tter yourself by thinking that your knowledge makes you special. To these ghosts, every human is equally mortal, Right admonished, his voice ringing with solemnity.


    Damn it, Jing muttered under his breath, the grim reality settling in.


    Miles, too, felt an icy grip on his limbs. The gravity of their situation had finally sunk in, forcing him to swallow his fear and stayposed. This was far from a trifling matter.


    His gaze strayed towards the ckboard that was on the verge of toppling from the wall. The words scrawled on it held his attention, especially thest phrase: Understand the ghosts rules.


    Right is hesitant to take any step because hes studying the old man who haunts the doorway, trying to unravel his behavior patterns. Only once hes discerned the rules can he make a calcted move. Quick, think, what patterns could this spectral elder possibly follow?


    His mind began to churn at a frantic pace, piecing together fragments of information from the stories shared in the forum, connecting them with the events unfolding around him.


    There must be some corrtion; there must be shared elements.


    In one such tale, a user named Thunder King was in his home when the door was shut. The old man stood outside the door, knocked, entered, approached the room door, knocked again, and then intruded.


    At present, the ghostly figure loomed outside their corridor, knocking on the door but yet to make an entrance.


    Why would the ghost enter theizens home but refrain from doing so here?


    The situations were identical, and yet the oues diverged. What caused this discrepancy?


    Could it be the timing that differed?


    And what aspect of time was missing?


    Was it the duration of the knock?


    This could very well be the key.


    Summoning up a surge of courage, Miles eximed, Right, it has to do with the knocking.


    The knocking? Right focused on the student whod made the bold im, his interest piqued. What are you implying?


    Gulping down his fear, Miles stammered out his theory, Its spective, but I believe the entity eliminates its victims via the door knock. Maybe the old mans strategy is tied to timing, or it could be something else entirely, but it unquestionably involves knocking. If we could somehow inhibit the spectral figure from knocking, it might give us a fighting chance.


    If the very act of knocking had the power to kill, then this ghost was a manifestation of sheer terror.


    This creatures potential is surfacing too rapidly, Jing mused internally, his eyes locked onto Miles with a potent re, his fists clenched with a grim resolve, I cannot allow him to walk out of this school alive.


    Ill put my faith in you, just this once, Right dered gravely, withdrawing his intense gaze. He was cornered. Inaction was not an option. If he did not intervene, every person present would perish.


    Without a second thought, Right sprung into action. His movements mirrored the agility and ferocity of a wild beast as he lunged forward. His thin upper body and portly lower body exhibited an explosive power that transcended ordinary human capabilities.


    Boom!


    Apanied by a thunderous crash, the ssroom door was sent flying off its hinges under the impact of his charge, along with it, the old mans lifeless body.


    Understandably, no one ventured forward to help the elderly figure back up, their actions restrained by sheer terror. His corpsey in a bizarre, unnatural position, mimicking a rigid puppet whose limbs were manipted at will, devoid of the suppleness that characterizes a living being.


    Ghosts cannot be in.


    Right would not forget this universal truth, a rule he himself had penned down.


    Even if this old man was crushed into a pulp, then incinerated into ashes, he would not perish. Instead, he would resurface in the most extraordinary ways.


    Only a ghost could best another ghost.


    Right gritted his teeth, his voice echoing through the room, Look for the opportune moment, and flee as soon as you spot a chance. Ill hold this entity back.


    Once he finished speaking, his ample cloak seemed to inte, and the protrusion in his belly wriggled unsettlingly.


    A hand, or to be more precise, the silhouette of a hand, began to stretch out from beneath ayer of skin. The hand bore a ghastly grey-blue hue, tipped with razor-sharp nails that seemed to yearn to break free of the skin confining it.


    However, the belly skin enveloping this hand demonstrated surprising resilience, refusing to tear. Whats more, this hand extended over two meters in length.


    Was this even human?


    In this surreal disy, the monstrous grey-blue hand reached out and seized the old man sprawled on the floor, as the stuttering buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead added to the macabre ambiance of their sh.


    The darkness that had previously consumed the ssroom dissipated in an instant, reced by theforting glow of the lights. Despite the walls still bearing a mottled appearance and the ground seeming on the brink of copse, the cataclysm appeared to have been momentarily subdued.


    It worked, Right murmured, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.


    His eyes expanded to their limits in sheer terror, the wave of fear washing over his gaunt, almost skeletal visage with such intensity that it seemed to physically affect him.


    The old mans decrepit figure that had copsed on the ground was now in motion, slowly rising to his feet. His eyes, the color of dust and decay, shifted subtly as though he was focusing his attention on Right.


    It cant be, hes moving again? Even after Ive imposed my restrictions? Rights features morphed drastically with disbelief and fear. Reacting instantly, he roared out hismand, Leave, leave now! Get out while the ghost domain hasnt fully manifested. Ill stay here, Ill try to keep this entity at bay.


    This ghost was clearly of a threat level far beyond what he had initially anticipated.


    A cold dread seeped into his very core as if his heart was drenched in icy sweat, leaving him to ponder with trepidation what cruel twists of fate awaited them.