Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 1752: Chapter 1006: Missing (Part 2)

"Could it be that they were attacked by a ghost?" Heize Lin’s face was grim. "After all, they were with Sakurai Miyuki."

Upon hearing this name, Yang Xiao’s unease grew stronger. Sakurai Miyuki was the only one who had escaped a ghost attack. No one knew what that meant. Could it be that the ghost failed to kill her at night and returned during the day?

It’s not impossible, but given the current situation, the likelihood seemed low. After all, the news brought back by Beiyu Ye’s team indicated that the three construction workers also died at night.

In the anxious wait of everyone, finally, figures appeared on the road ahead.

"Look!" Sato Shouta was the first to spot the situation.

"Hmm? There are only four people, weren’t they supposed to be five?" Sato Shouta counted again, confirming only four, with no one else on the road.

"It’s Sakurai Miyuki, she disappeared!" exclaimed Takagi Sayo.

This second team’s condition wasn’t looking good; Shibuki Naoko, Tong Han, Nishimura Yuna, and Yamada Kengohei all looked exhausted, their clothes were dirty, stained with water and mud, and their shoes were covered in dark mud, as if they had returned from a trek.

"What’s going on?" Yang Xiao and the others rushed up to ask, "Where’s Sakurai Miyuki?"

"She’s gone missing, we’ve been looking for her for a long time but couldn’t find her." Shibuki Naoko, as the team leader, was responsible for the entire squad.

"It’s not Miss Yabuki’s fault, the situation is strange. First, it’s Sakurai Miyuki’s behavior. She asked us if we heard any sounds, like scraping walls or the sound of nails being hammered." Tong Han recalled.

"But we didn’t hear anything. I felt that Sakurai Miyuki’s mental state seemed to have issues, worried something might happen to her, we specifically arranged for someone to watch her." Tong Han added.

"I... I stayed by Sakurai Miyuki’s side and never left, but later she said she needed to go to the bathroom. I... it was inconvenient for me, so I waited not far behind the wall, and then she... she just disappeared!" Yamada Kengohei nervously explained, defending himself. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Damn it! Can’t even keep an eye on one person, what’s the use of you!" Heize Lin shouted angrily, his already dark face turning darker.

"Mr. Heize, I... I’m terribly sorry, but... it’s truly..." Fear distorted Yamada Kengohei’s face.

"Enough, stop the blame, tell us what really happened." Qingshui Cangjie stared at Yamada Kengohei. "Remember, be detailed!"

The course of events was rather simple. The five of them found their way to Yasaka Swamp, a small village in a mountain hollow. Though there were quite a few houses, permanent residents were rare. Many rooms were dilapidated due to age, housing almost exclusively elderly people.

Sakurai Miyuki’s behavior was odd throughout, frequently looking back and asking peculiar questions, appearing terrified.

To avoid her causing trouble, they unanimously decided to leave Yamada Kengohei to watch over her while the others searched for clues.

Everything was normal at first until later, when Sakurai Miyuki went to use the bathroom, and then vanished. Later, they found traces of urination on the ground, presumably left by her.

"Look at this." Shibuki Naoko pulled out a broken plank from the cloth bag she carried.

As she flipped the board over to show everyone, they collectively gasped. It was covered in chaotic scratches.

"Where was this found?" Heize Lin questioned further.

"Right at the scene where Sakurai Miyuki disappeared, very close to the spot of the urination, within a meter." Shibuki Naoko answered sternly.

"Oh my god..." Sato Shouta’s face turned pale from fear. Now it was clear; the ghost didn’t spare Sakurai Miyuki.

With this, her unusual behavior on the road was fully comprehensible. The poor girl was constantly stalked by the ghost, always by her side!

Recalling that during the day, he had even stood beside Sakurai Miyuki, talking and comforting her, Sato Shouta’s back suddenly chilled, and goosebumps appeared on his arms. Who could have imagined that somewhere nearby, just out of sight, there lurked a ghost!

"Something seems off, this plank doesn’t have those puncture marks." Yang Xiao moved closer to examine the board carefully, raising his doubts. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"Indeed, there are no marks from a puncturing tool, and these scratches ... don’t match the previous ones, they’re too crude." Police Chief Takeda Yuji ran his calloused palm over them, his brows furrowing.

"Let’s go back and find the previous board, compare the scratches!" Jiu Shan Sha Yue suggested.

The group hurried to the room where Kato Atsushi died last night and found the cabinet door discarded on the ground. After close comparison, the scratches showed significant differences, lacking the crucial puncture marks.

"How could this be?" Yamada Kengohei was baffled by the scene.

"Heh, seems we’ve underestimated this girl. She dared to deceive us." Qingshui Cangjie scoffed coldly, an ominous look exuding from his face.

Nishimura Yuna widened her eyes, "Are you saying all this is fake, it’s something Sakurai Miyuki staged — a play she put on?"

"Most likely, I suspect even the so-called strange noises she heard were pretended. She ran away; she wanted to flee all along, didn’t she?" Hasegawa Hideji crossed his arms, instinctively glancing at Sato Shouta, as a silent warning, for he had once thought of running too.

"I’m not going anywhere; I want to fight alongside everyone!" With Yang Xiao supporting him, Sato Shouta’s confidence surged.

"Stop the nonsense, this person has run, she’s going to cause huge trouble!"

Shibuki Naoko is an experienced player. She’s fully aware of the impact this incident can have. Sakurai Miyuki’s loss of control could trigger a chain reaction.

She had experienced a mission where due to a rookie causing trouble, two veteran players were arrested by the police, missing the final chance for escape, remaining forever in that world.

"Mr. Yamada, this is your responsibility. If it leads to trouble, you must commit seppuku." Hasegawa Hideji turned his head towards Yamada Kengohei, not missing the chance to pressure his teammate.

"After discovering Sakurai Miyuki went missing, we searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. The village was too spacious, with many abandoned old houses. If she’d hidden somewhere on purpose, we basically couldn’t locate her." Tong Han explained, "We couldn’t conduct a large-scale search as it would attract local suspicion."

Sakurai Miyuki’s defection was undoubtedly a harsh blow, but Yang Xiao knew in his heart that it all stemmed from the group’s rejection and apathy towards her. If they had approached her with a cooperative and comforting attitude from the start, it wouldn’t have led to this.

"Everyone, let me reiterate: since we’ve come here, we’re one family. In the future, there mustn’t be any disharmony within us. Only by uniting can we return home." Qingshui Cangjie glanced between Heize Lin and Hasegawa Hideji, "Heize-san, Hasegawa-san, did you hear me?"

"Understood, Mr. Qingshui!" Heize Lin was always respectful towards Qingshui Cangjie.

"I have no problem with newcomers, but don’t do anything stupid. If dying, don’t drag others down." Hasegawa Hideji stated bluntly.

Despite Hasegawa Hideji’s harsh words, there was at least some acknowledgment. When everyone returned to the hotel’s first-floor lobby, they found the glass doors locked, and outside was pitch-black, without a single person in sight.

"What a pity. Had we encountered them, we might have asked for their help in finding her." Hasegawa Hideji shook his head.

"Ignore them; let’s focus on our tasks ahead. Tonight... is very crucial!" Qingshui Cangjie stated solemnly.