When Grace and the other two returned to the main house, they were met with a noisy quarrel. She raised a hand to rub her temple, suppressing a wave of unpleasant emotions before stepping inside.
"You still have the nerve to come back!" The nouveau riche exclaimed, his face cold with accusation.
"How many people died? Who died?" Grace countered, wasting no time on pleasantries. She scanned the people gathered in the hall, a quick assessment forming in her mind.
"Elizabeth is dead," Noah said in a low, heavy voice, "And Kenzo from your team."
"Oh."
"Oh? Is that your only reaction? People are dead! It's one thing if you didn't know them, but do you dare to say that neither of these two had anything to do with you?" One of the band members, his temper clearly frayed, slammed his hand on a nearby table and stood up. "Brother Beom! I'm just angry—she was always there directing the autopsy but was nowhere to be found when the accident happened. Why do you listen to her so much?"
Beom Seok interjected sharply, "What's it got to do with you? Sit down!"
"Elizabeth, Kenzo, right." Grace fixed the irritable man with a cold stare. "Has the third ghost claimed anyone yet?"
"Is that all you're concerned about?" This time, the hot-tempered man couldn't contain himself.
"How cruel and heartless are you? What were you even doing while everyone else was working together?"
"Looking for life-saving things," Ling Yan interjected smoothly. "We searched the outside carefully again and found three collectibles and weapons. Isn't that enough?"
"Weapons?" The nouveau riche sneered. "What are weapons for? To deal with ghosts?"
Click.
As a nervous pallor spread across the upstart's face, Uncle Wyatt raised a shotgun, the barrel pointed directly at him.
"I can't deal with people like you." Grace crossed her arms and settled into an empty chair. "Rami, you just said that everyone should work together. Why don't you tell me what happened? That would be far more useful than these meaningless accusations."
Rami, the grumpy man, was taken aback by the use of his name. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Let me tell you," Beom Seok sighed, proceeding to give a concise account of the events downstairs.
"When Anna and Kenzo went to retrieve the dictionary, Elizabeth mentioned wanting to do a final check and asked Lily to fetch some coffee—she had been up all night translating and wasn't in a good state. We didn't want to disturb her, so we all waited outside the door. After Lily took the coffee in, she suddenly screamed. At that moment, we also noticed the candle flame turn blue. Lily fled the house, saying she saw Elizabeth give her a terrible smile before her head lolled to the side, lifeless. Everyone was thrown into chaos; some rushed inside, and others ran outside. I did hear a cry for help, but it was lost in the general commotion, and I couldn't distinguish it clearly. Later, we learned that Anna and Kenzo had also encountered trouble upstairs."
Beom Seok's account was largely truthful, leaving little room for dispute. After listening, Grace rested her chin on her interlaced fingers and tilted her head slightly. "So... why are you panicking?"
"The ghosts are out! What else is there to panic about?!"
"Oh, the ghost in the house has killed Elizabeth, and Kenzo upstairs is also dead. The ghost kills one person every twenty-four hours. Since it has already claimed lives, why are you making such a fuss?"
"Who the hell wouldn't be frantic in a crisis? You're good with words, but if you actually faced a ghost, you'd be scared witless!" Rami, a man of Arabic origin with a long beard, shouted irritably.
"Sorry, I wouldn't. In my opinion, you've already surrendered. The ghost simply picked someone to kill so it could live another day. Forget it; it is what it is. Elizabeth is dead. How is the translation work progressing?"
"We used the dictionary to piece it together, and we can understand it. Everything else is straightforward, but we need to prepare materials for thirty blood sacrifices, and we're not entirely sure what that entails," Beom Seok explained, the atmosphere in the room growing heavier. Blood sacrifice—it didn't sound promising, and the mention of thirty people was particularly unsettling. Could it mean sacrificing all the living? That wouldn't even be enough.
"You're worrying unnecessarily. This is just the term they use internally. Victor Ravencourt mentioned it in his diary. Literally, 'blood sacrifice' means a sacrifice of blood, specifically human blood. The standard amount per person is 1,500 milliliters," Grace provided immediately.
Unconsciously, the control of the situation had shifted back into her hands.
"1,500 milliliters! I only donate 400 milliliters of blood each time! Thirty people? That's absurd!" Rami's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I'm a doctor, Miss Grace. Are you aware that the total blood volume in a human body is only about 4,000 to 5,000 milliliters? Of course, this varies with body size, but an average 60-kilogram person only has around 5,000 milliliters. The amount you mentioned is enough to kill someone," A man with a quiet presence from Elizabeth's group said, his voice trembling slightly.
Grace nodded. "Of course, I'm aware, but I never suggested using that method. You've all been clinging to this as a possible escape route."
"Then... what should we do?"
Hope dashed, the survivors exchanged bewildered glances, a heavy silence descending upon the hall.
"Anna, how are you?"
Ignoring the others' confusion, Grace stood up, drew Anna aside, and asked about her well-being in a low voice.
"I... I'm sorry. I think..."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. Kenzo may have died because of you, but it wasn't entirely your fault. Self-blame won't solve anything now; it will only cloud your judgment. When we get out of here, you can mourn him in whatever way you see fit," Grace interrupted Anna gently but firmly.
After a brief silence, Anna nodded.
"Sister Grace, you didn't finish what you were saying earlier."
"Haha, it's pointless. The number of death points has become irrelevant now that the ghost has killed four people. The repatriation ceremony described in this manuscript is just a false hope for those with no other means of survival."
Anna nodded emphatically.
"Don't worry. Take this." Grace pressed something into Anna's hand.
It was a paper mask, intricately folded with strange patterns and simple strings on either side—another one of the collectibles.
"This is the 'Mask of Nothingness.' If you wear it when the ghost is far away, it will mistake you for a companion. However, if you are too close, you will still be discovered. Use it with caution."
"Sister Grace... no, I can't take this from you..."
"I won't hide. Do you think I've just been standing here talking without any pain in my waist? Hiding constantly won't solve anything. I already know the purpose of this dagger—there are still many useful things in my diary."
Grace smiled reassuringly at Anna, and a faint warmth finally returned to Anna's still-chilled limbs.
"You want to kill ghosts."
"I want to kill ghosts, that's right."
The afternoon wore on slowly, filled with a palpable unease. Although only one ghost had yet to act, no one harbored any illusions of safety. Even the three nouveau riche remained in the downstairs hall, abandoning their rooms entirely.
If the ghosts' initial strategy of targeting lone individuals was meant to foster a false sense of security in numbers, the two deaths that day had starkly demonstrated that the number of people offered no protection against them.
Anna didn't even bother to change her bloodstained clothes after washing her face. The discomfort was still bearable, but things were about to take a turn. Following the initial shock, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Recognizing the warning signs, she pressed the back of her hand to her forehead.
Her hand felt cold, but her forehead was distinctly warm.
"Sister Grace, I... I think I have a fever," Anna whispered, turning to Grace beside her.
"There should be medicine in the warehouse. Let's go get some."
"Ah? Now?"
"What are you afraid of?" Grace pulled Anna to her feet, their movements drawing the attention of the others. Beom Seok immediately inquired, "Where are you two going?"
"Anna is sick; we're going to get medicine."
"Are you stupid? Do you dare to leave now? You'll probably end up dead in the warehouse!" The nouveau riche snapped, his face dark with disapproval.
"Don't worry; just protect yourselves." Grace disregarded his temper and was about to leave with Anna when Ling Yan and Beom Seok also stood up. "We'll go with you."
"It's useless to have more people," Grace said, turning back.
"No! Ling Yan stays here," Noah declared suddenly.
The statement was unexpected, even startling Ling Yan.
"Your wooden sword is clearly something that can protect us. Power is useless against ghosts, so... please stay!" Noah pleaded, his lowered posture and tone filled with entreaty, making Ling Yan visibly uncomfortable.
"Stay; we'll be fine," Grace patted Ling Yan's arm and led Anna toward the warehouse. Beom Seok seemed to hesitate, wanting to follow but ultimately remained rooted to the spot.
He lacked Grace's courage.
Inside the warehouse, a diverse array of items was neatly organized on numerous shelves, categorized like a supermarket. The innermost row housed a refrigerator containing not only meat and drinks but also various medical supplies. Grace easily located an area filled with blood donation bags and a complete set of blood-drawing equipment. She picked one up, examining it closely. It had a standard capacity of 400 milliliters—clearly intended for the ceremony, but now rendered obsolete.
On the other side, Anna found antipyretic medicine in the daily medication section. Notably, the medicines in this area were not differentiated by prescription or over-the-counter status. There were even several poisons, almost all in the same tablet form, distinguishable only by their color.
Realizing the potential danger, Anna immediately called Grace over and showed her the discovery.
"It's a malicious setup," Grace murmured thoughtfully, turning a medicine bottle in her hand. "They want us to turn on each other. This medicine is designed to deliberately mislead us. Why? Just in case, Anna, you should show the medicine to the doctor. We need to be careful now."
"Got it."
"Are you still scared?"
"It's fading, that feeling," Anna replied, taking a bottle of medicine. Then, glancing around, she added, "Let's... get some food. I think this place is actually a dangerous area."
"Good idea. Chocolate, candy, compressed food, energy drinks, canned goods—mainly high-energy and small-sized items. There's a shopping cart over there."
Despite a lingering unease, Anna quickly helped Grace gather supplies before they headed back upstairs.