"Rumble!"
Another thunderclap split the sky, tearing apart heavy rain clouds and sending the long-quiet storm back into the world.
On the top floor of the eighteenth level, the only living person strode determinedly toward the final site.
Ji Li's expression, initially grim, hardened into resolute determination. At this stage, he had no choice.
The ghost, having shown signs of possession, meant that anyone could die at any moment.
Time was running out.
By the time Ji Li reached the far end of the eighteenth floor's storage room, it was 3:55 a.m.—even the deadline of the fake mission had only five minutes remaining.
A thin line, a single door, separated him from the truth.
A voice, carried by the sudden downpour outside, blared recklessly into his ears:
*Push it! Push it! Push it!*
*Boom!*
Ji Li's gray eyes flashed coldly as he kicked open the old wooden door.
Inside, darkness swallowed everything, but the cold light behind him pierced through, reaching the shadowed corners.
His brow furrowed as his eyes swept the space. Three corpses stood before him.
All faced away from Ji Li, but their heads were twisted a full 180 degrees, as if locking eyes with the only living man in the room.
The creeping dread inside him intensified, something catalyzing his fear.
Urging him forward—to enter and uncover the truth.
"Since the decision is made, there's no time for hesitation!"
Ji Li charged into the cramped storage room without pause.
From left to right lay three corpses: Old Xue, Xiao Li, and an unfamiliar middle-aged man—likely Elder Xu.
His first instinct was to drag the central corpse, Xiao Li, out of the room.
Though his movements were decisive, he knew very well that everything before him could be a trap.
He didn't know the source of the danger, but if possible, he would avoid entering the room.
The bodies were stiff like eerie statues. Forcing Xiao Li's corpse into the corridor, Ji Li ignored the face and reached into his pocket.
"The photo on the phone!"
He never forgot what was truly important.
The corpses were irrelevant; whatever had hidden these three here didn't matter. What mattered was the photo on Xiao Li's phone.
When his palm touched a smooth, hard surface, Ji Li's heart skipped a beat—things were going smoother than expected.
He pulled out a standard Android phone. Seeing the fingerprint unlock button, he swiftly freed Xiao Li's hand from behind.
He had thought this through before reaching the eighteenth floor.
Fingerprint unlock: having Xiao Li's phone and corpse was sufficient.
Xiao Li had mentioned in the chat that the original image of the photo was still in his gallery.
Sweat formed on Ji Li's forehead as he struggled with the corpse's rigid fingers.
Each attempt required maximum force; the fingers were bent unnaturally over the head, and the blood had fully solidified after death.
Time ticked by. Ji Li's hairs stood on end.
His anxiety wasn't from the tense situation or inactivity, but from the unsettling sense that something around him was quietly changing.
This feeling affected not only Ji Li but also his third persona.
*Ji Li, I feel… we are no longer the same.*
*Yes. I sense an unknown presence observing my every move…*
*No! I'm not like you. I can feel a soul in our body slowly awakening. Every action you take accelerates its revival!*
Ji Li froze and sharply turned toward the open storage room.
The remaining two corpses were motionless. He glanced at Xiao Li's body beneath him—nothing unusual.
Yet the third persona's words pressed urgency into him. He wasn't worried about the ghost—he feared the gray soul within.
"Why… why does the presence inside me stir with my every action…"
*Ding dong…*
A sound snapped Ji Li from his thoughts, forcing him to shake off the anxiety.
The phone—unlocked!
*Move! Get out of here! I feel an icy chill piercing through!*
*The ghost has to be here!*
The third persona's frenzied scream forced Ji Li to flee immediately.
Without hesitation, the moment the phone unlocked, Ji Li vaulted from his spot, aiming straight for the stairwell.
He clutched the phone tightly in his palm, running while swiping the screen to locate the photo.
*Up ahead is the elevator shaft—no door! Be careful, turn left!*
Ji Li's focus was entirely on the phone. The third persona acted as a guide, directing his escape path in his mind.
*The six-hour limit is almost up… I can still sense the ghost near us. It hasn't left, so why hasn't it acted yet?*
All of this came from the third persona; Ji Li had no mental space for anything else.
Photo after photo scrolled under his fingertips, the urgency threatening to overwhelm him.
Sweat drenched his clothes; his hair whipped wildly in the windless hallway.
"Where… where is it…"
Suddenly, his finger paused over a heavily pixelated photo. His body hovered at the edge of the elevator shaft, a single step from the void.
The image was still loading from his rapid swipes, but Ji Li discerned the outline: a red handprint amid the chaos.
*Faster! Hurry!*
When fully loaded, the photo appeared clearly before him. Ji Li's scalp tingled as the truth revealed itself through the image.
"So… so it's like this!"
He pocketed Xiao Li's phone and drew out his own hotel phone.
"The real mission… it's here, in the hotel phone!"
He quickly opened the email sent to his hotel account. The true mission, long dormant and torturous, finally appeared in his sight.
Previously, he had only seen the fake mission. After viewing Xiao Li's secretly taken photo… the opportunity came: the real mission replaced the false one.
Recipient: **Acting Manager Ji Li, Tianhai Hotel Branch Seven**
*Starting October 26, 2015, at exactly 10:00 p.m., duration 12 hours.*
*Upon discovering this real mission, any method may be used to identify the ghost's location; success is counted upon correct identification.*
*Note 1: During the first six hours, the ghost cannot inflict real harm on the staffs;*
*Note 2: The method requires specifying the ghost's exact location, otherwise it will not count;*
*Note 3: Special conditions—this ghost does not exist in normal form, but all six staff members must independently identify it to return safely.*
Sender: **Tianhai**
"The ghost… it's been…"
At the moment he saw the real mission, all prior doubts fell into place.
"The ghost has always been with us…"
But he never finished the thought. Suddenly, Ji Li felt his mind and thoughts freeze completely. Even thinking itself stalled.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Li's phone emitted a blinding red glow, which rapidly spread to Ji Li.
His hands uncontrollably reached for his head, and he could not resist.
Once possessed, death was inevitable.
In an instant, Ji Li's head snapped backward. He had discovered the real mission, knew the way to survive, and understood the ghost's location.
But it was far too late. The calamity had already begun on the fifth floor, and the ghost had been brewing within him for too long.
Ji Li had no chance to fight back.
His body fell into the empty elevator shaft, while the hotel phone was left behind on the eighteenth floor, shattered to pieces.
*Ji Li!!!!*
In his final moment, only the third persona roared silently in his mind—but no one could hear.
You can read Eerie Overseer ahead by 60+ chapters ad-free and for free at htt ps://ravenarchives. com/book/eerie-overseer]. Bulk uploads are a bit tricky, so updates here might be irregular, but they'll keep coming.