Chen Ge's voice seemed to carry a strange kind of magic — words became a weapon sharper than any blade.
In the pitch-black forest, the air had solidified, pressing down until it was suffocating.
Strands of black hair dangled from the treetops. Blood vessels snaked across the ground, pulsing in a strange, rhythmic pattern. The human head inside the hollow of the tree had spotted the shadow, and a flicker of confusion passed through her eyes — eyes that were nothing but white.
"Don't hesitate! Every second you waste is a second we lose trying to escape. Do you want to personally strangle the last hope we have?"
Gripping the iron nail with both hands, Chen Ge stood behind the shadow. "No matter what happens, I'll be right here with you."
The shadow, originally a head shorter than Chen Ge, had now swelled to nearly three meters tall. The resentment and rage that had been festering in its heart had been ignited by Chen Ge. Its hands transformed into razor-sharp claws, and a beast-like roar tore from its throat.
The shadow that had once been nailed to the wall of Room 413 possessed far more potential than Chen Ge had imagined. His curiosity about the shadow's past grew even stronger.
"Everyone has hope. But turning hope into reality doesn't rely on handouts — it requires gambling everything you have. Only by giving it your all is there even the slightest chance."
Chen Ge pointed at the human head inside the tree hollow. "Our hope is right there."
The shadow's body continued to swell. After Chen Ge spoke those words, the features on its face cracked open, and dark lines spread across its pitch-black form like veins. Then it launched itself forward.
A woman's scream rang through the forest once more. Weeds and undergrowth pushed through rotting skin from the ground, carrying an indescribable stench, trying to block the shadow.
At the same time, the black hair hanging from the treetops seemed to come alive, snaking toward Chen Ge.
"Taking us both on at once?" Thanks to his many experiences being chased by ghosts, Chen Ge's body was extraordinarily agile — these were precious skills he had earned between life and death.
"The girl can influence this stretch of land. If we don't take her out, leaving will be nearly impossible." Chen Ge still didn't understand the principle behind the ghost wall illusion. Unable to diagnose the problem and prescribe the right cure, his only option was to strike at the root.
The battle between ghosts was devastating, and once it started, in most cases it would only end when one side's soul had been utterly annihilated.
After swelling in size, the shadow was certainly far more powerful than before, but it lacked combat experience and didn't possess the ruthlessness or ferocity of someone like Xu Yin. It was quickly dragged into a stalemate.
"This guy has real potential, but his strength is way too weak!"
Chen Ge knew that once the shadow was destroyed, he wouldn't survive either. The veins on his arms bulged as he swung his backpack with every ounce of strength, hurling it at the tree hollow.
Before the backpack could get close, it was intercepted by the hair entangling the treetops. But this had bought Chen Ge enough time.
Gripping the nail with both hands, he charged at the tree hollow from a different angle.
"Don't slow down! The soil is soaked with her blood — if you lose speed, you're dead!"
Going all in, ignoring every horror in front of him, Chen Ge's expression was savage — he looked even more deranged than the shadow beside him.
"It'll stop hurting soon. Very soon, you'll never have to suffer or be alone again!"
Chen Ge never once considered retreating. His speed was blistering.
The girl sensed the threat coming from Chen Ge and split off a portion of her power to intercept him.
The weeds withered rapidly, revealing ground that looked like human skin.
"If you won't save me, then you'll be buried here with me."
Cracks split open across the ground like a crisscrossing network of scars. The temperature plummeted as though something was crawling out from the fissures.
Chen Ge felt his calves burning with a numb pain, and his feet were gradually losing sensation. Whatever had crawled out of those cracks just now — it felt like all manner of insects.