This bill? One look and you just know it's some underworld currency. Honestly, fits the current vibe perfectly.
Duan Lang tossed the bill into the system's inventory.
The best part of the Horror System? You could store items—basically like carrying a pocket-sized storage space.
Of course, only system-issued items could go in there. Random junk from the real world? Nope.
The phone rang again.
"Lin Zhi?" The voice on the other end sounded deep, grave. "Where are you?"
"At home."
"Where's your home again? My memory sucks. Send me your address."
As if Lin Zhi didn't already know where I lived?
Yeah, nine outta ten, this bastard's a ghost.
Duan Lang gave it a moment's thought before casually dropping an address.
"Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region."
"…Come again? I didn't catch that."
"Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang."
Trickster Skill Activated: [You maliciously trolled your target: +1 Charisma]
"Are you screwing with me?" Ghost-Zhi snarled.
"Bro, absolutely not."
"F**k your #%@!!"
Beautiful profanity.
Duan Lang hung up, barely holding back his laughter. This idiot actually wanted to come after me?
If you could find me, you wouldn't be asking for my damn address.
Then a more chilling thought crept in—what if this ghost threatens the real Lin Zhi and tracks me down through him?
Now that would be seriously fucked.
Panicking a bit, Duan Lang called him back.
"Hmm? Finally remembered your address?" the ghost said.
"Ya-xi-ya-lei."
"…What the actual fuck?!"
Trickster Skill Activated: [Leave some room to breathe today, so we can be pals tomorrow: You obtained a Colt M1911A1.]
A gun?
That's... a high-tier reward.
Item: Colt M1911A1
Description: Fires .45 caliber rounds, 7-round mag, effective range: 50m. Each bullet carries a trace of curse energy.
Friendly Reminder: Wanna go jerk—uh, shoot something together?
Cursed bullets!
For the first time since this hellish mess started, Duan Lang felt a little bit safe.
It was time to head out. Staying at home was a dead-end. He had to find his family.
He'd already planned his escape route: if the gun didn't work on that psycho neighbor, he had two options—either return to the rental room or hide in the stairwell on the sixth floor.
Duan Lang preferred the stairwell. Way safer.
As he passed Room 606, he glanced through the window.
Nobody inside. But the walls were still going thump-thump-thump.
Creepy as hell.
He tiptoed toward the opposite rental room. The corridor was a mess—flowerpots strewn around, and bloodied footprints trailing across the floor.
"Thump. Thump. THUMP!"
The unmistakable sound of meat being chopped echoed from inside the apartment.
Duan Lang took a deep breath, steeling himself, and stepped to the door.
A man stood inside, covered in blood. The room? Painted in it.
A human leg—barely recognizable—lay hacked to pieces. You could still tell it was human though, 'cause a big toe had rolled up to the door.
The man worked methodically, his movements mechanical. Over and over again, he kept chopping.
"Hello, neighbor," Duan Lang said casually.
The man snapped his head up. His face was drenched in blood, pupils black as pits—like staring into an abyss.
Duan Lang felt a jolt of heat flash across his earlobes. Malice. This guy meant business.
He tightened his grip on the handgun behind his back, safety already off. If this freak lunged, he'd shoot. His only worry was whether he could aim worth a damn.
The man stared at him, voice raspy. "My daughter jumped."
Not even a hint of grief. His calm was downright terrifying.
Duan Lang gave a slow nod.
"My condolences."
The man went on, tone as steady as if he were narrating someone else's life:
"My daughter was a good kid. Smart. Always helped with chores. Every time she came home, the place was spotless. Then one day, she came back and saw her mom doing meth. I beat that whore's ass when I found out."
"She begged our daughter for forgiveness. Kid had a soft heart, forgave her. But I didn't. I wanted a divorce."
"She didn't want one. Said she'd quit. I didn't believe her. Said I used to do it too. Said she'd agree to the divorce, but she wanted the kid."
"I said hell no."
"Then she started using again, right in the apartment. My daughter begged her to stop. Tried to pull her away. That bitch hit our daughter. Locked her in the room."
"And then I killed her."
He said it like he was recounting what he ate for lunch.
"She's dead. Whatever. But why did my daughter have to suffer?"
His eyes lit up with crazed fury as he went back to chopping up his wife. Every blow echoed with a sickening thud.
Was this guy even still human?
Duan Lang asked cautiously, "So… what do you plan to do next?"
The man paused.
"She's on the first floor. I want to bring her home."
Horror Prompt: [You've triggered a hidden mission during your daily task. Mission upgraded! Liu Jian wants to retrieve his daughter's corpse. Assist him to earn rewards and increase Affection Level.]
Difficulty: [F]
Horror Prompt: [Refuse Liu Jian and this mission will be removed from your daily task list.]
God knows what kind of hellspawn's roaming downstairs. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Why don't you go yourself?"
Liu Jian replied, "I need to fight them. I can't carry my daughter while doing that. I need help."
Duan Lang didn't want to abandon the mission. Besides, he couldn't stay trapped here forever—he had to move, had to find his family.
"I'll help you."
Horror Prompt: [Liu Jian's Affection toward you has increased.]
Affection Levels: Disgust > Dislike > Neutral > Friendly > Bestie
Character: Liu Jian
Affection: Neutral
Even with the boost, Duan Lang didn't let his guard down. What if Liu Jian stabbed him in the back?
"You go first. I'll follow."
Liu Jian didn't argue. Just picked up his cleaver and started heading downstairs.
They passed through the sixth-floor stairwell. Nothing had changed—Duan Lang's graffiti was still there, loud and proud.
Trickster Skill Activated: [The stairwell entity doesn't wanna see your face: +1 Stamina]
Duan Lang stifled a laugh.
Liu Jian glanced back. "It's afraid of you."
"Brother Liu, you can see it?"
"No. But I can feel it."
Duan Lang couldn't help but ask, "Why'd you chase me earlier?"
Liu Jian stopped. Back to Duan Lang.
Duan Lang tensed. His palm slick with sweat, finger hovering over the trigger.
"I wanted to explain. You just ran too fast."
Yeah, no shit.
Could I not run?
Duan Lang looked down the hallway. "Yo, you there?"
Silence.
"Buddy, if anything creepy comes up the stairs, you hold the line, yeah? Sixth floor's counting on you. Let one in and I'm pissing in a bottle and dumping it on you."
Trickster Skill Activated: [You intimidated the stairwell entity: +1 Charisma]
A question mark materialized in the dust near the corner.
"?"
Duan Lang grinned. "Relax, I'd love to be friends. Let bygones be bygones, huh? We got a long road ahead—might as well help each other out."
"???"
"Great! Glad we're on the same page."
When the hell did I agree to that?