Silence.
In the darkness, everything was deathly still.
Only the clatter of porcelain rolling across the floor echoed.
Wang Chen's pupils dilated.
What had he just seen?
Someone had slapped the ghostly fan spirit flat onto the ground, sending it rolling several times.
The hell, ghosts could be handled like that?
Was this guy playing some cracked version of the horror game? Or an unlimited-firepower edition?
In that instant, only two words flashed through Wang Chen's mind:
Expert player!
This was a veteran of the horror game.
That floating "Level 0" above his head was nothing but misdirection.
That slap just now, he had to have used some special item.
The horror game was full of deadly threats, but in return, players could also explore dungeons to find useful items. Some could even be carried back into reality, granting extraordinary powers.
He was convinced. That slap wasn't ordinary, it had hidden power behind it.
He just couldn't see what it was.
"Was it you who tried to sneak attack me just now?"
In the darkness, Shen Jian finally saw what had attacked him.
It was an old-looking piece of blue-and-white porcelain.
From inside the porcelain, a pitch-black shadow seeped out like ink, flowing across the floor.
The room's light flickered with a buzzing sound.
And then…
The shadow stood up.
Wang Chen felt a chill rush down his spine.
A shadow, standing upright like a human.
It defied all logic.
It was designed to assault the very threshold of human fear.
The shadow advanced.
In an instant, it pressed against Shen Jian.
It was trying to seize his body, to merge with him.
This ghost had never suffered such humiliation before, knocked to the floor by a mere human slap.
If it didn't wash away this shame, its existence as a ghost was worthless.
Smack!
Another sharp crack.
Outside the door, Sadako peeked timidly inside. Her dark eyes glistened with grievance. She shrank back, not daring another look.
That palm strike… she would never forget it. It had already left a deep scar in her ghostly existence.
But now, seeing someone else receive the same treatment, she felt a trace of secret joy beneath her gloom.
The Shadow Ghost was stunned.
Half its face caved in, twisted into a grotesque shape.
That one slap nearly dispersed it completely.
It couldn't win.
It admitted it had overreacted. Its voice earlier had been… a little too loud.
The Shadow Ghost quickly backed down.
Without a word, it scurried back into the porcelain.
On this lonely night, only the ceramic vessel offered it warmth.
Shen Jian reached out, grabbing the liquefied shadow with one hand.
"Don't you think you're being a bit disrespectful? I came all this way, and you don't even offer a little hospitality?"
The Shadow Ghost: …
Big brother, I'm just a ghost, okay?
The Shadow Ghost stopped resisting.
It let itself be captured.
[You have obtained: Shadow Ghost!]
[Shadow Ghost (Fragmented): Can merge with shadows, allowing control over shadow powers.]
[Note: The ghost will gradually revive, eventually killing its host.]
Staring at the message, Shen Jian blinked.
Merging with the Shadow Ghost?
What kind of twisted mechanic was this?
He pondered.
Though he was the Tenth King of Hell, master of the underworld, he was still a rookie here. When it came to harnessing the power of ghosts, the horror game had clearly gone further than him.
This shortcut had both advantages and drawbacks.
For players constantly diving into dungeons, being able to wield a ghost's power, it was indeed a fast track to survival.
But if the revival issue wasn't solved, one day the ghost would turn on its master.
Gazing at the pool of black ink, Shen Jian released it.
Following instinct, the Shadow Ghost slipped into his shadow.
[You have merged with the Shadow Ghost.]
[Warning: Each time you use the Shadow Ghost, it consumes part of your shadow. Once fully consumed, the ghost will completely revive.]
[Warning: Use with caution.]
The blood-red text glowed ominously.
Shen Jian's shadow writhed violently.
It looked as if it would rip itself free of his body to stand alone.
"Hah? Revive? Go on then, show me."
Shen Jian smirked.
He thrust his hand into the shadow, yanking the Shadow Ghost out.
"I heard that every time I use you, you'll take a piece of my shadow. That true?"
The Shadow Ghost shook its head frantically.
It let out guttural, broken cries.
Who?! Who's slandering me in front of big brother?
It wanted to duel this slanderer to the death.
"Good lad. Teachable."
Shen Jian nodded with satisfaction.
He released the Shadow Ghost, letting it sink smoothly back into his shadow.
Under the light, his shadow stretched long, deep and black.
Like an entrance to hell itself.
Just like that, he had gained his second ghost.
His Yin energy recovery rate increased.
The thought lifted his mood.
"Your power is useful. I'll be keeping it."
He waved his hand casually.
Then turned and left, without taking even a wisp of cloud.
Only then did Wang Chen dare to exhale.
He looked dazed, like he had just witnessed a god.
That was divine intervention.
"Sadako, let's go. If you lag behind, I'll give you an injection later."
Faintly, he heard Shen Jian's voice drifting away.
Along with it, a resentful ghostly sob faded into the distance.
Wang Chen: "6."
Any other words were unnecessary.
He opened the chat panel.
[Office Slave: The big shot came to my room. Two slaps, and the ghost was instantly tamed.]
[White Dove: 666.]
[Grandpa Proud: Forget 6's. Someone come help me! My ghost has already revived—it's a Dice Ghost, and it's gambling my life away!]
Wang Chen's scalp went numb.
Gambling with a ghost? Who had enough lives for that?
A death match.
If you lose, the ghost survives.
His hunch had been right.
Something was terribly wrong with this Rebirth Manor dungeon.
Not just his ghost, others were reviving too.
He could only smile bitterly.
A veteran crashing into a one-star dungeon, of course the difficulty skyrocketed.
They were just unlucky.
[Office Slave: The big shot already went upstairs. Hold out, and it'll be victory.]
He sent the message.
Then scrolled back through the records.
Still no word from the female player in Room 404.
Had she already perished?
A chill ran down his spine.
If not for being in Room 202, he wouldn't have survived either.
Room 303.
A teenage boy sat drenched in sweat.
He was seconds away from screaming for his mom.
Before him floated a black, spectral die. It rattled against Newton's coffin lid, spinning in midair faster and faster.
It tumbled a few more rounds before landing, rolling across the floor.
The die's upper face showed a crimson pip.
Two.
Wang Xuan let out a long breath.
He had rolled a five earlier.
He won.
That was his fourth victory in a row.
But he felt no joy.
This was no fair game.
When the ghost lost, it merely paused for less than five minutes before demanding another round.
But when he lost, there was no escape from the Dice Ghost's attack.
Worse, he noticed that with each round, a blurry figure slowly emerged on the opposite side of the die.
The ghost was reviving.
If the game continued, who knew what would happen?
"I just wanted to figure out the meaning of life… not lose mine!"
Wang Xuan nearly cried.
He cursed his own stupidity. Why had he clicked that cursed virus text on his computer?
Winning gave him five minutes to rest.
But once the next round started, he was dragged back to the table.
Until he lost.
This was a game no human could ever truly win.
Just like gamblers could never beat the house.
If even a one-star dungeon was this cruel, what kind of monsters were those players who had cleared multiple dungeons?
Time was up.
The black die spun again.
The ghost rolled first.
Four.
Wang Xuan's face turned pale.
That was already high.
Unless he rolled a five or six, he would lose.
This was pure luck.
He gripped the die, teeth clenched, too afraid to throw it.
What if his luck ran dry this time?
"Want me to try?"
A calm voice spoke behind him.
Wang Xuan spun around in shock.
Relief washed over him when he saw another player.
[ID: Tenth King of Hell]
[Level: 0]
This was a big shot.
A pro.
Even if his displayed level was trash.
Subconsciously, Wang Xuan blurted: "If you lose, it's dangerous. This game's all about luck."
Shen Jian casually picked up the die.
It was indeed a ghost, shaped into a die.
A brand-new method of play, unseen in the underworld.
He tossed it with ease.
"That's perfect for me. I'm blessed by luck."
The black die spun rapidly.
Wang Xuan prayed nervously.
Shen Jian just watched lazily.
The result came quickly.
One.
(End of Chapter 4)
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