Ren hit the bed and didn't remember falling asleep.
One moment he was staring at the ceiling, replaying everything that had happened, and the next, the green prompt appeared in front of him.
[Buzz! Prepare for your interview in the next five seconds.]
He barely had time to react.
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
Then everything went dark.
He didn't fall. It was more like the ground gave up existing.
When light returned, Ren was standing in what looked like a huge black room. No walls, no doors, just floating panels of green light and a chair in the middle. The floor had a faint glow of a circle underneath him, like the system had drawn a loading screen in real life.
Ren blinked.
"Okay… this isn't my room."
A female voice came from nowhere. Calm, clear, and a little too confident.
[Welcome, Ren Li. The interview will begin shortly.]
Ren spun around. "Who said that?"
[Initializing… entity: Ghost Queen Ling Feng.]
A bright shape formed in front of him. It started as a blur of light and slowly took form. A human form. When the glow faded, Ren found himself staring at a woman standing a few feet away.
She looked human enough, at least in this era, but there was something off about her eyes. They were a bit too bright, and the way she stood was too precise, like she was used to being in control of everything around her.
Her hair was raven and long... absurdly long. It was flowing down her back, dragging on the glowing floor. She wore a red dress that fitted her body too well; it brought out the beautiful, seductive shape of a ghost.
"Ghost Queen Ling Feng," she said. "Your assistant. I'll be helping you manage your Career."
Ren blinked twice. "Assistant? For what? For… that thing the government called a 'Supernatural Lust System'?"
"Yes," she said simply, like it was the most normal job title in the world.
He rubbed his forehead. "Okay, I just want to make sure I'm hearing this right. You're my… assistant. For a job that's part ghost business, part dungeon murder and part porn."
"That is accurate."
Ren sighed. "Great. I always dreamed of becoming a supernatural porn-star hitman. My parents would be so proud. They'll watch their son doing the unthinkable with game characters."
She didn't react. Her expression didn't change at all. "You will adapt quickly. I can sense high mental resilience and greed."
"Yeah, thanks; that's totally comforting."
He looked around again. The black space stretched endlessly. The glowing panels changed shape every few seconds, showing things like symbols, charts, and random words he didn't understand.
"So," Ren said, crossing his arms, "what's this interview about? You're not gonna ask about my childhood trauma, right?"
"No," Ling Feng said. "This is a performance orientation. The system needs to confirm your awareness of your assigned goals."
"Right. The Smut and Kill thing."
"Correct. Please confirm your understanding of both."
Ren hesitated. "Understanding? Lady, I barely understand how I'm standing in a digital void right now."
And he wasn't lying; he might have schooled at an academy that teaches them all about the Game before Awakening, but Ren Li is just one of the... uh.. special lots.
Ling Feng tilted her head slightly. "Then I will explain."
One of the green panels floated closer. Text appeared on it, written in simple letters.
Goal One: Smut.
[Create, manage, or take part in supernatural adult content for profit and influence.]
Goal Two: Kill.
[Eliminate hostile entities, monsters, or human targets listed under dungeon anomalies.]
Ren stared at it for a long time. Then he muttered, "So I'm basically an entrepreneur and a murderer. Cool."
"That is a functional description," Ling Feng said.
He turned to her. "Does the system seriously expect me to, what, make ghost porn and then go stab a demon afterward?"
"Tasks are often interconnected," she replied calmly. "Many supernatural entities are bound by emotion, lust, or corruption. Your dual goals give you leverage where others would fail."
Ren squinted at her. "You're saying the porn helps me kill monsters?"
"In essence."
True, the Career System doesn't have a specific way of doing things rather, it was just too complicated or maybe too rough that humans enlisted it as "a ridiculous system that controls us."
The Career System does whatever it wants. Things like mysteries will stay mysteries because, apparently, only a crazed human can solve the mysteries of the Career System. Not like anyone will do that. The Career System is just too good to be messed with.
Why end something that improves your life? Except the person is a troublesome girlfriend...
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Of course it does. Of course. Why wouldn't it?"
Ling Feng stepped closer, her voice even lower now. "Ren Li, your Career is not a joke. Hidden Careers are anomalies born from chaos. They can break the balance of the world or restore it. What you do next will decide which one you become."
That made him pause. The way she said it wasn't dramatic... it was just direct. Honest.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I didn't ask for any of this. I just wanted something that paid well."
"And now you have it," she said. "Your income potential exceeds most government Hunters. You will be rich if you survive."
Ren gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, that's the catch, huh? Always the survival part."
"Indeed." She turned slightly, glancing at the glowing panels. "Now, for your first mission."
A new window appeared in front of him.
[First Mission: Investigate 'The Haunt.']
[Description: Your business headquarters has appeared in District 9 of The Game Arena. Unknown entities occupy the building.]
[Aim: Secure ownership and clear the area.]
[Reward: 5,000,000L and Business Control Access.]
Ren's jaw dropped. "Wait... so I already own a building?"
"Yes. The Haunt was generated the moment your Career was registered. It is both your base and your source of income."
"Great," he muttered. "I've been employed for five hours and I already have a haunted office."
Ling Feng looked at him. "You start tomorrow. Do not be late."
"Late? It's my own business!"
"Even CEOs report to the System," she said flatly.
Before he could argue, the green light around him flickered. His vision blurred again. The black void dissolved, and the next thing he knew, he was back in his bed.
The ceiling was the same. The lights were off. The prompt was gone.
Ren exhaled slowly and covered his face with both hands.
"Okay, Ren," he said to himself. "You're officially insane. Or rich. Maybe both. And also a definitely ruined reputation."
A faint chime echoed in the room.
[New Message: Welcome to The Haunt.]
[Coordinates attached.]
... Things were happening too fast.
Ren dropped his hands and stared at the prompt for a long time before whispering, "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."