Chapter 76: Skynet World (Part 7)

The female ghost seemed to realize Xiao Muyu had woken up. She stopped what she was doing and leaned close to stare at her. She then grinned, revealing rows of sharp, needle-like teeth.

Xiao Muyu was about to move her arm to reach for her item card. An icy, rigid hand suddenly grabbed hers. This ghost knew what she was trying to do!

Suddenly, she had an idea. Xiao Muyu abandoned summoning the card.

Sure enough, the water ghost in red became enraged. She opened her mouth wide in a silent roar to intimidate Xiao Muyu.

There was a loud bang. The bedroom door flew off its hinges. It crashed onto the floor with a resounding thud. The ghost flinched.

Before the ghost could turn her head, a tall, slender figure with long legs leaped onto the bed. The figure grabbed the ghost, locked an arm around her neck, and threw her off the bed.

The female ghost hit the floor without a sound. Her body twitched slightly. Before she could disperse, Shen Qingqiu stomped on her again. Swiftly, she plunged her dagger, pinning the ghost to the wooden flooring.

“Muyu, are you okay? Say something.” Shen Qingqiu sounded frantic and hurried.

“Still alive,” Xiao Muyu replied, forcing herself to sit up. She pulled out a talisman, sticking it to the ghost’s forehead. The ghost shrieked. She extended one hand with blade-like fingers. Shen Qingqiu grabbed it and snapped the fingers.

“Ah!” The ghost screamed in agony. As her bloated face contorted, the skin cracked. It was a horrendous sight.

Shen Qingqiu frowned deeply. The scene was too much for her eyes. She lifted her foot and kicked the ghost square in the face, knocking the ghost’s head askew.

Shen Qingqiu still thought it wasn’t enough. She raised her fist to strike again. “Have you taken a good look at your conduct? Who are you trying to disgust by getting so close? Who allowed you to press yourself against her? I’ve never even gotten this close to her. Why don’t you stay away and go do your water ghost thing?”

Each punch echoed loudly, clearly not light. Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but step back, head tilted away. As expected of a woman with fighting experience, Shen Qingqiu’s strength was too much even for a ghost.

The ghost’s howls and screams devolved into sobs. If you listened to the unsettling sound without looking at her face, you’d feel some sympathy for her.

“Alright, stop hitting her,” Xiao Muyu said, though it wasn’t out of compassion. The ghost’s crying was getting annoying.

Shen Qingqiu finally stopped. She tossed the red-clad ghost onto the floor and coldly warned, “If you even think about running, I will beat you so hard until nothing is left.”

The ghost whimpered. Trembling, she repeatedly bowed to Xiao Muyu. However, that grotesque face was hard to look at. Xiao Muyu frowned and turned her face away.

Shen Qingqiu had turned on the light. She could see Xiao Muyu’s actions. Upon noticing her reaction, she stepped on the ghost again.

“Change back to what you looked like before you died, or I’ll chop that creepy head off!” Like a demon, Shen Qingqiu threatened with the dagger. The ghost’s bun face quickly transformed. Although still deathly pale and battered from Shen Qingqiu’s punches, at least she looked human. Those delicate features made her a beauty.

“What did she come in to do?” Shen Qingqiu glanced at the ghost, then observed Xiao Muyu’s face. She looked somewhat pale and unwell but not injured.

Xiao Muyu sat on the edge of the bed and adjusted her pajamas. She had been too focused on subduing the ghost than on what Shen Qingqiu was wearing. Now, however, she had a clear view of everything.

Shen Qingqiu wore a red silk slip dress. The plain nightie accentuated the curves of her narrow shoulders, slim waist, and tall figure. Her loose, wavy hair added a lazy charm. To make things worse, she wasn’t wearing a bra!

Xiao Muyu dragged her eyes away from the enticing sight. She lowered her head, pulled out an item card, and watched the ghost staring at her right hand. “She wanted my item card,” Xiao Muyu lightly said.

“Item card?” Shen Qingqiu frowned, her cold gaze locked onto the ghost. “No wonder those players haven’t returned from their last instances. Looks like it isn’t a coincidence.”

“Players who consider renting apartments have usually cleared Level B,” Xiao Muyu began to analyze, eyes still on the ghost. “In Level A instances, item cards become even more critical. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone failed an instance after losing their cards.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded but then noticed Xiao Muyu had been keeping her head down, staring at the ghost. She hadn’t once glanced in her direction. Immediately, Shen Qingqiu’s lips curved into a meaningful smile.

“Muyu, why do you keep staring at her? Is she prettier than me? You haven’t looked at me since the light turned on.”

That charming, sassy tone was worlds apart from the ruthlessness she had shown while beating the ghost. The ghost under Shen Qingqiu’s foot widened her swollen eyes in disbelief. She looked at Shen Qingqiu as if she’d seen… well, a ghost.

Xiao Muyu clenched her teeth. “Shen Qingqiu, could you please dress properly?”

Shen Qingqiu glanced down at herself. Slim waist, long legs, perky chest, and shapely butt—what was there to be ashamed of? Sure, the dress was a spaghetti strap, but it wasn’t that revealing…

She coughed. “I don’t wear a bra when I sleep at night. Besides, didn’t you say you’re not interested in women and even less interested in me? It’s not like you don’t have what I’m showing. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Xiao Muyu thought she was being rather calm. However, Shen Qingqiu always had a way of breaking through her composure with just a few words.

She took a few calming, deep breaths before looking at Shen Qingqiu. “What are we going to do with her?” she asked.

Shen Qingqiu’s smile faded. She gave the ghost a glacial look and sneered. “What’s the point of keeping around something foul that does no good?”

Her tone carried an unmistakable murderous intent. Not only the ghost but even Xiao Muyu found it chilling.

The terrified ghost could barely maintain her form. She started bowing repeatedly. “Spare me, spare me!”

“You can talk? I thought you were mute. I can spare you. But you better tell me the truth.” Shen Qingqiu crossed her arms in front of her chest and started interrogating the ghost. “Where did you come from? Why are you able to stay here?”

The ghost never expected to end up in such a situation. She had been drifting around this apartment for years. No one had ever dared to lay a hand on her. Most people hadn’t even seen her face.

She had always been cautious. However, this apartment had been vacant for far too long. She could feel her source of energy dwindling. So, in a desperate gamble, she had hastily attacked Xiao Muyu tonight.

How could she have known she’d run into a demon like Shen Qingqiu? She felt utterly miserable.

After hearing the ghost’s explanation, Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu froze.

“You came out of an instance? How is that possible?”

“I’m an item card.”

Xiao Muyu immediately looked at Shen Qingqiu. Wasn’t this similar to Shen Qingqiu’s “Doll” card?

Shen Qingqiu fell silent as well. She motioned for the ghost to continue.

“In Level A Instance No. 004, I was a female ghost who died from being drowned in a bathtub. I became fond of one of the players. So when the instance ended, I attached myself to an item card, and he brought me out with him. But later… he… he died, right here in this apartment. He was murdered.”

“Most cards lose their purpose when their host dies. They became unclaimed items anyone could take. But I’m different. I only belonged to him. So, I stayed here after his death.

“I thought I’d remain sealed in the card forever, but then a woman came to live here. She used some unknown method to release me. After that, I could come out at night, but only for a short time unless I found a new card. I could draw energy from it to sustain my form.”

“So, you were trying to drain power from my item card?”

The ghost nodded frantically. “I won’t dare to do it again. Please, spare me! I promise I’ll behave from now on,” she pleaded to Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu said nothing. Shen Qingqiu spoke in her stead. “You can’t leave this apartment, can you?”

“No,” the ghost replied. “That woman told me I’ll be erased if I leave. This apartment is the only place I can survive. I’ve tried to leave before, but I couldn’t. I didn’t dare to push it after that.”

“The woman you mentioned. Who was she?” Xiao Muyu had to ask as a suspicion grew in her mind. “Was she a player or someone from Skynet?”

The ghost was silent for a long time before she shook her head. “I… I can’t remember. She was a very powerful woman. She also instructed me to cause a little trouble whenever new tenants moved in, but not to go too far. This time, though…” The ghost trailed off, looking regretful.

Shen Qingqiu asked a few more questions. When it became clear there was nothing more to learn, she ordered the ghost back into the card.

Shen Qingqiu picked up the card from the floor. She examined it. Written on it were the words: [Mount Tai’s Crushing Weight.]

Rarity: Undetectable; origin unknown.

Item Description: A female ghost fond of inducing sleep paralysis. Wet and far from cute. Upon summoning, the ghost will cause sleep paralysis on a designated target, making them unable to move or speak for ten seconds. The resulting fear and fatigue will reduce the target’s movement speed by 35% for the next minute.

Shen Qingqiu: …What a fitting ghost—arrives and immediately presses you to the bed.¹

“I find this ghost curious,” Xiao Muyu mused. “From what we’ve observed, there shouldn’t be ghosts on this side. They are supposed to be confined within instances. Even if one accidentally escaped, the system’s powerful control mechanisms would never fail to handle it. Unless…”

“Unless the system is unaware of it,” Shen Qingqiu finished. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. She murmured, “In other words, this is a bug.”

She glanced at Xiao Muyu. Her gaze lowered in thought.

“Why did you suddenly barge in?” asked Xiao Muyu.

Shen Qingqiu came back to her senses and looked up. Xiao Muyu stood by the now-broken door Shen Qingqiu had kicked down. She had a complicated expression.

Shen Qingqiu rubbed the tip of her nose. “I knew this apartment had something strange in it. How could I sleep and leave you alone in this room?” she confessed honestly.

Xiao Muyu watched her blankly. Shen Qingqiu continued, “I was sleeping on the sofa outside. I’d planned to stay up and keep watch. When I sensed something was wrong, I knocked on your door. You didn’t answer, so I kicked it open.”

Shen Qingqiu spoke like it was no big deal. However, Xiao Muyu could sense attentiveness in her words. In the past, many people had tried to warm her heart. Some had moved her, but none of them had ever been able to disrupt her self-control as Shen Qingqiu did.

When Shen Qingqiu said these things, she never acted like those wanting to show their determination, staring at her to convey their heartfelt emotions through their eyes. Shen Qingqiu always made it sound casual, as if it was the natural thing to do.

Xiao Muyu hid the subtle stir in her heart. Although this woman never sought credit for her actions, she would push her luck if she noticed Xiao Muyu’s reaction.

“We’ve just paid three months’ rent, and you already kicked down the door. That’s going to add more expenses,” Xiao Muyu said resignedly, though she secretly found it amusing. How strong was this person? How did she manage to send the door flying with one kick?

“That isn’t my fault.” Shen Qingqiu looked aggrieved. “I couldn’t control my strength in a hurry,” She glanced at the card in her hand. Smiling, she handed it to Xiao Muyu.

“Here. Doesn’t seem too ridiculous of an engagement gift, right?”

Xiao Muyu shot her a look. She reached out to take it, only for Shen Qingqiu to pull it back.

“This thing isn’t safe. Better let me hold onto it. It’s really late. Rest up.” She pulled back and left the room. But she turned back halfway to look at Xiao Muyu.

“It might feel insecure without a door. Want to sleep in my room?”

Xiao Muyu didn’t reply, and Shen Qingqiu didn’t insist. She pointed toward the living room. “I’ll sleep on the sofa. You can rest easy.”

Xiao Muyu watched Shen Qingqiu’s tall, slender figure disappear into the darkness. The light in the living room came on. Shen Qingqiu returned a moment later with a blanket and placed it on Xiao Muyu’s bed.

“You’ll need this. That damn ghost soaked yours.”

“What about you?” Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but ask.

“I have a blanket. I won’t be cold.” Shen Qingqiu leisurely walked to the living room. Xiao Muyu saw her lay down on the sofa. She waved a pale arm in her direction.

“Good night.”

Xiao Muyu opened her mouth, but no words came out. Lying back in bed, she couldn’t see the living room sofa anymore. Surprisingly, though, she felt safe and quickly fell asleep.

Su Jin and the others came to check on them in the morning. The three were concerned they might have encountered the foul thing.

Shen Qingqiu had just finished brushing her teeth and changed into a form-fitting black, long dress paired with a white knit cardigan. On her impeccable figure, the outfit gave her an air of reserved beauty that stood out.

The others couldn’t help glancing at her a few times. Shen Qingqiu shot them a quick look. “There was a foul thing,” she said. “But I’ve already beaten it to tears. It will never dare to show itself again.”

Everyone took her word for it without question. Any ghosts caught in Shen Qingqiu’s clutches would end up crying. Moreover, Chen Kaijie noticed the deformed door on the side Just imagining the scene made him admire Shen Qingqiu even more.

“When does Su Jin’s instance start?” Xiao Muyu asked. She had no intention of telling the three about the female ghost for now. Her instinct told her the fewer people who knew, the better.

“In three hours,” Su Jin replied. She looked calm.

Xiao Muyu nodded.

Normally, Level B players wouldn’t form teams, as it was difficult for newcomers to find suitable teammates. More importantly, they didn’t have much time to organize it.

Su Jin’s instance this time was another survival-type one. It was set in a small town where ghosts ran rampant, killing humans.

Overall, the difficulty didn’t even come close to the 002 instance. With top student Xiao Muyu and school bully Shen Qingqiu, the challenges were thrilling but safe. They also took the opportunity to train their teammates’ teamwork. The results exceeded their expectations.

It was an unquestionable success. Su Jin received an S-rating, while the other four, who essentially redid the instance, only received points, a single gacha draw, and no rating.

Su Jin drew a B card—a torch—and an S one—a magnifying glass.

Magnifying Glass
Rarity: S
Drop Rate: Low in Level B instances.
Item Description: It’s a magnifying glass. Of course, it can magnify objects. For one minute, the user can enlarge one chosen object ten times through the magnifying glass. Please figure out how to use it yourself.
Cooldown: 72 hours.

“This magnifying glass sounds awesome. If we enlarged Miss Shen ten times, couldn’t she tear apart evil ghosts with her bare hands?” Chen Kaijie said excitedly.

Shen Qingqiu gave him a cold look. “I can tear you apart with my bare hands.”

Chen Kaijie immediately shut his mouth.

After completing this instance, the group waited for the first Level A instance to start. The five of them lived in the same neighborhood and had gone through two instances together. They had quickly become familiar with each other.

If it weren’t for the upcoming instance looming over them, Xiao Muyu almost felt like they were living a normal life. They bought groceries, cooked, found part-time jobs to earn money, and enjoyed a quiet and peaceful routine.

But they all knew it was just an illusion. New dangers drew closer with each passing day.

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Author had something to say:

Xiao Shen: I’m so frustrated. I didn’t even get to pin my wife down.
Xiao Xiao: Has your pretty little head gone empty? In Instance No. 002, who was it lying on top of me, saying I was holding too tightly she couldn’t get up?
Xiao Shen: Oh, right. How do you remember that so clearly?
Xiao Xiao: Hmph, I remember every word you say, everything you do. Cos 0 = 1. Aren’t you afraid of calculating it wrongly as 0 with your bad math?
Xiao Shen: What’s wrong with being a zero for love?

See you in the next instance.

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Footnotes:

1. 1. Literal translation of 鬼压床 (sleep paralysis) is “ghost press (you to) bed” ↩︎

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TL: The references in the postscript flew over my head. I can’t type in Chinese. Googling just the terms from the raws got me nada. I’d rather go sleep.