Chapter 4: This world is far too unkind to him!

In Qingyuan City, police officers usually work in pairs consisting of a veteran and a rookie. It must be said that the older the ginger, the spicier it gets.

The younger officer was already ghastly pale, retching uncontrollably to the side.

The middle-aged officer, while looking none too well himself, managed to maintain his composure. After carefully surveying the scene in the room, he spoke into his wristwatch in a hoarse voice.

"Requesting backup. Location: Room 404, Garden Hotel, next to Qingyuan University."

"The scene is quite gruesome. We need shovels and a high-pressure water hose."

"The deceased entity is—"

He paused, staring at the doll that had been torn limb from limb in the pool of blood, and continued, "Level 1 entity: Doll."

"Also, notify an ambulance... wait, never mind. Don't bother."

He looked toward Chen Kun, who had just regained consciousness, and turned off the communication device on his wrist, introducing himself.

"I am a Grade 2 police officer from the North District Station of Qingyuan City. Are you... alright?"

...

Chen Kun, slowly coming to, looked at the hellish scene surrounding him. His breath hitched, and his mind cleared instantly as the image of the terrifying, fanged little girl from the night before flooded back into his consciousness.

The fear level on his wristwatch began to spike rapidly.

But soon, he noticed that it was already daylight, and the entity clutching the doll seemed to be dead, causing his fear level to plummet instantly.

"Phew..."

He struggled to sit up and let out a sigh of relief. Since it was dead, there was nothing to fear anymore. Yet, deep in his eyes remained a trace of despair; this world was far too unkind to him!

The first night!

He had only just arrived, and they gave him such a welcome ceremony on his first night!

"Sorry for the trouble, officers."

He looked at the two men with a hint of pity. They had lived in a world like this since birth; their lives must be even more painful. He checked his own body and found only some superficial wounds, nothing too serious.

There was no need to go to the hospital; a simple bandage would do. He had more important things to attend to.

"Is there anything else you need me to cooperate with?"

"No," the middle-aged officer shook his head, hesitating, "Are you sure you don't want us to call an ambulance?"

"Is it free?"

"It's at your own expense."

Chen Kun shook his head, walked into the bathroom on his own, took a shower in front of them, put on his blood-stained clothes, and after apologizing to the hotel owner, he left the premises.

To his surprise, the hotel owner didn't complain. Although the man’s face was pale, his eyes actually held a hint of satisfaction.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't died, and thus hadn't dragged down the hotel's mortality rate?

...

On the streets.

Chen Kun stood alone on the sidewalk, enduring the gazes of passersby. His appearance was truly disheveled, but he had no spare points to buy new clothes; he only had 66 points left in his pocket.

The upcoming costs of lodging and food were critical issues.

The sound of car horns and the fragrance drifting from a nearby restaurant—a scene that could even be described as thriving—felt impossible to reconcile with the heart-pounding nightmare of the night before.

What a fucked-up world this was.

He tried searching for "shelters" or similar places on his map, hoping to find a meal and a place to stay, but after searching for a long time, he found no such buildings. Well, of course...

If nothing else, the problem of homeless people ruining the city's appearance should have been permanently solved after the supernatural arrived.

There wasn't much need for shelters anymore.

He glanced at the fear level on his wristwatch.

— "Fear Level": 34%. —

At this moment, he was still in a state of survival, perhaps due to his childhood experiences in an orphanage, which had left him with an extreme fear of darkness and ghosts since he was very young.

The slightest disturbance could leave his nerves frayed.

Even in his previous world, where he had never seen a ghost, he would always check both sides of the elevator entrance before stepping out, check behind every door before opening it, and thoroughly search every corner of his home—closets, under the bed, and so on—every time he returned.

Because of this subconscious habit, whenever he played shooter games, his teammates would admire his discipline, saying, "Your corner-clearing is incredibly methodical."

"Perhaps finding a therapist could solve this."

Chen Kun muttered to himself. In this world filled with the supernatural, he had to find a way to resolve this issue, or he would be in for a rough time. It was the equivalent of dropping someone terrified of cockroaches into a world overflowing with them.

Pure torture.

He scanned a row of eateries and finally chose an affordable fast-food joint.

...

After a hearty meal, Chen Kun wiped his mouth. Under the owner's gaze, he paid 3 points and left the restaurant with a calm expression.

The rice was all-you-can-eat, soup was free, a side of vegetables cost 3 points, and a meat dish cost 6 points.

He had ordered one vegetable dish and eaten four bowls of rice soaked in soup.

Full.

There was no helping it; he didn't have the funds.

...

He had expected the owner to roll his eyes or something, but the man showed no reaction at all, his face devoid of any emotion, as if it were none of his business.

The owner was a decent guy.

If only he had a cigarette right now. Chen Kun stood at the entrance of the restaurant and looked at the convenience store next door. After a moment of hesitation, he decided against going in; he would endure it for now—points were more important.

Just then—

His wristwatch vibrated slightly. It was the woman who had received him yesterday.

He connected, and her voice carried a hint of astonishment.

"You're actually still alive? Is... is it convenient to meet and talk?"

"..."

Chen Kun checked the navigation: "Too far. Not going."

"I'll drive to pick you up."

"Do you smoke?"

"No, why?"

"I do. Bring me a pack of cigarettes."

"Fine."

The other party agreed quite readily.

...

Outside a cafe near the "Garden Hotel."

Chen Kun sat on an outdoor chair, staring at the cup of coffee in his hand, which had cost 34 points, and remained silent for a long time. It was fortunate he wasn't the one paying, otherwise, he would never have spent so many points on a cup of coffee.

He downed the coffee in one gulp, frowned slightly, then took a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, lit it, and let out a long, satisfied puff of smoke.

This woman was quite generous; she had given him an entire pack of cigarettes, which would last him a long time if he rationed them.

"You really didn't die?!"

The young woman sitting opposite him looked him up and down with wide, astonished eyes: "And you have almost no injuries. Your starting fear level was already '52%'. Although I didn't expect you to be so unlucky as to encounter a ghost that breaks through windows on your very first day."

"But your fear level last night must have been even higher, probably 80% or even 90%. Such a high fear level is like a feast in the eyes of ghosts; it’s extremely conspicuous. It's no wonder you attracted one."

"Describe the ghost you encountered last night. Let me see what kind of entity it was."