Chapter 11: Returning Home

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After hearing the middle-aged man’s words, Mr. Demon turned his head to scrutinize Huan Xiao while devouring ghosts. One could say he had grown curious about her. But upon sensing the intense ghostly aura emanating from Huan Xiao, he immediately withdrew his gaze. Somehow, he felt as if a divine spirit or demon had descended upon her—a terrifying presence that left no room for doubt! This being, though human in appearance, was definitely no ordinary person; she must be some powerful figure from the ghost realm masquerading as a human to wreak havoc on the streets. Believing he now understood Huan Xiao’s origins, Mr. Demon cast a mocking look at the middle-aged man. This insignificant pest was laughable, daring to ask him to challenge a heavyweight? Impossible! Was he such a foolish demon? Meanwhile, unhindered, Huan Xiao swiftly stepped out of the ghostly aura’s circle. She glanced back at the middle-aged man and Mr. Demon, relieved to see that Mr. Demon hadn’t doubted her identity because of the man’s words. Phew—her human identity was well concealed. Now, the middle-aged man was nearly spent… Around them, the restless spirits stirred, eager to seize a share of the spoils. At that moment, a ghost resembling a beautiful young girl, unable to resist her greed, approached the edge of the ghostly aura circle. Suddenly, she opened her gaping maw, ready to suck in the ghostly energy… But as soon as she neared the circle, an invisible force yanked her in. The ghost, who had planned a feast, instantly became the meal for the battle between the middle-aged man and Mr. Demon. Seeing this, Mr. Demon sneered coldly. Though this despicable human was trash, he was not something ordinary ghosts could taint. Moreover, this human was determined to die alongside any ghost that approached him, recklessly burning his life force to wield ghostly energy. “Foolish human, surrender now. If you stop, I might let you die a more painless death.” Mr. Demon laughed heartily, the powerful ghostly energy coursing through him pulling his mouth into a wide grin stretching to his ears. The middle-aged man rapidly wasted away before their eyes, becoming skin stretched over bones, his face aged as if he were eighty. Blood dribbled from his lips, his expression twisted in agony as he whispered, “Impossible…”

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As the standoff dragged on, it wasn’t long before the middle-aged man collapsed, his form now little different from a skeleton—only a thin layer of human skin clung to his massive frame. “Heh heh heh, this is the fate of those who dare challenge me. Mere humans, how dare you act recklessly in my domain?” Mr. Demon opened his enormous mouth and devoured the remaining ghostly energy of the man, not sparing even the few ghosts lingering near the circle. “Oops, slip of the tongue—didn’t mean to eat so much, but it’s no matter. Let me continue to explain how to lure humans into making mistakes. Once they break the rules on their own, we can bite into them like crispy snacks without any hesitation.” Having feasted, Mr. Demon was in high spirits. Even the fearful gazes of the other ghosts did not deter him from continuing to speak casually. The number of ghosts present had diminished by a quarter due to the recent incident, leaving the area noticeably more spacious. “...Luring humans into errors is simple. After all, they are foolish and arrogant. Just a little provocation prompts them to act like idiots. Now, I’ll demonstrate briefly.” Mr. Demon stayed put, standing at the edge of the ghost crowd. Taking a deep breath twice, he released ghostly energy… Huan Xiao noticed this energy was aimed at three humans hiding behind a building. After several seconds, screams pierced the air—the three humans were running straight into the midst of the ghosts. Seeing them charge in, Huan Xiao thought they must be suicidal, running into the worst possible place despite witnessing the earlier chaos. None of them showed any sign of fear or retreat. She didn’t know whether to call them brave or simply foolish. Newcomers should just lie low, shouldn’t they? Of course, in her critique, Huan Xiao conveniently forgot that she herself had spent much time wandering among the ghosts watching the spectacle today. “Humans! They actually sneaked in?” “Damn humans, they even got play tickets. No wonder I didn’t notice them.” “Ha ha ha, these three humans were stupid enough to lose their play tickets. Just as Mr. Demon said, humans are all fools.” Hearing the ghosts’ remarks, Huan Xiao pondered deeply before realizing—so it was possible to indirectly get them to throw away their play tickets to avoid the rules. A loophole! Initially, she only planned to loaf around, but unexpectedly, she had actually learned something, making her even more curious about this world. After that, without needing much thought, it was clear these three would not survive till the game’s end. Mr. Demon sliced the three at their waists, dividing them into six pieces, and swallowed them like snacks. Thus, none of the nine who had come with Huan Xiao survived in the end.

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With no further interruptions, the demon proudly lifted his head and continued sharing his views with the assembled ghosts. Time slipped away like flowing sand, and the closing hour arrived. The ghosts of the amusement park all surged toward the exit, where a person wearing a smiling mask checked the play tickets. When the attendant reached Huan Xiao’s play ticket, they paused briefly before asking, “Dear guest, are you not interested in our attractions? Was there something unsatisfactory? If you don’t mind, please fill out this survey. We will make adjustments for the next opening.” Huan Xiao declined to fill out the survey, simply paying with ghostly energy and leaving along the ghostly current. She wished to take one last look at the world before departing. However, the game did not grant her that chance. As Huan Xiao stepped through the amusement park’s exit, the scene before her flickered, and she found herself back in her original room. The holiday homework lay spread open on the desk, and the ornaments she wore remained intact, lying on the floor. Outside, a gentle breeze stirred the curtains, tree shadows flickered on the walls, and beyond the window, a bustling street teemed with noisy pedestrians… She was back! Huan Xiao was momentarily stunned, then pulled out her phone. Checking the time, she realized she had spent less than five minutes inside the game. The familiar room felt like a distant world now. Everything experienced in the game seemed like a dream, yet the fallen metal ornament on the floor proved it had all been real. Looking at the game quietly resting on her phone, she saw it had split into two apps: one called “Mystery,” and the other, “Storage Grid.” Opening the Storage Grid first, she discovered she had brought out four items saved from the game: a human-faced flower, ghostly hand, a 10% discount coupon for the Hundred Ghosts Supermarket, and the ghost bride’s bouquet. Remembering the ghostly energy she had wasted, Huan Xiao took out the ghostly hand, still infused with energy. She recalled how other ghosts absorbed ghostly energy and wrapped the ghostly hand in the energy she carried…