All players' phones rang.
The system notification read: [An uncontrollable elemental mutation has been detected in this instance. The game is now divided into three factions: good guys, traitors, and ghosts.]
[Due to the ghosts faction's combat power reaching 800, the disparity between the three factions is too great. The difficulty of the good guys and traitors side quests will be reduced. These side quests will be mandatory to complete within 2 hours. The main quest difficulty remains unchanged.]
Side quests will be mandatory to complete within 2 hours.
Upon seeing this, the comments section exploded:
[Hahaha, so funny! Sounds easier now. The mandatory completion of the side quests means the guy will definitely die within 2 hours, right?]
[Great!! Go find the female ghost and just end it all!!]
[Waaaaah, no, guy!]
Buzz—Buzz—
The school alarm suddenly went off—
Then, the school's loudspeaker blared, a somber voice announcing, "Only one day remains until the third day. Students, please disperse after school at noon. This afternoon's classes are cancelled. Students are free to do as they please, but it's best not to gather in groups—"
The voice sighed as it spoke, seemingly anticipating the final outcome.
Hearing the announcement, Xie He snapped out of his daze. He rubbed his forehead and said to the other players, "I won't go back to class. I feel dizzy. I'll sleep a little longer and then go to the broadcasting room."
He returned to the ward.
Sui Yuan entered the ward and closed the door again.
"I'm going to the teaching building later," Xie He said to Sui Yuan. "Do you have any useful tools here, like a scalpel or something?"
Xie He looked around the ward. This was the school clinic, unlike a large hospital; many of the doctor's tools were stored in this small room.
Sui Yuan walked behind the screen, and Xie He followed him.
Sui Yuan opened a drawer: "Choose one yourself."
Xie He: "You pick one, pick one you think is useful."
As he spoke, he glanced at the bottles and jars in the ward and asked, "Are those your specimen jars? Do you have any empty? Can I borrow one?"
Sui Yuan gave one to Xie He.
It was an opaque, pure black jar, only slightly larger than a fist. Xie He stuffed it into his pocket.
Then, Xie He leaned towards him and said, "I'm going to slip away now. Come back to the teaching building in 20 minutes, I'll give you a gift."
Comments: [???]
[Hhhhh, is he going to kill a ghost?]
[A gift? What gift???]
The ward was on the first floor, and Xie He simply climbed out of the window.
Below the window lay several trampled foxtail grasses, probably trampled by passersby, and unlikely to survive long.
Xie He picked them.
Comments:
[!!! I get it, he's going to make a ring for the doctor!!!]
[Hhhhh, is the guy upstairs new? This guy's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve, he's definitely not that simple.]
───
Back in the school building, Xie He checked his phone; there was one minute left before school ended.
He paced around outside the classroom, peering through the window.
The blackboard read "self-study." Several students quietly turned to look at him, but unfortunately, they had no facial features, so their expressions were unclear. Xie He silently returned their gaze.
"Ding-a-ling—"
Soon, the school bell rang, and after the rustling of desks and chairs, a group of students emerged…
Xie He went straight to the restroom right in front of them.
"He went over there!" a sharp voice rang out from behind, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Xie He heard this, and a faint smile flashed across his eyes.
According to Zhang Langlang, the original owner of this body was someone who frequently caused trouble, got into conflicts, and fought with others. However, since Xie He arrived in this instance, everything had been very peaceful, and no one had bothered him.
Sure enough, it was because he spent a lot of time with Teacher Zhang and the aloof school doctor, Sui Yuan. These students were afraid of being punished at school, which was why they hadn't had a chance to mess with him when he was alone!
Once Xie He started acting alone—
After Xie He entered the restroom, several students followed him in.
"Hey, you motherless brat!" the leader shouted loudly in the empty restroom.
The others pointed at Xie He and laughed raucously: "Hahahaha."
Xie He's eyes turned cold.
The leader shoved Xie He hard.
The leader continued, "Hey, you little brat, give me some money to buy cigarettes—"
Xie He didn't say a word.
"Did you hear that? Stop playing dead," he said, pointing to the window. "Or you could jump out from there, and shake us off, hahaha—"
As he spoke, he tried to shove Xie He again, but before his hand even touched him, Xie He kicked him hard.
With a loud "thud," the boy's spine slammed into the ground, sounding incredibly painful.
Xie He stomped on his faceless features, grinding the sole of his shoe into him, silencing any groans he made.
Xie He looked down at him, the lamplight casting a dark shadow on him: "Even though I can't see your face, it must be incredibly ugly."
The remaining students were still preparing to attack Xie He.
With a flick of his hand, Xie He used the "Finger Movement" skill to slam them all against the wall with a series of "thuds!", instantly cracking the wall in several places!
The students immediately realized something was wrong, staring at Xie He and wailing in agony: "A ghost! A ghost—!!!"
As they screamed, the ghost girl appeared beside them. She still had the stick of a lightbulb-shaped candy in her mouth, and her once chubby cheeks had slimmed down considerably. But she still floated in mid-air, her feet barely touching the ground, making her incredibly eerie.
The ghost girl made a few "uh-uh" sounds, seemingly trying to say something.
Xie He pointed at her and untied the ropes binding her hands.
The students screamed even louder, their cries of agony intensifying: "Ghost!! Another ghost!!!"
Xie He: "..." Looking at these faceless, screaming little kids...
You're the ghosts, aren't you?
But one student's clothes had been lifted by the force of the impact.
The ZA virus on his body had turned a dark, almost blackish red, spreading from his waist to his ribs.
He was about to have an attack and explode!
Not only Xie He, but the remaining students also clearly noticed this scene. Ignoring their own pain, they scrambled to the side in terror: "Red spots!"
"It's...it's going to explode!"
"He...he's going to have an attack!"
They ran towards the door in a panic, only to be stopped by Xie He.
When they looked up, they could only see the boy's languid yet chilling face, like a god announcing death.
Xie He pointed at them and gestured in the same direction, causing them to collide violently.
The rope on the ground instantly bound them together.
The students, their faces devoid of features, were bound back-to-back and screamed hoarsely, "Ahhh!! Help—Help—!!"
Only a slit opened at the mouth on their faces.
Xie He leaned slightly forward, pinched one of their cheeks, and thoughtfully commented, "Didn't you like to laugh? What kind of expression is this?"
"Let me go, I... I don't want to die!" it stammered, its voice trembling.
"Are you scared?" Xie He's tone was calm. "But this doesn't look good. You should smile." Xie He used a foxtail grass to tickle the student's neck.
The student's hands and feet were bound, and he shrank back, tickled. "Hahahaha, it's so itchy... Damn it, stop tickling me, hahahaha..."
He couldn't stop laughing, cursing and shrinking back.
"Didn't you love to laugh at others? Then laugh until you die."
Xie He squeezed the card in his pocket: "Spinning Ballet, let the foxtail grass spin around and tickle them."
Countless foxtail grasses sprang onto them. They scratched themselves all over their necks, armpits, and lower backs, and then more flew in from outside the window…
Those swirling foxtail grasses, feeling like caterpillars, shed jumping dust that filled their clothes, nostrils, ears, and respiratory tracts.
“Hahahaha, let us go… let us go, hahahaha!!!” Several students huddled back to back, rubbing their backs against the rope. Their eyes were filled with fear and madness, and tears streamed down their faces!
Comments: [Help, hahahaha, it's just tickling! This guy really likes playing this!]
[Help, it's making me itchy too, I couldn't help but shiver.]
[Waaah, I guessed wrong again.]
Xie He gazed at them, narrowed his eyes, and calmly said, "That's good. You're happy again now. People should be happy, after all. To celebrate this moment, we can set off a few more firecrackers."
Xie He stepped back to the doorway. Several loud "bangs!" followed, and the students exploded like firecrackers.
Blood gushed onto the ground near Xie He's shoes, filled with bits of flesh and entrails, the stench overwhelming.
Xie He glanced at it calmly before looking away.
His phone immediately notified him: [Congratulations to player Xie He, you have completed the Ghost's Wish progress (1/3), points +10!]
The ghost girl was still muttering beside him.
Xie He pulled the stick of candy from the ghost girl's mouth and tossed the lightbulb candy aside.
The ghost girl roared, "I'm going to kill the traitor! Give me your face!!"
Xie He retreated towards the door, saying heavily, "I just helped you fulfill a wish, and this is how you treat me?"
It seemed the ghost girl still had a problem with his face.
Seeing the ghost girl approaching, Xie He quickly opened the door and ran into the corridor. As expected, Sui Yuan had already arrived.
The ghost girl didn't care about anything else; she needed to return to her human identity as soon as possible! She used her fingertips to draw, forcefully pulling Xie He down, and began demanding his face!
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!" Xie He crashed into the corridor, curling up in a ball!
The comments section was filled with anxiety: [This scene looks so familiar? It's over! Why didn't he resist this time??]
[Would he rather have points than his life??]
[Go to hell, the traitor is dead, the good guys should be able to win, right??]
“Xie He, Xie He…” Sui Yuan rushed over and squatted down beside him.
“Doctor…” Xie He clutched Sui Yuan’s clothes, his grip tightening, his throat bobbing as he said in a low voice, “Didn’t you want to kill me? Poisoning is too slow. I’ll teach you a faster way.”
He took Sui Yuan’s hand and shoved something cold and hard into his palm.
Then—
With practiced force.
“Dr. Sui, why are you still holding him…” the ghost girl laughed, “Once I take his face and body, he’ll die.”
Sui Yuan felt a warmth in his palm. He glanced at Xie He, who was trembling in his arms. Xie He was clutching his clothes tighter and tighter, like grasping at straws, his voice weak but fierce: “Don’t leave. If you dare to leave, I’ll break your legs.”
The ghost girl opposite him twisted her neck several times to adjust to her new body. It had now completely transformed into Xie He's appearance, its dark eyes, adorned with a beauty mark, glaring fiercely at the two of them—
"Ah—" The ghost girl suddenly collapsed to her knees in excruciating pain.
She mechanically looked down and discovered a dark, bleeding wound on her chest. It screamed frantically, "What have you done?!"
“I stabbed myself in the heart.” Xie He had already transformed into the ghost girl. He stood up, floating lightly in mid-air, expressionlessly pulling the scalpel from his chest, “and then, in the last second before dying, activated the ghost transformation skill—”
Ghosts don’t die—that day, the ghost girl fell from the fifth floor and was unharmed.
A mole can switch identities between two factions.
But a ghost that is inherently a ghost cannot; they need a human skin to become human.
Xie He’s voice was resounding, “Now, I’ve lost my human skin; I’m a ghost, and you are the mole—you can choose to become a ghost, but your identity as the mole remains unchanged. [The Ghost’s Wish (2): Kill the Mole] will make you die within 2 hours—it depends on whether you want to die as a human or as a ghost.”
Ghost girl: “You madman! You actually stabbed yourself, trying to wear me down like this…”
Xie He had considered this problem. For the ghost girl to become human, his face alone wouldn’t be enough; she needed his entire body. "Then it's better to destroy yourself first."
Xie He's face remained calm, though still somewhat pale, but he said calmly, "Thank you for dying in my place. You should be able to cure the ZA virus, but surgery can't..."
"I wish you a pleasant life."
His voice, laced with laughter, echoed in the corridor.
The ghost girl "Xie He" knelt down in agony. She had wanted to regain her human identity, but she couldn't stop the inevitable cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
Blood flowed incessantly from her chest, and she vomited a large mouthful of blood as she bent over.
It was just that, with Xie He's face, it looked strange...
The ghost girl said fiercely, "You will become a ghost forever, trapped in this world, unable to escape!"
Finally, she collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before giving up.
It declared that the traitor was dead.
Xie He approached the corpse, but from Sui Yuan's angle, he couldn't see what he was doing. A moment later, Xie He returned to Sui Yuan, clutching the small jar he had taken from the infirmary.
As the jar was placed in his hand, Sui Yuan felt its weight and could sense its warmth through the jar. He asked in confusion, "What's this?"
Xie He wiped the blood from the corner of his eye, looking weary, and yawned, saying, "A gift for you, sweet berries. Would you like to try some?"
Xie He seemed somewhat pleased, perhaps because Sui Yuan had stayed behind, but his hands were covered in blood, so he could only wipe them on his clothes.
Then, Xie He pulled a can of Wang Wang milk from his pocket and shoved it into Sui Yuan's hand: "And this, I just transformed it using my meal card—"
Xie He sat down next to Sui Yuan, looked at him, narrowed his eyes, and continued, "Obedience will be rewarded."
Sui Yuan glanced at Xie He's knife tip dripping blood, then at his "ghost girl" appearance, feeling something was off, but still said, "Okay, I'll take it."
Xie He leaned against the side, scrolling through his phone: "The little system didn't deduct my points. When the knife pierced my heart, it didn't hurt at all except for being a little cold, which is strange. I thought someone of this level would deduct 1000 points."
Sui Yuan looked at him but didn't say anything.
After a moment, Xie He chuckled and said, "I'll grant the ghost girl's third wish—"
"Please let me return to my original form..." Xie He's feet touched the ground, his long, straight legs encased in a pair of patent leather dr martens boots.
His long hair seemed to shrink as if he were ascending to heaven, and his skirt, gathered around his body, transformed into his original hoodie and black pants.
A gentle breeze ruffled his pure black hair, and his listless eyes lifted.
Xie He lifted his clothes to look at himself; the ZA virus red spots on his body were gone.
He had returned to the beginning.
Now he was a completely new Xie He, resurrected from the dead.
System: [Congratulations, you have achieved Nirvana Rebirth, and your body functions have automatically recovered to 100%.]
[Congratulations, you have completed the traitor side quest: (2) Kill the traitor; (3) Return to your original appearance.]
[Side quest progress (3/3) is complete.]
[Points +50, Followers +206]
[Total points: 1330, please keep up the good work!]
Comments: [Ah, how did he turn back??]
[Wow!!! The side quest was completed automatically within 2 hours!!!]
[I almost forgot!]
───
Back in the basement.
Sui Yuan checked his phone. There was a notification from the game developers: 【【Card Draw - S】10,000 points used improperly, 60,000 points deducted from salary.】
【Reason for use: Pain relief】
【Target: Player Xie He】
So be it.
How strange.
Sui Yuan wondered why, despite being used to Xie He's independent prowess and arrogance with a few useless cards, he couldn't forget how Xie He would clutch his clothes tightly, afraid he would leave.
It was like encountering a strong yet fragile big dog, and he couldn't help but want to pet its head.
Sui Yuan skillfully opened the 【Card Draw Game Work Check-in Group】.
It was already dinnertime, and many NPCs were posting pictures of their dinners.
Some were eating raw fish on fishing boats, others were eating potatoes in the mountain village of corpses…
Card Draw - S: 【Dinner: Sweet Milk + Sweet Berry】 [Card Draw - 10056: [What dungeon are you in? Look at the picture.]]
When Sui Yuan opened the pure black jar, he froze.
The gift Xie He gave him was…
A heart!
Dragging a small section of capillaries, it was bloody and bright red.
It must have been cut from the body the ghost woman had taken.
It was Xie He's heart!!
The comments section trembled: [How could he so casually give away his… heart? And a sweet berry too, I'm so scared.]
[Crazy, waaaaah!!! If someone gave me this black jar in real life, I'd run away immediately QAQ!!!]
[Where would you run? Do you believe he'd break your legs?!]
[Hehe… I like it… I'm happy even through the screen.]
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