Ch. 23 - Entering “The Letter”

It was quiet. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl.

Bai Wan’s face twisted as if he were constipated, staring at the tombstones shattered by the meteor shower. His mind erupted with a stream of expletives.

Holy shit shit shit shit…!!

Not now! Of all times, why does something have to go wrong now?!

Zhou Lu’s expression was equally blank as he stared at the scorched tombstones, smoke rising from his predecessors and peers’ graves. He was silent for a long time.

It was Su Yuening who finally broke the awkward silence with a forced laugh. “R-Right… There’s a meteor shower today.”

It took Zhou Lu a full minute to come back to his senses. He picked up the cigarette that had fallen from his lips and feigned composure. “Hahaha, did you all remember to make a wish? Quite the spectacle, huh? Ahahaha…”

The corners of Liu Tong’s mouth twitched.

The first meteor shower I’ve seen that bombs tombstones. Spectacular indeed.

No one said anything.

Zhou Lu cleared his throat and tried to stay positive. “Come on, the bodies of the fallen are still resting peacefully beneath. A few busted tombstones aren’t a big deal. We’ll just build them new ones. It’s a renovation!”

“What’s most important is the spirit they left us, not the slabs of stone. Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go.” He waved them forward.

Liu Tong and the others were visibly heartened by Zhou Lu’s optimism. As expected of the captain—he really could keep it together.

Zhou Lu smiled as he turned to lead the way but stumbled a little. Glancing back awkwardly, he muttered, “Liu Tong, give me a hand. My blood pressure’s acting up.”

“…Alright.”

The atmosphere remained heavy as they walked.

No one said a word. The ancestral graves that had been protected for so long had, for no reason at all, been partially destroyed.

Bai Wan looked especially awkward. It was painfully clear that this meteor shower had been triggered by him. The same thing had happened back at the school. He hadn’t expected it to occur again.

Now, with a guilty conscience, he stared up at the sky, wondering if the spirits of those elders would still be willing to protect him after he’d just bombed their homes.

The group remained silent until they caught a cab back to the Lan City base.

Everyone slumped onto the sofas, visibly drained.

“Today is just cursed… We really shouldn’t go wandering when our luck’s bad.” The burly Wang Meng let out a helpless chuckle.

“It’s fine. If the tombstones are gone, we’ll just make new ones. Society today updates everything anyway. Next time, we’ll give them deluxe modern ones. They’ll be satisfied.” Zhou Lu lit a cigarette as he spoke from the couch.

Listening to them, Bai Wan fell into thought.

Damn it. This meteor shower thing has too high of a trigger rate. At this point, it’s basically a secret weapon. If only I could drop it on a paranormal entity mid-fight and stun it…

……

Far off in the cemetery, the damaged tombstones were slowly mending themselves. Countless translucent spirits emerged from beneath the earth, staring blankly at the ruined graveyard.

One of the spirits rubbed his eyes groggily.

Have I been a soul too long? Am I hallucinating?

I go to sleep and wake up to find my house hit by a meteor storm?

They looked at each other in stunned silence, then reluctantly began rebuilding the graves.

“Let’s just hope that kid doesn’t come back!”

One spirit muttered, “Should we move? I heard Black Mountain has great feng shui. Maybe it’ll boost our luck?”

A second ghost replied while patching his tombstone, “You’re dead. What luck? Besides, there’ve been rumors about Black Mountain lately. That brat might end up going there. You want your house blown up again?”

The first spirit immediately shook his head. “Forget it. No way. I’ll just hunker down here. Can’t deal with him, but I can avoid him.”

……

After some chatting, Bai Wan checked the time and got ready to head home.

Zhou Lu handed him a package before he left. Inside were 250 Paranormal Coins.

“Take it,” Zhou Lu said with a smile. “It’s not much, but the five of us pooled it together for you. Just pay us back if you get the chance. I know you’re still a rookie and probably short on coins, especially with that next dungeon.”

Bai Wan was moved.

Every single coin was precious. A successful run only gave you 100 at best. For each of them to give him half of that amount? That was a huge gesture.

Sure, they were probably investing in him, but still, this was genuine support when he needed it most.

“Thank you, everyone,” Bai Wan said earnestly.

He planned to go home and rest before finally checking out his ghost ship. Ever since he’d gotten it, he hadn’t had the chance to explore. Inside were his crewmates—the old grandma and “Chen Weiyu.”

Even though he hadn’t officially become the Captain yet, he should at least have partial access. With the next dungeon being so difficult, he had to get his hands on every resource he could.

Just as Bai Wan was halfway out, Zhou Lu stopped him again and handed over another pouch.

Inside were thirty pitch-black coins—300 Paranormal Coins.

Zhou Lu smiled. “These are from me, personally. I may be a veteran, and I earn a lot, but I spend a lot too. This is all I can spare.”

Bai Wan froze.

Three hundred coins. That is an incredible amount. Is this an investment?

But… this is an unsolvable dungeon. If he dies, the money would be lost…

But the trust—Bai Wan could feel it. Zhou Lu was putting his faith in him. 

He wanted to refuse, but he truly was desperate for funds. Whether it was upgrading bug skills or maintaining his paranormal tools, everything cost coins.

With a heavy sigh, Bai Wan accepted the pouch.

“Thank you, Captain. If I manage to grow stronger in the future and Lan City ever needs help, I’ll be there.”

Zhou Lu was momentarily surprised, then grinned with genuine warmth. “Then I’ll count on you.”

Bai Wan thanked him again and turned to leave—but before he got far, he was stopped by yet another person.

A pale-haired girl stood waiting up ahead.

“Miss Su?” Bai Wan asked in confusion.

Su Yuening walked up to him and handed him two red talismans. “These are Blood-Seal Tags. Stick them onto a paranormal entity and they’ll be temporarily immobilized. They’re single-use, so be careful.”

Bai Wan took them in a daze. The system’s text floated into view.

[Blood-Seal Tag]

Description: A low-grade tag cursed and saturated with ghost blood. Temporarily restrains a paranormal entity. Single-use only.

Note: A cheap, mass-produced piece of junk made by a third-rate craftsman. Trash! Absolute trash!!

“They’re… actual items? For me?” Bai Wan was stunned. He’d heard from Liu Tong that Su Yuening was only slightly ahead of him, yet she was being so generous?

Su Yuening smiled. “Yeah. I figured you’d be nervous—entering an unsolvable dungeon as a rookie. I’ve got plenty of these, so I thought I’d give you a couple…”

“…?”

A question mark seemed to float above Bai Wan’s head.

Wait—you have a lot of these?

Su Yuening continued cheerfully, “My family has a mid-level craftsman. They’re close to advancing to high-level, so they’ve been churning out a ton of prototypes.”

Holy crap. A mid-tier craftsman about to rank up?

Bai Wan had just learned from Zhou Lu how rare craftsmen were—and mid-tier ones even more so. That meant… she was loaded.

He looked at this white-haired weirdo with newfound awe. Truly, never judge a book by its cover.

Even so, it was still unbelievably kind of her. These Lan City people really were decent.

No, more than decent—they were good people.

But then again, it made sense. These people were all from the official Lan City team, most of them probably the kind with decent morals and a strong sense of responsibility. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be risking their lives hunting paranormal entities.

Although Bai Wan didn’t really see himself as a good person—he’d always felt that good people died young—he had to admit, folks like Sue Yuening and Zhou Lu really did make him feel at ease.

I can be the bad guy. But when it comes to making friends... yeah, it’s still better to stick with good people.

“Thank you, really,” he said, touched.

Su Yuening beamed.

She recalled the Captain’s ridiculous suggestion to seduce the rookie—something she could never do. But she’d always believed that sincerity was the strongest weapon.

So she said with a smile, “No need to thank me. We’re all part of the same bureau now, which means we’re family. Even though we’ve only just met, I really enjoy talking to you. At the very least, I already see you as a friend. And when a friend’s in trouble, there’s no reason not to help. That’s what friendship means—sharing burdens.”

She offered her slender hand to Bai Wan.

He felt a warm flutter in his chest and reached out to shake hers.

Su Yuening watched the teary-eyed rookie and smiled slyly to herself.

See? Sincerity really is the ultimate trump card.

The very next second, a voice echoed in her mind.

[Player Sue Yuening has been temporarily selected to join the dungeon “The Letter.”]

The moment she saw the notification, Sue Yuening’s smile froze on her face. She stood there, dumbfounded, her mind filled with the idiotic words she'd just uttered.

Friends share weal and woe together...

I was just saying that! Why did you all take it seriously?!

Huh?! Isn’t this some sort of misunderstanding?!

Her face crumpled with despair, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Bai Wan noticed her strange expression. The cheerful mood from before had suddenly vanished, and she now looked like someone attending a funeral.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Wan asked.

“It’s nothing… I’m just really touched,” Sue Yuening said, unable to hold back her tears.

“Huh? Touched by what?”

With great effort, Sue Yuening forced a strained smile and replied, “Friendship! I’m touched by our friendship!”

Bai Wan was startled, then visibly moved. “Miss Sue, you don’t know this, but I’ve never had many friends. For some reason, people always kept their distance from me, ignored me… Today, when you said we’re friends, I was genuinely moved!”

“…I take it back.”

“Huh??”

“No-nothing… I mean, of course we’re good friends,” Sue Yuening squeezed out between clenched teeth. Thinking back on her whirlwind of a day, she suddenly began to understand why this guy didn’t have any friends.

“Good friends!” Bai Wan cheerfully patted her on the shoulder and left with the Blood-Seal Tag in hand.

Once he was gone, Bai Wan was all smiles as he walked away from headquarters.

What a great day. I made a new friend.

Meanwhile, Sue Yuening stood alone where she was, utterly heartbroken.

……

After returning home, Bai Wan immediately took out the Ghost Ship.

The moment he mentally commanded entry, he was transported back aboard. Familiar sights greeted him, filling him with a rush of sentiment. 

Inside the ship, the old granny was diligently cleaning. Ever the responsible one.

When she noticed him, she smiled warmly. “Ah, Acting Captain, you’ve returned.”

As Bai Wan looked at her, a system window appeared beside her face.

[Nameless Granny]

Description: Former cook aboard the ship. Due to the curse of the Blood Husk Buddha, she has become a bound ghost and remains eternally aboard the Ghost Ship as its cook.

Skill – Ghost Chef: Capable of processing unique ingredients into paranormal dishes.

Currently available recipes:

Ghost-Hair Steak (Common beef + Paranormal hair + 10 Paranormal Energy/Coin)

Description: Granny’s personal favorite. Consuming this dish dispels illusions and grants resistance to paranormal contamination. Duration varies. (Each instance of paranormal hair can only be used once.)

Soul-Burial Steak (Common beef + Soul-Burial Grass + 10 Paranormal Energy/Coin)

Description: Found only in places with deep resentment, Soul-Burial Grass can be combined with beef to create a flavorful steak. Grants short-term aid from nearby lingering souls.

Note: More recipes yet to be unlocked. Since the player possesses the Nameless Granny, rare recipe scrolls may appear in skeleton shops. The rarer the shop tier, the higher the chance of uncommon dishes appearing.

Bai Wan’s eyes lit up as he read the description.

Interesting! So the old lady was a “Ghost Chef.” As long as he had the recipe and ingredients, she could whip up paranormal meals.

He immediately thought of the upcoming unsolvable dungeon, The Letter.

According to Captain Zhou Lu, unsolvable-level dungeons could spawn rare Darkblood Skeleton Shops—those might offer hard-to-find recipes.

He’d definitely need to look for one. Whether for his unique Captain class or the cooking mechanic, both could prove invaluable.

“Granny, do you not have a name?” he asked curiously.

She shook her head. “I’ve lost most of my memory. Can’t recall it anymore. But names don’t really matter to me. If it’s more convenient for you to call me something, Captain, feel free.”

Bai Wan nodded. It was indeed inconvenient just calling her “Granny” all the time.

As he glanced at the ship, images of ocean adventures came to mind. He grinned.

“Granny, you’ve aged gracefully. I bet you were a real beauty in your youth. Why don’t I call you… Nami?”

The old woman blinked, then smiled. “Nami? That’s a lovely name.”

Clearly pleased by the compliment, Nami Granny beamed.

Satisfied, Bai Wan moved to another room where “Chen Weiyu” was still stuck.

The moment she saw him, she reacted like a rabbit spotting a hawk—immediately retreating inside and peeking out with wary, trembling eyes.

Bai Wan slowly smiled. “Good little sister, don’t be scared. Big brother’s here.”

“Waaah!!” “Chen Weiyu” shrieked and flailed like a frightened critter, trying to scare him off.

Still smiling, Bai Wan said, “Now, now. Big brother’s in a bit of trouble. I’m sure you’ll help your dear brother out, won’t you?”

The creature visibly panicked. As she stared into that smile, it all came flooding back—that day she was trapped inside the wall.

She tried to run, but she couldn’t move. This was the Acting Captain’s authority.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Big brother just needs to borrow a little something,” Bai Wan said, narrowing his eyes and grabbing a handful of her hair.

“Waaahhh!!” “Chen Weiyu” howled in pain.

“Shh-shh—this’ll be over soon. Tsk, am I violating a woman’s will again? I’m so scared,” Bai Wan said blissfully as he listened to her cries. Once he’d harvested enough of her ghostly hair, he went out to buy some beef and handed everything to Nami.

A disgusting Ghost-Hair Steak, complete with squirming strands, was soon prepared.

Bai Wan cringed but pocketed it. Ugly as it was, it had useful effects.

He then spent 300 Paranormal Coins to buy the bug skill “Door Vanishing Technique”. Pretty handy.

After exiting the ship, he spent two more days studying materials on paranormal dungeons, brushing up on his knowledge.

And finally, the countdown for the “The Letter” dungeon reached zero.

……

[Paranormal Game Dungeon “The Letter” now commencing.]

In an instant, Bai Wan felt his body go light. When he regained awareness, he was inside a small, unfamiliar wooden cabin.

The place resembled the old countryside home of his grandmother—dusty and dim, with faint chicken calls from outside. It seemed like this dungeon was set in some unknown village.

The lighting was poor, and shadows filled the room. Including Bai Wan, there were seven people inside the cabin. No—only six.

One of them was lying on the ground, already lifeless.

And Bai Wan was stunned to find that he held a bloodstained knife in his hand.

Did… I kill him?

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