Once again, Fang Xiu roused from slumber. The craziness that was once on his face had now disappeared, replaced by an eerily calm expression. He went through his usual daily routine: getting dressed, brushing his teeth, using the bathroom, having breakfast, and then stepping outside his home.
Once again, he saw the Specters, the odd beings that filled the sky, and the adorable little girl with her lollipop. Ignoring it all, he stepped out of the building and into the bustling street.
The street buzzed with activity as people rushed about, and cars whizzed past, their engines roaring. People were in a hurry, busy getting to their jobs or school, oblivious to the presence of Specters all around them. Some even had Specters that looked like human-headed snakes slung around their necks, yet they laughed and chatted with others as if everything was normal.
'Sigh... sometimes, not knowing is a kind of happiness.'
Fang Xiu grabbed a bike from a bike-share rack on the sidewalk. He planned to bike around the main street and study the Specters. To defeat them, he knew he must first understand them.
Of course, studying the Specters didn't mean directly staring at them. If they spotted him, he would be forced to "reset" by dying.
Fang Xiu had to play it cool, acting as if he were merely biking aimlessly while discreetly observing everything around him. He wanted to see if Specters were everywhere and if they had a source.
DING!
The chime of a sharp notification captured Fang Xiu's attention. He stopped his bike and pulled out his smartphone. It was a message from his work's group chat.
His manager, Wu Dahai, had sent a barrage of texts. "Fang Xiu, do you know what time it is? How many times have you been late this month? Do you even care about your bonus?"
The texts came quickly, one after another, sounding as if his boss was standing right there scolding him. If this were the old Fang Xiu, he would've already apologized, but now, he had little patience for such everyday concerns.
In this terrifying world, his priorities had shifted. Uncovering the truth and seeking revenge consumed his thoughts. The idea of a steady job seemed trivial and insignificant to him now.
Imagine having to pretend not to see the Specters around him every day, being careful not to get eaten. Staying alive was hard enough, let alone holding down a job.
As he was about to dismiss the group chat and continue on, a sudden realization struck him---he barely had any money left in his bank, with a balance that was just in the triple digits.
'To discover the truth about this world, a couple hundred bucks definitely won't cut it. I can't just keep using these bike shares. This city might be crawling with those Specters, but who knows, maybe it's different elsewhere. I might have to hop on a train or even a plane, and that all need money. I seem to have a bonus that hasn't been paid out yet. If I can just get my hands on it, it should keep me going for a while.'
With this thought, Fang Xiu decided to make one last trip to his job, quit, and then ask for his bonus.
He had considered using his ability to "reset" by dying to hit the jackpot but decided against it. Besides, he really didn't want to die again unless absolutely necessary. Dying, as he had discovered, was a rather unpleasant ordeal, no matter how many times he'd experienced it.
Fang Xiu lived in the city of Green Vine and worked in the Green Vine Development District. Within this district, there existed a neighborhood of townhouses called Willow Hill, and Fang Xiu worked as a salesperson at the Willow Hill sales office.
Six months ago, he had sold a townhouse, but the commission was never paid out. So, Fang Xiu started to type a message in the work group chat.
"I'm quitting. I'll be swinging by the sales office this afternoon to collect my previous commission."
His message was direct and lacked any courtesy, much like a novice fresh into the working world. Such bluntness could easily rub people the wrong way, but he didn't care. Navigating social pleasantries was the last thing on his mind. He was just trying to be efficient, to swiftly wrap up these mundane matters and get on with his day.
The moment his message was sent, the group chat blew up with reactions, and Manager Wu flipped out.
"Fang Xiu, what do you mean? Didn't I make it clear last time that the commission will only be paid out at the end of the year? If you quit now, you won't see a single penny of your commission!"
Fang Xiu glanced at the message casually and didn't reply. He closed the group chat instead. Then, he hopped on the bike-share and headed straight to Willow Hill.
His home was a long way away from Willow Hill, about a two-hour journey by bus, but Fang Xiu wasn't in a rush. He wanted to take this chance to observe the city.
Fang Xiu biked leisurely as if he were on a relaxing stroll, yet his full attention was on the Specters around him. The further he rode, the more types of Specters he encountered. Each one was different and bizarre.
Gradually, he noticed a pattern. The Specters could see humans, but humans couldn't see them.
There were essentially two types of Specters.
The first type seemed to act without any reasoning. They looked weird and terrifying, and they only knew to scream wildly or constantly lash out at the humans around them. However, like air, they were unable to have any impact on their surroundings.
The second type resembled humans. They could pretend to be coworkers, classmates, or family members, offering their company and initiating conversation. Yet humans remained oblivious to their presence, unable to see or hear them. Apparently, his "wife" belonged to this type.
This particular type of Specter was unique. They mostly resembled humans, and some even looked perfectly human. They seemed to try to integrate into human life, even though people couldn't see or hear them. Like a bystander, they lingered by someone's side.
Fang Xiu was intrigued.
'Why are these Specters so set on role-playing and being around people, even though they seem to have no influence on reality?'
Reflecting on his "wife's" behavior, Fang Xiu had a hunch.
'These Specters are testing whether humans can see them because as soon as they can be seen, they can attack.'
However, he quickly dismissed the theory.
'No, that's not right!'
Testing might just be part of the picture.
Logically, once a Specter had confirmed that humans truly couldn't see them, they should have moved on to the next person to test, as this would be the most efficient way. However, his "wife" didn't leave after failing. Not only his "wife," but along the way, Fang Xiu saw many human-like Specters. They all clung to a person, desperately attempting to communicate, even if that person couldn't hear them.
'But why?'
Suddenly, a chilling idea struck Fang Xiu.
'They were trying to fit into human life! Yes! That must be it! Otherwise, why would my 'wife' pretend to be alive? If a Specter wants to test if humans can see them, they can do so by startling them rather than pretending to be alive. So, the only possibility is that they are trying to fit into human life. But what's the reason for doing so?'
'Considering the end result... These Specters' goal is obviously to prey on humans, so everything they do is to prepare for this. Could fitting into human life help them make contact with humans better?'
'Specters seem to exist in limbo. When humans can't see them, they remain spectral beings. Only when both sides confirm they can see each other does the Specter take solid form.'
'Why do they have to be seen? No, that's not it! Maybe being heard is enough. I can see and hear Specters, while others can't hear or see them.'
'Seeing and hearing both represent information. Once the Specter confirms that humans can receive their information, they can interact. So, the Specters are fitting into human life, probably to make humans receive information or perceive their existence. Becoming part of daily life will certainly speed up this process; otherwise, the Specters won't need to do this.'
At this moment, Fang Xiu suddenly realized that maybe, some people's hallucinations and illusions might not be delusions at all.
'Some people might inadvertently hear someone calling their name or hear someone talking but find that there's no one around. It's very likely that a Specter is trying to fit into their life. The more they become part of life, and the longer it lasts, humans might inadvertently pick up on some signals!'
'And the more signals received, the greater the chance of the Specter revealing itself!'
'So, never respond!'