The Old Man Ghost indeed sensed the strength of the[Family Crest].
In fact, there was no need to sense it at all. As soon as Wen Shi brought out the emblem, its undeniable energy weighed on him, making it hard to breathe. The owner of the emblem was strong. They were in different leagues.
With this powerful backup, Wen Shi's words carried genuine sincerity when he spoke again.
"The company wanted to pick me as the new face of Beautiful Soul. I understood Qingrong's situation. I assure you, I'd take care of him, no matter his status or health…"
Bleh.
Earlier, due to poor blood flow, his brain suffered from oxygen shortage, leading to a decline in thinking ability. Wen Shi promptly stopped and coughed. "Anyway, I'll do my best to protect Qingrong. But I need to know what occurred here, Uncle. Can you share details about the Big Factory?"
The Old Man Ghost paused, "You wouldn't kill me if I don't tell you, would you?"
"No, I won't."
"Then I…"
"I'll have someone kill you."
The Old Man Ghost hesitated. "...I guess I'll tell you."
The Old Man Ghost's first words, after agreeing to talk, were, "The Beautiful Soul Elixir produced by the Big Factory is a salvation for humanity."
Wen Shi: "So, what exactly is this Beautiful Soul Elixir?"
The Old Man Ghost stiffly turned his neck, managing the motion with skeletal support.
Aware that his response had raised suspicion, Wen Shi calmly explained, "I'm just too pure, haven't used that stuff."
He wasn't sure if the Old Man Ghost believed this explanation, but he answered, "Of course, Beautiful Soul Elixir is used to beautify the soul."
Wen Shi's expression revealed his disbelief.
Wasn't that a load of nonsense? People in this factory had likely used the Beautiful Soul Elixir a lot, yet he hadn't seen a good person here.
Sensing Wen Shi's disdain, the Old Man Ghost's bones turned dark. His tone grew angry, as if he wanted to tear Wen Shi apart. "Without applying the Beautiful Soul Elixir regularly, one will soon become tainted, turning into a monster! The Beautiful Soul Elixir from the Big Factory is the finest in the world!"
Wen Shi suppressed his scornful expression.
This greatly contrasted with his expectations. He thought the Old Man Ghost would despise the factory and detest everything about it. But by the looks of it now, the Beautiful Soul Elixir seemed like an object of devotion to him.
Suddenly, Wen Shi asked, "Do you think the factory manager is a good person?"
"Of course not," the Old Man Ghost scoffed coldly. "Since the improved version of the Beautiful Soul Elixir emerged, its soul-beautifying effects have diminished, but it's become more effective at resisting contamination. Unlike the original version, which had significant side effects, often leading to delayed child development and lower IQ."
He sighed softly, "My son was a victim of the original version of Beautiful Soul Elixir."
Expressionless, Wen Shi pondered. He certainly didn't consider Jian Qingrong to have a low IQ. Moreover, that height of his didn't seem like delayed development.
"What's causing the contamination?"
The Old Man Ghost retorted, "I'm no scientist, how would I know? Anyway, the Beautiful Soul Elixir can save the world."
With unwavering devotion, he continued, "Big Factory is the sole authorized producer of the enhanced Beautiful Soul Elixir. Other factories only have rights for the original and improved versions. This owes to the old factory manager's connections with a hospital across the ocean. It's that very hospital that formulated the secret recipe for the Beautiful Soul Elixir."
Upon hearing the word "hospital," Wen Shi involuntarily blurted out, "Frank Hospital?"
The Old Man Ghost's bones rattled slightly.
Despite having been deceased for a while, his tone still held a strong tremor and reverence. "It's a hospital with great compassion. Later, they even established a sanatorium near the factory."
"..."
Wen Shi could ascertain that the timelines of the two instances were different. The world of Big Factory was evidently more modern.
In this light, the history of Frank Hospital seemed even longer than he had imagined. However, every detail in this history was currently filled with darkness, blood, and distortion.
"How did you pass away?" Worried about angering the Old Man Ghost, Wen Shi kept some distance when asking this question.
Unexpectedly, the Old Man Ghost was oddly calm. "I don't remember. I only recall feeling unwell for a period, worrying about contamination. Thankfully, Qingrong worked tirelessly day and night, allowing me to use the Beautiful Soul Elixir daily. After that, after that…"
Dark streaks of blood emerged on his bone-riddled figure. Almost all that remained was the twitching face, just a skin-covered visage. In an instant, the Old Man Ghost's expression turned fierce, and a chill rushed recklessly through the room, toppling furniture except for the chair beneath the corpse.
As he lost his sanity, overwhelmed by a self-destructive urge, the intimidation of the[Family Crest]faded away.
Attempting to diminish his presence, Wen Shi gradually stepped back.
Upon turning around, he bumped into Jian Qingrong, who surprisingly didn't seem as slender as he appeared. Without intention, Wen Shi's hand slipped down and actually touched his abs.
The touch felt quite pleasant. Damn slow development. The Old Man Ghost simply had no real understanding of his own son.
Realizing the action resembled oiling, Wen Shi quickly retracted his hand. "Uncle seems upset, should we leave for now?"
Jian Qingrong's gaze lingered on his hand for a few seconds before calmly lifting the fallen incense burner. Igniting three incense sticks, his pale fingertips looked even thinner in the faint flame. He bowed towards a black-and-white photo on the wall, then inserted the sticks into the burner.
The Old Man Ghost settled down, leaning back in his chair, no longer making a sound.
Jian Qingrong said, "He hasn't spoken in a long while."
Duh, how can one speak much after death? But Wen Shi couldn't say that, so he just nodded in agreement.
"Since my father likes you, I'll let some things go."
A casual remark, Wen Shi assumed it referred to his incident of peeking at the diary.
Later that night, Wen Shi refrained from opening the drawer again. If caught once more, it wouldn't end well. He constantly recalled the contents of the diary he had seen earlier.
Jian Qingrong's behavior was strange. Having encountered ghosts before, he knew what to expect during night shifts. But he was always willing to help or stand guard together. What was even stranger were his reactions after encountering ghosts each time.
…He was calling out their names.
"Name." Suddenly, Wen Shi realized he had never asked the teenager's name. It wasn't a simple case of forgetting. There was some force causing him to overlook it. Otherwise, in any human interaction, one would instinctively ask for a name before inquiring about age.
Alright, he would discuss this with the teenager tomorrow when they met.
The Old Man Ghost's death was clearly not simple.
For the first time, Wen Shi began to doubt Jian Qingrong's filial identity. This Beautiful Soul Elixir was far from being a good thing. However, during the final days of the Old Man Ghost's life, Jian Qingrong continuously provided him with it.
Wen Shi silently consolidated the information he could confirm: being scratched by a monster led to infection; excessive use of the Beautiful Soul Elixir caused dependency. Workers in the factory, before their deaths, had a more urgent need for the elixir. Moreover, those who died in the factory seemed to remain attached to this place.
He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but after turning over, lost in thought, he unknowingly drifted into slumber. Around three in the morning, a loud noise jolted Wen Shi awake. The commotion was intense. Not long after, a mournful scream pierced through the air.
Boom!
Boom boom!
Wen Shi hesitated. Hadn't the Old Man Ghost quieted down already?
Soon, he realized that the tumultuous uproar was not coming from inside the room, but from outside.
Wen Shi rushed to the window and pulled open the curtains. At first glance, he saw a dense crowd of people, nearly stumbling backward. In the moonlight, these creatures used their hands and feet with astonishing speed, climbing towards the upper floors of the dormitory building. Most flooded into the windows of the first three floors like a tide. However, there were still quite a few robust male creatures that began scaling past the third floor.
One of them spotted Wen Shi, its decaying half-cheek pulling into a horrifying grin, revealing rows of sharp, slender teeth smeared with blood.
The scent of the living lured it, hastening its climbing speed.
This scene was like a real-life version of a zombie siege.
Goosebumps covered Wen Shi's skin as he prayed the game would be considerate and not throw him into an apocalyptic scenario. He had no desire to deal with a bunch of living dead.
The windows were securely locked, but Wen Shi didn't believe that glass could stop these frenzied creatures.
He turned back and yelled at Jian Qingrong, "Get out, find the dormitory supervisor!"
Each floor above the third had its own supervisor, surely they'd be useful.
Wen Shi rushed into the room and slung the corpse over his back.
The Old Man Ghost felt somewhat touched.
"Uncle, please just guard me and your son a little longer."
It was like saying he could use him as a last resort hidden weapon when things get tough.
"..." Go to hell, go to hell, how could there be such a scoundrel!
There was more commotion in the hallway.
As soon as Wen Shi opened the door, he saw the dormitory supervisor in the distance wielding an electric baton, repeatedly striking.
Approaching cautiously, he noticed a metal gate at the stairwell leading to the fourth floor. The dormitory supervisor's baton hit a monster's head, spewing a large amount of blood that flowed down along the metal gate. The gruesome scene didn't deter the creatures attempting to breach the gate. Their arms stretched out through the narrow gaps, the ones in the back pushing the ones in front, like a surging wave. It was only a matter of time before they broke through the metal gate.
Going upward was the only way out, yet a similar metal gate was closed between the fourth and fifth floors. Each floor was in a relatively sealed state.
Wen Shi couldn't help but take a step back. "Has something like this happened before? Monster attacks on humans?"
During the tunnel incident, the attackers were contaminated NPCs but not yet fully transformed into real monsters. However, these creatures now were clearly pure monsters, judging by their appearance and climbing speed.
"No," Jian Qingrong said. "They only like to consume contaminated individuals."
A Soul Purity above sixty but below seventy indicated the contamination phase. Below sixty, individuals start to transform. Based on the incident in the tunnel, monsters preferred eating contaminated humans but avoid the transformed ones.
Something unknown had caused them to deviate from this behavior now.
Wen Shi took a deep breath. "Do you know where all these monsters came from?"
"Behind Big Factory, there's a sanatorium where contaminated people are taken for treatment." Mentioning the sanatorium, a strange smile appeared in Jian Qingrong's clear eyes. "Occasionally, there are rare cases that can be cured."
"…It should be an issue with the sanatorium, where quite a few patients are held."
Wen Shi silently cursed whether these people had brains. They placed a sanatorium behind a densely populated factory.
The metal gate was on the verge of collapsing. At this moment, the dormitory supervisor turned his head and saw Jian Qingrong, his face lighting up with hope.
He took a protective suit and electric baton from the staff room, calling Jian Qingrong over. "Qingrong, you're the ambassador of our factory's Beautiful Soul. Put on the protective suit and lead them away. I'll go find help."
The dormitory supervisor completely ignored Wen Shi and the corpse on his back.
Jian Qingrong's pupils grew darker. In the dimly lit hallway, a tinge of crimson flashed deep in his eyes.
Misfortune never comes singly. Suddenly, the door of a nearby dormitory swung open, revealing an unusually thin man holding a basin of water. Wen Shi stood in front of Jian Qingrong, but before he could react, the basin of water was drenched over the man. The water emitted a strange odor, and Jian Qingrong's hair became wet and matted against his face, instantly resembling a soaked chicken.
"Are you out of your mind?" Before he could finish scolding, the man slammed the door shut.
"Uncle, can you stand by while your son is treated this way?"
The corpse leapt off Wen Shi's back. Just as Wen Shi thought the Old Man Ghost was about to unleash a flurry of punches, he suddenly lunged onto Jian Qingrong. His withered face revealed a salivating expression while repeteadly muttering, "Beautiful Soul Elixir, Beautiful Soul Elixir…"
Before he could do anything more repulsive, Wen Shi kicked the man away.
The thin man splashed diluted Beautiful Soul Elixir, undoubtedly trying to make Jian Qingrong the target of the monster attack.
.....
The monster attack was strategic. They displayed a certain level of intelligence. Instead of mindlessly crowding, the front few began forcefully kicking the door.
With a soaked body, Jian Qingrong caught the dormitory supervisor's eye. The supervisor grabbed a protective suit and rushed toward Room 401.
Swinging the electric baton recklessly, Wen Shi couldn't stop him. He could only watch as the supervisor entered Jian Qingrong's room and locked the door behind him.
Good heavens, they were all shameless now.
The Old Man Ghost lost his composure once again. The temperature around him drastically dropped. He looked like he wished to skin and devour Jian Qingrong.
"Beautiful Soul Elixir…" No one could prevent him from consuming the Beautiful Soul Elixir!
The Old Man Ghost's attention was fixed on Jian Qingrong. When he pounced on Jian Qingrong for the second time, Wen Shi grabbed his spine from behind and forcefully twisted.
The Old Man Ghost's corpse wasn't very agile. Before he could lunge again, Wen Shi rapidly devised a strategy.
"Hide in the staff room." A shadow fell over Wen Shi's head as he approached Jian Qingrong. Jian Qingrong was half a head taller.
The distance between them closed until Wen Shi could clearly see the Beautiful Soul Elixir trickling down the veins on Jian Qingrong's neck, flowing downward and eventually passing his Adam's apple.
After speaking, Jian Qingrong walked alone towards the iron door, slender fingers gripping the bell in his pocket and giving it a slight shake.
The monsters outside became even more excited, but their predatory desire wasn't directed at Jian Qingrong. They seemed more like wild beasts that Jian Qingrong had been feeding, even when the cage was opened.
The sound of the bell was weak and faint, undetectable by untrained ears, especially in this situation.
Wen Shi could only see the slim figure ahead and didn't pay attention to such details. He was contemplating his next move. The cooldown time for the Wandering Corpse skill hadn't elapsed yet, and summoning it wouldn't be very effective. Summoning the castle master carried too much risk. Wen Shi disliked being passive, and Jian Qingrong alone wouldn't fill the gap between those monsters' teeth. Taking refuge in the staff room might not guarantee safety either. Plus, as an intern, anyone could easily step on him. Without Jian Qingrong, and as the next ambassador of Beautiful Soul, he knew the treatment he could expect.
In his peripheral vision, he noticed the Old Man Ghost preparing for another fierce attack. Wen Shi made his decision swiftly.
He walked briskly forward.
Jian Qingrong only thought he was heading for the staff room, a tinge of playful amusement mixed into his gloomy expression.
"Follow me."
Wen Shi's demeanor matched his tone, both stern and forceful, as he forcibly pulled Jian Qingrong down the hallway.
Inside the Big Factory, Jian Qingrong had always seemed like a puppet without a mind of his own. He did whatever others told him to do. As Wen Shi led him away, a trace of an emotion called puzzlement finally appeared in his eyes. "Why?"
Why help him?
Shouldn't it be more normal to throw him into the monster horde, like the dormitory supervisor would at a time like this?
"If one can help, then help. Why do you talk so much?" Wen Shi calculated the distance of the corridor, estimating how many monsters would come up. He scolded Jian Qingrong impatiently.
Jian Qingrong: "Are you really not going to let me lead the monsters away?"
Wen Shi felt a headache coming on and replied irritably, "No, don't worry."
Jian Qingrong was taken aback. The sensation of being promised something made him feel unfamiliar, disgusted, yet also slightly excited.
Wen Shi had almost retreated to Room 401 at the end of the corridor. He needed to save his points. He had only one chance to strike, and if he wanted to knock down the monsters at once, he had to let as many of them flood into the corridor as possible.
The dormitory supervisor hiding inside Room 401 and peering through the peephole cursed the foolishness of this plan. It was a dead end. It would have been safer to hide in the staff room.
"Get lost!"
Worried that the monsters might gather here later, the dormitory supervisor opened the door and used the electric baton to drive them away.
There was a small trace of blood on Jian Qingrong's face, left by the uncontrollable elderly ghost. He watched the dormitory supervisor brandishing the baton, his gaze resembling that of a cold-blooded creature eyeing its soon-to-be-eaten prey. Jian Qingrong wiped away the blood from his pale fingertips, licked his lips, and wrinkled his brow in slight dissatisfaction.
… Blood, the taste of others was better.
Boom!
The iron door finally collapsed. The dormitory supervisor, too occupied with trying to close the door on the approaching horde, couldn't drive them away this time. The room wasn't entirely safe either, but at least his electric baton was effective against the monsters climbing in through the window.
The surging horde of monsters made Wen Shi gasp in shock.
Jian Qingrong noticed his reaction, his fist clenching tightly.
Humans always make promises easily, only to betray them later. There was a large trash bin in the corner, with a black plastic bag draped over it. Jian Qingrong seemed to be seriously considering Wen Shi's safety, but he continued to try to persuade him to abandon himself: "You can hide in there, and I'll lead the monsters away."
Wen Shi ignored him, focused on browsing items in the in-game store.
[Item Name: Greenwood Sword
Price: 100 points
Description: An ordinary-looking longsword.]
This one will do! It's cheap enough!
After making the payment, a longsword appeared in Wen Shi's hand out of thin air. He mentally activated the[One Strike Flattens All]skill and instructed Jian Qingrong, "Stand behind me."
He couldn't stand the slow pace at critical moments. When Jian Qingrong seemed lost in thought again, he simply pushed him behind.
"Do you want to use the skill[One Strike Flattens All]?"
"Yes."
"Consuming 5000 points to activate[One Strike Flattens All]. This skill can be used three times, and the first use is in this instance."
An inexplicable force surged into Wen Shi's body. The object in his hand felt more like a nuclear weapon than a sword. In that moment, he had only one thought in his mind: invincible in this world.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jian Qingrong gazing at the blade. Wen Shi casually found an excuse, "It's a flexible sword, can be worn around the waist."
He wouldn't easily expose his back to anyone, even if it was the seemingly frail Jian Qingrong. But now that Wen Shi had activated the skill, no one could ambush him from behind.
The corridor was narrow, and the countless black undead heads with fierce green glints in their eyes rushed towards them. The surging monsters resembled a swarm of cockroaches infiltrating a fortress.
In truth, the number of monsters coming to the fourth floor was much smaller than those below. Only a handful of sturdy creatures continued up the stairs, while the rest targeted the residents on the fourth floor.
Wen Shi calmly took a few steps forward. As they all swarmed into the entrance of the corridor, he raised his arm.
"One Strike—"
The sword's energy stirred the wind, creating real waves that surged like a tidal wave, sweeping through the corridor, striking the monsters.
"Flattens All!"
The system precisely controlled the force of the skill release. Otherwise, a strike like that would send walls and ceilings flying, something the game clearly didn't want to do to the building.
The monsters hit by the powerful attack weren't so lucky.
Some monsters' heads were sliced off directly, while the rest first felt a twinge around their waist. When they lowered their heads to see the blood between their legs, they were met with a scene of carnage. A line of blood then appeared around their necks, and their heads rolled off their bodies. For a brief moment, the corridor was filled with the sound of rolling heads. In the seconds after their heads rolled away like soccer balls, the monsters remained conscious, unable to speak or close their eyes. They had no choice but to gaze upward at their mangled bodies, gradually coming to terms with the reality in three stages.
They were crippled, they wept, they died!
Damn it!
"!"
Wen Shi fell silent.
One Strike Flattens All, first at the hips, then at the head.
Big Sister, Big Sister, how many surprises do you still have hidden from me?
He didn't stay silent for too long in front of these monsters. Pointing his sword at the peephole of Room 401, he said, "You come out on your own, or should I break in? I'll count to three. Three, two…"
The door opened.
The dormitory supervisor walked out, his legs trembling.
Taking advantage of his previous show of strength, Wen Shi kicked him. The dormitory supervisor didn't dare resist. He could only clutch his stomach and groan in pain.
Acting like a village bully, Wen Shi picked up the fallen electric baton. "Since you can't handle being a dormitory supervisor, I'll take over for you."
Stepping over the bodies of the monsters, disregarding the mess on the floor, Wen Shi swung the baton and smashed the nearby door.
The thin man inside almost burst into tears.
Clearly, the residents had witnessed the previous scene through their peepholes. One could be killed, but not humiliated! How could there be such ruthless human in the world!
[Congratulations on completing the solo side quest. Soul Purity +10.
You protected the safety of the fourth floor, which is commendable!]
While facing the monsters, Wen Shi's Soul Purity had dropped to ninety-one but quickly rose again. He was worried the game might round it off, so he quickly checked his attribute panel:
[Soul Purity: 101 (Oops, it overflowed)]
"..."
Since the game recognized his contribution to all the residents on the fourth floor, what pride did he have left—
"Starting today, I'm the dormitory supervisor for the fourth floor. Anyone got a problem?" Wen Shi's raised voice carried a touch of hostility. "If you've got an issue, open your door now!"
The electric baton made a 'clang clang' sound as he hit it, his hand getting a bit sore. He switched to tapping the baton against the wall as he walked forward, putting on a menacing killer posture.
In the corner, the Old Man Ghost had slipped into the trash bin. It turned out the lure of the Beautiful Soul Elixir could be resisted, as long as the fear was strong enough. When Wen Shi unleashed his special move, he spared the shivering elderly ghost. Now, the latter used his nearly skeletal hand to lift the trash bin lid and carefully cover himself.
"Can't see me, can't see me…" the Old Man Ghost prayed silently.
"Note: Resident of Room 401, Jian Haiyang, got so scared he hid in the trash bin. Fear of you increased by fifty points."
"Note: Residents of Room 404, Li Nantian and Sun Cheng, got scared to the point of wetting themselves. They don't want to become impotent. Fear of you increased by a hundred points."
"Note: Resident of Room 406, Zhao Zhe, is still crying. He really doesn't want to be castrated. Fear of you increased by a hundred points."
"Note: Resident of Room 408…"
Amidst the various announcements, an odd notification suddenly appeared:
"Warning: Resident of Room 401, Jian Qingrong's favorability towards you (+20)."
"Congratulations, you have earned the unanimous approval of the fourth-floor residents and have been promoted from intern to dormitory supervisor."
[Night Shift Dormitory Supervisor at Big Factory: You possess a baton provided by Big Factory, a useful tool against monsters!
Currently, you are only the dormitory supervisor for the fourth floor. The residents upstairs don't pay much attention to you. You are weak, helpless, and quite pitiable.
Dormitory Supervisor's Authority: With residents' consent, you can allow outsiders to stay in the dorms.
Due to excessive fear levels, the residents on this floor will obey your commands.
Night Shift Dormitory Supervisor Duties: Fire safety, theft prevention, and ensuring residents' safety at night.
Note that your dormitory supervisor role will be replaced if you fail to fulfill your duties.]
Before he could pay much attention to the role, Wen Shi turned back to the notifications, focusing on the previous one. He couldn't help but turn around to find Jian Qingrong standing at the other end, his pale skin stained with someone's blood. It seemed like he was taken aback, frozen in place.
After a long while, Jian Qingrong seemed to snap out of it, giving him a grateful smile.
"You're welcome." Wen Shi swallowed hard, managing to return the smile.
Honestly, he himself was startled by the effects of that[One Strike Flattens All]skill. Everyone else was in fear, so why was it only Jian Qingrong gaining positive feelings?
And why was this increase in favorability accompanied by a warning notification?
Wen Shi gave Jian Qingrong a deep look.
…Brother, something's not right with you!