Lucas moved with quiet caution, his senses sharpened by the bloodshed behind him.
Every step was deliberate. Every movement calculated. He didn't let his guard down even in areas marked as "low danger."
"Low danger isn't no danger," he reminded himself grimly.
He clutched the kitchen knife tighter in one hand, the severed head of the female ghost dangling in the other.
Dark red blood dripped from the blade's edge, forming a gory trail along the damp corridor floor.
Then Lucas stopped.
He turned slowly, positioning himself in front of the door closest to the girls' restroom.
> [Class 1, Grade 2 – Changming University: Low-Level Danger]
He looked at the door, then raised his weapon.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
Three firm, rhythmic knocks.
Creeeeak...
A slow, shrill creaking broke the silence as the door groaned open.
Behind it stood a pale face, bloodless and sickly.
Shorter than Lucas by a head, thin to the point of looking skeletal, with hair that resembled a bird's nest.
> [Wang Ping – Vengeful Ghost, Class 1, Grade 2: Low-Level Danger]
...
In the Central Live Broadcast Hall,
Lucas' stream had drawn a crowd.
More than a few familiar viewers stared at his feed.
"Wait—has anyone ever triggered this NPC before?"
"I think I ran into Wang Ping once," a viewer typed. "Didn't get far. He's dangerous. Too high level for most newbies—even with a weapon."
"Tch. This newcomer's got the worst luck…"
"I've said it before: don't open random classroom doors. It never ends well."
...
Wang Ping started to smile.
It was a crooked, sinister smile that promised violence.
But his smile faltered the moment his gaze fell.
Lucas stood there—one hand holding a kitchen knife slick with ghost blood, the other hoisting a severed head.
The side of his face was stained with flecks of red, blood that had sprayed when he sliced off the female ghost's head earlier.
Lucas gave what he believed to be a kind, welcoming smile.
"Classmate... do you know her?"
He raised the head slightly to give Wang Ping a better look.
The bloodied head swayed before him like a grotesque lantern.
"AHHHHH!" Wang Ping screamed.
He recoiled in pure panic, stumbling back as he put distance between them.
His pupils trembled with emotion.
Shock.
Terror.
Complete, bone-deep fear.
...
The live chat, once full of pity for Lucas, suddenly fell silent.
After a few seconds, one brave soul typed:
"Wait... did Wang Ping—the ghost—just get scared by the player?"
"Didn't someone here say they barely escaped death from Wang Ping before?"
The chat exploded:
: ????
: Fk me, why'd the stream cut to Wang Ping's POV for a second? I nearly died!**
: I thought the ghost would scare me, but it's the player I'm afraid of now!!
: His plan is to just walk around waving a severed head and ask people if they recognize it?!
: I don't understand this guy at all...
: Manual @cream of the crop – explain this madness!
...
In the Broadcast Hall, the crowd chanted.
"Where's Cream of the Crop?!"
"Get Cream on the mic!"
Someone finally said, "Cream is usually right. He just didn't see this coming."
Another added, "His analysis is solid. Everyone makes mistakes once in a while."
"Rational."
Thousands of viewers spammed requests—until finally, the name reappeared in chat.
cream of the crop:
"If you find someone who knew the female ghost, you can likely uncover her story and fulfill her final wish. This is the correct path to solve the hidden chain mission."
: Ahhh, simple and straight to the point.
: I see now!
: As expected of Cream!
: Master Cream, please guide me next run!
...
Inside the classroom, the NPC Wang Ping had completely forgotten his original programming.
He shook his head violently.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I don't recognize her! I don't know her! I don't, I don't, I—NO!"
Lucas lowered the ghost head.
He gave Wang Ping a sympathetic glance.
"Died young... and with a stutter."
With a polite nod, Lucas turned and walked away.
The moment his back was turned—
BOOM!
The classroom door slammed shut behind him, the echo of the impact reverberating down the corridor.
Lucas didn't flinch. He simply walked toward the next classroom.
...
> [10,563 people are now watching the player's livestream. 9,620 followers. 321 viewers have sent gifts, totaling 321 points.]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Step by Step"]
Viewership continued to soar.
Lucas began knocking on every classroom door along the corridor.
Each time, his question remained the same.
"Classmate, do you know her?"
One by one, the ghosts opened their doors—some with malicious intent, others with curiosity.
But upon seeing the severed head, they all recoiled.
Each response was the same: trembling heads, wide eyes, and hurried "no's."
These were spirits who once roamed freely, unafraid of intruders. Now they flinched at the sight of a single player.
Lucas had flipped the script.
At last, he reached the final classroom at the end of the second-floor hallway.
The door creaked open...
Inside stood a ghost in a tattered red dress. Her eyes wept blood, and her aura oozed with resentment.
She stared at the head in Lucas' hand.
A vicious smile crept across her face.
Even her gaze toward Lucas was filled with hostility.
"I know her," she said through gritted teeth. "Of course I do. She's my cousin."
cream of the crop:
"That's it! The key NPC! This is the breakthrough. I told you, once someone recognized her, the hidden chain mission could continue!"
: I can't believe it actually worked!
: I thought he'd ruined the quest line! But he pulled it off!
Lucas' eyes lit up.
His search was over. He had found a thread.
He smiled.
He raised the kitchen knife again.
And then—
He swung.
The red-dressed ghost didn't have time to react.
Neither did the viewers.
The blade met her neck.
SPLAT.
Her head flew off, spinning mid-air before thudding wetly to the floor.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Lucas' face was soaked, his right eye now stained crimson.
He stood in the center of the classroom, breathing calmly.
Like nothing had happened.
"That's perfect..." Lucas whispered to himself.
...
The livestream chat froze.
: ??????????
: BRO????
: He finally finds someone who knows the ghost... and IMMEDIATELY chops her head off?!
: There's no logic anymore. Just chaos.
: What the hell kind of protagonist is this?
...
But Lucas wasn't done.
Not by a long shot.
His expression remained calm. Peaceful, even.
But to those watching, he looked completely unhinged.
Like a man whose sense of reality had slipped just enough to be terrifying.
Like someone who could walk through a haunted house... and scare the ghosts.