novelraw Chapter 229: Could this be an unintended boon?
Chapter 229: Could this be an unintended boon?
"Congratulations, Affection Level has reached its peak of 100 points! The special effect of Unobstructed Social Communication Charm Syndrome is activated! You’ve earned the ultimate Full Moon friendship reward: the Ghost Slave Pact!"
As this prompt message appeared, a mysterious and arcane symbol surfaced on both Alexander and Full Moon’s foreheads.
The moment the symbol manifested, a spider-like pattern abruptly emerged on Full Moon’s forehead. Dark energy surged from it; the pattern writhed as if trying to escape. But to no avail—the Ghost Slave Pact was overwhelmingly domineering, vanquishing the spider-like pattern instantly.
A newfound sense of control filled Alexander, as if he could manipulate every facet of Full Moon through this pact. However, something felt off; it seemed as though this pact had connected to something far more significant.
"Ow—uh—ah!" A cry of pain suddenly snapped Alexander back to the moment.
Full Moon was clutching her head in agony, her beautiful face beaded with sweat. Could this be... her memories returning?
Alexander quickly stepped forward to steady Full Moon’s shoulders. In an instant, she collapsed into his arms, her body trembling lightly as she let out cries of pain.
"Is Full Moon alright?" Terrence asked, standing nearby with a worried and somewhat helpless expression.
"She’ll be fine. It seems her memories are returning," Alexander reassured while holding Full Moon.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Full Moon finally opened her eyes slowly. Meeting Alexander’s gaze, her expression was complex yet filled with gratitude. "Brother..."
Though she had called him "brother" before, this time Full Moon’s eyes were far more animated, at least devoid of the previous blankness.
"Does your head still hurt?" Alexander asked softly.
"It doesn’t hurt anymore! Thank you! If not for your help, I might still be controlled, destined to become a puppet like YoKo," Full Moon said, her eyes not just full of the usual adoration, but also tinged with a newfound gratitude.
"Ahem..." Terrence, standing aside and unable to hold back any longer, cleared his throat and said, "Full Moon, perhaps you should put your clothes back on first."
Lowering her gaze, Full Moon realized that although Alexander had buttoned her shirt, she hadn’t been wearing any undergarments; her intimate areas were entirely exposed to him.
Now, she was no longer the naive Full Moon, akin to a three-year-old. Startled, she let out a scream and scrambled out of Alexander’s arms, dashing into the room.
Moments later, Full Moon emerged from the room, visibly flustered. Seeing her face flush with embarrassment, Alexander decided it was best to divert the conversation.
"Full Moon, how much of your memory has returned? Can you recall anything about Lord K?" he asked.
Hearing Alexander’s question, Full Moon’s expression turned serious. She nodded and said, "Many memories have faded into mere fragments, but the vivid ones still remain. I remember it started at the motorcycle instance..."
As Full Moon recounted her tale, Alexander quickly pieced together the story. It wasn’t difficult to guess: Lord K had approached Full Moon, and when persuasion failed, he directly attacked her, using his abilities to seal her memory and brainwash her.
Of course, during the process of persuasion, he inevitably showcased some of his power.
For instance, he spoke of the Endless Abyss, which housed eight formidable experts. They had apparently found some strategy for safely surviving in mist instance. Currently, six of these experts are known as Ghost Emperors within the Endless Abyss city.
Only two have not yet attained the rank of Ghost Emperor. According to Lord K, it’s only a matter of time for them.
Lord K had made it clear he wanted to recruit Full Moon. Unfortunately, this conversation was overheard by Angel.
Nervous, Angel accidentally made a sound and was discovered by Lord K. In her panic, she activated her ’Rush’ ability. This incensed Lord K. If Angel got away using ’Rush,’ his entire plan would be ruined. Consequently, he attacked and shattered Angel.
Full Moon, who considered Angel her sister, would naturally never ally with Lord K afterward. So, she too fell victim to Lord K’s schemes and had her memories sealed.
Before all this, in his attempt to persuade Full Moon, Lord K had divulged a fair amount of information. Even though most had been thoroughly erased, the revelation that there were six Ghost Emperors in the Endless Abyss alone was enough to alarm anyone.
Even the two who hadn’t attained the rank of Ghost Emperor were far from simple. For instance, Alexander had obtained a cigar that was described as a product of the Endless Abyss’s eighth-ranked Turtle Imperial.
This indicated that Turtle Imperial had the means to produce cigars—a highly effective way to amass vast wealth. One could only imagine the incredible fortune in the hands of Turtle Imperial.
As for the other expert ranked sixth, their identity would probably be equally intriguing.
The implications of this story, if spread, could pose a threat to all the ghost cities of the Third Ghost Realm, almost comparable to the rise of Louis as the heir to the Dark Hell.
As Full Moon narrated, the dread of the Endless Abyss loomed over Alexander like a towering mountain for the first time.
Simultaneously, a prompt materialized in Alexander’s ears:
"Prompt: Honored participant Alexander, congratulations on successfully completing the special hidden mission ’Lord K’s Conspiracy.’ You’ve obtained the artifact ’Ghost God Spiritual Position.’ Main quest ’Ghost City War’ commences. Available factions: Dark Hell. Would you like to join?"
Ghost God Spiritual Position?
On hearing anything related to ’Ghost God,’ Alexander instantly perked up. However, it turned out that this artifact, resembling a coffin, was not overwhelmingly powerful. It merely accelerated the absorption of ghost energy when ghost coins were offered in front of it.
It was another auxiliary item.
While regular ghosts or powers may have abundant ghost coins, the time needed for absorption would still be extensive. Whether it’s a coffin or this spiritual position, all it does is expediently reduce this timeframe.
Nevertheless, this Ghost God Spiritual Position was an extremely valuable asset, especially since its effects could stack with those of the coffin. This would geometrically accelerate the efficiency of absorbing ghost coins.
Other powers, even if they possessed a plethora of ghost coins, would need years, even decades, to train a low-level ghost to soldier-level just through absorption.
With these two artifacts, that time could be shortened dramatically, maybe to even within a month, allowing all ten million-plus members of the Fierce Ghost Association to reach soldier-level. Even the consumption of ghost coins would decrease exponentially—provided, of course, that Alexander could withstand the terrifying drain.
Silently choosing ’Yes,’ another prompt instantly emerged in the minds of all chosen ones:
"Prompt: Attention all chosen ones, main quest ’Ghost City War’ begins. Any participant who has reached soldier-level and possesses the identity of a ghost citizen may join any ghost city in the Horror World for conflict. Victory conditions: either capture or win the allegiance of all other faction’s ghost cities. Rewards unknown. No time limit for the quest!"
"Prompt: Attention all chosen ones..."
"..."
Three consecutive prompts flashed in the minds of all chosen ones, leaving everyone on Earth utterly bewildered. What was this main quest? What did "ghost citizen identity" mean?
And what about other ghost cities? Were there cities beyond the Dark Hell in the Horror World?
It felt as if they had entered a counterfeit version of the Horror World. A main quest now existed in the Horror World, and the absurdity was that nobody seemed qualified to participate!
Soldier-level!
In the past, that was the stuff of legends, a hypothetical status people speculated they might attain. But now, in the grip of collective outrage, powerful factions with soldier-level masters had no choice but to dispatch these hidden experts to calm the masses.
Then, everyone suddenly realized—even these soldier-level masters weren’t qualified for the main quest. Had the Horror World introduced a main quest just for the sake of loneliness?
"Maybe... one person is qualified!"
Someone commented under a hot online post, and in an instant, the world fell silent. Unanimously, everyone’s thoughts converged on a single name: Alexander, codenamed 44011.
Cain: Listen, everyone, it’s definitely Alexander. Only he has the capability! The man is the honorary chairman of the Fierce Ghost Association, surely a genuine ghost citizen!
Luffy: What the heck is a ghost citizen? I’m already at the senior member level of an evil spirit, and I’ve never even heard of it. Is 44011 really that amazing?
Meteor Shower: You call an evil spirit a senior member? Haha! I’m at the peak of the Ferocious level, half a step away from Fierce. I have one distinctive trait: I’m rich! Loaded with ghost coins and seeking eligibility to participate in the main quest!
Gentle Wind: One hundred million dollars, asking for the qualification or relevant clues to become a ghost citizen. Will deliver the amount instantly for accurate clues!
Lin Tao: You two, neither of you are even at soldier-level. What’s the point of seeking ghost citizen qualifications? Even if you do become ghost citizens, you’re not soldier-level, so you’re still not qualified.
Akali: That’s right! The ghost city war isn’t confined to just one city. You have to reach soldier-level and acquire the ghost citizen status to enter. Do you know what that means? It means that soldier-levels are just cannon fodder!
...
Online, the hot topics were aflame with fervent discussions, and without exception, everyone was talking about the main quest. Among the commenters, some insightful individuals, like Akali, pinpointed the gravest concern about the main quest.
Soldier-level and ghost citizen—these statuses were merely the lowest qualifications to participate in the main quest. This wasn’t some ordinary event; it was a grand struggle among countless ghost cities.
Even awe-inspiring events like the Ghost Street Battles paled in comparison to the real Ghost City Wars. Soldier-levels were, after all, just cannon fodder!
Nevertheless, there were some stubborn participants, deaf to advice, who kept asking around for clues on how to become ghost citizens. It wasn’t just about the Ghost City Wars; reaching soldier-level was an aspiration unto itself. Some thought they had uncovered the secret. For instance...
Moonlight: The qualification of being a ghost citizen has become the standard for participation. Since the main quest was initiated by Alexander, it’s evident he’s a ghost citizen! What do you think—could Alexander’s prowess stem from his ghost citizen status?
Carcus: It’s very likely! I heard that Alexander, with his code 44011, has been in the Horror World for less than two months. How could he become so powerful so quickly? The only plausible explanation is his ghost citizen status!
Forbes: It’s the truth! Absolutely the truth! Unless he ascended by offering smokes and drinks to ghosts!
Amino Acid: Do you think it’s possible that he actually did rise to power by offering smokes and drinks to ghosts? I once had the privilege of participating in the same event as Alexander, and I think it’s a definite possibility!
Yasuo: Come look at the fool! The one above actually believes such absurd conclusions!
...
While everyone was engrossed in debating whether Alexander’s rapid rise could be attributed to his ghost citizen status, a sudden message appeared.
Nightmare: It’s not because of being a ghost citizen! Ghost citizenship is a scam, a complete lie! I acquired the ghost citizen status, accidentally became some sort of ghost lord, and was initially quite excited. Then I discovered it’s a massive scam!
In fact, Nightmare is a chosen one, and not a weak one at that. He’s a seasoned chosen one at the Fierce level and has even founded a small thrill-seeking guild in reality. By conquering a few instances, he’s earned quite a bit of money.
However, since instances have a cooldown period and aren’t constantly available, he occasionally enters random ones. His cautious nature, good luck, and reasonable skill level have elevated him to the Fierce level.
Not long ago, Nightmare entered a random instance— a bun shop on Undead Street. Clearly, this instance was designed by the ghost master with the intent of turning players into minced meat.
However, the instance was peculiar. The walls and floors seemed scraped, a large hole was dug in the ground, and the shop was empty without even a table or chair.
Most bizarrely, the shop owner was seriously injured and appeared to be on death’s door, mumbling pleas for mercy.saying he would never dare to blacklist anyone again.
Seeing this golden opportunity, a few players wanted to seize the moment to kill the owner, hoping for high rewards.
Nightmare, however, felt a touch of compassion and suggested using this instance as a low-level farming tool, ultimately saving the owner. As a token of gratitude, the owner gave a ghost bead to Nightmare.
Thinking his luck had turned, Nightmare soon realized it was all a scam. The shop had a monthly rent of 7,000 ghost coins, which left him stunned.
Worse yet, every customer looked at him as though he were food. He felt he’d be dead if it weren’t for a notorious criminal diverting the attention of more powerful ghosts in Undead Street. His only thought now was to give away the ghost bead he held.
Hearing Nightmare’s unfortunate story, the majority immediately abandoned the idea of obtaining ghost beads.
Meanwhile, Alexander, the subject of everyone’s speculations, showed a very strange expression. He seemed to have stumbled upon an extraordinary revelation.
Unlike the standard ghost servant contracts others had, his contract with Full Moon had something extra. If the mental connection with Full Moon was likened to a raging river, this extra element was like a thin rope.
Injecting ghost energy into that slender rope, a voice suddenly erupted: "The mark of Full Moon has been erased! Damn it! How does that pest possess such means? Could it be that little bastard Louis is acting again?"
Both Full Moon and Alexander heard this faint voice emanating from the slender rope and exchanged stunned glances.
Could this be an unintended boon?