Chapter 14: The Inverted Clock, Reciprocity

Chapter 14: The Inverted Clock, Reciprocity

"Alert! The player has successfully killed a family Supernatural Entity. The mission will now be recalculated."

"You have unlocked a new achievement—[Novice Ghost Hunter]!"

"Title reward obtained—Inverted Clock."

"Congratulations on completing a hidden mission. Status level +1. All your stats have increased by 90 points."

"You have unlocked an apartment privilege—Night Patrol Permit." (From midnight 0:00 to 3:00, wearing this permit will grant immunity to the hatred lock of late-night Supernatural Entities.)

"The late-night apartment hides more missions and equipment, including those related to the main storyline. Explore actively!"

"Alert! Because you killed [Father], the favorability of [Grandmother] and [Mother] has increased by 20 points!"

"They believe you’ve grown into a sensible child. What’s the point of keeping a failed father who was always drunk and violent? His disappearance will make this family happier and more harmonious!"

Ji Yan’s eyes widened slightly.

Killing a family Supernatural Entity actually gave so many rewards?

But upon closer thought, the risks involved seemed to justify them.

He retrieved the newly acquired artifact from the Toolbar.

It was a wall clock with its hour, minute, and second hands completely disordered, looking utterly ordinary, as if it had been broken for years.

Ji Yan tapped to check the artifact’s information.

"Artifact Background—Every night before lights out, Mother would tell the Little Girl a story to help her sleep. Later, to see Mother sooner, the girl set the alarm clock on her bedside earlier. But after that night, Mother never appeared again…"

The backstory was vague and slightly eerie.

Ji Yan wasn’t particularly interested, but when he checked the artifact’s effects, his eyes lit up…

He glanced at the time in the room—3:30 AM.

The troublesome source, the Nightmare Devourer, had been dealt with.

"Next, it’s Dong Chu’s turn."

He didn’t like holding grudges overnight. If there was a score to settle, he’d do it immediately.

As players surviving under the same roof, Ji Yan hadn’t wanted to escalate things with Dong Chu. A few exchanged barbs shouldn’t have led to this.

But he’d underestimated the depths of human malice.

Now, it was time to return the favor…

That night, Dong Chu slept soundly.

In his dreams, he faintly heard Ji Yan’s screams, which only made his sleep more peaceful.

The next morning, the misty dawn arrived.

The alarm rang, and Dong Chu woke up groggily, silencing the shrill noise.

Not daring to delay, he quickly dressed and left his room.

In the living room, Liu Yitong was nowhere to be seen today. Instead, at the dining table, a large, round-faced figure was hunched over, devouring food.

"Fa… Father?!"

Dong Chu froze.

The Supernatural Entity Father had actually left his room—this was even rarer than the other two entities appearing!

A bad feeling crept into his heart.

Had something gone wrong last night?

Uneasy, the Nightmare Devourer squeezed out a single word at him.

"Sit."

Dong Chu sat down, feeling as if he were on pins and needles.

The Nightmare Devourer’s grotesque, pustule-covered face turned toward him, then twisted into a smile uglier than a grimace.

"As a father, it seems I haven’t had breakfast with my child in a long time. Today, I made sure to wake up early."

"Among the three children, I hold you in the highest regard."

"Deep in thought, decisive—only someone like you is worthy of being my child!"

The Nightmare Devourer curled its lips, revealing a row of yellowed teeth as it lavished praise without restraint.

To Dong Chu, this was as unbelievable as seeing the sun rise from the west.

Did I hear that right?

Wait… Could it be that I’ve gained favor with this Supernatural Entity and triggered a [Blessing]?

It suddenly dawned on him—this breakfast invitation was a reward event.

His heart swirled with disbelief and excitement.

So even this Supernatural Entity can be won over!

For the sake of gaining favor, he suppressed his disgust and forced himself to eat the food on the table.

"Father… about my younger brother last night… how is he?"

The Nightmare Devourer shoved a piece of sauce-drenched meat into its mouth.

"What, you still haven’t realized?"

"Everything on this table—it’s your dear little brother."

Dong Chu froze, staring at the steaming plates of meat on the table. His stomach churned, and he nearly vomited on the spot.

The Nightmare Devourer’s thick brows furrowed. "What’s wrong? Are you going to throw up the breakfast your father worked so hard to prepare for you?"

Dong Chu’s face turned ashen, his hands clapped over his mouth.

After an internal struggle, he forced himself to swallow it down.

It’s fine, it’s fine. After all, this is just the Supernatural Game, not the real world.

Eating it means nothing. It’s not like I’m committing some moral atrocity or losing my humanity.

He comforted himself like this.

But as he ate, something felt off.

He opened his [Information Panel]—no updates.

That’s not right. If Ji Yan really died, why hasn’t my [Talent] triggered to loot his equipment?

Staring at the motionless [Toolbar], Dong Chu frowned in confusion. His head felt heavy, and he shook it vigorously.

When he looked up again, the bright daylight outside the balcony was slowly darkening.

In the blink of an eye—it turned to night!

He stiffened, then whipped his head toward the wall.

The old pendulum clock still displayed the time: 3:30 AM.

"What’s going on?"

"...Wasn’t it already morning? I clearly heard the alarm!"

His mind blanked, then realization struck—his scalp prickled with terror.

He bolted into the hallway, sprinting toward his room!

A Ghostly Child, clad in a diaper with ashen skin, crouched outside his door, clutching a headless rag doll.

Its pitch-black eyes, devoid of whites, fixed on Dong Chu.

"Big brother, my doll’s head is missing again. Can you help me find it?"

Dong Chu’s heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t dare respond—he knew full well that answering meant accepting a [Mission].

And in the dead of night, the fatality rate of a Supernatural Entity’s task was nearly 99%!

He desperately pounded on the door to Liu Yitong’s room, screaming, "Liu Yitong!! Open up! Save me! Stop pretending to sleep!"

Liu Yitong heard him.

Pulling the blanket over his head, he covered his ears and muttered, "So annoying. These Supernatural things and their same old tricks every night!"

Dong Chu was sound asleep in his own room. How could he possibly be outside?

"Big brother, big brother, why won't you answer me?"

"Please, help me find my doll's head. It was a birthday gift from Father. If he finds out it's missing, he'll beat me."

The Ghostly Child stepped closer, its voice pleading, but the signs of blackening grew more pronounced.

Dong Chu retreated step by step until his back pressed against Ji Yan's door. He paused, then tentatively knocked twice.

"Ji Yan?"

"What?"

Dong Chu's pupils shrank—the voice from inside the room responded.

He wasn’t dead!

Why wasn’t he dead?

"You... you..." He stammered incoherently.

"Why am I not dead?"

"Why don’t you take a guess?" Ji Yan's calm voice drifted from within.

Dong Chu reacted quickly. Right now, Ji Yan’s survival wasn’t the issue. Desperation colored his words: "Ji Yan, don’t take what I said earlier to heart. I was just looking out for you, trying to make sure you stayed sharp."

"I was teaching you how to survive in this dungeon. I never meant you any harm. Just open the door, okay?"

The will to live made him grovel. All he could think about was getting inside that room—survival first.

From inside came Ji Yan’s icy laugh. "True, I should thank you."

"If not for your elaborate scheme, I wouldn’t have had the chance to kill that Supernatural Entity Father, let alone reap so many rewards."

"So, as repayment..."

"That Supernatural Artifact Alcohol Bottle you gave me? I’ve returned it to you, completely intact."

Dong Chu’s lips parted. His face paled.

"You knew?? You knew all along?!"

"Then it was you who lured me out of my room in the middle of the night?"

Dong Chu’s eyes burned red.

"You offered me a toast. I returned the favor."

"Reciprocity—what’s wrong with that?"

"In the next dungeon, learn to be smarter. Don’t provoke those you shouldn’t."

"Goodnight."

Ji Yan yawned and returned to bed.

Outside, Dong Chu’s screams and curses turned hysterical—until the Ghostly Child behind him, ignored and unanswered, fully blackened.

Small hands cupped his neck. "Big brother, why won’t you answer me?"

"Your head... looks perfect. Can I put it on my doll’s neck?"

Before Dong Chu could respond, those tiny hands lifted gently—and his head came clean off.

Blood sprayed. The headless corpse crumpled to the floor.

The Ghostly Child skipped away, balancing the head and the doll, until it vanished into the darkness.

"What a hectic night."

"At least it was fruitful—and I got rid of a pesky fly."

Hands behind his head, Ji Yan murmured as he closed his eyes and drifted into peaceful sleep.