Chapter 21: Chiseling Through the Wall, Born from Death

Chapter 21: Chiseling Through the Wall, Born from Death

"Room 102 is my home... I left something important behind there..."

"Let me in... let me in!"

The Kanjing Gui Huang Sheng let out a hoarse, garbled voice, its tone pleading and resentful. It frantically gnawed at the apartment wall, trying to force its way inside, but its massive body remained stuck.

Ji Yan fell into thought.

It seemed the source of the resentment lay within Room 102.

Forcing this Supernatural Entity out wouldn’t work.

But what if he helped it find the source of its resentment?

Ji Yan decided it was worth a try—certainly better than brute force.

He turned to the Players standing in the mist, resigned to their fate. "Anyone want to help?"

"Help with what? Even Long Yuan couldn’t kill this thing. What chance do we have?"

"If it gets agitated, it’ll just speed up the destruction of the walls. There’s no way to stop it!"

Ji Yan shook his head. "Help it get inside. It’s stuck right now."

"We need to widen the hole!"

The others stared at him in disbelief.

Wait—weren’t we here to clear out the rats?

And now you’re helping these things invade the apartment?

Even the Bandaged Supernatural Entity, observing from the shadows, fixed Ji Yan with a strange gaze.

"I know it sounds suicidal, but it’s the only way to complete the Mission."

Time was running out. He needed help.

But no one moved. They all thought he’d lost his mind.

Seeing no volunteers, Ji Yan sighed, pulled out his Supernatural Nail Hammer, and strode forward, joining the Kanjing Gui in chiseling at the wall.

The Mutated Rats around the Kanjing Gui had initially bristled with hostility, but upon seeing his actions, they scattered.

[Ding! Due to incorrect gameplay actions, the Player has damaged the Instance map, angering the Supernatural tenants. A total of 12 now harbor malice toward you!]

Another warning panel popped up.

Ji Yan ignored it.

They already hated him anyway.

Malice? So what? He didn’t care.

Gripping the Supernatural Nail Hammer, Ji Yan swung it again and again.

With each strike, the wall bled.

His eyelids twitched. This apartment hid dark secrets.

Maybe these bleeding walls were tied to the Main Plot.

"He’s really lost it. Does he want to die faster?"

The Players behind him broke out in cold sweat.

Even the Bandaged Supernatural Entity couldn’t stay silent. "You’re playing with fire."

Ji Yan replied, "I have my own way of driving it out."

"As long as the Mission timer’s still running, I can do what I want. If I fail, I’ll take whatever Punishment comes."

The Bandaged Supernatural Entity didn’t stop him—Ji Yan was right.

But it still sneered. "Damaging the apartment, provoking the Supernatural tenants, harming the Landlord’s interests..."

"When the Mission ends, I can’t even imagine how severe your Punishment will be."

"That’s a problem for later. Right now, don’t interrupt my work."

Ji Yan’s retort made the Bandaged Supernatural Entity’s eyes burn with cold fury.

CRASH!

Another chunk of the wall collapsed—not with dust, but with thick, dripping blood.

It was open.

Ji Yan’s eyes gleamed.

No joy. No fear. Only tension.

The hole in the wall expanded, and the Kanjing Gui's massive body, no longer constrained, easily slipped into the apartment building. Dirty water gushed out, flooding the first-floor corridor.

The stench quickly permeated every resident's room on the first floor.

"It really got in..."

Ji Yan followed behind, stepping over the broken wall, only to hear the overwhelming curses of countless supernatural entity residents echoing from all directions.

"Get out!!"

"Who the hell brought this filthy thing into the apartment?"

"Disgusting! Whose brat is this? Not only did they wreck the apartment wall, but they also brought in outside rats!"

"It's that brat from 404, the dead drunkard's kid. Like father, like son!"

[Ding! Player, for aiding in the illegal intrusion of a resident into the apartment, 25 supernatural entity residents now hold malice toward you. Among them, 7 have reached a Malice Value of 75%. After the mission concludes, they will seek revenge.]

"The mess just keeps getting bigger!"

"Is there even any way to clean this up?"

Listening to the "greetings" pouring in from all sides of the corridor, Ji Yan couldn't help but take a deep breath, sweat dripping down his back.

Sixth floor.

The landlord, puffing on his old pipe, knew what was happening on the first floor but made no move to stop it.

Muttering to himself, he said, "This kid... is he trying to survive by courting death? Bold, very bold."

First floor, Room 102.

The door swung open, and Cheng Fang tossed out two dead rats, his face twisted in disgust. "Did this instance get infected with the Rat Plague today?"

Looking up, he saw the gaping hole in the corridor wall and the Kanjing Gui—its bloated, grotesque body dragging across the floor, leaving trails of filthy water.

He let out a curse, about to retreat into his room, when he spotted a familiar face. "Aren’t you... Ji Yan?"

"What the hell are you doing? Repairing the wall or expelling the Rat Plague?"

Ji Yan glanced at Cheng Fang and shook his head. "Neither."

"I helped break the wall, and I let the supernatural entity in."

"..."

Cheng Fang's lips twitched. His first thought was: How the hell did he manage to cause such a disaster?

"Look, if you don’t want to survive in this instance, don’t drag us first-floor players down with you! Today was supposed to be an easy day, but thanks to these damn rats, we’re barely alive!"

Ji Yan put away his hammer, wiping the grime from his face. "I’m doing this because I want to live."

"You won’t live for even a second, man."

"Every resident on the first floor wants to tear you apart now. Even the Charming Specter in my room—whatever goodwill she had for you is gone."

"Those rats got in and chewed up her 'toys.' Now she’s screaming about draining you dry!"

Ji Yan didn’t react.

Cheng Fang wanted to say more but suddenly clamped his mouth shut, turned, and bolted back into his room, locking the door behind him.

A wave of foul stench hit.

Ji Yan turned to see the Kanjing Gui’s grotesquely swollen face looming close. It stared at him. "Why did you help me?"

Ji Yan: "Helping others doesn’t need a reason."

The Kanjing Gui didn’t question the flimsy excuse. It turned its head, scanning the corridor. "I’ve lost all memory of this apartment."

"Can you help me find my old room?"

"I know the landlord will come down soon to chase me away. As long as I do what I want to do, I'll leave on my own."

Sure enough.

This method works!

By helping the Resentful Supernatural Entity fulfill its wish, there’s no need for violent expulsion—it will leave voluntarily, and the Rat Plague will naturally disperse.

"I'll guide you!" Ji Yan turned and led the Kanjing Gui forward.

Just as they rounded the corner, he spotted a familiar figure—Long Yuan, who had just returned to the apartment.

Their eyes met.

Long Yuan’s expression froze.

"You… Why are you inside the apartment?!"

Ji Yan remained silent, but the Kanjing Gui following behind him provided the answer.

Long Yuan immediately understood. "You actually brought this damned thing into the apartment?!"

"You’ve got a death wish. Not even the gods can save you now!"

Ji Yan coldly replied, "If gods won’t save me, I’ll save myself."

"Move aside."