Chapter 34: Supernatural Targeting, Grandmother Appears

Chapter 34: Supernatural Targeting, Grandmother Appears

Ji Yan thought of the sachet Grandmother had handed him earlier—how could that possibly count as rent?

"That sachet was purely something of great importance to me, the Old Man, so I had the old woman sew it up as three days' rent."

"Not just anyone could have mended that sachet of mine. Only your grandmother has the sewing skills for it."

The Landlord sat up, rubbed his back, picked up the birdcage, and said to Ji Yan, "It's getting late. Head back and rest early."

"You've had quite the exhausting night."

"Oh, and one more thing—cut ties with that woman in Room 801 as soon as possible. You can't handle her."

Ji Yan smiled bitterly. He wanted to distance himself too, but it wasn’t something that could be resolved with just a few words.

As the Landlord’s hunched figure disappeared into the corridor, a game notification echoed in Ji Yan’s mind.

"Congratulations, Player, for completing the Landlord’s assigned mission: successfully eliminating the source of pollution in the water tank."

"Reward: 5 days’ worth of basic rations."

"+20 Specter Power, +220 EXP."

"Ding! Congratulations, Player, for collecting one Talent Fragment."

"You have successfully resolved the water contamination issue, maintaining the apartment’s good environment. Gained 5% favorability from 9 tenants! The Landlord highly approves of your abilities, increasing favorability by 2%."

"2%?"

"As expected of an Instance Boss. Did two things for him and only got 2 points of favor. Trying to win over this old man is probably harder than courting the campus belle."

Ji Yan muttered to himself before closing the Information Panel.

Still, hearing that he’d collected a Talent Fragment made him feel like tonight’s efforts weren’t entirely wasted.

It was now 3:30 a.m.

After all the chaos, Ji Yan’s adrenaline-fueled state finally gave way to exhaustion, and drowsiness crept in.

Rubbing his eyes, Ji Yan didn’t linger and headed back to Room 404 to rest.

As he climbed the stairs, he casually checked the night’s gains on the Information Panel.

But soon, he realized something was wrong.

These stairs… why were they so long?

He shone his light on the wall and saw that despite walking for so long, he was still on the second floor.

"What the hell? A Supernatural Loop?"

Ji Yan immediately sensed something was off.

He continued upward, turned the corner, and found himself still on the second floor.

Realizing some supernatural entity was toying with him, Ji Yan sighed and called out, "Hey, whoever you are, I’m just trying to go upstairs. Did I offend you?"

No response.

Ji Yan’s expression darkened as he pulled out a second coffin nail. "There’s a limit to bullying. I’m being polite, but that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover."

Just then, a glass bottle rolled down from above, tumbling down the steps before shattering at Ji Yan’s feet, spilling liquor across the floor.

A disheveled, obese man in a stained shirt crouched higher up, gnawing on a chicken leg as he slurred at Ji Yan, "You broke my Delivery Wine."

"Do you have any idea how precious that wine was?"

Ji Yan almost laughed. "It rolled to my feet and shattered on its own. How is that my fault?"

The Disheveled Man’s face, already covered in lumps of fat, twisted into a scowl.

His eyes brimmed with hostility. "All I know is my wine is broken."

"And the bottle is right at your feet."

Ji Yan narrowed his eyes. It was obvious the other party was targeting him, using an absurdly flimsy excuse to pick a fight.

By late night, the apartment's rules completely dissolved, allowing Supernatural Entities to attack Players without restraint.

The only reason the Disheveled Man had bothered with a pretext was because of the Privilege Badge hanging from Ji Yan’s chest.

Ji Yan shrugged. If the other party was coming for him, arguing was pointless. He simply asked, "What do you want me to compensate?"

Even as he spoke, he tightened his grip on the Coffin Nail in his hand.

When dealing with these Supernatural Entities, there was no need for words—just seize the chance and give them a taste of the nail.

"Talking is one thing, but what’s with that nail in your hand?"

"Is this how you apologize?"

The Disheveled Man swallowed the food in his mouth and sneered.

The next second, the entire stairwell shook violently, the steps sliding like a playground slide.

Ji Yan staggered, and his right hand was seized—the Coffin Nail in his palm snatched away by the Disheveled Man.

Ji Yan was roughly slammed against the wall. The Disheveled Man gripped the Coffin Nail but immediately recoiled as if holding a red-hot branding iron.

"Where did you get this nail? It’s vicious!"

The Disheveled Man was startled. Being stabbed by this thing was unthinkable.

Ji Yan’s expression turned icy. Something felt off. Other Supernatural Entities, no matter how aggressive, wouldn’t target him so deliberately.

But this one wasn’t even after any benefit—it simply wanted him dead!

The collision triggered Hidden Information to surface before Ji Yan’s eyes.

He glanced at it, his eyes narrowing further.

"You’re glaring at me? You broke my wine, and now you dare glare at me?"

The Disheveled Man’s slit-like eyes gleamed with malice.

A hand shot toward Ji Yan’s abdomen, but the next moment, it was repelled by his Sweater with a sharp riiiip—the fabric tearing several inches.

"You’ve got quite a few treasures on you, little rat."

"But this Sweater of yours seems about done for."

The Disheveled Man bared yellowed teeth, eyes full of mockery. His hands clawed at the Sweater, tearing violently as Specter Power corroded the fabric, causing it to split further.

Finally, it was completely shredded.

Once the Sweater was torn, its damage level reached 95%, immediately triggering the Backlash Effect.

A bloody glow emanated from the Sweater, and the Disheveled Man’s hands were instantly seared, flesh rotting as white smoke billowed.

Ji Yan had been waiting for this moment. With one hand, he drew the Hammer, while the other swiftly scooped up the fallen Coffin Nail.

Aiming at the Disheveled Man’s forehead as he reeled in pain, Ji Yan swung with all his might.

Clang!

A metallic clang echoed as the Coffin Nail pierced the Disheveled Man’s skull.

A piercing shriek reverberated through the stairwell.

"I told you—politeness doesn’t mean I’m a pushover!"

"You wanted compensation? Here’s a nail as your drinking money!"

Ji Yan raised the Hammer again, ready to drive the Coffin Nail fully into the Disheveled Man’s skull.

But just as he lifted it, his wrist was ensnared—something had coiled around it. From the wall emerged a Cement-Covered Entity, dragging Ji Yan into the concrete.

As it pulled him in, the Cement-Covered Entity mocked the Disheveled Man, "Liu Feng, almost killed by a brat? How pathetic."

"Kid, as for why we’re after you—reflect on who you’ve pissed off once you’re on the other side!"

Ji Yan’s body was slowly, inexorably, dragged into the wall.

He could clearly feel the cement crushing his body!

The Disheveled Man on the ground clutched his cracked head, not daring to pull out the red-hot Coffin Nail. His eyes bulged with fury as he glared at Ji Yan: "I’ll bite that Rat’s head to pieces!"

Ji Yan’s face twitched, cursing under his breath.

Just as the Disheveled Man was about to lunge, a Hunched Figure appeared behind him.

"Ah, if my grandson has done wrong, you should settle it with us elders. Why torment a child?"

"He’s still so young. He doesn’t understand anything."

Ji Yan was stunned.

The Disheveled Man froze, instinctively turning his head.

In the next instant, a Thin, Corpse-Spotted Hand reached over and pressed down on the Coffin Nail.

The nail sank deeper into the Disheveled Man’s skull.

Like a branding iron dropped into foam, the Disheveled Man didn’t even scream before his head split open, his brain dissolving into a pool of bloody water under the Coffin Nail’s power...

His bloated body collapsed onto the steps.