"A system! It's really a system!"
In this life-threatening moment, Chen Xuan couldn't believe his long-awaited golden finger had finally arrived. Without hesitation, he activated the check in.
[Ding! Check in successful. First check in reward enhanced. Congratulations, host, you have received: S-Tier Malevolent Ghost — Ghost Doll.]
As the system notification echoed in his mind, Chen Xuan instinctively reached out his hands—only to find a doll, less than half a meter tall, floating into his arms out of thin air.
The doll had long golden hair, large doll-like eyes, a round face, and wore a black lace-trimmed dress. It looked beautifully crafted.
Yet for some reason, Chen Xuan felt an eerie chill from its eyes—like they were alive.
Before he could think further, he suddenly realized in horror that the pair of small embroidered shoes by his feet had disappeared.
No—not disappeared.
They had appeared on his feet, wrapping around them tightly.
Perhaps because his feet were too big, the embroidered shoes began to constrict violently the moment they clamped on, causing searing, tearing pain to surge up his legs.
At the same time, a chilling cold began to creep upward from his feet and spread rapidly through his body.
Chen Xuan instantly understood: his neighbor must have died exactly like this, at the hands of the Malevolent Ghost.
The icy sensation spread fast. In mere moments, his entire body was enveloped.
He tried to struggle but realized he couldn't move a muscle—he was completely paralyzed. Not even his voice could escape his throat.
A putrid stench of decay began to emanate from his body, and faint corpse spots started appearing on his arms.
Despair overwhelmed Chen Xuan. He could only watch helplessly as death approached.
In that hazy moment, he seemed to glimpse the souls of those who had died in the embroidered shoes—how much agony and horror they must have endured before their deaths.
The stench grew stronger, the corpse spots spread wider, and the icy death was now reaching his mind and consciousness.
He hadn't expected that even with a system and a powerful reward, he would still be unable to escape death.
But just as he was about to lose all hope—
The doll in his arms suddenly moved.
Its body remained perfectly still, yet its head slowly turned.
The sight was grotesquely unnatural—the head twisted around 180 degrees, even though the body didn't budge.
The doll's glassy eyes shifted as its head turned, eventually locking eyes with the pair of embroidered shoes wrapped around Chen Xuan's feet.
And then—
A jolt surged through Chen Xuan. The pain vanished. The icy paralysis dissipated.
He could move again.
Chen Xuan gasped, staring down at his feet.
He was wearing slippers. The embroidered shoes had vanished.
"Did… did it drive them away?"
Chen Xuan muttered, trembling. Was this the power of an S-Tier Malevolent Ghost? It could banish other ghosts?
Still shaken, he looked at the doll in his arms. Somehow, its head had returned to normal.
But as his gaze shifted downward, his expression suddenly changed, and he nearly cried out.
Under the hem of the doll's black dress, on its tiny porcelain feet, was a miniature pair of embroidered shoes.
"T-Those are… the Ghost Embroidered Shoes?"
Chen Xuan's heart pounded. The doll had somehow seized and was wearing the shoes of the Malevolent Ghost.
This was unbelievable.
Was this the true power of an S-Tier Malevolent Ghost?
Meanwhile, outside Happiness Community, three figures stood at the entrance.
"Captain, the Malevolent Ghost's aura has vanished!"
A gaunt young man with deathly pale skin held up a lantern and spoke to the man beside him.
"My lantern tracked it here, then suddenly lost the trail."
"Vanished?" the man addressed as Captain Zhong frowned. "How did the ghost shoes just leave? Did its kill rule upgrade?"
"Damn, we finally tracked down those ghost shoes and didn't even get to see them clearly!"
Chen Ruoqing, her long hair cascading to her waist, sighed with frustration. "What a waste."
"There's nothing we can do," Captain Zhong said, seemingly used to this. "The ghost shoes show up randomly. All we know is, anyone who hears their footsteps… dies."
"Alright, since the trail is cold, the mission ends here. I'll file a report. We'll move when the next one comes."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Chen Ruoqing glanced toward the community and said, "Captain, I live here. I'll go home to rest. My brother's alone—I'm worried."
"Go ahead."
Captain Zhong nodded, then added, "But Chen Ruoqing, you've been using your Malevolent Ghost's powers too often lately. Keep an eye on your condition. If you show signs of resurgence, report it to me immediately."
"Understood, Captain."
Chen Ruoqing turned and walked away.
Moments after she left, a staff member in charge of the lockdown ran over and saluted Captain Zhong.
"Captain Zhong, here's the casualty report from the incident. Preliminary numbers. Please review."
"Alright."
Captain Zhong took the file and opened it—and his expression instantly changed.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]