While Zhu Xiu was fighting for his life in the Red City, strapped to the operating table and facing the ruthless surgeon Herman Carter, Alex and Chen Ge calmly left Fang Hua’s apartment. Alex had already gotten what he came for, but Chen Ge only half of it. He had hoped to find answers, but instead he met the ballerina’s killer, who now dwelled in his shadow.

All this time, Chen Ge secretly watched Alex. The memories of what happened on the 24th floor were still too fresh, and unease never left him. Alex walked over to the car, leaned against the hood, and lit a cigarette. Pulling out his phone, he glanced at the screen — it was exactly one in the morning. He slipped it back into his pocket and threw a glance at Chen Ge, who stood nearby, clearly unsure of how to act.

Alex gave a faint smile, as if inviting him closer. Chen Ge sighed and, hesitating, walked over to the car, leaning beside him. For a while they smoked in silence, gazing at the night sky.

From Alex’s shadow, Zhang Ya appeared and wrapped her arms around his neck. At that same moment, from Chen Ge’s shadow stepped the ballerina in the red dress. Alex felt her touch and smiled, while Chen Ge was torn by conflicting emotions. He was still afraid of the ballerina, especially knowing her cruel methods. Alex noticed the tension in his face and only smiled wider.

“You’re wrong to fear her,” he said. “If she wanted you dead, she would’ve done it long ago.”

At that moment, a sound came from Chen Ge’s pocket. He pulled out a worn black phone. Alex recognized it instantly. With this phone, the other half of Chen Ge’s soul had been helping him survive and find answers.

“Congratulations on completing the Red Heart mission. Nicely done, Chen Ge,” Alex said with a smirk, exhaling smoke into the night sky.

“How do you know that?..” Chen Ge asked in shock.

“It’s my job to know everything,” Alex replied calmly with a shrug.

“Then you must know where my parents are?” Chen Ge tucked the phone back into his pocket.

“I do,” Alex nodded.

“But you won’t tell me?” Chen Ge said darkly, looking away.

“You’re right. If I tell you where they are, you’ll charge straight in like a fool and get yourself killed. You’re far too weak right now. Not only you will die, but also Wang Li, who lives in your shadow. And believe me… death wouldn’t even be the worst outcome. So you’d better listen to the black phone. Whoever gives you those missions doesn’t want to destroy you — they want to protect you. Complete them, and you’ll get your answers. At the end of the road, you’ll learn everything.” Alex lifted his gaze to the bright moon.

Chen Ge fell into thought. His eyes shifted to Wang Li, who sat nearby in the shadows, watching him. He remembered how many times she had saved his life already. Alex’s words rang bitter but true: it was still too soon to search for his parents. Yet hidden in those words was a hint — they were alive, though in a place he had no business going to yet.

Thoughts swirled in Chen Ge’s head, birthing new questions instead of answers. His head throbbed from it. He lowered his gaze, staring at the cigarette burning between his fingers. Alex cast him a short glance and understood what he was going through. After all, his own journey had begun with the discovery of the black phone — the one that gave him hope of finding his parents, who had vanished without a trace, even for the police.

“Can you at least give me a hint what to do next if I want to find them?” Chen Ge asked after a long pause.

“A couple of hints,” Alex replied, holding up two fingers. “First: find what you’ve lost. Second: gather more allies. And no, I don’t mean people.”

“What do you mean — allies?” Chen Ge frowned.

“It’s simple. Your Haunted House already has residents. Give them a home, a family — and they’ll repay you the same way. These ghosts want nothing more than a place to belong. Give them that, and they’ll become your strength. And what you’ve lost… it’ll find you on its own. If you can handle it, you’ll grow stronger.”

Alex stroked Zhang Ya’s hand, still wrapped around his neck, and smirked:

“And stop being afraid of Wang Li. If she wanted you dead, you’d already be dead. Look at me and my wife — we’ve got the truest kind of love.”

Chen Ge looked at Alex, who was being embraced from behind by Zhang Ya. Then his gaze involuntarily slid toward Wan Li. Their eyes met, and he lingered on her blood-red pupils. Deep down, Chen Ge still feared the ghost girl; her presence stirred unease within him. But watching how Alex and Zhang Ya behaved together, he slowly began to realize: perhaps his fear of Wan Li was exaggerated. As Alex had rightly said — if she truly wanted him dead, she would have done it long ago.

Trying to pull himself together, Chen Ge forced himself to act calmer and not give in to panic whenever she appeared. He let out a heavy sigh, recalling the “gift” she had handed him only minutes ago: the still-warm, beating heart of the man who had killed her. Now that heart had crumbled into ash and settled in his palms. Chen Ge stared at his hands, noticing how tiny gray specks still seemed to burrow into his skin. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wipe them away.

“I have one more question…” he broke the silence. “Do you know what this ash stuck to my hands is?” he asked, showing his palms.

Alex raised a brow and studied Chen Ge’s hands carefully. He had watched the entire process and knew perfectly well that Wan Li had done the same thing Zhang Ya had done in another timeline: she had given a gift that would one day save a life.

Intrigued, Alex grabbed one of Chen Ge’s hands and examined the ash clinging to it. The longer he looked, the more surprised he became — Wan Li’s gift wasn’t just symbolic, it was incredibly useful. He couldn’t help but glance at the ballerina in the red dress and even gave her a thumbs-up in approval.

Chen Ge tilted his head in confusion; he didn’t understand what that gesture meant.

Alex turned back to his hands, rubbed the ash lightly between his fingers — and it seemed to sink into the skin on its own.

“You know, Chen Ge, your ghost girl gave you a really good gift. Actually, I’d say an excellent one,” Alex said, releasing his hand.

“She’s not my girl,” Chen Ge replied dryly. “And what kind of gift is this supposed to be? Why couldn’t I wipe off the ash, but you did it so easily?”

“Heh… not your girl yet,” Alex chuckled. “Alright, I’ll explain. I didn’t wipe the ash away — I helped it sink in. Now it’s part of you. And the gift… remember how in the elevator I joked about hitting a ghost?”

“Yeah. You said something about punching a ghost in the… uh… balls. Or grabbing its chest,” Chen Ge reminded him with irony.

“Well, first of all, don’t even think about grabbing a ghost’s chest unless you want to lose your hands,” Alex smirked. “But back then it was just a joke. You couldn’t touch a ghost. Now you can. Thanks to this ash, your fists can actually make contact. More than that — if you hold something in your hands, that object will have the same effect. Put simply, now you can hit back.”

“You’re saying… I can actually punch a ghost?” Chen Ge asked in shock, staring at his palms.

“Exactly. And if you want, you can even touch Wan Li without feeling that deadly cold. One way or another, you’re coming out ahead,” Alex nodded and hopped off the hood. “Alright, enough talk. Get in the car. I’ll give you a ride to New Century Park. My vacation ended hours ago — time to head home.”

Chen Ge looked at his hands once more, then shifted his gaze to Wan Li. Deep inside, he suspected that she hadn’t given him the ash for defense at all, but so that one day she could hold his hand without hurting him. As if sensing his thoughts, the ballerina instantly slipped back into the shadows.

Not knowing how to respond, Chen Ge decided not to burden himself with more questions and simply got into the car. Alex started the engine, and they drove toward the park. The entire ride was spent in silence; only the sounds of a video game echoed from the back seat, where GIR, Mimi, and Stitch were playing with great focus.

At last, the car stopped at the entrance of New Century Park. Alex slowed down slightly, giving Chen Ge the chance to step out, but he hesitated, as if holding back one final question.

“You ask too many questions, Chen Ge,” Alex said tiredly, turning to him. “If you want to ask, then ask. Don’t waste my time.”

“I just wanted to know…” Chen Ge began after a short pause. “What happened to that man in the pig mask? Did he die… or?”

Alex smirked.

“No, he didn’t die. And he won’t. Zhu Xiu is now trapped in an endless cycle of death, rebirth, pain, and despair. He’ll relive it all again and again. For eternity.”

Chen Ge took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and asked the last question:”And still… who are you?”

Hearing the question, Alex only chuckled, as though preparing to brush it off with a joke. But to Chen Ge, his smile felt strange — almost forced, like he was deliberately steering the conversation away. As Chen Ge pushed open the door to get out, he caught sight of Alex wiping a hand across his forehead. Two horns emerged from his skin, curved like a dark crown.

Chen Ge froze in shock, his mouth falling open. Before he could utter a word, Alex burst out laughing, shoved him out of the car, and disappeared into the night — leaving Chen Ge standing at the entrance to New Century Park, stunned.

For a long while, he stared after the vanished car, then finally sighed heavily. The day had been too bizarre, and its ending felt like a dream teetering on the edge of madness. Only one thought spun in his mind: he desperately needed sleep.

Slowly, he made his way back to the Haunted House. Without stopping by any other room, he went straight to his own. The moment his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

But early the next morning, a persistent knock on the door woke him. Forcing his eyes open, Chen Ge sat on the edge of the sofa and wearily rubbed his face. Deciding to see who was making such a racket so early, he threw on some clothes and went downstairs.

On the doorstep stood Uncle Xu, holding a cardboard box in his hands.

“Did I wake you, Chen Ge?” he grumbled. “I told you, stop wandering around those haunted places for your streams! But you keep going anyway. Wasn’t it enough the time you ran into that maniac in the abandoned clinic? You’re at the police station more often than real criminals!”

Chen Ge stayed silent. He understood well enough — Uncle Xu’s scolding came not from malice, but from concern. If not for him negotiating an extension on the lease, the Haunted House would have been shut down long ago.

For five minutes, Uncle Xu went on repeating himself until Chen Ge finally asked calmly:”Uncle Xu, did you come this early just to lecture me?”

“Ah, my old head,” Xu waved it off. “Almost forgot! A package arrived this morning in your name. I brought it. Here, careful — it’s damn heavy.”

He handed over the box.

“But I didn’t order anything… Maybe it’s a mistake?” Chen Ge said in surprise, taking the weight in his arms.

“No, the courier was clear: park address, your name. But I couldn’t make out the sender. I’m sure you’ll figure it out — you’re an adult now. Anyway, I’ll be going, the park’s opening soon.” With that, Uncle Xu waved his hand and walked away at an unhurried pace.

Left alone, Chen Ge looked at the box. His name was indeed written in the recipient field, but once he read the sender’s name, there was no doubt left. The package had come from Alex.

A sharp premonition pricked his heart. He carried the box to his room, set it on the table, and, taking a utility knife, carefully cut open the packaging. Inside were several wooden cases, with a white envelope lying on top.

Chen Ge hesitated, but eventually opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. The handwriting was unfamiliar but steady.

“Good morning, Chen Ge. If you’re reading this, it means my gift has already reached you. As I said last night, you are far too weak to protect those you care about. Even if Wan Li has given you the strength to strike a ghost, that is not enough. Inside the package, you’ll find several cases. In the largest one lies a hammer. Yes, a hammer. You’re probably wondering why not a knife or a sword? Think about it — who in their right mind would carry around a hammer that looks as though it was forged by a madman’s hand?”

Chen Ge frowned and read the lines again.

His eye twitched as he reached the first part of the letter. He couldn’t deny it: the Doctor Skull-cracker hammer had saved his life more than once. But the thought of what kind of new hammer Alex had sent gnawed at him.

Setting the letter aside, Chen Ge pulled out the largest wooden case from the box. The lid creaked as it opened, revealing a hammer nearly identical in size to his old weapon. But the similarity ended there.

If Doctor Skull-cracker looked as if it had been forged by a lunatic, Alex’s gift resembled a work of art. The silvery head was etched with intricate runes, while delicate carvings ran along the length of the handle.

Chen Ge carefully lifted the hammer into his hand. It felt astonishingly natural, as though it had been made for him alone. After a few test swings, he sensed both the lightness and the power of the weapon. But on one swing, he accidentally brushed the wall — and the hammer effortlessly punched a massive hole straight through it.

Chen Ge raised his brows in surprise, glanced at the damage, and, not wanting to tempt fate further, gently placed the weapon back into its case. Then he returned to the letter.

“The other boxes contain items that will also help you. As I’ve already said, I know far too much about you and those around you. In one of the cases, you’ll find the deed to an apartment across from New Century Park. As a father, I believe a child shouldn’t be living in a Haunted House — even if that’s what he wants. The social welfare office would never approve of such a thing. So I’ve given you an apartment, so you can adopt the boy named Fan Yu without trouble. How I transferred the property into your name — that doesn’t matter. Let’s leave it as my little secret. Although, truthfully, my other wife is quite skilled in such matters…”

Chen Ge froze for a moment. An apartment? Just like that? He set the letter aside and opened the next box. Inside were indeed documents with his name written on them, along with a set of keys.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. He decided to ignore the casual mention of Alex’s “other wife.” Anything connected to that man had long since defied all norms — especially after the horns that had sprouted from his forehead the night before.

Chen Ge carefully put the documents and keys back, making a mental note to check everything personally. Then he returned to the letter.

“Now, about Fan Yu. A girl named Jiang Lin recently arrived at the orphanage where he lives. She has already befriended the boy. Why do I mention her? It’s simple. This girl is connected to a place you will soon enter—whether you want to or not.

Jiang Lin comes from Coffin Village, where eight out of ten residents are ghosts. She has an older sister, a red ghost in the form of a spider. She is dangerous. Very dangerous. That’s why I want you to adopt the girl. The fate that awaits her is far too cruel.

In Coffin Village, there is the Door Pusher. He intends to be reborn through Jiang Lin’s body. You must not allow this. If you do, I will return. And believe me, you won’t like it.

To prevent this disaster, in another case you will find three necklaces: one for you, one for Fan Yu, and one for Jiang Lin. They are protective artifacts against ghosts. Even the strongest red ghost will not be able to harm you.

But your necklace will not protect you from Wan Li. I did this intentionally, so she can still touch you. Otherwise, you would remain alone… until death. After that, you would become a lonely ghost.”

Chen Ge lowered the letter. His fingers involuntarily clenched.

Seeing the last lines, his eye twitched even more. The word “lonely,” and the hint that even after death he would remain alone, struck him painfully. Clenching his fingers to avoid tearing the paper, he took a deep breath and set the letter aside.

From the package, he took out another wooden case. Inside were three necklaces. At first glance, they seemed ordinary, except for the ruby stone at the center of each. But upon closer inspection, delicate runes could be seen inside the stones, as if engraved from within. Each necklace was labeled: one for him, one for Fan Yu, and one for the girl named Jiang Lin.

Chen Ge immediately put on his own necklace. Nothing happened. No heat, no cold, not even the slightest sensation. I’ll check it later, he thought, putting the remaining necklaces back into the case. An idea flickered through his mind: tonight he could visit Fan Yu and at the same time meet Jiang Lin to give them their amulets.

Then he unfolded the letter again.

“Now about you, Chen Ge. About your path. I cannot reveal too much, or your journey will change. But hints I can leave. Even more—a plan.

As I said, sooner or later you will end up in Coffin Village—whether you want it or not. The Door Pusher from that village is planning to be reborn, and he needs a body. But this foolish woman does not understand: a child’s body is a terrible vessel. It cannot withstand the power of a red ghost. It will rot quickly.

Therefore, your task is to prevent Jiang Lin from becoming the vessel. There are two paths. The first is to deal with her malice. For you, this is almost impossible. The second is to find or create a suitable body capable of withstanding the energy of the red ghost. The choice is yours. But remember: if you allow the girl to become the vessel—start running. Because I will come for you.

Next. The owner of the black phone will send you to the underground morgue. It is run by the man who opened the red door. You know him—the chairman of the Ghost Stories Society. When you meet him, you will recognize him immediately. Why he does all this… he will explain himself.

Then you must pass through the White Dragon Cave tunnel. There you will find answers about your past. Do not worry—I have already taken two red ghosts from there.

The next Door Pusher you will meet is in Li Wang city. Things are bad there. The red door has gotten out of control. The Pusher has lost some body parts. You will have to find them. Only then will you encounter the one who truly intends to harm you. Who that is—you will discover in the tunnel. Unless, of course, you are too foolish to see the obvious.

I will not speak about the final places that will lead you to your parents. You will understand everything if you follow the directions of the black phone.

P.S. Don’t screw up. And may luck always be with you.With best regards, The Demon King from another world.”

Chen Ge stared at the letter with a stone-cold face. The last paragraph completely threw him off; his mind refused to process what he had just read. He was no longer surprised that Alex turned out to be the Demon King—the greater shock was how thoroughly he knew the steps ahead and the missions the black phone would assign.

He reread the final part of the letter again, trying to memorize the order of the mentioned locations. At that very moment, his phone screen lit up with a new message:

“Congratulations, Chosen of the Ghosts! You have learned about Coffin Village, hidden deep in the mountains. Would you like to participate in the trial mission of the three-star Coffin Village scenario?”

Chen Ge stared thoughtfully at the screen. First—the orphanage. There, he could talk to Jiang Lin and give her the necklace, and at the same time, hand the same one to Fan Yu.

He understood that Alex’s letter was not just rambling. It was preparation. It was a warning. And the first trial on his path would be Coffin Village. The underground morgue still lay ahead.

Glancing at the clock, Chen Ge realized it was time to open the Haunted House. In the evening—he would head to the orphanage.

While Chen Ge prepared for the upcoming trials, Alex and his companions had already returned to Orario. The girls were busy unpacking their belongings and souvenirs after a week-long vacation, while Alex sat in the living room of his mansion with a gloomy expression. His moodiness was not due to the end of the vacation—but the fact that he now had to get back to work.

The work itself did not intimidate him. What really irritated Alex was something else: the need to attend three different schools in three different worlds as a student. The thought of sitting at a desk every day, watching the boring faces of classmates, annoyed him greatly.

On the low coffee table in front of him lay three letters. Each contained documents for enrollment in a school from one of the worlds. Alex had been keeping these letters in his inventory for over a week but hadn’t dared to open a single one. His gloomy thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

At the threshold stood his clone—in a white construction helmet, holding a tablet.

“Finally, you’re back,” he said, tossing the tablet onto the table without hesitation. “Go accept the work. And next time, don’t ask us to toil for a whole week without a break.”

“Everything done? Or were there problems?” Alex took the tablet and quickly scanned the data.

The clone sank heavily into the chair opposite him and lit a cigarette.

“The system caused the most trouble. We couldn’t synchronize it to transmit accurate data from the worlds in real-time.”

Alex raised an eyebrow and made an inviting gesture with his hand, signaling that he wanted details.

“As I said,” the clone continued, “the error was in the synchronization. We ran beta tests, but some bugs remained. The main problem: the system updated data with a delay. Sometimes the information was delayed by a minute, sometimes by a whole hour. And you understand, Original, that an hour’s delay can be extremely costly. One week wasn’t enough, but thanks to the help of a certain sweet tooth, we reduced the maximum error to five minutes. Though now you owe her something.”

“Any other difficulties?” Alex asked, eyes still on the tablet.

“Minor things,” the clone exhaled smoke. “The monitoring broadcast system for tracking groups, emergency evacuation in case of critical situations. But we handled that.”

“How?” Alex asked, looking up at his clone.

“Simple. We created a swarm of fairy drones to monitor group members. And the evacuation tests succeed in ninety-nine percent of cases. Almost perfect. We just need to test the mission assignment system and run a full trial launch. But you’ll handle that. After all, we’re not humans, we’re clones, and if the system fails, it won’t affect us anyway.”

Alex nodded and put away the tablet.

“Good. Let’s go see what you’ve set up. And the other projects in Orario?”

“Everything’s going smoothly. It was far easier than reviving that cursed system,” the clone replied with a faint smirk.

Alex didn’t argue. He understood that the most important task now was to conduct a full system test with real people, not his clones. He nodded to the clone and suggested finishing the cigarette before heading to the guild. The clone shrugged, stood up from the chair, and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

“Girls, I’m off to the guild!” he called toward the second floor.

“Okay!” came the response.

Smiling, Alex followed the clone outside. On the way, he noticed that the area around his mansion had noticeably come to life: where there had once been empty lots, neat houses now stood, built by his clones. Removing the sign from the gate that read “We’re on vacation,” Alex felt the familiar rhythm of work returning to his life.

And, looking at the bustling streets, he once again realized that to everyone around him, he had long since become just another clone among dozens wandering Orario throughout the week.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep