Chapter 25: Midnight Privilege, Rooftop Mission

Walking into the living room, Liu Yitong had already finished her meal and was wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin. She asked Ji Yan, "What about your dinner?"

"In the kitchen."

Ji Yan entered the kitchen, where a steaming clay pot sat beside the stove. He lifted the lid, and white steam rose from the hot, meaty broth. Dark chunks of meat rolled in the oily soup. It smelled decent enough, but the appearance was unsettling, leaving one with wild, uncomfortable imaginings that made it hard to take a bite.

"Whatever, as long as it doesn't kill me."

Ji Yan carried the pot out of the kitchen. Liu Yitong’s eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the steaming soup.

"Want some?" Ji Yan offered.

"No thanks... That’s your special dinner. I shouldn't touch it; it might affect my favorability rating with Grandma Ghost." She paused, then asked, "But how did you manage that? I’ve completed seven daily tasks for Grandma Ghost, and she’s never once made me dinner. You’ve only been interacting with her for one day—this is unbelievable!"

Ji Yan wasn't particularly surprised. He had cut the rent for Apartment 404 in half for a week; it was only reasonable that she would reward him with a meal. However, thinking about the unknown late-night task ahead, he felt an inexplicable sense that Grandma Ghost was preparing a farewell meal for him.

He quickly dismissed the thought. That was far too ominous.

Since Liu Yitong declined, Ji Yan didn't press the issue. Famished, he dished out a bowl and began to eat. He didn't know what kind of meat it was, but it was tangy. It wasn't unpleasant, and it seemed to have been stewed for a very long time, as it fell apart with the slightest bite.

"Ding! Reminder to player: Due to the consumption of a special nutritional meal, your body has absorbed extra nutrients, and all status bars have been restored to full."

"Ghost Power +1, Ghost Power +1..."

Seeing the green notification panel pop up, Ji Yan’s expression shifted, and he immediately began eating even more voraciously. After a whirlwind of consumption, he didn't even leave a drop of broth behind.

Liu Yitong sat nearby, observing him. "Looks like you were really starving."

Ji Yan wiped his mouth, feeling the surge of energy in his body. "A nutritional meal is meant for nourishment; whether it tastes good is secondary."

Liu Yitong suddenly remembered something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a flashlight, handing it to Ji Yan. "Take this."

"What’s this for?" Ji Yan asked.

"Mother Ghost entrusted me to give it to you. Don't ask me why; I don't know either. You’ve never even interacted with Mother Ghost, yet you’re receiving equipment rewards from her—this is a first for me."

Liu Yitong couldn't have been more astonished. At first, it seemed like Ji Yan was cursed with bad luck, but after Father Ghost was taken out of the picture, that misfortune seemed to have transformed into incredible luck.

"She only gave one instruction: keep it with you tonight. If you find yourself in the abyss and can’t find the way home, turn on the flashlight. The light it casts will guide you back."

Liu Yitong found the words confusing, but Ji Yan fell into deep thought. Both Mother Ghost and Grandma Ghost had warned him to be careful tonight. Just how dangerous could the upcoming task be?

He took the flashlight, and the equipment details appeared, though there were no hidden messages. "Congratulations to the player for obtaining the equipment: Flashlight of the Wandering Soul."

Ji Yan checked it briefly before tossing it into his tool bar. Upon reflection, the care he had received from Mother and Grandma was indeed quite thorough. Then again, considering he had killed Father Ghost and reduced the rent, it was reasonable that these dual favorability bonuses would trigger such protective rewards.

Soon, the sky darkened. The players who had been toiling in the apartment building returned to their respective rooms. Ji Yan lay on his bed, but he couldn't sleep—not from insomnia, but because his energy levels were too high. Thanks to that bowl of soup, all his stats were full. Clearly, Grandma had planned for this; if a player were sleep-deprived, their status would drop significantly, leading to dizziness and blurred consciousness, which would severely hinder gameplay.

Taking advantage of the free time, Ji Yan opened the treasure chest he had been keeping in his tool bar. Opening "blind boxes" was always exciting. He clicked to claim it, and the item appeared before his eyes.

"Successfully opened the Collector’s Grade Purple Treasure Chest. Congratulations to the player for obtaining the Ghost Tool: Coffin Nails of the Blood Coffin x3. (Collector’s Quality) (One-time use)."

"Description: Nails capable of sealing a Blood-Clad Vengeful Spirit. Their value is self-evident; no further explanation needed."

That was it? Just three nails?

Ji Yan looked at the three rusty, finger-length nails in his palm and examined them. Although they looked like rusty iron nails picked up from the side of the road, they were rated as Collector’s quality, so their lethality was surely impressive. Still, to open such a large chest only to get three individual nails was a bit disappointing; it didn't quite meet his expectations.

But a new Ghost Tool meant extra peace of mind. Ji Yan was an ordinary person who cherished his life; his daring, high-risk maneuvers were merely born out of necessity.

He continued to rest in his room, listening to the movements of the nighttime NPC ghosts refreshing outside. His door was knocked on, as expected, but Ji Yan ignored it.

When the clock struck midnight, Ji Yan opened his eyes, got out of bed, and took out his Night Patrol Pass, pinning it to his chest.

"Ding! Ghost item activated. You have gained the privilege of moving about at night. Until 3:00 AM, you will be immune to the hostility of all nighttime ghosts." (Reminder: Immunity only; do not provoke them.)

The knocking at the door continued, so Ji Yan opened it.

Outside the door crouched a ghost without a lower half, dragging its mangled waist along the floor. It lifted its half-rotted face, ready to attack. But the next second, as if it had lost its target, its expression went blank and vacant. It silently turned around and went to knock on Liu Yitong’s door next door instead.

Ji Yan blinked, turned, and headed out toward the living room.

Inside the late-night living room, it was as bustling as ever. Terrifying, blurred ghostly shadows wandered through every corner of Apartment 404 like homeless, aimless wandering souls. Walking among them as a human made Ji Yan’s skin crawl, but because of the badge on his chest, these night ghosts acted as if they couldn't see him, passing right by his side.

"It’s midnight. Why hasn't the old man come yet?"

Just as Ji Yan thought this, there was a knock at the door. The next second, the night ghosts in the living room scattered in a scramble like rats who had heard a noise.

"What could possibly scare them like that?"

Ji Yan muttered to himself, though he had a pretty good idea of who was at the door. Sure enough, when he opened it, the old man in the white Tang suit was standing there, holding an old smoking pipe in one hand and a birdcage in the other. The parrot inside stared unblinkingly at Ji Yan.

"Taking the bird out for a walk at this hour, old man? You’re in high spirits," Ji Yan said dismissively. Internally, he was thinking, *Who takes a bird out for a walk at midnight? The guy is absolutely insane.*

"Sharp-tongued," the old man replied. He handed over an old-fashioned key. "Go to work."

"This is the key to the door on the rooftop."

Ji Yan took the key, feeling bewildered. "What am I supposed to do?"

"The rooftop water tank of the apartment has a problem. Tenants have been complaining lately that the tap water is dirty. Go clean it up."

As he spoke, the wrinkles on the landlord’s face smoothed out, forming a rather creepy smile. "It’s just that the water tank has some dirty things in it; go clean them out, that’s all."

"The task is very simple." The landlord patted Ji Yan on the shoulder.

Although Ji Yan tried hard to believe his words, everything—the smile, the tone, the subtext—was telling him one thing: this job was not simple, and it was absolutely lethal.