"Warning! Warning! An S-grade incident alert at coordinates XXX within the city!"
Inside the Special Incident Department building, an ear-piercing alarm sounded, startling almost all of the operatives still present.
“What’s going on? Is the system malfunctioning? How could it be S-grade? There's nothing unusual outside! An S-grade incident should be a city-threatening supernatural event, right?” A recently promoted trainee looked shocked.
“It’s possible that the system detected a severe magnetic field fluctuation in the supernatural event. If it changes too rapidly within a short period, the system will appropriately increase the danger level. That indicates the event could escalate quickly and become a major disaster if not dealt with promptly,” a senior operative explained calmly.
“Even so, this means the event is already quite dangerous…” another operative remarked, his face full of concern.
The group of operatives gathered in the first-floor lobby, waiting for their assignment. Usually, the Regional Team Leader would select a portion of the team to handle the mission. Of course, not everyone could be sent; some had to stay at headquarters, and there were other supernatural incidents needing attention.
All this added up to the department being severely understaffed.
On top of this, the Special Incident Department of the City of Li had not yet fully recovered from the losses incurred during the last A-grade event, codenamed Ancient God Simulator.
Many operatives had died in that event, which was a catastrophe for a department more accustomed to handling low-level incidents. For a branch like the City of Li's Special Incident Department, facing an A-grade supernatural event was devastating. If not for the sudden disappearance of that terrifying game, even more operatives would have perished.
And now, before they had even recovered from the previous disaster, they were forced to deal with an even more severe incident.
Even the seasoned operatives, with their vast experience handling supernatural occurrences, felt a sense of hopelessness.
Recalling how a third of the department's personnel were lost in the previous mission, with many high-ranking officials among them, some operatives began to hesitate. The skyrocketing mortality rate in the department had created a psychological pressure they could no longer bear.
Of course, there were a few newly graduated operatives eager to prove themselves, but most of them were inexperienced. They were merely filling the ranks among veteran operatives. In reality, their promotions were a desperate attempt by the department to plug the gaps after the severe losses.
With everyone in the department holding different thoughts, they gathered in the lobby. Soon, Li Chu, the team leader, arrived. He understood the urgency of the situation and knew they needed to act quickly to contain the supernatural event, especially since it had broken out at the City of Li University, a place full of the children of the city's elite.
“I’m sure you all understand the situation. I won’t say much more. Those willing to volunteer, raise your hands. I will also select a few new recruits,” Li Chu said, looking at the senior operatives gathered in the lobby, clearly addressing them.
He knew an S-grade incident was extremely dangerous, but with countless innocent students at risk, along with pressure from government departments, he had no choice but to send a team for rescue operations.
Most of the veteran operatives avoided making eye contact with Li Chu. Frowning, he glanced around and saw only four or five raised hands. Clearly, the enthusiasm among the senior operatives was low.
Li Chu’s expression darkened, but he didn’t want to blame the veteran operatives, who had shed blood and sweat for the department. He understood they were overwhelmed by the recent string of missions and the rising death toll. He sighed and picked a few more new recruits to fill out the team.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Alright, let’s get moving. The rest of you stay at headquarters on standby. For this mission, the priority is to rescue people. We’ll be coordinating with other government personnel, and the goal is to avoid confrontation with any supernatural entities. If you encounter them, evade them. No need for confrontation.”
Li Chu was almost blunt, making it clear that survival was the priority. If they encountered ghosts or spirits, they should run, and if they couldn’t save people, they should just try to save themselves.
The department was understaffed, and upper management didn’t care about the City of Li. Requests for supplies were delayed, and requests for personnel were ignored. Li Chu was disheartened, and the best he could do was to save as many lives as possible while minimizing casualties.
That was another reason he didn’t force the veteran operatives into action. They were invaluable, and he couldn’t afford to lose any more of them.
“Alright, move out!” After checking equipment and personnel, Li Chu assigned a veteran operative as the mission leader. The group of more than twenty operatives quickly boarded armored vehicles and headed toward the City of Li University in the suburbs.
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“Hey, hey! Look! Is that Ke Su? Looks like him!” Wen Wen, leaning against the window, yelled excitedly, pointing to a figure below wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
“Let me see!... Yeah, it does look like him. He seems a bit different…” Lu Ren, watching the young man walking toward the teaching building, had a strange expression.
Though it was a bit far, they could still see fairly clearly.
Ke Su was wearing a light gray jacket and light blue jeans, his outfit as unfashionable as ever. Yet, for some reason, his lazy demeanor and indifferent aura were oddly eye-catching. He looked completely different from the pale, gloomy figure he had been a year ago, with his bangs covering his eyes. Even his features seemed to have become more handsome.
“Well, he’s not as creepy as he used to be, but that pale face still makes me want to punch him!” Qian Huan joined in, rubbing his chin maliciously.
“Alright, let’s go! Time to put the plan into action!”
Seeing that Ke Su was about to enter the building, Qian Huan motioned to his crew, including Wang Yun, Lu Ren, and the others. They headed downstairs to execute the plan they had hatched earlier, aiming to lure him into the forbidden building on campus.
The building had been sealed off recently, something Ke Su, who had been staying outside the campus, wouldn’t know about. It was the perfect setup to lure him in. There were no cameras inside, making it convenient for them to do whatever they wanted without fear of being caught.
The sealed-off building was Science Building No. 3, old and soon to be demolished. A female student had committed suicide there not long ago, and though the matter was brushed under the rug, the situation escalated when several male students also died shortly after. The incident began to spread, forcing the school to lock down the building and cover up the news. It was rumored around campus that the ghost of the girl who jumped to her death was lingering, seeking a replacement, and no one dared approach the building.
Qian Huan never believed in such ghost stories. His father, however, was a devout believer, filling their home with idols and burning incense day and night. Qian Huan was reluctantly forced to wear a jade Buddha necklace.
At this moment, Qian Huan was fiddling with the jade Buddha around his neck while casually standing in front of the science building. As he spotted Ke Su approaching, he exchanged a glance with Lu Ren, signaling him to proceed.
Lu Ren stepped forward, adopting a serious expression as he waited for Ke Su to walk up to him, his stance exuding arrogance.
As Ke Su neared the building, he immediately recognized the group of people standing like sentinels. They were familiar.
It was the same group that had bullied the original owner of his body. Ke Su scanned the crowd briefly—everyone was there, not a single one missing.
Seeing those familiar faces, twisted and malicious in the original owner’s memories, Ke Su averted his gaze. Ever since he arrived at the school, he had felt uneasy due to the original owner’s lingering emotions.
For some reason, after becoming the original owner, he felt detached from everything, living in a fog without purpose or empathy for the original owner's tragic experiences. Days passed meaninglessly.
After realizing the vast differences between this world and his previous life, he had turned into a recluse, devoid of any desire for revenge on the original owner’s behalf, as if he were a shadow, drifting through the world, existing only through anonymous posts on the internet.
He vaguely recalled that his previous self hadn’t been this apathetic, but perhaps the disillusionment of living in a different world had drained him of any motivation. That was how Ke Su rationalized his situation. But now, something had shifted. As he stepped into this school, a place filled with the deepest resentment of the original owner, Ke Su could begin to understand the despair and hatred the original owner had felt.
The entire campus felt like a prison, trapping the original owner in misery, even in death, with unresolved emotions.
He found himself entertaining the disturbing thought: What if I could destroy this school?
The idea should have seemed alarming, but Ke Su felt no such concern. In the moment this thought crossed his mind, the mist shrouding the school rippled.
A low rumble, imperceptible to human ears, echoed through the world of spirits and monsters. From the perspective of the supernatural entities steadily flooding into the campus, the sky turned gloomy. A faint haze began to envelop the entire campus, slowly partitioning it from the rest of the world.
Everything seemed submerged in the depths of dark waters. Invisible to human eyes, spirits merged with the haze, splitting the campus into two separate realms. On the surface, the outer world remained bathed in sunlight, students walking around unaware of the strange phenomena. But within, a creeping darkness began to consume the campus, transforming it into a horrifying playground for malevolent entities, awaiting foolish humans to stumble into this world of flesh and terror.
Outside Building No. 1, Ke Su stopped in front of Lu Ren, his expression indifferent as he spoke in a cold tone: "Class monitor, where’s my stuff?"
Lu Ren was taken aback by Ke Su’s icy demeanor, almost failing to recognize him. After all, a year ago, Ke Su had always been subservient, never daring to look him in the eye.
From a distance, Lu Ren hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but now that he was up close, he could feel an unexplainable aura around Ke Su, something that made him uneasy. Momentarily flustered, he found himself at a loss for words.
Qian Huan, standing beside him with a sneer on his face, watched Ke Su’s newly handsome, clean-cut appearance with cold, narrowed eyes. He despised pretty boys, and his father had a number of illegitimate children outside the family, all of whom were more attractive than him. His father, obsessed with appearances, always treated them better. This deep-seated resentment caused Qian Huan to loathe anyone with a refined, delicate look like Ke Su.
Seeing Ke Su standing there, his hatred intensified. To him, Ke Su represented everything he despised about his half-siblings—smug, pampered, and always mocking him with their pretty faces. New and old grievances surged within Qian Huan, and he wanted nothing more than to tear Ke Su apart.
Ke Su noticed Qian Huan’s hostile gaze and glanced indifferently in his direction, recognizing him.
Qian Huan was the infamous school bully, the son of a well-known businessman in the City of Li, whose mother was even the deputy leader of the Federal Protection Zone. His family background was strong, and it was because of this that the original owner had been forced to drop out of school and hide at home, unable to avenge himself.
Considering what the original owner had gone through, it wasn’t surprising that he had resorted to summoning an ancient god in despair. He had been tormented by privileged heirs, with even the weakest of them being a minor corporate successor. His mental collapse and suicide weren’t without reason.
Qian Huan, unaware of Ke Su’s thoughts, simply found his cold expression more and more infuriating. His disgust deepened as he cleared his throat and signaled for Lu Ren to hurry up.
Lu Ren snapped out of his daze, taking another look at Ke Su’s cheap, thrift-shop clothing, which made him seem like a powerless nobody. He attributed his earlier fear to nervousness about being caught by the school authorities and coldly replied, “Your stuff isn’t here. If you had called me to confirm the location, I wouldn’t have to take you there myself.”
Ke Su glanced at him, his black-and-white eyes sending a shiver down Lu Ren’s spine.
“Where is it? I’ll go myself.”
Despite his fear, Lu Ren became angry when he remembered Wen Wen, the girl he liked, was watching. Embarrassed and flustered, he shouted, “It’s in Science Building No. 3! Do you think you can get in without me? The teachers' offices are restricted to class monitors!”
“Cut the crap! If you want your stuff, follow me! You're scared? Then leave! I’ll only take you this once. Don’t blame me if you miss your chance!”
“Hey, hey! Look! Is that Ke Su? Looks like him!” Wen Wen, leaning against the window, yelled excitedly, pointing to a figure below wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
“Let me see!... Yeah, it does look like him. He seems a bit different…” Lu Ren, watching the young man walking toward the teaching building, had a strange expression.
Though it was a bit far, they could still see fairly clearly.
Ke Su was wearing a light gray jacket and light blue jeans, his outfit as unfashionable as ever. Yet, for some reason, his lazy demeanor and indifferent aura were oddly eye-catching. He looked completely different from the pale, gloomy figure he had been a year ago, with his bangs covering his eyes. Even his features seemed to have become more handsome.
“Well, he’s not as creepy as he used to be, but that pale face still makes me want to punch him!” Qian Huan joined in, rubbing his chin maliciously.
“Alright, let’s go! Time to put the plan into action!”
Seeing that Ke Su was about to enter the building, Qian Huan motioned to his crew, including Wang Yun, Lu Ren, and the others. They headed downstairs to execute the plan they had hatched earlier, aiming to lure him into the forbidden building on campus.
The building had been sealed off recently, something Ke Su, who had been staying outside the campus, wouldn’t know about. It was the perfect setup to lure him in. There were no cameras inside, making it convenient for them to do whatever they wanted without fear of being caught.
The sealed-off building was Science Building No. 3, old and soon to be demolished. A female student had committed suicide there not long ago, and though the matter was brushed under the rug, the situation escalated when several male students also died shortly after. The incident began to spread, forcing the school to lock down the building and cover up the news. It was rumored around campus that the ghost of the girl who jumped to her death was lingering, seeking a replacement, and no one dared approach the building.
Qian Huan never believed in such ghost stories. His father, however, was a devout believer, filling their home with idols and burning incense day and night. Qian Huan was reluctantly forced to wear a jade Buddha necklace.
At this moment, Qian Huan was fiddling with the jade Buddha around his neck while casually standing in front of the science building. As he spotted Ke Su approaching, he exchanged a glance with Lu Ren, signaling him to proceed.
Lu Ren stepped forward, adopting a serious expression as he waited for Ke Su to walk up to him, his stance exuding arrogance.
As Ke Su neared the building, he immediately recognized the group of people standing like sentinels. They were familiar.
It was the same group that had bullied the original owner of his body. Ke Su scanned the crowd briefly—everyone was there, not a single one missing.
Seeing those familiar faces, twisted and malicious in the original owner’s memories, Ke Su averted his gaze. Ever since he arrived at the school, he had felt uneasy due to the original owner’s lingering emotions.
For some reason, after becoming the original owner, he felt detached from everything, living in a fog without purpose or empathy for the original owner's tragic experiences. Days passed meaninglessly.
After realizing the vast differences between this world and his previous life, he had turned into a recluse, devoid of any desire for revenge on the original owner’s behalf, as if he were a shadow, drifting through the world, existing only through anonymous posts on the internet.
He vaguely recalled that his previous self hadn’t been this apathetic, but perhaps the disillusionment of living in a different world had drained him of any motivation. That was how Ke Su rationalized his situation. But now, something had shifted. As he stepped into this school, a place filled with the deepest resentment of the original owner, Ke Su could begin to understand the despair and hatred the original owner had felt.
The entire campus felt like a prison, trapping the original owner in misery, even in death, with unresolved emotions.
He found himself entertaining the disturbing thought: What if I could destroy this school?
The idea should have seemed alarming, but Ke Su felt no such concern. In the moment this thought crossed his mind, the mist shrouding the school rippled.
A low rumble, imperceptible to human ears, echoed through the world of spirits and monsters. From the perspective of the supernatural entities steadily flooding into the campus, the sky turned gloomy. A faint haze began to envelop the entire campus, slowly partitioning it from the rest of the world.
Everything seemed submerged in the depths of dark waters. Invisible to human eyes, spirits merged with the haze, splitting the campus into two separate realms. On the surface, the outer world remained bathed in sunlight, students walking around unaware of the strange phenomena. But within, a creeping darkness began to consume the campus, transforming it into a horrifying playground for malevolent entities, awaiting foolish humans to stumble into this world of flesh and terror.
Outside Building No. 1, Ke Su stopped in front of Lu Ren, his expression indifferent as he spoke in a cold tone: "Class monitor, where’s my stuff?"
Lu Ren was taken aback by Ke Su’s icy demeanor, almost failing to recognize him. After all, a year ago, Ke Su had always been subservient, never daring to look him in the eye.
From a distance, Lu Ren hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but now that he was up close, he could feel an unexplainable aura around Ke Su, something that made him uneasy. Momentarily flustered, he found himself at a loss for words.
Qian Huan, standing beside him with a sneer on his face, watched Ke Su’s newly handsome, clean-cut appearance with cold, narrowed eyes. He despised pretty boys, and his father had a number of illegitimate children outside the family, all of whom were more attractive than him. His father, obsessed with appearances, always treated them better. This deep-seated resentment caused Qian Huan to loathe anyone with a refined, delicate look like Ke Su.
Seeing Ke Su standing there, his hatred intensified. To him, Ke Su represented everything he despised about his half-siblings—smug, pampered, and always mocking him with their pretty faces. New and old grievances surged within Qian Huan, and he wanted nothing more than to tear Ke Su apart.
Ke Su noticed Qian Huan’s hostile gaze and glanced indifferently in his direction, recognizing him.
Qian Huan was the infamous school bully, the son of a well-known businessman in the City of Li, whose mother was even the deputy leader of the Federal Protection Zone. His family background was strong, and it was because of this that the original owner had been forced to drop out of school and hide at home, unable to avenge himself.
Considering what the original owner had gone through, it wasn’t surprising that he had resorted to summoning an ancient god in despair. He had been tormented by privileged heirs, with even the weakest of them being a minor corporate successor. His mental collapse and suicide weren’t without reason.
Qian Huan, unaware of Ke Su’s thoughts, simply found his cold expression more and more infuriating. His disgust deepened as he cleared his throat and signaled for Lu Ren to hurry up.
Lu Ren snapped out of his daze, taking another look at Ke Su’s cheap, thrift-shop clothing, which made him seem like a powerless nobody. He attributed his earlier fear to nervousness about being caught by the school authorities and coldly replied, “Your stuff isn’t here. If you had called me to confirm the location, I wouldn’t have to take you there myself.”
Ke Su glanced at him, his black-and-white eyes sending a shiver down Lu Ren’s spine.
“Where is it? I’ll go myself.”
Despite his fear, Lu Ren became angry when he remembered Wen Wen, the girl he liked, was watching. Embarrassed and flustered, he shouted, “It’s in Science Building No. 3! Do you think you can get in without me? The teachers' offices are restricted to class monitors!”
“Cut the crap! If you want your stuff, follow me! You're scared? Then leave! I’ll only take you this once. Don’t blame me if you miss your chance!”
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