Chapter 50 - 47: Manager Fa

Chapter 50: Chapter 47: Manager Fa

The middle-aged man was none other than Hair Ghost.

Shi An had not expected Hair Ghost to be so swift and decisive, severing his ties with reality the moment he said he would. After his Level 2 Safe Zone opened for business, before he could even search for a new Nightmare World or welcome any new guests, Hair Ghost had already returned.

It had been less than a day, hadn’t it? He was truly a ruthless man.

Shi An had advised Hair Ghost that such extreme measures were unnecessary. However, Hair Ghost bluntly stated that he had no family left in reality. His wife had died during a disaster when the Nightmare invaded reality, and his son had gone missing in the Nightmare World a year ago. There was nothing left for him to be attached to in reality.

Half a day ago, in Baijiang City.

The Suffering Self-Help Association was one of the many Dream Descender Mutual Aid Associations in Baijiang City. And Hair Ghost was one of its three founders. But today, this founder was stepping down.

"Brother Fa, why are you suddenly quitting?" asked Zeng Tao, a Control Stage expert and one of the other two pillars of the Self-Help Association.

Both he and Hair Ghost were at the Control Stage, making them renowned experts in the eyes of Dream Descenders. And indeed they were. It was precisely because the Suffering Self-Help Association had these three Control Stage experts that they held a significant position among the many small Dream Descender organizations.

Furthermore, their Self-Help Association had partnered with several other organizations to run a black market with the tacit approval of the Countermeasures Bureau. The Wanmeng Dreams City black market.

The Suffering Self-Help Association served as its managers and maintainers. The three of them were prominent figures in this area, especially Hair Ghost.

Once, a group of Dream Descenders had attempted to rob a batch of black market goods. Hair Ghost had been at the black market at the time. Without even stepping out the door, he had snapped the legs of the two Dream Descenders who had already fled beyond the black market’s perimeter. It was said that after finishing the deed, the tea in Hair Ghost’s cup hadn’t even cooled yet.

Brother Fa shot to fame after that single battle, severely intimidating any other Dream Descenders who harbored foolish ambitions. This event had also greatly boosted the prestige of their Suffering Self-Help Association. But today, this pillar of the Self-Help Association was quitting?

"My mind is made up," Hair Ghost said. "The Self-Help Association has always been a loose organization that never restricts its members from coming and going. In the future, you might not see me in reality again. But if fate allows, we might cross paths once more in the Nightmare World."

Zeng Tao was bewildered. He knew every word Hair Ghost said, but somehow he couldn’t understand them when put together. He wondered what he meant by not seeing him in reality again.

If Ordinary members of the Self-Help Association wanted to quit, Zeng Tao had ways to persuade them to stay. But facing Hair Ghost, who was also at the Control Stage and held even greater prestige, he was completely powerless. During this meeting, he even noticed that the pressure radiating from Hair Ghost had grown much stronger.

The two of them used to be roughly on par. It was just that Hair Ghost followed the Yugui Stream, giving him an advantage in exploration and combat, making him appear more mysterious and unfathomable in the eyes of Ordinary Dream Descenders. Today, however, Zeng Tao realized that Hair Ghost had truly become unfathomable.

A cold, gloomy Curse Power lingered around Hair Ghost, emitting a faint Curse Pressure. It seemed his development of his Curse Object had already reached one hundred percent, placing him firmly at the Peak of Control Stage. His next step would be attempting to break through to the Refining Realm. And once he entered the Refining Realm, he would be a true powerhouse, formidable enough to rank highly in Baijiang City’s entire underworld.

But this was way too fast! It had only been a few short days since their last meeting. He wondered if Hair Ghost could have possibly conquered a Nightmare within just these past few days.

"Brother Fa, can you really not stay?" he asked again.

Hair Ghost didn’t hesitate in the slightest. "Correct. I have already found the meaning of my Life, and now I am going to follow that great figure."

Hair Ghost turned to leave, but paused to offer a piece of advice before departing. "By the way, explore as much as possible in the Nightmare World. Sometimes, what you encounter may not be danger, but a lifesaving opportunity."

He left, disappearing into the black market in the blink of an eye. He left Zeng Tao standing there in a daze.

Zeng Tao remained stunned for a long while. "What opportunity?" he murmured. "Wait, what did Brother Fa just say? He’s going... to follow a great figure?!"

Nightmare World, Safe Zone.

When Shi An saw Hair Ghost again and realized that the man had specifically purchased a dream suit in preparation for his new job, he was somewhat surprised. As expected of a Control Stage expert, his drive was incredibly strong.

Initially, Shi An had felt somewhat helpless about Hair Ghost’s stubborn insistence on following him, but now he realized that he really did need a human employee like him. For instance, he could welcome guests, introduce the Safe Zone’s basic information to Dream Descenders, explain the uses of various facilities, and so on.

Shi An could certainly do all these things himself, but certain words and explanations weren’t suitable coming directly from him. If Hair Ghost were the one explaining and singing praises, it would feel much more natural. Not to mention that as soon as Hair Ghost arrived, he took it upon himself to clean the place and arrange the tables and chairs.

Although Hair Ghost wasn’t an official employee but merely a temp, he could certainly do much more than a bizarre creature like Little Blood. Now, Manager Shi could even hide away to slack off, or practice controlling Curse Objects.

Blood Hand Seal, who was currently slacking off, was thoroughly confused. It wondered why, despite being a bizarre entity, it suddenly felt a chill all over its body, as if suffering from an illusion that it was about to lose its job. It must be an illusion, it concluded. At the very least, it could still be a mascot... or rather, the head of security.

Inside the shop.

Li Wei snapped out of his daze. He looked outside the shop and saw waves of thin mist rising from the Jiang bank once again. Just moments ago, he had been affected by the thin mist, walking toward the river as if possessed, and had nearly thrown himself in. If he hadn’t activated his Curse Object in time and used the pain to jolt himself awake, his corpse might already be cold by now.

But now, the wind was still blowing and the mist was still drifting, yet it was as though the scenery had been firmly pinned outside the window, unable to touch him.

Li Wei looked at Hair Ghost. "And you are?"

Although Hair Ghost appeared amiable, Li Wei could sense wisps of cold gloom permeating the air around him. He was incredibly strong! This middle-aged man in a suit was absolutely a powerhouse among Dream Descenders. He might even be stronger than the Leader of his Mutual Aid Association.

"Are you the owner of this place?"

Hearing this question, Hair Ghost instantly grew serious and earnestly replied, "I am not the owner of this place. I am merely an Ordinary employee in this Safe Zone."

In fact, Hair Ghost was well aware that he wasn’t even an official employee!

When Hair Ghost had just started his shift, he had been taught a lesson by his "senior." He wasn’t unfamiliar with this senior, having known early on that the Manager was also an expert in the Yugui Stream. But how could the Ghost Object commanded by the Manager act like a living Life, a true bizarre entity?

No. Bizarre entities lacked intelligence and emotions; they only possessed hunting logic and primal instincts. Yet, Hair Ghost had distinctly seen emotions expressed by this chubby Blood-Colored Clay Sculpture ghost. Although it couldn’t speak human language and only cried out, "YAH YAH YAH," it seemed to be saying: "Remember, I am the senior!"

It sounded unbelievable, but considering it was the Manager’s handiwork, it somehow made perfect sense. Of course, Hair Ghost never intended to fight for superiority; it just helped him better understand his own position.

"I am just a lowly employee who recently started working here," Hair Ghost continued. "The owner of this place, our Manager, is a truly great figure."