It is perfectly reasonable, yet at the same time utterly unreasonable.

Chen Sheng stared at the pale little face on the screen, which remained motionless for quite some time. He pondered whether he should pull her out again, when suddenly, footsteps echoed in the distance. The sound was deep and muffled, as if each step pressed firmly upon damp ground.

Instinctively, Chen Sheng turned toward the source. The footsteps came from the corridor outside the door, but as they drew nearer, no one appeared, and the sound abruptly ceased.

Chen Sheng mused to himself, “In a typical horror film, this scene usually means a ghost is approaching.”

“What about if it’s not a typical horror film?” A pale little face peered out from the television screen, curiosity shining in her eyes as she questioned him.

“If it’s not the usual horror setup, then it’s just some lunatic causing trouble.” As he spoke, Chen Sheng reached out, scooped up the small head, and pulled her from the screen, cradling her in his arms in a princess carry.

It seems pulling her out was inevitable.

The little ghost girl, suddenly wrapped in Chen Sheng’s arms: o((⊙﹏⊙))o

Why did she feel like she’d become a radish again?

Realizing she was a ghost, the little girl began to struggle, her face contorting into a fierce expression as she squirmed: (ﾒ｀ﾛ´)/

“Master, you don’t like this way of carrying you? No problem, I’ll switch right away.” Without hesitation, Chen Sheng hoisted her onto his shoulder.

Respect for one’s teacher is paramount, after all. In reality, Chen Sheng always upheld this persona—now, in this healing game, he’d improvise accordingly!

The little ghost girl was momentarily stunned: “……”

This was even worse than the princess carry!

She could only poke his shoulder with a finger, murmuring, “It’s the vengeful ghosts from the basement—they’re searching for a scapegoat.”

“So they’ve set their sights on me?” Chen Sheng nodded, then summoned his “starter gear.”

As the gallows fully manifested, a strange presence—imperceptible to the living—immediately spread throughout the villa, and under the pressure of this mysterious force, silence fell.

Chen Sheng strode outside, and upon reaching the lower floor, he saw figures fleeing in panic—men and women alike, among them the shabby man who’d spoken to him earlier.

When a living presence suddenly appeared among the multitude of vengeful ghosts, it was as conspicuous as a lantern in the night.

But when the ghosts glanced over instinctively, they grew increasingly anxious.

The gallows, having received a new definition from Chen Sheng, had achieved a certain level of power. Such an execution device could appear or vanish at will. Unless a ghost neared the threshold of a fierce spirit, it would be invisible to ordinary specters before Chen Sheng summoned it.

In an instant, the vengeful ghosts scattered even faster.

For it was common knowledge that only terrifying, powerful spirits could wield execution devices. And now, with Chen Sheng carrying a nearly ferocious ghost girl on his shoulder, he was enveloped in an unmistakable aura of ghostly energy. In the eyes of these vengeful souls, he was nothing short of a world-ending fiend entering the realm of the living.

“Such remarkable results?” Surprised by the scene, Chen Sheng couldn’t help but silently praise the designer of this healing game.

Look at the value of this “starter gear”—it easily outstrips the beginner equipment in any other game by a wide margin!

In other games, you’d have to spend at least six hundred forty-eight yuan to obtain such an item!

With that, Chen Sheng headed for the basement.

“Where are you going?” The little ghost girl stretched her neck, trying to unsettle Chen Sheng’s balance and remind this rebellious disciple to put her down.

Who carries their master like this?

“I want to see how many bodies are down there.”

Chen Sheng was curious; the healing game was always meticulous with details, so he wondered what terrifying scene the basement might hold.

The basement of the villa wasn’t hard to find, especially with a ghost guiding him.

As he opened the door and descended the stone steps, Chen Sheng felt something amiss—a chill crept up behind him, though no wind stirred.

As he went down, an unexplainable thought crossed his mind: someone was behind him!

Chen Sheng couldn’t help but gasp.

The immersive experience of this healing game was as authentic as ever, making him almost hallucinate.

Yet even if something truly strange appeared behind him, Chen Sheng was unconcerned. He only wondered why there were still ghosts in the villa—hadn’t he already driven them out?

Why were there more?

He turned to ask the ghost girl draped over his shoulder, but saw her pale face looking innocently at him, eyes wide as if she knew nothing.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Sheng asked, “Master, don’t you sense anything unusual here?”

He believed this “tool NPC” could provide a clue.

After all, he’d called her “master” so many times. If she wouldn’t grant him skills, she could at least offer some “plot hints.”

“Of course!” The little ghost girl replied without hesitation.

Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow—just as he’d expected. He urged, “What is it?”

“You carrying me like this, that feels very wrong.” She spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Oh.”

Chen Sheng obediently grabbed her by the collar, holding her in his hand.

The little ghost girl: o(*≧д≦)o!!

Seeing she still didn’t react, Chen Sheng shook her back and forth: “Master, I just felt someone behind me—did you see anything?”

The ghost girl: Is this rebellious disciple threatening me?

She glanced nervously at the execution device Chen Sheng wore, then whispered, “I truly didn’t see anything, and honestly, no ghost would dare approach you. But if you sensed something strange, I think it must be related to the basement. Prior to this, there was a rumor that an ownerless execution device existed down here, but I never found it myself, so I assumed it was just hearsay. Now, it seems that wasn’t merely a rumor.”

“Master, do you mean that the equipment—the execution device—resonated mysteriously with mine?” Chen Sheng’s comprehension was sharp; he immediately glanced at his “starter gear,” his heart growing ever more eager.

So the ultimate benefit of calling her “Master” was here!

It makes sense. As a player, how could he settle for just one piece of equipment? He needed to be fully outfitted!

If his combat power was lacking, he’d make up for it with gear!

Chen Sheng quickened his pace.

Yet, when he reached the end of the stone steps and his feet touched the hard cement, all he saw was a floor littered with corpses.

It was reasonable, and yet somehow unreasonable!