"Right, I'm human. I'm a participant here, a stock clerk named Ewan. " The man said with a smile.

"Stock clerk..."

John eyed the disheveled shelves and the mess on the floor: "This is your handiwork?"

Given the male proprietor's volatile temper, quick to draw a knife at the slightest provocation, Ewan should have been dismembered for such a scene.

How had Ewan, with his work ethic, managed to survive until now?

"Heh, that's because there's a protection mechanism from the federal government, so the danger level here is greatly reduced. Plus, the male and female proprietors only check in once a week. If I slack off for five days, two days of cleanup is enough," Ewan said, scratching his head with a laugh.

John was astonished.

There was intervention from the federal government of the real world?

Was it because of this so-called protection mechanism that the supermarket's supervision was so lax?

No wonder the volatile couple running the supermarket could overlook the disarray of goods on the floor but couldn't tolerate the mess made by a thief!

Thinking about his own recent days working at the Fierce Ghost Restaurant—being harassed by the chef while working, disturbed by ghosts while sleeping, and deliberately troubled by the vending machine—if it weren't for his wits and a bit of luck, he might have lost his life by now!

Compared to John's experiences, Ewan's job seemed like a breeze!

This comparison made John feel incredibly frustrated.

"So, I was forcibly sent here because of a subway accident, and that's why the protection mechanism wasn't triggered?" John said, disheartened.

"I really feel for you," Ewan said, looking at John with pity.

He had come to Thriller World only twice, but he knew one rule: participants who were forcibly sent to this world due to an accident couldn't trigger the protection mechanism.

High risk!

High mortality rate!

Those who made it back alive were the lucky ones blessed by the gods!

Ewan, glancing at the ongoing argument outside, whispered, "I heard your conversation with the female proprietor. You should just go back where you came from. You won't be able to catch that thieving ghost."

"Besides, don't be fooled by the female proprietor's seemingly approachable demeanor. Even if you catch that ghost, she definitely won't give you the X ingredient!"

John's expression darkened slightly: "Why not?"

"Are you really that naive, or are you just pretending?" Ewan sized up John.

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"You, a human, want to negotiate with a ghost? Let me be frank with you, the manager of your Fierce Ghost Restaurant once deceived our female proprietor's feelings. She despises you guys."

"So no matter what, she won't sell you what you want!"

John's face grew increasingly grim.

Puppet, that guy, hadn't mentioned any of this to John, yet let him to the Sinister Supermarket on his own. It was clearly a huge trap.

John closed his eyes, as if making a decision.

After a moment, he opened them and said, "Tell me about the thief in your store."

"Didn't you listen to anything I said?" Ewan was astonished.

John replied, "Anyway, I can't go back empty-handed. I have my ways."

Seeing John so stubborn, Ewan shook his head.

"About a week ago, that thief showed up, and he only steals the expensive stuff to eat!"

"So far, the goods that ghost has eaten are worth over 18,000 ghost Coins. At this rate, it won't be long before the store can shut down."

Although Ewan said this, there was no sign of pessimism on his face.

He had only two days left in this instance.

After that, he could return to the real world and collect his rewards. Whether the Sinister Supermarket went out of business was of little concern to him.

"Is it impossible to catch it?" John asked, the couple didn't seem like they would be any weak ghosts.

"The thief isn't very aggressive, but he's quite crafty," Ewan explained.

"Every time the male proprietor and female proprietor are about to catch him, it's like they're suddenly hypnotized. They let the thief go and then walk back to the counter in a daze. It takes a while before they snap out of it."

"That thief must have some kind of ability to mess with a ghost's mind. Plus, it seems like it's injured; its appetite has been getting bigger these past few days! After it eats, it hides in some corner of the supermarket, waiting until it's hungry again to come out and steal food," Ewan said.

At first, the thief kept messing with the goods Ewan was in charge of, and Ewan thought about catching it. But he gave up after a while, as the thief didn't seem to intend to harm anyone, so he just let it be.

Hearing this, John could almost be certain of one thing.

The ghost pet that could be merged, as mentioned by the system, was very likely this thief.

After a moment of thought, John suddenly had an idea that could kill two birds with one stone.

The only catch was that he needed to catch this thieving ghost!

"When does it usually come out to steal food?" John asked.

"This guy has been really hungry lately, stealing food at least three times a day. I reckon it will definitely come out again tonight!" Ewan asserted.

"Alright, I'll stake out tonight until it shows up," John said.

He had a whole day, and as long as he returned to the Restaurant with the X ingredient before 6 a.m., the mission would be considered complete.

Basically, tonight was his only chance!

"No need to stake out; it will come out brazenly," Ewan said.

"At first, it was a bit timid, but after it realized no one could do anything about it, it became bolder. Now, whenever it's hungry, it just comes out and eats without a care in the world, treating the supermarket like its own home."

John nodded in understanding, not asking anything further, and walked out of the shelving area.

At the front desk, the male proprietor and female proprietor seemed to have tired themselves out from arguing and had finally quieted down.

The female proprietor pulled out the dagger that was stuck in her heart and asked John with a smile, "So, did you see that thief?"

"No, but your employee shared some information about the thief with me. I'll take action tonight."

"Oh, you mean Ewan. He really is a rare find, a diligent and responsible worker. Every time I check, he's got the shelves arranged neatly and in order," the female proprietor chuckled, clearly very pleased with Ewan.

Diligent and responsible...

If she saw him eating hot dogs and playing video games behind the shelves, she probably wouldn't say that.

But John couldn't help feeling a bit envious.

For participants who arrived in Thriller World under the protection mechanism, life was just too comfortable!

The irritable male proprietor suddenly changed his attitude towards John as well, saying, "Catch that damn thief, and whatever ingredients you want, we'll sell them to you! No, we'll even give them to you!"

John knew what they were thinking and put on a convincingly trusting expression: "I'll do my best."