As he spoke, it seemed as if he had guessed something. The apartment owner's body trembled, emitting a terrifying ghost aura.
Cobra and Bai's complexions changed, and they instantly retreated ten meters away, wearing expressions that screamed 'we're not with him.'
John felt as if his body was being crushed by a thousand-pound weight, unbearably heavy.
Cold sweat began to seep out layer by layer on his forehead!
He had overplayed his hand!
"What's there to be afraid of? Don't you have two lives? What's so scary!" Blood-Eye Ghost mocked.
Just as John was about to retort to Blood-Eye Ghost, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Demon System: You have gained +80 Rage Points from the apartment owner, with the reward skill—Top-Level Chess Tactics!"
Ah, this! It's like hitting the jackpot, a hundred times better than a stroke of luck!
"I'm asking you, what are you looking at on your phone!" The apartment owner's presence became even more terrifying, the whites of his eyes receding, turning pitch black as if he was possessed.
Suppressing the fear in his heart, John said calmly, "Just playing some Tetris to pass the time."
Saying this, he turned the screen around, and indeed, the image of Tetris was displayed.
"Fine, turn off the phone and continue the game with me. If you lose, I'll decide which organ to take from you!" the apartment owner said coldly, retracting the dreadful ghost aura.
"Too clever for your own good, thinking all the ghosts in the instance are fools," Cobra said, adjusting his glasses with a nonchalant tone.
"What an idiot," Bai said with a smirk, a competitor less was, after all, no bad thing for them.
But for a moment there, they really thought they could bluff their way through!
Seeing John put down his phone, the apartment owner regained his confidence, shifting his moves from defense to offense.
John's gaze returned to the chessboard, and he felt completely different.
It was like having just earned a Ph.D. and suddenly being presented with a third-grade elementary school test.
Familiar, transparent!
After the apartment owner made a move, dozens of counter-moves instantly appeared in John's mind.
In fact, after making the first move, John could even deduce the next six or seven moves in their entirety!
John cracked a slight smile. "Well then, I guess it's time to get serious."
His words cast a shadow over his opponent's face, the insult igniting the apartment owner's anger like a fuse.
However, ten moves later, the old man fell silent. After a long pause, he slowly admitted, "You've won."
The malicious aura that had been emanating from the apartment owner quickly dissipated; this time, he was thoroughly convinced by his defeat.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Cobra and Bai, who had been waiting for the apartment owner to erupt, were stunned as they finally took notice of the situation on the chessboard.
The red side was left with only a king; all the other pieces were gone!
They exchanged glances, bewildered.
How could this guy be so strong? What was he doing with his phone at the start?
John smiled faintly, "Thanks for the game."
To the apartment owner, John's voice sounded like mockery. The old man asked in a deep voice, "You want to redeem that item?"
John pointed to something inside a cardboard box.
"The heart of Rhys, right?"
With a flick of his finger, the old man sent the beating heart into John's hands.
It throbbed vigorously, and John couldn't help but wonder—if he crushed this heart, would Rhys die?
After thanking him, the apartment owner waved his hand dismissively and paid him no more attention, his gaze returning to the chessboard.
This crushing defeat had clearly dealt him a significant blow!
On the way back, Cobra and Bai, empty-handed, looked at John with a hint of discomfort.
They hesitated, wanting to ask John to play a game of chess on their behalf, but their pride held them back.
It was too embarrassing for two seasoned participants to beg a novice for help!
John wasn't concerned with what they were thinking. He returned to room 401 and handed the heart over.
Rhys took the heart with a mix of surprise and excitement.
As he gently placed the heart into the cavity in his chest, in the blink of an eye, John saw the wound heal as if it had never been there, without even a scar.
After fitting the heart back into his body, Rhys was silent for a while before saying, "If you ever run into trouble, you can come to me."
His tone was even, but John could hear the genuine gratitude in Rhys's voice.
"You're too kind. Neighbors should help each other out," John said politely.
[Angel System: "Congratulations, host, for gaining +60 fondness from the resident of 401, along with a reward of 100 ghost power!]
[Ding, Congratulations, host, for completing a D-class quest and earning an extra rating. The settlement will occur after exiting the instance!]
*Ding*, "You have completed 'Side Quest ×1' and obtained a clue for a 'Main Quest'—The water tank on the rooftop of Blood Garment Apartments seems to harbor a secret. Why not take a look?"
"The rooftop water tank?" John frowned slightly.
The main quest usually meant finding the serial killer. So the clue must be related to tracking down the serial killer.
But what kind of clue could be in a water tank?
Hiding a body there?
John thought about finding time to check out the rooftop, but he remembered the door to the rooftop was locked. It seemed he would need to speak with the apartment owner first.
"Do you have any trouble?" Rhys asked, seeing John standing still, thinking he might have a problem.
"No, I'm fine. I'll be on my way."
After leaving room 401, John was contemplating his next move when he saw a little girl in a pleated skirt carrying a basket of food up the stairs. She looked scared, glancing behind her, and accidentally bumped into John.
"Are you okay?" John asked, immediately feeling the question was rather foolish.
Could he really hurt a ghost by bumping into it?
John himself possessed ghost power and immediately realized the little girl was not human.
"There's a bad person following me..."
John followed the girl's gaze and saw a dark shadow at the stairwell, with a pair of bloodthirsty eyes staring intently at the little girl, filled with insane greed.
Without a word, John pulled out the Ghost Burying Stone. Perhaps sensing the threat of the Ghost Burying Stone, the shadow retreated back into the stairwell.
John had a sudden realization: "Could that guy be the serial killer?"
He hurriedly followed, only to see the shadow disappear into the corridor on the third floor.
"It's one of the residents on the third floor," John narrowed his eyes.
"Thank you." The little girl approached to express her gratitude after John had driven the bad person away.
"Do you know that man?" John inquired.
The little girl shook her head. "Every time I go upstairs, as soon as he smells me, he follows me... But once I reach the fourth floor, he doesn't dare to follow anymore."
John pondered for a moment, "Don't you have any adults at home?"
The little girl opened the door to room 402 and said with a smile, "My mom and dad are both at home, but they don't like to go out much. Do you want to come in and sit?"
John glanced inside the door but didn't see anyone.
However, in the living room, there were two chairs swinging back and forth.
Invisible ghosts!
John shook his head, "No, thanks. Be careful when you're going upstairs next time. If you need anything, knock on room 405; I'm staying in that room."
The little girl nodded obediently and entered her room with the basket of food.
On his way back, passing by room 404, there were no chilling sounds of arguments or fights coming from inside.
John no longer wanted to interfere with the strange disputes of this eerie family of three. It was best to avoid them if possible.
However, as he passed by, the door to room 404 suddenly opened, and a hand reached out towards John!