The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 179

“Are you sure you want to get involved in this? Forget whether this ‘trait’ is real or not for a moment, I just feel there’s something strange and far too coincidental about this recent bizarre incident in Korea. And considering we just captured two of The Twelve’s freaks, they might have deliberately set a trap for you over there,” Deng Yuqi looked at Shen Ge, her expression full of concern.

Shen Ge replied, “If that’s really the case, then it’s even more reason to go. I’ve heard that over the past few months, Korea has been conducting a lot of research, capitalizing on the Cherry Blossom Ghost Disaster. They’ve supposedly made breakthrough progress in Ghost Energy equipment research. If they’re sincere about cooperating, then everything will be fine. But if they have any ulterior motives… well, it’s a perfect opportunity to upgrade our new recruits’ gear. After all, our Rong City Branch is the number one branch in the country. Shouldn’t our newbie benefits be top-tier?”

“……” Deng Yuqi was speechless.

She didn’t know if it was a culture Shen Ge had started, but everyone in the branch, top to bottom, had developed the fine tradition of “stripping a layer off even if you’re just passing by.”

Last month, Lin Yin went on a business trip to headquarters to assist with a paranormal incident. She took a liking to the newly developed Mechanical Kinetic Armguards. What started as a “voluntary assistance” mission turned into a “if I don’t get them, I’m going back to the factory to tighten screws” situation. In the end, she actually managed to trade her own Ghost Energy Armguards for a pair of the latest model Mechanical Kinetic ones.

“Once the timing is confirmed, I’ll have Tu Doupi and Yang Yuxing accompany you, along with a team of Anti-Ghost operatives,” Deng Yuqi said.

Shen Ge quickly waved his hands upon hearing this. “No, no. If I have to lead a team, how can I easily… ahem, I mean, I’d have to worry about the newcomers’ safety. It would tie my hands, make it hard to really cut loose.”

“…… ‘Cut loose’ and loot the Korean warehouses, you mean?” Deng Yuqi shot Shen Ge a glance and said flatly, “The last time you caused that uproar in Seoul wearing the Rotten Flesh Armor, they’re still looking for the culprit. This trip might very well be aimed at confirming your identity.”

“No problem, the armor’s been repainted,” Shen Ge said calmly.

“……”

Deng Yuqi’s original concern was that The Twelve were using this Korean incident to set a trap for Shen Ge, hence her suggestion to send Tu Doupi and the others along for his safety.

But then she remembered Shen Ge’s abilities. “If you can’t win, run” was his consistent and fine tradition. Taking others along would indeed restrict him.

“Alright then. Contact me if anything comes up. I’ll keep a close watch on the situation in Korea.”

After finalizing the travel plans with Deng Yuqi, Shen Ge left the office only to be immediately intercepted by Li Xiang’s assistant, who dragged him off to the research lab.

“Any progress on the research for the Ghost Eye and Ghost Finger?” Shen Ge asked as he entered and saw Li Xiang busy at the experimental table, walking up behind him.

Li Xiang looked up at Shen Ge, his face unable to conceal his excitement and delight. “No progress on the Ghost Finger, but we’ve made a new discovery regarding the Ghost Eye.”

“What is it?” Shen Ge asked.

Li Xiang explained, “In your latest mission report, you mentioned that the Pogang Female Freak had the ability to manipulate Ghost Space. I had the Director install a Ghost Space detector in the containment cell during the interrogation. That guy actually tried to use Ghost Space to escape during the interrogation, but the detector locked onto it.”

“After the interrogation, the Pogang Female Freak was left with barely a breath of life. The Medical and Research Departments joined forces to treat her. You know about that wound running from her neck down to… ahem, that area, the one that looks like it’s trying to split her body open, right? During the treatment, I cut the Ghost Energy thread and took the opportunity to examine her internals.”

“Due to the influence of the Aberrant Flesh, her internal organs were completely rearranged. That lump of red, tumor-like Aberrant Flesh was about the size of a fist. The strangest thing is, it was actually ‘alive,’ periodically devouring her organs by drawing nutrients from Pogang’s body.”

“I remembered your earlier mention that the Ghost Eye, Ghost Finger, and the red tumorous flesh might be connected, so I took the opportunity to collect samples of Pogang’s organs and the Aberrant Flesh for testing. When it came into contact with her blood, the Ghost Eye actually reacted.”

“You said before that perhaps Ghost Space didn’t originally exist, that so-called Ghost Space is actually a manifestation of the distortion between an entity’s Ghost Energy and the future world, right?” Li Xiang’s eyes shone with uncontrollable excitement, as if he’d discovered a new continent.

As Li Xiang spoke, the previously “chaotic” information in Shen Ge’s mind regarding the future and Ghost Space began to clarify.

The Ghost Eye could see three identical planets from a “cosmic” perspective, and the evolution of these three planets occurred in a rotating, repeating cycle.

During the Cherry Blossom Ghost Disaster, Shen Ge had traveled through the “Flesh and Blood Maw” on the new Ghost King to a world four years in the future – a world where Ghost Space did not exist.

At the time, he thought it was the distortion between the Ghost Energy of the entities from his world and the future world that caused the two worlds to overlap, creating a distorted space.

But there was a key issue: the timeline four years later was merely in an apocalyptic state, not completely destroyed, whereas Ghost Space only contained entities and freaks, with no other life forms present.

If Ghost Space wasn’t a distortion with the “future,” but rather a spatial distortion between two planets, then all the previous questions about Ghost Space would be resolved!

No wonder Li Xiang was so excited; this was indeed like discovering a “new continent”!

Seeing from Shen Ge’s reaction that he had already guessed it, Li Xiang stopped beating around the bush. He manipulated the computer to project several images: research reports on the Ghost Eye and Ghost Space, newly discovered evolutionary images from the Ghost Eye, and comparisons between two distorted spaces within Ghost Space.

“After you mentioned that the future four years ahead lacks Ghost Space, I specifically analyzed and compared tens of thousands of videos and reports you brought back. It was a massive project, but thankfully, with Little Seven’s help, the analysis time was drastically reduced.”

“The ‘future’ you traveled to is actually Planet #2, which has already reached its ‘conclusion.’ But for some reason – whether you truly traveled through time or just witnessed an illusion – regardless, the world you went to has already seen its ‘ending.'”

“Simply put, relative to our current time, the Earth #2 you visited has already ended. The entire planet has ‘withered,’ the world has fallen into apocalypse. But its journey from birth to destruction is a process, with a fixed timeline, like a movie.”

“Ghost Space is a product that occurs when entities utilize Ghost Energy, causing a distortion with Planet #2, which has experienced countless possible outcomes. That’s why the Ghost Spaces you encounter often have vastly different time spans. There are worlds abandoned for a few years, decades, even centuries, and also the world four years into the future…”

“But when you traveled, perhaps influenced by your System’s [Log] function, you happened to arrive exactly four years later, on the same day… So I have a bold idea. Next time you encounter a ‘Flesh and Blood Maw,’ have Little Seven control this detector and enter the maw together with you.” As he spoke, Li Xiang handed Shen Ge a fist-sized, spherical device.

Shen Ge asked, puzzled, “But last time after I ‘crossed over,’ I completely lost contact with this world. Even if we send this device through, if we’re in different time periods, how could we confirm anything?”

Li Xiang pressed a button on the device. A small hatch opened on its belly, revealing a piece of writhing Aberrant Flesh and something that looked like blood.

“This is a compound I extracted from the Ghost Eye and the Pogang female’s blood. After fusing it with the Progenitor Entity’s blood vessels you brought back, it can create a ‘positioning’ effect within Ghost Space.” Li Xiang pressed a few keys on the control console. The Ghost Eye, placed in a sealed lab, released Ghost Energy and opened a Ghost Space.

Then, a hatch opened in the corner of the sealed lab, and a spherical robot “rolled” out, entering the Ghost Space.

After the spherical robot “disappeared” from their sight, Li Xiang operated the console again. The Ghost Eye then projected an image – it was the spherical robot’s view from inside the Ghost Space.

“Although we have a fair amount of the Pogang female’s blood, it’s a pity the Ghost Eye and the blood vessels are scarce materials. Otherwise, popularizing this technology would mean we wouldn’t have to worry about agents getting lost in Ghost Space anymore,” Li Xiang sighed.

Shen Ge added, “But this method only locates the device within the Ghost Space. How can we ensure positioning works even after ‘crossing over’?”

Li Xiang shrugged and spread his hands. “We can’t confirm it. That’s exactly why you need to carry one with you and conduct the experiment as I described next time you encounter a ‘Flesh and Blood Maw.’ Research is all about bold hypotheses and careful verification. If my hypothesis is confirmed, then I have reason to suspect that the System on you is the key to connecting with Planet #2. Otherwise, why would it, out of countless possible ‘endings,’ precisely locate you in the world from the [Log] four years later?”

Shen Ge nodded upon hearing this, storing the spherical robot in his Bloodskin Pocket, making a mental note of it.

With Li Xiang’s capabilities, he might actually be able to uncover the “truth” behind the System through his research on the Ghost Eye, the Progenitor Entity, and the Ghost King.

Shen Ge had Little Seven compile a record of his previous speculations, research, and routine usage logs of the System and gave it to Li Xiang. After answering some of Li Xiang’s questions about the System, he finally left the Research Department and went to the Logistics Department to find Cheng Shengnan.

As the head of the Logistics Department, Cheng Shengnan had already received the action plan after Shen Ge confirmed the trip to Korea with Deng Yuqi.

“You’re really going to Korea?” Cheng Shengnan asked with concern.

Shen Ge said, “If the ‘immortality’ trait mentioned by Korea truly exists, then it’s necessary to go. If a trait entity is left unchecked, it could lead to a situation like the one in Japan. The situation in Japan was complicated because, besides The Twelve and the trait entity, there was also the new Ghost King, which made it very difficult to handle.”

“This trait entity in Korea is still within controllable limits for now. If it’s real, we naturally need to deal with it before it grows stronger. If Korea has other plans, then it’s a good opportunity to teach them a lesson, make them pay a painful price, and quiet down for a while.”

Shen Ge’s words were blunt. Previously, the Green-robed Man created the new Ghost King, making Japan “carry the weight” for the whole world. They could turn a blind eye to Korea causing minor troubles, but now, with the incidence of paranormal events rising again, this is the most critical time to worry about “fair-weather friends” stabbing you in the back.

Neither Shen Ge nor the Special Countermeasures Department had the energy to constantly monitor Korea’s movements. It was better to use this opportunity to resolve the issue and settle some old “debts” at the same time.

Cheng Shengnan knew that the reason for Shen Ge’s trip to Korea stemmed from previous “debts,” specifically referring to her one-of-a-kind necklace in the world.

Although she liked the necklace very much, it wasn’t because of its value, but simply because it was the first gift Shen Ge had personally chosen for her.

Compared to the necklace, she was more worried about Shen Ge’s safety.

“Your safety is the top priority. I don’t care if Korea lives or dies, I just want you to come back safe and sound,” Cheng Shengnan urged.

Shen Ge smiled and comforted her for a bit. After confirming the timing set by the Korean side with Cheng Shengnan, he prepared to return to his dorm to rest.

At the dormitory entrance, Shen Ge ran into Wang Han.

After Feng Chengxiu was promoted to captain of Anti-Ghost Squad 3, Wang Han, the former deputy captain of Combat Squad 1, naturally became the deputy captain of Anti-Ghost Squad 3.

“Investigator Shen.” Wang Han stopped Shen Ge. He usually had a good relationship with Shen Ge and knew that Shen Ge’s biggest weakness was his low alcohol tolerance. He often covered for him during banquets.

“That was fast?” Shen Ge thought Wang Han, like previous times, had heard he was going on a business trip and came specifically to ask if he wanted to get together for a meal or something before leaving.

Wang Han was taken aback by Shen Ge’s question. “What news?”

“Oh, I thought you knew I was going on a business trip and wanted to have a drink to see me off or something,” Shen Ge said with a smile.

Wang Han exclaimed, “You’re going on another mission? Where to this time? Japan? But didn’t you bring back a lot of entity corpses last time? The Research Department has been working overtime for two months straight manufacturing new Ghost Energy equipment… Last time I went to get equipment, they were complaining, hoping you wouldn’t be so diligent, that it’s better when you’re a bit more laid-back.”

Although this was mostly said in jest, there was a saying in the department about “a slight move in one part affecting the whole situation,” but specifically, it was “If Shen Ge moves, all departments have to follow.” Every time he went on a mission, the Operations and Intelligence Departments had to collect information 24/7. Every time he achieved great results and brought back loads of entity corpses, the Research Department had to work overtime to turn them into Ghost Energy equipment.

Li Xiang had now withdrawn from new equipment research, focusing mainly on research related to the Progenitor Entity and the Ghost King series, along with considering upgrades for Shen Ge’s armor.

Without the help of this “top dog” of the Research Department, and with Deng Yuqi constantly monitoring the Research Department’s “performance,” the researchers were under immense pressure.

So, most researchers hoped Shen Ge would be more “laid-back.” Otherwise, they’d have to eat, sleep, and live in the labs surrounded by mountains of entity corpses.

Actually, Shen Ge didn’t want to work hard either. Compared to running around the world solving paranormal incidents, he preferred researching Ghost Domains in his free time, studying… positions with a certain someone, and living a leisurely life within the Special Countermeasures Department.

But the resurgence of paranormal incidents meant the Green-robed Man’s plan had failed. The countless “endings” of Planets #1 and #2 warned him that doing nothing would only lead slowly to destruction.

Shen Ge didn’t like waiting for death.

Compared to dying himself, he preferred those who wanted him dead to die out first.

If he didn’t collect the trait entities as much as possible, once they grew stronger, or if – as the System mentioned – there was a low probability of traits transferring to high-level entities, or even the appearance of multi-trait entities, he believed that even with his mastery of multiple Ghost Domains, it would be difficult to handle.

The battle between the two 8th-level entities had left too deep an impression on Shen Ge. He didn’t want to find himself merely surviving in the cracks the next time he encountered two 8th-level entities fighting.

Furthermore, the emergence of high-level freaks was making paranormal incidents increasingly terrifying. It might seem peaceful in China now, but the global situation was spiraling out of control, as evidenced by the recent freak incidents in Great Britain and other countries over the past few months.

Shen Ge briefly explained the situation about Korea requesting his assistance, then asked, “Since you didn’t know about that, what did you need me for?”

“Well…” Wang Han hesitated, as if what he wanted to say was difficult to voice.

Shen Ge raised an eyebrow and got straight to the point. “Need to borrow money?”

“Ah? How did you know?” Wang Han was stunned.

Shen Ge smiled. “You’re never this hesitant, even when you’re trying to persuade us to go to a club or talking about a certain… technician. I couldn’t think of anything else that would make you act so out of character.”

“I… wanted to borrow some money from you,” Wang Han said awkwardly.

Shen Ge asked curiously, “You don’t even have a girlfriend, you usually live in the dorms, and with your deputy captain’s salary… Is someone in your family sick? How much do you need?”

“It’s not a family illness… Actually, I’ve saved up some money over the past couple of years, but my parents wanted to build a house back home, so I sent most of it to them. I’m a bit short on cash right now and wanted to borrow… five hundred thousand. I… I’ll pay you back as soon as possible,” Wang Han said with an awkward smile.

Shen Ge looked at Wang Han with a somewhat subtle expression and tentatively asked, “I remember Ma Chao mentioning that you’ve been going to a certain club frequently in the past few months, and always seeing the same masseuse. So, uh, it wouldn’t be…”

“Yes! Old Shen, we’re brothers, so I won’t hide it from you. You know my background… I dropped out of high school and drifted around until Director picked me up after a paranormal incident. Others might be called army ruffians, but I was a genuine ruffian. The Director overlooked my… hobbies because of my contributions during operations. But I swear, the clubs I go to are all legitimate…” Wang Han vowed earnestly.

Shen Ge suddenly understood. “So they’re legitimate. No wonder Ma Chao and the others absolutely refuse to go with you. Who goes to legitimate clubs?”

“……” Wang Han’s expression froze.

Shen Ge teased, “Just kidding, just kidding. You’re so serious; I was just worried you might have gotten scammed by the club’s routine.”

Wang Han was surprised. “Oh? Old Shen, you’re that knowledgeable about clubs?”

“Oh, it’s all stuff Ma Chao shared with me. Alright, enough joking. Go on…” Shen Ge said.

Wang Han, distracted by Shen Ge’s banter, indeed lost his initial awkwardness and hesitation. He directly explained his situation.

After missions, he liked to go for massages to relax. A few months ago, while getting a massage at a newly opened club in Rong City, he ran into his high school deskmate.

“A gambling father, a sick mother, a younger brother in school, and a sensible her… if I don’t help her, who will?… Old Shen, right?” Wang Han sighed.

Shen Ge said with a straight face, “Spouting rhymes like that, are you trying to get into grad school?”

Wang Han said gloomily, “I still remember the first time I saw her at the club, her embarrassment and helplessness facing me. Later, when she stood before me with her small case, I knew then… my world belonged to this beautiful girl. I recalled the few beautiful memories from my student days, and that’s when I understood she not only washed away the grime of this world for me but also helped me rediscover the warmth I had lost.”

“I went to the hospital to see her mother. The surgery was approaching, but her father secretly took the money and gambled it away. Using my position, I reported it to the local branch and had the old man detained. But the surgery money was gone. I couldn’t just watch her go and… Hey, Old Shen, please help me. I’ll pay you back quickly.”

“……” Shen Ge’s expression was subtle, mainly because he felt there were too many points to critique and he didn’t know where to start.

“Account number,” Shen Ge said.

Wang Han’s face lit up with joy. He quickly recited a string of numbers. Shen Ge took out his phone, noted it down, and transferred one million to him.

“Old Shen, you… I’ll pay you back as soon as I can,” Wang Han said, deeply moved.

“Are you afraid you’ll run away? I don’t need it for now. Take it, pay me back slowly, no rush,” Shen Ge said, putting his phone away.

Wang Han thanked him and asked about Shen Ge’s upcoming mission. “Have they decided who’s accompanying you on this mission? Is our Squad 3 included?”

“I’m going alone on this one.”
“Ah? Oh.” Wang Han was first surprised, then understood. Shen Ge had a habit of operating alone during missions. Given his abilities, sending people with him might not help and could even hold him back.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone this time. I’m counting on you all to keep things running here at the department,” Shen Ge said.

Wang Han vowed solemnly, “Don’t worry, Old Shen. Even if I die, Director Cheng won’t lose a single hair. I guarantee it.”

“… Bro, setting flags like that is the worst thing to do before a long trip. I’m not setting any, so you’re doing it for me?” Shen Ge suddenly felt the urge to punch Wang Han.

“Wouldn’t dare! That, uh… I need to go to the hospital first. I’ll be back tonight to see you off!” Wang Han quickly made his escape.

…

…

At the same time, in the director’s conference room of Korea’s “Paranormal Incident Strategic Defense and Attack Coordination Support Bureau,” the highest-ranking official put down the phone and looked at his secretary standing nearby.

“The Celestial Empire has agreed to send their top investigator for support. Arrange for a charter plane and bring him over as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Director.” The secretary nodded in acknowledgment.

“Also, summon the person in charge of this paranormal incident. Have him assign a few Anti-Ghost investigators to assist Investigator Shen and, incidentally, learn from his experience. Even though Investigator Shen has only been with the Celestial Empire’s Special Countermeasures Department for a year, he’s been involved in almost every major Ghost Disaster this year. The mere fact that he emerges unscathed every time proves he’s no ordinary person. He might have some unique methods for dealing with entities.”

“I understand.” The secretary acknowledged again.

Clearly, “assistance” was a pretext; intelligence gathering was the real goal.

The secretary asking tentatively: “For this operation, should we assign Investigator Shen a translator? A standard one, or should we make a specific selection?”

The director picked up a report from the desk and flipped through it. It contained records from Shen Ge’s previous participation in the Asian Anti-Ghost Research Conference at the hotel.

“After all, he’s the Celestial Empire’s top Anti-Ghost investigator. We should make proper arrangements. Here are his previous verbal records. You handle it.”

“Yes.” The secretary took the file and respectfully left the room.

After carefully studying the file, the secretary’s expression became somewhat strange and subtle, especially regarding one sentence highlighted in red.

… Modified cars might be fast, but driving with too many silicone gear shift pads isn’t comfortable.

And things like “artillery carriage,” “legs.”

So he’s a leg man. That makes things easy!
The secretary understood.

And so, the next morning, when Shen Ge boarded the charter plane sent by Korea and was taken to his hotel, the place was filled with… a sea of pale, long legs.

“Girls’ Generation” welcomed him with their classic opening dance, followed by various popular girl groups. Frankly, Shen Ge didn’t remember any of the group names or song titles. The only thing he remembered was one characteristic shared by all these “welcoming groups”: long legs.

Besides the girl groups at the welcome ceremony, even the translator assigned to Shen Ge was a “true long-legged beauty” over 170 cm tall.

Shen Ge had only one thought about this: in the information age, there’s simply no privacy left. He didn’t even know when his “little preference” had been exposed.

From the fawning looks in the eyes of the secretary responsible for his reception and the entourage, Shen Ge could tell that if he was willing, he could fully enjoy the pleasures of a Korean chaebol. The program list in his hand was like a “menu,” allowing him to pick one or several names at any time to be his main course for the evening.

“Captain Shen, I hope you find the arrangements satisfactory?” the secretary asked with an ingratiating smile.

Shen Ge said with a subtle expression. “If you hadn’t gathered all the girl groups whose names I can actually remember, and considering that opening number with its constant ‘gee gee gee gee gee, bae bae bae bae bae,’ I’d almost suspect you were deliberately messing with me, starting off with a curse.”

“……” After the translator conveyed this, the secretary’s expression froze in embarrassment.

Shen Ge smiled and patted the secretary’s shoulder, indicating he was just joking and shouldn’t take it seriously. Whether Korea was putting on a show or genuinely flattering him, at least their attitude in receiving him seemed correct.

Seeing that Shen Ge seemed to genuinely be joking, the secretary breathed a sigh of relief. With a smile, he introduced a few people to Shen Ge: “These two sisters are the translators we’ve arranged for you, Mr. Shen. The elder sister is Yoona, the younger is Seol. During non-operational hours, they will accompany you, introduce you to Korean culture and customs, and serve as your translators. We understand the preferences and habits of you and people from the Celestial Empire, so please rest assured, these two have not undergone any… technological enhancements. They just graduated from university, very inexperienced in the world. Please be gentle with them.”

Sisters, long legs, inexperienced… stacking all these buffs, it was clear this secretary had indeed done his homework and preparation.

“Heh, given the preferences of your country’s chaebol heirs, I’ll take your words with a grain of salt,” Shen Ge shot the secretary a look, letting him interpret it himself.

“Mr. Shen, every word I said is…”

“Stop. I’m here on official business, not to ‘handle’ people. I assume these two young ladies are just the appetizer. The main course is probably these few gentlemen here?” Shen Ge’s gaze passed over the secretary and the long-legged beauties behind him, landing on several young Korean men in sharp suits seated nearby.

The young man at the head, seeing Shen Ge look his way, immediately stood up and bowed to him. In somewhat broken Chinese, imitating the speech habits of people from the Celestial Empire, he flattered, “Long have I heard of Investigator Shen’s great name. It is an utmost honor to meet you today. I am Kwon Sang-il, captain of the 7th Action Team of the ‘Paranormal Incident Strategic Defense and Attack Coordination Support Bureau.’ I am also the person in charge of this paranormal incident.”

After Kwon Sang-il introduced himself, the several Anti-Ghost investigators behind him also introduced themselves one by one. However, these few clearly didn’t speak Chinese and used Korean.

As they introduced themselves, the sister translators assigned to Shen Ge by the secretary sat on either side of him, taking turns translating the “introductions” of those Anti-Ghost investigators.

Simultaneously, while they were introducing themselves, the secretary had the hotel waiters bring out all the various Korean delicacies he had prepared.

However, when Shen Ge saw the table full of Korean food, he almost felt the urge to summon “Kang Shifu” from his Bloodskin Backpack for a rescue mission.

The secretary looked proudly at the table laden with “BBQ,” “fried chicken,” “kimchi,” “kimchi,” “kimchi,” … “kimchi,” “bibimbap,” etc., completely unaware that Shen Ge had already mentally equated them with instant noodles.

The sisters, unaware of Shen Ge’s “disdain,” smiled as they introduced the various delicacies to him, poured fine wine for him, practically feeding him themselves.

Shen Ge looked calmly at the secretary seated nearby and said in a flat tone, “Your country’s report described this paranormal incident as extremely urgent. It doesn’t seem that pressing now, does it?”

As she spoke, Shen Ge glanced at the girl group still chanting “Woo, Woo, Woo” on stage, and felt a strange sense of sadness for the disaster-stricken areas in South Korea.

In the past, while the Celestial Empire also preferred to keep news of Ghost Disasters under wraps to avoid public panic, they were actually doing substantive work behind the scenes.

Even if those at the rear lived comfortably while the front lines struggled, there were still many people carrying the burden for the populace.

Korea, a tiny country – from what Shen Ge understood, their number of Anti-Ghost investigators didn’t even match that of a single province in the Celestial Empire – yet here sat a good portion of them.

Eating well, drinking well, playing well, without any sense of urgency that a powerful entity was wantonly slaughtering people at a nearby base.

The secretary offered an explanation, the gist being that Shen Ge was an “honored guest,” and Korea hoped he would feel at home here.

Then, as if possessed by the spirit of an actor, he began tearfully complaining to Shen Ge about how much the freaks had affected Korea, the unprecedented disaster befalling the citizens, and so on.

Shen Ge was here to “help” anyway. Since Korea wasn’t in a hurry, he decided to be patient and see what kind of show these people were really putting on.

After the banquet finally ended and the Anti-Ghost investigators gradually dispersed, the secretary escorted Shen Ge and the sisters to the luxury suite. Just as he was about to leave, suddenly, the chandeliers throughout the hotel began flickering.

“Ah—”

The sister translators screamed in fright at the sudden change, instinctively moving closer to Shen Ge for protection. Unexpectedly, Shen Ge’s reaction was even greater – he directly took a swift step back to the center of the room, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

The sisters, who had been standing on either side of Shen Ge, now found him gone. They collided with each other, but fear overrode embarrassment. They clung together, crouching on the ground and screaming.

The change was too sudden. Even Little Seven hadn’t detected any Ghost Energy fluctuations, causing Shen Ge to nearly activate his Immovable Ghost Domain immediately in response.

Just as Shen Ge was cautiously observing the surroundings, he caught a slight shimmer in the air near both the door and the window.

“Distorted space?” Shen Ge narrowed his eyes.

By now, Shen Ge could sense the Ghost Energy fluctuation at the door. Little Seven also reported the detected situation in the vicinity through his earpiece.

The fluctuation at the door grew stronger. Shen Ge wasn’t sure yet if this was a move by the Koreans or if someone else was hiding in the shadows causing trouble, so he didn’t act rashly.

However, the next second, two of the attendants standing behind the secretary near the door suddenly shuddered. After letting out a brief cry, they vanished right before everyone’s eyes.

The change happened too fast. Not only the secretary, but even the people standing in front of the vanished duo, and the two Anti-Ghost investigators protecting the secretary, were caught off guard.

“Secretary, be careful!” The two Korean Anti-Ghost investigators protected the secretary, moving further into the room. They had only taken a few steps forward when the distorted fluctuation at the door became increasingly apparent.

Yoona and Seol, crouching on the floor and holding each other, were pale with fear, trembling all over. They looked back at Shen Ge behind them, pleading, “Mr. Shen, save us, please save us. We don’t want to die.”

As the shimmering air at the door began spreading into the room, the two Anti-Ghost investigators stood guard in front of the secretary, weapons ready, facing a formidable enemy.

Shen Ge glanced calmly at the sisters on the floor. Their eyes held terror, panic, and pleading. Unless they were acting at an award-winning level, it didn’t seem like an act.

Looking at the secretary, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, fists clenched, body trembling slightly. He didn’t seem to be acting either.

So, it really was a paranormal incident?

Suddenly, a dense black mist erupted from the distorted area at the doorway. Then, a voice, somewhat cold and belonging to a Korean man, spoke in Korean: “Secretary, is this the foreign reinforcement from the Celestial Empire you went to such great lengths to invite? Hmph, with all that effort and money, you’d be better off cleaning up the corruption among the chaebols and the bullying in the military camps. Inviting someone who’s too scared to move when faced with a paranormal incident – do you really think he can deal with me?”

Shen Ge watched the black mist at the door calmly. Yoona, who had been trembling in fear earlier, gritted her teeth, crawled to Shen Ge’s feet, and – seemingly worried he hadn’t understood the Korean – very “dutifully” translated for him. Then she continued to beg Shen Ge not to just watch her and her sister die.

Actually, the moment the black mist spoke, Little Seven had already provided a simultaneous translation in Shen Ge’s ear. He just hadn’t expected this woman to be so “conscientious.”

“Do Yu-seong, this is the Celestial Empire’s top investigator! Do you think he’d be afraid of a mere freak like you? I admit, the bullying in the military camp caused you suffering, but that’s no reason to become a freak and take revenge on the country! Think about how many innocent soldiers have died by your hand recently!” the secretary scolded righteously.

Do Yu-seong roared, “So what? Isn’t Korea’s current state – dominated by chaebols, the people living in misery – also caused by you in power failing to act? Look at you! Just because you’ve invited a foreign reinforcement, you’re practically throwing the women of your own country at him as playthings! You are a disgrace to men, a disgrace to the nation!”

“And look at the man you invited! What can he do? Can he really save you? Hah, a bunch of trash! And you two as well! As Korean women, to kneel and beg a man from another country just to survive, you are a disgrace to Korean women!”

“Since you think he can save you, I’ll kill you right in front of him! Let you see for yourselves that men from the Celestial Empire are just as useless!”

Do Yu-seong’s icy voice echoed through the spacious living room of the suite. He didn’t reveal himself from within the mist. Instead, as he spoke, the black mist blocking the door began spreading along the walls, filling the room.

When the sisters heard Do Yu-seong say he would kill them, and saw the black mist spreading through the room, they cried out in despair, “Save us, we don’t want to die yet, save us!”

Yet Shen Ge remained unmoved, his gaze fixed calmly on the black mist at the door, not even glancing at the Ghost Energy spreading along the walls.

“To be honest, even the most useless man in the Celestial Empire wouldn’t try to establish his authority by killing women,” Shen Ge suddenly said flatly.

“What did you say?” Do Yu-seong clearly didn’t understand Chinese and asked coldly in Korean.

Yoona, trembling, looked up and happened to meet Shen Ge’s eyes, which seemed to be urging her to continue her “dutiful” translation.

Although Shen Ge wasn’t Korean, he was at least human. In the end, Yoona, forced to choose between the monster and the “human,” chose to trust Shen Ge and faithfully translated his words.

“Heh, I thought you were scared stiff. I didn’t expect you could still bluff and provoke me?” Do Yu-seong’s tone was full of disdain and contempt.

Shen Ge said calmly, “Not really. It’s mainly because, after Korea went to all this trouble to invite me, I expected at least a fourth or fifth-level freak. I didn’t expect just a third-level weakling. I don’t even feel like bothering. How about you go back and call for backup, or bring out the boss behind you?”

After Yoona finished her trembling translation, Do Yu-seong was furious. “You call me weak?”

“Anything below the fourth level is an ant,” Shen Ge stated.

Even though Yoona’s voice trembled with every word, and her translation lacked any imposing manner, sounding more like a bluff, it still infuriated Do Yu-seong.

“I hope you can still say those words after I’ve finished you off!” Du Yusheng’s gloomy tone was laced with anger; he wanted nothing more than to tear Shen Ge to pieces.

The next second, the black mist in the room suddenly surged. Areas touched by the Ghost Energy black mist showed visible air distortion. The clothes of the two Anti-Ghost investigators were soaked with cold sweat. If the surroundings hadn’t been sealed off by the black mist, they might have abandoned their duty of protecting the secretary and fled this terrifying place.

Whoosh!
Suddenly!

The distorted black mist on the left and right formed two giant misty hands, reaching out to grab Shen Ge from both sides. Just as they were about to seize him, Shen Ge calmly raised his hand, aiming towards the doorway—

Unextended Ghost Domain!

Barrier!

After Little Seven locked onto the area with the highest concentration of Ghost Energy, Shen Ge had been testing the range of the Ghost Space affected by his opponent by expanding his Ghost Domain.

Confirming the range wasn’t large, he gradually reduced the scope of his Ghost Domain and discovered that Do Yu-seong was only occupying a space about the width of one person.

Most importantly, this guy hadn’t even noticed Shen Ge expanding his Ghost Domain