1:00 a.m. The system chimed again with a notification. [Novice Protection has ended. It is now Day Two of the Catacombs. Each player is limited to digging 10 times per day.] [Lanterns are the only protection in the Underworld!] [All players, gather enough crystals to trade for lanterns.] Damn this system... Announcing something this important only now—were they hoping I hadn’t died fast enough yet? Ye Shu’s eyes narrowed, fixed on the darkness ahead where a pale, ghostly figure stood. That silhouette began gliding slowly forward. Black, hollow sockets stared directly at Ye Shu, and grotesque sounds—"ka-ka... he-he..."—issued from its mouth. The temperature in the catacombs began to drop. At the same time, a stench so foul and putrid filled the air that it made the skin crawl. "Awooo... That thing stinks," Da Piaoliang muttered, pinching its nose with two dainty claws, its green feline eyes glaring disdainfully at the catacomb ghost. If not for these infernal creatures, how could it ever lift its head in front of its mistress? It was a disgrace—even after ascending to SS+ rank and arriving in a new dungeon, not even capable of handling a mere spirit? But it knew full well that lanterns were these things’ kryptonite, so it couldn’t do nothing. Ye Shu stood her ground, casting a chilling glance at the catacomb ghost before calmly drawing a peachwood sword and a plain white lantern. Da Piaoliang froze, then leapt from Ye Shu’s shoulder to the ground. This wretched wooden sword had always been its bane. Even now, bonded as Ye Shu’s contract beast, it couldn’t help but feel threatened by the blade. Tonight’s ghostly foe didn’t stand a chance! Da Piaoliang twitched its whiskers with glee, and eyed the swollen, waterlogged catacomb ghost with malicious delight. "He-he..." The ghost shrank back at the moment the lantern’s wick was lit, its already distorted face contorting as a piercing shriek split the air. Though it snarled, it dared not move closer, slinking backwards into shadow. "Awooo... It actually works!" Da Piaoliang exclaimed, admiration twinkling in its green cat’s eyes as it gazed at the white lantern. Yet, something about the lantern’s scent nagged at a buried memory. Impossible, it thought immediately. If not for Ye Shu, it would’ve never escaped the dungeon’s strange world, and it was certain: no such paper lanterns existed where it came from. Ye Shu hefted the lantern and drove the peachwood sword into the catacomb ghost. Its form was yielding, oozing like a puddle of muck; close up, the stench of rot grew overpowering. At that moment, the lantern’s wick suddenly exploded, bright flames flaring to light up the entire pit. Ye Shu stood just a few feet away, close enough to see the ghost’s pallid face twist into an eerie smile—one that sent an unbidden jolt of dread through her. As if she’d done something terribly wrong. She remembered the system’s warning: trade for lanterns, the bane of all underground creatures. That was how she’d understood it. Yet, something felt off... The flames gutted out in an instant. Ye Shu, reacting on instinct, flicked on her flashlight, but agony tore through her abdomen. Blood splashed across her face—she was forced to watch as the ghost hollowed out her entrails. Da Piaoliang leaped to rip the catacomb ghost apart... but was killed instead. —— Time froze. Reality reset. "Ah!" "This is... the catacombs!" Ye Shu pressed her hand to her soft belly—untouched, unharmed. She’d been reset. For the first time, she hadn’t died at that person’s hands. Unbelievable. Even though she’d followed the instructions, produced the lantern—why had the catacomb ghost killed her so easily? She racked her brain, unable to fathom it. The memory of excruciating pain lingered; she could barely straighten herself. "Awooo... Mistress, what’s wrong?" Da Piaoliang mimicked a human, sitting cross-legged with a dried fish between its paws, chewing leisurely. "N-no problem." Time had reset to an hour earlier—the first time she’d encountered that ghost. Sure enough, the system announcement followed: [The Survival System is now online!] [Midnight is dangerous—players, stay calm. If you encounter a catacomb ghost, avoid eye contact. Without a lantern, do not meet their gaze... Higher-level ghosts will ignore lower-level lanterns!] [No high-level catacomb ghosts will appear—for now.] [Day One is an adaptation period for novice players. Catacomb ghosts will not harm humans.] [Keep your SAN value above 30 or you will lose your rationality!] High-level ghosts ignore lower-level lanterns! Had that warning been in the last announcement? Ye Shu replayed everything that had happened in her mind, realizing that the catacomb ghost only attacked after the lantern burned out. She could now confirm the peachwood sword worked against these ghosts; with a high-level lantern and a steady flame, she’d at least be safe from quick death by a catacomb ghost. But as she pondered her next move, an icy gaze bore into her. She didn’t need to look to know it was the same ghost who’d killed her before. She must not make eye contact. Must not get too close and risk smothering the lantern’s flame. Ye Shu kept her head bowed, eyes flicking over the player chat while she sneakily watched the white figure lurking in the corner. [Autumn Osmanthus Scent: I just saw a white mutant thing in the corner—help! I don’t dare look.] [Xin Ping Qi He, Chun Nuan Hua Kai: What even is that? Some white blob—I’m not wearing my glasses, can’t see. Can you help?] A photo of a catacomb ghost appeared. The system’s camera feature was excellent, offering a sharp image of the abomination huddling in the corner: its limbs were too long, its hands and feet webbed like a fish, and two black eyes burned with malice as viscous fluid dripped from a half-open maw. [Mian Hua Tang: What the hell is that? An alien? Venom? That thing’s creepy!] [Ben Jia Zi Ben Jia: Damn! Just looking at it, my SAN dropped 10 points. Delete that picture, fast!] [Chu Yao Nu Tian Shi: Lost 12 points myself—remove those photos, or everyone’s going to lose SAN from seeing catacomb ghosts!] [Bai Lan Chi Gua: Don’t you have these things? I’ve got three in my cave—look!] Another photo followed. [Ghost Bride: Lost another 5 SAN, stop posting them!] [Wo Yu Shen Ming Hua Ya: Block, mute, delete—never want to see that again.] [Shen Ming Kua Wo Wang Ba: I’m surrounded by them—I can’t move. These things don’t seem to have real bodies; I tried throwing something and it just passed through...] SAN—they were right. Ye Shu remembered the system had muted her SAN indicator. Glancing at the screen, she saw she only had 50 SAN points left. If it dropped below 30, she’d lose all reason. "Crackle—" The wick in the lantern burned down at a frightening speed; within ten minutes, another section was gone. A standard lantern would only last about five hours—sunrise was still a long way off. The ghost was inching closer. The whole catacomb was as cold as a morgue. Ye Shu hefted Da Piaoliang onto her shoulders, tied a strip of black cloth across her eyes, then drew her sword and charged towards the lurking catacomb ghost.