As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

"Transfer complete. You have entered the Mist Instance for the first time. The Ghost Energy Reserve System has been activated. You can use ghost energy through thought, or channel your own into the reserve system to convert it into ghost energy points.

These points can be viewed through the emblem displayed on the back of your left hand. While using ghost energy, you can choose to conceal the specific values. Ghost energy points can be exchanged for currency within the Mist Instance at a ratio of 1000:1."

"In the Mist Instance, countless loops exist. Breaking a loop will earn you rewards. Your current assigned identity is Tenant No. 103 of Mingzhu Apartments. Name: Draven."

As the voice echoed, a faint black emblem appeared on the back of each of their hands, displaying their respective ghost energy values.

Alexander: 179,600

Selena: 341,300

Edward: 19,116,000

Edward looked genuinely surprised, albeit in a rather unimpressed manner. "This mist system is pretty convenient, huh? Even digitizing my own ghost energy."

His eyes scanned over Alexander’s hand, catching sight of the latter’s value. A smile spread across his face, as if reclaiming some lost dignity in front of Alexander.

Both Alexander and Selena scanned their surroundings. They found themselves in a cramped rental bedroom, hardly more than a few square meters.

The room was furnished with a bed, a desk, a chair, and an old, outdated computer.

On the computer screen, a disturbing video was playing: a chainsaw-wielding maniac chasing a naked young woman.

The trio found themselves in the room: Alexander with his arm around Selena, sitting on the bed, and Edward perched on a chair. All were situated near the computer desk, seemingly engrossed in a film.

On the table lay a framed photograph of two young men and a woman dressed in school uniforms—the very identities the trio were assumedly portraying.

Movie posters of various kinds adorned the walls, and a photograph of a man and a woman—likely Alexander and Selena judging by their clothes—was taped to the headboard.

The man in the picture wore a skull T-shirt and had a crucifix chain around his neck, the very same chain that now rested on Alexander’s neck.

"Remember Kassadin Imperial’s advice? Low profile, act your roles. What are your names? Scan the room, find any clues. Mine is Draven," Alexander instructed, sweeping his gaze across the room as he addressed Selena and Edward.

"We’re probably in a romantic relationship, right? My name is Jinx," Selena chimed in, both of them turning their attention to Edward.

Standing up, Edward glanced around, rubbing the last knuckle of his left ring finger thoughtfully with his right hand before speaking.

"We’re likely childhood friends with an incredibly close bond. Otherwise, my character, named Ryze, wouldn’t be here watching this kind of film with you lovebirds. Judging by the room’s posters, our roles should be fans of gory, intense movies.

There’s a logo of a fast-food restaurant on the napkins on the table, and various fast-food wrappers are scattered around. We frequent a place called KFD, and it appears we eat fast food often. Considering the state of this rental, I’d say we’re not exactly flush with cash."

Edward finished his analysis with a flourish, meticulously adjusting his sleeves as if he’d made some grand revelation.

"That’s it?" Alexander looked at Edward, whose demeanor had promised some sort of detective-like insight, only to deliver nothing substantial.

"Did I say something wrong?" Edward bristled at Alexander’s dismissiveness.

Alexander shot back, "Draven and Jinx are likely employees at KFD fast-food restaurant. As for Ryze, whom Edward is portraying, it’s unclear but probably the same.

The photo on the nightstand was clearly taken inside a fast-food restaurant. And these wrappers and paper cups—wouldn’t be strange for employees to have these items."

"Hold on, how do you know they’re employees? Maybe they just frequent the place because they like the food?" Edward retorted, clearly not satisfied.

Thud!

Just as Alexander was about to continue his analysis, a shadow darted past the window, followed by the thump of a heavy object hitting the ground. Shouts of alarm echoed from below.

"Did someone just jump from the building?" Alexander was visibly shaken. "Let’s go, let’s check it out now!"

"Go down? Shouldn’t we figure out what’s going on first?" Edward questioned, puzzled.

"If someone jumped from your building, would you just sit at home and do nothing?" Alexander retorted, rising from his seat and heading for the door. Selena and Edward, their bewilderment quickly replaced by realization, hurriedly followed.

Upon opening the door, Alexander was greeted by the excited face of a young man, no older than eighteen or nineteen. "Someone just jumped off a building, Draven! I knew you’d come down to join the commotion," he exclaimed.

This was Alexander’s first encounter with a person from the "Mist Instance," and he was immediately taken aback. The young man before him, though visibly excited, had a vacant look in his eyes—a muted glow of lifelessness that wasn’t much different from Edward’s aura.

However, his actions and behavior seemed utterly normal, as if he were just an ordinary teenager.

Suddenly, the youth’s gaze shifted strangely towards Selena. "Jinx, since when did you become interested in this kind of spectacle? You’ve never been one to follow the crowd. Something’s off about you." As he spoke, his eyes grew increasingly piercing.

"I brought her out! Enough talk—let’s go and see what’s happening!" Interrupted Alexander, gripping Selena’s hand tightly and urging her to move quickly.

"Exactly, we’ll miss it all if we’re late!" The young man agreed, nodding fervently as he followed Alexander downstairs.

Once they reached the ground floor, they found a crowd had already assembled. On a beat-up black sedan lay a middle-aged man, his blood slowly trickling down the dented roof before vanishing upon hitting the ground.

"It’s so dreadful," lamented an older woman holding a vegetable basket among the spectators. "Buou’s wife ran off with another man again, didn’t she? This makes the sixth time; no wonder he took his own life."

"Do you think Buou was impotent? Why else would he have had six wives who all left him in just a few days?" another woman conjectured aloud.

The crowd of onlookers was whispering among themselves. Alexander gazed at the ever-increasing number of rubberneckers with a growing sense of dread.

The old woman with the vegetable basket emitted a presence equivalent to that of an Imperial, and the other woman was not far behind.

The man with a face full of freckles exuded an aura that was nearly as intense as that of the Flame Imperial. And in the crowd, there were three more just like him.

"This cycle, it seems unchangeable!" thought Alexander. "Encountering four Imperials right from the start? We need to find another place and lay low!"

Taking advantage of everyone’s attention on the man who had jumped, he whispered urgently to Selena and Edward.

"It might not be easy to switch locations. We’re being watched," murmured Edward with a serious expression.

Alexander quickly followed Edward’s gaze and noticed a man in his twenties not far off, grinning menacingly in their direction.

"He’s like us, a participant," whispered Edward. "The ghostly aura around him has the influence of the Mist System. The locals can’t sense it, but we can! He’s probably one of the ghost kings who’s been around Rayden, a ghost king from the Endless Abyss."

"The Endless Abyss," Alexander murmured, locking eyes with the man’s sinister grin.

A surge of murderous intent welled up within him. Being targeted in such a place was a terrifying prospect. This ghost king had to be dealt with!

The ghost king from the Endless Abyss, seeing Alexander’s gaze turn to him, intensified his vicious smile and opened his mouth soundlessly.

"Scum, you’re doomed!" he seemed to say.

Even though Alexander couldn’t understand sign language, he managed to grasp what the menacing figure from the Endless Abyss was signaling to him.

Edward, concerned about Alexander’s potential impulsiveness, quickly cautioned, "Don’t do anything rash, Alexander. Remember what the Fire Imperial said—stay low-key!"

"Don’t worry! No one understands low-key better than I do," Alexander responded, patting Edward on the shoulder for reassurance. Edward let out a sigh of relief, confident that as long as Alexander remained calm, they would be fine.

However, just as he was exhaling, Alexander bellowed, "Endless Abyss!" at the ghost king.

"Dammit!" Edward was dumbfounded, and Selena was shocked.

Was Alexander planning on a suicide mission? And why drag them into it?

Alexander’s deafening roar instantly seized everyone’s attention. Even the ghost king from the Endless Abyss was startled.

Known as Lister and nicknamed the South Mountain Ghost King, he considered himself blood brothers with Rayden. The very Desert Imperial that was previously called upon was his doing.

Seeing Alexander here electrified him; an opportunity for vengeance had presented itself.

Having visited this community four times, Lister had transitioned from cautious impostor to a flawless infiltrator. In his view, it would be incredibly easy to off these three individuals when the right moment arrived.

But what he never expected—even in his wildest dreams—was for Alexander to burst out so conspicuously, as if begging for others to recognize his role in this unfolding drama.

Startled and furious, Lister barked back, "What are you talking about? ’Endless Abyss’? Never heard of it."

Clearly, Lister had misjudged the situation; Alexander had no intention of a murder-suicide pact. When everyone’s eyes converged on him, Alexander looked back at Lister, feigning confusion.

"Endless Abyss? Jinx asked why I’ve lost weight recently, and I said I’ve been hungry. What’s this Endless Abyss you’re talking about? Why did you hear something as strange as Endless Abyss? Something’s off with you!"

The moment the words "Something’s off" left Alexander’s lips, Lister’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He finally grasped what Alexander was attempting to do.

In a fit of rage, he screamed, "Sabotage! You dare frame me? He’s the Chosen One! He’s the Chosen One!"

But his accusations were but impotent howls of fury. If being called ’The Chosen One’ was all it took to expose someone, then no one would dare participate in this mist instance. Instead, Lister’s outburst only turned the piercing eyes of the perplexed onlookers into sharply focused lasers of suspicion.

The man with the pockmarked face glared unrelentingly at Lister, hissing, "Chosen One, eh? Something’s off about you!" A cloud of dark ghostly energy enveloped him, emitting an aura of terror. His eyes, once lively, lost all semblance of sanity, leaving only unhinged madness.

The same transformation happened to everyone around them. Their eyes were locked onto Lister as if he were the only entity in existence. The ghostly aura intensified among them, interspersed with a grayish mist.

"Fuck! Alexander, you’re damned to hell!" Lister screamed, pushed beyond the limits of his composure.

"Don’t anyone dare touch him; he’s mine!" Edward, standing next to Alexander, also feigned a cloud of ghostly energy, looking as if he was about to rush forward.

The crowd, though frothing with the desire to tear Lister apart, had so far held back. But Edward’s shout was the spark that lit the fuse. They all went mad, rushing toward Lister in a chaotic frenzy.

Amidst Lister’s screams, Alexander quickly grabbed Selena. With a glance exchanged with Edward, they turned and bolted.

They sprinted until they reached their rented room, locked the door behind them, and finally allowed themselves a sigh of relief.

"So, how was my finale? Just a measly Ghost King of the Endless Abyss—a mere bag of trash. With our teamwork, he didn’t stand a chance!" Edward leaned against the door, his face flushed with triumph.

"Are you kidding me?" Alexander rolled his eyes. "If it weren’t for the crowd’s fixation on the ’exposed Chosen One,’ your shout would have doomed us all!"

"Ahem...well, I knew what I was doing!" Edward coughed, looking at Selena, hoping she would save him some face.

"I won’t say much, but you two are a perfect match," Selena shook her head, her face a canvas of incredulity.

"When it comes to being discreet and low-key, you two really nailed the ’low-key’ part!"