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

A dark ray enveloped the old woman’s corpse. The man, who had been staring at an empty sky, snapped back to reality, but as he turned his head, his body exploded into ghostly mist, vanishing into thin air.

On the ground, the old woman’s corpse likewise disappeared, leaving Alexander holding a bottle of red potion.

"Success!"

When he was in the apartment complex, Alexander had pondered whether he could directly transform the corpse that had jumped off the building. If he could, would a new cycle commence? If so, could he infinitely create ghost food?

The obstacle had been the formidable cycle within the apartment, involving four Imperial-level ghosts and a slew of Ghost Kings. A single misstep would lead to their instantaneous deaths.

But this cycle was different—merely two soldier-level ghosts. Even if he couldn’t defeat them, he could always run. The forbidden powers, as menacing as they were, couldn’t make them invincible; their own capabilities would inherently limit those dark forces.

Edward stared at Alexander, bewildered. "Alexander, what are you planning? Could this actually restart the cycle?"

Taking advantage of the foggy instance’s bug was audacious. Edward knew well the potency of ghost food. If Alexander kept this up, not just a soldier-level army but even a King-level army could be within reach.

"Let’s just try it and see," Alexander said.

The group took cover behind a flower bed once again. A few minutes later, sure enough, the old woman and the man reappeared on the street.

This time, however, their favorability ratings hovered at -1, including the strongman’s previously positive 10. It seemed as though some mechanism had been triggered, restricting the endless exploitation of the loophole.

Indeed, if Alexander were to encounter a lone Ghost King and exploit an endless loop, he could produce an astronomical number of Ghost King-level food in no time.

The Dark Hell would soon be overrun with Ghost Kings, elevating every denizen to that frightening level of power. It would not only upset the delicate balance but potentially plunge the Dark Hell into utter chaos.

Uncertain about the exact limitations, he seized the opportunity to conduct another experiment.

"Ma’am, may I assist you across?" Alexander approached the old woman with a beaming smile, as if he saw not her, but stacks upon stacks of ghost coins.

Cycle after quick cycle unfolded, each regeneration taking a mere five minutes. When Alexander left the apartment complex, it was around 7 a.m. He had farmed for nearly six hours, and by the time it was almost noon, both subjects had favorability ratings of a staggering -97.

Although their attitudes remained unchanged, a distinct premonition settled in Alexander’s gut.

"We can’t continue like this," he thought. "If we hit -100, something catastrophic might happen."

"We can attempt to break it now," Alexander whispered to Edward as the old woman reappeared, and the trio approached her.

Engaging in a conversation similar to their previous exchanges, Alexander deliberately sped things up. When the man came out to extort them, Alexander interjected:

"Twenty thousand is not an issue, even more is fine. I take great pleasure in helping others. I’m a doctor and have aided many patients. Your mother has heart issues, doesn’t she? You need money? I can help."

The man and the old woman paused, noticeably surprised. "You’re a real doctor? Willing to help us?"

"I can vouch for him," Edward chimed in without hesitation. "He’s a renowned physician. Everyone in our area is well-aware of his extraordinary medical skills."

Indeed, who in Undead Street didn’t know of the fame that Charles the doctor had?

"Doctor Charles!" The old woman ceased her act, sat up, and clutched Alexander’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Doctor, I know I’m beyond help, but my son is still young. Our family has a severe history of hereditary heart disease. Despite his physical training from a young age, we couldn’t alter this grim fate.

I’ve been scamming people just to gather enough money for his heart transplant surgery, which costs 1.2 million!"

As she spoke, whether due to the ticking clock or the emotional weight of the topic, she began to spasm violently.

"Don’t worry, Grandma. 1.2 million is no issue; I’ll cover it for your son," Alexander assured her while kneeling down.

"Is what you’re saying true?" At the sound of Alexander’s words, the old woman, who should’ve been past saving, struggled to grip his arm.

Even in this surreal, mist-shrouded instance—where life was possibly a conjuration rather than authentic—Alexander felt a pang of compassion. Perhaps this is the enormity of maternal love.

This time, with no ulterior motives, Alexander converted his ghost energy into 1.2 million ghost coins and handed them over to the man in a sizable sack.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The old woman couldn’t stop thanking him.

Slowly, a paper lantern rose from her form, its distinct, eerie green glow causing Alexander to frown. It was identical to the lanterns carried by faceless dwarves that heralded the arrival of Hell’s warriors. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Inside it, a ghost version of the old woman appeared. She bowed deeply to Alexander, mouthed a "thank you," and then went up in ethereal green flames before vanishing altogether.

The man beside her turned vacant-eyed the moment the lantern appeared, his gaze becoming soulless.

As it materialized, both the old woman and the man exploded into ghostly energy once again. But this time, instead of dissipating into white mist, they funneled into the lantern.

As this transpired, a series of scenes materialized before Alexander and his companions. The vignettes depicted a single mother, standing with her newly-adult son in front of a hospital, their eyes awash in tears.

Despite his seemingly robust physique, the young man couldn’t escape the genetic destiny of heart disease. Mother and son wept in each other’s arms.

Working tirelessly to accumulate enough money for her son’s treatment, the mother found that earning money was an uphill battle. After falling ill, her son couldn’t do physical labor or practice martial arts anymore, settling for an easier job that paid far less.

They found a matching donor heart, but the steep cost of the transplant left them in despair.

Out of desperation, the mother used her aging body to scam people on the streets for money. During one such act, her heart disease struck again. Even in her dying moments, her fixation remained on her son’s illness and the exorbitant transplant costs.

She roamed this street, targeting potential marks. She had to earn money, no matter the scorn or shame she would endure. Nothing mattered beside her son’s life. Even in death, this obsession persisted.

As the images flickered away, a palpable heaviness settled over Alexander and his companions.

At that moment, the cold, mechanical voice of the mist instance sounded in their ears: "Congratulations, participants... Congratulations on successfully breaking the loop 564657491. You’ve earned a ceasefire token and a special invitation voucher."

Ceasefire Token

Description: A Mist instance item.

Attributes: Costs ten million ghost energy points. It can negate a mandatory challenge, exempting the user from arena combat.

Special Invitation Scroll

Description: A Mist instance item.

Attributes: Use the scroll and spend ten million ghost energy points to bypass the rules of Cangshan City and teleport directly to the boat.

After quickly scanning the attributes of the two items, Alexander tucked them away in his storage.

As Imperial Kassadin had pointed out, the Ceasefire Token seemed like a mundane object—something obtainable even in loops with only two soldier-class entities. The Special Invitation Scroll was more impressive but still not a rare commodity.

These items illuminated the differences between the Mist Instance and the Horror Instance for Alexander. The Horror Instance primarily focused on increasing the abilities of both the chosen ones and the ghost masters. As long as one had the strength to survive, their power would augment. If they perished, they’d only empower the ghost masters.

The Mist Instance, on the other hand, seemed more like a casino where the currency was the ghost energy coursing through each participant.

Selena and Edward also appeared pleased, evidently having received system rewards of their own. Their attention then turned to a paper lantern nearby.

Its ghostly green flame had vanished, replaced by a white mist that billowed into the sky, mingling with the enveloping fog over Cangshan City.

Within the lantern, a black ghost crystal slowly formed—its aura identical to the soldier-class Abyss Ghost Crystal that Alexander had won in the City Lord’s Mansion.

Alexander picked up the lantern, which offered no information or alerts; it was either a mundane object or had become one devoid of any attributes. The ghost crystal, as expected, was soldier-class and would provide one hundred thousand ghost energy points when consumed.

"Two soldier-class ghosts and it only yielded a single soldier-class ghost crystal? This Mist instance really is a miser," Alexander remarked, holding the crystal with a trace of dissatisfaction.

Without any formalities, Alexander chose to consume the crystal. He was fed up with the excruciating experience of ingesting candies.

If he had a limit of one million ghost energy points, he could directly consume a Prince-class ghost food item.

As for the source of these ghost foods, the Mist instance was riddled with loop holes; exploiting them could yield a plethora of ghost foods.

"You’re still not satisfied?" Edward’s eyes widened at Alexander’s comment. "Are you joking? You exploited a loophole to convert ninety-eight ghost foods, and you still have the audacity to complain about scant rewards?"

"How can the two be compared? The loophole I skillfully took advantage of has nothing to do with the Mist Instance’s stinginess," Alexander retorted discontentedly.

Just then, a faint rumbling sound was heard. Both men looked toward its source, their gaze landing on Selena’s flat stomach.

"Um...aren’t you guys hungry?" Selena asked, her cheeks flushed.

"Indeed," both Alexander and Edward nodded. Then all three looked perplexed as their eyes simultaneously turned toward Edward.

It was understandable for Alexander and Selena to feel hungry; despite their extraordinary physical capabilities, they needed sustenance due to their significant energy expenditure. Chosen ones typically stored ample amounts of food in their storage spaces.

However, Edward was a ghost—moreover, a ghost king.

"Do you ghosts also need to eat?" Alexander inquired curiously.

"No kidding, what do you think you were doing in my restaurant in the first place?" Edward retorted sarcastically.

"I thought ghosts didn’t need to eat! Your restaurant isn’t something everyone can afford. What about the regular ghost citizens?" Alexander questioned.

"Fish," Edward declared as if it were the most natural answer.

Seeing Alexander’s puzzled expression, he elaborated, "In the Horror World, there exists a creature known as the Xiao Fish. They dwell in the underground depths. Just dig a deep well, and they will continuously emerge.

The flesh of these fish contains trace amounts of ghost energy. While it’s insufficient for power advancement, it’s enough for regular ghosts to maintain their forms."

Well, well, well! The Horror World was home to billions in each ghost city. Just how abundant were these Xiao Fish to sustain the entire population? This was the first time Alexander had been privy to such a secret, having never considered what ghosts eat.

Take a look at the ghosts in the Horror World: their attire conjured from ghost energy, and their food—endless supplies of Xiao Fish just a well away. They had no worries about sustenance or even longevity. In essence, these low-ranking ghosts were the real winners.

Meanwhile, in the real world, people had to work hard for money and live in constant fear, never knowing if they’d be chosen to enter the Horror World.

"In that case, let’s just have something simple to eat," Alexander suggested, pulling out three sets of food and handing one to each person.

Hot dogs and hamburgers... Indeed, quite the modest fare.

Though the lunch was basic, all three were far from picky eaters and found the food delicious.However, what was peculiar was that, even after eating, the sensation of hunger did not diminish one bit.

This was ’ghost food,’ after all—low-level it might be, but it should stave off hunger!

Both Alexander and Edward furrowed their brows, while Selena looked quizzically at her flat stomach. Could she really be this hungry?

"Something is off! This sudden hunger is too strange!" Alexander declared, not waiting for Selena to voice her confusion.

"Indeed," Edward nodded, "Ordinary ghosts may feel hunger due to their innate need for ’ghost energy,’ but those of higher rank generally do not have this sensation.

Eating food is more of a habit for them; any feelings of hunger can be quickly dispelled through a small consumption of ghost energy. What’s more, what we just ate was ghost food that you transformed."

"Could it be because of the Mist Instance? Is there some mechanism that Kassadin Imperial forgot to mention?" Alexander inquired, puzzled.

Just then, a mechanical voice resonated in their ears, instantly enlightening Alexander about his confusion and also clarifying why Kassadin Imperial hadn’t mentioned this peculiarity.

"Participant Alexander..."