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

Roderick was feeling utterly dejected; it seemed like his luck had hit rock bottom.

While strolling down the street, he inexplicably received an invitation to Mist Instance. Though reluctant, Roderick, considering himself astute, thought he might survive in Mist Instance and perhaps even reap some benefits.

After all, tales were rife in Horror World about ghost kings breaking cycles and stepping into the realm of the Ghost Emperor through opportunities found in Mist Instance.

As someone who prided himself on his cleverness, Roderick left nothing to chance. He spent nearly all his fortune consulting several participants of past Mist Instances and even traded a special treasure to seek advice from a legendary figure who had broken two cycles and become a Ghost Emperor.

Believing he had grasped the nuances of Horror World, Roderick confidently boarded the airship to Mist Instance.

Arriving with great confidence, he found himself in a room of a quadrangle courtyard.

Instead of rushing out, he began searching the room for information about the role he was to play, rapidly recalling the advice he had gathered from veteran Chosen Ones.

"The first and most crucial point of entering an Instance," he reminded himself, "is to never reveal your true identity. Every action must align with the role you’re playing. The Mist system usually allows a period of adjustment. It’s crucial to use this time to gather enough information to perform convincingly."

"The second point is that characters in the Instance often have personality flaws or troubled pasts. Identifying these aspects is vital, or the performance will falter."

"The third point is to be observant and adapt your behavior based on the actions of the cycle natives."

"The fourth point: most Instances involve death, likely key to breaking the cycle. Don’t rush into disrupting the Instance. Follow the established trajectory, identify who dies in your Instance, and observe carefully in the next. Without absolute certainty, don’t attempt to break the cycle."

As he murmured these guidelines, Roderick hurriedly searched for clues around him.

The first revelation: he was likely portraying a ghost... a habitual drunkard, given the omnipresent bottles of alcohol in the room and the strong smell on his clothes.

A deeper search revealed syringes and burnt foil in the trash. Not just a drunkard, but also a drug user - what a deplorable character he had to impersonate!

Further investigation suggested he was part of a single-parent family with a daughter.

In the house, there was a bedroom that belonged to a woman, filled with backpacks, textbooks, and similar items. From the notebooks, Roderick ascertained the girl’s name was Karin.

The name Jaske, presumably the father, was scribbled on her test papers as a parental signature.

Additionally, Roderick discovered two photos in Karin’s books. One was a well-preserved picture of a beautiful woman, likely Karin’s mother and Jaske’s wife. The other was of Jaske himself, with deep pen marks scarring his face, tattered and torn.

"This must be the personality flaw the veterans spoke of," Roderick pondered. "There must be serious issues in this family. What could make a daughter hate her father so much?"

His search soon revealed a disturbing clue under his bed: a rope used for binding. Using his Ghost Energy, Roderick leaped onto the beams and noticed faint marks from the rope.

"Damn, am I playing the role of a pervert?" he cursed quietly, his mind conjuring up scenes typical of horror movies.

Though he himself was a ghost, a victim of a hit-and-run, the thought of embodying someone capable of child abuse was unbearable.

"It must be a misunderstanding," he tried to convince himself.

Just then, footsteps approached. "I’m not feeling well today, took a day off..." Karin entered, her face turning pale at the sight of the rope, her eyes filled with fear and loathing.

She hurried to her room without a word.

Roderick realized his suspicions were correct, and he slapped his forehead in despair. He hadn’t expected the rope to be used for such a sinister purpose.

Convinced of his theory, he hesitated. According to his guidelines, he needed to follow the native’s original trajectory, but the thought of harming Karin was unthinkable, even if it meant killing her directly.

After a long pause, he headed towards Karin’s room. The rope had been seen; he had to maintain his cover.

Soon, Karin screamed and ran out, with Roderick following, praising himself for his convincing act. With this scene, he hoped his role as a despicable character wouldn’t be doubted further.

Now, his focus shifted to finding a way to break the cycle.

Back in his room, Roderick sank into deep contemplation.

A little while later, there was a knock on the door. Roderick frowned, truth be told, he was reluctant to face Karin.

Despite only playing a role, the situation was awkward, especially considering Karin’s striking beauty.

But as a ghost, Roderick couldn’t entertain such thoughts, and besides, he prided himself on his intelligence and would never stoop to such actions.

Reluctantly, he got up to answer the door and was relieved to see the neighbor boy instead of Karin.

Still, given his role as an abusive, alcoholic ghost and drug user, Roderick knew he had to maintain a gruff demeanor, especially considering the boy’s apparent close relationship with Karin.

He brusquely asked, "What do you want?"

"Hello, I’ve thought it over and realized I was wrong the other days, too impulsive! I brought a bottle of my dad’s prized wine as an apology," the boy said, trying to make amends.

Roderick was puzzled. What had gone wrong in the past few days?

He didn’t know, but he quickly feigned interest in the wine, impatiently urging the boy to get on with it. The boy, however, was adamant about apologizing and even showed an envelope stuffed with cash.

To Roderick, money in the Mist Instance held no real value, being a ghost king himself.

However, remembering his role as a poor, drug-addicted ghost, he pretended to be tempted and let the boy inside.

"Jaske, I apologize for what happened before. This drink is to you," the boy said earnestly, raising his glass at the dining table.

Still clueless about recent events, Roderick mimicked a man swayed by the prospect of money. He sniffed the wine, sipped it, then downed it in one go, smacking his lips in apparent pleasure.

He mentally applauded his own acting prowess, believing he had perfectly embodied the role of the alcoholic ghost.

But then, as the liquid settled, Roderick’s smile froze.

There was something in the wine!