Chapter 22: Sincere to Her, She Responded with Sincerity

After Xie Yunyan closed the door behind her, Dr. Zhao, still slow to react, finally grasped the meaning behind her earlier question.

Recalling the way Xie Yunyan had looked at him just moments ago, he shuddered involuntarily.

Dr. Zhao thought: This new Doctor Xie is terrifying—truly a relentless killing demon!

“System, can I upgrade now?”

Walking down the hallway, Xie Yunyan could no longer contain her excitement.

She had just slain that D-level spectral entity and gained a full fifty thousand Fear Points.

Adding up the bits and pieces she'd accumulated before, she estimated she now had enough.

After speaking, System 368 logged into the backend.

Seeing the long string of numbers, it immediately logged out.

“Host, you have enough.”

“Host, do you want to upgrade now?”

Xie Yunyan thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No! Let’s go back to the office first.”

She stopped System 368 and strode toward her office.

Once inside, Xie Yunyan gave the command.

“System, prepare to upgrade.”

“Ding, one hundred thousand Fear Points have been deducted.”

“Please wait patiently, upgrading...”

“Ding, congratulations, player Xie Yunyan. Your spectral entity level has successfully advanced to C-level.”

“Ding, congratulations, player Xie Yunyan. You have unlocked a new ability—Teleportation.”

Feeling the ghostly energy within her grow stronger, Xie Yunyan murmured, “A new ability?”

System 368 then displayed Xie Yunyan’s status panel.

Horror Game Player: Xie Yunyan
Identity: Special Player / Corpse Specter (suppresses spectral entities of lower level)
Fear Points: 2,968
Level: C [Next upgrade requires 1,000,000 Fear Points]
Title: None
Specter Coins: 4,290
Spectral Artifacts: None
Paranormal Items: D-level Surgical Knife, F-level Wolf’s Fang Club
Abilities: Enhanced Regeneration, Claw Rend, Illusion Attack, Teleportation

Upon seeing “Teleportation” listed, Xie Yunyan immediately activated it with her mind.

Teleportation: Instantly move to a location within 10 meters, ignoring obstacles.
(Note: Unlimited uses. Higher levels increase strength and movement range.)

“This ability isn’t bad at all!” Xie Yunyan said.

“Whether to scare or hunt down specters, battles can end much faster.”

As she spoke, sharp claws sprouted instantly from her hands. “Tonight, I’ll show that C-level specter what I’m made of!”

Raising her hand into the air, her gleaming nails shimmered coldly in the light.

After admiring them for a moment, she retracted her claws.

“All right, time to complete the second task.”

Xie Yunyan summoned System 368 to bring up the second task panel.

She distilled the main points Dr. Zhao had told her and entered them.

After submitting, the main system’s prompt sounded in her mind.

“Ding, congratulations player Xie Yunyan on completing the second task—uncover the secrets behind Chongshan Psychiatric Hospital.”

“Ding, congratulations player Xie Yunyan on receiving the task reward—B-level spectral artifact, Blood Doll.”

“Reward has been granted. Please check.”

Retreating the system panel, Xie Yunyan began to survey her office.

After searching three times, she finally spotted a life-sized girl doll in the corner.

The doll wore a red dress, its features striking and delicate.

The only flaw was the ugly centipede-like joints at every articulation.

Absurd, eerie, yet strangely captivating.

“If I’m not mistaken, this must be the so-called ‘first love’ pieced together by the hospital director.”

Xie Yunyan said as she approached, scrutinizing the Blood Doll carefully.

“System.”

She called out, and System 368 immediately understood her intent.

The next moment, the origin and abilities of the Blood Doll were scanned and displayed.

Blood Doll: Crafted by the B-level specter, director of Chongshan Psychiatric Hospital.

Composed of several low-level specters, infused with multiple grudges.

Abilities: Can autonomously kill specters of lower level; can also serve as the user’s substitute.

Usage: The user must cover it with their own ghost energy.

After reading, System 368 retracted the panel.

“Host, do not cover it with ghost energy just yet.”

“The usage instructions only apply to users stronger than the artifact.”

“If you cover it directly, you will be immediately counterattacked.”

Hearing this, Xie Yunyan raised an eyebrow.

“So, you’re saying there’s another way?”

Seeing her question, System 368 proudly lifted its metaphorical head.

“Of course! Host, I have a Puppet Seed.”

As it spoke, a tentacle withdrew a mysterious black seed from the system space.

Xie Yunyan took the seed, and System 368 continued.

“Host, you can imprint your spiritual mark on this Puppet Seed.”

“Then plant it inside this ghostly artifact, ensuring it will never betray you.”

“Thank you, system.”

“No need to thank me! Didn’t you say I’m your little partner?”

Xie Yunyan paused, holding the seed.

Despite being a horror system, sometimes it was so simple-minded it made her want to laugh.

Luckily, this naive and easily fooled system belonged to her!

It was sincere to her, so she would be sincere in return.

“Exactly, you’re my little partner!”

“Since we’re partners, it wouldn’t feel right to keep calling you ‘system.’”

“How about I give you a human name?”

“Sure, sure!” System 368 nodded happily.

“But I don’t even know if the system is male or female.”

This question stumped System 368.

Their kind had no gender.

It glanced at Xie Yunyan, waiting for a response, then quickly made a decision.

“You’re a girl! I want to be like you!”

“Great! Then I’ll give you a girl’s name.”

“Okay, okay!”

“How about Yunying? Same surname as you—Xie. What do you think?”

“Xie Yunying?”

Xie Yunyan nodded.

“I like it, Yunying sounds lovely! I love it!”

System 368 immediately changed its name in the system backend.

“Xie Yunying” replaced the previous string of numbers.

Now no longer System 368, but Xie Yunying.

Once Xie Yunying finished preparing, she instructed Xie Yunyan on how to imprint her spiritual power onto the Puppet Seed.

After the spiritual imprint was complete, Xie Yunying told Xie Yunyan to place the Puppet Seed on the Blood Doll’s forehead.

Under Xie Yunyan’s watchful gaze, the black seed quickly sprouted countless tendrils.

They burrowed into the doll’s flesh and disappeared before Xie Yunyan and Xie Yunying’s eyes.

Five seconds later, the Blood Doll’s eyes—like twin rubies—opened beautifully.