Shen Ge was genuinely baffled at this point, seriously wondering if Fang Mingyue had been dropped on her head by that eerie squid—her brain must’ve short-circuited for good.

Is she talking about me?

Sure, my handsomeness is universally acknowledged, but being flawless inside and out? That’s a bit much.

Something was off.

Very off.

Is she still hung up on me supposedly groping her earlier? Is this some elaborate setup—praising me to the skies just so she can knock me down the moment I slip up?

Tch.

That scheming?

Zhang Wuji’s mother was right!

Shen Ge resolved to stay wary of this woman. Clearly, naïve sweethearts only existed in dramas—real women’s cunning was directly proportional to their looks.

Old He watched Fang Mingyue berate Luo Chenguang like a scolded child and couldn’t help but pity the guy. He stepped in to mediate: “Mingyue, Chenguang is… ahem. Let’s discuss this later. If you want to lecture him, do it after we leave the eerie space. For now, let’s hear Investigator Shen’s plan.”

He had intended to defend Luo Chenguang, but the moment Fang Mingyue fixed him with that intense stare—the same one she used during their tactical debates back at headquarters—he broke into a cold sweat.

This girl was sharp, diligent, and relentlessly thorough. She’d once spent months dissecting the “use horrors against horrors” strategy with him, debating for hours on end until his throat was parched. Worse, she backed every argument with airtight logic, even veering into theories about the origins of horrors.

I’m just an old man who kills horrors—what do I know about their cosmic birth?

Now, seeing that familiar look, Old He immediately retreated.

Chenguang, you dug this hole yourself. Lie in it.

“Sit properly. Straighten up. Show some discipline while Investigator Shen outlines the strategy,” Fang Mingyue snapped, her tone carrying the unshakable authority of an elder sister scolding a misbehaving sibling.

Luo Chenguang instinctively straightened his posture, shooting her a cautious glance before turning to Shen Ge.

“……”

Uh.

Lady, you’re making this awkward.

Shen Ge was at a loss. His original plan had been to convince Old He to abandon the civilians and take Fang Mingyue and Luo Chenguang up the mountain. If they found a high-tier horror, great. If not… well, the mountain was saturated with eerie energy—there’d probably be horrors around.

He didn’t expect them to clear the entire mountain, but if they could keep a few horrors occupied while he scouted the central zone, that’d work too.

Even with Old He’s intel, Shen Ge preferred to verify things himself before venturing into the eerie energy building.

But now, thanks to Fang Mingyue’s excessive praise, his timeline had been accelerated—making it seem like he was about to charge headfirst into a solo battle with a Tier 4 horror.

Cough.

Shen Ge cleared his throat, adopting a solemn expression. “With a veteran like Old He leading the way, the trip to Dongyu Mountain, while dangerous, shouldn’t be life-threatening. The primary objective is reconnaissance—locating the potential second high-tier horror and marking its position.”

“I do intend to enter the eerie energy building, but only after further scouting the perimeter. There are still details I need to confirm.”

“Once inside, if I pinpoint the Tier 4 horror’s location, I’ll attempt to lure it out—preferably toward the mountain to trigger a clash between horrors. If that fails, I’ll rely on you to draw the mountain horrors down into the building.”

“Though given the building’s dense black mist, its overwhelming eerie energy might deter lower-tier horrors. Pulling this off won’t be easy.”

His explanation gave everyone a “clear” understanding of the plan—especially Fang Mingyue, who shot Luo Chenguang a look that screamed, “See? Investigator Shen is willingly heading into the most dangerous zone!” Her expression practically added, “Your resolve isn’t worth his pinky finger!”

However, the trio’s “clarity” varied. Old He, while approving of the plan, didn’t want Shen Ge taking unnecessary risks—nor was he willing to wholly abandon the civilians.

He proposed that Fang Mingyue assist Shen Ge with perimeter scouting (given her expertise), then return to protect the civilians while Shen Ge entered the building. Dongyu Mountain would be left to him and Luo Chenguang.

Unable to dissuade Old He’s insistence—or Fang Mingyue’s eager “I can do this! Let me help!”—Shen Ge reluctantly agreed.

With Fang Mingyue’s aid, the scouting process was drastically shortened, confirming Shen Ge’s suspicions.

Horrors, it seemed, were bullies at heart. The building’s overwhelming eerie energy had scared off not just Tier 1 horrors, but even Tier 2s.

Shen Ge theorized that the Tier 4 horror’s presence had driven weaker horrors to flee toward Dongyu Mountain—explaining why Fang Mingyue had witnessed a “night parade of horrors” a month ago but now only encountered the occasional Tier 2.

With Old He’s intel verified, Shen Ge prepared to proceed with his original plan: infiltrating the building to locate the Tier 4 horror.

“Investigator Shen, let me come with you. I may not be strong enough to help directly, but if the Tier 4 horror proves too much, I can act as bait—buying you time to escape!” Fang Mingyue pleaded.

“No. Remember Old He’s orders. While dealing with horrors is critical, these civilians matter too. Stay here and protect them.” Better keep you at a distance—who knows if you’ll suicide-tackle the horror and take me with you?

Ah! So Investigator Shen was only pretending to be coldhearted earlier to keep me from danger. Like all true heroes, he prioritizes the people’s safety above all!

Fang Mingyue bit her lip, eyes blazing with determination. “Investigator Shen, I swear I’ll fulfill my mission!”

Shen Ge patted her shoulder solemnly. “A true man knows when to bend and when to stand firm. If things go south, run. No pointless sacrifices—live to fight another day.”

“Understood!” Fang Mingyue nodded fervently, her expression that of a martyr ready to embrace death.

“……”

Whatever. As long as you’re happy.

With a final nod, Shen Ge turned and strode into the black mist-shrouded building without hesitation. His resolute figure, fearlessly stepping into danger, was seared into Fang Mingyue’s heart.

…..

The moment Shen Ge entered the building, he found himself back in the underground parking lot—only now, it was eerier and far more expansive.

[WARNING!]

[Host has entered the lair of a Tier 6 horror!]

[This area is enveloped by an Eerie Domain. At the host’s current strength, survival is impossible—certain death awaits!]

[Flee immediately!]

Here we go.

The system’s alert confirmed he’d stepped into “The Unyielding’s” nest. The “certain death” warning drove home the stakes.

Though four years had only pushed “The Unyielding” from Tier 4 to Tier 6, each tier’s gap was oceanic in scale.

And this time, he was facing the real deal—a genuine Tier 4 horror. For the first time, even the unflappable Shen Ge felt a prickle of nerves. He pulled out a can of “Yellow Bull” energy drink and chugged it. Calm first, think later.

According to records, this had once been a pet market. Yet now, there wasn’t a single animal, cage, or even a speck of dust in sight.

The emptiness was unnerving. Shen Ge advanced cautiously, scanning every inch—including above and below—ready to activate his Invisible Eerie Domain at the first sign of danger. With ten canisters of eerie energy and three “Mind Apples” in reserve, mental stamina wasn’t a concern.

After an hour of walking, the surroundings remained unchanged, creating an illusion of stagnation. But Shen Ge’s sharp eyes caught subtle shifts in the pillars, confirming he was moving forward—it was just that the path behind him kept vanishing.

Shrugging, he pressed on.

Two hours later, the pitch-black void gave way to an eerie crimson glow ahead.

“What is this, a horror rave?” Shen Ge halted, setting down the black suitcase he’d “borrowed” from a luggage shop. Inside were the mercenaries’ weapons.

Though William’s eerie-energy gear was busted, Shen Ge had kept it—maybe Li Xiang could fix it later. He hadn’t found Beast’s gear on his corpse, but the remaining mercs had plenty of guns and explosives to loot.

Since the building was deadlier than the mountain, Shen Ge had packed heavier firepower. Fang Mingyue had even lent him her Eerie-Hide Bracer, keeping only the Eerie Bone Staff for herself.

He pulled a grenade from the case, yanked the pin, and lobbed it into the darkness ahead—testing the waters.

BOOM!

The explosion shattered part of the floor and a nearby pillar, but no horrors emerged. Unlike last time, the rubble didn’t even bleed black.

“Guess I’m not inside its stomach this time.”

His first entry into the eerie space had likely dumped him straight into “The Unyielding’s” gut before his antics got him spat out. This time, the lack of digestive traits ruled out the horror merging with the building itself.

“System, quit playing dead. Give me another warning or something.”

Pushing the suitcase ahead with one hand and gripping his rifle with the other, Shen Ge advanced toward the crimson glow.

The pulsing red light flickered like a malfunctioning strobe, accompanied by an unsettling drip-drip sound.

With only one path forward, Shen Ge pressed on. Thankfully, his youthful insomnia had led to many late nights watching The Grudge and The Eye—this ambiance was practically nostalgic.

The wheels of his suitcase clacked ominously in the void as he hummed a tune, marching ahead.

Suddenly, the red light shifted—green now flooded the space ahead, revealing a room bathed in sickly emerald light.

“What’s next, a disco ball? Your lighting isn’t just atmospheric—it’s downright funereal.”

At the room’s entrance, Shen Ge paused, sweeping his flashlight inside. Instead of a light source, the glow came from clusters of green eggs lining the floor.

“Radiation eggs?”

He stepped closer, holding his suit’s sensor near one. The eerie energy readings spiked.

“These are horrors?”

Grabbing a metal rod, he tapped an egg. The clang echoed like struck steel.

“Damn, these are hard.”

Abandoning any thought of frying them, he retreated to the doorway and lobbed another grenade.

BOOM!

Dust cleared to reveal the egg—unscathed, save for a smudge of dirt.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Switching to his Cleaver of Slaughter, Shen Ge whacked the egg. Not even a scratch. The blade that had felled Tier 2 horrors was useless here.

Crack.

A sound from across the room. Another egg split open, and out crawled…

A rotting green turtle.

The stench hit like a truck, making Shen Ge gag on his energy drink.

“At least you didn’t crossbreed with Cthulhu.”

He raised his rifle, but before he could fire, the turtle’s head shot forward like a piston, its neck stretching at highway speeds!

“Holy—nitro-boosted turtle?!”

Shen Ge opened fire, bullets peppering the horror.

Three meters away, the turtle’s fist-sized head suddenly ballooned tenfold, its rotting maw gaping wide—

And lunged for his throat.