Chapter 39：Assessment Venue: Green Star Mountain

  Not just these two types of pills—far from it.

  John mused to himself.

  Devouring a mere low-tier vengeful ghost had already granted him such insane boosts. If he got his hands on a crimson-robed vengeful ghost? He’d blow right through the roof.

  He wasted no time, swallowing the yellow pill in one gulp.

  Its effects weren’t as immediate or explosive as the white pill’s, but he could feel a subtle, unnameable shift in his body all the same.

  “Just need to punch more ghosts.”

  His blood was pumping, his excitement off the charts—he could’ve wished the ghostly face on his chest prescribed him pills every single day.

  Two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye.

  In that time, the World Alliance issued an announcement titled Ten Golden Rules for Surviving a Vengeful Ghost Encounter—a notice that sent shockwaves across the globe.

  There was excitement for some, crippling fear for others, and utter despair for many more.

  They all knew it then: the world had truly changed.

  The Federal Government rolled out the same announcement nationwide, while beefing up security in every major city. Supernatural incidents cropped up left and right, but across the country, they still only affected a small fraction of the population—nothing enough to fundamentally disrupt social order. But if anyone tried to stir up chaos in these times? With internal strife and external supernatural threats both looming, the entire nation’s situation would take a catastrophic turn for the worse.

  At the same time, the government poured all its extra resources into two things: supernatural research, and Ghostling training. These were the real solutions to the chaos plaguing the world.

  Life at school, however, went on as usual.

  Ordinary students hit the books hard, cramming for their upcoming academic exams. The Ghostling and Intelligence Class students trained just as fiercely, gearing up for their own trial—a test against the supernatural.

  Everything seemed peaceful, calm, normal.

  But that peace was only possible because Ron, the school’s most powerful Ghostling, kept watch over the grounds. And there were also over a hundred Ghostling students on campus; while their power was still lacking, the auras of their Bound Ghosts were nothing to scoff at. Most run-of-the-mill ghosts dared not approach the school lightly.

  “Boss John, you gotta look out for us during tomorrow’s exam, yeah?”

  “Absolutely! With you around, we’re golden—no way anything bad happens!”

  The students of Intelligence Class 1 crowded around John, their eyes filled with open admiration. With the assessment right around the corner, clutching onto a strong ally like him was the surest way to boost their chances of survival.

  Every single one of them had witnessed his terrifying superhuman strength firsthand. And if that raw power was enough to take down a former special forces operative? A vengeful ghost might be vicious, but it wouldn’t last many hits if John landed a solid blow.

  “No problem at all.” John smiled, easy and unassuming. “I’m a guy who loves helping others.”

  He paused, then tilted his head, feigning innocence. “By the way—how do we usually calculate protection fees around here?”

  ???

  Everyone froze, their smiles dropping in an instant. Wait—wasn’t he just saying he loved helping people for free?

  John cleared his throat, seeing their stunned faces, and was quick to explain. “Helping people is one thing, getting joy from it is another. If you don’t pay the protection fee… how am I supposed to feel joyful about saving your skins?”

  …

  They got stumped all over again.

  Damn it—why did that actually make sense?

  “John, I’ll pay you a hundred grand if you really save my life!” One student said, his tone firm and decisive.

  In an instant, the rest echoed the sentiment, all offering similar sums. They weren’t stupid. If John did nothing to help them, they’d cough up not a single cent. But if he actually saved their lives? A little money was nothing—plus, it’d let them strike up a connection with someone as powerful as him.

  “Smart bunch, all of you.” John saw right through their unspoken agreement and nodded. “It’s a deal.”

  Ever since Ethan had taught him about the true nature of ghosts, John wasn’t about to go looking for trouble everywhere—but he now dared to take on any ghost he encountered. If he couldn’t win a fight? He could always run. After all, he had no fear aura for ghosts to feed on, so his chances of escaping unscathed were pretty high.

  Just then, Ethan walked into the classroom, and the students scrambled back to their seats in an instant.

  “That kid’s become the golden boy around here.”

  Ethan’s gaze flicked to John, who’d just been swarmed by the class. He’d heard from Wu Yuan about the boy’s absurd, inhuman strength—and with no Ghostlings in the Intelligence Classes, John was easily the most overpowered fighter by far.

  What Ethan didn’t know, though, was that Ron—an official, fully-fledged Ghostling—had also ended up in the orthopedics ward, thanks to John.

  Ethan stared at John for a long moment, then looked away, his expression casual as he addressed the class. “I’m sure you all know tomorrow’s the day of your assessment. Seems like everyone’s pretty excited.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Excited… yeah, excited.”

  The class forced smiles, their minds all adding the same silent afterthought:

  Yeah, right. As if.

  This was an exam where they could lose their lives—who in their right mind would be excited for that?

  Their eyes drifted to John, who was cracking his knuckles and grinning with unbridled excitement.

  Okay, everyone except this freak.

  “Besides our class, Intelligence Classes 2 and 3 will be joining us for this assessment,” Ethan continued, unfazed by their half-hearted responses. “The location’s been set: the Green Star Peak Resort Hotel, on top of Green Star Mountain south of the city. And Instructor Ron will be leading the team personally.”

  “Green Star Mountain?” John mused to himself.

  Blackwater City was a tiny, unremarkable spot on the national map—its economy was lackluster, and tourist attractions were few and far between. Green Star Mountain was one of the only ones. Tucked away in the suburbs, it was known for its breathtaking scenery, and the sunrise view from the peak was the only worthwhile sight in the entire city.

  “I think it’s been locked down lately.”

  John licked his lips. He’d bought a computer for his apartment a while back, and he’d made a habit of keeping an eye on all sorts of online news. The government still policed the endless stream of supernatural rumors online, mostly to prevent bad actors from stirring up mass panic. But to keep the public as safe as possible, they also officially released the names of locked-down supernatural hotspots, warning people to stay far away.

  The class broke out into quiet murmurs, and a collective sigh of relief rippled through the room when they heard Ron would be leading them. Ron was the strongest person in the entire school—his presence was the best safety guarantee they could ask for.

  “Kill two birds with one stone,” John stroked his chin. He didn’t for a second think Ron was taking time out of his busy schedule just to protect a bunch of Intelligence Class students. The government had probably assigned Ron to deal with the supernatural activity on Green Star Mountain anyway; this assessment was just an excuse to train the Intelligence students while he was at it.

  “You’ll be staying there for one to two days,” Ethan said, “no need to bring any daily necessities—the hotel has everything you’ll need. And to ensure your safety, we’ll be giving each of you a few small auxiliary items to wear.”

  At that, genuine smiles appeared on their faces. At least they’d have a modicum of protection.

  The next afternoon,

  the students from the three Intelligence Classes gathered on the plaza in front of the teaching building, chatting a mile a minute. There was a mix of excitement and dread in the air—they were about to spend two days where they might come face-to-face with a real ghost.

  Soon, three coach buses pulled into the school and parked nearby.

  “Alright, Intelligence Class 1—follow me to the first bus,” Ethan called out, directing the students to board one by one.

  After the mass dropouts a few weeks prior, the original eight Intelligence Classes had been reorganized into six, with around fifty students per class.

  “Grab your school-issued kits,” Ethan stood at the bus door, handing each student a small blue pouch as they boarded.

  John took his pouch and headed straight for a seat in the back row.

  “Rooster blood.”

  He opened the pouch and recognized the vial of blood inside at a glance—he still had a few vials on his person, after all. Besides the rooster blood, there was also a cinnabar bracelet. Cinnabar was an object of pure yang energy, known to ward off evil auras; it would probably do a little good against supernatural entities.

  John thought for a second, then slipped the bracelet on his wrist. It was a school-issued item, so it couldn’t be a fake. Its effects might be minimal, but minimal protection was better than none at all.

  “Put your cinnabar bracelets on and keep them on at all times,” Ethan said, stepping onto the bus once everyone was seated. “They’ll offer a smidge of protection against a vengeful ghost’s attacks. And the rooster blood is for offense—use it as a medium. If you encounter a vengeful ghost, don’t hold back—hit ’em hard!”

  …

  Everyone’s expression turned odd at that.

  It wasn’t that they’d hold back—it was that their hands would be shaking too hard to land a blow. Just staying alive would be a victory; who in their right mind would dare attack a vengeful ghost head-on?

  They obediently fastened the cinnabar bracelets around their wrists, but most paid little mind to the rooster blood vials. In their eyes, surviving the assessment was success enough.

  Ethan shook his head helplessly, knowing exactly what they were thinking. Courage wasn’t something you could cultivate overnight—not when the enemy was an unearthly horror that could kill you with a single touch.

  Moments later, the coach rumbled to life, and the three buses pulled out of the school, heading straight for Green Star Mountain in the suburbs.