How did I summon that door?
It seemed like I thought of the phrase “escape through the door” in my mind.
“Door.”
Shen Ye muttered inwardly.
Silently, the hospital room door reappeared before him.
On the door was a notice:
“You can summon the ‘door’ at any time.”
“However, only the first time you open the ‘door’ each day will grant you an evaluation entry.”
“The higher the evaluation, the stronger the entry, and the more attribute points it can be converted into.”
“Currently, the world connected to the ‘door’ is:”
“Nightmare World.”
Tsk.
Only once a day for entries.
—So much for stockpiling attribute points.
What should I do?
To earn a better evaluation tomorrow, I should prepare in advance.
Shen Ye pressed against the window, peering inside.
The four-meter-long skeletal monster had returned to the other end of the hallway, burying its head to gnaw on a corpse.
With my current strength, there’s no way I can beat that thing.
Communication.
Communication is the cornerstone of humanity’s survival.
Shen Ye took a deep breath and forcefully turned the doorknob.
A chill wind swept in.
“Hi!”
He steadied himself and spoke loudly:
“Sorry to interrupt your meal, but we’ve developed a revolutionary new smartphone after months of effort. Its performance—”
The skeletal monster roared and charged toward him.
Bang!
Shen Ye slammed the door shut, instantly severing the connection between the two worlds.
Moments later, the door gradually disappeared, taking the monster with it.
Shen Ye stood there, hand on his forehead, trying to steady his nerves.
—Too nervous just now. I ended up reciting a sales pitch from my past life.
How embarrassing.
Good thing no one knows.
“You’ve got this, Shen Ye.”
He encouraged himself.
“Door.”
The hospital room door appeared again.
Through the window, he saw the skeletal monster back in its original spot, opening its jaws to resume feasting on the corpse.
Shen Ye opened the door and smiled.
“Sorry to interrupt again, but I was wondering—why don’t we be friends?”
The skeletal monster charged again.
Bang.
The door shut. Communication failed.
Shen Ye fell into deep thought.
Judging from its reaction, it seems I’m on its menu.
If I were the monster, I wouldn’t bother communicating with food either.
So, under what circumstances would I communicate with food?
…Got it.
“Door.”
Shen Ye muttered again.
The hospital room door reappeared.
Looking through the window, he saw the skeletal monster pressing its head against the glass, gnawing on the corpse while staring coldly at him.
They were separated by just one pane of glass.
—This monster’s getting clever!
If I open the door, it can charge right through and devour me!
But Shen Ye forced himself to stay calm.
The “door” was his ability. If it were destroyed, the connection between the two worlds would be cut off immediately.
And he could summon or dismiss the “door” at will.
He was safe.
The skeletal monster blocking the doorway? Probably just annoyed at me!
Shen Ye sighed and spoke sincerely:
“I don’t want to keep bothering you, but I really want to enter your world.”
The skeletal monster clawed at the wall, its bone claws tearing through the structure like tofu, crumbling it into silent powder.
The monster stared at Shen Ye without a word.
Shen Ye felt its mockery.
—Mock me all you want; I’m just an ordinary human.
He observed the skeletal monster closely. Its left leg bone was riddled with cracks, and its right leg bone was missing a chunk.
No wonder it’s in this half-leaning position.
Shen Ye suddenly had an idea.
“Respected skeleton, would you like a wheelchair?” he asked.
The skeleton stared at him, unmoving.
—Maybe wheelchairs don’t exist in the Nightmare World!
Shen Ye grabbed his phone, turned it on, and searched.
“Look!”
He showed the screen through the glass, displaying a video of someone using a wheelchair.
Shen Ye enthusiastically explained:
“This is a wheelchair, a great mobility aid for those with disabilities. If you need one, I can have one custom-made for you.”
The skeleton stared at him with hollow sockets as if looking at a fool.
Unfazed, Shen Ye persisted:
“Not interested in a wheelchair? Okay, we have other options.”
He searched for another item and displayed its picture to the monster.
“This is called a hula hoop, for exercising core muscles.”
“I’ll buy you one, free shipping, so you can strengthen your pelvis and spine.”
“That way, you’ll move faster and more energetically in the future.”
“Here, let me demonstrate how to use it.”
“See—”
“You shake your hips like this. Got it?”
The skeleton alternated its gaze between the phone screen and Shen Ye.
It clenched its bony claws and struck the door with all its might—
Boom!!!
The hospital room door shattered into pieces. The connection between the two worlds was instantly severed, and the skeleton, along with its hallway, vanished.
“If you don’t like it, just say so. Why resort to violence?”
Shen Ye muttered softly.
He paced the room, thinking about how to resolve the situation.
Tomorrow, I can get a new evaluation entry.
If I can deal with this skeleton today, tomorrow’s entry will surely be better than the gray “Polite Person” one.
The attribute points he could gain would also increase.
This was crucial to his strength—
Both for the upcoming high school entrance exams and to evade the enemy secretly wielding the “Cursed Sculpture of the King of Fallen Evil Spirits.”
No matter what, I have to find a way to communicate with that giant skeleton.
But it seemed to despise him.
Shen Ye felt a little disheartened but quickly regained his composure.
No problem!
Winning over a client required a bit of professional persistence.
I just need to try harder!
—So, what exactly does it need?
After pondering for a while, Shen Ye started to form some new ideas.
“Door.”
He uttered the word.
The hospital door reappeared.
This time, the giant skeleton was no longer pressed against the glass.
It had returned to the other end of the corridor, facing away from Shen Ye, continuing to gnaw on the corpse.
Is it planning to ignore me?
Shen Ye’s fighting spirit was ignited.
He cleared his throat and spoke in a solemn and authoritative tone:
“Friend, do you feel that your limited mobility has robbed you of your former glory?”
“Friend, do you sometimes feel powerless in battle?”
“—I can help you!”
“No charge, no strings attached, all I ask is that we become friends.”
“Give it a try!”
“Give me a chance, and I’ll give you back your youthful vigor!”
“Don’t hesitate. Surely you remember how amazing you were in your prime! I can help you return to that state!”
As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at the giant skeleton.
At first, it continued eating as if unmoved.
But as Shen Ye went on, the skeleton gradually froze, seemingly stirred by his words.
Time to fan the flames.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Ye raised his voice through the door:
“Don’t put it off until tomorrow. Decide today, and reclaim your confidence as a man!”
The giant skeleton still didn’t turn or move.
Suddenly—
With a loud clang, a piece of parchment was nailed to the hospital door, its surface inscribed with rows of crimson text:
“You have received a Nightmare Contract.”
“Signatory: Mother of Dark Bones, Ghoul King, Defeated Lord of the Underworld, Micteticahsiwa…”
Shen Ye’s body jolted.
This creature has such an impressive backstory?
But why were there “…” after “Micteticahsiwa”?
Curious, Shen Ye tapped the “…” with his finger.
The ellipsis expanded, revealing folded text:
“Quartermaster of the Fifth Battle Unit of the Skeleton Army under Micteticahsiwa.”
So the full title was “Mother of Dark Bones, Ghoul King, Defeated Lord of the Underworld, Micteticahsiwa, Quartermaster of the Fifth Battle Unit of the Skeleton Army.”
Alright, playing it this way, huh.
Shen Ye squinted, continuing to read:
“Contract Terms: Mutual Exchange.”
“Addendum:
“I recall seven thousand years ago, humanity’s creativity in culture, art, and technology stirred the Twelve Resonations of the Eternal Fate Bell, drawing even the gods’ attention.
“Human, I hope you can help me regain my strength.
“—I do not sign contracts with beings other than gods, so you’d better understand the value of this agreement.”
“Sign your name on the next line, and the contract will be established.”
“Signatory: ()”
A faint white light radiated from Shen Ye, resonating with the contract.
A realization surfaced in his mind.
Since this Nightmare Contract was nailed to the door, it was bound by his ability.
If either party found the arrangement unsatisfactory, Shen Ye could cancel the contract at any time.
In other words—
The contract was valid and enforceable.
—But if he couldn’t help the skeleton, the contract would be worthless.
Shen Ye took a pen from his stationery box and solemnly signed his name:
“Shen Ye…”
—Only for an ellipsis to appear after his name as well.
I have one too?
Surprised, Shen Ye glanced at the skeleton, who now rushed over and pointed at the contract with a long, bony finger through the door.
The ellipsis after Shen Ye’s name expanded:
“Vanquisher of the Curse of the Ten Thousand Fallen Ghost King, Guardian of Nightmare and Reality, Sole Manipulator of Dual-Realm Space.”
Wow, I didn’t know I was a big deal.
Shen Ye mused silently, sneaking a look at the skeleton. To his surprise, the creature was also staring at the text, seemingly taken aback.
Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong… Dong!
A solemn, majestic bell echoed from somewhere unseen.
Above the hospital door, golden runes etched themselves in midair, forming two pointers. One pointed to the golden text: “Mother of Dark Bones, Ghoul King, Defeated Lord of the Underworld, Micteticahsiwa, Quartermaster of the Fifth Battle Unit of the Skeleton Army.”
The other pointed to the luminous white text:
“Vanquisher of the Curse of the Ten Thousand Fallen Ghost King, Guardian of Nightmare and Reality, Shen Ye.”
The pointers and titles glowed brightly, holding their radiance for several moments before fading away.
The contract was sealed!
