Zhao Yibing stood frozen, staring at the screen in disbelief as she read through the police bulletin.
What… is this…
Skimming the bulletin at lightning speed, a wave of inexplicable anger surged in her chest.
“Evidence shows the boy acted in self-defense? No, I don’t believe it! Why haven’t they made it public?”
“Right, what about the school—what did they say?”
She quickly opened the school’s homepage.
Suddenly, the screen erupted in colorful confetti accompanied by festive, drum-filled music.
The first thing that caught her eye was a line of bold red text:
“Congratulations to Shen Ye from Class 5, Grade 9, for signing an early contract with the Mortal Martial Arts Group! Five provincial elite high schools have extended him direct admission invitations!”
It was as though someone had struck Zhao Yibing with a heavy blow. She stood there, dazed, unable to process what she was seeing.
On the other side.
Shen Ye stretched lazily and sat up on the large, soft bed.
—What a long day.
Just minutes earlier, a kind and cheerful young woman had guided Shen Ye to his private room.
The first thing he noticed upon entering was the vase of flower on the desk.
Artworks by several well-known artists adorned the walls.
The bookshelves were filled with pristine comics, each brand new.
The room also featured a treadmill, an exercise bike, and even a private swimming pool on the terrace outside.
Opening the refrigerator, Shen Ye found it stocked with chocolates, cheeses, nougats from around the world, and “Xiangpenspeng” brand braised delicacies, alongside frozen pineapple and grape juices.
A line of text danced across the TV screen:
“Welcome to the Group, Mr. Shen Ye. Please say, ‘Turn on the TV.'”
“Turn on the TV,” Shen Ye said.
A lively, beautiful young woman appeared on the screen, standing on the golden coast with waves shimmering in the background. She wore a bikini and smiled brightly at the camera:
“Hi, Shen Ye! I’m Xu Mulin.”
“First of all, congratulations on joining the Mortal Martial Arts Group. You’re amazing!”
“You’re younger than me, so I’ll call you ‘little brother,’ okay?”
“Little brother, thank you for your ongoing support and admiration.”
“I hope you’ll study hard, improve your skills, and grow into an incredible person.”
“I’ve prepared some concert tickets for you—they’ve already been sent out. I’m sure you’ll receive them soon.”
“This world is vast, and it’s worth striving for together.”
“I hope we can meet someday soon.”
“Don’t forget to come to my concert! Just a little secret—it’s a front-row seat, just for you!”
The girl waved goodbye with a smile.
The video ended.
The room returned to silence.
Shen Ye’s expression softened with a hint of nostalgia.
From what he recalled, the Shen Ye of the past had been a devoted fan of this celebrity, Xu Mulin.
Everything in this room—from the flowers to the paintings, the books, snacks, drinks, exercise equipment, and even the appearance of the celebrity—was tailored to the preferences of the younger Shen Ye.
—For a newcomer, the Group had gone to extraordinary lengths.
Shen Ye walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the night view outside.
This was the 105th floor. From here, he stood above the clouds, overlooking the city lights and countless stars in the sky.
Who wouldn’t want to stay in the clouds?
Who wouldn’t wish to ride the wind, rise to the heavens, and witness the truly spectacular sights?
And who would willingly live life as a lackey?
Shen Ye glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was 7 PM.
Today, he’d completed a practice test, performed magic in another world, returned for a mock exam, fought a battle, been called to the police station, narrowly avoided death, executed his first “Whisper of the Abyss,” and finally joined the Mortal Martial Arts Group.
No wonder he felt exhausted.
After a quick hot bath, he planned to rest.
But his gaze suddenly turned resolute.
At midnight tonight, he would open the door to the nightmare world again and strive for another high-tier evaluation.
He had to grow stronger!
The day after tomorrow’s entrance exam loomed ahead—failure was not an option.
Time flew by.
Deep into the night.
Ring, ring, ring!
The alarm clock blared.
Shen Ye got out of his soft, spacious bed, dressed quickly, and washed his face with cold water.
Fully alert.
—It’s time to enter the other world.
Placing his hand on the wall, Shen Ye silently uttered the word, “Door.”
As expected, a door materialized on the wall.
Peering through the glass panel, his expression abruptly changed.
The hallway beyond was littered with shattered bone fragments. Even the few intact pieces were riddled with cracks.
A skull rested atop a pile of broken bones, its crown cracked wide open. The faint soul flame flickering within its eye sockets seemed ready to extinguish at any moment.
“Big skeleton?”
Unable to stop himself, Shen Ye called out.
The soul flame in the skull’s eye sockets flared briefly.
“I’m dying! Help me!”
The voice was urgent and loud.
“I—I don’t know how to heal!” Shen Ye replied.
“What about those miraculous pills from last time? Do you still have any? Quickly, give me a few more!”
A few?
He didn’t even have one left!
Those were marrow-replenishing pills, rare and priceless. His father had used all their family savings and past connections to obtain just one.
“Sorry, I don’t have anything like that on hand,” Shen Ye said.
The soul flame in the big skeleton’s eye sockets dimmed instantly.
“It’s over. To think I’d meet my end here—how ironic. Ha ha ha ha!”
After a few bitter laughs, it ignored Shen Ye entirely.
But Shen Ye fell into deep thought.
If this skeleton died, the hallway would be clear, and he could pass safely to the door on the other side.
However—
It was because of the trade for “Whisper of the Dark” that he’d sensed the bodies at the police station, avoided danger, and uncovered the truth in time.
That was one of the undead race’s three ancient innate abilities.
So—
“That guy seems… maybe… perhaps somewhat possibly a little valuable.
Maybe.
After all, he’s a decent trade partner. Should I try saving him?
But how?
A scene flashed through Shen Ye’s mind.
He remembered that after the big skeleton took calcium tablets, the cracks on its legs seemed to fade a bit.
That’s it!
Calcium tablets!
No Bone Marrow Pills, but we still have calcium tablets.
Shen Ye took out his phone and started placing an order online, saying,
‘Hang in there, Skeleton Bro. I’m coming up with a solution.’
‘What solution?’ The big skeleton’s tone carried a spark of hope.
‘You ate calcium tablets last time, remember?’ Shen Ye said.
The big skeleton’s hope immediately dimmed, and it said dejectedly, ‘That’s too slow; it won’t work.’
Shen Ye’s fingers paused.
Calcium tablets won’t work?
Hmm…
Emergency rescue can’t be delayed. I need to think of something fast!
Got it!
Shen Ye opted for online consultation.
He carefully selected an orthopedic specialist who was online and painfully spent some of his newly received living allowance.
The specialist connected to the consultation.
‘Hello? What’s the patient’s condition?’
‘Bone fracture,’ Shen Ye replied.
‘Which part? Has there been an X-ray? To what extent?’ The specialist asked skillfully.
‘Uh…’ Shen Ye glanced through the glass window. ‘The skull has a bowl-sized hole, the whole body is cracked, but there’s still a flicker of hope in the eyes.’
‘—What medication is suitable for this condition?’
The specialist maintained professionalism: ‘I think you’ve consulted the wrong department. I’ll refund you, and you can try contacting a psychiatrist.’
Shen Ye smacked his forehead.
He’d gotten distracted!
—Standing outside the door, he wasn’t even sure if saving the skeleton would help his evaluation score.
He’d been so caught up in the matter that he blurted the truth.
Sure enough, when he looked at his phone screen, the specialist had already issued a full refund and recommended several psychiatrists.
Tsk.
Using human medicine for undead treatment was indeed out of scope.
No choice.
I’ll have to handle this myself—
—treat it like a dead horse being resuscitated!
Shen Ye clicked away on his phone, navigating different pages and placing orders.
Two hours and forty minutes later.
He opened the door connecting the real world to the nightmare realm.
In the dark corridor, a massive fish tank—two meters long, one meter wide, and one and a half meters tall—was being pushed through the door.
The tank was already filled with water.
Using a laundry rod, Shen Ye carefully placed the skeleton’s skull into the tank.
The skull sank to the bottom with a gurgle. The soul fire in its eye sockets flickered faintly, swaying with the decline and flow of the water.
It seemed amazed.
Shen Ye, busy with preparations, finally took a breather, sitting on a small stool outside the door while sipping chilled pineapple juice.
—He still hadn’t stepped inside.
After all, the first entry of the day into the nightmare realm determined the grade of his evaluation entry.
If he went in to deal with the fish tank and needed something he’d forgotten, stepping out again would ruin the evaluation.
He couldn’t let anything compromise his evaluation entry!
‘See that? I went all out to save you,’ he said to the skeleton in the tank.
The skeleton’s voice echoed in his ears:
‘What’s going on? Why do I feel like my condition has stabilized?’
Shen Ye smirked.
‘Of course! I spent everything I had to buy calcium gluconate oral solution and calcium-magnesium-zinc liquid calcium, filling this huge tank. It’s gotta be better than tablets, right?’
‘Oral solution? What’s that?’ the skeleton asked.
‘You can think of it as the pro max version of calcium tablets,’ Shen Ye replied.
‘What’s a pro max death? I don’t want to die!’ The skeleton screamed in fear.
‘Relax. It’s just a stronger version of calcium tablets,’ Shen Ye reassured.
The skeleton still seemed doubtful and asked, ‘What exactly is this tank—’
‘Trust me—it’s a high-quality glass tank with professional bottom filtration, automatic waste removal, ultra-long standby batteries, automatic water wave generation, and even lighting and karaoke!’
Shen Ye crouched outside the door, carefully admiring the fish tank.
—Back in the day, he’d really wanted to keep fish but never got the chance.
Unexpectedly, that dream came true in the nightmare realm.
He casually pulled out a remote control and pressed a button.
The fish tank lit up with colorful, changing lights, and ripples danced across the water.
A loud, familiar voice began to sing:
‘What’s your daddy’s daddy’s name? Your daddy’s daddy is called grandpa.’
The skeleton’s skull bobbed and swayed in the water, drifting rhythmically with the waves.
Shen Ye pressed the remote again.
The lights, waves, and sound all stopped.
‘Was that you singing?’ the skeleton asked.
‘To encourage your recovery, I recorded it myself. How was it?’ Shen Ye asked eagerly.
‘…Good. Don’t sing again next time,’ the skeleton said weakly.
