Shen Ye returned home carrying several large boxes of calcium tablets from the pharmacy.
As he entered, he saw his parents hosting several police officers.
“These kinds of incidents happen every year. They’re completely unpredictable, and those involved can only accept their misfortune,” one officer said.
“We really have no way to handle it,” another added.
“At least you’ve recovered, Shen. That’s a stroke of luck amid the misfortune,” one officer offered.
“Rest well. We’ll be taking our leave,” they concluded.
The police chatted a bit more, then prepared to leave with Shen Ye’s parents seeing them out.
Shen Ye stayed seated on the couch, unmoving.
He had been debating whether to share the details of what had happened with the police.
But that statue was already shattered.
And he had carefully observed the officers’ expressions—there was fear in their eyes.
Perhaps…
They didn’t dare meddle in this matter.
Shen Ye suddenly spoke up:
“What if someone else encounters this kind of thing at the hospital in the future? Is there really no way to address it?”
The officers stopped in their tracks.
A young-looking officer turned and replied,
“Shen, I understand your concerns, but let me tell you this.”
“Approval has already been granted.”
“That hospital will soon be abandoned, and no one will be allowed to enter again.”
Shen Ye glanced at the badge on the officer’s chest.
Two crossed swords beneath three stars—this indicated that the officer was a police captain.
In other words, this entire district was under his jurisdiction.
And he was so young…
Shen Ye studied the captain carefully. The man had single eyelids, narrow eyes with a slightly lazy look, and a casual demeanor. Even as he sat, he crossed his legs with an air of reluctance to get involved.
Got it.
The curse of the King of Fallen Evil Spirits was no trivial matter. Not only were the police unable to handle it, but even the government found it troublesome.
This case was done and dusted, and it was best for Shen Ye to feign ignorance.
But still—
He was just an ordinary middle school student.
Even if his grades were excellent, was he really worth deploying something as powerful as the cursed statue of the King of Fallen Evil Spirits against?
Shen Ye pondered briefly before smiling,
“Thank you for letting me know. I was just worried that someone might be targeting me.”
The captain waved dismissively,
“You’re just a middle schooler with a simple social circle. We found no evidence of anyone holding a grudge against you.”
The atmosphere grew a bit awkward.
A plump officer smiled warmly and chimed in,
“Shen, you missed the first exam for the high school entrance tests, so getting into a top school might be out of reach. But you still have a shot at a decent one. Keep it up!”
“We’ve said all there is to say. We still have official duties to attend to, so we’ll take our leave,” the captain announced, standing up.
The other officers rose to follow him, ready to leave.
“Thank you for coming all this way,” Shen Shian said sincerely.
Zhao Xiaoshang opened the door and escorted the officers out.
As the police reached the hallway, the captain suddenly said,
“You go on ahead. I’ll use their restroom before leaving.”
“Yes, sir.”
The officers headed downstairs.
The young captain re-entered the house and went straight to the bathroom.
When he came out, he handed Shen Ye a business card and spoke quietly,
“If anything unusual happens, call me.”
Though his tone was soft and slow, his expression was serious—completely unlike his earlier demeanor of impatience and going through the motions.
“Thank you for your concern,” Shen Shian and Zhao Xiaoshang said gratefully.
Shen Ye glanced at the card.
“Luo Feichuan.”
—That was the captain’s name, followed by his office address and contact number.
Shen Ye quickly saved the number to his phone.
Zhao Xiaoshang closed the door, remarking,
“This captain seems pretty responsible.”
“Indeed. Xiao Ye, come with me,” Shen Shian called.
Shen Ye followed his father into the study.
Shen Shian handed him a small medicine box, instructing,
“This is a marrow-replenishing pill. Take it on an empty stomach.”
Shen Ye opened the box.
A dark green pill with a strong medicinal aroma lay inside.
“My body’s already recovered. This pill is too expensive; I’d rather not use it,” Shen Ye said.
The marrow-replenishing pill was well-known, and Shen Ye was aware of its hefty price.
In today’s economy, three yuan could buy a bowl of beef noodles, forty yuan could get a large hot pot, and even a phone cost only a few hundred.
This single pill was worth sixteen thousand yuan.
And even then, it wasn’t easy to obtain.
Shen Shian worked at the municipal disease prevention station—a quiet, modest government office—with little income.
Zhao Xiaoshang was an elementary school teacher, and her salary was also modest.
To afford this pill, they must have exhausted their savings.
Grandpa seemed wealthy…
But in Shen Ye’s memory, Shen Shian rarely mentioned him and barely maintained any contact.
“Dad, did you ask Grandpa for help?” Shen Ye asked.
“No! Don’t meddle in these matters, kid. Just take the pill,” Shen Shian replied firmly.
“I just ate something earlier, so I’m not on an empty stomach. I’ll take it later,” Shen Ye said.
Shen Shian trusted his son and nodded,
“Alright, but don’t forget to take it.”
He patted Shen Ye on the shoulder and asked with concern,
“The second exam is in three days. Feeling confident?”
“Relax, don’t you know my capabilities?” Shen Ye replied.
—It was exactly how he used to talk.
Shen Shian laughed heartily, feeling relieved that his son seemed back to normal.
“Don’t overwork yourself these next couple of days. Make sure to balance work and rest,” he advised.
“Got it,” Shen Ye replied in a tone of slight impatience.
Again, just like his old self.
At that moment, Zhao Xiaoshang entered and called Shen Shian to leave for Grandpa’s house.
His parents left hurriedly.
Once again, Shen Ye was alone at home.
He returned to his room, closed the door, and drew the curtains.
“Door.”
He silently chanted in his mind.
A large door materialized before him.
Shen Ye stepped back a few paces and carefully examined it.
—With his growing familiarity, the door had evolved. It no longer resembled the hospital door.
Now, inside his house, it looked exactly like his own front door.
This ability really knew how to blend in.
Another thing to note was that, as he mastered his power, he was gradually gaining control over the door’s appearance and disappearance.
Now, if Shen Ye inadvertently thought of “door,” it would no longer activate his ability.
The door would only appear when he truly intended to connect the two worlds.
Shen Ye walked forward and peered through the glass window of the door.
The giant skeleton had finished eating the corpse and lay silently among the scattered bones. It was unclear if it was asleep or deep in thought.
Raising the bag in his hand, Shen Ye called through the door, “I bought some calcium tablets for you. Want to try them?”
The parchment pinned to the door emitted a faint glow, forming a line of small text:
“Do you wish to trade?”
“Trade,” Shen Ye replied.
In the next instant, the plastic bag in his hand disappeared.
In the hallway, the giant skeleton caught the bag.
It swallowed the boxes of calcium tablets, bag included, and began chewing.
“Hey, don’t eat the plastic bag. It’s not digestible,” Shen Ye shouted.
The skeleton ignored him, lowering its head to stare at its leg bone.
The crack on its shinbone seemed to fade slightly.
It worked!
For a creature like the skeleton, made entirely of bones, calcium supplements were genuinely effective!
However, the effect seemed minimal.
After a moment of thought, Shen Ye said, “I can get you more calcium tablets, but I’ll need some time. What do you think?”
The skeleton remained silent.
It crawled closer, stretched out a bony finger, and pointed at the table beside Shen Ye through the window.
Shen Ye turned his head.
The box containing the “Bone Marrow Pill” lay on the table where he had casually placed it.
“You want this?” Shen Ye asked.
The skeleton nodded, its gaze fixed on the box with an unmistakable sense of longing.
Shen Ye hesitated.
With his abilities awakening, his body had gradually recovered, making the Bone Marrow Pill unnecessary.
But this pill was extremely expensive.
His parents had spent a fortune to buy just one for his recovery and participation in the high school entrance exams.
To simply give it to a creature from another world?
Sensing Shen Ye’s hesitation, the skeleton suddenly pressed its bony claw against the door.
The parchment emitted a soft white glow, which condensed into a tangible form and appeared before Shen Ye.
Stunned, Shen Ye realized it was transmitting something to him through their “equal exchange” contract.
The light dissipated.
A small cloth bag materialized.
The bag’s opening was slightly ajar, revealing its contents:
- A silver medal.
- A diamond-shaped crystal radiating a brilliant purple glow.
The parchment displayed corresponding explanations:
- “Your ‘calcium tablets’ have been deemed effective by the other party.”
- “The other party acknowledges you initially and has noticed the more effective ‘Bone Marrow Pill’ on your table.”
- “As a battlefield quartermaster, it has selected these items—spoils of war from enemy soldiers—for trade.”
Item descriptions:
- Silver War Medal: A symbol of honor for great achievements among the elves in the Nightmare World. Only soldiers who performed distinguished deeds could obtain it.
- “Wearing this medal allows you to teleport to the elves’ territory.”
- Basic Nightmare Crystal: An item crafted by high elves for skill transmission, capable of instilling specific knowledge, skills, or information directly into frontline soldiers.
- “In the Nightmare World, war is an eternal theme. All knowledge and civilization are structured to rapidly enhance combat abilities.”
Shen Ye was dumbfounded.
He slowly turned his head to look at the skeleton behind the door.
The skeleton nodded at him, then pointed at its leg bone and the Bone Marrow Pill on the table.
Those two items are yours if I can have the Bone Marrow Pill.
No problem!
Shen Ye thumped his chest and said, “No worries. But I want to try this Nightmare Crystal first.”
This time, the skeleton showed no impatience.
It raised a bony claw and mimed a squeezing gesture.
Understanding, Shen Ye took the diamond-shaped crystal in hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
Crack.
The crystal shattered.
A cloud of purple mist enveloped Shen Ye.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
The mist dispersed.
In Shen Ye’s mind, new information emerged:
“Moonlit Deer Steps.”
- A battle formation movement technique.
- White-rank skill commonly used by elven soldiers.
- “Dodge, advance, sidestep.”
- Explanation: “With this, you can move beyond amateur skirmishes and join an organized battle formation as a proper soldier.”
