[Time: 05:15 AM] [Location: Hotel Back Door]
The return journey was surprisingly smooth.
The two Mechanical Hounds originally prowling nearby, the moment they sensed the aura of the Woman in Red, reacted as if they had seen a ghost (even though they were machines and she was the ghost), tucked their tails between their legs, and vanished without a trace.
This is the pressure of a Top Predator.
I walked in front, using my phone for light, my back straight, trying my best to maintain the dignity of a "Manager." Two steps behind me came that reassuring yet terrifying sound.
Scrape—Scrape—
The giant shears dragged along the ground, sparking against the stone. The Woman in Red walked slowly, her body twitching occasionally like a lagging video, the purple-black block on her face emitting a faint spectral glow in the darkness.
Finally, the hotel's back door appeared in front of us.
I glanced at the iron door dented by the mechanical dog, turned around, and elegantly (suppressing my trembling hands) made a gesture.
"Here we are. This is the Company HQ."
The Woman in Red stopped. The block on her face flickered, seemingly assessing the value of this building.
"A bit... old..." She gave her first evaluation after joining the company.
"This is called Retro Industrial Style." I bullshitted with a straight face. "And we just completed our Series A Funding (referring to picking up the reactor) and are undergoing a digital upgrade."
Saying that, I pushed the door open, leading her through the corridor and back to the lobby.
As soon as we stepped into the lobby, that familiar, nauseatingly cold aura hit us again.
[WARNING: Hostile Spirit Response Detected!]
The originally warm lobby was now filled with floating white Joss Paper. That Paper Effigy Ghost, wearing mourning clothes and a high hat, hadn't left.
It was hovering above the counter, its hollow black eye sockets staring dead at the Arc Reactor I had just installed, seemingly wanting to steal this glowing object but afraid of the electric current.
Hearing footsteps, it slowly turned around. On that paper face painted with red rouge, that eerie, mocking smile appeared once again.
"Hee hee... Shopkeeper... you're back?" "Brought a helper?"
It didn't see the Woman in Red behind me (because she was standing in the shadows and had natural stealth attributes). In its eyes, I was still that trash human who swung an axe wildly and barely survived with a phone flashlight.
"Physical attacks... cannot hurt me..." "How do you... want to die?"
The Paper Effigy Ghost let out that high-pitched Opera-style laughter, its body swaying and turning into a white shadow, ignoring the counter's obstruction once again, and pouncing towards me.
That suffocating "Ghost Pressing Bed" sensation struck again.
If this were ten minutes ago, I would definitely be on my knees by now. But now.
I looked at the pouncing Paper Ghost. I didn't dodge, nor did I take out my phone. I just looked at it coldly, then stepped aside, revealing the space behind me.
"Probationary Period Assessment: Task One."
I said indifferently to the shadows behind me.
"Clean up the trash."
Before my voice even faded.
From the originally empty shadows, a mass of dark red chaotic data turbulence suddenly erupted.
"WOO—!!!"
A crying wail, a hundred times more terrifying than the Paper Ghost, exploded.
The Paper Ghost's pouncing motion froze instantly. On its paper face that always wore a smile, a look of... Terror actually appeared. That was the instinctual fear of a low-level ghost meeting a high-level Urban Legend.
It wanted to flee. Its semi-transparent body twisted frantically, trying to burrow into the ground.
Too late.
Zzzt—POP!
Space once again experienced that eerie sense of dislocation.
The Woman in Red teleported right in front of it. She was a full head taller than the Paper Ghost. Her dirty red trench coat moved without wind, and the purple-black block on her face flashed frantically, emitting a tyrannical killing intent.
"You are... so... ugly..."
The Woman in Red tilted her head, looked at the Paper Ghost's drawn-on face, and delivered a Critical Hit to the Soul.
Paper Ghost: "???"
The next second. That giant pair of shears, wrapped in resentment, swung down with a black afterimage.
Snip!
No resistance. No suspense.
The Paper Effigy Ghost, which claimed to be "Physically Immune," was like a real piece of thin paper under the Woman in Red's shears. Before it could even scream, it was directly cut in two.
Not just its body was cut. The red resentment on the shears instantly eroded the wound. The cut on the Paper Ghost didn't bleed but started to burn frantically. It wasn't fire that burned, but black ash and garbled code.
[Critical Hit!] [Effect: Data_Corruption]
"AHHH!!!"
The upper half of the Paper Ghost fell to the ground, rolling in pain, letting out a scream like a slaughtered pig. Its proud spiritual trait, in front of this SR-rank variant, was fragile as a joke.
The Woman in Red didn't stop. She seemed to be venting all the killing intent she had toward me earlier onto this unlucky ghost.
Snip! Snip! Snip!
The shears danced. Three seconds. The Paper Effigy Ghost that had driven me to desperation was cut into a pile of fingernail-sized paper scraps by her.
Every piece was burning, finally turning into wisps of green smoke and dissipating completely.
[Battle Ended.] [Target Eliminated: Wandering Soul (Paper Effigy Ghost)] [Contribution: Slit-Mouthed Woman (100%)] [Loot Obtained: Joss Paper x3 (Useless), Soul Residue x1 (Trace CP).] [Your employee seems to be wanting more.]
The lobby fell silent. Only the sound of the shears opening and closing still echoed.
The Woman in Red stood amidst the pile of ash, the block on her face slowly returning to calm. She turned around and looked at me. Those invisible eyes seemed to be waiting for my evaluation.
I took a deep breath, suppressing the shock (and fear) in my heart. Too strong. Is this the joy of a Pay-to-Win Player (even though I'm Free-to-Play)?
I adjusted my tie, walked up to her, and tried to make my voice sound majestic and professional.
"Not bad." I nodded, putting on the airs of a boss. "Clean movements, high efficiency. You passed this assessment."
The Woman in Red didn't speak, but the block glowed slightly, seemingly satisfied with the word "Passed."
"Now, position allocation."
I pointed to the corner of the lobby, to the full-length mirror I had just wiped clean. Although it wasn't as big as the one in the junkyard, the mirror surface was intact, and under the lights, the reflection was excellent.
"That spot is yours." I said, "You are Front Desk cum Security. Normally, you stay there (looking in the mirror). If someone comes in, if it's a guest, you welcome them; if it's trash like that just now..."
I made a "snip" gesture. "You know what to do."
The Woman in Red turned to look at the mirror. Warm lighting, a clean mirror surface, and a comfortable indoor temperature. Compared to that cold, wind-swept place full of garbage outside, this was practically a five-star suite.
She dragged the shears and walked over slowly. Standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself with a block for a head, she actually let out a sigh that sounded like satisfaction.
"Woo... good..."
She turned around and nodded slightly at me. Although the movement was still stiff, I could feel that her hostility had faded a lot.
[Employee: Slit-Mouthed Woman] [Loyalty: 25 -> 30 (Environment Satisfaction Increased)] [Status: Working (Looking in Mirror)]
I let out a long sigh of relief. It's done.
I slumped into the chair behind the counter, feeling completely drained. This night felt longer than all the overtime I had worked in my previous life combined.
I checked the time. 06:00 AM.
The fog outside began to turn white, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, sprinkling on the hotel's dilapidated porch. Dawn had broken.
Although this didn't mean absolute safety, at least those low-level ghosts that liked to come out at night would settle down for a while.
"Finally... I can sleep."
I looked at the Woman in Red staring blankly at the mirror in the corner, then at the stably outputting reactor. An unprecedented sense of security surrounded me.
However. Just as I was about to close my eyes. The phone vibrated.
[Daily Settlement Reminder] [Time remaining until 12:00 PM Debt Interest Deduction (1000 Points): 6 Hours.] [Current Balance: 4.5 Points.] [Deficit: 995.5 Points.]
Looking at that number, the drowsiness that had just surged up was instantly scared away.
"...Fuck."
I sprang up from the chair.
Sleep my ass! I'm going to be wiped out in six hours! I need to make money! Big money!
Scavenging garbage definitely won't be fast enough. I must... Open for Business.
My gaze turned to the endless fog outside the door. Since I have security, electricity, and water. It's time to welcome the first batch of "Real Guests."