My Iyashikei Game-Novel

468 New Hidden Profession?

Ever since Han Fei arrived at this mall, from 2 of the night guards, 1 went missing and the other died in unnatural circumstances; his colleagues were either injured or kidnapped; basically, anyone who interacted with him had gotten into some trouble. ‘When I first arrived at the mall, I at least had a few friends I could communicate with, but after only a few days, I am the only one left. I can’t tell if this means I’m lucky or they are unlucky.’

Stopping in the middle of the mall, Han Fei looked up. The banners dangled from above. There was no wind inside the mall but they fluttered in the dark. ‘They fit in this world.’

Carrying the rucksack, Han Fei slowly ascended the floors using the escalator. As he climbed up, the temperature continued to drop like he had awakened the things in the dark. Han Fei himself didn’t have that much ‘charm’, it was thanks to the pictures inside the rucksack. ‘Looks like it’s not pure coincidence that the boss has built the altar at the bottom of the mall, he wants to use the altar to suppress these people he has killed.’

When Han Fei stepped on the 3rd floor, he felt something change. All the mannequins in the shops turned towards him. It felt like there were endless eyes staring at him from the dark.

“A good actor will be the spotlight wherever he goes.” Han Fei put on the uniform soaked in well water. Even though the water would bring him pain, it would also prevent the ghosts from getting close. Han Fei headed towards the shop where he saw the woman. He was only halfway there when he encountered another person standing in the corridor opposite him. The person maintained the same speed as Han Fei. The person was hunched over and looked very strange. “I come in peace. I’m not going to create trouble for you so I hope you won’t trouble me either.”

When Han Fei walked past a shop, he saw in the mirror that other than himself, there was a walking red dress following behind him. In the dark corridor, a bright red dress was slowly following a man. Han Fei didn’t feel the need to turn around. Many people had tailed him before and none of them had managed to go home safely.

“There are only mannequins in shop 1 and 2; Shop 3 is where Huang Li was found; Last time, the boss’ ex-wife was trying out clothes in Shop 4.” Han Fei only worked at the mall for a quick period but he had remembered the location of all the shops.

He entered the 4th boutique. A faint perfume lingered in the air. This boutique was the most high-end on the 3rd floor. Even after her death, the woman had a very high standard. This showed that she still had part of her living memory. What Han Fei needed to do now was to use the red dress in his hands to help that memory grow and expand.

After Han Fei entered the shop, the red dress behind him and the human figure on the other side of the corridor stopped. It was clear who the scariest presence on the 3rd floor was. Rustling noises came from inside the store with modern artistic décor. It didn’t sound like someone changing clothes but more like someone scratching their skin. Han Fei turned to the sound and noticed every curtain of the dressing room was shaking like there was someone inside each dressing room.

“Compared to last time, this place is even creepier. Looks like the dead will get crazier as the time goes on.” With the items hauled from the well as his talismans, Han Fei summoned his courage to enter the shop. Holding the rucksack tight, Han Fei turned to the giant mirror outside the dressing rooms. Night dripped down the mirror like ink, carrying intense anxiety with it.

Han Fei in the mirror became a blurry shadow, he couldn’t even tell if the reflection was himself. ‘After entering the memory world, I have not taken a serious look at a mirror. Whenever I pass the mirror, it feels like the reflection is not mine. When I want to see the face of the person in the mirror, the face feels so strange and unfamiliar.’ Han Fei felt like he had forgotten something. ‘Why do I mind mirrors that much?’

The longer one was inside the memory world, the easier one would be assimilated into it. However, Han Fei didn’t feel like that had happened to him, he still had all of his memories. It felt like another person had helped him shoulder the curse of the altar world. His eyes stopped on the mirror. Han Fei walked towards it but when he got close, the mirror suddenly cracked. The crack looked like a scar and strangely enough, it started to bleed. Han Fei touched the blood and something came to him. ‘Other than myself and Ten Fingers, there should be another outsider but how come I can’t remember him?’

As the mirror cracked, Han Fei’s reflection splintered. Just as the mirror was about to shatter, the reflection raised his finger. Han Fei didn’t move but his reflection started to bleed as he tried to write something on the broken mirror. However, this had violated some kind of rules. When the finger touched the mirror surface, the mirror shattered completely. The glass shards burst like it was raining glass. The loud crack shattered the silence of the mall as well. Yin energy floated out from the corner and they frosted into a mist on the boutique’s windows.

The curtains of the dressing rooms stopped moving. In this oppressive silence, a hand pulled back the curtain. The blood that flowed out from the wounds dyed the blue dress red. The black hair dropped down to her waist as if trying to cover up the open wound around the chest. The woman stepped on many clothes. The dresses were all exquisite but they were not the ones she wanted. The clothes stuck with her blood were cursed, they lay there like people she had cursed. In the blink of an eye, the woman materialized before Han Fei. Her head slowly lifted. The bones cracked and the pair of bloodshot eyes looked at Han Fei through the curtain of black hair.

“I’ve found your dress.” Han Fei took out the red dress from his rucksack and showed it to the woman. “This is the dress most suitable for you and it represents the goodness the world has owed you.”

When the red dress was pulled out from the rucksack, an indescribable presence expanded in the boutique. It swept through the 3rd floor before slamming into the ground. Pulling back the woman’s hair, Han Fei saw a face twisted by hatred, it was scary and eerie but Han Fei didn’t show any fear or disgust, only regret. “The person who pushed you down the water is now the most respectful boss at this place. He sits on dead people but he calls himself a philanthropist.” Han Fei handed the red dress to the woman. “We should correct this inverted world. What is wrong, what is right, you are more familiar with that than I do.”

When the red dress came close to the woman, a thread painted with strange symbols appeared at the bottom of the skirt. The thread pierced through the wound on the woman’s chest and bound with her soul. If she didn’t reclaim the red dress, the woman would be bound by the well and altar, never getting released. Everyone who had been pushed into the well had their souls priced and became owned by the altar. Only by entering the well and reclaiming their items that they could find freedom. However, even so, they wouldn’t completely escape the altar’s influence. Once the transaction had been completed, it couldn’t be changed unless someone would destroy the altar and restart everything.

The red dress was graceful and exquisite but it had well water on it. When Han Fei took out the dress, the woman and all the mutated clothes stopped moving. Water dripped to the ground. The woman moved her hands away from her chest wound to accept the dress from Han Fei.

The well water pierced into her skin like poisonous needles but she didn’t mind. The pale arms which held the dress shook violently. Her face started to reveal a maddening smile. The blue dress she had on was washed away by blood. Han Fei turned his head away. Several seconds later, the landlord’s ring gave a warning. When Han Fei turned back, a woman about 3 meters tall and had black hair pooling around her, stood before him in a strange red dress.

The deep red dress covered the wound around the woman’s chest. The dress was specifically made for her. The bloodstain was embroidered on the dress and became a cruel decoration. The woman absorbed the Yin energy at the mall. Her skin and face started to return to normal and light returned to her bloodshot eyes. The ‘people’ of the memory world couldn’t be delineated using the standard of the cryptic world. Han Fei could only draw a comparison from their mutated state. Using 6th Finger’s child as an example, this woman before him was at least 10 times stronger than the child. Shouldering the pressure that oozed out from the woman, Han Fei waited for the woman to vent her anger. It was a good idea but he had underestimated the resentment collected by the woman and the Yin energy collected at the mall.

The windows shattered and Han Fei turned to look out the shop. Once he did, he broke out in cold sweat. Among the dark mall, many figures in bloody clothes walked out of the shop. They stood at the edge of each floor and looked down at the empty space in the middle of the ground floor. ‘What are they doing?’

Soon Han Fei’s question had an answer. The woman walked past him and stepped over the rails of the 3rd floor. The tall woman looked down at Han Fei, she had a cruel smile on her face. The red dress fluttered before the woman fell. Then what happened next shocked even Han Fei.

The figures that stood at the edge of each floor started to fall like leaves in fall. They jumped down one after another!

They fell soundlessly until there were only blossoms of blood flower on the ground. The woman stood amidst the sea of flowers and consumed the endless pain and hatred. The falling figures were like rain. The mall had been covered in clouds for too long, this blood rain was a release for all the souls.

“This is not good.” Han Fei only returned the dress to the woman. He believed he had done a small thing but it had led to this unpredictable result. The boss’ wife was the first person to die at this mall and was probably the first person thrown into the well. She had the deepest regret, she was the original sin, the start of all the despair.

‘The windows on the 3rd floor are all cracked, what excuse can I use tomorrow?’ Han Fei looked back down. He soon realized he was worried for no reason because the woman’s goal was not to destroy the mall but the altar underground!

Human figures fell like rain. Han Fei even saw the two night guards among them. Living humans now turned into drops of resentful rain. To Han Fei’s surprise, many people appeared to jump willingly, they had reached a consensus on this night. The blood flowers bloomed and the blood coalesced into roots. They bound around each other and weaved out a well in the center of the empty space on the first floor!

The woman in red stood beside the well. Once the rain stopped, she started to attack the ground of the mall madly. The bell at the top of the mall kept chiming. The shadow of an altar appeared at the bottom of the blood-red well. Han Fei had seen this image inside the altar owner’s illusion. However, different from the illusion, no one at the mall worshipped the altar but they all wanted to destroy the altar!

‘As scary as the illusion was, it was not real.’ What he saw now was real. Han Fei knew this was a rare chance so he took out Rest in Peace and slid down the escalator. The shadow of the altar had its doors half-open. The woman stood in the middle of the blood well and used her mutated body to slam against the altar.

“Let me help you.” Han Fei noticed that there were several weak points on the blood-red well. It was the former employees of the 2nd hand shop that basically built up the blood well, the drunkard who drowned, the old man who knelt before the altar, and the female employee whose limbs were bound by ropes. Han Fei rummaged through the rucksack and returned to them their pictures. The blood well became more real. The blood that leaked out from it felt like it was trying to drown out the mall. The bell at the top kept ringing. Angry howls came from underground.

“I assumed the altar can’t be defeated but it looks like that is misdirection by the boss.” The altar’s shadow started to flicker. The doors opened and hands reached out like vines to grab at the woman. The two parties got into a standstill but as the blood well started to dry, the woman was slowly pulled towards the altar. She couldn’t escape her fate and could only wail shrilly. ‘It doesn’t seem like I can be much help even if I stay here.’ Han Fei retreated ack into the 2nd hand shop. Then a wonderful idea entered his mind. ‘Since all the dead are fighting the altar’s shadow, then the real altar wouldn’t have much energy to defend itself.’ Han Fei knew this was dangerous but he had to give it a try. Opening the door, Han Fei didn’t heed the boss’ advice and entered the underground storeroom after midnight.

The storeroom which was as cold as the morgue had its temperature return to normal. Han Fei reached the deepest part of the storeroom holding Rest in Peace. He pulled back the black cloth covering the altar. ‘Previously I would feel uncomfortable when I was near the altar but now I feel nothing.’ A smile appeared on Han Fei’s face. ‘To destroy a god, one must destroy its altar so that no one will believe in its presence again.’ Picking up the hammer, Han Fei did something the altar owner had been meaning to do.

“I do not believe in God or destiny; if everything is predestined, then allow me to shatter it!” The hammer was the other choice that only existed in the altar owner’s memory. Han Fei raised this ‘choice’, carried the altar owner’s endless regret, and slammed at the altar!

The wood splinters flew everything and blood leaked out. The altar was like a monster that had fed on human blood. Grabbing this chance, Han Fei continued to swing the hammer, the blood from the altar splattered all over him. The altar wanted to seduce Han Fei to make a trade but Han Fei wanted to destroy the altar. This was like the devil meets the demon, they each wanted something different. Screams echoed in his ears but Han Fei didn’t stop. He knew this opportunity didn’t come easy so he had to grab it!

The top of the altar was punctured and the time in the memory world appeared to pause for a second. Just as Han Fei was going to yank the roof right off, suddenly an indescribably horrible presence appeared. Without any hesitation, Han Fei retreated, he couldn’t stay at the storeroom anymore. The floor shook and the well water poured out. Han Fei was quick to react. He moved fast and escaped from the storeroom before the energy returned to the altar.

At the same time, the door chimed. An old lady entered the shop holding an umbrella and a stinky rucksack. As usual, she headed towards the fake altar. “Granny! Your son is not inside the altar!”

A hole was made in the underground altar and it had caused a chain effect, no one could stay inside this 2nd hand shop anymore. There was no time to explain it to the old lady. Han Fei carried her and charged out from the 2nd hand shop. The old lady was stunned as she was picked up by Han Fei. The wind rustled her hair. She wanted to say something but as she opened her mouth, cold air kept rushing into it. “Granny, I have your son’s picture! You will be reunited soon!” Han Fei consoled the old lady as he rushed towards the woman in the red dress.

Han Fei had just destroyed the altar so temporarily there should be no one to suppress the ghosts at the mall. When he reached the center of the 1st floor, the battle was already over. The blood flowers on the ground wilted. Only the woman in the red dress and the 3 employees from the 2nd hand shop remained. They were extremely weak, part of the well was branded on their incomplete bodies. After paying a large price, they seemed to have escaped from the altar’s control. “We need to leave this place!”

Han Fei took out a can from his inventory. He placed the 3 employees inside it and then he resisted the discomfort to approach the woman in the red dress. “I was the one who destroyed the altar, please trust me one more time, perhaps I can bring you real freedom.” The woman was the most powerful presence at the mall, most of the dead at the mall had become a pattern on her dress, she had gathered everyone’s hatred. Han Fei looked at the woman sincerely. When she heard the strange noises from underground, the woman stopped hesitating and entered the wishing can. Closing the lid, Han Fei raced out from the mall when the system notification came.

“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve gained the trust of 3 spirits after harming them, you’ve completed the prerequisite to unlock the hidden profession, Lapidarist! Would you initiate the next mission?”

“No!” Han Fei raced ahead and didn’t even turn his head back. ‘One Midnight Butcher is already crazy enough, who dares to touch this Lapidarist occupation?’

“Notification for Player 0000! Hidden profession, Lapidarist is extremely rare. After obtaining this career, your life will become more complete. It will expand your horizon, increase your experience, and you will unlock this personal ability, Lingering Spirits and Pure Hatreds of the opposite sex will be intensely more attracted to you. Would you initiate the next mission?”

“No! I’m in this state because I’ve trusted you too much!” Han Fei raced out of the mall like a shadow.

Pattering rain entered his ears. Han Fei looked up and the memory world started to pour as if a hole had opened in the sky. “It has always been sunny, why did it suddenly rain? Is it because I’ve shattered the roof of the altar?” Han Fei remembered Ten Fingers saying that destroying the altar would heavily impact the memory world. “If the things in the memory world could be changed, does that mean certain predestined things will change as well?”

Carrying the old lady and hugging the wishing can, Han Fei looked at the rain-washed city and his mind started to turn. ‘The mall is a mess and I have damaged the altar. There is no reason for me to stay here anymore. Why not use this opportunity to find out the mall boss and Ten Finger’s weakness while they are investigating each other?’ Everything in the memory world would mutate at night and become very dangerous but Han Fei had noticed something a long time.

The old lady and Wang Pingan can move through the night freely. The monsters wouldn’t attack them.

“Granny, can you help me with another small favor?”