C23 Drugging the Ghosts

Barbecue Grill: Iron Blocks (0/8), Stone Blocks (0/30), Coal (0/10)

Range Hood: Iron Blocks (0/10), Magic Energy Cell (0/1)

...

Xiao Hao had cracked open an abundance of treasure chests, amassing a wealth of materials. And the source of the meat? A generous donation from the prehistoric Parapenaeopsis stylifera, courtesy of the ghost.

With an array of blueprints at his disposal, he could effortlessly arrange them as a designer would with architectural renderings.

Oblivious to the world around him, Xiao Hao was engrossed in his work, much to the ghost's chagrin, who was nearly apoplectic with rage.

A massive purple-black energy claw slammed into the Shellfish House, causing its magical energy to plummet.

The commotion caught Xiao Hao's attention, and his gaze inadvertently drifted over.

There stood the ghost, clutching its Sickle Finger, frozen in place.

The room's magical energy had taken a significant hit, and the cost was steep.

Xiao Hao glanced over nonchalantly, then returned to his tasks, treating the ghost's antics as nothing more than a sideshow.

Undeterred, Xiao Hao began barbecuing right under the ghost's nose, his brazen demeanor fueling its fury.

I'm salivating...

Back in our survival days, wasn't every player a picture of distress, battling hunger and the elements? Yet here he is, casually grilling up a feast!

What was the host's original profession? With his intellect, I pegged him for a white-collar job, but with these barbecuing skills, I'm starting to wonder if he's a chef in disguise.

Do people actually barbecue in a survival game? Are we even playing the same game?

Is this what it means to be a pro? Color me impressed...

Xiao Hao intended to further provoke the ghost, but noticed it seemed to be lured by the scent of the meat, its gaze locked on the sizzling morsels in his hand.

The meat, sliced as thin as a cicada's wing, showcased the mantis shrimp's exceptional culinary artistry.

Upon reflection, Xiao Hao opted not to rile it further.

Perhaps, he thought, food could be the key to a truce.

Given their longstanding enmity, any direct approach would be met with defiance.

Xiao Hao resolved to employ a more subtle strategy.

He snapped a photo using the game's interface and uploaded it to the forum.

"Wow! The big shot is actually chowing down on some barbecue!"

"Can you really get barbecue under the sea?"

"My hard-earned bread just lost its appeal!"

"Boss, can I have a piece? Just one piece!"

Information was updating at lightning speed, and the forum was steeped in envy. Surviving on bread and water for so many days had left everyone's taste buds craving more.

"Number 968: Anyone got sleeping pills? Will trade for roasted meat."

"What? Sleeping pills, really?"

"Where would sleeping pills come from?"

"We're all human here. You've got so much food, why not share a little..."

Xiao Hao ignored those trying to guilt-trip him and waited patiently.

He had brought his bed with him when he transmigrated, and it was possible that a few others had brought along sleeping pills.

Luckily, after a short wait, someone listed sleeping pills on the exchange—only half a bottle, but it was something.

Xiao Hao didn't hesitate, trading a heaping plate of barbecue straight away.

The plate of meat vanished in an instant. Xiao Hao feigned surprise as if he'd encountered a ghost, chuckling, "Well, there's plenty of meat to go around. I might as well share with the other players."

He wasn't actually offering to share with the other players for free. His words were a hint to the ghost that he was open to sharing the barbecue.

He then continued to pull out slices of meat from his space and grill them.

The ghost's teeth snapped together, seemingly scoffing at Xiao Hao: "You're struggling yourself, and you want to share your barbecue? Hah."

Xiao Hao just smirked, savoring the barbecue that tasted like a mix of fish and shrimp, and cracked open a beer. Barbecue and beer—a match made in heaven.

He was glad he hadn't squandered his stash of snacks; otherwise, he'd be missing out on the beer now.

The ghost eyed the meat on the grill, its neck throbbing with purplish veins.

The moment felt right, and Xiao Hao finally asked, "Want some?"

The ghost's gaze was icy as it met Xiao Hao's.

Unperturbed by the ghost's aloof demeanor, Xiao Hao kept up the allure, "This barbecue is really tasty, you know..."

The ghost's assault halted abruptly.

Finishing his statement, Xiao Hao employed the Shadow Vanishing technique to transform the roasted meat into a mere shadow, then slipped it through the window crack, presenting it before the ghost. The sight of the succulent roast, now losing its flavor as it was drenched in the frigid seawater, made the ghost hesitate. Nevertheless, it ultimately devoured the offering.

This human had truly shared his roasted meat with it.

"Would you like some more?" Xiao Hao asked, a subtle smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Without a word from the ghost, Xiao Hao considerately dispatched another slice of the savory meat. The ghost gnashed at it with its large, yellow teeth, yet Xiao Hao maintained a composed expression, free of any revulsion.

The ghost remained silent, but its attack on the Shellfish House ceased.

After some time, Xiao Hao sensed the moment was ripe. The drug in the other beer bottle had dissolved.

"Have a drink," he suggested, as he used Shadow Vanishing to place the beer before the ghost. The seawater diluted the brew, and although Xiao Hao was inwardly anxious, he outwardly savored his own roasted meat.

Drink up, quick! Before the sleeping potion is completely watered down!

Xiao Hao took a larger gulp of his beer, gesturing emphatically for the ghost to follow suit. The ghost hesitated, the briny seawater harsh in its throat, but then its half-tongue plunged into the can.

Tasting something unusual, the ghost perked up and crammed the entire beer, can and all, into its maw. The can crumpled between its teeth, sharp metal shards protruding dangerously. Those shards stabbed into the ghost's gums and mouth, shredding the remaining bit of its tongue.

Chewing for a moment, the ghost then mangled the can into a misshapen, jagged metal ball. Unable to swallow the bulky mass, Xiao Hao expected the ghost to expel it. To his surprise, the ghost used its Sickle Finger to force the metal ball down its throat. The ball scraped through, the metal slicing a gruesome gash as it went, leaving a harrowing wound in its wake.

The flesh on its body had been bleached white by the seawater, its blood long since drained away. Even with its throat slit wide open, not a drop of blood emerged.

As the iron mass squirmed into the stomach, Xiao Hao watched through the ribcage gaps as shards of metal from the iron ball protruded from the creature's gut, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.

A shiver shot up his spine, his scalp tingling, his skin breaking out in goosebumps. The sheer terror of this specter shattered his worldview time and again.

Xiao Hao swallowed his fear, keeping his eyes locked on the apparition. He was determined to see if the medication would have any effect on the ghost.

The ghost's form was nothing more than a reanimated corpse, brought back by some mysterious force. Logically, he knew poison would be futile.

But Xiao Hao was grasping at straws, willing to try anything that might tip the odds in his favor.

Alas...

Wait, what's this?

The ghost's skeletal head began to sway from side to side.

It was working!

The drug's potency might be weak, but any increase in his chances of victory was a win for Xiao Hao.

Mixing sleeping pills with alcohol could intensify the sedative's effects, dampening brain activity and, in severe cases, posing a threat to life.

Xiao Hao downed half a bottle of sleeping pills, yet their impact on a creature like the Deep Sea Phantom was minimal.

Having ingested the pills, there was no way Xiao Hao would continue offering up the roasted meat.

The spirit seemed dazed momentarily, then resumed its scratching at the window.

It devoured his flesh and clawed at his window. Such a spirit could not be allowed to persist without defying all natural justice!

With the final piece of roasted meat consumed, Xiao Hao wiped his mouth and upgraded both the room and the guardian to level 10.

A game alert appeared as the room hit level 10, but Xiao Hao gave it only a cursory glance before setting it aside.

His entire focus was now on the ghost. With the impending battle, game notifications could wait until the fight was over.

Glancing at the game panel, he noted 500 Spirit Beads remaining. With a sufficient supply of Spirit Beads, the Shellfish House was impenetrable to the spirit.

Xiao Hao had no intention of using the Spirit Beads to recharge his mana. If the Deep Sea Phantom sensed there was no chance of breaching the Shellfish House and simply left, that would spell trouble.

Time was right, and the sea horse had rested enough.

The Dark Domain descended, causing the spirit to hesitate momentarily before it resumed its scratching at the window.

They were locked in a war of attrition once more, time inching by, both parties steeped in silence.

Eight hours had elapsed, and the maintenance card dissipated into nothingness.

With only an hour left until dawn, Xiao Hao swiftly played the Double Card, amplifying the sea horse's Dark Erosion power twofold.

The spirit felt its vitality waning but refused to cease its assault.

It was aware that Xiao Hao had played the fifth card and still had the sixth card capable of reflecting attacks at its disposal.

Its strategy was clear: exhaust all of Xiao Hao's cards in one fell swoop and shatter the defenses of the Shellfish House!

The spirit unleashed its powerful moves sporadically, aiming to provoke Xiao Hao into using the Reflective Card.

Only when the final hour was nearly up did Xiao Hao counter with the Reflective Card, bouncing back the spirit's formidable skill.

Both the Double Card and Reflective Card were now spent, vanishing like mist.

As dawn broke, the spirit appeared decayed, its skeletal frame emitting a telltale creak.

It had been biding its time for this moment!

It had been waiting for Xiao Hao to exhaust all his cards!

In doing so, it believed Xiao Hao would be left with no recourse!

What it failed to realize was that this was precisely the scenario Xiao Hao had intended for it to witness.

When the spirit struck with its claw, it was met with a sudden, noticeable drop in attack strength.

Daylight had arrived, and without the amplification of dark energy, its assault was significantly diminished.

Yet the thought of retreating was too bitter a pill to swallow.

As the spirit's attack rate waned, Xiao Hao goaded it, "Daylight's here, beat it!"

Predictably, the spirit, infuriated, quickened its window-scratching frenzy. Xiao Hao inwardly celebrated his ploy; the poison had muddled the spirit's senses, making it quick to anger. Had it chosen to leave, Xiao Hao knew he would have been powerless to stop it.

His gaze never strayed from the game panel, where the Cursed Killing Card was now aglow with a purple hue, signaling its readiness for use.

Its health points finally plummeted to 30%!

Yet, Xiao Hao wasn't ready to play his Cursed Killing Card just yet.

Using it now wouldn't guarantee a one-hit kill; it would merely frighten the creature off and leave lingering trouble.

The Deep Sea Phantom continued to claw away, slowly realizing that something was amiss.

It could sense its own grave injuries—a perilous sign.

Despite the Shellfish House teetering on the brink of collapse, even a level 10 structure had been reduced to ruins under its relentless assault.

The spirit wavered momentarily, but ultimately decided against retreat, persisting in its attack on the Shellfish House.