As long as you have the courage, fierce ghosts go on maternity leave.

Chapter 7: School restrooms are for smoking

This was a desolate and dilapidated school, with a solitary three-story teaching building. Everywhere was in ruins, with most of the glass shattered.

The walls, once painted white, had turned gray after countless years of exposure to the elements. Large patches of wall paint had bubbled up and even fallen off.

Dark red traces were scattered haphazardly on the walls and the ground, as if countless mischievous children had thrown tomato sauce everywhere.

The sky was also gloomy, as if it had been painted with a layer of gray. The midday sun appeared as though it was coated with a filter, not glaring but instead radiating a sense of coldness.

Cold gusts of wind brushed against Alexander's cheeks. The ground was cracked everywhere, and occasionally, small, tenacious plants would sprout from the cement fissures, but for some reason, they had withered and turned yellow.

Even though it was broad daylight, this environment was far more thrilling than a haunted house.

The chilling wind kept blowing, making Alexander feel uneasy and somewhat regretful.

It was just a trip to the restroom. Wasn't the trash can behind the classroom good enough? With his big brother covering him, who could do anything to him?

There was no turning back now, so he decided to make it quick.

For some unknown reason, the restrooms were located in a corner of the campus, separated from the teaching building by a sports field.

On the sports field, even though it wasn't yet autumn, the ground was covered with yellowing grass. The grass grew wildly, with taller patches reaching up to the calf.

As the chilly wind blew, the yellow grass swayed, occasionally revealing the bones hidden beneath.

As Alexander approached the restroom, he heard laughter and chewing noises, and he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Compared to ghosts, this environment was clearly more challenging for him to adapt to.

At the entrance of the restroom, there were several guys with colorful hair, wearing studded jackets, as if they wanted everyone to know they were non-mainstream punks.

One of them had a buzz cut, with a few dyed yellow strands long enough to touch his nose. In his hand, he was holding a blood-drenched arm.

The chewing noise came from him.

There were two others – one with red hair, cradling a woman's head in his arms, tearing away at the bloody head with strands of long hair, including the scalp, scattered around.

The other had long purple hair, using something like a toothpick to clean his teeth. In the gaps between his teeth, faint traces of blood could be seen.

Ghostly non-mainstream punks!

The only relatively normal one was the guy standing on the edge of the flower bed, holding a baseball bat in his hand.

He was clearly their leader, as the other three showed great respect for him. Their eyes kept falling on the baseball bat, and their bodies would shiver involuntarily, clearly terrified.

On the ground lay two corpses, gnawed down to their bones. Through the tattered clothing, one could vaguely recognize that they were the two who had gone to the restroom during the last break and never returned.

"Hehehe..."

Upon seeing Alexander, the guy holding an arm in his hand let out a weird laugh, like a drake's, viciously biting a large chunk of flesh off the arm.

Then, smirking, he said to Alexander:

"More food has arrived! Little flesh worm! You have to pay a fee to use our restroom here! Let me think, do you want to leave a leg or two arms behind?"

No wonder everyone who came to the restroom was missing arms or legs – they were being charged!

In this terrifying world, it was unthinkable that using a public restroom could cost an arm or a leg.

Without further ado, Alexander shook his head and firmly said, "I'm not here to use the restroom!"

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he couldn't afford to!

"Not using it?" The punks didn't look disappointed at all but instead smiled simultaneously.

The purple-haired ghost stuck out his crimson tongue, licking his lips and said sinisterly, "If you're not here to use the restroom, what are you here for? To eat?"

"Worm, think carefully before you speak!" The red-haired ghost pointed at the male corpse on the ground and said, "He came here to eat, and we fed him a whole squat pit. He died from overeating, poor thing!"

"Hehe... The consequences of lying to us aren't something you, a little flesh worm, can bear! So... think carefully whether you want to use this restroom or not!" The yellow-haired ghost chuckled sinisterly and spoke with his raspy voice.

Was this a restroom with a rule that you had to use it once you entered?

Alexander's brain worked rapidly, his eyes sweeping over the several ghosts present.

Yellow-haired ghost -5

Purple-haired ghost +1

Red-haired ghost +2

Baseball ghost +5

When he saw the obviously dominant baseball ghost with a +5 favorability rating above his head, Alexander felt relieved.

"Humble flesh worm! Speak! If you're not here to use the restroom, why are you here?" The yellow-haired ghost persisted, and his favorability rating decreased by another point. The purple-haired ghost's favorability rating also changed from 1 to 0.

Clearly, at this rate, the yellow-haired ghost would take action in just a few more exchanges.

"Who says restrooms are only for using! This is a school restroom!"

With a plan in mind, Alexander remained calm and composed. He took out a pack of Hardeman cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, placed it in his mouth, and lit it skillfully with a lighter. He then said nonchalantly:

"School restrooms are for smoking, aren't they? Did you all come here just to use the restroom before?"

As he spoke, Alexander's disdainful gaze swept over each of the ghosts, filled with contempt and mockery.

It was like the superior delinquent student looking down on ordinary delinquent students, as if pointing at their noses and mocking: "You guys can't be good students, can you?"

This was a critical hit!

The ghosts looked at Alexander with eyes like those of a top student gazing upon a genius, involuntarily feeling some admiration.

The favorability ratings of the three ghosts with positive ratings suddenly skyrocketed by five points.

Of course, not all of them felt that way. The yellow-haired ghost's favorability rating turned into a negative ten, and his face was full of jealousy and resentment.

"Bro, where did you get this great stuff?" The baseball ghost, who hadn't spoken until now, stepped forward curiously.

"It took me a great deal of effort to get this, and it's the only pack I have!" Alexander took a deep drag, exhaled a cool smoke ring, and said proudly.

Upon hearing that it was the only pack, the ghosts' eyes flashed with disappointment. The yellow-haired and red-haired ghosts even showed a fleeting hint of cruelty.

Next, Alexander suddenly slapped the baseball ghost on the shoulder and laughed, "Big bro, I think we have a connection! I don't mind giving you a few!"

Saying that, Alexander casually handed over two cigarettes.

Being slapped on the shoulder by Alexander, the baseball ghost's body immediately emitted black energy.

Clearly, a favorability rating of ten points was not enough for Alexander to make such an intimate gesture, let alone calling him "big bro."

How could he save face if he didn't teach this little worm a lesson?

The baseball ghost was seething with anger, and a burst of ghostly energy surged from his body. Then, he saw the cigarettes Alexander handed over.

Instantly, the ghostly energy dissipated without a trace, and he eagerly took the two cigarettes—one he tucked behind his ear and the other he put in his mouth for Alexander to light. He took a deep drag.

Damn...