Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 33: Have you seen my wife?

"Oh?" Li Wenhao raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "It looks like you, Mr. Fang, have some knowledge about psychics."

Rather than question how Fang Xiu came by his information, Li Wenhao decided to add more details. "Given that you know about psychics, I assume you've heard of Spiritual Energy. I won't dive deep into that. The strength of a psychic is measured by how much of their psychic power is awakened.

"For someone like you, Mr. Fang, who's just discovered their abilities, the typical level of awakened psychic power is about one percent. We call this a first-tier psychic. This range goes from one to twenty percent and is marked by the early signs of abilities. As you gather more Spiritual Energy, these abilities can grow stronger.

"Between twenty-one and forty percent, you're in the second-tier, which means even more enhanced skills. And from forty-one to sixty percent, you reach the third-tier. I'm not clear on all the details of this level. After this, there are supposedly fourth and fifth tiers."

"And what about when someone maxes out at a hundred percent of spiritual essence?" Fang Xiu asked.

Li Wenhao shook his head. "That's a mystery to me. As far as I know, no one has fully unlocked all their psychic power. The journey to awaken more and more of this power gets tougher. To boost their Spiritual Energy, a psychic must keep facing powerful Specters. These are high-risk battles, right on the edge of life and death. But as the Specters get stronger, the risks shoot up. So far, we haven't seen a Specter mighty enough to unlock a full hundred percent of someone's psychic power. There's this fascinating relationship between psychics and Specters. One grows stronger as the other does. But the Specters we know of now just aren't strong enough to bring out super-powerful psychics. So, we don't have any psychics at a hundred percent, and even those in the fifth-tier are just a theory. As for the fourth-tier, there are some whispers and tales in different places. But it's hard to separate fact from fiction. These individuals are almost mythical. Right now, the mightiest folks we know about are the third-tier psychics."

"I have another question"

Fang Xiu tried to ask another question, but Shen Lingxue cut him off with a hint of impatience. "Enough with the endless questions! Li Wenhao, just share the Specter forum link with him so he can do his own research."

Somewhat hesitantly, Li Wenhao passed a web address to Fang Xiu. "This link takes you to a hidden part of the web. It's the biggest Specter forum out there. You'll find lots of basic info, but the juicy stuff? That'll cost you. And as a reminderour bureau doesn't oversee this forum since it's international. While you're there, be wary. Don't get lured in by emails from unknown senders."

Fang Xiu nodded, signaling that he had understood.

Shen Lingxue, with a warning undertone in her voice, chimed in, "Now, it's our turn. Describe every single thing that took place at Willow Hill Specter Zone. Don't even think about lying or leaving anything out. If your words cause irreparable harm, know that you'll pay dearly."

Rather than being ruffled by her menacing tone, Fang Xiu remained composed. "Before we dive into that, I've got one more thing to ask."

With her patience wearing thin, Shen Lingxue frowned, "Really? More questions?"

Fang Xiu, undeterred by her impatience, gestured to his side, "Can you see my wife over here?"

Shen Lingxue, who was on the verge of losing her temper, stopped cold. She scanned the vacant space beside Fang Xiu and then scoured the room. There was no sign of any wife.

Li Wenhao echoed her confusion, "Fang Xiu, what are you talking about? According to our files, you're not married. In fact, you aren't even dating anyone."

"Can you really not see her, or are you pretending not to?" Fang Xiu shot back, his voice barely above a whisper.

An unsettling tension filled the air.

Li Wenhao felt an uneasy shiver. He wondered if Fang Xiu wasn't quite right in the head. After all, how could an everyday person be this unperturbed after surviving a Specter Zone?

Fang Xiu's calm demeanor was unsettling. And now, he's talking about a wife when he was clearly single. Li Wenhao speculated that maybe Fang Xiu was more than just unstable; perhaps he was experiencing delusions.

"Are you trying to mess with our heads?" Shen Lingxue spat out, visibly agitated.

Fang Xiu looked at Shen Lingxue, sensing her genuine confusion. But he had an ace up his sleeve. He shifted his gaze to lock eyes with his wife, affirming, "Honey, I can see you."

Suddenly, a voice filled with an overwhelming mix of joy and surprise echoed, "You can actually see me?"

BANG!

Both Shen Lingxue and Li Wenhao sprang up, their faces a portrait of shock. Where there had been empty space just seconds ago, now stood a striking woman in a white, shimmering nightdress. But her once flawless skin began to fracture, resembling delicate porcelain. In an instant, her body was covered in countless dark cracks, making her appear like a fractured porcelain statue.

The sound of water dripping echoed from the black crevices as thick blood resembling writhing leeches began to ooze out. The woman's once smooth and lustrous hair transformed, taking on a life of its own; it writhed and coiled like a horde of serpents unleashed.

Her lips stretched disturbingly wider than humanly possible, revealing jagged, saw-like teeth. Within that gaping maw, a second, even more grotesque mouth became discernible, as though she had swallowed another creature whole.

"Specter!" Shen Lingxue's voice pierced through the room in a mixture of terror and rage, "What have you done, Fang Xiu? Your wife is one of those vile Specters!"

His brow tightening in confusion, Fang Xiu muttered, "So, you see her now?"

It appeared that the moment he recognized her existence, she materialized from her Spectral realm into theirs, granting Shen Lingxue and the others the terrifying privilege of witnessing her. Memories resurfaced of a similar occurrence at Green Mountain Mental Hospital.

At first, only Fang Xiu was privy to the unfolding horror, but as the hospital materialized in this world and merged with the office building, that nightmarish reality unfurled before everyone present.

It brought him to a chilling conclusion: the ability to see these Specters wasn't solely the domain of psychics. Whether one possessed psychic abilities or was just an ordinary human, these ghoulish entities remained veiled.

Even if one argued that Zhao Hao's inability stemmed from his weaker nature, it still didn't account for the fact that Shen Lingxue, who was no stranger to the supernatural, was similarly oblivious.

_'Am I the sole witness to this Spectral nightmare?'_

Dread filled Fang Xiu's heart. No one would covet such a cursed gift. The thought of being constantly hounded by Specters, knowing that a mere glance in their direction could spell doom, was unbearable. It was akin to navigating a minefield, with every step potentially being his last.

With a disturbingly melodic giggle, the wife whispered, "Humans! Always so amusing!"

Sensing the looming danger, Shen Lingxue responded with lightning reflexes. She splayed her fingers, manipulating the air around her, which promptly spiraled into two searing orbs of fire. The very atmosphere in the room became stifling, so intense that nearby drapes and furnishings caught alight, bearing witness to her fiery wrath.

In a fluid, practiced motion, Shen Lingxue propelled the twin fireballs with deadly precision toward the haunting apparition of Fang Xiu's "wife." "