Chapter 21: 2.5

Patience is a virtue that many do not attribute to Jia Hyson. He gets bored easily, he gets anxious easily, he loses his concentration easily... none of these attributes were very good indicators of patience.

However despite that, Jia Hyson can be a very patient person if he wanted to be.

Since the first time Li Du, Professor Shen's much younger sister's boyfriend, came for dinner the first time almost nine months have passed. Jia Hyson had enough power to become tangible and even visible for short periods of time and thanks to Professor Shen's infuriating presence, his special and non-special skills have improved quite a bit. This was especially so when the man brought his cult buddies over to admire him. Jia Hyson found, that even though it wasn't necessarily enough to increase the level of his special skills anymore, the resentment and hatred that festers inside him during these times produced enough malevolent energy to increase some of his normal skill values by themselves.

Interestingly there was no set pattern to this growth, sometimes every ghost skill had increased a little and other times only a select few skills benefited. Once, after watching Professor Shen shatter a nearby doll in a pique of frustration, the fright and helpless fear of it happening to himself had been unexpectedly enough to give him 3 whole skill points toward Optical Illusion.

In regards to the Shen household, Jia Hyson had grasped the dynamics of it more or less thanks to Professor Shen's venting. Professor Shen, or Shen Yi, has a sister at least thirty years his junior. His father had remarried a much younger women and against most odds was granted a child, producing a rather awkward family situation. Professor Shen, despite everything, is a deeply introverted, weak-willed and thin-skinned person, especially when he was younger. So despite being disgusted and mortified by the whole thing he could only hold it in.

With his own high EQ and the skill Heart's Sway, Jia Hyson could infer that the harassment, gossip and problems with the Shen family dynamics was one of the reasons why Professor Shen wasn't fond of starting a real relationship, choosing instead to devote himself to something much less fickle and uncontrollable. You know, like dolls and black magic.

Even the smallest seed can grow into a tree. For someone else, having a strained relationship with family may not cause much of a ripple in their lives but for Professor Shen it was an important turning point. Jia Hyson also assumes that the new wife wasn't very pleasant either, after all, not many people would marry a wealthy man twice their age with a son older than them for pure motives.

The half-sister, Shen Wan, at the very least seemed to be okay, if a little noisy and naggy. With such a boisterous younger sister like that, she was most likely spoilt and probably walked all over Professor Shen when they were younger and still did to this day. Since no one was allowed into the doll room, Jia Hyson's only interaction with her was when she shouted in front of the door or listening to her yell around the house. She had a very loud voice, very good set of lungs. Sometimes he contemplates reaching into her mouth, pulling them out of her throat and see how she screams then but he quickly shelves that thought away.

Jia Hyson wasn't very worried about these sort of homicidal thoughts, his imagination was a little more overactive and twisted than most, but he was a little worried at the increasing frequency these days. And the uncontrollable urge to maim that comes with it.

'Bebe is also very worried,' Bebe comments dryly. If the system was capable of sleep, it was sure that it would be wrecked with nightmares thanks to all of it's Host's horrific fantasies. It was not impressed by the lung scene especially. Especially the detail. Ugh.

Anyway, Shen Wan met Li Du at work. Classic office romance. Possibly love at first sight. Jia Hyson doesn't know the details but he is aware that Professor Shen deeply disproves of it. A man who is divorced twice with a child... it probably tapped at that sore spot quite nicely.

Whatever work they did though doesn't seem to pay much nor was looked highly upon by the Professor, so part-timers, eco-warriors, artists... something like that. By the eighth month after Li Du had his first dinner there he and his child began to make preparations to move in. Of course Professor Shen, who was barely restraining his indignation at still taking care of his fully adult sister, was greatly dissatisfied with this turn of events.

To be fair, Jia Hyson couldn't blame him in this. He would be pissed too if his freeloading half-sister suddenly brought in her boyfriend and kid to live with him with nary a forewarning. Professor Shen destroyed three dolls and then yelled at Jia Hyson about how inconsiderate and selfish his sister is the day they broke the news. Honestly, Jia Hyson was a little afraid the old man would crack before he got a shot at it.

Li Du, Jia Hyson personally is unsure of, his son even more so. He didn't know their ages, their personality or their opinions in regards to the Shens. He didn't even know the kid's name. Professor Shen only refers to him as 'The Boy'. Obviously the child wasn't very pretty or the Professor wouldn't be so aloof in regards to him. Honestly, he felt a little relieved at that little blessing in disguise. He didn't have the power to open the door right now much less protect a child from molestation and he doesn't trust the adults to notice anything amiss. After all, a common theme in horror is humans being the scariest monster of them all. An intelligent, competent and genuinely kindhearted person that wasn't a protagonist, main love interest or dead by Act 2 was harder to find than a unicorn in the apocalypse.

However, with Li Du and his child moving in, so does opportunity.

Professor Shen is quiet and kindly on the outside, only in the doll room can he confidently express his true self. The man is mad and violent, venting his darkness in the room and filling it with his negative energy. A room with no windows, almost constant darkness and only used to expel a frenzy of evil emotions and intents... In short, it was the best environment to nurture a malicious spirit.

Jia Hyson: 'Wanting my tormentor to yell and stimulate me more before leaving me alone in the dark... my M side is really showing ah.'

Bebe: (¬_¬)

By the ninth month the Li duo had officially moved in to the Shen residence. Professor Shen has been constantly on edge, especially since apparently the kid was in some sort of rebellious phase. Jia Hyson hasn't seen the house but given that Professor Shen was a prissy scholarly douchebag who valued aesthetics over human lives and happened to be a valued Professor, it wasn't too far out of the realm of disbelief to think that his home was filled with expensive antiques perfect for two intruders to accidentally touch or intentionally dirty.

In the week alone after the Li kid moved in Jia Hyson had accumulated enough spiritual energy to at least unlock and lock the door. Jia Hyson was truly in awe. Even with his sad attempts to rile the old man up by moving things and producing cold spots he had been brushed off in the typical 'there's a scientific explanation' or 'I must be getting old' excuse. He only earned, at most, a measly two or three skill points for his own hard work in a month. As a literal ghost he feels ashamed.

Jia Hyson: 'The power of an irritating brat was something that can not be underestimated.'

Gleefully, Jia Hyson decides to start his plan after a few more tries of unlocking and locking the door. Unlike moving something, door unlocking required finesse and control as well as being a certain distance away meaning he had to either move his physical form closer or be able to separate freely from said physical form, both methods exert a huge amount of energy for him currently. Ah, how is it in supernatural stories everyone is already so overpowered? Where are the stories about weak underdog ghosts and their struggle for revenge?

Nowadays he can separate from the doll and move it around both internally and externally like a puppet. However the distance he can leave the doll was one to two meters at most abs even then he could only stand to be separated for a few minutes before his spirit begins to feel strained and tired. It's better when the lights are off or when it rains since the yin energy is stronger during these times. Still, it's not very impressive. Jia Hyson sort of understands now why so many ghosts in the actual story didn't seem to do very much for so long. It wasn't that they were incompetent, it was because the spiritual power conversion was too fucking cruel!

Author god! Have mercy on us poor wretched souls! Jia Hyson feels like a big fish in a small puddle, there simply was too little resources to grow on!

'It seems the world has interpreted the author's story to suggest that the world lacks more spiritual energy than most supernatural worlds.' Bebe comments, 'No matter how badly written a story is, if it becomes a world the world will naturally try its best to fill whatever plot holes it can. In a way it does make Host's job easier.'

'Too bad it's really screwing me over,' Jia Hyson groans. After locking the door for third consecutive time, he was already feeling exhausted and drained. It was better than the last time where he had pushed himself to the limits and blacked out for a day. For the sake of being an asshole he uses the little energy he has to rattle and bang on the door before going back to recuperate in the doll, satisfied in his heart as he hears the sounds of footsteps running up and the frantic nervous whispering of Shen Wan on the phone.

Ever since her boyfriend moved in she's been at home babysitting the kid since it was the holiday period, which, was a little not cool on Li Du's part but whatever. Professor Shen was also currently out on a conference. This left Shen Wan and Li Du's child alone in the house. Jia Hyson has been a very good ghost and made sure to rattle the door and occasionally make various sounds like scratches, and quiet crying with intermittent 'it hurts', 'help me's and 'why's to unnerve the sister and kid.

He knows it's psychotic to treat this as some sort of training session, but there's not even the smallest trace of guilt as he listens into Shen Wan's fearful mutterings and pacing footsteps. In fact, Jia Hyson only felt disappointment instead, for not being able to see the woman's descent into paranoid madness in person. Fuck, he's so bored stuck in a dark room filled with dolls, even the fear of being watched by a thousand soulless eyes has faded into vague irritation. His [Psychotic Break] has leveled up to level 13 now and Jia Hyson is fairly sure that even the prospect of having a burning doll chasing him off a very high cliff could only make him laugh.

He honestly feels like the J*cker. There's nothing that isn't amusing to him and anything that wasn't amusing is nothing to him.

He thinks he should be worried.

But he can't afford to think about ifs and buts. He has a plan. He has to be patient and careful. He has to absorb as much yin energy and negativity as he can. He has to turn the Shen siblings against each other. He has to absolutely ruin the Professor, destroy his life, the prestige he loves, he wants to burn the man's eyes so he will never be able to appreciate the beauty he loves, to carve him inside and out and let the world know of what he's done! He has to, he has to...

He has to stop missing Drake.

Jia Hyson: 'I feel so cheated. I got burnt alive, became a haunted doll and have been locked in a room for nine months. I've lost my body, my freedom and a lot of my humanity in the process and yet I'm still not over my man. Bebe, I think my [Psychotic Break] is broken, otherwise why does my heart still hurt?'

Even a heartless man will feel tired. A soulless man can still ache. To him, resentment was the only thing burning inside him, pushing him on, but Jia Hyson was once again suffering from the fire.

Bebe didn't know how to answer. Helplessly he can only stay silent. It's seen many hosts that have broken down because of attachments in their first world but it had never thought Jia Hyson would be one of them. In retrospect, if Jia Hyson had chosen not to take the mission this probably wouldn't have happened. To taste heaven before falling into hell would have destroyed stronger people after all. Then again, it's also not his fault that the Skill Upgrade Mission happened to have chosen such a perverted skill to upgrade on. If anything it was Bebe's fault for introducing the mission as an option.

Bebe felt truly guilty and quietly submitted an application to transfer Jia Hyson's Fishball here. Maybe that would help it's Host feel a little better.

As both host and system wallow in self-pity the door opens.

A small boy, looking around six or seven, sneaks in. Jia Hyson and Bebe watch as the child pockets what must be the Professor's keys into his shorts. Flipping on the light switch Jia Hyson notes that the child was actually quite cute, with curly, almost fluffy hair sticking up everywhere, a soft baby dumpling face and eyes as dark as night. However at the same time Jia Hyson could easily tell why Professor Shen wasn't interested in him, after all cute wasn't the same as beautiful and the streak of rebelliousness was easy to see in the way the boy's face seemed to be constantly set as an angry glare and the dirty clothes he wore like he had just been tussling in wet grass. Professor Shen likes them mild as milk, sweet as honey and delicate as china. This kid... was not.

"Hello?" The boy calls out and Jia Hyson wasn't sure if it was because he hasn't seen a normal person in such a long time or if the innocent childlike voice reminded him a little of his previous world but his heart, which had endured pain and grief these past few months, inexplicably was softened by his voice. Not attracted mind you, Jia Hyson is fairly sure even if he had such inclinations- which he does not- he wouldn't be able to feel a single iota of lust. Mental trauma and lingering feelings for Drake aside, his soul wasn't able to take in proper sensations of 'touch', was naturally cold and filled with yin energy.

In short, all that ghost x human romance was all bullshit and Author God can go rot in the urinal of a third-world, third-rate Indian fast-food restaurant.

"Hello?" The little boy frowns even harder and both Jia Hyson and Bebe coo. It's been a long time since they've been sold some meng (cuteness). "I know you're there. Auntie Shen tells me it's nothing but I'm not stupid. Come out!"

Jia Hyson: 'What should we do?'

Bebe: 'I don't know he's so cute! I just want to take him home!' ╰(⸝⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝⸝)╯

Jia Hyson: 'Fuck, you're right. Let's turn this dumpling into a human doll like us and keep him by our side for a lifetime!' ψ(｀∇´)ψ

Bebe: '...' 눈_눈 How about, no, you damn crazy ghost.

Li Guiren looks around the room for the first time, feeling both uncomfortable and grossed out at what it contains. No wonder Uncle Shen didn't let people in here. Li Guiren always knew Uncle Shen wasn't good but he never thought he would be such a weirdo. He had to tell dad when he comes home, Auntie Shen was okay but she probably wouldn't listen to him.

Dad probably won't either.

Li Guiren bites his lower lip agitatedly and tries to push his doubts away. His dad will definitely believe him this time! This was very important! And, and he even has proof! And once dad sees how strange Uncle Shen was they can finally leave this dumb house with it's dumb old antiques and he doesn't have to go to his dumb new school and make new friends in a new place! They can finally go back to their old place...

Mum's stuff was still there...

Bebe: 'Damn, you made the kid cry. That's a new low.'  ಠ_ಠ

Jia Hyson: 'Fuck you, I haven't done shit yet!' 凸ಠ益ಠ)凸

Bebe: '... So you were going to do something?' ఠ_ఠ

Jia Hyson sighs. To be honest, he doesn't like seeing this cute brat blubber either. At the very least give him a chance to scare him to tears first! You looked so rebellious and courageous, why did you suddenly tear up out of nowhere?! QAQ

With [Heart's Sway] he can at least determine it's something to do with his mother. Did one of the dolls look like his dead mum or something which triggered him?

He doesn't have enough power to show himself and Jia Hyson didn't feel inclined to do so anyway. Even if his heart had softened for the brat, that doesn't mean he trusts him. Who knows if this was one of those kids who says they'll keep a secret before immediately running off to tell their mother about your secret adult toy collection?!

Bebe: 'That last bit sounded awfully specific...'

Jia Hyson: 'Fucking kids are like ants with megaphones, can crawl into all the places you don't want them to be and then immediately goes off to find their comrades to tell them all about the room filled with whips and handcuffs they found in Uncle Jia's locked basement.'

Bebe: '... (￢_￢;) You're a bad uncle.'

Jia Hyson: 'Look, I told them not to go to the basement, I locked the basement door and even posted a sign warning them on that door, if they go and seek death why am I the bad one?'

Bebe: 'Because you have a sex dungeon in your house!' ‎(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ ┻━┻

Jia Hyson: 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one heard it did it really fall? With the same logic, if a sex dungeon is in a house and no one knew is the sex dungeon really in the house?' ╮(╯∀╰)╭

Bebe: 'Hehe, host's perverted logic is very good, Bebe cannot say anything. (°ㅂ°╬) Come closer, let me congratulate you, Bebe promises not to hit you~'

Meanwhile, in reality, Li Guiren had finally calmed down a little. Even though he was hiccuping and occasionally emitting a few sobs here and there, he had finally gotten control of himself and was feeling very embarrassed. Still it took a while for his eyes to stop blurring with his own tears, sniffling as he constantly wipes his wet face with his sleeves.

Li Guiren felt very upset. He had finally found a big clue! He should be investigating like a real police detective! What sort of police detective cries out of nowhere? How embarrassing!

Suddenly the small boy felt a chill run down his spine and became increasingly aware of the echoing sound of nails leisurely tapping against a hard surface. He turns around in unease, the room filled with dolls had gone from strange to creepy with the presence of the tapping sound. "H-hello?" His voice wobbles, realizing now that going into the locked room which occasionally cries and rattled the door alone may not be such a good idea.

He jumps in fright as a doll falls from one of the shelves fall, landing with a soft think on a ornate wooden desk. Scared but still curious, Li Guiren carefully creeps toward the desk like a cautious little crab, peering over he gasps. On the surface was a torn piece of notepaper with elegant handwriting.

'Hello.'

Li Guiren shrieked and ran out the door.

Jia Hyson and Bebe watch tiny little legs waddle off in fear. Like a scared baby penguin. Even though the fear Jia Hyson absorbed from the child wasn't much compared to that Shen woman, he felt rather cheered up at the sight. Even Bebe's mood had improved.

Bebe: 'Oh no, did Bebe become a S?'

Jia Hyson: 'Bebe... you were always an S, ah, why else do you always scold me?'

Bebe: 'Because Host is a piece of spicy chicken shit!'

Jia Hyson: 'Oohhh yeah, that's the stuff~♡ Oh, oh don't stop!'

Bebe: '...' Bebe would wish for you death if you weren't already dead. 'Anyway what should we do with the kid?'

Jia Hyson sighs as he uses the last scraps of his power to turn off the light. The silly boy forgot to do so as he ran off screaming. Just remembering it made him chuckle. 'Let's wait, the brat will probably come back once he gets over the initial shock. Kids are resilient that way. If he does we can make use of him.'

Bebe hesitates for a moment, 'When you say 'make use for him'?'

Jia Hyson waves his system off with a faint smile. 'Relax, I don't plan to hurt him even if he doesn't return or if he decides to go blab,' his smile turns thoughtful and a hint nostalgia that even he wasn't aware of, 'I don't know why but I quite like him, if he comes back before the Professor does I'll need to readjust my future plans to accommodate the boy.'

For most people, asking them to get over their first ghostly encounter in less than four days was asking for a lot. Despite that, Jia Hyson felt somewhat relaxed, maybe a little excited at the prospect of meeting this cute unruly little dumpling again. For some reason he truly believed this boy wouldn't betray his expectations.