Good Words Cannot Persuade a Damned Ghost

"Yes, I just awakened today."

Gan Ming nods.

"Not belonging to any guild?"

"Not yet."

The security guard hands the card back, without immediately pulling the barrier open, instead leaning against the barrier with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What time is it now?" he asks, turning his head to look at his colleague next to him.

The one on the right, looking down, raises his wrist watch and takes a look: "Ten twenty-six."

The security guard on the left turns back and says to Gan Ming:

"You're considered early, but let me make it clear to you. This outer woodland of ours is different from other Fallen Zones; it's only open until four o'clock in the afternoon."

"So, the moment four o'clock arrives, you must pull out."

Hearing this, Gan Ming looks a bit puzzled and asks: "Why?"

The look the security guard gives him carries the implication of "here comes another rookie who doesn't know anything".

"The monster level in this place is low, and the invasion progress is also low. It's deliberately kept by the authorities, specifically for new Awakened ones like you from the city to level up."

"Just think about it, a bunch of newcomers come to grind every day, with no limit on time or frequency. In two or three days, they can clear this place clean. Where are newcomers supposed to level up once it's cleaned out?"

He raises a hand and points toward the woodland.

"These monsters need time to respawn, and the invasion progress also needs to recover. From the closing at four o'clock to eight o'clock the next morning is a whole night recovery period. A new batch of monsters can grow by the next day."

Gan Ming understands everything now.

This place is a leek patch cultivated by people.

And monsters are the leeks.

Harvested at a regular time every day, and cultivated back at a regular time, repeating in a cycle.

A low-risk Fallen Zone is stubbornly used as a breeding farm.

"So today, you can calculate at most five and a half hours to grind."

The security guard says,

"If you want to upgrade as soon as possible, don't dawdle here too long. Once you reach level 10, go to Tunnel Zone No. 7. That place is open all day with no closing time. As long as you're willing, nobody will stop you even if you plow through it."

Hearing this, Gan Ming nods: "Thanks, I'll remember that."

Only then does the security guard pull the barrier open to a crack, but he doesn't step aside.

He gropes a thumb-sized black metal fastener from his ring and motions for Gan Ming to lower his head.

"Shoulder."

Gan Ming cooperatively turns to the side.

After the security guard clips that fastener onto the leather armor shoulder strap of Gan Ming's left shoulder, he presses it lightly, and the fastener emits a short "click".

"This is a communicator." The security guard pats that fastener, emphasizing, "Once this thing issues an evacuation notice, you better break away from combat for me immediately."

He deliberately weighs down the two words "break away".

"Listen clearly, it's break away, not finish the combat. Even if you're fighting a monster, you have to drop it and leave. Don't hold onto the notion that 'one more hit can kill it', not even one hit, understand?"

Gan Ming pulls his gaze back from the communicator on his shoulder, saying nothing.

The security guard's tone grows obviously serious.

"If you killing monsters causes this area to be 'cleansed', the Administration will directly revoke your Awakened qualification. Understand?"

"Understood."

Gan Ming has no dissatisfaction whatsoever.

Today's primary target is [Soul Snatch].

To test out what the actual effect of this talent is.

Leveling up is just incidental.

Reaching level 10 is best; if not, just come back tomorrow. What's the rush?

Only then does the security guard pull the barrier completely open.

Seeing this, Gan Ming lifts his foot and steps across the barrier line.

The moment he steps into the Fallen Zone, he can sense the surrounding air changing noticeably.

Not to mention the temperature dropping a few degrees, the fishy stench also grows a bit thicker.

At the same time, the three major pieces on his body and the iron short blade at his waist also manifest synchronously.

"Hey, wait a minute."

A voice comes from behind.

Huh?

Gan Ming stops in his tracks and turns back.

The security guard on the left walks up two steps, his gaze sweeping from the top of Gan Ming's head to the soles of his feet, and then sweeping back up from the soles of the feet.

Iron helmet, leather armor, greaves, a short blade at the waist.

"You only have these three major pieces?" the security guard asks. "Vambraces, gauntlets, and battle boots? You don't have them?"

"No." Gan Ming shakes his head and says.

The security guard's mouth is just about to open, as if to say something, but he swallows it back down.

He glances to the left and right, then takes another half step forward, lowering his voice significantly.

"Brother, then you'd better be careful when you go in."

Gan Ming waits for him to say the rest.

"When an Awakened steps into a Fallen Zone, life and death are at one's own risk. You should have seen this rule on the disclaimer. Not only will monsters kill you, but the Awakened inside will also kill you."

He deliberately pauses, and seeing Gan Ming's expression remain unchanged, continues,

"Some people specifically squat near the rookie leveling areas, moving in when newcomers finish fighting monsters and their health and mana are exhausted. The bit of equipment on you can't even block a single hit. If something really happens, nobody will care."

Gan Ming raises an eyebrow: "Not even if I die right in front of you?"

Hearing this, the security guard gives a chuckle.

"That would depend on our mood."

He spreads his hands and continues.

"If the mood is good, maybe we'll help shout out for you. If the mood is bad, we'll just pretend we didn't see anything. Anyway, within the scope of the Fallen Zone, life and death are at one's own risk, written in black and white. Whoever dies is their own business."

After hearing this sentence, Gan Ming notices that when the security guard is speaking these words, the thumb of his left hand, hanging by his side, is constantly rubbing against his index finger.

That little action isn't big, but it's very clear.

There is an old saying on Earth: it's easy to deal with the King of Hell, but hard to deal with the minor demons.

Although these two gentlemen are Second Tier "major demons", the work they do is no different from "minor demons".

Guarding the gate of the rookie leveling area, watching batch after batch of rookies go in every day.

Squeezing whatever they can from the rookies.

You give money, and he is in a "good mood".

You don't give money, and he is in a "bad mood".

The logic is simple, and also very straightforward.

However, Gan Ming only has 1,600 bucks left in his pocket.

Spending a single penny more makes his heart ache.

What's more, even if he hands over this money, if he really encounters trouble, will these two guys care?

That's really hard to say.

Even one could say, there's a high probability they won't care.

Once the money is collected, if a person dies, it might just suit their wishes.

After all, debts are wiped out when a person dies; such things are not rare in any world.

Gan Ming pretends not to see it and smiles at the security guard.

"Thanks for the reminder, I'll be careful."

Finished speaking, he turns and walks toward the depths of the woodland.

Behind him, the security guard withdraws the hand-rubbing motion, watches Gan Ming's back grow further and further away, and shakes his head helplessly.

"Another iron rooster."

Nearby, the other security guard leans against the barrier, hands in his pockets, without even raising his head.

"Good words cannot persuade a damned ghost. Reluctant to spend money to save one's life, ending up losing both people and wealth in the end. Let him be."

The security guard on the left shrugs, leans back against the barrier, squints, and raises his head to look at the sky.

"When is the next one coming?"

"Who knows. Today isn't the weekend, there are few people."

The two chat casually, having already cast the character named Gan Ming to the back of their minds.

Deep in the woodland, Gan Ming walks inward step by step.

Stepping on the soft layer of rotting leaves underfoot, he hears the drawn-out calls of strange birds in his ears.

His right hand rests on the hilt of the blade at his waist, the five fingers of his left hand slightly splayed, and the warm current of Healing inside his body is on standby at any time.

Suddenly,

in the tree shadows ahead, something moves.