A New Urban Legend

[Tremble—show the real you!]

[Super Fun Platform—everything you could want.]

[Raorao—we'll take all your unused stuff!]

As he watched the ads, Fang Xian wanted to say he had some unused urban legends to get rid of. Was anyone taking monsters?

The Urban Legend Compendium.

After a few days without checking, Fang Xian found several new bright dots on the map.

Most were in Xinlin Subdistrict, a place he had visited before.

The place looked like a thriving neighborhood, but something seemed seriously wrong with it.

Even the urban village where Aunt Yao Hui had rented a place was near those streets. Then there was that strange religion...

Fang Xian lowered his gaze. The debate raged on at the podium, but his mind was on urban legends.

He joked around all the time, but urban legends were clearly terrifying.

They could manipulate human minds with ease.

Neither of the two urban legends he had subdued had proven especially dangerous so far.

But urban legends were still urban legends.

Every time he was drawn closer to them and used them, his lifespan dropped. That was proof enough.

Fang Xian had no idea how the previous user of the Urban Legend Compendium, the Republican-Era Girl, had managed to reach a lifespan of -6,000. After thinking it over, he decided he needed to get his own number back above zero. At the very least, he wanted some healthy color in his face.

Besides, his little guy worked one moment and failed the next. It was doing nothing for his confidence.

"Xian, look!"

"That beauty on the other side is about to speak!"

Zhang Yuhang's voice cut through Fang Xian's thoughts.

Fang Xian looked up. She really was beautiful.

Her name was Pan Meng, if he remembered correctly. She was the physics department's second speaker.

Fang Xian had been about to call Zhang Yuhang a simp for being so desperate, but after a look, he had to admit she was attractive.

She had the air of a classic Shuzhou beauty: fiery enough to bark, "I'm counting to three!"

Still...

For some reason, Fang Xian thought of Song Yizhou.

Pan Meng was pretty, but if she met Song Yizhou, she would probably feel inadequate.

That literary girl was like the opening of a great book. You couldn't help wanting to look again.

What's wrong with me?

Fang Xian shook his head.

He suddenly remembered the loose strands of hair by her ear and her clear eyes.

Am I getting pent up too?

You're lusting after her body. How noble.

On second thought, this was good.

It meant his condition was improving.

He would have to visit Aunt Yao Hui again in a couple of days.

On the debate floor, Pan Meng and Chen Kang went at each other with everything they had.

Spit flew everywhere.

The freshmen watching their first debate were stunned.

Fang Xian used the opportunity to open his urban legend task screen.

The task to bring the urban legend home was complete.

Two tasks remained below it.

The description of [Activate Incoming Call Alert Service] had barely changed.

But Fang Xian's attention caught on something else.

The description of the other task had changed.

[Murder Weapon (Dangerous): On rainy nights in Jiangzhou, he attempts to satisfy his vile, twisted desires through murder after murder.]

[Super Typhoon "Shark" is about to sweep across Jiangzhou. The Rainy-Night Butcher will reveal his true self in the darkness. As he continues to kill, the urban legend itself is growing stronger.]

[Note: This urban legend may come into contact with other urban legends.]

[Note 2: With the passive trait "Attraction," you have a considerable chance of becoming the urban legend's next target.]

[Predicted urban legend type: Anomalous Human.]

[Urban legend level: Heart-Pounding.]

Catching urban legends was no dinner party.

Their circumstances could change, of course.

Fang Xian was sure of it now.

The rainy-night serial killer the Jiangzhou General Affairs Bureau was investigating was the one behind Murder Weapon.

"Anomalous Human. When it comes down to it, that means human."

Fang Xian touched the little bald man's chibi pixel avatar and sneered.

He had brought the little bald man down with one axe blow. That made him very different from a bodiless ghost like Xiao Jiu, the Obsession.

Put simply, he had a health bar.

If you have a health bar, why would I be afraid of you?

What a joke!

Fang Xian was about to select the Murder Weapon task.

"Jiu!"

"Jiu!"

A small hand pressed down on his, faintly cool.

Xiao Jiu was beside him. She trembled and pushed his hand away.

"You don't want me to take this task?"

Fang Xian had worked something out over the past few days.

Urban legends had almost no intelligence. They ran on instincts, much like wild animals.

In that case...

Was Xiao Jiu afraid?

Was this urban legend that strong?

Fang Xian's eyes settled on the [Heart-Pounding] rating.

"Yeah. I've been getting cocky lately."

"I should build up my forces first. Catch a few more urban legends."

Xinlin Subdistrict would be a good place to catch them.

"Task accepted."

[Urban legend: Activate Incoming Call Alert Service]

[Urban legend type: Aberrant Machinery.]

[The man pinched every penny. He was so miserly that, before he died, he did not even answer his mother's final call...]

[Urban legend location: Changzhao Reservoir, toward Thousand-Mountain Lake on the north side of Xinlin Subdistrict, Jiangzhou City.]

[Note: Multiple urban legends may currently be present in this area. Proceed with caution. You may want to prepare bug spray before setting out.]

"What's bug spray supposed to do?"

"Can't you just give me a daily check-in reward?"

Fang Xian steadied his breathing.

He turned to look at the spirit curled against his shoulder.

A snot bubble puffed from Xiao Jiu's nose. She clearly had no idea.

Murder Weapon was obviously a big, tough brute.

Sooner or later, Fang Xian would have to face him head-on.

Liu Changgui was old, and Xiao Jiu was little. They had both bases covered.

Would he really have to take the front line himself?

And then there was...

[A new urban legend type: Aberrant Machinery.]

He had learned something new!

This was the third type of urban legend Fang Xian had encountered.

"All right, that's enough. I'm getting ready to leave."

Fang Xian spoke to Zhang Yuhang beside him.

"You're leaving?"

Zhang Yuhang stared at him. "You're not waiting to eat with Chen Kang?"

Fang Xian nodded. "I don't think you need to wait either."

Zhang Yuhang blinked. "Why?"

Fang Xian jerked his chin toward the podium. "Look at him. Do you think he's got any attention left for you?"

The chubby guy took a closer look.

Holy shit.

Chen Kang and Pan Meng were already trading flirtatious glances.

That fast?

He and Lü Yaoyao were still at the budding stage.

How was everyone else moving so fast?

Fang Xian patted his shoulder. No words were needed. Then he shouldered his backpack and left the classroom.

The sky outside was still gray and chilly.

Despite it being summer, the weather felt deeply unpleasant.

At least it was Friday, the happiest day of the week.

He had rushed too much when he caught the last urban legend.

This time, Fang Xian decided to give himself more time.

A whole weekend.

That much time...

It would be enough to catch an urban legend.

More than one, in fact.

Today's goal: become a master urban legend trainer!

"Jiu!!"

Xiao Jiu excitedly raised her little fist too.

Then Fang Xian unlocked a shared bike and took off with a whoosh.