Seven Levels

On closer inspection, Zhao Xi's Black-and-White Posthumous Photo was different from every other posthumous photo Gao Ming had obtained. It was covered in creases and cracks, all of them converging on the chains around Gao Ming's and Zhao Xi's arms.

"Those black chains seem to be moving..."

Zhao Xi's image in the Posthumous Photograph was somewhat blurred. He seemed to be passing something to Gao Ming through the chains.

"The words on the back of the Black-and-White Posthumous Photo seem to be hinting that if I want to obtain Zhao Xi's ability, I need to let more people learn about his past and help him let go of his obsession completely."

"But then again, what is Zhao Xi's ability? Surviving a jump off a building?"

"There are major differences between the Posthumous Photographs, too. Looks like I still have a lot to explore and test."

Gao Ming put the two Posthumous Photographs away. The next time he entered a game, he planned to bring all of them along and try them one by one, letting his family members get to know each other in the process.

"I wonder if Qi Yan is still alive. I should warn Zhao Xi and Teacher Yao that a cruel, dangerous rainy-night serial killer might still be hiding in the apartment building."

The stairwell lights came on. Gao Ming returned to the fifth floor, and the moment he pushed open the door, he saw Xuan Wen throw the disfigured investigator over her back and slam him onto the floor.

"Doesn't your Investigation Bureau teach you how to fight?"

The investigator lying on the floor had assumed Gao Ming would come over to intervene. Instead, a single remark from Gao Ming made his cries for help catch in his throat. "I—we... we never lay a hand on ordinary people!"

"How principled." Gao Ming entered the apartment, locked the security door, closed the windows, and drew the curtains. "Now no one can hear us. How about we have an honest conversation?"

Xuan Wen glanced at Gao Ming, then put on an angry expression. Holding the investigator's arm in a lock, she demanded, "Why did you suddenly appear in my home?"

"It's breaking! You're going to break it! Let go first, and I'll explain everything!" After a considerable struggle, the investigator finally got up from the floor. "You two experienced and witnessed an anomaly event firsthand. There's no point hiding anything from you."

Rubbing his wrist, he told them what he knew about anomaly events.

"There's something I find strange. You said anomaly events started happening in Xinhu six months ago, so why can't anyone find any information about them?" Xuan Wen's voice was especially pleasant. Had she not just beaten him up, the investigator probably would have thought she was a gentle young woman.

"Even investigators who know all the Investigation Rules have only a thirty-four percent chance of surviving an anomaly event. For ordinary people, the survival rate is less than one in ten. And the tiny handful who survive are left with severe psychological problems and physical disabilities. They're sent to the Investigation Bureau for free treatment." The investigator looked at Gao Ming. "That's precisely why I think he's so impressive and want him to join the Investigation Bureau."

"If I don't join, will I be taken away for 'treatment,' too?" Gao Ming watched the investigator with "keen interest."

"No." The investigator's tone grew serious. "We can't keep this hidden forever. Sooner or later, anomaly events will break out on a massive scale. All we can do now is delay the disaster while making more thorough preparations and planning our response."

"Can anyone join?" Xuan Wen seemed to have other ideas.

"Your friend is very smart, and he's the bravest person I've ever met. If he joins the Investigation Bureau, he'll be able to save more citizens, but he will also face all kinds of danger." The investigator touched his rather frightening face. "An anomaly event did this to me. And I was one of the lucky ones. Of all the investigators who went in together, I was the only one who survived."

"I'll give it serious thought." Gao Ming had no idea when the disaster would erupt in full. Joining the Investigation Bureau seemed like a good option.

"We face danger on the front lines, but in return, when danger strikes, we're granted a great deal of authority." After dropping that small hint to Gao Ming, the investigator changed the subject. "You may encounter another anomaly event someday. Consider these Investigation Rules a gift from me, though our internal draft is still incomplete."

Swiping across his Black Ring, the investigator asked Gao Ming to take out his phone. After they exchanged contact details, he sent Gao Ming a document.

"Anomaly events are divided into seven levels based on their severity, danger, and destructive potential." The investigator thought highly of Gao Ming and carefully explained the document to him:

"Level 0: An Anomaly Event has been confirmed, but its severity and danger exhibit none of the characteristics listed under levels 1 through 6."

"Level 1: The event exhibits anomalous phenomena, but the anomaly does not interfere with people in reality, make contact with them, or affect the normal lives of those at the site of the event."

"Level 2: The anomalous phenomena clearly affect people. Those at the site begin exhibiting abnormal behavior, including but not limited to mental derangement, confused perception, and impaired cognition. The anomalous manifestations remain confined to the site. People exposed to the anomaly retain their reason, and even after losing control of their behavior, they can return to normal through intervention by others."

"Level 3: A tangible 'Ghost' appears within the Anomaly Event. Those exposed to the anomaly completely lose control of their behavior and begin harming themselves, attempting suicide, or attacking others. Their sense of self is entirely assimilated by the anomaly, and even close family members cannot stop their behavior."

"Level 4: The Anomaly Event begins showing signs of spreading. As fear spreads, the affected area continues to expand. At this stage, the 'Ghost' at the core of the Anomaly Event begins growing rapidly. Slaughter, bloodshed, fear—it consumes every negative emotion, and all unease becomes nourishment for it."

"Level 5: The Anomaly Event affects a vast area. The 'Ghosts' within it have 'matured' and are extremely difficult to kill. They have already taken root in people's hearts."

"Level 6: The anomaly event is completely out of control. There is no way to resolve an event of this kind. They are fear itself. All investigators must prevent level 6 anomaly events at any cost!"

"What we just experienced was a level 3 anomaly event, because a tangible 'Ghost' appeared. Honestly, without you, I would have been dead." The investigator seemed to suddenly remember something. "Right, where's the elderly man who was with us?"

"He disappeared after going down to the first floor." Gao Ming did not reveal the existence of the Posthumous Photographs.

"Oh no!" The investigator's expression changed, and he ran toward the door. "The old man was trapped inside the anomaly event!"

Gao Ming followed the investigator to apartment 2707. Teacher Yao had stopped breathing. His daughter had called an ambulance early on, but it was already too late.

Teacher Yao's thin, shriveled body stood in stark contrast to the certificates and honorary banners covering the walls. Even up until his death, he had kept a photograph beside his pillow of himself performing a heroic deed in his youth.

"Perhaps he made his own choice."

The old man was gone, but there was no sinister chill in the apartment. It was as though he could finally sleep in peace.

After the ambulance took Teacher Yao away, Gao Ming and Xuan Wen returned to apartment 2507. Only now did they have time to themselves.

"You took that middle-aged man with you and cleared the ghost story game in my room?" Xuan Wen tilted her head as she studied Gao Ming, the smile on her face as gentle as ever.

"Don't make it sound so strange. I wanted to take you with me, but you never appeared." Gao Ming took out Zhao Xi's Posthumous Photograph. "The blank Posthumous Photograph you gave me disappeared. It seems the 'ticket' can only be used once."

"How strange. I was shut out." Xuan Wen slowly moved closer. "Ghost story games are extremely dangerous. I'm a little curious how you cleared it."

"Based on the Investigation Bureau's danger classifications, a Ghost Story Game triggered ahead of time is probably only level 3. But the Ghost inside should have the potential to grow into a Strange Tale." Gao Ming did not intend to give Zhao Xi's Posthumous Photograph to Xuan Wen, but he could not keep accepting her help without giving her anything in return. "Take a close look at this black-and-white photo. I've discovered another way to make you more real and more powerful."

"The chain-like blood vessels in the Posthumous Photograph are pulsing? What are those?" Xuan Wen noticed what was unusual about Zhao Xi's Posthumous Photograph.

"You can think of the chains as bonds between family members. I can obtain his ability, but in return, I need to let more people learn about his suffering..." Gao Ming turned the Posthumous Photograph over. "I'm considering a possibility. If more people learn Zhao Xi's story and have an emotional response to him, could the dead Zhao Xi gain something from that? We might not have to send living players into a place where the two worlds overlap and make them face life and death. Perhaps we could turn Zhao Xi's experiences into a game. That game would serve as his gravestone, and the emotions each player feels while clearing it might have an effect on him."

"That makes sense, but there's something else I need to remind you of. Your games became reality because of something that happened to you in that tunnel, not because you possess some special ability. If you want the games you create now to become reality, too, I'm afraid you'll have to return to that tunnel and figure everything out."

"I never intended to keep turning my games into reality. I just want to use this method to let more people learn Zhao Xi's story." Gao Ming casually put away Zhao Xi's black-and-white photo. "If Zhao Xi really does change, you'll have another, safer fallback for your own life."

"What? You want to eat me?" Xuan Wen held her hands behind her back as though they were bound.

"There you go again." Gao Ming picked up his backpack and headed outside. "Do I look like that kind of person?"

(End of chapter)