Chapter 34: Are You Stocking Up Here?

The Shadow Boy was clearly looking forward to the cookies he was about to receive. After witnessing the fate of the monster moments ago, Ron was well aware of the consequences should he fail to keep his promise.

"Hurry up, hurry up." The little boy urged, manipulating the shadow to move with haste.

His abilities were far too bizarre; Ron knew he stood no chance against him with his current level of power. Ron analyzed the situation calmly. From their initial encounter, he knew that a Sanity Potion could negate the boy’s influence over him. However, the potion had a major drawback: while it was effective at clearing negative status effects, it had no lasting impact. This meant the Shadow Boy could simply regain control of Ron's shadow the moment the potion wore off. Once the entire bottle was consumed, he would likely still be unable to escape his grim fate.

Of course, Ron had no intention of defying the Shadow Boy. After all, he was a key figure for clearing the dungeon. Under the physical prompting of the Shadow Boy, Ron arrived at the small shop’s service window. It resembled a registration desk, with an old woman sitting inside, surrounded by a cramped assortment of goods.

[Ah-Po’s Shop: Only accepts currency from the Spirit Realm.]
[She has recently had a falling out with her daughter.]
[Convincing her daughter, who is on duty in the Emergency Room, to call her might earn you a complimentary item.]

Seeing this prompt, Ron finally understood the key to clearing this dungeon. Held hostage by the Shadow Boy, it was impossible for him to go to the ER to persuade the daughter. This meant he needed someone else currently in the hospital building to help. He checked his watch. The other survivors were still there, panicking and discussing how to escape the hospital. Even when someone suggested trying to clear the dungeon, their voices were quickly drowned out by the cries of the terrified.

It was up to him, then. Ron sighed, leaned against the window, and asked, "Granny, do you accept card payments here?"

The old woman replied with some impatience, "Only cash."

That’s it, he was done for! Ron’s heart sank. At that moment, his shadow, acting of its own accord, leaned toward the window. "Granny, you do accept card payments, don't you?" A voice of absolute certainty emerged from Ron’s own mouth.

The old woman stared at Ron’s shadow, slowly stood up, and retrieved a card reader from a drawer. "It seems that is indeed possible."

Once the device was connected, the old woman placed a pack of small cookies in front of Ron.

[Small Cookies: A snack especially loved by children; can make a child instantly quiet down. (Can be converted into an item card)]

Ron looked at the cookies, narrowed his eyes, and smiled pleasantly at the old woman. "I’d like to buy some other things as well."

The old woman opened her mouth to protest, but upon seeing Ron’s shadow staring intently at her, she changed her tone. "What else do you want? My goods aren't cheap."

Ron peered through the window, activated his Demon King’s Eyes, and scanned the shop's shelves. The Demon King Meow on his shoulder jumped right inside. Amidst the old woman’s startled gasps, Ron rapidly rattled off the items he wanted to purchase. In a short while, his counter was filled with a variety of goods: three bottles of 300-count painkillers, five packs of the vanilla mints beloved by spirits, six packs of chewing gum that could boost combat strength for a short period, and several packs of small cookies.

The old woman was right; her goods were indeed expensive. These few items completely wiped out the balance on his card. Three hundred thousand. That was three hundred thousand, gone in a single dungeon run. Yet, Ron didn't feel it was a loss. Once the dungeon concluded, these items could be converted into item cards and taken out. He could easily trade them in the group chat for cash. Based on the intelligence he had gathered by lurking in the group over the past few days, the value obtained from these items would far exceed three hundred thousand. Of course, Ron wasn't foolish enough to trade such valuable items for money.

[Are you here to restock your inventory or what...]

Ron’s behavior made even the Narrator break character and complain. Although he had long suspected the Narrator might have its own consciousness, Ron was still slightly surprised when it actually spoke up to complain.

"What? Is it not allowed?" Ron asked, conversing with the Narrator.

[How am I supposed to record this information?]

"Won’t you be done recording once the dungeon is cleared?"

[As long as the Spirit Realm hasn't left the resonance state, once one resonator dies, another will soon appear.]

The Narrator’s words provided Ron with information he hadn't known. It meant this strange hospital would likely appear in the dungeon again. It was no wonder the Narrator was a bit agitated; Ron’s "restocking" behavior was truly impossible to document. But that wasn't something Ron needed to worry about.

Ron converted all the items into cards and stored them away, then handed a pack of cookies to his shadow. "I want to go cause trouble in Room 1136. Can you help me?" Ron said, handing over another pack of cookies.

The Shadow Boy happily accepted the gift. "No problem, no problem," Ron’s mouth spoke again. "I’ve never liked that guy anyway. He’s always wallowing in self-pity and refuses to play with me."

Having received the cookies, the Shadow Boy was remarkably obedient. He hugged the cookies and ate them happily. Because of the shadow’s movements, Ron’s own mouth couldn't help but chew and swallow along with him.

The Shadow Boy held absolute power on this floor. With his company, Ron entered the elevator without obstruction. Swiping his card, he initiated the lift to the 11th floor. Amidst the crunching sounds of the Shadow Boy eating his cookies, the elevator stopped.

At that moment, the Shadow Boy used Ron’s mouth to ask another question: "That guy in 1136 is too weak. There are many more interesting people on this floor. Shall we go kill them?"

"..." Ron was speechless. He really was a mischievous child.

"Just 1136."

"Fine..." The Shadow Boy pouted in disappointment.

*How do you know the shadow is pouting?*

*My damn mouth is literally pouting, how could I not know?*

Ron soon found Room 1136. Standing at the door, he heard a squelching sound. Ron opened the door, and a massive ball of flesh greeted his eyes.

[Wu Xingsheng, 75 years old, terminal lung cancer.]
[He fathered three sons.]
[Yet, from the moment he was admitted until now, his three sons have never appeared.]
[He lies in bed, reviewing his entire life.]
[His immense resentment has torn open the gates of the Spirit Realm, dragging the entire haunted hospital into reality.]

Wu Xingsheng died. He hadn't even lasted until the Narrator finished its report. In the eyes of the Shadow Boy, this massive ball of flesh was nothing more than a toy to be squeezed. For the sake of the cookies, the Shadow Boy was happy to help Ron this once.

Watching the crushed remains of Wu Xingsheng, Ron pondered to himself. The Demon King’s calmness allowed him to maintain a keen grasp on power dynamics at all times. He knew full well that without the Shadow Boy’s help, killing Wu Xingsheng would have been extremely difficult. As Wu Xingsheng died, the invasion of the Spirit Realm gradually receded.

[Don't you find him pitiful? Abandoned by his own children, facing death alone in a hospital bed.]

"Pitiful? If his revenge had been directed at his three sons, perhaps I would have pitied him," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is Big Brother leaving now?" The Shadow Boy sensed Ron was quickly detaching from this world.

The Shadow Boy’s next sentence made Ron’s hair stand on end:

"I don't want you to leave. Can’t you stay and keep playing with me?"

"Next time, definitely next time."

Ron flashed a grin, then decisively consumed the Sanity Potion.