Chapter 113: Volume 1 Chapter 113 Tenant (1)

The morning sky was somewhat gloomy and oppressive, the air mixed with the scent of fried dough sticks from roadside breakfast stalls, passersby wrapped in thick leather coats, hurrying to come and hurriedly leaving.

【Punishment Instance: Tenant】

【Identity: A contracted internet celebrity on a certain live-streaming platform.】

【Mission objective: Survive for 30 days and find the culprit of the serial murder case.】

【Story background: In an old city area, a few new tenants have moved into a child apartment building……and at night, the sound of chopping bones often comes……along with eerie laughter……】

Jiang Zhi looked at this background introduction, her scalp went numb, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

"Brother Seven, this isn't a punishment world, it's a horror world, right…"

After a long time with no response, she finally realized belatedly that in the punishment world, the system cannot follow her.

So only she herself remained.

Jiang Zhi's identity is that of a new tenant, carrying big and small bags; since there is no elevator, she can only climb the long stairs.

She stopped in place, looking at her luggage beside her, about to lift them one by one, when a friendly voice came from behind.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Jiang Zhi turned her head and saw a face that made people involuntarily let down their guard.

The young man looked about twenty-three or twenty-four, with slightly wavy dark brown hair, handsome features, and glasses frames across the bridge of his nose; through the lenses one could faintly see his light-colored pupils.

Completely a 'nice guy' face.

If this weren't the punishment world, Jiang Zhi would almost unconsciously believe he was a good person.

"Ah, no need, it's too much trouble for you." She laughed and shook her head.

The young man was very enthusiastic, waving his hand saying it's no trouble, and picked up a box in each hand.

After he had delivered all her luggage to her rented floor, the young man exclaimed in surprise, "We're on the same floor."

Jiang Zhi felt no surprise inside, yet her face still showed an astonished expression: "Really? Wow, what fate."

Finally they exchanged names.

The young man's name is Le Zhou; he moved in just two days ago, a student at a nearby university, unaccustomed to dorm life, so he moved out to rent.

Jiang Zhi also didn't know whether he was giving his real name or a fake one; anyway, he quite resembled the perverted killer mentioned in the mission.

【Confirm the identity of the perverted killer? Only one chance; if mistaken, the Host will be erased!】

Jiang Zhi hurriedly said, "I was just thinking, I'm not trying to confirm his identity!"

That cold, mechanical tone did not respond to her.

Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief; she had only thought about it a moment, and the system assumed she wanted to confirm his identity……

This system is really not intelligent, so stupid; Brother Seven is better.

Before she could tidy up her room, the door was suddenly knocked on.

"Knock knock knock—"

Instantly breaking the silent atmosphere.

Jiang Zhi involuntarily felt her heart tighten; her legs stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, her gaze fixed on the direction of the door.

No way, it's only the first day, does she already have to receive a boxed meal?

"Um… is anyone inside?" At that moment a timid male voice came from the doorway.

Upon hearing it, Jiang Zhi's panic eased a little; she lifted her foot and walked to the door, lacking a peephole, so she could only slightly open the door using the interior anti-theft lock.

Outside stood a black-haired boy wearing a high school uniform; upon closer look, his clothes had been mended here and there, his trousers washed pale, and he held a burlap sack filled with cardboard boxes and bottles and cans.

The boy lowered his eyes, his slightly long bangs covering the upper half of his face; his skin was somewhat dark, and the back of his hand gripping the sack faintly revealed a few scars.

"Th… these cardboard boxes… do you still want them?"

He didn't know if he was nervous or something; as he spoke, his body trembled slightly, his voice timid and weak, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Jiang Zhi followed his gaze to the cardboard boxes placed at the doorway; those were the boxes she used to pack her belongings when moving, naturally unwanted now placed there.

She had originally intended to tidy up the house and then toss them out casually when leaving, but she hadn't expected to attract a scavenging boy over.

"Don't want them, take them all." She released the anti-theft lock, pulled open the door, facing the thin, weak boy who was half a head taller than her, her mind unable to stop doubting.

In the instance, irrelevant NPCs won't appear, so this boy before her is definitely not simple.

The frail boy hesitated a fraction upon hearing her voice, then quickly whispered thanks and bent over to fold the cardboard boxes at the doorway.

Jiang Zhi remembered there were still some inside, so she told him, "Wait a moment."

Having said that, she closed the door and went back inside.

The boy folding the cardboard boxes paused his motion, his downcast black bangs hiding eyes that were empty and lifeless, staring blankly at some point.

Not long after, Jiang Zhi opened the door and threw all the cardboard boxes inside out.

"These are all unwanted, take them."

The frail boy whispered his thanks, never once raising his head to meet her gaze from start to finish.

Jiang Zhi was curious about the boy's name, and even more curious about his identity, but she couldn't startle the snake; having just moved here, everything around was unfamiliar, so she still needed to act discreetly.

The boy soon left with his thick burlap sack on his back, and Jiang Zhi inside the house heard cursing from outside through the door.

"Pah! Bastard, scavenging junk here again—is this a trash dump? Get lost, old man!"

As the words fell, the sound of kicking and pounding came from the non-soundproof door outside.

Jiang Zhi slightly opened a crack in the door and saw a burly man kicking and stomping the frail boy on the ground.

The boy slightly hunched his body, using the sack to fend off the man's brutal beating.

The hallway was empty and desolate; the big man kicked for a while, then lost patience, pulled back his leg, cursed a couple more times, and lifted his foot to leave.

The boy on the ground took a long time before trembling to his feet, his steps unsteady and staggering, yet both hands clung tightly to the sack at his side.

As if sensing something, he lifted his brow and suddenly looked in her direction.

Jiang Zhi reacted extremely quickly, swiftly closing the door gap and cutting off everything outside.

But she still pressed her ear to the door, listening to the sounds outside.

She heard the lame boy limp away.

Outside fell silent again.