"G–gulp…"
"T-This is…?"
At the sight of the surging black mist, the homeroom teacher's eyes widened in shock.
"He actually awakened successfully… and this aura—could it be…?"
Though he himself was not a Festival Adept, he had witnessed many awakenings over the years and was well aware of how terrifying certain abilities could be when first revealed.
The stronger the power, the more horrifying the scene during awakening.
And right now—
An inexplicable sense of dread crept into his heart.
"Wuuuu~"
"Wuuuu~"
"It hurts so much… won't you come down and stay with me?"
"Ahhh! Don't hit me! I didn't do evil—I didn't!"
Crying. Wailing. Roaring.
One chilling voice after another echoed from within the black mist, as if they had risen straight from the underworld itself. A bone-deep cold spread through the classroom, making the air even more frigid.
At the same time—
Within a hundred-li radius centered on the school, translucent figures began to emerge from dark, hidden corners.
Their eyes were vacant, their expressions twisted—some grotesque, others outright terrifying. One by one, they all turned toward the direction of the school, drifting slowly forward.
Every vengeful spirit lurking in the surrounding area had surfaced, as though drawn by an unseen force, their consciousness completely suppressed.
"G-Ghosts! There are ghosts!!"
"Run! Hurry, run—there are ghosts up ahead, so many of them!"
"Ahhh!!"
The sudden appearance of vengeful spirits on the streets sent civilians into panic. Screams rang out as people fled in all directions.
Fear. Terror. Anxiety.
These emotions spread rapidly, triggering widespread unrest and immediately drawing the attention of special authorities.
"Report! A large number of vengeful spirits have appeared near Tianhe Avenue in Tiankui City. No casualties so far, but the situation is highly abnormal. Request immediate deployment of Night Watchers."
"Report! Number of vengeful spirits has exceeded thirty."
"Report! Exceeded fifty."
"Report! Exceeded one hundred."
"Report! A Ghost King has appeared. Evacuation is underway. No casualties at present. Request Night Watchers to investigate the cause immediately."
—
Tiankui City Center, atop a towering high-rise.
A young man hurried into an office, documents clutched in his hands, his expression tense and anxious.
"Captain! Vengeful spirits have appeared across multiple areas centered around No. 1 Festival High School. Their numbers have exceeded one hundred, and a Ghost King has emerged. However, none of them have harmed civilians so far. Both the spirits and the Ghost King seem to be under some form of control—they're all heading toward the school."
Behind the desk sat a tall woman dressed in professional attire.
She had long black hair, striking red lips, and black stockings that accentuated her slender legs beneath her high heels. Her expression was cold and detached, her aura icy—like an untouchable ice goddess.
Upon hearing the report, she raised her eyes, surprise flashing within them.
"What did you say? They're heading where?"
"No. 1 Festival High School."
The young man answered immediately.
As if recalling something, the woman abruptly stood up, disbelief flickering across her face.
"Isn't today the awakening day for the third-year students at No. 1 Festival High School?"
"Uh…"
The young man scratched his head, quickly checking his phone before nodding.
"Yes. One class is undergoing awakening today."
At those words, the woman froze in place.
The shock in her eyes deepened—then swiftly transformed into excitement.
"There's no mistake," she murmured. "Someone has awakened a Ghost Festival."
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and issued orders without hesitation.
"Immediately dispatch the Night Watchers to stabilize the situation. Do not attack the vengeful spirits or the Ghost King."
With that, she walked straight to the window.
She extended a finger and tapped lightly.
Cracks spread across the floor-to-ceiling glass like a spiderweb, shattering in an instant.
Before the fragments could fall, crimson flames wrapped around them, melting everything into nothingness.
Then—
She stepped forward and leapt.
In the next moment—
Boom!
Roaring flames erupted from her body, engulfing her completely.
Fire blasted outward as she shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of crimson light that vanished beyond the horizon.
The entire sequence took only a single instant.
Watching her disappear, the young man stood there in a daze for quite some time before muttering to himself:
"Someone awakened… a Ghost Festival?"
"Hiss… does that mean Tiankui City is about to produce a monster?"
—
No. 1 Festival High School, Tiankui City.
Inside the classroom.
Bai Jue's eyes remained tightly shut, his consciousness still submerged in the endless darkness.
Within it, he faintly heard countless cries of grief and sorrow.
A heavy, mournful atmosphere pressed down on his mind.
In his vision, a massive, gloomy city gradually took shape. Above its towering gates hung a plaque engraved with three ancient characters:
Ghost Gate Pass.
Beneath the gate stood two fearsome figures—Ox-Head and Horse-Face—ghostly qi swirling around them, their presence solemn and oppressive.
Underworld wardens wielding iron chains escorted translucent souls through the gate.
Behind those souls, back in the mortal world, their living relatives knelt before graves, tears streaming down their faces as mournful cries filled the air.
At that moment—
A sudden clarity dawned upon Bai Jue.
Light began to seep into the darkness.
He lowered his head, staring at his hands, his eyes shining brightly.
"So… this is the power I awakened?"
"Zhongyuan Festival!!!"
He understood.
The Zhongyuan Festival—
commanding ten thousand ghosts, wielding the authority of Yama.
In this world, it was known as the apex of all discovered Ghost Festivals.
At the same time—
[Ding!]
[Cultivation System activated!]
[The host will receive rewards through cultivation, combat, and comprehension.]
[As this is the system's first activation, a Beginner Gift Pack has been granted. Open now?]
A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed beside Bai Jue's ear.
His eyes lit up with delight.
"This is… my cheat?"
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