Five minutes later.
The Burned Ghost lifted its head again, its hoarse, distorted voice speaking once more: "Not bad, this is what you deserve."
A 500 Ghost Coin note was pushed towards John.
The surrounding servers watched the scene in shock.
Especially some of the Ghosts, their eyes turning as red as blood at the sight of the generous tip.
John smiled, accepting it with a 90-degree bow, "Thank you."
Simultaneously, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Angel System: You have gained +3 fondness from the Burned Ghost, rewarded with Ghost Items Bloodied Bone Mallet!"
Ghost Items.
Objects imbued with Ghost aura, usable against Ghosts, varying in strength.
Without hurrying to retrieve the Bloodied Bone Mallet, John tidied up, ready to move on to the next table.
Ding-ding-ding!
Welcome!
The door suddenly opened, and a new customer arrived, a girl with twin ponytails, fair skin, but her appearance was like that of a normal human girl.
However, the way the surrounding customers regarded her was not with the disdain they showed towards John and others, but with a hint of wariness.
Half-Ghost.
As the name suggests, half human, half Ghost, originally human, now parasitized by a Ghost, making them more mysterious and frightening than a pure Ghost.
Due to their half-human nature, they don't bear much malice towards humans.
Of course, that's assuming you don't provoke them.
She sat down at a table by the window, her legs clad in lace-edged stockings swinging back and forth beneath her pleated skirt.
An experienced Ghost server approached her with a smile, inquiring about her order.
John didn't linger, noting the time and moving on to the second table.
Ten minutes later.
John successfully completed the second order, receiving a satisfactory evaluation.
This secretly delighted him.
Helping the Burned Ghost reclaim its lost memories, the first order had undoubtedly received a very satisfactory evaluation.
Following this trend, his daily wage today would double from yesterday's.
At this moment, some commotion arose in the Restaurant, drawing the attention of many people and Ghosts.
By the window, the girl's order arrived, a post-luncheon dessert, Tiramisu cake.
The girl took a spoonful and tasted it.
After chewing thoughtfully, the girl's pretty face pondered for a moment.
The confident Ghost server smiled, "This is our Restaurant's signature dessert, called Blood Agate, a complimentary treat for our guests. If you're satisfied, we welcome you to come again."
The girl pursed her lips, smiling slightly, "But it's missing something, and, I don't like it too sweet."
The Ghost server hastily said, "No problem, I'll get you another one right away."
"No need."
The girl shook her head and, with a gesture of her hand, pinched the air.
This action caused the Ghost server's expression to turn fierce and filled with extreme terror. The uniform burst apart, transforming into a tumorous monster.
It was terrified, attempting to flee.
Yet, its entire body seemed to be compressed by something, turning into a meatball. The girl clapped her hands together, and the meatball instantly exploded.
Flesh and blood splattered every corner of the Restaurant. The customers looked up, some fearfully glanced at the girl, then continued eating as if nothing had happened.
A Ghost was killed on the spot!
While John was in shock, an old teddy bear appeared beside him at some point.
Its two eyes were staring straight at the girl: "Guest..."
The teddy bear was covered in patches, with one area cut open by some sharp object, revealing a lot of cotton stuffing inside.
John recognized this teddy bear. It was the Restaurant's overseer, holding a higher position than that puppet.
The girl looked at the teddy bear and asked with a smile, "What is it?"
Her expression was puzzled and curious, looking very cute, but she had just killed a Ghost!
John thought a more terrible conflict would erupt in the Restaurant, but the teddy bear said, "Guest, to express our apologies, you will enjoy a fifty percent discount whenever you visit our Restaurant."
"Is that so? Then I'll come again tomorrow, hoping the chef can satisfy me then."
The girl hopped off the chair and turned to leave the Restaurant.
Such incidents were common in the Thriller World. If you're strong enough, then you are the rule, and the rules are yours to make.
Due to the meatball explosion, several nearby tables' food was spoiled, but those customers dared not speak up, watching the girl leave.
How terrifying that girl was, John didn't know, but to work diligently was what he should do right now.
In Thriller World, the day is always shrouded in gloom, devoid of sunlight, with no distinction between morning and afternoon.
After an indeterminate amount of time, John completed his six orders.
He sighed deeply, "I wonder how Jessica and Asher are doing."
Despite not having much fondness for Asher, they were classmates after all. In such a terrifying world, both being human, John still wished him luck in his heart.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness swept over him from behind, as if a pair of eyes were glued to the back of his head.
Turning around, John saw the puppet at his feet, appearing silently.
"I've finished my work," John explained.
"You did well. For the next two hours, you have free time, but remember, your freedom is limited to within the Restaurant. You are not allowed to leave the Restaurant," the puppet stated before walking away.
"So, as long as I'm in the Restaurant, I can go anywhere?" John thought for a moment, then turned towards the back door.
Ten minutes later.
John arrived in front of a building, the area designated for all the cleaners.
"Karl should be here, right?"
Muttering to himself, John pushed the door open.
Inside the lobby, a hunched old lady was groping on the floor with both hands, searching for something.
"Old lady, what are you looking for?" John tried asking, noticing from her attire that she was the Ghost responsible for this building.
The old lady, as if not hearing him, continued her search.
"Are you looking for your reading glasses?" John thought to help and had just lifted his foot when he noticed something round and rolly by his feet.
An eyeball.
John's mouth twitched as he picked up the eyeball and handed it to the Ghost granny, "Old lady, is this what you're looking for?"
The Ghost granny took the eyeball, stuffing it back into her dark eye socket. Even with the eyeball back in place, the sight was still eerily bizarre.
Only then did the Ghost granny show a slight smile, "Thank you, child!"
"It's nothing. Can I walk around here?" John asked.
Then he added, "I'm a server at the Restaurant."
The Ghost granny waved her hand dismissively, pounding her back as she walked into a room.
"You shouldn't wander around here; it's easy to get lost."
Watching her enter the room, John then went upstairs.
The second-floor corridor was long, with rooms of various sizes lined up, and the hallway was filled with trash. The washrooms emitted a foul stench.
John followed the corridor, hoping to bump into a familiar classmate.
But soon, John realized, no matter where he walked, darkness loomed ahead, endless and without a conclusion.
"What's going on?" John frowned.
Amidst his confusion, a pair of ghastly white hands suddenly stretched out from the wall, grabbing John's shoulders, attempting to drag him into the wall.
"Where did this vermin come from, bringing me food?"
Pairs of ghastly hands emerged, densely wrapping around John's entire body.