RING RING RING—
First thing in the morning, Jane Sterling was jolted awake by a noisy phone call.
She groggily opened her eyes and glanced at the time.
'Heavens, it's only six o'clock. I didn't even wake up this early for school.'
She looked at the caller ID, which was still ringing relentlessly: Charles Sterling and Sharon Shelby.
The two of them seemed to be doing it on purpose, bombarding her with calls.
It was as if they were determined to keep calling until she answered.
Her brows knitted tightly. She knew what the two of them wanted without even answering the phone.
They just wanted her to donate bone marrow.
'In their dreams!'
Furious, she turned her phone off and shoved it deep into the pillow beside her.
Then she pulled the covers over her head and went back to sleep.
This time, however, her sleep was not peaceful.
In a state between dream and wakefulness, she kept feeling like there was another breathing creature beside her.
The sensation sent a shiver down her spine, and all sleepiness vanished in an instant.
She felt a shadow fall over her.
'This is bad!'
'This is really bad!'
Jane didn't dare open her eyes. She was afraid of what unusual sight she might see if she did.
'It couldn't be... a ghost, could it?'
Ever since she'd been able to see that old man on the fourth floor last night...
Her walk from the hospital to the hotel had been absolutely terrifying.
Along the way, she had seen many floating figures that could not be called human—they were soul bodies.
Some were mangled masses of flesh and blood, so horrifying that a single glance nearly sent Jane straight to The Hell Hall.
Others were deathly pale, with no wounds on their bodies, but the cold, sinister aura they radiated was a constant reminder that they were not of her kind.
Jane felt herself start to tremble all over.
'So...'
'This hotel room I'm staying in... it isn't haunted, is it?'
Jane's eyelashes trembled slightly.
PUFF~
A soft puff of air blew against Jane's eyelashes.
In that instant, it felt as if Jane's scalp was about to explode.
'I wasn't mistaken. There really is something in front of me!'
'Oh, heavens! Did you have to send me the one thing I'm most afraid of?!'
'Do you have to be so cruel?!'
'If I die of fright, I'll truly have died an untimely death.'
'Waaaah, no!'
'I haven't found my birth parents yet, and I haven't even had a boyfriend.'
'More importantly, I haven't even spent the 2,600 dollars in my pocket yet!'
'I'm not going to die a heroic death right here, am I?!'
"What are you imagining in that head of yours? You're already crying."
Jane was already grieving her own impending doom, her mind busy imagining the details of her funeral.
Just then, a cute little boy's voice sounded next to her ear.
Jane's lips trembled uncontrollably.
She knew that what was coming would come eventually; there was no use in hiding from some things.
Trembling, Jane slowly poked her head out from under the covers.
Her eyes, however, remained squeezed shut, and a few glistening teardrops could be seen at their corners.
"A-Are you a person or a ghost? Please don't scare me, okay? I'm a coward, I can't take it."
Jane was shaking from head to toe.
The cute voice spoke again, this time with a hint of mockery.
"Host, that's not very nice of you. We just met yesterday, how could you forget me already? I'm so sad."
The little boy's words immediately caught Jane's attention.
'What? We met yesterday?'
The term 'Host' caught her attention.
'Could it be the voice that gave me the mission in my head yesterday?'
'And now it's standing right in front of me?'
'If that's the case, then it probably isn't that scary, right?'
Jane's arm emerged from the covers, and she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
But she still spoke meekly.
"Y-You're... that system?"
The little boy's voice was full of dissatisfaction. "Yes! I can't believe I got matched with such a cowardly Host!"
Jane was a little speechless, but in truth, the kid wasn't wrong.
She was a coward, and there was no refuting that.
Jane's bravado instantly deflated. "I'm going to open my eyes now. Don't you dare scare me, and you're not allowed to look like a ghost—none of that mangled flesh and blood stuff!"
There was a long pause. Jane waited, but the little boy didn't respond.
Just as she was starting to think the system had left, the boy's voice appeared eerily by her right ear.
"Host, are you trying to insult me? This system is a noble system, not a ghost."
As he spoke, Jane could feel the little boy huffing indignantly by her ear.
Hearing this, Jane suddenly felt relieved.
'If it's not a ghost, then there's nothing to be afraid of.'
She tried opening one eye, then the other.
Peeking around, she saw a chubby little boy standing not far from her bed.
He was wearing a miniature custom-tailored suit and tie, looking for all the world like a tiny boss.
He was standing there, glaring at her with a sour expression.
"Hey? So you're the system? You're so cute! How old are you, little guy?"
In an instant, all her fear and terror vanished into thin air.
Completely captivated by the adorable system, she jumped out of bed and stood in front of the little boy.
Just as she reached out to touch his chubby little face, her arm suddenly passed right through his body, meeting only empty air.
"Host, you're so dumb. While this system isn't a ghost, I'm not human either. I don't have a body, so how could you possibly touch me? So stupid! With a Host like you, I wonder when I'll ever be able to complete my mission?"
The little boy mumbled the last part, and Jane didn't quite catch it.
She was a little disappointed.
"Then what's the difference between you and a ghost? I can see you but can't touch you, either way."
Her words made the little boy puff up his cheeks in anger.
"Why, you! You've got no guts, but a sharp tongue! How dare you insult this system like that! Be careful, or I'll take back all the money I deposited into your account as yesterday's mission reward! Let's get one thing straight: I'm not just your system, I'm also your boss. You're just my worker!"
Jane froze when she heard that.
"What are you talking about, you little brat?! You're tiny, but you talk big. You, my boss? How old are you? Are you even weaned yet?"
Jane finished with a mischievous grin and started laughing to herself.
She laughed so hard she fell back onto the bed, roaring with laughter.
The little boy's face turned black as iron as he clenched his small, fleshy fists.
Suddenly, a mischievous smile played on his lips, and he snapped his chubby fingers.
"Very well. I suppose you have no use for the mission reward this system gave you, then."
Jane's laughter died. Seeing the little boy standing there with his hands on his hips, looking deadly serious, she had a sudden, terrible premonition.