Mr. Jack, Succumb to the Call of Death

The stench of decaying corpses permeated the air, settling in every corner of the examination room.

A massive body, its flesh rotting and intertwined with straw, seemed almost fused into the ground, exuding a grotesque, sickening presence. Its hollow eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yi Bai, unwavering in their gaze. If not for Quillus and Lina, who stood firmly behind him, Yi Bai might have already been torn to pieces by the furious Jack.

"Quillus, and you, the unknown ghostly nurse," Jack's voice rasped, thick with mocking disdain, "How long do you think you can protect him?"

The shrill, mocking laughter echoed in the room as Jack continued. "He's just a human—a lowly insect no different from a worm! The Terrifying Game brought them into our world, didn't it, just to add a little spice to our dull lives?"

The derision in his tone was palpable, his words sharp like daggers.

"Heh... it's laughable. You're ghosts—spirits—and yet you protect this pitiful worm? How absurd... hahaha..."

Jack's cruel laughter reverberated around them, his mocking voice carrying through the room.

Thanks to the parasitic nature of the Straw Man, Jack was nearly impossible to kill. Who knew how many hidden puppets he had lying in wait? And no one could say for sure where his true body was. This uncertainty made him brazen, unafraid to face Quillus directly. Even with two powerful red-robed spirits in the room, he felt no fear. Worst case, he'd lose a high-value puppet, and his true form would take some damage—but as long as he survived, Jack knew he had a chance to recover.

"Pathetic worm," Jack sneered, "I've marked you for death! Fear, tremble, for when you enter the Terrifying Game, you will never know when a straw man might devour you, or when you'll be ripped to pieces!"

"Kehehe... hahaha..."

Despite the brutal threats, Yi Bai remained eerily calm, his demeanor almost too tranquil to believe. Even Quillus' animated face tightened in concern, and Lina's eyes burned with murderous intent, her grayish irises flashing with icy resolve. She was ready to tear the cursed straw man into pieces and set it ablaze.

Yi Bai ignored Jack's mockery, continuing to speak as though unaffected.

"Everyone knows I'm a doctor who enjoys making friends, always friendly to others," he began, his voice steady. "I'm quite glad my first Terrifying Game took place in the Third Hospital. It's where I've met many wonderful people."

He paused, his tone becoming more reflective. "Most importantly... I met someone truly special—Lina! I really appreciate the peaceful atmosphere here because, in my view, humans and ghosts don't have to be locked in endless cycles of violence and death."

Yi Bai's words were filled with sincerity, yet the tension in the air was palpable. "It's a shame, though… Jack, you're trying to ruin this beautiful expectation."

His gaze locked with Jack's hollow, terrifying eyes. Yi Bai's voice turned cold and deliberate, with just the slightest edge of menace. "So, Jack, would you kindly go die?"

The question hit Jack like a blow to the chest. His rigid form twisted unnaturally, his skeletal frame creaking loudly with a sharp, unsettling crack. His glare at Yi Bai burned with furious disbelief.

"Heh... hahaha!" Jack burst into deranged laughter, his fury transforming into a twisted grin. "Human! Worm! Ant! Do you even know who you're speaking to?!"

"Do you think just because you got lucky and earned the favor of Count Rose, you can walk around this terrifying world without fear?"

Jack's voice was filled with scorn, yet his anger only grew. "A joke! A huge joke! You pathetic worm, how dare you speak to me like that?!"

Fury erupted within Jack as his stiff arms flailed wildly through the air, the bones cracking with every twisted motion. But it was all in vain.

Under Quillus and Lina's double protection, there was no chance for Jack to land a blow. Even if his true form appeared, Yi Bai remained untouched.

"Calm down, Jack. You're going to hurt yourself with all that rage," Yi Bai remarked coldly, a faint smile creeping onto his lips. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal the deep, crimson Blood Mage seal etched on his arm.

"Tell me, Jack," Yi Bai continued with a mocking tone, "Do you think Count Rose would step in to help? Perhaps crush you like the insect you are?"

At these words, Jack's already stiff body froze for a split second. Even the hidden form of his true body flinched, a trace of unease flickering in its otherwise stoic composure.

The name of the Blood-Robed Specter, Count Rose, carried a heavy weight. As a legendary ghost of the highest caliber, Rose's presence was enough to make even a red-robed specter like Jack tremble.

Jack quickly regained his composure, his rotting face twisting into a sneer. "Worm, don't delude yourself. Do you think Count Rose would waste her time on someone like you?"

"Who knows?" Yi Bai casually picked up Lina's scalpel, making a small cut across his finger.

A peculiar fragrance—only detectable to ghosts—immediately filled the air, emanating from Yi Bai's blood.

In an instant, Quillus's mechanical eye glowed a vibrant yellow, and even the Straw Man's hollow eyes gleamed with unmasked greed.

A single drop of blood, controlled by Yi Bai, fell perfectly into the Blood Mage seal.

Instantly, a brilliant flash of crimson light erupted, and the perfect, beautiful face of Count Rose appeared in the reflection within the seal. She licked her lips sensually, her voice dripping with teasing amusement.

"Yi Bai, my dear little brother, are you so eager to see me?"

Her playful tone, almost flirtatious, made Quillus glance away instinctively, pretending not to notice.

From Rose's tone and mannerisms, it was clear that Yi Bai held a special place in her heart—far beyond mere admiration.

The Straw Man's body froze completely, its hollow eyes reflecting an almost palpable sense of dread. Jack hadn't expected Yi Bai to be able to reach out to Count Rose at any time, much less summon her presence so effortlessly.

Count Rose was no ordinary specter. As a Blood-Robed Specter, she towered above even the most formidable red-robed spirits. Higher still were the unfathomable entities that haunted the terrifying world—the gods of death, the demons that whispered in nightmares.

But within the terrifying world, Count Rose was an unassailable top-tier force.

In the face of a being like Rose, Jack's parasitic abilities would be useless, and his true form would be obliterated without a trace.

The air in the examination room grew tense as the once threatening atmosphere seemed to freeze, the presence of Count Rose overwhelming everything.

Yi Bai remained calm as ever, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.