Take the initiative without authorization,Half-ghost girl
The next day.
As the piercing cold wind enveloped his body, Nick woke up instantly, without even a hint of grogginess.
The eerie laughter of a ghostly doll echoed throughout the room, sending shivers down one's spine. It was their alarm clock.
The restaurant opened at six in the morning.
They had six hours of sleep.
Wearing the stinky work uniform, Nick endured the discomfort and got dressed, preparing to leave.
Ada and Jason were also up early.
Jason was muttering something while putting on his clothes with one hand, likely still haunted by yesterday's mishap. Ada clutched a necklace, praying that she could come back to sleep here tonight.
Honestly, Nick admired her.
For a girl to hold on like this without breaking down, her mindset was already quite impressive.
Soon, the three of them left and arrived at the restaurant.
Pinocchio was sitting on a chair, slumped over with his head tilted to one side. If you didn't know, you might think he was a newly abandoned puppet.
Then, the tasks for the day were announced.
"We're short-staffed today. You three need to complete six orders of food delivery before you can clock off and rest."
Upon hearing "six orders," the three of them all looked a bit unwell.
The main issue wasn't the exhaustion, but rather the increased likelihood of encountering difficult and temperamental customers, which could easily lead to trouble.
Six orders raised that probability!
Why were they short-staffed? Nick and the other two knew the answer all too well.
It couldn't be because of resignations; it could only be that the staff had been eaten or killed by customers.
Strange Tales Restaurant opened for its second day of business.
Customers continued to arrive in a steady stream.
Shadows flitted around the restaurant as customers sat down, their expressions blank, waiting for the servers to approach.
Nick approached the first table, where a ghost with severe facial burns was sitting. When it lifted its head, it was enough to scare a girl into unconsciousness on the spot.
"What would you like to order, sir?" Nick asked calmly and politely.
The burnt ghost pushed over the menu with its selections.
Nick picked it up and took a look, then froze. "Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs?"
This was actually a normal dish! Did ghosts eat this too? "Just a moment, please." Nick took the menu and left.
In the kitchen, the chef responsible glanced at the menu and let out a cold snort, seemingly somewhat disdainful.
Then he started cooking. Soon, the dish was ready.
As Nick took the dish, the chef said coldly, "If you dare to steal a bite, I'll cut out your tongue and cook it!"
"I know the difference between a single meal and regular meals," Nick replied, then left with the dish.
In the hallway, he hesitated for a moment before activating his Analysis Eye.
Analysis Eye: At the last moment of the explosion, he pushed the girl down to safety but was burned to death himself. Even in death, he remembered that she liked to make Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs for him, and that the Long Island Iced Tea cocktail was what they drank on the day they met...
"So it's not the food it's eating, but the memories," Nick realized.
Looking at the dish in his hands, Nick suddenly had some ideas. Instead of going to the dining area, he turned two corners and arrived at a vending machine.
"Human food, disgusting smell!" The ghost in the vending machine opened its bloody eyes and stared at Nick savagely.
"Little mouse, want something to eat?"
Nick said, "Give me a bottle of Long Island Iced Tea."
"80 ghost coins," it replied.
"It says 50," Nick pointed out.
The vending machine grinned and said, "If you're not buying, get out. If I don't sell you anything, you'll starve. Know who's the master and who's the slave, got it?"
Nick didn't respond and tossed 80 ghost coins into its gaping maw.
The vending machine then spat out a bottle of Long Island Iced Tea.
"Go drink it in the corner!" Nick took note of the vending machine's mocking tone and left with the dish.
Soon, he returned to the dining area.
He arrived just in time, without making the burnt ghost unhappy.
"Here you go, sir," Nick placed the dish in front of the ghost.
The burnt ghost began eating, not like the other ghosts who devoured their food messily, splashing disgusting liquid everywhere, but rather picking up pieces and chewing slowly, as if searching for something.
Soon, the ghost's body trembled slightly, and strange sounds escaped its mouth.
Nick observed its reaction and poured a glass of Long Island Iced Tea, pushing it towards the ghost. "Sir, how about trying this drink?"
The ghost looked at the drink in the glass, its terrifying face twitching. "Is this from the chef, or from you?"
Taking such initiative could offend the customer and result in terrifying punishment! But Nick wasn't afraid. He nodded calmly and said, "It's from me."
The ghost picked up the glass, and terrifying flames danced on its burnt and blackened skin. If this drink affected its mood, those flames would burn Nick to ashes!
The ghost opened its lips and let the drink soothe its throat. The refreshing and sweet taste spread from its tongue to its throat.
The ghost's reaction was intense; its entire terrifying face trembled. It wasn't because the drink was delicious, but because the familiar taste and a vague memory it had been long searching for suddenly became clear again.
"Ah..." The ghost let out a sorrowful sound.
The other customers ignored its reaction. The servers looked at Nick strangely, as if they thought he was going to die.
After a long while, the ghost lifted its head again, its voice hoarse and distorted as it said, "Not bad." "You deserve this," it pushed over a 500 ghost coin note.
The surrounding servers looked at the scene in shock, especially the ghosts, whose eyes turned blood-red at the sight of the generous tip.
Nick smiled, accepted it, and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle. "Thank you."
At the same time, a voice sounded in his mind. "Angel's Kiss: You have gained +3 favorability from the burnt ghost Kai. Reward: Ghost-infested Bloody Bone Hammer!"
Ghost item.
Items infused with ghostly energy can be used against ghosts, but their effectiveness varies.
Without rushing to retrieve it, Nick tidied up and prepared to go to the next table.
Dinglingling!
Welcome!
The door suddenly opened, and a new customer arrived—a girl with pigtails and fair skin, looking like a normal girl. But the other customers didn't look at her with the same disdain they had for Nick and the others; instead, they seemed somewhat wary of her.
Half-ghost. As the name suggests, it's a being that is half-human and half-ghost, originally a human with a ghost parasitizing inside. This existence is even more mysterious and terrifying than a pure ghost.
Due to their half-human nature, they don't bear much hostility towards humans, as long as you don't provoke them.
She sat down at a table by the window, her floral dress revealing a pair of legs wrapped in white lace-trimmed stockings, swaying back and forth.
Serving her was an experienced ghost employee who approached with a smile to inquire about her order.
Nick didn't look further and instead focused on the time, heading to his second table.
Ten minutes later. Nick successfully completed his second order and received a satisfactory review.
This made him secretly pleased.
By helping the burnt ghost reclaim its lost memories, he had undoubtedly earned a very satisfactory review for his first order.
At this rate, his daily wage today would double compared to yesterday.
At this moment, there was some commotion in the restaurant.
It attracted the attention of many humans and ghosts.
By the window, the girl's food was served—a homemade dish and a dessert, Tiramisu cake.
The girl picked up a spoon and took a taste. After chewing thoughtfully, the girl's pretty face showed a hint of contemplation.
The ghost employee confidently smiled and said, "This is our restaurant's signature dessert, called Bloody Agate. It's a complimentary gift for our guests. If you like it, please come again."
The girl puckered her lips and smiled slightly, "But something's missing, and I don't like it too sweet." The ghost employee hastily replied, "No problem, I'll bring you another one right away."
"No need," the girl shook her head and stretched out her delicate hand, pinching something out of thin air.
This action caused the ghost employee's expression to suddenly turn gruesome with extreme terror. As its work uniform exploded into pieces, it transformed into a monstrous creature with fleshy tumors.
It tried to retreat and escape, but its entire body was squeezed by something, turning it into a ball of flesh.
With a snap of the girl's delicate hand, the fleshy ball instantly exploded.
Blood and flesh splattered every corner of the restaurant. The customers looked up, somewhat fearfully glancing at the girl, but then continued eating their meals as if nothing had happened. She had just killed a ghost right there!
As Nick's face turned pale, he noticed a worn-out teddy bear suddenly appear beside him. Its two black bean-like eyes stared straight at the girl. "Customer..." it said.