A bizarre resurrection: I, Yang Jian, am bound by a contract with the school beauty!

Ice Country.

This island nation at the edge of the world is famous for its magnificent glaciers and volcanoes.

But after its eerie resurgence, terror also arose here.

The most famous is Vik Black Sand Beach, located in its southern part.

Legend has it that the place was the work of trolls; the black sand, jagged reefs, and the perpetual, chilling sea fog turned it into a forbidden zone for life.

Now, it has become even more terrifying.

Intelligence indicates that a vengeful ghost codenamed "Sea Tide" has taken up residence there.

It creates invisible waves that instantly drag anyone who gets close to the shoreline into them, drowning their souls and turning their bodies into puppets that walk on the land.

The Ice Kingdom has already paid the price of hundreds of soldiers' lives in its efforts to seal off this area.

And now.

More troops are gathering from all directions toward the Black Sand Beach.

Tanks, armored vehicles, attack helicopters...

This country mobilized almost all of its military power.

But their goal is no longer to futilely fight against the vengeful ghost that cannot be killed.

But it was to... welcome their ace!

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

A normally bustling commercial street was now cleared out and heavily guarded.

Thousands of fully armed soldiers surrounded the area, their dark gun barrels pointing outwards, creating an atmosphere of extreme tension.

In the very center of the street, an elderly man with a full head of silver hair and a general's star on his shoulder was looking solemnly at the open space in front of him, as if waiting for something.

Sudden.

The light in the air distorted.

A figure appeared out of thin air in the middle of the street.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes, and a tall stature, but his face was deathly pale, and his eyes still held lingering fear and confusion.

It was Eric, the Ice Country player who had returned alive from the hunting lodge.

The moment I saw him appear.

An intensely burning light suddenly erupted in the silver-haired general's eyes.

He strode forward and gave Eric, who was still somewhat confused, a standard military salute.

"Welcome back, Mr. Eric."

"Heroes of the Ice Country"

Eric was stunned for a moment, looking at the exaggerated scene before him, and was at a loss for what to do.

"General... what... what's going on?"

"You don't need to know the process." The silver-haired general's voice was filled with unquestionable authority. "You only need to know that from this moment on, your life no longer belongs to yourself; it belongs to the entire Ice Kingdom."

"The nation needs your strength."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and pointed to a military helicopter parked not far away.

"We have prepared a tremendous gift for you."

"One can make you a gift from God."

"Now, please come with us."

"Our destination—Vik Black Sand Beach."

.....

Eric didn't understand.

He sat in the roaring military helicopter, looking down at the rapidly receding ice fields and volcanic ash, a trace of bewilderment still lingering in his eyes.

A few hours ago.

He was still struggling to survive in that bloody hell called "Hunting Hotel," living every second in fear of being torn apart by vengeful ghosts.

And now.

He returned to the real world, where he was treated like a hero and personally greeted by a general with a star on his shoulder.

He couldn't understand what was going on.

However, he didn't ask.

The first survival rule I learned in this bizarre world is to speak less, ask less, and observe more.

He simply accepted the steaming hot food offered to him by the military.

Roast meat, bread.

There's also a cup of warm milk.

The aroma of the food filled his nostrils, causing his stomach, which had been spasming from long-term tension, to erupt in a thunderous protest.

He didn't care about etiquette.

They grabbed the roasted meat and stuffed it into their mouths, wolfing it down like wild beasts that hadn't eaten for centuries.

This is so much better than living in the weird world.

there.

He even treasured a piece of moldy bread.

The warm food soothed his ravaged nerves, finally restoring a sliver of color to his pale face.

He was very satisfied.

It even gave me a feeling of unreality.

Perhaps, everything before was just a nightmare.

However, the silver-haired general's next words instantly brought him back to the cold reality.

"We're almost there, Mr. Eric."

The general's voice was steady and powerful, but devoid of any emotion.

"Destination: Vik Black Sand Beach."

The helicopter began its descent.

Through the porthole.

Eric saw a chilling blackness.

It was a vast, boundless beach.

But the sand wasn't the usual gold or white; it was a deathly pure black, as if it could absorb all light.

Countless oddly shaped reefs stand atop the black sand.

They resembled the skeletal remains of ancient behemoths, menacingly piercing the hazy sky.

The sea fog that never dissipates throughout the year.

Like a shroud for ghosts, it shrouded the entire coastline in a depressing atmosphere.

Just watching from afar.

Eric felt an unprecedented eerie aura creeping up his spine, making his body, which had just warmed up, turn cold again.

Something's not right here.

Something is very wrong.

"General, what are we doing here?"

He finally couldn't help but ask.

"Perform your mission."

The silver-haired general's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, staring directly into his eyes.

"Military intelligence indicates that a vengeful ghost codenamed 'Tide' has descended upon this beach."

Your task is to subdue it.

"The moment you succeed, you will no longer be player Eric."

"You will become the hero of the entire Ice Kingdom, our one and only guardian!"

boom!

The general's words struck Eric's heart like a heavy hammer.

Subduing evil spirits?

Are you kidding me!

He was just an ordinary person who had survived the dungeon by sheer luck. He had witnessed firsthand how terrifying and incomprehensible vengeful ghosts were!

Human weapons are like children's toys in front of them.

Let him subdue a vengeful ghost.

What's the difference between this and sending him to his death?

"No... I can't do it!"

He screamed almost instinctively, his face filled with fear.

"I'm just an ordinary person! You can't treat me like this! I want to go home!"

He was scared.

I felt genuine fear.

He didn't want to be a hero; he just wanted to live a peaceful and ordinary life.

however.

The general showed no surprise whatsoever.

He simply looked calmly at the emotionally distraught Eric, and slowly spoke, uttering a sentence that instantly stunned him.

"An ordinary person? No, you're no longer one."

"This bizarre world has already bestowed upon you a special reward, hasn't it?"

award?

In Eric's mind.

The golden words that were etched deep in his soul before he returned to reality instantly surfaced in his mind.

[Reward: Contracted Ghost]

[Players can use this reward to choose a vengeful ghost in the real world as a trigger.]

[Upon successful contract formation, the player will acquire some of the ghost's abilities and become a 'Ghost Tamer'.]

Seeing Eric's blank expression, the general's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"It seems you've remembered."

"That's right, Mr. Eric."

You have gained the right to command vengeful spirits, a power... that can make you a god!

"It's normal for you to be afraid of death; everyone is afraid."

But ask yourself honestly, don't you yearn for that kind of supernatural power that transcends ordinary people?

The general's voice was filled with a devilish allure.

Every word struck precisely at the most vulnerable and greedy part of Eric's heart.

strength……

Yes, power!

Eric recalled the Kyushu man in the hotel, a man who seemed like a god or demon.

He simply raised his hand.

Let the entire troupe of evil spirits vanish into thin air.

That attitude of regarding evil spirits as ants and dominating everything, that absolute power, brought him an indelible shock!

He also wanted to have that kind of power!

He no longer wanted to be a pathetic creature, trembling in front of ghosts, praying that he wouldn't become their next target.

He wants to be the one who sets the rules!

even if...

They paid for it with their lives!

For an instant.

The fear in Eric's eyes was completely consumed by a flame called ambition.

The panic on his face slowly faded, replaced by an almost manic fervor.

"I see."

He raised his head and said in a hoarse voice.

"I agree."

The general nodded in satisfaction.

he knows.

No one can resist such a temptation.

The helicopter slowly landed at a temporary military base a few kilometers away from the black sand beach.

Thousands of fully armed soldiers were already on high alert here.

Tanks and armored vehicles formed a steel Great Wall, their dark cannon muzzles all aimed at the coastline shrouded in thick fog.

Eric, escorted by dozens of elite soldiers, walked deeper into the black sand beach.

The closer you get, the stronger that chilling aura becomes.

The air seemed to have turned into a viscous liquid.

Each breath felt like inhaling a cold knife, piercing his lungs.

The black sand beneath my feet was cold and hard.

Stepping on it makes no sound at all, as if walking on a road leading to hell.

The sound of the waves became increasingly clear.

But that wasn't the normal sound of ocean waves.

There is no rhythm, no pattern.

Sometimes there is a deathly silence, where even the sound of the wind disappears.

sometimes.

Then, without warning, a deafening roar would erupt, as if an invisible behemoth were violently crashing against the shore from the depths of the sea.

The sound was terrifying, as if it could shatter one's soul.

Finally, they reached the edge of the beach.

Thick fog rolled in, reducing visibility to less than five meters.

The soldiers turned on their tactical flashlights, but the blinding beams of light, when they pierced into the thick fog, seemed to be swallowed up by something, illuminating only a small area in front of them.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, scanning their surroundings warily.

"The target is operating in this area."

The officer in charge lowered his voice and spoke to Eric.

"Based on our observations, it has no fixed form; it is simply the tide itself."

Any creature 'submerged' by it will...

He hadn't finished speaking.

An unexpected change occurred!

A soldier standing at the outermost edge of the formation suddenly began to tremble violently without warning.

His eyes widened suddenly.

He gripped his neck tightly with both hands, making strange "gurgling" sounds from his throat.

His face turned bluish-purple, his expression filled with extreme pain and horror, like a person being drowned.

But this is a beach!

There wasn't a single drop of water around him!