120. The Returnee

"Skreeee!"

The chainsaw collided with the ghoul's scapula, emitting a jarring, unbearable screech akin to sawing through solid timber. The creature's bones were harder than bedrock, and the high-speed spinning blade could not make even a fraction of an inch of progress.

The ghoul let out a miserable roar, shoved the blade stuck in its bone away with brute force, and swung its claws at Chen Shang in retaliation.

[You dealt 3 points of damage to the ghoul with the chainsaw. You took 1 point of damage due to the recoil.]

Chen Shang shook his numbed hand and rolled to the side, barely managing to dodge the ghoul’s swipe. This enemy was clearly far stronger than the three dogs from earlier—overwhelmingly so.

Chen Shang decisively switched his light crossbow back to ranged mode and fired three energy bolts into the ghoul's chest.

[You dealt 1x3 points of damage to the ghoul with energy bolts.]

"Is this really just 'scraping the skin'?" Chen Shang shook his head, but he had no intention of backing down. As long as the damage dealt wasn't zero, he had no reason to fear.

The ghoul ignored the three tickling energy bolts and lunged at Chen Shang with a howl. The piercing screech made Chen Shang’s soul tremble, leaving him with a nauseating sensation.

Chen Shang decisively activated the light crossbow’s "Steel Cable Flight," dragging his body toward a nearby tombstone to evade the ghoul's pounce. Immediately after, he pulled out the bottle of "Mechanical Brew" he had swiped from the bar and hurled it hard at the creature.

Simultaneously, time around him froze again. A die appeared in his hand, and new text emerged in his mind:

[Initiating throwing check: 1d100=???. Success on 36 or lower.]

Chen Shang casually rolled a 37, and the bottle of "Mechanical Brew" struck the ghoul square in the head without a hitch. The glass shattered, drenching the monster's head in alcohol that reeked of machine oil.

Chen Shang then promptly switched his light crossbow to "Incendiary" mode. Fiery red energy bolts struck the ghoul in rapid succession, sparking brilliantly against its hide.

Fed by the alcohol and machine oil, the sparks flared into a raging blaze. Dancing tongues of fire grew rapidly, swallowing the ghoul’s entire head.

"Awoooo!"

The ghoul let out a wretched howl, its furry claws frantically swatting at its head in an attempt to extinguish the flames.

It was clear that fire was highly effective against this creature. Chen Shang fired a few more incendiary bolts into its body, making its screams increasingly pathetic.

Watching the monster writhe in agony, Chen Shang prepared to switch back to chainsaw mode to deliver the final blow. However, the ghoul dropped to all fours and scurried away in a panic.

Time froze for Chen Shang again, and a new check appeared in his mind:

[Initiating pursuit check: 1d100=???. Success on 80 or lower.]

"That high?" Chen Shang muttered, then decisively rolled an 81.

[Pursuit successful!]

Chen Shang suddenly felt a surge of speed, his pace nearly catching up to the ghoul. In the chaotic graveyard, a youth wielding a chainsaw chasing a monster engulfed in flames made for a truly bizarre scene.

Just then, the flaming ghoul seemed to lose track of its path and slammed headfirst into a tombstone ahead. The impact shattered the stone, but it also caused the ghoul to stumble.

Chen Shang’s chainsaw followed closely, plunging directly into the monster's rear.

The ghoul's bones were incredibly tough, even for a chainsaw to sever. But no matter how "hard" a man—or monster—might be, there are always soft, vulnerable spots.

The chainsaw churned violently inside the ghoul's body, spraying dirty gore and viscera along with indescribable, eerie substances. Chen Shang could tell this monster was nearing its end.

[You dealt fatal damage to the ghoul with the chainsaw.]

Following this prompt in his mind, the ghoul, its upper body still ablaze, collapsed to the ground with a final scream.

Chen Shang pulled the chainsaw from the ghoul's body and, just as he was about to switch back to ranged mode, he paused. He wiped the chainsaw against the ghoul's fur until the clinging bits of flesh and strange residue were cleaned off, only then retracting the weapon into the light crossbow with satisfaction.

The flames on the ghoul's head gradually died out. Chen Shang caught his breath, looking down at the monster he had hunted alone. He crouched down to examine the charred carcass.

[Initiating investigation check: 1d100=???. Success on 50 or lower.]

This time, Chen Shang rolled a 51.

Although he would have liked a critical success to learn more about this world, this was, after all, a Lovecraftian-style game. A critical success would surely force him to see things he shouldn't, and he wasn't ready to lose his sanity just yet.

[1d100=51, Success!]

Immediately, a stream of information flooded Chen Shang's mind:

[Even in your original world, mutant creatures like this exist. However, this monster is clearly not a product of radiation; it is more like a supernatural being transformed through some ancient ritual. You can distinctly feel the ominous aura emanating from it, like a corpse resurrected through a necromantic ceremony... though that is merely a metaphor.]

[It is perhaps one of the lowest-level entities in this world... its existence may be but the tip of the iceberg of this world.]

With the intelligence gathered, Chen Shang stood up and continued forward.

He was certain he was lost, or perhaps this suspicious graveyard possessed a "ghost wall" mechanism. He had been forced to kill the ghoul to ensure he wouldn't be ambushed again while searching for an exit.

As Chen Shang pressed on, faint, ghostly white apparitions began to appear, wandering through the graveyard. These shadows kept their distance and did not seem to notice him. Yet, when Chen Shang faced them head-on, he felt his soul tremble, and a chill surged from his spine to his brain.

[You have witnessed unknown wanderers. Initiating sanity check: 1d100=???. No sanity loss on 46 or lower.]

Chen Shang casually rolled a 47, and his composure quickly returned. He ignored the ghostly shadows and continued exploring the graveyard.

Eventually, the graveyard and the surrounding fog began to thin. Appearing faintly before Chen Shang was a dilapidated small town shrouded in the crimson light of dusk.

"Finally out..." Chen Shang stretched and muttered to himself.

Though he knew he was straying further from the bar, he had no choice but to follow the inner guidance leading him forward. Just as he reached a point less than two hundred meters from the town entrance, he froze.

"This is... the town I lived in as a child? How is that possible?!"