Although Chen Luren swore by the "Survival First" doctrine—even with his cheat ability, he only wanted to safely exploit bugs to farm experience and level up—"survival" didn't mean cowardice. Family was his soft spot. So when he realized his sister had fallen into a Final Destination-style death trap, his first thought was how to break the curse.
His mind raced through several crisis solutions, but he dismissed them all. After all, his current strength was too weak. So far, he'd only guessed the crisis resembled the movie's premise—he had no clue what kind of eerie entity was at work.
Thankfully, his Tier 1 Mind allowed him to sense danger. If he guarded his sister personally, holed up at home, maybe he could at least keep her alive—even if he couldn't defeat the Final Destination-like entity yet. As for the future... one step at a time. Worst case, he'd grind more scenarios.
After a moment's thought, Chen made up his mind.
"Mom, Dad... why don't I take little sister to the hospital? You two go to work," he called out as his parents were about to leave with his sister.
"Won't you miss class?"
"Son, just because you got into college doesn't mean you can slack off."
"Today's classes aren't crucial," Chen argued. "I can skip this once. Don't worry—I'll call my counselor to apply for leave."
Before his parents could respond, he took out his phone and dialed. The leave was approved in no time—after all, he attended an ordinary local second-tier college, not a top university, where skipping an occasional class was no big deal.
With a few quick moves, Chen convinced his parents. What else could they do when he'd already gotten permission?
.......
After his parents left, Chen laid his sister on the sofa and touched her forehead. Strangely, despite the fever, her skin was ice-cold—just like last night. She also looked drowsy, lacking energy.
Chen "studied" her for a moment, then used his mental power again. As he'd guessed, the danger probability dropped significantly—almost undetectably—when his sister stayed indoors.
Lost in thought, he was jolted back by a weak voice:
"Gege... I... feel bad."
"Tell me, where does it hurt?" Chen asked worriedly.
"I'm cold."
Seeing his usually lively sister so pitiful made Chen's heart ache. But he had no good options. Sending her to the hospital was out of the question—it was a supernatural crisis, a death setup. Stepping outside would skyrocket the danger. Only staying home and guarding her could lower the risk.
But her suffering was real. Though he could predict danger, he couldn't ease her pain. Frustration welled up in him.
"How do I make the pain go away?" he murmured. Suddenly, he thought of his own bed.
From his sister's current state, it was obvious that she had been eroded by the supernatural.
And his own bed was an old coffin in the supernatural world, possessing some mysterious ability. Perhaps letting her lie in his "coffin" would yield unexpected results?
"Whatever, I'll try anything once..."
"Let me put her on the bed first."
As soon as Chen Luren had this thought, he immediately picked up his sister from the sofa and walked towards the bedroom. The moment he placed his sister on the bed (coffin), a strange feeling welled up in his heart. It was as if his sister in the supernatural world had truly fallen asleep in the coffin.
[You used your accompanying supernatural item to block the aura of death on your sister.]
[You have been 沾染 (stained) with a trace of Its (resentment).]
Suddenly, the system's chattering whispers rang in Chen Luren's ears. At the same time, he sensed a crisis within himself—just like the one he had felt from his sister before.
"Does this mean I've shifted the crisis to myself?"
"Looks like I'll be facing the 'Final Destination' scenario next?"
Chen Luren forced a bitter smile. He reflected on himself daily and lived by the creed of "lay low," yet he still had to confront the supernatural. However, he had no regrets. After all, she was his little sister—if he didn't protect her, who would?
Next, he checked his sister's condition again. Seeing that the previous death crisis had dissipated, he began to consider what to do next. Although Chen Luren didn't know much about the supernatural version of "Final Destination," the known information suggested it still revolved around accidental dangers. For example...
Yesterday's bus plunge into the river, though undoubtedly caused by the supernatural, still counted as an accident in the real world. With his psychic precognition, as long as the supernatural didn't directly extend its power into reality, he might be able to dodge various accidents.
With this in mind, Chen Luren grew eager to test his idea. After settling his sleeping sister, he put on a coat and went out.
...
It was now the morning rush hour. The streets were bustling with traffic. After leaving the community, Chen Luren wandered aimlessly on the street. But the moment he was about to cross the traffic light, his psychic intuition triggered a sense of crisis. He abruptly stopped in his tracks.
At that exact moment, a car sped over, running the red light as if out of control.
"Zi zi zi..."
The shrill sound of tires scraping the ground echoed. The car left two dark skid marks on the road. Fortunately, Chen Luren was the only one about to cross, and no other pedestrians were on the zebra crossing, so the out-of-control car didn't cause a disaster.
Witnessing this, Chen Luren couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
"As expected, the 'death' scenario currently manifests as accidents."
He murmured to himself.
[Using your psychic power, you successfully avoided the supernatural ghost car, gaining +30 survival experience...]
??
"Eh, an accident, a supernatural ghost car?"
"Could it be that accidents caused by the 'death' scenario also have corresponding counterparts in the supernatural world?"
Suddenly, this idea popped into Chen Luren's mind.