lovenovelstory Chapter 14, 1 Family Photo
Chapter 14, 1 Family Photo
Now there is another important matter before Ronan.
That means upgrading your level.
Otherwise, the skill of making someone kneel down cannot be used on people of higher rank.
Okay, Ronan just wanted to become stronger; that wasn't his first thought.
He looked at his current screen.
[Hello Capital Citizen Handbook]
[Citizen of Justice: Ronan]
Current star rating: 5.0
Merit Points: 98
[lv1]
【"explode"】
Kneel down
【"Substitute Doll"】
【Absolute Cuisine】
[Occupation: Restaurant Owner]
[Current Level 2]
[Upgrade Requirements: Serve 100 travelers well, with 10 of them willing to rate you and the ratings being satisfactory]
[Score is currently qualified]
[And it served thirty-six target units well.]
Click on the level interface.
[Should I spend 10 merit points to upgrade to level 2?]
"Ten merit points, that's actually quite generous..."
Congratulations on leveling up to level 2!
Ronan didn't feel any changes in his body.
He punched the cutting board directly, and it seemed to be more powerful than before.
"Bang!"
Ronan saw a small spark appear where he had struck.
"Is this the effect of an explosion...?"
The damage is better than nothing; at most, it's just a special effect.
[Should I spend 50 merit points to upgrade to level 3?]
Ronan, of course, did not hesitate.
If he upgrades to level 3, he can use "Kneel" on people below level 8...
Congratulations on leveling up to level 3!
The changes are now obvious.
Ronan jumped up easily, much higher than before.
"It seems that leveling up only enhances basic attributes like strength. As for other powerful skills, I'll have to acquire them by becoming an evil citizen... Righteous citizens can only obtain useful life skills..."
Close the shop door.
Closing time.
Black umbrella.
Ronan drove.
He was paying attention to his surroundings.
They were afraid of being hit by some speeding travelers.
Fortunately, the entire Helloy is big enough.
Ronan had a safe journey and, following the navigation, drove to the vicinity of the O'Neill Photo Studio.
He parked the car and turned off the lights, but Ronan didn't get out.
Ronan was somewhat surprised to find that the O'Neill Photo Studio was actually a rather old building.
To be precise, it's not old-fashioned, but rather European retro.
It was somewhat different from everything else in the cyberpunk world around it.
The gate was sealed with layers of tape.
The personnel from the Bureau of Paranormal Phenomena were talking to Dodo and Yalili at the door.
Ronan was certain there was no one inside.
The direct summoner is the "doll".
Ronan placed the "doll" in the store.
This time, Ronan dressed the doll in a red outfit with auspicious cloud patterns and a vortex mask on its head.
He contributed the field of vision of the probe doll.
Upon entering, one is greeted by a red glow, interspersed with flickering yellow light.
There was a reception desk in front of me, but no one was there. There was space to walk on both the left and right sides.
It's not that scary.
Ronan felt these ghost stories were too simple and not very interesting.
Ronan, however, did not prepare for the probe at first.
The "doll" leaned against the sealed gate, listening to the sounds outside.
Ronan watched from a great distance as Dodo Yalili and the Bureau of Phenomena spoke.
"So, after these days of testing and two days of traveler experience at the Onari Photo Studio, has it been helpful to travelers...?"
A member of the Paranormal Affairs Bureau, holding a piece of paper, said:
"The 'Painting Behind' phenomenon is completely safe to contain. After our psychological counseling and reassurance, it is impossible for 'Painting Behind' to leave this place. It will forever serve as an employee of the 'Painting Behind' ghost story case, introducing this world and ghost stories to travelers..."
"After our inspection over the past few days, everything is normal. The traveler is very satisfied with this strange case. It's simple; just go to the second floor, defeat the 'Painting Behind the Back,' and decipher its name to trigger the defeat CG. The traveler's evaluation is very high..."
Dodo and Yalili were relieved.
"Alright, then we need to open the O'Neill Photo Studio on time tomorrow. There are still many travelers coming to conduct their investigations..."
The sounds outside the door disappeared.
On Ronan's side, Dodo Yalili left under an umbrella, climbed over the wall in a few steps, and disappeared somewhere.
"This isn't the real thing either..."
Ronan and the others were tidying up the design of the outer door when the Bureau of Oddities left.
The "doll" walks directly to the left.
To the left is a simple reception room.
The table is simple, with a book on it.
Ronan remembered that this place seemed to be investigating the specific name of the ghost story "The Painting Behind the Scenes".
The "doll" turned the pages of the book.
Please confirm the desired shooting style with the photographer and makeup artist when making your appointment. The studio offers a variety of clothing, makeup, and background styles, including fairytale, minimalist, retro, and cool themes.
[Special Offer: Single Photo Package for 1000 Federal Coins as a Thank You Gift!]
[Important Note: This photo studio only takes photos from behind, and only for those who are destined to have it done. Don't think this is an outrageous choice; all customers who choose to have their photos taken from behind are extremely satisfied with them. —Mr. Flor, Manager of O'Neill Photo Studio]
Ronan remembered Flo's name.
"Taking a photo from behind, that's quite unusual..."
The "doll" headed towards the space on the right.
I don’t know, I’m scared.
The screen is full of photos of people behind them.
Not a single photo shows any facial features; everyone stands blankly in front of the old set with their backs to the camera.
There was a lone child's back, thin and frail, with hands hanging down and black hair flowing down his back, looking exceptionally lonely; there were young men and women standing side by side, their shoulders stiff and their posture upright, as if they had been forced into a pose; and there was a complete family of four, with the parents standing on either side and the two children in the middle, all four of them facing away from each other, their limbs stiff, standing very close together, but without any warmth between family members, like four soulless puppets.
Ronan felt something was off.
"Why does this photo studio insist on taking photos from behind...?"
"It seems only customers with a special connection can have this photo taken..."
The "doll" continued walking.
The locker room was right in front of us.
There were countless plastic mannequins standing there.
Ronan saw a diary ahead.
"Classic Diary..."
Ronan saw that there were still more than a dozen diaries.
He randomly opened a book, which was already damaged and unreadable.
In the end, "The Doll" only found one diary that could be viewed.
[Year, Month, Day]
[I'm so happy! My parents are taking me from Encross District to Moon District to buy my favorite game console, the KLJH4. It's a newly released console that I've wanted for ages. My classmate showed it off to me during class. Luckily, I got good grades, so I can finally buy this most fun and advanced game console!]
On the way to the Moon District, a torrential downpour started. I absolutely love this weather. The city is so empty at night, and the neon lights are so bright. Although my little brother is still young, he's sitting in the car with me now. I'm really enjoying this joy that's about to bring me happiness.
[Year, Month, Day]
【"blank"】
[Year, Month, Day]
No, everything is ruined, everything is ruined, why ...
[It was a normal driving experience, but the KLJH4 flashed because of my improper operation. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bought this KLJH4. My father became taciturn and smashed the ashtray. I saw my mother chopping vegetables; I saw her avoidance of eye contact, and finally, she left a cut on her finger...]
My younger brother seems to have sensed something was wrong. He's so young, how could I let him find out about this? My home, my family, how could they be torn apart like this?
[Year, Month, Day]
At the dinner table, the father finally spoke:
"Let's go to the photo studio. Families usually take a family photo when something interesting or memorable happens. Let's take this one; everything will be alright..."
My mom and I both agreed. My younger brother is still too young to understand what this means. We went together to the photo studio, the one closest to our house...
[At O'Neill Photo Studio, I went inside only to find out the owner said he only takes photos of people from behind.]
But he said a few words...
【…】
We took a picture of their backs, and everything seems...worse...
The "doll" closed the book.
Ronan began to deduce the reasoning in his mind.
"That family must have encountered something when they went to buy the game console that day..."
"In a downpour, what kind of strange things can you encounter while driving... You're so disoriented you can't even chop vegetables properly, you're haunted by something..."
"They probably hit and killed someone, then fled the scene and haven't been discovered yet..."
"But that's also my reasoning..."
The "doll" retreated again and, sure enough, found a matching photo on the densely packed photo wall. In the photo, a pair of parents and two brothers were all posing with their backs to the camera.
Moreover, Ronan even found a name under this photo.
[Father Parker, Mother Amy, Eldest son Winter, Second son Shaw]
[Inscribed on December 3, 356]
Ronan sat in the car and immediately took out his phone.
Search for "[December 3, 356, car accident, hit-and-run, Moon District]"
Sure enough, the news was found.
On December 3, 356, homeless man Chadley was run over and his head crushed on Kite Road, 13th Street, Moon District. The incident was a hit-and-run.
"interesting……"
Ronan pondered to himself.
"Now, it's the boss's turn. What kind of ability does Flo have to know this directly...? Obviously, all the back photos this boss takes are for the unredeemed sinners. He seems to be able to tell who has sinned and what has happened that caused them remorse..."
He gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"This family of four is restless, filled with guilt... and where is the boss...?"
This question was on Ronan's mind.
"This ghost story doesn't seem that difficult. Maybe I've made it too complicated. If a traveler were to try to solve it, wouldn't their head be completely swamped? This scene is a bit scary; it could even scare someone to tears..."
The "doll" walked forward.
"So, what is the 'Painting Behind the Scenes' ghost story?"