Arc 1: Nursery Rhyme Requiem Town

Chapter 5: Protect

He used a declarative sentence, not an interrogative one as if he could make a direct judgment just from the first meeting.

The suit he refused to take off at any time, the cold gaze, and even in the escape game his meticulously combed hair—who else could it be if not the most important male supporting character in the novel, Zuo Chu?

The domineering CEO Zuo Chu, who charmed thousands of girls and even had a more popular setup than the male lead, was naturally one of the backup lovers meant to boost the female lead, Ji Yun.

But this man, who had a mocking buff towards almost everyone, was someone Qin Dongwan could never bring herself to like. Especially after he repeatedly opposed Luo Shu and caused her, known as the "little boss," to suffer multiple losses, her impression of him plummeted.

Apart from his admiration for the female lead, he looked down on everything, even at the beginning, he didn't take the organizers seriously.

As a vicious female supporting character, opposing the female lead was certainly Luo Shu's basic skill. Regardless of who was right or wrong between her and the female lead, Zuo Chu and other male supporting characters should inevitably be Luo Shu's supporters.

What Qin Dongwan found most unsatisfactory about this "cheat" was that all the seemingly outstanding men became completely lacking in principles for the female lead. They believed everything the female lead said was correct, thus disregarding the lives of others and looking down on everyone else.

Why must the supporting characters be relegated to merely highlighting the intelligence of the main character and be stepped on?

“No matter what we ran out for, I’m afraid it’s you, sir, who is the one with malicious intent, right?”

Qin Dongwan felt that Luo Shu behind her was already on the verge of exploding. She had to deal with Zuo Chu before she lost her temper; otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.

“We two girls are powerless, and you, a big man with a weapon, are stalking us in the middle of the night. Are you trying to rob us or assault us?”

Knowing that Zuo Chu would only be interested in a main character like Ji Yun, Qin Dongwan, who disliked him, naturally spared no effort in making him uncomfortable. As she watched his handsome face gradually become covered with ominous clouds, she pulled Luo Shu back a step, creating more distance between them and Zuo Chu.

The man’s gaze was like that of a hawk, glowing with a faint light in the dark night. Although Qin Dongwan received the dangerous signals, she didn't take them seriously. Instead, her mood worsened because her attempt to find something to eat in the kitchen was ruined by him.

After a moment of standoff, Zuo Chu snorted coldly and took the lead, striding away with his long legs.

Qin Dongwan knew that he wasn't afraid of her, but it was in his nature to avoid trouble with two girls who didn’t seem to be up to anything bad.

However, a sense of inexplicable joy surged within her, causing a faint smile to curve on her lips and her gaze toward Luo Shu to carry a playful tenderness.

“Look in the mirror; you look like a little character who achieved something.”

Luo Shu retorted without mercy, but she felt a strange emotion inside. Recalling how Qin Dongwan instinctively shielded her just now, despite her firm voice, she noticed that the hand holding the knife was still slightly trembling.

She had grown accustomed to all kinds of timid people in this game, including those who, in their struggle for survival, didn’t hesitate to sell out their own partners at the first opportunity.

She had originally thought that charging ahead recklessly would be her forever approach to handling things, but seeing Zuo Chu being angrily driven away by Qin Dongwan's few words, made Luo Shu suddenly feel that this approach was quite good as well.

Qin Dongwan couldn’t read minds, so she naturally didn’t know what Luo Shu was thinking. She simply had her stay by the door while she searched in the kitchen.

After a while, she finally found an unopened loaf of bread in an inconspicuous corner. It looked dry and unappetizing, but at least it was unopened, so it should be safe.

Amidst the rustling sounds of them eating, an unpleasant noise suddenly mixed in, as if someone was dragging a chair across the floor.

Even the strong smell of disinfectant couldn't mask the bloodiness in the air. Qin Dongwan immediately became alert, swallowing her food and lifting her head. She gripped the knife handle tightly, took a step forward, and then heard a closer “rustling” sound.

Her outfit was very inconvenient, and she didn’t dare to wander around carelessly, but at least she could barely make out the sound now.

The “rustling” outside quickly turned into tearing and chewing, accompanied by the girl's painful whimpers. Qin Dongwan suddenly remembered the plot from the original book. After hesitating for a moment, she quickly lit a candle and went outside.

The bloodstains trailed to the back garden door. As she got closer, the sparse drops gradually thickened. Startled, she overcame her fear, stood by the window, and took a look. The night outside was shrouded in heavy rain, but the half-exposed white, skeletal remains on the lawn were still clearly visible.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The deceased was likely the delinquent girl, now only a pile of bones remained. Her fairy tale identity as "Little Red Riding Hood" could only be identified from the torn clothes.

Luo Shu did not follow her. Qin Dongwan saw wet footprints spreading from the stairs to her own feet, with mud and blood mixed. The entire first floor was filled with an unshakable stench.

The “crunching” sound of chewing was very close, likely from gnawing on a bone, mixed with the rough sound of a tongue lapping up blood. This was almost indistinguishable from the rain.

A chill silently crept up Qin Dongwan's spine. She realized that the wolf had not left yet. Acting decisively, she pressed against the wall, and the flickering candlelight illuminated the eerie green eyes peering through the door crack.

The wolf’s mouth was stained with drool, and a bloody, half-eaten intestine was discarded on the ground. Its red gums were smeared with bits of flesh, giving it a satisfied look. However, it squatted in place, reluctant to leave. Perhaps it had heard Qin Dongwan approaching, as it began to gnash its teeth and lick its fingers, preparing for the next battle.

For some reason, it hesitated to charge recklessly.

Catching sight of the petite figure standing not far away, Qin Dongwan felt more at ease and was about to leave. The gray wolf outside clearly didn’t want to give up its prey. After a moment of hesitation, it suddenly surged forward like an arrow, charging in with force!

Qin Dongwan's muscles tensed, a bead of sweat silently sliding down her forehead. Taking advantage of the moment when the wolf's forelimbs touched the ground, she suddenly threw the candle. It hit the wolf accurately, and the smell of burning flesh spread through the air as the flames crackled and licked at its gray fur.

The gray wolf's fear of fire exceeded Qin Dongwan's expectations, causing her tensed muscles to relax slightly. Seizing the opportunity, she drove her small knife into the thick tendon. Blood spurted out, and a horrific howl echoed throughout the villa.

The “click-clacking” sound of high heels echoed as Luo Shu swiftly and decisively finished off the wolf with another strike. The silver blade gleamed coldly in the dark, and blood dripped down in a continuous stream. Qin Dongwan took a deep breath, kicked the still-warm corpse aside, and quickly headed for the door.

The delinquent girl’s remaining half was so fragmented it could only be described as shattered. Qin Dongwan forced herself to overcome her fear and regretfully covered the torn red clothes over the remains which could barely cover it up.

In one relatively intact hand, something was tightly clenched. Summoning her courage, Qin Dongwan pried it open to reveal a flower-adorned metal key, its dull luster covered by blood.

The burnt smell began to spread through the air, soon masking the scent of disinfectant. Qin Dongwan finally realized that the disinfectant was likely meant to confuse their sense of smell. She quickly grabbed Luo Shu and headed upstairs, feeling something unsettling.

Even though the gray wolf had already become a corpse on the ground, Qin Dongwan's keen sixth sense still detected something unusual in the castle.

"A'Shu, let's go quickly. It seems like it's not very safe here."

Qin Dongwan took one last look at the delinquent girl and the wolf's bodies, then grabbed Luo Shu's hand and went up the stairs. Just as the two disappeared, a grating "creak creak" sound rang out. The scattered remains on the ground were washed together by the rain and slowly pieced themselves back together.

The shattered bones collided and squeezed against each other, barely condensing into a complete human form.

The bloody flesh was wrapped in skin and reshaped, quickly filling the emaciated skeleton. The red clothes covered her, and the girl’s sweet face was marred by a slightly twisted feature. As she tugged at the corners of her mouth, the grating sound of bones crunching echoed inside her skull.

Thick blood gathered into a trickling stream, mixing with the rain-soaked remains and flowing toward the forest. The girl's hollow eyes still churned with blood froth, but upon seeing a faint beam of light in the endless forest, a sinister smile curved her lips.

She staggered up the stairs, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

A slight noise brushed past Qin Dongwan's ears as if a door somewhere had been blown open by the wind. Half-asleep, she turned over and quickly fell back into a deep sleep.

Even if the difficulty of the beginner-level dungeon was increased, there would be a limit, such as not encountering a ghost for the third time in a short period after two encounters, allowing breathing space.

The night grew deeper, with faint starlight flickering between the deep forest. The trail of blood stopped at an open door and then vanished. The crunching sound of chewing was blurred by the wind, and all the stench settled into the increasingly strong smell of disinfectant in the air. Leaving no trace when the wind blew.

….

"Wake up, everyone! Someone is missing!"

Qin Dongwan was awakened by the fierce knocking on the door the next day. An anxious girl knocked on every door, and even without opening the door, one could feel her urgency. Her voice had a hint of sobbing and a deep sense of guilt:

"That boy...was dragged into the woods by a monster to save me!"

Author's Note:

[Character Card]

Name: Luo Shu

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Height: 155 cm

Weight: 75 jin*

*37.5 kg

Strength: Extremely High

Intelligence: Good

Description: The little slayer known as the "Raging Loli", is the vicious supporting female character and the strongest villainess in the story. She is the author’s unpredictable killer with a somewhat naive mind. Could there be a mystery hidden behind her?