Arc 1: Nursery Rhyme Requiem Town
Chapter 8: Strange Things
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The two were standing close while talking. It looked like an ordinary whisper between girls, but Tang Zihang, who was a bit closer, couldn't make any sense of it.
However, Luo Shu only wanted to act alone with Qin Dongwan and didn't want to bring along an extra burden. She ignored the puzzled look he sent her way.
After eating, the cleanup duty fell on Tang Zihang. Luo Shu wiped her mouth and, with an expressionless face, stepped over the bloodstain on the ground. Qin Dongwan followed her with a long stride.
The stinking mess on the floor was certainly appetite-ruining, but no one wanted to take the lead and clean it up, as no one knew what consequences such an unnecessary action might bring.
"A'Shu." After the two of them had circled a bit and were out of sight of the others, Qin Dongwan immediately asked, “Why are we going into the forest at night?”
She didn't ask a silly question like how to open the warehouse. Instead, she chose a more pressing one, which put Luo Shu in a rather good mood.
What she needed was a useful teammate, not a “100,000 whys” who’d only drag her down. Judging by Qin Dongwan's performance so far, she was already doing fairly well among the newcomers.
Just as Qin Dongwan finished speaking, she felt a small booklet pressed into her hand. The person beside her quickened her pace, and a light voice drifted over from up ahead on the wind:
“Got it from the maid.”
Qin Dongwan: “…”
Without Luo Shu explaining the details, Qin Dongwan could already guess how it was obtained. Still, she hadn’t really thought about directly snatching clues from the NPCs.
Luo Shu had taken a small booklet with various tasks recorded in it from the maid's hand, along with the key to the warehouse, making full use of what was available. Most people wouldn’t think of taking something from that maid, but the opportunities were evenly distributed, so there should have been other ways to get it.
However, ordinary people clearly lacked an adventurous spirit, as shown by the dust piled up on the warehouse’s doorknob. The warehouse was located at the back of the castle; after passing through the main hall and heading through the public restroom, it came into view. The two girls quietly opened the door, and years of dust rushed into their noses, causing them to cough repeatedly.
The lighting inside the warehouse wasn’t very good, but they could still make out a pile of weapons on the ground. Besides firearms and ammunition, there was a full range of common long knives and short daggers, which appeared much sharper than the ones in the kitchen.
Recalling the trouble she nearly got into earlier, Qin Dongwan first walked to the door, motioning to Luo Shu to take turns choosing weapons.
After a while of clanging, the girl took her place with a lancet*. Qin Dongwan followed suit and chose a long sword that looked easier to control from a bunch of fancy weapons.
*柳叶刀 lit. willow-leaf knife, not the medical lancet but more like scimitar but smaller
After choosing their weapons, the two locked the door of the warehouse tightly, but they did not see a figure standing in the dark at the back. As they listened to the footsteps gradually fading away, a silent smile crossed their lips.
Drip.
Thick blood dripped from the corner of the figure's mouth. A pale right hand wiped away the remaining traces, then brought it back to their lips with a crunch.
****
The drizzling rain that suddenly started near dusk did not interrupt the two’s excitement about exploring the forest at night. On the contrary, it made Luo Shu, who had been gazing into the distance all afternoon, even more excited.
She was naturally drawn to challenges, especially at beginner levels where many things still had restrictions, which added a layer of safety to her life.
Dinner time had passed, and the scattered lights outside twinkled, casting a gentle glow on the rain, making it appear softer.
Qin Dongwan had stayed in the room nervously all afternoon without anything happening. She had also managed to make a simple raincoat, which, though not comparable to the ones sold outside, was certainly much better than going out dressed in cumbersome clothes.
The long sword placed at hand glinted with a sharp blade under the night sky. Having her nerves tense for almost an entire day, Qin Dongwan was staring blankly at the weapon. Suddenly, Luo Shu beside her patted her shoulder, her tone vaguely filled with excitement, as her jade-like fingers pointed towards the forest, which appeared even deeper in the rain:
"Guess, why are we going there?"
"Seven-leaf flower, and your starwort."
Qin Dongwan had never heard of these two plants before when she was outside. She only saw them in the small booklet she had taken from Luo Shu. These two flowers only appeared in the forest at night. If they had gone during the day, they likely would have never completed this task, even if they died.
"Wrong."
The corner of the girl's lips curled up with an air of allure, like a deadly poppy blooming in the dark night. Her voice was not loud, but it was enough to overpower the heavy rain outside. "I’ve thought of a better way to earn points."
The saying “You can’t catch a wolf without letting go of the child” worked like a charm in the terrifying infinite world. However, too many had gone to their doom by risking it, and most people would never think of this.
The night almost devoured all the light, leaving only a faint glow from the castle to illuminate their path forward. Passing through the patch of weeds, Qin Dongwan turned on the lamp on her safety helmet. The dim light seemed pitifully weak in the boundless darkness.
This helmet was something they had discovered during another search of the warehouse earlier. However, it was not very effective, and the light it emitted was barely better than nothing. There was only one helmet, so it ended up on the taller Qin Dongwan.
The swamp gurgled with bubbles. Under the sweep of the faint light, Qin Dongwan suddenly noticed a skull, its flesh heavily corroded, half-submerged, and half-floating in the mire. The remaining skin still clung to it, and its hollowed-out eye sockets were deeply sunken, yet they seemed to possess a soul, staring intently at the two moving forward.
Her heart trembled. She immediately averted her gaze, refusing to look at those strange things any longer.
Somewhere, frogs croaked incessantly, their cries striking like hammers in the silence, causing the heart to tighten ever so slightly. Even with Luo Shu by her side, Qin Dongwan remained extraordinarily cautious, carefully observing her surroundings, fearing that a single misstep might drag her into the swamp.
The hazy mist lingered among the trees, cloaking the slender branches soaring skyward in a thin veil, adding an air of menace. Although it was summer and the densely packed branches blocked most of the rain from the sky, the icy droplets that seeped into her collar still jolted her sensitive nerves.
As they ventured deeper, Qin Dongwan began to sense something amiss. The occasional remarks Luo Shu would make were now completely absent. Focused on scouting the path, Qin Dongwan had not paid Luo Shu much attention. Frowning, she glanced to the side and saw the girl walking silently with her head lowered, her posture was a little weird.
Qin Dongwan stopped in her tracks. Without realizing it, she kept moving forward. One step down seemed to take all her strength. Her leg bone cracked suddenly, and the flesh tore away inch by inch.
Blood exploded upwards, splashing high into the air. The foul-smelling blood quickly stained the girl's beautiful face red. The girl's bones seemed to be held in place by screws, twisting inch by inch in a mechanical way. The bones pressed together, making loud, sharp grinding noises. Her eyes looked like they were poisoned, making Qin Dongwan feel as if she was falling into a cold, dark abyss.
"Qin Dongwan?"
"Qin Dongwan?"
The familiar voice sounded with two distinctly different tones, while at the same time, a hand shot out from the side, trying to grab her leg from below. The lancet in her hand swung out fiercely. Although Qin Dongwan had never practiced martial arts, she was strong, and the blade only scraped a disappointing spark on the arm. Instead, she was forced to step back.
The clash of strength was hard to withstand. Qin Dongwan was no fool and quickly turned to run. However, the creature behind her didn’t seem to chase, only staying in place and emitting a weird, eerie laugh that set her nerves on edge. Having already learned from Tang Zihang that there were hallucinogenic plants in the forest, Qin Dongwan hurriedly pulled cotton from her pocket and stuffed it into her ears. The previous stimulation gradually faded, and her vision began to clear up.
Her steps abruptly stopped.
There were no monsters in front of her, only a swamp bubbling up ahead. The hand that pulled at her skirt carried the warmth of a human body. Qin Dongwan turned her head and happened to see the girl freeing her other hand to stuff cotton into her ears.
“This place is pretty strange. I suggest you think twice before running around like this.”
Both of them had cotton in their ears. Luo Shu, worried that Qin Dongwan couldn’t hear, raised her voice slightly, and closed the distance between them. The soft arm pressed against her cold skin, and she snorted in annoyance, pulling away.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“Aren’t you so cold, Qin Dongwan? ”
The icy-cold Qin Dongwan stuffed the cotton tightly, not paying attention to what she said. She instinctively grabbed the other person's hand and carefully circled the swamp. When she read the novel, she only knew that Ji Yun had very good luck, always able to get what she needed during the day without entering the forest. Therefore, Qin Dongwan knew nothing about the dangers here and could only be extra cautious.
The arrogant darkness seemed to want to swallow everything. The branches in the distance were also submerged, and only the occasional hoarse bird call added a touch of life to the forest. The faint light barely illuminated the path ahead, a piece of ground full of pits and bumps, making it especially difficult to walk.
Perhaps the saying "Heaven never fails those who work hard" is true. After trekking in silence for a long time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead on the road. As they drew closer, they could clearly see a small cabin standing quietly. The flickering light, dimming and brightening with the wind, likely came from a candle inside, looking as if it could extinguish at any moment.
"A'Shu, do you remember the little cabin in the forest that was mentioned in the booklet? I think it's this one."
Qin Dongwan, who had been silently observing the surroundings, suddenly spoke up, pointing toward the wooden cabin surrounded by sparse grass and trees not far off. From the window, it appeared empty. She rubbed her face, which had become somewhat numb from fear, and gripped her lancet a little tighter:
"Before going in, let's take a look outside first and observe the surroundings. Wait, I'll pick up a stone and throw it inside to see if... "
The wooden door creaked open with a "screech," as if welcoming a guest from afar.
Author’s Note:
This instance is really not difficult or scary!
