Arc 1: Nursery Rhyme Requiem Town
Chapter 10: Ghost Breakout
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
"Awake?"
When Tang Zihang opened his eyes, he saw a warm, bright room. He hissed as he sat up from the bed. At the door, Ji Yun stood holding a piece of chocolate, her pretty face full of worry.
"Eat some chocolate now that you're awake. You looked miserable after getting drenched yesterday. The villa is still dirty..."
Ji Yun paused. "Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu are fine. They're resting in their rooms. After you finish the porridge, wash the bowl, or leave it and clean it at noon."
"Wait!"
Even if Tang Zihang was dense, he could still sense something unusual in Ji Yun's tone. Moreover, his memory of yesterday seemed like it had been chopped away by a knife. He only remembered losing consciousness in the pouring rain, instinctively walking toward familiar faces before collapsing... but no one caught him.
The lingering smell of blood filled the entire room. He sat up and saw that the doorway was stained with a dark red, indescribable substance. The bloodstains snaked out, extending toward an unknown direction.
"Yesterday..."
"Yesterday, you fainted. It was Zuo Chu who carried you back. The person you mentioned coming along was an illusion. After you fainted, it attacked. We should be grateful that everything was still with Luo Shu, or else it would've all been for nothing if it was taken."
Hearing her voice without seing her, the girl's clear voice sounded calm, but her gaze froze as she saw the pool of blood when she approached. There was a hint of lingering fear. Recalling the terror of last night, even Qin Dongwan, who knew about this instance, couldn't stay completely calm.
After all, reading about it and experiencing it were two different things.
They had been busy almost all night, and apart from the fainted Tang Zihang, no one had gotten any proper rest. At this moment, Qin Dongwan had just taken a shower. She was still wearing the same princess outfit from earlier, and her long hair, damp and loose, seemed particularly out of place. Seeing Ji Yun silently walk away, Qin Dongwan pulled out a chair and sat down.
"There were ten of us in total. It's just you, me, A'Shu, Ji Yun, and Zuo Chu left. Everyone else is dead," she coldly curled her lips and added, "The ghost is dead too."
"The ghost is dead?"
The fifty percent survival rate shocked him greatly. However, the next second, his attention couldn't help but shift to the news about "the ghost being dead." Tang Zihang truly lived up to the reputation of being the man with the lowest IQ in the original book. His initial fear slowly turned into a hint of joy on his face, and even his hand, gripping the bedsheet, tightened.
"The ghost is dead, can we go out? And what happened yesterday, Dongwan, why don't you tell me?"
"Yesterday, yesterday -"
His thoughts followed the girl’s clear voice, rewinding to the bloody memories of last night.
The group returning from the small cabin was already on the brink of exhaustion. The monster in the forest had targeted Luo Shu. This petite and delicate-looking girl displayed her astonishing combat skills for the first time in front of everyone. She didn’t even need the strong and capable Zuo Chu to intervene. Blood splattered wildly through the rain, and the "monster," resembling a human, collapsed with a loud thud.
The next part of the journey was far from smooth. In the not-so-large forest, the cries of ghosts and wolves echoed endlessly, and layers of illusions appeared. Zuo Chu reluctantly carried Tang Zihang on his back, with Ji Yun helping him on the side. Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu led the group, and it took them quite some time to make it out.
To everyone's surprise, the once brightly lit castle had gone dark at some point. A heavy darkness, like a cage, descended from above, trapping them. The ancient castle, shrouded in shadows, revealed only a faint outline, making it even more eerie.
"Stop."
Qin Dongwan tugged at Luo Shu's hand, signaling her not to act recklessly. In the death games of the infinite flow, the dangers lurking at night were often far greater than those during the day. Daytime was clear and visible, and with enough strength, charging forward recklessly posed no issue. But at night, it was their own actions that became fully exposed.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
The enemy was likely hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow.
Hiding in the concealed bushes for a while, the group’s hurried breathing intertwined. The silent night, devoid of insect chirps, didn’t feel like a summer night. A light breeze stirred, and the rustling of grass blades was enough to fray the taut string in one’s mind. Ji Yun was visibly nervous. She tried to move closer to Qin Dongwan but was avoided, forcing her to awkwardly grab Zuo Chu’s sleeve instead.
After a brief moment, the lights came on.
The illuminated corner of the castle, visible from Qin Dongwan's angle, seemed to be a kitchen. Shadows flitted back and forth inside, their movements unclear. Before long, the heavy sound of a knife striking the chopping board echoed—each dull thud reverberating like a hammer, stirring unease and fraying nerves.
Remaining outside, however, was clearly not a good choice. The breeze brushing past the nape of their necks felt like a soft hand gently stroking them. This was no good omen; it was as if invisible fingers were teasing the strands of hair at the back of their heads, causing goosebumps tonrise crazily.
"Let's go in and take a look. What on earth are the people inside doing..."
Ji Yun’s voice was slightly hoarse. She was more sensitive to the environment and even felt short of breath. This sensation did not stem from fear but from her body’s instinctive warning.
The air was being gradually siphoned away. If they didn’t enter the building soon, the group might suffocate and end up as lifeless corpses outside. The beginner level's clues were relatively clear, and everyone seemed to grasp the situation. Luo Shu was the first to stand up, her expression blank as she strode forward. A cold gleam flickered in her eyes.
The tightly shut door was kicked open with a loud bang.
A rich aroma of meat immediately wafted out, invading the nasal cavities of everyone present. Yet, even more unsettling than this was the sight of fresh blood pooling and winding across the floor. Severed limbs scattered on the ground trailed all the way to the kitchen, the blood growing thicker as it went. Tables and chairs were overturned in disarray.
A young woman in elaborate attire emerged from the kitchen. Her features were plain, but her radiant smile was striking. She was clearly the same girl who had slapped the delinquent in the basement earlier. At this moment, she held a ladle in her hand, repeatedly striking the wall with a crisp *clang, clang*. Her hoarse voice carried a tone of madness, and behind her smile lay boundless insanity.
"It's just the right time to come back. Do you want to try my... human flesh feast together?"
What occupied her mind before fear was the strong desire to survive. Seeing Luo Shu step through the chaos and charge forward barehanded, Qin Dongwan felt her blank mind ripped apart by the primal urge to fight. She tightened her grip on the dagger she had picked up before entering and followed closely behind.
As the two advanced, the young woman smiled instead of panicking. A flicker of light appeared in her otherwise vacant eyes. She swiftly took two steps back, using the narrow confines of the kitchen to her defensive advantage. Meanwhile, Qin Dongwan, forced closer, was inevitably confronted with a hellish scene she would later wish to forget.
Organs, intestines, and blood-soaked chunks of flesh of various sizes were carelessly strewn across the floor. In a pot, a bloated human head floated, and with her sharp memory, she immediately recognized it as the man who had been eavesdropping on her and Luo Shu earlier. Severed limbs and mangled remains were either dumped on the countertops or soaking in pools of blood. The overwhelming red, with its violent intensity, struck her like a tidal wave. The collision was so jarring that she froze for a moment.
The next second, a rush of putrid wind came straight for her face. Instinctively, she raised her arm to block it.
“Clang.”
The dagger was snatched away with great force, and a crisp metal clang echoed ahead. Qin Dongwan’s nerves were tight as she opened her eyes slightly. She saw Luo Shu standing firmly in front of her. Her bright eyes were sharp and unstoppable.
"A beginner level BOSS, and this is all it can do."
As she spoke, the ghost controlling the girl’s body became furious and pressed down harder. Despite her small frame, Luo Shu showed surprising strength. She grabbed the ghost’s wrist and, with a swift move, threw it over her shoulder—
"Zuo Chu!"
Zuo Chu was still guarding Ji Yun and couldn’t spare a hand. Recalling that the girl was possessed by the ghost, Qin Dongwan mustered her courage, grabbed the scissors nearby, and stabbed toward the vulnerable neck.
The blade pierced the flesh, hitting the most fragile artery. Blood gushed out, instantly staining her wrist and cheek. The strong smell of iron filled the air, making Qin Dongwan’s hands weaken as the scissors clattered to the ground.
….
"So, Dongwan, you… managed to deal with the ghost…?"
The word "killed" was too heavy, and Tang Zihang swallowed it back. His gaze toward Qin Dongwan was a little strange. She had just showered, and the scent of shampoo lingered around her. However, something about her felt different. Even though the ghost-possessed girl wasn’t truly alive, driving a blade into a fragile throat must not have been easy.
Qin Dongwan’s long eyelashes fluttered, her feet nervously scraping the ground as she softly murmured "Mm" in response.
The sudden shock left her mind in chaos, like a tangled mess that couldn’t be cut through, only growing more wild. But there was something more important to deal with now. The ghost wouldn’t give them any time to dwell on their emotions.
This was a scene from the storyline, only now the protagonist was herself. The sharp pain from her nails digging into her skin snapped Qin Dongwan out of her complicated feelings. She looked at Tang Zihang with a more determined gaze.
"The danger in the castle won’t vanish just because the ghost died. Don’t forget, our goal is to survive for three days and escape the pursuit of our enemies. This is the third day. So far, I've only encountered one enemy, while the others haven't shown any signs of movement. The ghost was the first to act, drawing the fire. Do you think this is... normal, even for a beginner level? Find the identity card and decipher the identity of your nemesis."
After she finished speaking, she didn’t want to stay any longer. Her chest felt heavy, as if she was short of breath. The air outside was still tainted with the smell of blood, and wherever she went, her head felt dizzy.
As Qin Dongwan left the room, Tang Zihang also felt uneasy. He lifted the covers, preparing to get out of bed, but suddenly his head felt as if it had been struck by a thunderbolt, freezing him in place.
At some point, a few messy blood handprints had appeared in his bed.
Author's Note:
After organizing the outline: God, please grant me the power to describe atmosphere!!!
[God: Indifferent.jpg]
