Arc 1: Nursery Rhyme Requiem Town
Chapter 11: The Ghost's Final Move
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
When Qin Dongwan returned to the room, she heard a crisp chewing sound. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Luo Shu sitting on a chair, casually munching on a biscuit with a nonchalant expression.
The chaos downstairs hadn't spread to this area, and the bloodstains at Tang Zihang's door were accidentally left when Zuo Chu dragged him upstairs. Yet, despite the circumstances, Qin Dongwan couldn't help but admire Luo Shu's audacity.
It was already noon on the last day. By now, they were supposed to be on edge, facing their nemesis. Yet, only this "cold-faced killer" could calmly sit here and eat. Just recalling last night's scene made Qin Dongwan's stomach churn. Although her body protested with hunger, she couldn't bring herself to eat.
Since it was the final day, no one bothered to clean the kitchen's blood-soaked mess. Severed limbs and extracted organs were left to rot where they lay. The refrigerator had some chocolates and biscuits, barely enough to stave off hunger. Qin Dongwan had no energy to cook, and Luo Shu didn’t press her. She simply grabbed some biscuits and ate them with relish.
"There's one lemon and one strawberry left. Which one do you want?"
A small packet was casually tossed onto the floor, clearly because Luo Shu couldn’t finish the rest. She waved the two biscuits in her hand at Qin Dongwan as if the two of them were really on vacation instead of facing the final battle of a life-and-death game.
The bright, warm sunlight poured through the window, landing on the biscuit packet. Qin Dongwan immediately noticed the vivid red strawberry design on one of them. Memories of yesterday's events flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern, making her stiffen where she stood.
"Lemon, thank you."
A neat arc traced through the air as the biscuit packet landed in Qin Dongwan’s hand. She absentmindedly tore it open and brought a piece to her mouth. The fresh, tangy sweetness of the filling entered her mouth, but it felt tasteless. She was like a moving puppet, mindlessly repeating the act of chewing. Even swallowing took her a moment to remember.
"Aren’t you afraid?"
After much hesitation, Qin Dongwan finally couldn’t hold back her question before reaching for the second biscuit. After two days of interaction, her impression of Luo Shu had somewhat changed. While Luo Shu’s combat strength was impossibly high, she wasn’t as erratic as described in the book. She occasionally threw tantrums, but overall, she behaved like a typical girl.
It was just a simple question. Qin Dongwan didn’t believe Luo Shu would react negatively.
"Afraid?"
It was still that slightly upward tone, carrying an unintentional sweetness that tugged at one’s heartstrings. Luo Shu curved her eyes and lips into a smile, though no true mirth could be found in her gaze. It was as if her smile was nothing more than a practiced expression.
"If being afraid could help me get out of here, I wouldn’t mind having a bit of such a weak emotion."
The girl swiftly tore open another packet and popped a biscuit into her mouth. She lay half-reclined on the bed with the ease of a lazy cat, a medicine bottle she had retrieved yesterday resting by her side. The dazzling sunlight filtered through the window, softening as it landed on her, gilding the edges of her black dress in a golden sheen.
A startling flash of red appeared briefly on Luo Shu’s pale, jade-like leg before vanishing in an instant. Qin Dongwan thought she was imagining things. Blinking and looking again, she saw that a section of that slender leg seemed as though it had been torn open. Blood was steadily trickling out, staining the floor.
Her exhaustion from staying up all night disappeared in an instant. She leaped to her feet.
"A’Shu, your leg!"
"My leg? What about it?"
Yes, what about it?
At this moment, as she stood up again, the strange scene from earlier seemed like nothing more than an illusion, vanishing into the farthest corners of her mind. Luo Shu’s legs stretched out on the bed, were still as white as snow, flawless and unmarred, with not even a scar to be seen. The smooth and elegant curves were so perfect they defied critique.
Yet, the unease in Qin Dongwan's heart continued to stir, urging her to step forward and check for herself. The sudden surge of concern gave her the courage to move closer. Taking a few steps, she sat down by the bed and abruptly grabbed Luo Shu’s slender ankle.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“What are you—”
Before she could finish speaking, Luo Shu’s expression shifted drastically. It was as if she was struggling to restrain herself, her fists clenching tightly. Qin Dongwan, who had just grasped her ankle, was kicked away with tremendous force. She stumbled back several steps and fell to her knees with a thud, and in that instant, she suddenly understood what was happening.
Fear slithered like a venomous cobra from her spine, inching upward. The chilling sensation invaded her skin from the top of her head, freezing her so thoroughly that even moving felt impossible. Across from her, Luo Shu clutched the bedsheet tightly. Her once-clear violet eyes now shimmered with an eerie red, and her petite body trembled violently.
No, she can't just sit here and surrender!
Bewitchment—this was the most terrifying element of this level. To think it was now being used on Luo Shu. She recalled that in the original novel, when the ghost died, this deadly ability had been inflicted on Zuo Chu, the one who killed it. Before Zuo Chu succumbed to madness, Luo Shu had subdued her in a rather brutal manner. Although they survived, it left an irreconcilable grudge between the two.
As the plot shifted, it was now her, Qin Dongwan, who had killed the ghost. She refused to leave Luo Shu precisely because of this. If Luo Shu noticed something was wrong with her, she could easily subdue her, which was very convenient. But she never expected…
The girl screamed, clutching her head as she rolled off the bed. Her nails dug fiercely into her pale arms, leaving one scratch after another. It was clear she was using her remaining sanity to resist this sudden fatal move.
Without hesitation, Qin Dongwan rushed forward, grabbed the bottle by the bedside, and started running.
"Give it back!"
The crimson mist completely engulfed her eyes. Ignoring her torn clothes, Luo Shu strode toward Qin Dongwan in pursuit.
Running so fast?
With no time to escape further, Qin Dongwan abruptly turned around, raising her hand to block. In that instant, she realized the disparity in their strength. Her height advantage of over ten centimeters seemed meaningless. Luo Shu effortlessly grabbed her arm and yanked her back entirely. Her ferocious eyes locked onto Qin Dongwan's, the remnants of her sanity devoured, leaving only a thick intent to kill.
"Die!"
Qin Dongwan barely dodged the swinging fist, but she stumbled back, tripping over the edge of the bed and falling uncontrollably. The girl pounced on her, pressing her down completely. Though she was light, her strength was overwhelming, pinning Qin Dongwan's arms so tightly that she couldn’t move.
The numbing sensation was like an electric current, and Qin Dongwan soon felt that her entire left arm was out of control. Luo Shu, who was lying on top of her, could only see the bottle, and she stretched out her jade-white hand as hard as she could, aiming at that place and squeezing it hard.
"chk—"
Thick, boiling hot blood poured down onto them, instantly staining their bodies red. The intensely fishy smell filled Qin Dongwan's nostrils, causing the churn in her stomach to almost become uncontrollable. The woman behind Luo Shu had a face as pale as paper, her vibrant makeup seeming almost detached from her features. Her gray claws never managed to reach the girl; they merely flailed helplessly in the air before gradually disintegrating into nothingness.
Qin Dongwan lay on the bed, blood flowing into her nostrils, choking her into a violent fit of coughing. The sticky liquid also trickled into Luo Shu's corner of her mouth. The salty, fishy taste made the girl involuntarily wrinkle her nose.
The crimson stained her body, but the strange hue in her eyes slowly faded, leaving her purple pupils clear and bright once again.
"Was I controlled?"
Looking at Qin Dongwan, who was pinned beneath her, Luo Shu seemed somewhat dissatisfied with such intimate contact. With a cold face, she slowly crawled up. The sticky sensation on her body made her uncomfortable, and seeing the medicine bottle in Qin Dongwan's hand, she more or less understood what had happened.
As a veteran who had fallen into the beginner level, Luo Shu had some unusual tips. One of them was that after a ghost dies, it would cast bewitchment. It would randomly bewitch one person, intending to help the nemesis of the players win. Her earlier actions were meant to destroy the bottle aimed at her nemesis.
The way to nullify bewitchment was to provide a strong shock to the person being bewitched. The blood that had been poured over her head made Luo Shu's nerves shudder, and she immediately broke free from that strange state.
She rubbed her temples. The sticky blood on them was incredibly disgusting.
Meanwhile, Qin Dongwan, sitting at the edge of the bed, still had a look of lingering terror on her face.
Just a moment ago, when she saw her nemesis appear again, she stabbed the dagger into its vulnerable neck without hesitation, just like before when stabbed the ghost’s vulnerable spot. To stop Luo Shu and to protect herself, everything in the chaos suddenly lined up clearly, driving her to act on instinct.
The blood on her body was sticky, even sliding into her collar and deeper. The shadow of death hanging over her was suddenly lifted, and for a moment, she felt dazed, as if she were dreaming.
Is she going to be able to pass this level smoothly now?
Luo Shu brought the bottle into the bathroom, and the sound of rushing water could be heard from inside. It was obvious that even in such a situation, it was unbearable for a person who loved cleanliness. Qin Dongwan shakily rose from the bedside. She rubbed her sore arm, but then, a familiar scream pierced the temporary silence.
Her originally relaxed nerves suddenly became tense again. She grabbed the backpack on the ground and ran towards Tang Zihang's room where she encountered an unexpected situation.
