Chapter 28: Nightmare

The rain kept falling.

The atmosphere was far from harmonious.

Outside the west gate of the gymnasium, the few members of the squad held their nerves taut, gradually watching the sky brighten.

Throughout this night, flames of war erupted everywhere within Rain Alley City; booms and roars rang out again and again, making one's heart tremble with fear.

Yet after three in the morning, the entire city gradually fell into silence.

Indeed, "deathly silence" would be a more fitting description.

It was enough to make one's hair stand on end!

"Wuuu~~~"

A low, drawn-out alarm sounded, echoing through the city's streets and alleys, carrying an indescribable sense of desolation.

"It's six o'clock," Jiangjiang Ruyi said, standing on the steps and gazing at the rain-soaked, silent urban district.

Trees lay toppled; fences were shattered.

The traffic lights at the crossroads were now broken into several pieces.

On the walls of distant buildings, traces of damage were faintly visible, with rubble and broken bricks scattered everywhere.

The heavy rain had washed away any blood that might have been there, but it could not carry off all the mess.

"Time's up; your mission is over," Zhang Feng suddenly spoke.

"Is it over?" Tian Tian stood slightly behind and to the side of Jiangjiang Ruyi, like a little follower.

"Mm." Jiangjiang Ruyi reached out, smiling gently as she patted Tian Tian on the head.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, this team captain, was undoubtedly highly competent.

Even though she herself was trembling with fear and had spent the night in dread, she had constantly striven to keep herself calm.

Gentle yet strong, Jiangjiang Ruyi influenced and changed the overall demeanor of the squad, and had been Tian Tian's sole reliance throughout the night.

"Yes, it's over," Zhang Feng confirmed. "There may still be wandering evil spirits in the streets and alleys, but since dawn broke long ago, no new evil spirits will invade."

"Finally!" Lu Ran sighed inwardly, leaned his back against the wall, and slowly slid down to a sitting position.

For a seventeen-year-old Gao Zhongsheng, pulling an all-nighter was nothing at all.

Who hasn't pulled an all-nighter in front of a computer?

Dropping hot at the airport, laning in the canyon.

You tell me, then: what exactly is fatigue?

But during the fifteenth night they had just endured, Lu Ran had kept his nerves taut the whole time and often entered combat, which was extremely draining both mentally and physically.

Not to mention that Lu Ran had once been abducted by a Lady Lady Yanzhi Man and had hovered on the brink between life and death.

As for his own performance and that of the squad, Lu Ran was very satisfied.

Over the past night, under Zhang Feng's proper arrangements, the squad members had intervened appropriately to battle Mist Realm evil spirits.

When encountering evil spirits above the Stream Realm, they had obediently stayed behind the Moon-Gazing Warriors, so as not to cause trouble for the fighters.

The points that ought to be taken would certainly be taken.

Everything that should be experienced, and even things that should not have been experienced, Lu Ran had felt them all.

At this moment, he was exhausted in body and mind; all he wanted was to get a good, long sleep.

"Relief personnel will arrive shortly," Zhang Feng continued. "You may choose to enter the hall to rest."

If you wish to return home to recuperate, we will have specialists organize and escort you back."

The clan of evil spirits that invaded the city would not simply vanish on their own.

Over the three days from the 16th to the 18th, the authorities would search the entire city to ensure no remnants of evil spirits remained within.

Only on the 19th would the people in the shelter be allowed to return home, and only then would society resume its normal operations.

"Sister Jiang Ruyi, are you going to the shelter to rest?" Tian Tian asked softly.

Jiangjiang Ruyi propped her forehead with one hand, pressing her temples with her ring finger and thumb, looking utterly drained.

"No, I'm going home."

One's own home was naturally more comfortable, and with the spirit shrines and statues present, the believers could rest at ease.

"Oh." Tian Tian sounded somewhat disappointed as she replied in a low voice.

This parting among them would likely last a full three days; they would not see each other again until the 19th, when they met at school.

Just as the alarm ceased, a team arrived punctually to take over the shift.

Lu Ran and the others all needed to return home; under the authorities' organization, they boarded a bus together with many classmates.

"Monitor Jiang!"

"Good morning, Monitor Jiang! Good heavens, what did you all go through last night?"

A crowd of classmates greeted them, talking all at once.

Scholar Jiang was a prominent figure on campus; wherever she went, she was the center of attention.

Jiangjiang Ruyi merely smiled and nodded, saying little.

The student squads stationed inside the gymnasium naturally had no idea what had happened outside.

But the members of Squad 98 all looked exhausted, their clothes disheveled, with bloodstains on them that even the rain had not washed away, clearly indicating they had undergone several fierce battles!

Especially Lu Ran—he was the most bedraggled one in the squad!

His clothes were not merely disheveled; they were tattered and torn.

Seeing him in such a state, the other students secretly clicked their tongues in astonishment.

Other students had been guarding the gymnasium, but Lu Ran...

"Lu Ran, what's the situation?" a male student asked, looking at Lu Ran's miserable appearance. "Did you go hand-to-hand with an evil spirit?"

Lu Ran was a rising star; ever since he had summoned an evil spirit upon the God-Invoking Platform and then taken first place in the assessment at Evil Dog Village, he had made a name for himself.

Lu Ran did not recognize the other party, so he simply smiled and said nothing.

He maintained an air of profound mystery.

This bluff left the entire group of students utterly stunned!

"So miserable; even the clothes were torn to shreds. What kind of evil spirit was it, exactly?"

"Hey? Look at Lu Ran's arm. Isn't that large patch of flesh newly grown? The skin tone is different."

"It must have been torn apart by some evil spirit, right? Damn, just thinking about it is terrifying."

Amidst bursts of discussion, Lu Ran remained silent, plopping himself down onto his seat.

It was undeniable that Lu Ran was indeed exhausted in both body and mind, too tired to speak.

But on the other hand...

There are three thousand ways to act cool!

Lu Ran casually drew the card called "Silence," and the effect was truly excellent.

Tsk, that feels good~

Last night, I transformed into a butterfly and flew alongside the Lady Lady Yanzhi Dolls, fluttering and chasing each other...

I nearly lost my life; what's wrong with putting on a little act?

"Vroom~" The vehicle started up and slowly drove away from the stadium.

Due to the special circumstances, the students and social volunteers on board would all be escorted directly to their doorsteps.

Lu Ran was no exception; as the bus stopped at the Deng Yuxiang Home Community, he bid farewell to several teammates and, escorted by a Moon-Watcher, walked into the complex all the way to his own front door.

"Blessings of Xiang Xiang Xianyang," Lu Ran dragged his exhausted body to the small bedroom, stood before the shrine, and bowed repeatedly.

"Your disciple has returned alive; last night was truly perilous."

"It's strange; tell me, has the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll clan truly taken a liking to me?"

Muttering to himself, after reporting the situation, Lu Ran entered the bathroom, stripped off the clothes torn by the Lady Lady Yanzhi Dolls, and enjoyed a thorough hot shower.

Only once he was clean and refreshed from head to toe did he return to the small bedroom and collapse onto the small bed.

Before falling asleep, Lu Ran picked up his phone from the bedside table to check; as expected, his mother and sister had sent several messages.

Lu Ran replied to each message to report his safety and express his apologies, then fell into a deep sleep.

He fell asleep with remarkable speed, and the slumber was exceedingly sweet.

It was not until noon that Lu Ran, who had been sleeping soundly, began to twist his body slightly, his expression growing increasingly ugly.

It seemed he was having a nightmare...

"Where is this?" Lu Ran frowned tightly, gazing at the dim surroundings, looking at this world shrouded in mist.

Wait!

Lu Ran's face froze; this environment, why does it feel so familiar?

Have I been here before?!

Lu Ran was shocked!

Memories buried deep within gradually surged into his mind.

Yes, I have been here before.

After the assessment in Evil Dog Village, I also had the same dream; within that dreamscape, I saw the souls of dozens of evil dogs.

I even saw the giant sculpture of the Evil Dog, a member of the Evil Spirit race!

"Ugh." Lu Ran covered his head with one hand.

Why?

That time, after I woke from the dream, why did I not remember anything that happened here at all?

Is this truly a dreamscape?

Burdened with heavy doubts, Lu Ran slowly took a step forward.

He had walked only a few dozen meters when he suddenly stopped.

This World was dim, with thin mist swirling about, resulting in poor visibility.

The reason he suddenly halted was that, within this dead-silent world, Lu Ran spotted a familiar figure.

"Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll?"

Lu Ran widened his eyes, looking up at the sky.

Amidst wisps of mist, that graceful figure stood suspended in mid-air.

To be honest, if one did not know she belonged to the Evil Spirit race, judging solely by her peerlessly magnificent presence, Lu Ran would probably address her respectfully as "Upper Immortal"!

"This..." Lu Ran's emotions churned violently.

Is this the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll whose head was severed by Deng Deng Yuxiang last night?

"Hmm?" High in the air, the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll, who had been standing still, seemed to notice the arrival of the tiny human.

She slowly drifted downward, her great red ceremonial robe fluttering lightly, a breathtaking sight.

Lu Ran stood with his mouth slightly agape; unlike last night, the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll now appeared as an ethereal soul.

That pale yet gorgeous face appeared slightly blurred.

"Eee!!"

The Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll finally revealed her true nature, emitting a piercing shriek from her red lips.

Those pupils stared intently at Lu Ran, incredibly intense, with desires nearly overflowing from them!

"Whoosh!"

The Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll drifted over rapidly, lunging straight at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran retreated repeatedly, but his feet tangled, and he plopped down onto the ground.

"Ee!"

Another shriek rang out, and the lunging figure of the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll came to an abrupt halt.

Her body trembled and struggled, as if imprisoned by an invisible shackle, unable to move any longer.

Lu Ran's face turned deathly pale as he watched the Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll fly backward.

The mist dispersed slightly, and Lu Ran's eyes suddenly widened!

He saw a colossal statue of a demonic evil.

It was precisely the statue of the demonic race's Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll!

Its immense scale and overwhelming momentum exerted tremendous pressure upon Lu Ran!

She was eerie, yet enchanting.

Her face was as pale as paper, yet her expression was alluring and captivating.

The soul of that Lady Lady Yanzhi Doll was sucked into the red lips of the giant statue, vanishing without a trace.

Silence returned to heaven and earth; the piercing screams were no more.

"Where in the world is this?!"

Lu Ran roared within his heart.

He did not believe this was merely an ordinary nightmare.

Suddenly, a gust of yin wind blew past, sending a chill down Lu Ran's spine.

"Gulp."

Lu Ran swallowed hard, slowly turning his head to look behind him.

A massive, pitch-black goat head came into view.

Yes, there was no body, only a black goat head floating in mid-air!

"Whoosh~"

Black flames flickered.

The enormous, pitch-black goat head burned with an eerie black flame.

Those horizontal pupils perfectly embodied what it meant to have "dead goat eyes," utterly terrifying.

"My lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang?" Lu Ran ventured cautiously.

What kind of creature was this?

In Lu Ran's store of knowledge, neither the Divine Race nor the Demonic Race possessed such an existence!

A black goat head engulfed in flickering black flames?

What kind of joke was this?

By addressing it as "My lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang," Lu Ran was attempting to summon his own deity.

At the same time, a sliver of hope stirred in his heart.

Could it be that this black-flamed goat head was none other than My lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang, who often changed faces?

"Baa~"

The sound of a goat bleat emanated from the mouth of the black-flamed goat head.

Lu Ran's hair stood on end, and even his breath ceased.

It was merely a goat's bleat,

yet could it truly be so eerie?

"Whoosh!!"

Before Lu Ran could even react, the black goat head had already smashed down!

The tiny human,

was completely submerged by a sea of black fire.

Many thanks to the great patron Yu Jin for the 100,000 reward; Boss, you are generous! Thank you for your support!

The Boss is generous, handsome, and invincibly tough!

Extra chapters will be added after going live, (`) heart fingers.

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(End of Chapter)