Chapter 41: Nightmare

The rain kept falling,

The atmosphere was far from harmonious.

Outside the west gate of the gym, the squad members tautened their nerves, gradually watching the sky lighten.

That night, fire and battle erupted across Rain Alley City, with roars and explosions echoing, sending chills down the spine.

After three a.m., the entire city slowly fell silent.

It could even be called “deathly silence.”

It sent shivers down one’s spine!

“Wuuu~~~”

A low, drawn-out alarm sounded, reverberating through the city’s streets and alleys, carrying an indescribable sorrow.

“Six o’clock,” Jiang Ruyi stood on the steps, gazing at the silent district in the rain.

Trees lay toppled, fences shattered.

The traffic light at the intersection had been broken into several pieces.

Faint traces of damage were visible on the walls of distant buildings, rubble and broken tiles scattered everywhere.

The heavy rain washed away any possible bloodstains, but could not remove all the chaos.

“Time’s up. Your mission is over,” Zhang Feng suddenly spoke.

“Is it over?” Tian Tian stood behind and to the side of Jiang Ruyi, like a little follower.

“Mm,” Jiang Ruyi reached out, smiling gently as she patted Tian Tian’s head.

Jiang Ruyi, as team leader, was undoubtedly highly competent.

Though she herself had been terrified and spent the night in dread, she had constantly struggled to remain calm.

Gentle yet resilient Jiang Ruyi had shaped the team’s overall demeanor and was Tian Tian’s sole anchor through the night.

“Yes, it’s over,” Zhang Feng confirmed. “There may still be wandering demons in the streets, but daylight has long come—no new demons will invade now.”

“Finally,” Lu Ran sighed inwardly, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down to sit.

As a seventeen-year-old high school student, pulling an all-nighter meant nothing.

Who hasn’t stayed up all night in front of a computer?

Airport gunfight, valley lane duel.

You explain to me—what even is “tired”?

But the fifteen-night ordeal had left Lu Ran’s nerves taut, and he had frequently entered combat, exhausting mind and body.

Not to mention, Lu Ran had once been kidnapped by the Crimson Paper People and teetered on the edge of life and death.

Lu Ran was very satisfied with his and his team’s performance.

During the past night, under Zhang Feng’s proper coordination, the team members had acted appropriately, fighting the Mist Realm demons.

When encountering demons above the Creek Realm, they obediently stayed behind the Moonwatchers, not hindering the warriors.

They would definitely earn the points they deserved.

Lu Ran had experienced everything he should have—and even things he shouldn’t have.

Now, his body and mind were utterly drained; he only wanted to sleep deeply.

“Someone will arrive shortly to relieve you,” Zhang Feng continued. “You may choose to rest inside the gym.

If you wish to return home to recover, we will assign personnel to organize and escort you back.”

The demons who invaded the city would not vanish on their own.

Over the next three days, from the 16th to the 18th, the authorities would scour the entire city to ensure no demon remnants remained.

Only on the 19th would the people in the shelters be allowed to return home, and society would resume normal operation.

“Sister Ruyi, are you going to rest at the shelter?” Tian Tian asked softly.

Jiang Ruyi pressed her forehead, her thumb and ring finger massaging her temples, looking worn out:

“No, I’m going home.”

Naturally, it was more comfortable at home, and with the shrine and deity statue present, believers could rest in peace.

“Oh,” Tian Tian replied softly, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

This farewell would likely mean three full days—they wouldn’t see each other again until school reopened on the 19th.

As soon as the alarm ceased, a fresh team arrived punctually to take over.

Lu Ran and the others, all heading home, were organized by the authorities and boarded a bus with many classmates.

“Class President Jiang!”

“Good morning, Class President Jiang! My god, what did you all go through last night?”

Classmates greeted her, talking all at once.

Jiang the top student was a campus celebrity—wherever she went, she was the center of attention.

Jiang Ruyi merely smiled and nodded, saying little.

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

But the members of Team 98 were all exhausted, disheveled, their clothes still stained with blood the rain hadn’t washed away—clearly they had fought several brutal battles!

Especially Lu Ran—he was the most battered of the entire team!

His clothes weren’t just messy—they were torn to shreds.

The sight made the other students stare in awe.

While other students guarded the gym, Lu Ran had—

“Lu Ran, what happened?” A boy stared at Lu Ran’s pitiful state. “Did you go hand-to-hand with demons?”

Lu Ran was a rising star; after summoning demons on the Worship Altar and winning first place in the Evil Dog Village assessment, he had made a name for himself.

Lu Ran didn’t recognize the boy, so he just smiled and said nothing.

A look of profound mystery.

It left the other students stunned.

“So bad? Your clothes are ripped to pieces—what kind of demon was it?”

“Hey, look at Lu Ran’s arm—that big patch of skin, isn’t it newly grown? The color’s different.”

“Must’ve been torn by some demon. Damn, just thinking about it is terrifying.”

Amid the murmurs, Lu Ran remained silent, plopping himself onto a seat.

Undeniably, Lu Ran was utterly exhausted and too tired to speak.

But on the other hand—

There are three thousand ways to show off!

Lu Ran casually pulled out the card “Silent Not Speaking”—its effect was truly excellent.

Hmph, much better~

Last night I flew with the Crimson Paper People, turning into butterflies, fluttering after each other.

I nearly lost my life—what’s wrong with a little show?

“Wum~” The vehicle started, slowly pulling away from the gym.

Due to the special circumstances, all students and volunteer civilians on board would be delivered to their doorsteps.

Lu Ran was no exception; after the bus stopped at Rain Alley Housing Complex, he bid farewell to his teammates and, escorted by a Moonwatcher, walked into the complex until he reached his own front door.

“May Immortal Xiangyang protect me,” Lu Ran dragged his weary body into his small bedroom, bowing repeatedly before the shrine.

“Disciple has returned alive—last night was truly perilous.”

“Strange—do you think the Crimson Paper People actually took a liking to me?”

Lu Ran mumbled, reported his situation, then entered the bathroom, stripped off his torn clothes, and took a long, hot shower.

Only when he felt clean and refreshed did he return to his small bedroom and collapse onto the bed.

Before falling asleep, Lu Ran picked up his phone by the bedside—no surprise, his mother and sister had sent several messages.

Lu Ran replied to each one, assured them he was safe, apologized, then fell into a deep sleep.

He fell asleep instantly, deeply and sweetly.

Until noon, Lu Ran, still snoring loudly, twitched slightly, his expression growing increasingly grim.

It seemed he was having a nightmare.

“Where is this?” Lu Ran frowned, staring at the dim surroundings, the mist-shrouded world.

Wait—

Lu Ran froze. This place felt so familiar.

Had I been here before?!

Lu Ran was stunned!

Buried memories slowly surged into his mind.

Yes, I’ve been here before.

After the Evil Dog Village assessment, I had the same dream—in it, I saw dozens of evil dog spirits.

I also saw the giant statue of the Demon Clan’s Evil Dogs!

“Ugh,” Lu Ran clutched his head.

Why?

After that dream, why did I remember nothing of what happened here?

Is this even a dream?

Lu Ran clenched his fists with heavy doubts and slowly took a step forward.

After walking only a few dozen meters, Lu Ran stopped.

This world was pitch-dark, shrouded in thin mist, with very limited visibility.

He had stopped suddenly because, in this lifeless world, Lu Ran saw a familiar figure.

“Yanyan the paper doll?”

Lu Ran widened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

Amid the drifting mist, the graceful figure stood suspended in midair.

Honestly, if he hadn’t known she was of the demonic race, just her peerless elegance would have made Lu Ran address her as “Immortal!”

“This—” Lu Ran’s thoughts churned.

Was this the same Yanyan paper doll that Deng Yuxiang had beheaded last night?

“Hmm?” The Yanyan paper doll, standing motionless in midair, seemed to sense the arrival of this tiny human.

She drifted slowly downward, her crimson veil fluttering lightly, breathtakingly beautiful.

Lu Ran’s mouth hung slightly open—unlike last night, this Yanyan paper doll now appeared as a spectral, ethereal form.

Her pale yet stunning face looked slightly blurred.

“Eee!!”

The Yanyan paper doll finally revealed her true face, letting out a piercing, shrill scream from her crimson lips.

Her eyes locked onto Lu Ran with intense heat, her desire nearly spilling over!

“Whoosh!”

The Yanyan paper doll shot forward, lunging straight at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran stumbled backward, tripped over his own feet, and collapsed onto his rear.

“Eee!”

Another scream rang out—and the Yanyan paper doll’s lunge halted abruptly.

Her body trembled and writhed, as if bound by an invisible shackle, utterly motionless.

Lu Ran’s face turned ashen as he watched the Yanyan paper doll fly backward.

The mist thinned slightly, and Lu Ran’s eyes snapped wide open!

He saw a colossal demonic statue.

It was the statue of the demonic race’s Yanyan paper doll!

Its immense scale and overwhelming presence crushed Lu Ran with oppressive pressure!

She was eerie, yet alluring.

Her face was as pale as paper, yet her expression was seductively enchanting.

The spectral form of the Yanyan paper doll was sucked into the statue’s crimson lips—and vanished without a trace.

The world fell back into deathly silence, the shrill screams gone.

“Where the hell is this?!”

Lu Ran screamed inside his mind.

He did not believe this was just an ordinary nightmare.

Suddenly, a chilling wind swept past, sending a cold shiver down Lu Ran’s spine.

“Gulps.”

Lu Ran swallowed hard and slowly turned his head to look behind him.

A massive, jet-black ram’s head came into view.

Yes—no body, only a black ram’s head floating in midair!

“Whoosh~”

Black flames flickered.

The enormous, jet-black ram's head burned with a faint, eerie black fire.

Its horizontal pupils perfectly embodied the meaning of “dead ram’s eyes”—terrifying beyond words.

“Immortal Ram Lord?” Lu Ran ventured.

What manner of being was this?

In Lu Ran’s knowledge, neither the divine race nor the demonic race included such a creature!

A black ram’s head, burning with flickering black flames?

What nonsense.

Lu Ran called it “Immortal Ram Lord” in an attempt to summon his own deity.

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

What if this black-flame ram’s head was the ever-shifting Immortal Ram Lord himself?

“Baa~”

A ram’s bleat emerged from the black-flame ram’s mouth.

Lu Ran’s hair stood on end; he stopped breathing.

It was only a ram’s bleat,

but could it really be this horrifyingly sinister?

“Whoosh!!”

Lu Ran had no time to react—the ram’s head smashed down!

The tiny human

was completely swallowed by the sea of black fire.

Thank you to Jin Da Meng for the 100,000 reward—your generosity is immense, thank you for your support!

You’re generous, handsome, and utterly awesome!

I’ll add extra chapters after the official launch, (`) sending heart

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(End of Chapter)