Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 189 Grudge

When Zhou Chen opened his eyes, he saw...

This is inside a somewhat gloomy house.

Before me was a staircase.

And there he was, lying on the cold floor. The floor was piled with all sorts of messy garbage, and a pungent stench filled the room. Above him was a dangling chandelier that looked like it was about to fall.

He discovered that he was all alone; Qin Mei was nowhere to be seen!
He couldn't sense Qin Mei's presence! As a medium, Qin Mei couldn't possibly be undetectable if she were around!

The magic-suppressing shackles are gone, and the SAN value has been restored to 100%.

It's clearly a preferential treatment given to reincarnators by the reincarnation system when entering the new horror instance.

Then, text appeared on his left retina.

At the same time, after seeing the house clearly, Zhou Chen was immediately horrified!

And this is...

The haunted house from the Japanese horror film "Ju-on"!

After all, he'd seen this horror movie far too many times!
In other words, this is the [Undying Curse] horror dungeon!
Just then, he heard a cat meow.

escape!
Zhou Chen rushed out of the haunted house and onto the street outside, where he began to run like the wind!
Just then, a girl appeared in front of him on the street and walked towards him.

The girl had short hair, wore a gray coat, and was holding a stack of papers in her hand.

Zhou Chen had watched the horror movie Ju-on countless times, and he had an exceptionally good memory, so he recognized her at a glance as Rika Nishina, the female lead in Ju-on 1!

is her!

Having watched Ju-on countless times, Zhou Chen would never be mistaken. Most importantly, this is indeed the image of actress Megumi Okina when she was young.

……

He ran for an unknown amount of time before arriving at the entrance of a convenience store, where he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

As expected of the rift in the Edo Special District... but at least we escaped. Qin Mei should be here too!

After a few seconds of excitement, Zhou Chen realized something.

This is the world of "The Grudge"!

This is the most terrifying instance that any reincarnator entering White Plum Hospital would least want to enter, bar none!

"I now have to survive... seven days of attacks from the female ghost Kayako?"

Just thinking about it makes one despair.

If it were an ordinary person, faced with this situation, they would probably be so scared that their legs would go weak, and some would even be driven to despair and collapse.

The Japanese horror film "Ju-on" is a horror film series released in Japan more than 20 years ago, and it has a high reputation in the entire Asian horror film industry.

The term "curse" refers to the intense resentment that lingers in the dwelling place of a deceased person. Anyone who enters such a place will be cursed by this resentment.

The story of this horror film originates from a haunted house near Tokyo. The house's former owner, Takeo Saeki, suspected his son was born from his wife Kayako's infidelity, and thus cruelly murdered his wife and child. Kayako, unjustly killed, became a terrifying vengeful spirit, cursing her husband Takeo to death.

After that, the entire Saeki family of three transformed into terrifying evil spirits. Anyone who entered the house would be cursed and brutally killed one by one by Kayako. At least in Zhou Chen's memory, in the Japanese version of "Ju-on," no one escaped the curse of Ju-on.

This means that Zhou Chen is now being hunted by three evil spirits from Kayako's family! These three ghosts will not rest until they kill him!
Anyone who has seen this horror movie will feel terrified and mentally broken.
However, the rewards are equally generous!

"Good...very good, very fair. Fortune favors the bold! When a man dies, he flies to the heavens; if he doesn't die, he lives forever!"

Now that Zhou Chen had made up his mind, he stopped dwelling on it. His priority now was to find Qin Mei!
His phone had been confiscated, so he could only try to find Qin Mei in this instance. She might have entered before him and escaped the haunted house as well.

Both he and Qin Mei will face the curse of Ju-on!

However, before Kayako makes her move, it is highly likely that her son, Toshio Saeki, will appear by her side.

Toshio Saeki is the second most frequently appearing demon in "Ju-on: The Grudge," after Kayako. Saeki typically appears near those entering the haunted house, gradually driving them to a mental breakdown before Kayako appears. The timing of Kayako's killings is difficult to predict. From the film, it's clear that Kayako possesses the ability to easily manipulate space and even time.

For example, in the movie "Ju-on 2" starring Noriko Sakai, a couple keeps hearing "bang" sounds coming from the walls at a certain time at night. Later, after they are killed by Kayako and her son, the female ghost Kayako hangs them from the ceiling, and then Toshio pushes their bodies against the wall, making "bang" sounds.

When Zhou Chen saw this scene back then, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. It is precisely because of this that Kayako is a terrifying female ghost in the entire Japanese horror film industry, on par with the famous Sadako Yamamura.

"Junxiong will probably appear in my life soon."

After calming down, Zhou Chen hailed a taxi and decided to head into downtown Tokyo first.

He's definitely not the only reincarnator to have entered the terrifying dungeon of [The Curse of Immortality].

Few reincarnators dare to solo a terrifying female ghost like Kayako. Therefore, it's usually a team that takes her down.

Afterwards, Zhou Chen decided to go to Shinjuku first.

Shinjuku is one of the busiest places in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and being in such a crowded place can give you a sense of courage.

Zhou Chen's original plan was to use this team to help him conquer Kayako's haunted house and pass the trials. Of course, the team members were unaware of this.

"Seven days... okay, let's see if I can live to see seven days from now!"

Zhou Chen first determined the time for today.

1999 5 Month 10 Day.

Zhou Chen had seen the official timeline of "The Grudge," which listed a very clear timeline. Because he was a complete horror movie enthusiast with an amazing memory, he remembered all the information clearly.

Kayako Saeki was murdered by her husband, Takeo Saeki, in 1994, five years ago. That same year, police officers investigating the murder entered the Saeki household, only to be killed one by one by Kayako.

Then, from 1996 to 1998, the earliest videotape version of the story of "Ju-on" was released, and the people who moved into the house began to be killed one by one.

In March 1999, a family named Tokunaga moved into the haunted house, thus beginning the plot of the movie "Ju-on 1".

Today marks the beginning of the first part of the movie, where the female protagonist, Rika Nishina, an employee of the Social Welfare Department, arrives at this haunted house, thus starting this terrifying story.

Shinjuku, Tokyo.

As the most bustling commercial district in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Shinjuku is always packed with people.

Zhou Chen began to recall the original plot of the movie.

"Tonight... should be the night when the owner of that house, Tokunaga Hitomi, the younger sister of the Tokunaga family, dies."

The movie "Ju-on" doesn't follow a normal chronological order in its plot. Instead, it uses a non-linear narrative to depict how each cursed person dies one by one. Therefore, those who haven't seen the official timeline will likely find it difficult to understand the specific order in which they die.

The Tokunaga family, currently residing in the haunted house, consists of three people: Tokunaga Katsuya and his wife Kazumi, and their mother, Tokunaga Yukie. Katsuya also has a younger sister, Hitomi. At this point in time, both Katsuya and Kazumi are presumably deceased. Currently, the only living person in the haunted house is their mother, Yukie. Hitomi, Katsuya's sister, does not live in the haunted house but rents an apartment, although she has been seen entering the house.

"According to the official timeline, Tokunaga Hitomi entered the haunted house at the earliest on April 30th, which is ten days ago. Kayako let her live for ten days. Of course, she certainly wouldn't let me live that long."

In the movie, Hitomi Tokunaga is unaware that her brother and sister-in-law have died.

"A good opportunity. Tonight, Tokunaga Hitomi will be attacked by Kayako, which is a good chance to make contact with her. Kayako shouldn't harm me and Qin Mei before she dies."

Just then, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Is there anyone who can receive my message? I am Chen Yan, the raid leader of the Twilight team! We have just entered this instance!"

"The Twilight team?"

What luck!
Zhou Chen knows people from the Twilight team!

"Commander Chen, hello, I'm Zhou Chen from the Scarlet Team!"

"Commander Zhou, you've arrived in this instance too? How's it going? Where are you now? How's your reconnaissance of this instance dimension?"

"Commander Chen, hello. Are you inside that house right now?"

"Yes. Inside this house, there's an old woman with dementia and another woman who's unconscious. We were just about to investigate the house when we woke the woman up, but she seems to be completely terrified and can't get any answers from us."

"Captain Chen, please check if there are any rules in the room. If not, and given the lack of information, you should evacuate first!"

That house is Kayako's territory; Black Cat, Toshio, and Takeo Saeki are all there. Fighting Kayako there would be utterly pointless!
"Okay... let's take a look first, then we'll withdraw. Tell us later what intelligence you have. Where are you?"

"Shinjuku... Yumori Restaurant."

"Okay, I'm coming right now!"

"Also, please..." Then the other party had already cut off the contact.

He didn't even have time to ask them for help in finding Qin Mei.

Zhou Chen could only wait for the Twilight team to arrive.

The movie doesn't reveal Tokunaga Hitomi's company or address. Finding that in the short term won't be easy. However, one member of the Twilight team is a skilled location-finding, priestly reincarnator. With her there, they should be able to find Tokunaga Hitomi before Kayako kills her tonight and confront her directly. Most importantly, they can use her to find Qin Mei.

Only by actively choosing the battlefield and striking first can one find a way to weaken Kayako.

Zhou Chen recalled the plot of the movie.

He remembered Hitomi Tokunaga's death in the first film very clearly because that scene was particularly terrifying and bizarre. Hitomi was working overtime at the company when she left a message on her phone because she was worried about her deceased brother and her mother who suffered from dementia. Afterwards, she encountered Kayako in the women's restroom, and Kayako then chased her all the way to her apartment and brutally murdered her.

After walking for a while, Zhou Chen pushed open the door of the Yu Sheng Restaurant in front of him.

"いらっしゃいませ(Welcome)!"

The owner was an elderly man in his sixties with a white beard and a few drops of sauce on his apron.

Zhou Chen chose to sit in the corner and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"menu."

The owner immediately pulled out a yellowed handwritten menu from under the counter and handed it over enthusiastically.

Zhou Chen glanced at the list and tapped on a few names with his finger.

"Sashimi sashimi (sashimi platter)."

"Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), salt-grilled."

"Eel rice bowl".

"And... sake, chilled."

The boss nodded and turned to begin preparations.

Zhou Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on an old poster on the wall—a Japanese drama called "Midnight Diner" from many years ago.

The first dish served was a sashimi platter, topped with thick slices of tuna, petal-shaped Arctic surf clams, and slightly curled sweet shrimp.

Zhou Chen didn't pick up his chopsticks immediately. Instead, he poured half a glass of sake, then picked up a slice of tuna, dipped it in a little wasabi soy sauce, and put it in his mouth.

He closed his eyes, as if he could see the fish swimming in the deep sea.

Then the sizzling chicken skewers on the grill were brought out, and Zhou Chen took a bite.

The outer layer is crispy, while the inside is tender and juicy.

"How do the guests feel about the taste?" the owner suddenly asked.

Zhou Chen looked up and said, "It's a little overcooked."

The boss paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Young man, you've got a discerning palate."

Zhou Chen didn't reply and continued eating in silence.

Soon the grilled eel rice was served, and Zhou Chen used the tip of his chopsticks to gently pry open the eel and take a bite.

It's sweet but not cloying, with a rich soy sauce flavor, and the fish melts in your mouth.

Finally, the owner gave us a complimentary matcha daifuku. The soft, chewy outer layer was filled with red bean paste and sprinkled with fine matcha powder.

Zhou Chen took a bite, and the cloying sweetness made him frown.

"Don't like sweets?" the boss asked.

"It's too fake." Zhou Chen put down the half-eaten daifuku and said, "It's too sweet to be real."

"is it?"

"It doesn't feel like real life."

"Hmm?" The boss looked puzzled.

Zhou Chen really wanted to find Qin Mei as soon as possible, so that she could come and enjoy the food here with him.

At that moment, in a taxi.

A middle-aged man with a high forehead, sitting in the passenger seat, said, "We're pretty lucky; we ran into Commander Zhou."

"Most Japanese demons are troublesome, each one more powerful than the last." Behind them sat three people, one of whom, a woman with a ponytail and tattoos covering her arms, said, "I wonder what kind of instance this is?"

The Twilight team is a well-known team in Muxu City, with seven core members. This time, they were lucky enough to encounter Zhou Chen from the Crimson team.

Little did they know, this was one of the most terrifying instances in White Plum Hospital: the Undying Curse!
Once you enter that haunted house, no matter where you hide, you will inevitably be hunted down by Kayako and Toshio.

Of course, even if the team members didn't know the plot, they could roughly guess that the ghost in the haunted house would chase after them.

Behind them was a taxi, with other team members inside.

The taxi stopped in front of the Japanese restaurant that Zhou Chen had arranged.

The team consisted of seven people. They got out of the car and entered the store. Soon, they saw Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen stood up and waved.

"Commander Zhou, it's been a long time!" Chen Yan quickly walked up and shook hands with Zhou Chen.

“I just did some research online in the neighborhood. The house is called the Saeki House, and a murder occurred there in the last five years.”

"A haunted house, huh? It's a common, cliché plot." The girl with the ponytail in the team didn't take it too seriously, saying, "I knew it would be like this."

After all, the team of reincarnators had encountered countless haunted houses in various horror movies. Therefore, they were completely unaware of just how dangerous this enemy was.

Zhou Chen deliberately didn't say what this instance was, and now it seems they don't know what kind of instance it is.

That's fine too. If I told them, they'd probably be so scared their legs would go weak, and then they wouldn't be able to help me.

"Commander Chen, am I the only reincarnator you've been able to contact?"

"Hmm, are there other reincarnators coming in?"

Zhou Chen began to worry: Where exactly did Qin Mei go?

Did she even watch the movie?

"With Commander Zhou here," another team member said, "we'll definitely get through this easily!"

Zhou Chen disliked their mentality. While confidence is a good thing, underestimating Kayako would lead to certain death.

"Commander Zhou," Chen Guanze said, "what else have you found?"

“Over the past few years, people who have moved into this house have also disappeared one after another. So it’s obvious that people who move into this house are killed by ghosts. I asked a neighbor, and the current person living in that house is surnamed Tokunaga.”

“I can confirm that there are only two living people in that house right now,” the woman with the ponytail said. “If there are anyone else, they must be dead. Judging from the mess in the house, no one has lived there for a long time. The old woman is probably completely unable to take care of herself. As for the unconscious woman, judging from the paper she was carrying, she is from the welfare department and probably just arrived today.”

According to the neighbors, Tokunaga has a younger sister who doesn't live here, but she comes to visit her brother, sister-in-law, and mother.

"You have a younger sister? Do you know her name?" the woman with the ponytail said. "If you know her name, it won't be difficult to find her."

"Tokunaga Hitomi".

“Okay,” the woman with the ponytail nodded and said, “I’ll give it a try. Let’s try to find the Tokunaga family first. That old woman with dementia probably won’t give us much information.”

Everything went smoothly as I expected.

Zhou Chen looked outside. It was still daytime, and there was still time before Tokunaga Hitomi was killed.

Even if they join forces, they probably don't have much of a chance against Kayako.

"By the way, there's something... I'd like to ask you to help me find another reincarnator, Qin Mei, the leader of the Shadow Blade team."

(End of this chapter)