Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 204 Tampering with the Rules
The Rock Group building, once a symbol of the glory of a financial empire, has now been transformed by the Old Nuclear Organization into a nest of memetic contamination.

The temple will now take the lead in the attack.

The biggest problem in rescuing hostages is how to avoid detection by the kidnappers. Otherwise, if they become desperate, they might kill the hostage again. Long Mingzhang, as the head of the Meme Contamination Monitoring Department, provided them with an excellent opportunity for a sneak attack.

Xiao Tianze, a level 5 Shaman of the Heavenly Sound class, took the lead and set up an array for the advance team to ensure that the people of the Old Core Organization could not discover the advance team members at first.

The members of the Yongmeng team followed closely behind, responsible for cracking the rule pollution.

As the deputy leader of the Holy Temple team, Xiao Tianze surveyed the crowd, and his gaze alone was enough to instill a strong sense of awe.

LV5 Reincarnator, that's the person who stands at the very top of the Reincarnators!
The leap from LV4 to LV5 is a complete qualitative change! Among all professions, only the Witchcraft profession can defeat a LV5 opponent at LV4!

Xiao Tianze's gaze finally settled on Jiang Jin, who had been temporarily assigned to the Temple's advance team: "As for the advance team—the 'Xuanjia Division' will be the first to break in and create chaos. I hope everyone will perform their duties!"

The Xuanjia were a branch of the Holy Temple, and most of them didn't like Jiang Jin because he was temporarily assigned to them.

In their view, Yu Tianlun was deliberately trying to let his team members take credit for the temple's achievements. If they actually got to the battlefield, wouldn't a level 1 hunter just be a hindrance?

“Kid,” one of the reincarnators said to Jiang Jin with ill intent, “you’d better get back to Nirvana as soon as possible. If you encounter danger then, I won’t save you.”

"Exactly! The weakest member of our advance team is at least a near-LV3. If he, a mere LV1, comes here, wouldn't the people of the Old Core laugh at our Muxu City for its lack of talent?"

Jiang Jin did not refute.

On the battlefield, results speak for themselves. Saying anything now would only bring shame upon oneself. Jiang Jin understood this perfectly well.

Xiao Tianze continued, saying that according to intelligence, the five old core members stationed in the building were all members of the Strange Core branch, each of whom was a top-level LV4 reincarnator, and Li Ming was even a near-LV5 reincarnator.

The most troublesome thing is the "cognitive reflection array" they set up together - anyone who steps into the array's range will face their own "mirror image", a copy with 100% of the original's strength.

“Mirror images are not illusions.” Su Banxia, ​​a professional reincarnator from the Yongmeng team, explained beforehand: “They are the manifestation of your cognition. All your tactics, memories, weaknesses... they know them all clearly.”

Jiang Jin was taken aback.

It's impossible that this reflection also has the profession of a lawyer.

If that's the case, then it's troublesome.

But now the die is cast, and there's no turning back.

If they withdraw now, the Nirvana team will lose all face and prestige, and it will also be tantamount to offending Minister Long to the death.

The action begins.

The twelve members of the Temple's Xuanjia Division and Jiang Jin approached the main entrance of the building like ghosts.

Under Xiao Tianze's formation, it was possible to sneak into the contaminated layer and enter the building without being detected!
Squad leader Feng Ya (Hunter Class LV4: Rule Hunter) made a hand gesture, and two team members immediately threw out talismans and stuck them on the glass door.

The moment the talisman burned out, the entire explosion-proof glass silently crumbled into powder.

"Enter!"

Jiang Jin followed closely behind, and as soon as he stepped into the hall, the floor suddenly rippled with water-like patterns. The next second, the twelve Xuanjia team members froze simultaneously—before them stood twelve identical "selves".

After seeing "himself", Jiang Jin took out the Mourning Shotgun without hesitation!

Feng Ya's mirror image had already drawn his sword, and the sword's momentum was three times faster than his own. Meanwhile, a female team member's mirror image even preemptively detonated the explosive talisman hidden in her sleeve.

Amidst screams, two members of the Xuanjia team fell instantly.

"Don't hesitate! Go!"

The air in the hall seemed to be compressed by some invisible force. The twelve Xuanjia team members faced their own reflections, and even their breathing became cautious.

Jiang Jin's mirror image tilted its head, a cold smile identical to his own curling at the corner of its mouth, and slowly raised the mournful hunting rifle in its hand, the vein-like patterns on the barrel glowing with a ghostly blue light.

boom!
Gunshots rang out, and Jiang Jin rolled to the side. The bullet grazed his tactical vest, which he had put on beforehand, and exploded into a pale green phosphorescence on the wall behind him.

The spent cartridge case hit the ground and instantly burned to ashes, filling the air with a scorching, resentful atmosphere.

"It's useless." The mirrored voice was mocking. "I am you, I know everything about you."

Inside the command center, the monitoring screens flashed cold light, transmitting real-time footage of the battle inside the building.

Valeria the Blood Spider leaned back lazily in her chair, her long legs crossed.

Her red lips curled slightly, revealing a mocking smile.

"Look, our LV1 'hero' almost got taken down by himself, how spectacular." Her voice was filled with undisguised contempt as her gaze swept over the screen showing Jiang Jin awkwardly rolling and dodging mirror bullets. "This is the elite of the Nirvana team? Can't even beat his own shadow? With this kind of strength, he dares to act like a hero?"

Standing in front of the monitoring console, Ye Yinghuo from the Yongmeng team crossed her arms and gave her a cold look: "Blood Spider, stop making sarcastic remarks."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority: "I think he can survive."

Although Ye Yinghuo's father was Ye Xiu, the leader of the Yongmeng team and a Level 5 Reincarnator, she never looked down on lower-level Reincarnators. After all, all high-level Reincarnators rose from lower levels. And she could see that Jiang Jin's tactical skills were astonishing.

Hearing Ye Yinghuo speak up for Jiang Jin, Liu Yan couldn't help but glance at her again, and immediately felt more favorably toward this young lady.

Valeria raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening. "Oh? So confident?"

She tilted her head and asked, "Want to take a gamble?"

"What are we betting on?" Ye Yinghuo replied coldly.

“Fifty resentment crystals, betting on whether I’ll die inside.” Valeria uttered the number from her red lips, as if she were discussing a trivial game.

The air inside the command center froze instantly.

Fifty resentment crystals—this number isn't high for the Bloodlust team, and it's negligible for the Eternal Dream team. But using them for gambling still seems a bit extravagant.

The other reincarnators around them turned their heads, some whispering among themselves, others shaking their heads in secret.

Ye Yinghuo, young and impetuous, said, "Okay, I'll take this bet."

"Does Miss Ye really believe that a Level 1 newbie can survive against an old core?"

She shook her head. "Why not just bet that he'll get blown up by his own shadow in a few seconds?"

A low chuckle erupted in the command center. Several members of the Bloody Team chimed in, some even whistling.

Ye Yinghuo's fingers tightened slightly, but her expression remained calm: "Are you so sure he'll die?"

“Of course.” Valeria shrugged. “The mirror image possesses 100% of the original’s strength, but it can skillfully use all the class skills. He, on the other hand, is just a Level 1 Blood Tracker, and he probably hasn’t even fully mastered the class skills.”

She tilted her head to look at the screen: "Look, he didn't even have a chance to fight back."

The atmosphere in the command center grew increasingly oppressive. Members of other teams remained silent, and no one dared to interrupt.

Ye Yinghuo ignored the Blood Spider's taunts and kept her gaze fixed on the screen.

Jiang Jin's figure tumbled in the firelight. Although his movements were clumsy, every dodge was incredibly precise, as if he were searching for a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.

Ye Yinghuo suddenly spoke, her voice clear and firm, "I'll add another 50 resentment crystals, 100 resentment crystals! Do you, Blood Spider, dare to bet with me?"

Valeria raised an eyebrow: "Oh? So confident?"

An uproar erupted in the command center.

100 crystals of resentment, this young lady is really rich and powerful!

Society, society!
"Miss Ye, isn't your crystallized resentment doomed to defeat?"

"Young Miss is indeed rich. Can I have this crystal?"

"100 resentment crystals, how long would it take me to collect them... Putting everything else aside, with so many resentment crystals, I'm basically not worried about my SAN value dropping at all!"

Valeria chuckled and shook her head, as if she could already foresee the outcome: "Miss Ye, alright! Let's bet then!"

Long Cang frowned and said in a low voice, "Let me make this clear first: if anything goes wrong, you'll have to pay for it yourself. The team won't cover it for you."

"How stingy you are..." Valeria interlocked her fingers: "Do you think I would spend this money?"

The atmosphere in the command center grew increasingly tense, with everyone's eyes focused on the screen.

Jiang Jin's figure appeared and disappeared in the firelight, while the mirror image's attacks became increasingly fierce.

"He won't last three minutes," Long Cang asserted.

“I think he’ll be done for in two minutes,” Valeria added.

Ye Yinghuo did not answer, but just stared at the screen quietly with a determined look in her eyes.

However, just when everyone thought Jiang Jin was doomed—

The image on the screen suddenly changed.

Jiang Jin didn't answer. His finger was on the trigger, the barrel of the mournful shotgun slightly warm, as if responding to his killing intent. He abruptly raised the gun, aiming at the chest of the mirror image—

boom!
The mirror image had anticipated his movements and easily dodged in a flash. But this was the moment Jiang Jin had been waiting for.

“You know my habits, but you don’t know—” Jiang Jin suddenly pressed the switch button on the gun, and the bullets in the chamber instantly switched from [Soul-Devouring Bullets] to [Soul-Locking Bullets].

boom!
The mirror image couldn't dodge the shot.

The Soul-Locking Bullet struck the mirror image precisely in the chest. The moment the bullet exploded, the mirror image's movements abruptly stopped, and for the first time, astonishment appeared on its face.

"I just changed my bullets," Jiang Jin said coldly.

The mirror image struggled, but Jiang Jin did not hesitate and pulled the trigger again—

boom!
The Soul-Devouring Bullet pierced through the center of the mirror image's brow, and the resentful ashes inside the bullet exploded within the skull, forming a small vortex of blood curse.

The mirror image's body convulsed violently, its SAN value plummeted, and it eventually dissipated like smoke.

Jiang Jin was panting heavily. The barrel of the Mourning Shotgun was still slightly hot, and the runes on the gun body shimmered with an eerie light, as if devouring the resentment of the recently dissipated mirror image. He glanced down at the stock and found that the runes on it were even redder than before—[Absorption of the Dead] was in effect.

Whether this mirror image can use the abilities of the "Trickster Lawyer" is something we'll probably never know.

Inside the command center, there was a deathly silence.

Valeria's smile froze on her face, and Long Cang's pupils contracted slightly.

A slow smile curved the corners of Ye Yinghuo's lips.

"This...this..." Blood Spider snorted coldly, "He's lucky! But it's only temporarily prolonging his lifespan."

The battle inside the hall has reached a fever pitch.

Feng Ya's mirror image wielded a jet-black longsword, its sharp edge forcing him into a series of retreats.

"Damn it..." Feng Ya gritted his teeth, suddenly abandoning his defense and letting the mirror image's blade pierce his shoulder.

He took the opportunity to get close, grabbed the mirror image's throat with his left hand, and plunged the short knife into the other's heart with his right.

"I... am much more ruthless than you..." He grinned maliciously, watching the image dissipate in his hand, then staggered to his knees, blood gushing from the wound on his shoulder.

On the other side, another female team member's reflection detonated a psionic blasting talisman hidden in her sleeve. The violent shockwave blasted her into a bloody mess, her limbs flying onto the wall and slowly sliding down.

When the last mirror image fell, only five members of the Xuanjia squad remained standing.

Feng Ya pointed to the stairwell: "Let's go upstairs!"

Jiang Jin then turned around and walked towards the stairwell with the others, glancing down at the Mourning Shotgun.

The runes on the gun were even redder than before.

“Absorption of the dead…” he muttered to himself.

This gun seems to be getting more powerful. Perhaps, its rule-based abilities will be activated soon.

Upon reaching the twentieth floor... the corridor was completely distorted—the walls were covered with writhing human faces, and the floor was covered with some kind of disgusting fleshy tissue that made a sticky "crunching" sound when stepped on.

"Damn..." one of the Xuanjia members gagged, "What the hell is this place?"

Feng Ya raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. His professional trait as a "Rule Hunter" activated, and pale golden patterns appeared in his pupils. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "This place has been contaminated by memes; it's essentially a red-code restricted area. Please remember the rules here."

The essence of meme pollution is rule pollution. It is precisely because of the existence of rules that the physical laws of the material layer cease to exist and can be eroded into a pollution layer.

Then, Fengya told everyone the rules of survival here:

First, do not respond to the whispers of the walls.

Second, the shadow must always be under your feet. If you find that the shadow has moved away, immediately close your eyes for ten seconds.

Third, you cannot walk in a straight line for more than three minutes; after that, you need to change direction.

Fourth, the use of any electronic devices is prohibited, including the Reincarnator Watch.

Fifth, when encountering the Hanged Man, you must imitate its movements until it disappears.

Sixth, do not touch the bloodstains on the ground.

Seventh, if you hear a baby crying, immediately hold your breath.

“The rules aren’t complicated, but violating any one of them will trigger meme contamination.” Feng Ya put away the projection. “Stay close to me, don’t fall behind.”

Jiang Jin quickly memorized every rule.

It was precisely because Feng Ya was leading the team that Jiang Jin dared to enter this place.

The squad advanced in a diamond formation, with Jiang Jin covering the rear.

As Jiang Jin walked to the middle of the corridor, he suddenly noticed that his shadow had stopped moving forward—it was standing by the wall two meters away, slowly raising its hand to point to the ceiling.

Recalling the contents of Rule Two, Jiang Jin immediately closed his eyes and silently counted to ten for ten seconds. When he opened his eyes again, the shadow had returned to normal.

But the team members in front were not so lucky—his shadow suddenly lunged at his body, enveloping his head like asphalt.

Before the man could even scream, he was swallowed up by the shadow, leaving only a dark, human-shaped shadow in the spot.

This guy was supposed to be a near-LV3 reincarnator, and he actually died here like this!

Feng Ya's face darkened: "Don't stop! Change direction!"

He led the way, turning right onto the side road, and the three-minute countdown to death restarted.

At the end of the new corridor appeared a pool of blood two meters in diameter, bubbling on the surface.

Just as everyone was about to go around, half a human face suddenly emerged from the pool of blood—it was the team member who had just been swallowed by the shadow!
"Help...me..." Bloodface groaned, stretching out a mutilated arm.

One of the team members instinctively tried to pull him back, but Jiang Jin grabbed him sharply and shouted, "Rule Six! Don't touch the blood on the ground!"

As soon as the words were spoken, dozens of blood streaks shot out from the pool of blood, stabbing at the crowd like living creatures. One of the reincarnators threw out three bronze nails, which drove into the ground to form a triangular barrier. The blood streaks hit the invisible barrier and made a sizzling sound.

"Go!" The team seized the opportunity to rush through the danger zone, followed by a blood-faced, venomous shriek from behind.

After the team rushed through the blood trap, Zhang Jue and Wang Wu finally appeared at the end of the corridor!

“I knew you would send people to infiltrate,” Zhang Jue sneered. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll kill you and send your heads to Long Mingzhang. He should behave himself then.”

At this moment, Jiang Jin used a boning knife to cut his wound and splattered blood on the ground.

He has modified the sixth rule using his ability as a charlatan lawyer, changing it to require touching the bloodstains on the ground.

The revised rules only apply to the five reincarnators from the old core!
The easier a rule is to enforce, the faster the punishment will come!
"Witchcraft? Sorcerers? Haha," Zhang Jue sneered, "You really think this will work on us?"

Everyone else was stunned. What was Jiang Jin thinking with this move?

He's just a hunter! And a Bloodstained Stalker at that!

What are these level 1 hunters from the Nirvana team doing here?
“Alright,” Jiang Jin said coldly, “you are all dead.”

Zhang Jue burst into laughter: "Hahaha, has this kid lost his mind?"

The Xuanjia Reincarnators standing nearby were also dumbfounded. Are you cosplaying Fist of the North Star?

But the next moment, Wang Wu suddenly noticed that dense blood vessels had appeared under his feet and were climbing up the soles of his shoes.

Wang Wu screamed and tried to back away, but the blood had already wrapped around her ankle.

"No! Impossible!" She struggled desperately, only to see her hands begin to melt, with black mucus seeping from under her skin.

Zhang Que was horrified. Then he discovered that the blood threads, like living things, rapidly burrowed into his seven orifices, instantly wrapping him in a blood cocoon. The screams of the two men stopped abruptly, leaving only two kneeling skeletons, with writhing blood threads entwined between their bones.

Then, their Reincarnator Watches also turned into Skull Keys.

Everyone in the command center saw this scene.

Valeria could hardly believe her eyes.

"No...impossible!"

Not only her, but the other reincarnators also couldn't believe their eyes.

He only bled a little, and then there were the two old core reincarnators in front of him...

He just died??
Even a level 5 sorcerer and a curse master wouldn't be able to kill these two old core reincarnators so easily, right?

Long Mingzhang quickly looked at Yu Tianlun!

"Commander Yu... who exactly is your subordinate?"

(End of this chapter)