Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 252 Ash Doll
Deep within the Dingyou camp, in a cultivation room covered with countless intricate sealing runes, the air was stagnant and filled with a chilling aura.

Blood Lord sat cross-legged on a futon in the center of the room, his body emanating a chilling aura of soul energy.

He had already reached the pinnacle of LV4, seemingly only one step away from the legendary LV5, but that step was like an insurmountable chasm. Countless reincarnators were stuck at this step, unable to advance any further!

He knew very well that with his current level of experience and condition, there was absolutely no chance of successfully reaching LV5. He didn't even dare to dream of LV5; his only goal at the moment was to try to reach "near LV5".

Once he reaches near-LV5, Bloodlust can be completely transformed into an official Reincarnator team with formal government status, and he will also receive more definite resource allocation!

LV4 peak, near LV5, LV5 – these are three realms with a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

However, even reaching near-LV5 was incredibly difficult for him. At his level, simply absorbing the resentment ashes that lower-level reincarnators relied on for advancement had become largely ineffective.

The real key lies in whether the soul and will can adapt to, and even briefly control, the deeper level of terror—the dangerous chasm between the annihilation layer and the interdimensional layer.

A level 4 powerhouse can stay deep within the annihilation layer for extended periods, relying on their powerful soul strength and special abilities, to confront the omnipresent distortions of rules and terrifying beings within.

However, the environment and strangeness in the gap between the Annihilation Layer and the Interdimensional Layer are ten or even a hundred times worse than those deep within the Annihilation Layer! That is the realm that is infinitely close to that of a Level 5 powerhouse, the last and most difficult hurdle on the path to inhumanity.

Blood Lord took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.

He reached out and opened a black ceramic jar beside him, covered with curse runes.

The moment the jar was opened, countless twisted, painful, and venomous translucent faces shrieked as they poured out. The temperature in the entire training room plummeted to freezing, and the talismans on the walls flickered wildly, desperately trying to suppress the overwhelming resentment.

These are the wronged souls he collected and refined at great cost; each soul contains extreme negative emotions and fragments of broken meme rules.

He opened his mouth, and a powerful suction force emanated from it, like a black hole, and began to frantically devour the shrieking, wronged souls!

"Uhhhhhh-!"

A torrent of memories of pain and vengeful spirits instantly surged into the depths of his soul! Countless scenes of gruesome deaths and endless resentment exploded in his consciousness!

His body began to tremble violently involuntarily, and bluish-black veins appeared on his skin. He began to exude an inhuman, cold, and deathly "ghostly" aura!
This is the necessary path for a Soul Reaper to reach the LV5 Thousand Faces – devouring, assimilating, and ultimately enabling them to perfectly switch between human and ghost!
The Blood Lord's face shifted constantly between pain and coldness, sometimes as ferocious as a demon, sometimes as indifferent as the Grim Reaper.

An hour passed.

The surging tide of wronged souls gradually subsided, and were eventually completely swallowed up by him.

Blood Lord slowly opened his eyes. He sensed his own condition, sighed in disappointment, and the dense "ghostly" aura around him gradually subsided.

"Still not enough... That barrier of 'near LV5' is still so far away..."

His voice carried an unmistakable weariness and frustration.

The foundation! The root of the problem lies in the foundation!
Back then, he had no other choice but to use forbidden techniques to break through to LV3, instead of steadily absorbing five "resentment crystal shards" to solidify his foundation. Although he successfully advanced, he left behind irreparable hidden dangers.

Now that he has reached the peak of LV4, the shortcut he took back then has become the biggest obstacle when he wants to go further. Even if he were given more resentment crystals now, he could not go back and make up for the losses of that year.

The fact that he couldn't even reach "near LV5" meant something that Blood Lord knew better than anyone else.

In the future, a global meme catastrophe is inevitable. At that time, even low-level reincarnators and ordinary humans will not even have the qualifications to become cannon fodder, and will be assimilated, distorted, and destroyed in an instant by the terrifying meme pollution.

Only those who truly reach LV5 and are qualified to enter the Interdimensional Realm may have a glimmer of hope.

Unable to reach LV5, or even near LV5, means that the most likely outcome for Blood Lord at that time is that, like most LV4s, he will either die directly in the early stages of the catastrophe, or... be assimilated by meme pollution in endless fear and distortion, becoming a "meme rule-based evil spirit" that has lost its self and only knows how to spread terror!
He is not willing!

In his quest for advancement, he ventured into countless instances of extremely contaminated memes, teetering on the brink of life and death. He even risked entering the Mohenjo-daro meme instance in India, ranked third in global danger (a bizarre meme based on the real historical mystery of "Mohenjo-daro," also known as the Dead City meme), a place rife with curses and resembling purgatory. He barely escaped with his life.

Could it be... that he really has to attempt to challenge the second-ranked most terrifying instance in the world—the [Vortex] meme? The entrance to that instance only appears in Japan, its rules so bizarre they can distort all perception, dragging intruders into an endless spiral of madness! In Junji Ito's original manga, neither the male nor female protagonist could escape, both being assimilated by the Vortex meme. But even if he wanted to go, he couldn't; Hakumei Hospital doesn't have an entrance to contain the [Vortex].

Or... that's the only option left.

Take advantage of this global expedition to enter the [Zoo Ghost Stories] instance, which is feared by all reincarnators and regarded as the ultimate nightmare!
It is a hell of rules that cannot be understood by common sense. Those who enter will be given a temporary "identity", which may be "tourist" or "employee" wearing uniforms of different colors such as red, blue, and black.

Each identity corresponds to countless "rules" that must be followed, yet are filled with contradictions and despair. As their cognition becomes contaminated, the reincarnators are gradually eroded by the eeriness of the zoo itself.

That's a forbidden zone that even true LV5 powerhouses fear and dare not easily set foot in. Going there most likely means... never coming back. But if you can survive, your understanding of the corruption of the rules might advance further, perhaps allowing you to cross the barrier between LV4 and LV5!
Exhausted, Blood Lord left the cold training room and returned to his bedroom. A profound sense of loss and powerlessness over the future enveloped him, causing even the usually resolute Blood Lord to feel a touch of gloom and despair.

At that moment, the bedroom door was gently pushed open.

Kim Suk-mi walked in carrying a cup of coffee.

She was clearly dressed up carefully, wearing a nearly transparent black lace nightgown that perfectly accentuated her curvaceous and incredibly sexy figure.

Her nightgown straps draped loosely over her shoulders, her eyes were alluring, her red lips were luscious and tempting, and every move she made exuded an irresistible allure that men could not resist. She was a veritable human vixen.

Normally, the Blood Lord would probably have already pulled her into his arms and freely released his pressure and desires.

But tonight, he simply leaned wearily against the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, showing no reaction to the stunning beauty before him, a woman capable of turning countless men into wolves.

The repeated failures to reach higher levels, and the clear despair of the future's darkness, were like a cold tide, completely extinguishing all his enthusiasm.

A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Jin Shumei's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by concern. She gently placed the coffee on the coffee table, sat down gracefully next to Blood Lord, and gently massaged his tense temples with her slender hands.

"Captain, don't push yourself too hard... You're already very strong..." Her voice was soft and sweet, with a strong hint of flirtation.

Blood Lord closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle massage, but remained silent.

Strong? Far from enough. In the face of a true meme apocalypse, not being strong enough is the original sin. LV4 and LV5 may seem like only one level apart, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

After a long silence, the Blood Lord suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and cold: "Do you know why I've kept Sima Jin alive all this time?"

Kim Suk-mi's fingers paused slightly as she massaged.

Blood Lord's expression was complicated as he said, "I want him to live, to open his eyes wide and watch! To see how I, Blood Lord, step by step, climb to the peak of LV5! Hasn't he always touted justice and accused me of using forbidden techniques and committing heinous crimes?"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with the arrogance and ferocity of a tyrant: "Haha! What a ridiculous joke! The competition for resources and the struggle to defy fate among reincarnators is all about ability, the survival of the fittest! Are we supposed to be polite and courteous to each other like gentlemen? Those reincarnators who are not strong enough will not escape death if they don't die at my hands, they will also die in the face of memetic contamination! What is truly despicable are those shameless scoundrels who have no ability and dare not compete for resources fairly, and can only resort to those despicable and underhanded tricks!"

"I've reached where I am today through my own ruthlessness, my own hard work, and my own scheming! Every step I've taken has been fought my way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Do you think you can advance by being a saintly hypocrite and having high moral standards?!"

After the frenzied emotional outburst, there is a deeper exhaustion and a hint of barely perceptible bewilderment.

He leaned back on the sofa, his gaze once again fixed on the void, and murmured, "Fortunately, I still have a path to take."

Kim Suk-mi asked softly, "What does the commander mean?"

Blood Lord's eyes gradually focused, a glint of light flashing in them: "Jiang Jin... his talent for comprehending the corruption of rules is astonishing. Even Long Mingzhang looks at him differently. If... if this talent can continue and grow... one day, his achievements will be limitless. Perhaps he can reach a height that we cannot even imagine."

He paused, his tone becoming complicated: "Perhaps at that time... he can give me some 'insights' about the rules and about breakthroughs from his unique perspective. That might be... my last chance to cross the insurmountable barrier of LV5."

He pinned his last hope on a young man he had once hunted down, who was now investing in him. The helplessness and twists in this story are filled with cruelty and irony.

In the bedroom, only Jin Shumei's gentle massage sounds and Blood Lord's heavy breathing remained. Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, filled with unpredictable dangers.

Jinchang Road in Tiexi District at night.

This is a corner forgotten by the city.

This place used to be one of the largest agricultural wholesale markets in Muxu City, a bustling scene of vehicles and people at night. But now, only large areas of abandoned stalls and cold warehouses remain.

The rusty iron gate was half-open, and the tattered plastic tarpaulin made a wailing sound in the night wind.

Jiang Jin's expression was cold and stern, his sharp gaze sweeping over his surroundings. Behind him stood his three new subordinates.

Cai Xiaoyu looked around, humming the off-key melody of "Chicken You Are So Beautiful" as usual, clearly a veteran hater of Kun Kun.

Another was Shi Mitao, a girl with twin ponytails, sparkling eyes, and an excited and adoring gaze at Jiang Jin's back. As Jiang Jin's fervent and die-hard fan, she was so excited she wanted to lean on her idol. The last one was Shi Mitao's younger brother, Shi Baixuan, with a cold expression and wearing huge noise-canceling headphones the entire time. A typical sister-obsessed and taciturn man, he would occasionally kill anyone who tried to get close to his sister with his eyes.

"Tsk, this place is really something." Cai Xiaoyu pinched his nose and fanned himself exaggeratedly. "This smell, is it at the level of a biological weapon? The bureau is really 'taking good care' of our new captain, assigning him to guard a junkyard?"

Shi Mitao immediately glared at him: "Shut up! I'll be wherever the captain is! If you talk nonsense again, believe me, I'll beat you up!"

After saying that, her expression immediately changed, and she looked at Jiang Jin with starry eyes, "Captain Jiang! What do you need us to do? Just tell us!"

Shih Po-hsuan simply adjusted the volume of his headphones and stood indifferently half a step behind his sister, like the most loyal invisible guard.

Ignoring their commotion, Jiang Jin took the handover documents and walked towards a temporary duty shed with dim lighting not far away.

The patrol team members who were originally stationed there had already come out to greet them.

The team leader was a tired-looking veteran. When he saw the documents in Jiang Jin's hand, he paused for a moment, then showed a look of surprise and understanding.

"You, you are Captain Jiang... Captain Jiang Jin?" The veteran team member clearly recognized this prominent figure who had recently been in the spotlight within the department, and his attitude couldn't help but show a hint of awe and curiosity. "So it was you who came to take over the defense! Thank you for your hard work!"

The team members behind him whispered among themselves, their eyes constantly scanning Jiang Jin. Jiang Jin's reputation had recently become incredibly high, with one legendary incident after another… each one enough for these ordinary field patrol personnel to talk about for a long time.

The handover procedures were completed quickly. The veteran team members breathed a sigh of relief, and before leaving, several young team members even mustered up the courage to come closer.

"Captain Jiang! Could...could you give me your autograph?"

"Me too! Can we take a picture together? My buddy definitely doesn't believe I'll ever meet you in person!"

Jiang Jin frowned, not quite used to this kind of situation, but still managed to handle it alright.

This infuriated Shi Mitao, who puffed out her cheeks and muttered under her breath, "Hmph! Why?! I haven't even gotten the captain's autograph or exclusive photo yet! These guys..."

“Hey,” Cai Xiaoyu reminded him, “just a friendly reminder, Captain Jiang is a married man…”

"So what!" Shi Mitao didn't care at all. "Which of the leaders or deputy leaders of a large team only has one woman?"

"Sister," Shi Baixuan murmured, "be mindful of the noise level, the volume is too loud."

After the handover was completed, the abandoned market area was completely handed over to Jiang Jin and his new teammates.

Jiang Jin briefly assigned the tasks.

Cai Xiaoyu and Shi Mitao, two chatterboxes at their peak, were assigned to patrol the relatively open warehouse area on the east side, while he himself, along with the taciturn Shi Baixuan, was responsible for exploring the more complex and dimly lit abandoned agricultural wholesale market hall. This way, he could have some peace and quiet; let the chatterboxes team up.

"Keep communication open. Report any abnormalities immediately. No unauthorized actions are allowed," Jiang Jin instructed, pointing to the walkie-talkies on everyone's bodies.

"Yes, Captain!" Shi Mitao said enthusiastically, pulling the reluctant Cai Xiaoyu away.

Jiang Jin took a deep breath, turned on his powerful flashlight, and illuminated the market passageway, which was covered in dust and grime.

Shih Po-hsuan followed silently behind him, the heavy sound of rock music faintly coming from his headphones.

Garrison duties are usually tedious and lengthy. Especially in areas near the outer ring road where there have been few reports of high-intensity memetic contamination in the past, their role is more of a warning function.

The market was empty and deathly silent, with only the sounds of their footsteps and breathing echoing through it. The beams of flashlights occasionally swept across the empty stalls, overturned shelves, and rotting vegetable leaves scattered on the ground.

To expand the surveillance area, Jiang Jin summoned the Death Knell. It then merged into the surrounding darkness and began carrying out patrol orders.

While we waited, Shi Mitao's voice came through the walkie-talkie, filled with barely suppressed excitement and admiration: "Captain! Captain! You're amazing! I've heard all about it! You single-handedly took down several big shots from the old core! Is that true? And also, how did you deal with Mo Laogui from the Yongmeng team?"

Cai Xiaoyu chimed in, her tone exaggerated: "More than that! Captain Jiang even dared to go head-to-head with Li Yuanxiu! Awesome! I declare that I am Captain Jiang's number one hater... oops! Number one fan!"

Jiang Jin was getting a headache from the two of them arguing. He pressed the walkie-talkie and said in a deep voice, "Focus on patrol and keep quiet."

The channel then quieted down.

Jiang Jin and Shi Baixuan continued deeper into the market. The further they went, the stronger the stench of decay seemed to grow, and the air became increasingly damp and chilly.

Time slipped by quietly, and soon it was midnight.

Sudden--

A deep, rumbling engine roar, like the breathing of a giant beast, came from high above!

Jiang Jin and Shi Baixuan looked up at the same time.

A gigantic airship, larger than anyone could imagine, was silently gliding slowly over the city!
Its massive silver hull reflected a cold luster under the thin clouds and moonlight.

A huge electronic display screen is suspended below the airship.

At this moment, blood-red text is scrolling clearly on the screen—it's the monthly routine release from the Meme Contamination Monitoring Department: "Citywide Meme Activity Warning and Latest Rules for This Month."
[Muxu Market Meme Monitoring Department - Monthly Rule Announcement - Effective Date: Immediately]

1.白湖区所有居民，本月禁止于夜间（20:00-06:00）在湖边进行任何形式的垂钓活动。

2.铁西区所有企业职员，每日下午16:00～17:00整需佩戴耳机。

3. Residents of the New South District are strictly prohibited from hanging any form of wind chimes or similar sound-producing decorations indoors.

4. Students from all schools in Wenbei District are not allowed to stay alone in the study room after the library closes. If they need to study, they must be accompanied by at least three other people.

The four rules, which apply to different areas, are bizarre yet specific. In Muxu City, they are updated every month and have become a daily routine for most people.

However, violating these rules can very likely turn one into a reincarnator. Over 60% of reincarnators face irreversible meme contamination due to violating the monthly rules.

Jiang Jin silently memorized these rules. However, just as he turned his gaze away from the airship screen and back to his surroundings, his pupils suddenly contracted!

Suddenly, countless black ash particles began to fall silently from the air!
The ashes, carrying a pungent, burnt smell, settled on his shoulders, arms, and the cold concrete floor.

"Ash!" Jiang Jin's face instantly turned extremely ugly. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He glanced at his watch and saw that his SAN value had dropped to 48%!

"Damn it! It's a feature of the Lost Layer's depth manifestation!"

This means that the material layer spatial structure here is becoming extremely unstable, and deeper, more terrifying meme contamination is seeping up!
He immediately pressed the intercom and shouted urgently in a low voice, "Cai Xiaoyu! Shi Mitao! Report the situation! Is there anything unusual on your end? Have you seen the ashes?"

The first thing that came through the walkie-talkie was Cai Xiaoyu's puzzled voice: "Ashes? No, Captain Jiang, everything's normal here... it's just a bit cold..."

Then Shi Mitao chimed in, "Yeah, we're fine here!"

They don't have it over there?

Jiang Jin's heart sank.

He suddenly shone his flashlight into the depths of the market hall—

At the very end of the beam of light, about twenty meters away, a blurry humanoid silhouette, slowly coalescing from the falling ashes, stood quietly.
It has no facial features, no clear physical form, and is entirely composed of constantly drifting and gathering ashes, barely maintaining the shape of a human, standing silently in the darkness!

A cold, deathly, and desperate malice emanated from the ashes humanoid figure like a tide, instantly engulfing Jiang Jin and Shi Baixuan!
Jiang Jin suddenly held his breath, the beam of his flashlight trembled slightly, and steadily locked onto the eerie ash spirit.

Shih Po-hsuan, who was standing to the side, finally took off his headphones, revealing a pair of sharp and wary eyes beneath them. He had somehow already grasped a strangely shaped short blade in his hand.

Deep within the silent, abandoned market, only the faint rustling sound of falling ashes and the terrifying, silent presence remain!
This is the Ash Doll!
This place is less than four kilometers from the outer ring road!
The Ash Humanoid has appeared in Tiexi District, so close to the city center!

Normally, the Reincarnator team goes to an area about ten kilometers from the outer ring to hunt Ash Humanoids and obtain Resentment Crystals!
If it appears at such close range, how long can the Yunjue District remain safe? Can the material layer there still protect ordinary people?
To know……

His parents lived in the edge of Yunjue District, near Tiexi District!
(End of this chapter)