Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 266 Light and the Wardrobe
Lin Lu was flattered by Jiang Jin's invitation.

The vice-leader of the Nirvana team? And there's another LV3 leader?
The aim is to save Muxu City and never kill without cause.

All of this sounds like a beacon of light appearing in the darkness.

She was just a Level 1 newcomer who had just entered this terrifying world and could barely protect herself, yet she was valued so highly by a senior reincarnator who was also the vice leader of a team.
Her heart raced, a warm feeling mixed with disbelief welling up inside her. But her long-standing social anxiety and cautious instincts prevented her from immediately agreeing.

After all, Lin Lu has only met one reincarnator, Jiang Jin. Although he seems upright and reliable, this world is too strange and complex, and she needs more time and information to make a judgment.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, and said cautiously, "Officer Jiang... thank you so much for your invitation and trust. This... this is such a surprise to me. But... I'd like to think about it some more, is that alright? I know so little about the world of reincarnators."

Jiang Jin nodded understandingly, without any reluctance: "Of course, it's good to be cautious. My invitation is valid indefinitely, so you can let me know whenever you feel it's appropriate."

"Thank you... thank you, Officer Jiang. And thank you for the crystallization of my resentment." Lin Lu said sincerely.

If it weren't for the fact that finding the true identity of the "third person" was the priority at the moment, she would really like to ask more specific questions about the Nirvana team.

On the way back, their conversation returned to the harsh reality.

“Tana is dead,” Jiang Jin’s voice was low. “This means ‘it’ has started killing. But what was the motive? What triggered it? And why Tana?”

Lin Lu racked her brains: "Tana's death... Officer Jiang, you mentioned his face was... Could it have been cut open with a utility knife?"

“It can’t be a utility knife,” Jiang Jin interrupted decisively, with professional certainty. “I’m a police officer, and I’ve been to many crime scenes. That kind of dissection… is absolutely something a utility knife can’t do, no matter how sharp it is.”

“But, but that’s a ghost…” Lin Lu retorted softly, “Do ghosts need to conform to the laws of physics to do things?”

Jiang Jin was taken aback, then sighed: "You're right, that was just my habitual way of thinking. In the world of strange rules, common sense is often the least reliable."

He paused, then added, "Another key point is mango sticky rice. The fact that the 'third person' specifically made Atai's favorite food is itself very suggestive."

“Yes,” Lin Lu agreed, “This shows that this ‘ghost’ knows Atai very well, is familiar with his preferences, and may even… be carrying some kind of obsession.”

A woman who makes mango sticky rice every day and wears a hair clip...

Jiang Jin and Lin Lu both understood what kind of "obsession" this was.

Right now, Jiang Jin is only thinking about getting tomorrow to arrive sooner so that he can return the Buddhist treasure to the monk and thus advance his Cunning Lawyer profession to LV2!

He is very much looking forward to what new professional skills he will acquire and whether they will significantly change his current situation.

The "Cunning Lawyer" is a profession that hides itself very well. Jiang Jin searched the entire Reincarnator Forum but found not a single trace of information about them. Because of this, he had absolutely no idea what would happen after advancing.

"That sticky rice..." At this moment, Lin Lu remembered the things in the refrigerator, "What should we do with it? Leave it here? Or... throw it away?"

Throw it away? Who knows if this thing contains some kind of curse? If we throw it away, nobody knows what the consequences will be.

Jiang Jin pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a bold idea: "If we throw them away, it might violate some unknown rules. How about... we let Deathstroke eat them and see?"

"Huh?" Lin Lu was startled. "Let Deathstroke eat it? Won't there be any problems? What if it's poisonous... or cursed?"

“Deathstroke is an aggregate of resentful ashes, essentially a spirit created by memetic contamination,” Jiang Jin explained. “It has no real life; you could say it’s immortal. All ghosts and vengeful spirits are unkillable. Even with a strong curse, at most, it can only temporarily scatter their resentment, and then it will take some time to reform. Letting Deathstroke try is the safest option at this stage.”

Hearing this, Lin Lu, though she couldn't see Deathstroke, couldn't help but murmur, "Officer Jiang, isn't this... dog abuse? Deathstroke is so pitiful..."

Jiang Jin couldn't help but think to himself: "Young Miss, it's a necromantic creation born from memetic contamination. It's immortal and can swallow even fragments of resentment whole. You're the new reincarnator who might die at any moment and needs to be careful..."

Returning to their oppressive "sweet home," the invisible, icy atmosphere enveloped them once again.

Jiang Jin walked straight to the refrigerator, took out the two still-fresh mango sticky rice dishes, and placed them on the ground. Deathstroke curiously leaned over and sniffed them.

Then, Jiang Jin took out a ring from the Reincarnator's Watch and handed it to Lin Lu: "This is the [Invisible Ghost Ring], from the [Terror Resurgence] plane. Wear it later."

"Terror Resurgence?" Lin Lu was taken aback. "That sounds familiar... Is this a scene from a horror movie?"

“No,” Jiang Jin shook his head, “the prototype is a very famous horror novel.”

Lin Lu's eyes suddenly lit up; she remembered!
"Ah! I remember now! Wasn't the novel called 'Mysterious Resurrection'? I read it before the fall of Edo!"

She seemed a little excited: "This ring... I remember it! Once you wear it, as long as there are other people around you within a certain range, the ghost won't be able to detect the person wearing the ring, right?"

“Yes,” Jiang Jin was somewhat surprised that she knew, “As long as there are at least two living people within a radius of fifty meters, including the person wearing the ring, the ghost cannot ‘see’ or ‘lock onto’ the person wearing the ring.”

Lin Lu was very excited. She usually preferred to immerse herself in the world of novels by herself. Compared to horror games with scary sound effects and visuals, horror novels were much more palatable. The oppressive, despairing, and uniquely designed style of "Mysterious Resurrection" had left a deep impression on her.

"Then...did you bring out any Ghost Candles or Gold from that dungeon? Ghost Candles can ward off ghosts!"

Jiang Jin remembered that after killing Zhao Kaiming, the skull treasure chest that dropped did indeed contain some good stuff—including a golden pistol and ten ghost candles, half of which were red and half were white.

Unfortunately, the system notification stated that the pistol was only effective under the rules of the [Terror Resurgence] instance, and the Ghost Candle...

“Yes, there is,” Jiang Jin shook his head and said, “but the Ghost Candle has significant side effects. Its principle is to forcibly distort local rules, and after being lit, it can forcibly pull a person back to the materialistic level when their SAN value is low. However, it will cause abnormal fluctuations in SAN value afterward, which is very detrimental to reducing the potential for long-term SAN value decline. It’s like drinking poison to quench thirst. It’s best not to use it unless absolutely necessary.”

He thought to himself: If you knew that I also brought out the coffin nail that can pin down all evil spirits, and even had two chances to summon the male protagonist of that dungeon, Ghost Eye Yang Jian, you would probably be even more surprised.

Getting back to the point, Jiang Jin explained his plan: "Once Deathstroke starts eating the glutinous rice, you should immediately put on the ring. If there's a problem with the glutinous rice, or if it attracts that 'ghost' to attack me, you'll be perfectly safe by his side. Since the mission requires finding the 'true form,' what's appearing now is likely just a clone or some other phenomenon. Your task is to observe carefully, remember all its characteristics and the direction it left in, and then track it down."

Lin Lu was startled, and her face turned pale instantly!

She had only been a reincarnator for a short time, and forcing her to confront terror and even track ghosts was far beyond her psychological capacity.

"I...I can't do it! Officer Jiang! I can't do it! I'll be scared out of my wits! Besides, aren't you best at tracking ghosts as a hunter? How about...how about we let Deathstroke track them?"

Jiang Jin patiently comforted him: "Deathstroke has already infiltrated the corrupted strata, and its tracking is easily detected. We only have one chance to report to the reincarnation system, so we must ensure that nothing goes wrong and we cannot alert them. You are the most suitable candidate, and with this ring, you are safe. Remember, observe, and then come back and tell me what you have seen. This is the most important task."

With Jiang Jin's encouragement and trust, Lin Lu finally accepted the ring with trembling hands. She took a deep breath and tried to muster her courage, but her hands still trembled unconsciously.

The plan began. Deathstroke lowered its head and began to devour the mango sticky rice on the ground. It actually had no appetite for human food, only wanting to eat resentment crystals and resentment fragments, but since its master had given the order, Deathstroke had no choice but to obey.

Lin Lu watched nervously as she slipped the cold ring onto her finger.

Soon, both large bowls of sticky rice were "eaten" up by Deathstroke.

However... nothing happened.

Deathstroke licked his lips, and there was no unusual change in his body.

Jiang Jin frowned, carefully observing the Death Bell, and commanded it: "Death Bell, deploy the Ghost Domain! Activate the Resentment Curse Membrane!"

With a low growl, Deathstroke activated its [Ghost Domain Mark] ability, and the ghost domain spread out from it. At the same time, ancient and eerie bronze-colored resentful patterns appeared on its body, emitting even stronger fluctuations of supernatural power.

Jiang Jin himself was also on high alert, gripping the Mourning Hunting Rifle in his right hand and the Zhong Kui Judge's Pen in his left, ready to be activated at any moment.

Suddenly!
Jiang Jin felt a strong palpitation and a chill!

A hunter's instincts screamed a warning! Something... was watching him! It was filled with malice and chilling intent!

Without hesitation, he instantly activated his Ghost Eyes, his gaze sweeping across every corner of the living room like a searchlight!
Behind the curtains, under the sofa, on the ceiling...

However, in You Tong's vision, apart from the intense resentment fluctuations caused by the death knell's unfolding of the ghost domain, no trace of any active or powerful spirits was found!

"Where is it?" Alarm bells rang in Jiang Jin's mind.

He gripped his hunting rifle tightly, his body tense, and began to move cautiously along the wall on the first floor, his eyes scanning everything with the vigilance of a hawk. Lin Lu, wearing a ring, followed closely behind him, barely daring to breathe. She could feel Jiang Jin's tension, and her own heart was pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.

The first floor... was not found.

Jiang Jin gritted his teeth and took out a raven carving from his watch space.

Lin Lu was stunned. Before she could ask any questions, she saw the carving come to life and transform into a blood-eating crow with sinister eyes and glossy black feathers!
The crow flapped its wings silently and flew swiftly towards the second floor.

As Jiang Jin slowly ascended the stairs, he shared his vision with the Blood Eater Crow.

The crow's gaze swept across the second-floor corridor.

Master bedroom, study, balcony, bathroom... It nimbly flew past every doorway, its sharp eyes scanning the interior.

Jiang Jin, who shares the same field of vision, still sees the normal scene through the eyes of the crow.

In the wedding photos, "Lu Ni" is still wearing a white dress, and everything seems unchanged.

The crow flew to the top of the stairs, preparing to circle around one last time to conduct a final reconnaissance.

At this moment!

Through the crow's vision, Jiang Jin only saw an extremely dazzling flash of light suddenly erupt, filling the entire field of vision!

Rule Six: [If you notice any unusual light or sound in the room, immediately hide inside the closet and do not come out for at least five minutes!]

"Light!" This rule flashed through Jiang Jin's mind. Although he didn't hear a sound, it was because he could only share vision with the blood-eating crows but not hearing!
He didn't dare to take the risk!
Jiang Jin grabbed the terrified Lin Lu and rushed towards the large wardrobe in the master bedroom at top speed!
Although Lin Lu wore that ring, it belonged to the rule-based items of another horror dungeon. Different horror dungeons have different rule contamination, so it's best to follow the rules here first!
The two of them slammed open the wardrobe door, stumbled inside, and then slammed the door shut from the inside!

Just as the cabinet door closed, Jiang Jin suddenly felt the death knell let out a painful wail, and then the connection was instantly severed!
The shared vision with the blood-eating crows was also cut off! A deathly silence fell outside!
The wardrobe was cramped and filled with the smell of wood and mothballs. Light was almost completely blocked out, with only a faint ray of light seeping in through the crack in the door.

Lin Lu was so frightened that she trembled all over and covered her mouth tightly to keep from screaming.

Jiang Jin leaned against the cabinet wall, his heart pounding.

He raised his mortar and aimed it forward.

Then, instinctively, I wanted to activate my X-ray vision to see what was outside the wardrobe! Then, I considered whether or not to pull the trigger!
But just as he was about to concentrate, an even stronger hunting instinct from the depths of his soul poured down like ice water, frantically stopping him!
A clear premonition told him that once he could see through the illusion, the thing outside would definitely discover them and would be able to break through the wardrobe's "rule protection"!
Jiang Jin forcefully suppressed the urge to use his X-ray vision, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He could only strain to listen... However, the outside was eerily silent, as if everything had frozen in time.

He couldn't even hear his own heartbeat; it was as if his voice had been swallowed up by some force.

Suddenly……

"Meow--"

This is Lucky, the calico cat!

Jiang Jin gripped the mournful cry tightly, praying in his heart that the cat wouldn't run in front of the wardrobe and attract the attention of that "thing" outside!

Then he heard several meows, as if Lucky had been moving around in the master bedroom.

Is that a third person outside?

Time passed slowly in extreme oppression and fear. Each second felt like an eternity. The trembling of the forest deer was clearly transmitted through the narrow space.

At that moment, the cat's sounds began to move towards the outside of the bedroom.

The calico cat seemed to have no contact with the ghost at all throughout the entire process...

But Jiang Jin had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

The rules specifically emphasize that this cat is clearly more than just a pet.

Jiang Jin suddenly remembered that he had noticed a detail when he checked Atai's social media.

Atai raised this calico cat even before he met Lu Ni!
However, judging from subsequent Facebook updates, Atai doesn't seem to take good care of the cat. It's mostly Lu Ni who does the cleaning, buying litter and food, changing the water, and bathing the cat, and that's all concentrated on her Facebook page.

It seems that Artest...

Not really a fan of cats?
If that's the case, then this cat... was it bought by Atai?

Finally... five minutes have passed.

Jiang Jin and Lin Lu exchanged a glance, both seeing fear and hesitation in each other's eyes. But they couldn't stay hidden inside forever.

Jiang Jin took a deep breath and carefully, little by little, pushed open the wardrobe door.

Outside... everything is as usual.

The master bedroom seemed unchanged from when they hid inside. The lights were still on (they had kept all the lights on in the house), and the wedding photo was still hanging, as if the terrifying flash and the loss of contact had been just an illusion.

But Jiang Jin knew it wasn't true.

He immediately tried to sense the death knell, but there was no response!

He then took out the ghost dog whistle, put it to his mouth, and blew it hard!
A high-frequency sound wave, inaudible to the human ear but targeted at spirits, spread out.

The next moment, on the floor of the master bedroom, tiny specks of gray, resentful ashes seemed to be drawn out of the void, gathered together, and finally barely coalesced into the shape of a death knell.

But it looked incredibly miserable, its body even more ethereal and transparent than before, the bronze-colored resentment patterns on its body so dim they were almost invisible, and its entire spirit was in an extremely weak state, as if it would collapse again at any moment. It even seemed incredibly difficult for it to maintain its form.

Jiang Jin's heart sank. The depth of Deathstroke's injuries far exceeded his expectations! This was the first time he had ever seen Deathstroke so severely wounded!
"Deathstroke! What's wrong with you?"

Jiang Jin, who is in perfect harmony with Deathstroke, can fully sense Deathstroke's current pain!
However, before Jiang Jin could go up and examine it closely, the barely formed shape of Deathstroke suddenly fluctuated violently, as if it had been hit by some invisible force, and then—

"puff--"

Like smoke and ash being blown away, Deathstroke's massive body exploded completely, turning into countless lifeless gray ashes that slowly dissipated into the air...

Then, I could no longer sense anything.

Jiang Jin was stunned.

Lin Lu also covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief!
(End of this chapter)