Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 267 The Mysterious Lawyer LV2
As he watched the death knell turn into ashes and vanish, Jiang Jin's heart sank to the bottom!
This was the first time he had seen Deathstroke suffer such a devastating blow since he acquired it, to the point that it couldn't even maintain its basic form!

Just then, a system message appeared in his left eye:
"Warning: Reincarnator Jiang Jin, your undead hound Deathstroke has been attacked by an unknown high-intensity rule, and its core resentment structure has been severely damaged. The resentment ash that makes up its body has dissipated and merged into the current instance's contaminated layer, requiring a considerable amount of time to absorb the resentment in the environment before it can re-coalesce. During this period, it cannot be summoned."

Seeing that Deathstroke would take some time to recover, Jiang Jin breathed a slight sigh of relief, but at the same time became even more solemn—that unknown entity actually possessed such terrifying power to corrupt the rules!

"Fortunately, Deathstroke is fine. The ashes will recover after a while once they enter the contaminated layer."

Hearing Jiang Jin say this, Lin Lu patted her chest and said with lingering fear, "Thank goodness... thank goodness I'm not dead... I was so scared."

Jiang Jin looked at her with some surprise: "You seem to... really like animals?"

Even in this terrifying environment where every day is uncertain, she still cares about the "life or death" of a ghost hound.

Lin Lu's eyes dimmed slightly, and she said softly, "Well... I also had a cat at home, an orange tabby named Mimi. It was very well-behaved... but later, it was killed by a ghost... It's all my fault, I shouldn't have broken the rules..." Her voice choked up, and she looked quite sad.

Jiang Jin remained silent for a moment before abruptly changing the subject, after all, now was not the time for sentimentality.

"Alright, let's analyze the current situation. Just now, something must have been drawn out, or... alerted. Deathstroke eating the sticky rice, along with unleashing the Ghost Domain and the Wraith Mark, was probably a provocation or a probe."

Hearing this, Lin Lu also belatedly felt afraid, and the fear she had felt while hiding in the closet surged back into her heart.

"This thing isn't from the Annihilation Layer, is it? It's from the Lost Layer?"

"Probably not, otherwise the difficulty would be too insane. The Lost Layer doesn't have a strong cognitive barrier yet, but even if I, at LV2, went into the Annihilation Layer, I wouldn't be able to observe the Annihilation Layer phenomena at all."

"What does this mean?" Lin Lu asked, somewhat puzzled. "Cognitive isolation?"

"Well, to put it simply, according to the principle of cognitive isolation, it is inherently infeasible for a lower level to observe a higher level of contamination. As a reincarnator who is still at the LV2 level, my senses and cognitive framework are rooted in the linear spacetime continuum of the three-dimensional material universe. Our observation behavior itself needs to rely on basic constants such as distance, sequence, and causality."

Lin Lu was immediately puzzled but impressed, but she was still very eager to learn, so she continued to ask, "What about the Annihilation Layer? What kind of layer does it belong to?"

After all, just hearing the name "Annihilation" is enough to send chills down your spine.

For an ordinary person, at only LV1, Jiang Jin wouldn't have the time or inclination to explain the Annihilation Layer to them. But Lin Lu is different; with her talent, reaching the Annihilation Layer is only a matter of time. Moreover, he hopes to invite Lin Lu to join his group, so he doesn't mind helping her with the explanation.

"The so-called annihilation layer exists in a mode that transcends the constants I just mentioned. It is not a region that can be located, but a completely different spatial structure or state of existence. Our attempt to probe the annihilation layer at this level is, to give an example... like trying to measure emotions with a thermometer. The tool and the object are fundamentally incompatible, and the feedback can only be nothingness, noise, or completely unanalyzable chaos. Unless the observer itself completes a paradigm leap to LV4, the annihilation layer will forever remain theoretically unobservable. Therefore, when the SAN value falls to this level, we will inevitably fall into madness and despair."

"It's so complicated... I don't quite understand..." Lin Lu asked curiously, "But this analogy is really interesting, using a thermometer to measure emotions?"

After a while, Jiang Jin suggested an idea: "Alright, Lin Lu, let's talk about this later. You're a sorcerer, so you're sensitive to resentment. Could you try to sense if that 'thing' left any trace in the Mysterious Layer? Even just a faint trace of its aura? If possible, try to use sorcery to place a simple 'mark' or tracking spell on it. It doesn't need to be very strong, just enough for us to sense it."

Lin Lu hesitated for a moment, but nodded nonetheless: "I...I can try. But that thing seems very strong, I'm not sure if I can succeed..."

She took out the handwritten copy of "The Secrets of Guletai Black Magic" and quickly flipped through the sections on tracking and sensing techniques. Then, she took out the bundle of resentful hair, carefully drew out a strand of black hair that exuded cold resentment, poured out some dark red liquid from the strange blood essence bottle, and drew a simple yet eerie small magic circle on the ground.

She knelt before the magic circle, her hands forming a mudra, chanting a difficult incantation, concentrating all her energy to sense and communicate with the abnormal fluctuations remaining in the space.

Time passed second by second, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Lu's forehead, and her face grew paler and paler.

She could sense a powerful, cold, and malicious residual aura permeating the air, but the aura was too advanced and obscure, like looking at a blurry shadow through thick frosted glass—impossible to capture or lock onto.

For her now, is she also using a thermometer to measure her emotions?

Finally, she exhausted her mental energy, her SAN value couldn't hold up any longer, and she could only slump to the ground, weakly shaking her head: "No... Officer Jiang. I can only vaguely sense that it existed. It... is very strong, extremely strong... but most of its traces seem to be hidden in a deeper layer of pollution, which I can't reach with my current level of black magic... I'm sorry."

Although Jiang Jin was disappointed, he knew he couldn't force the issue: "It's okay, you've already done your best."

Just then, a soft "meow" came from the bedroom doorway.

The two were startled at the same time and turned to look. They saw that the calico cat Lucky had appeared at the door at some point, looking at them curiously with its heterochromatic eyes, one black and one amber. Then it gracefully strolled in, jumped onto the bed, found a comfortable spot to curl up, and began to groom itself.

Everything seemed so natural, just like an ordinary house cat.

However, looking at the cat, an extremely frightening guess suddenly rushed into Jiang Jin's mind!
After Lucky seemed to have fallen asleep, he lowered his voice and asked Lin Lu in an extremely serious tone, "Just now... when that cat came in, we all heard its meows and footsteps, right?"

Lin Lu was taken aback by the question, then nodded: "Yes, what's wrong?"

Jiang Jin lowered his voice even further, tinged with an incredulous chill: "Then... here's the problem. Rule Six: 'If you detect both unusual light and sound in the room simultaneously, immediately crawl into the wardrobe...'"

"And just as the flash appeared and we hid in the closet, all contact with the outside world was cut off, leaving only deathly silence. But then... this cat walked in..."

Lin Lu's eyes slowly widened, a chill running from her feet to the top of her head. She understood Jiang Jin's meaning, and her voice began to tremble: "You...you mean...this cat...it might be..."

“Yes!” Jiang Jin’s eyes were fixed on the cat. “I suspect that this calico cat, Lucky, is not a cat at all! It is that ‘third person’! Or rather, it is the incarnation that the evil spirit uses to disguise itself and lurk among us! That’s why it can ignore certain rules, or… it is itself part of the rules!”

This speculation is utterly shocking!

The first rule also emphasizes that "only Atai, Luni, and the calico cat Lucky live in the house." If the cat is a ghost, then that's the biggest irony and a trap!
Lin Lu felt a chill run down her spine, but because of her love for cats and her previous interactions with Lucky, she found it hard to believe: "Is...it shouldn't be, right? Officer Jiang, I really love cats, I've held it before, and I've looked closely at its eyes...although sometimes I feel its gaze is a bit too 'human,' I don't feel...I don't sense any evil aura at all. It just looks like an ordinary, somewhat lazy cat..."

Jiang Jin's inner monologue: Women... are still too emotional. In the world of supernatural tales, appearances are the least reliable thing.

However, lacking direct evidence, he cannot be certain. The speculation is too alarming and requires further verification.

Night fell again, and midnight arrived.

The two began taking turns keeping watch again.

Having experienced the horrors of the day, the addition of the death knell made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

Looking at Lin Lu, who was tense but still trying to stay calm, Jiang Jin felt a bit of admiration: "You really are... full of energy. You seem to be in pretty good shape?"

He relied on his Hunter Level 2 physique to tough it out, but Lin Lu was just a newbie.

Lin Lu smiled sheepishly: "Maybe... it's because I absorbed those resentful thoughts? Although I didn't feel well afterwards, I seem to have more energy than before?"

She herself wasn't quite sure about this.

The two then began to discuss their current predicament.

Lin Lu still thought of Deathstroke from time to time, and said worriedly, "Officer Jiang, Deathstroke... it re-condensed in that polluted layer, will it be alright? I feel so sorry for it, all alone... When it comes back, you must treat it well."

Jiang Jin nodded and said, "Don't worry, it's an important partner of mine."

From the [Watery Pool Evil Spirit] dungeon, Deathstroke has followed Jiang Jin all the way to now, and the bond between the two has become very deep. Lin Lu then asked, "Hey, do all hunters have undead hounds like this?"

“Not necessarily,” Jiang Jin thought for a moment, “Among the hunters I know, there are exceptions.”

For example, Feng Ya didn't have any hunting dogs.

"However, most hunters do raise one, as it's considered a profession feature. The newbie gift pack usually includes a 'Black Ash Bone,' which, when fed to a selected canine animal using a specific method, will generate the initial, relatively weak undead hound. My Deathstroke is special; it was generated using a higher-level 'Black Ash Rune,' giving it a better base stat than most hunters' hounds."

Lin Lu asked with some envy, "Then... what kind of pets or helpers do we sorcerers have?"

Jiang Jin shook his head: "As far as I know, no. Sorcerers focus more on cursing, manipulating, and utilizing various mediums."

He paused, looking at Lin Lu who, despite being scared, could still communicate normally with him and even care about the pet, and couldn't help but say, "To be honest, I thought you would be more scared, but it seems you've adapted faster than I expected."

Lin Lu lowered her head and said softly, "Hmm...maybe it's because...Officer Jiang is here. Although I'm still scared, I feel...there's still hope with you here, so I'm not so desperate."

She herself felt a little embarrassed by what she said.

Jiang Jin was slightly taken aback, not expecting such a response. He was about to say something—

at this time!

The television screen in the living room suddenly lit up without warning!

Sizzle... sizzle...

After a burst of static and static, an extremely blurry and shaky video began to play!

Jiang Jin and Lin Lu tensed up instantly, staring intently at the screen!
On the television screen, a man appeared—it was Atai, the character played by Jiang Jin!

But he looks a bit more youthful in the picture than he does now, and his clothes and appearance are more like those of a student.

He was walking through the living room of Sweet Home, a smile of excitement mixed with anticipation and nervousness on his face, when he sat down at the dining table.

The angle of the shot looks like it was taken secretly, and the location seems to be in a corner of the living room.

Just then! An even more chilling scene unfolded!

On the wall behind Artest, a blurry, distorted shadow slowly emerged and was gradually approaching Artest, who was looking on with a happy and expectant expression!

The silhouette of that shadow... vaguely resembled a woman with long hair!
Moreover, it seems that Atai showed an even more delighted smile after seeing the owner of the shadow!
Five seconds are up!
Without any hesitation, Jiang Jin unplugged the TV!

The screen went black instantly.

The two were still panting, their shock unresolved, and they glanced at their Reincarnator watches at the same time—the SAN values ​​on them hadn't changed at all.

It seems that as long as the rules are strictly followed, one will not be directly affected by spiritual pollution.

“Just now… that shadow…” Lin Lu’s voice trembled, “that 'third person'?”

Jiang Jin nodded solemnly: "It seems so. But Atai seems quite happy to see this 'third person'?"

Lin Lu thought for a moment and voiced her long-held suspicion: "Officer Jiang, do you think... this 'third person' could be Atai's ex-girlfriend? Could it be love turned to hate? That's why she knew his tastes so well and made him mango sticky rice, but she also resented him and turned into a vengeful ghost to take revenge?"

"According to you, is there such a setting in the game?"

"In the game's storyline, there doesn't seem to be a clear ex-girlfriend setting; the female protagonist, Jane, is the wife."

“However, anything can happen with a modified version of a game. I’ve considered that possibility too. But,” Jiang Jin changed the subject, “I’ve carefully checked all of Atai’s university classmates’ social media accounts, including the now-deceased Tana’s, and all the chat logs. There’s no indication that Atai had a girlfriend during university or after graduation, before he met Lu Ni, with whom he had such a close relationship, or who even visited this house. Unless…”

“Unless this ex-girlfriend is someone he needs to keep from everyone,” Lin Lu replied.

"Keep it from everyone?" Jiang Jin pondered. "Why? Unless it's... a shady relationship? Like, the other person is a married woman?"

Just then, Lin Lu suddenly blurted out, "Or... is it homosexuality?"

"Huh?" Jiang Jin was stunned, not expecting her to think in this direction. "Your thinking... is too unconventional!"

Lin Lu said a little shyly in a low voice, "I...I usually like to read...um...BL fanfiction...that's what came to mind right away..."

Jiang Jin was both amused and exasperated, but after thinking about it seriously for a moment, he shook his head: "The rules repeatedly emphasize 'women wearing hair clips'... wait a minute!"

He stopped abruptly, as if he had grasped something crucial!
“This is Thailand!” Jiang Jin’s eyes lit up. “Rather than homosexuality, could it be that… that ‘woman’ isn’t actually a biological woman? Could that so-called ‘ex-girlfriend’ actually be… a ladyboy? Is that why Atai needs to hide it from everyone? So the emphasis on ‘woman’ and ‘hair clip’ in the rules might be a misleading statement, or an implication of identity?”

While this conjecture is bold, it doesn't seem impossible within the cultural context of Thailand!
A lover, possibly a transgender or ladyboy, hidden away by Atai, turned into a vengeful ghost after being abandoned or driven to hatred by love... This seems to explain many of the doubts!
This new idea made both of them fall into deep thought.

Finally, amidst the tension and speculation, dawn broke. At exactly eight o'clock in the morning, the sound of monks chanting sutras could be heard from downstairs.

Jiang Jin immediately got up and went outside, and sure enough, he saw the "begging monk" appear right on time. He respectfully returned the brocade box containing the gilded bodhi leaves.

The monk took the brocade box, opened it for inspection, and nodded in satisfaction. The next moment, new information appeared on Jiang Jin's right retina:

"Reincarnator Jiang Jin, your trial for promotion to the 'Cursed Lawyer' is complete."

Your level of sophistry has been upgraded to LV2: Logical Sophist.

LV2 Job Skill: Can alter all rules created by meme contamination, including the rules of rule-based items.

Specific modification restrictions:

First, the rules no longer need to strictly adhere to logical coherence, and the rule logic can even disregard conventional causal relationships. However, if the content is too outlandish, it may not pass (for example, rules cannot be used to make reincarnators automatically level up).

Second, the rules can be revised to no longer strictly limit the word count to be the same, and moderate additions and deletions can be made (the revised word count cannot be more or less than 50% of the original word count).

Third, SAN value consumption is reduced. Modifying a rule deducts 5%-20% (depending on the importance of the rule and the extent of the modification). This can apply only to the reincarnator or to others, and the SAN value deducted will need to be increased accordingly. Reincarnators can use Resentment Crystals to offset SAN value, with one Resentment Crystal offsetting 8% of SAN value.

Fourth, the CD time has been changed from 12 hours in LV1 to 4 hours.

Fifth, each modification can only change a maximum of two rules.

(End of this chapter)