Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 268 The Blood Spider's Intrusion

Advancing to the level 2 of the Mysterious Lawyer slightly eased the oppression in Jiang Jin's heart. Looking at the unfathomable "begging monk" in front of him, a thought struck him. He put his hands together and respectfully asked, "Master, your Buddhist teachings are profound. Could you please have mercy and help your disciple overcome the calamity in this mansion? The 'dirty things' inside are truly extraordinary."

The begging monk's face remained calm and expressionless. His eyes, which seemed to see through people's hearts, looked at Jiang Jin, and he slowly shook his head, replying in a low voice, "Benefactor, your karmic entanglement with this house is already deep. You must resolve this calamity yourself. The power of Buddhism is not omnipotent and cannot sever all obstacles in the world. Forced intervention may cause even greater changes. Everything depends on your own destiny and choices."

He paused, then emphasized again: "Remember, do not follow them again, and do not ask any more questions."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer. Carrying the bronze bowl, he turned and slowly left, his figure quickly blending into the morning crowds of the streets and alleys, as if he had never appeared.

Jiang Jin looked in the direction the monk had left, his heart sinking slightly.

He then tried to sense the death knell, but the rekindled ashes of resentment were still slowly drawing power from the depths of the contaminated layer, and he couldn't rely on it for the time being.

Today is a working day.

Given Atai's status, he needs to visit their startup studio to meet with Saiti, Saran, Parang, Lubana, and others, and also to discuss the specific arrangements for returning to his alma mater to participate in the school's anniversary celebration the next day.

According to various chat logs, "Lu Ni" appears to be a full-time housewife.

But after last night's terrifying experience, Lin Lu absolutely dared not stay alone in this eerie house.

“You’re coming to the studio with me today,” Jiang Jin said to Lin Lu. “Just say you’re going to help out with some odd jobs. They all know you, so they won’t find it too strange.”

Lin Lu nodded hurriedly, saying she was willing to go anywhere as long as she could leave the house.

After tidying up briefly, the two headed out to the "Siam Pixel" studio located in an office building in the Sukhumvit area.

The studio is small, but it is decorated in a very creative and vibrant way, with design drafts and award certificates on the walls.

Satie and Parang have arrived. Parang is the tall, seemingly skilled partner that Jiang Jin saw in a social media photo.

"Atai, Luni, you're here," Seti greeted them, then glanced at the door. "Strange, why hasn't Tana arrived yet? I can't get through on the phone; it says he's out of service."

Jiang Jin remained expressionless, thinking to himself: His phone is probably still in that terrifying toilet in the Lost Layer; it would be strange if you could get through.

He said, "Maybe something's holding us up. Let's talk first."

Saran and Lubana arrived a little later. The group sat together, with Seti mainly talking about arranging the itinerary for tomorrow's school anniversary celebration, who would give the speech, the final confirmation of the speech, and the list of some important alumni and leaders who were expected to attend.

Jiang Jin listened carefully, trying to find any clues that might be related to "Sweet Home" or the "woman with the hair clip," but he found nothing.

Throughout the process, Lin Lu sat quietly to the side, pretending to organize documents, trying to minimize her presence, which was in line with her quiet personality as "Lu Ni".

During a break in the meeting, Jiang Jin seized an opportunity and privately pulled Palang into the tea room.

Parang has a straightforward personality and was a close friend of Artest and Seti from university.

Jiang Jin hooked his arm around Parang's shoulder, striking a pose like two buddies, and said with a smile, "Parang, we're brothers, right? Let me test you and see just how strong our bond really is!"

Parang laughed too: "Sure, take the test if you want! We're like brothers!"

Jiang Jin first asked a few simple questions: "What's my birthday? What's my zodiac sign?"

Parang answered fluently: "November 7th, Scorpio! Who doesn't know that?"

"My blood type?"

"Type AB! I even went with you to that physical exam!"

"Which prefecture is my hometown from?"

"Of course, he's a talented man from Nakhon Ratchasima!"

Parang answered all the questions accurately, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Jiang Jin suddenly changed the subject, asking seemingly casually, "So what was my ex-girlfriend's name? How many hair clips did she like to wear the most?"

The moment the question was asked, the smile on Parang's face froze!

His eyes flashed with utter bewilderment as he said, "Atai, what... what are you talking about? Are you alright?"

Jiang Jin was taken aback.

Does he not have an ex-girlfriend at all?
"Tell me, who exactly is she? How many hair clips does she wear?"

Parang frowned and said, "Atai, what do you mean by this? Have you lost your mind? I have things to do, I'm leaving!"

Then he turned away and ignored Jiang Jin.

Then he opened the door to the tea room and went out.

Jiang Jin immediately followed him out, intending to ask further questions.

But Palang wasn't in the office!

"Where is Parang?" Jiang Jin asked in surprise.

Satie was taken aback and said, "Didn't he just go into the break room with you? What's wrong?"

"He...he just came out, didn't he?"

Seti was taken aback, and Lubana and Saran next to him also looked at Jiang Jin in confusion.

"Palang... he hasn't come out. We've been staying here the whole time. If he came out, we would have seen him!"

At this moment, Jiang Jin and Lin Lu immediately looked at each other and saw the fear in each other's eyes!

Meanwhile, Bangkok's Silom district is known for its vibrant business and financial center intertwined with nightlife and red-light districts.

A striking sight appeared on the street.

A beautiful Western woman with long, jet-black hair is walking with a cat-like gait on the bustling sidewalk.

Her figure was so hot it was breathtaking, especially her impressive bust, which almost burst her tight-fitting deep V-neck top, and her deep cleavage attracted the attention of countless passersby.

Almost every man turned to look at her, and even many women cast admiring or envious glances at her. Her face was adorned with exquisite makeup, and her eyes held a glint of languor, allure, and an almost imperceptible cruelty, like a poisonous yet incomparably beautiful flower.

She is Valeria the Blood Spider.

Originally, she planned to wait for Lin Lu to come out of Youxiang Shopping Mall, but then she realized something was wrong.

She couldn't find a new reincarnator to mentor! A mentor's job is to wait until the new reincarnator emerges and then guide them out of the quarantine zone!
Why are there no new mentors for the reincarnated players? Is it because no one is applying? Or has the mentor already recognized Lin Lu's special abilities and decided to enter the instance to protect her?

So, she used her precious reincarnation system access to find the dungeon entrance Lin Lu had entered. However, when she tried to enter the dungeon through normal channels, she received a restriction message from the reincarnation system—the [Medium] class was prohibited from entering this dungeon.

However, Valeria, being a member of the Bloody Team's main group, immediately took out an ominous bookmark from her Reincarnator Watch.

This is a special item given to her by the Blood Lord, which allows her to forcibly enter the terrifying dungeon without being assigned any tasks.

After using the bookmark, a spatial distortion occurred, and she successfully infiltrated Bangkok, appearing on the streets of Silom.

Soon, a man who was confident in his muscular physique and was wearing a floral shirt approached with a lewd smile, his eyes lingering on Valeria's breasts and buttocks without any attempt to conceal his gaze.

Valeria's attire and her almost ingrained air of sophistication, coupled with the fact that they were near a red-light district, prompted him to approach her and strike up a conversation.

"Hey, beautiful, all alone? Free tonight? How much?" the man asked directly in accented English, his tone flippant.

Valeria licked her lips, her gaze lingering for a moment on his muscular physique. If it weren't for the soul imprint planted by the Blood Lord, forcing her to remain "loyal," given her indulgent and thrill-seeking nature, she wouldn't mind having a fleeting affair with this seemingly "durable" man, and then slowly torturing him to death.

However, the existence of the Soul Imprint prevents her from having any real relationship with any man other than the Blood Lord.

"Get out of my way." Valeria's eyes turned cold and dangerous as she uttered two words in fluent Thai. The murderous intent in her tone made the burly man subconsciously take a step back, muttering sullenly as he walked away.

She couldn't be bothered with such ants; her immediate priority was to find a foothold, gather intelligence, and locate Lin Lu.

Through the reincarnation system, she exchanged a resentment crystal in her watch, which had absorbed two-thirds of the resentment ash and was now worth less, for Thai baht cash.

She then went straight to what looked like the most luxurious hotel in the vicinity and booked a penthouse suite with cash.

Upon entering the luxurious suite, Valeria's first action was to step into the spacious bathroom.

As per her requested room service, the enormous Jacuzzi was already filled with hot water and sprinkled with rose petals. She removed her provocative clothes, revealing her flawless, almost perfect, sexy body, and lay down in the warm water.

After her bath, she didn't rush to get dressed. Instead, she went to the bathroom mirror and gazed at her reflection with the eyes of someone admiring a work of art. Every curve, every inch of skin, was as perfect as a masterpiece of the Creator.

However, as I watched, an extremely sickly and distorted expression gradually appeared on her beautiful face!
"Why...why do I have such a perfect body...yet I have to become that bastard Blood Lord's plaything!"

"Soul Imprint... Damn Soul Imprint!"

She hissed in a low voice, her eyes filled with a crazed killing intent: "If one day... if one day I can break free from this damned bondage... I will repay him a hundredfold for everything he did to me! I will drain him dry! I will extract his soul and torment him for ten thousand years!"

As for the "gratitude" of Blood Lord for rescuing her from the desperate situation of being hunted by the Dawn Team and giving her power and status, as well as how many enemies who hated her to the bone helped her with the name of the Bloody Team, all of that had long since vanished from her twisted and perverted heart, leaving only the overwhelming resentment of being bound and possessed.

She and Xia Yu are essentially the same kind of person—extremely self-centered, greedy, and cruel, treating others as tools to be used or ants to be trampled on, and never truly grateful. The difference is that all of Xia Yu's evil deeds are for tangible benefits, while her evil deeds are simply to satisfy her perverse desires.

After venting her frustrations, Valeria gradually calmed down. She changed into another outfit that was equally sexy but easier to move in, and began to think about how to find the forest deer.

She is a medium who is skilled at communicating with spirits, tormenting souls, and extracting energy, but accurately finding a specific person in a vast sea of ​​people is not her forte.

She first turned on the TV, switching between local news channels, and then used the hotel computer to search online for social news and urban legends, hoping to find reports about paranormal events, but to no avail. The impact of the copy seemed to be strictly limited to a specific area and had not spread to the general public.

“Looks like… I’ll have to use some ‘local’ methods.” Valeria sneered, deciding to draw on the power of Bangkok’s underworld.

She stepped out of the hotel and once again blended into the bustling crowds of the Silom district.

She quickly found a rather large bar with a ladyboy show, its sign flashing suggestive lights. Such places are usually a mixed bag, with connections to various shady forces.

She walked straight in and found the owner behind the bar—a middle-aged man with a gold chain and shrewd eyes.

“I want to buy information on someone,” Valeria said bluntly, placing a stack of Thai baht on the table. “Money is no object.”

The boss glanced at the stack of banknotes, then at Valeria's stunning face and figure, a glint of greed and lust flashing in his eyes.

He chuckled, "Sure, sure. Who do you want to see, beautiful lady? But... we have a rule here: you have to pay a deposit first, and... we need to go inside the office to register your information in detail."

He pointed to an inconspicuous little door behind him.

Just then, the television on the bar wall was playing the evening news, mentioning that a well-known university in Bangkok would be holding its anniversary celebration the next day, and that some leaders from the Ministry of Education would also be attending.

Valeria glanced at it but didn't pay it any mind; all she cared about now was finding Lin Lu.

“Okay.” Valeria picked up the money and followed the boss into the so-called “office.”

The moment the door closed, the boss revealed his true colors, pulling a pistol from a drawer and pointing it at Valeria, leering, "You slut, you're fucking hot! Leave the money and yourself here, play with me, or else..."

Before he could finish speaking, everything went blurry before his eyes! A sharp, piercing pain shot through his wrist!

With a sharp crack, Valeria easily snapped his wrist with incredible speed and strength! The pistol fell to the ground.

"Ah—!" Before the boss's scream could even fully escape his lips, Valeria's other hand had already grabbed his neck, lifting him off the ground!

The boss was utterly shocked. How could this be?

Valeria's eyes flashed with a blood-red light, and her body emanated a cold and terrifying spiritual pressure!

"Uh...uh..." The boss struggled desperately, his eyes filled with unprecedented fear.

He felt as if he was facing not a human being, but a demon from hell!

"You piece of trash, you dare to lay a finger on me?" Valeria's voice was as cold as the Siberian wind. She loosened her grip slightly, allowing her boss to catch his breath.

The boss collapsed to the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy like a rag doll: "I...I'm sorry...Spare me...Please spare me! I promise...I promise I'll find the person you're looking for...Please..."

Valeria gave him a look of disgust, as if he were a cockroach: "Get up. Use all your connections to find a Chinese woman named Lin Lu, about this tall, and who looks..."

She showed her boss the photos of Lin Lu that the information broker had given her.

"If you have any news, call this number."

"Yes! Yes! Definitely! I'll get it done right away!" the boss stammered, making sure he was on his feet.

Valeria snorted coldly, not bothering to look at him again, and turned to walk out of the bar.

Then, out on the street, Valeria closed her eyes and tried a different approach.

As a medium, she began to expand her senses, attempting to sense the wandering spirits, powerful earthbound spirits, or any unusual and intense fluctuations of supernatural energy in the city. In the Rule-Based Mystery instance, the rule-based pollution emitted by memes should be perceived by the medium as a lighthouse in the darkness.

However, the interference from the material layer was too strong; her perception was as if veiled by a thick fog. She took a deep breath, her mind beginning to sink, attempting to probe her senses into the contaminated layer…

Suddenly!
Deep within the Lost Layer, she detected a strangely familiar yet weak fluctuation of resentment!

That feeling... was very similar to some kind of undead core that was being reshaped and drawing power!

She immediately focused her mind, and the medium's power extended and locked onto that direction like tentacles!
Soon, an extremely dim, almost vanishing gray hound phantom appeared in her perception—it was unconsciously absorbing the resentful ashes from the surrounding contaminated layer, attempting to reform itself.

“This is…” Valeria was stunned at first, then recognized it, “Jiang Jin’s undead hound?! How did it become like this? It looks like it was scattered and is regenerating?”

In reality, "Sweet Home" is quite far from her location, but distance in the material plane is meaningless in the contaminated plane. The key is that, as a reincarnator, she can easily detect the rule-based pollution fluctuations released by the large amount of condensed resentment ashes within the contaminated plane.

Ultimately, aside from the charlatan lawyer, the Ashes of Resentment are the source of power for all Chinese reincarnators, and for a powerful medium like Valeria, the pollution of rules from the same source can quickly sense each other in the chaotic Lost Layer of the spatial plane.

Without any hesitation, she immediately took out a specially made soul-absorbing bottle from her Reincarnator watch, which was used to imprison souls, and aimed it at the weak core of resentment from a distance!

A powerful suction force emanated from the bottle opening, and the Deathstroke phantom, which had not yet regained consciousness, was unable to resist and was instantly pulled into the bottle!

Valeria watched the gray mist slowly swirling at the bottom of the bottle, trying to condense but failing, and a cruel yet excited smile appeared on her face: "Tsk tsk tsk, what a sorry sight... I didn't expect the vice-leader of the Nirvana team to be so badly treated in this dungeon, even the watchdogs were scattered."

She immediately realized, "Jiang Jin is also in this instance! Then, the Nirvana team is likely also active nearby? Or... could that Lin Lu be with them?"

This discovery excited her even more.

If we can find Jiang Jin through this, we might be able to follow the clues to find Lin Lu!
“Jiang Jin… Ha, it’s perfect to use your dog as a guide.”

Valeria caressed the Soul-Sucking Bottle in her hand. Through her mediumship, she could faintly sense the direction indicated by the remaining contractual link between Deathstroke and Jiang Jin.

"The game... is only now starting to get really interesting."

Valeria licked her red lips, her eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty and expectant light, and began to move in the direction she sensed.

(End of this chapter)