Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 274: No.
Xia Yu staggered out of the entrance of Youxiang Shopping Mall. Her appearance at this moment was completely different from the charming, confident and alluring "Witch Queen" she usually was.

Her once exquisite and glamorous makeup was ruined by sweat, her hair was disheveled with strands sticking to her forehead, her face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and her lips were completely bloodless.

The expensive leather jacket was covered in dust and even had several tears.

She walked unsteadily, her steps unsteady, as if she might collapse at any moment, only supported by a sense of resentment and unwillingness to give up.

At the mall entrance, several reincarnated beings responsible for guarding and registering saw her disheveled appearance and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Hey, look over there... isn't that Xia Yu from the Bloody Team? What happened to him, he looks like that?"

"My God, didn't she just advance to LV3 Blood Sacrifice?! Where did she go wrong?"

"Tsk tsk, this is truly a sight to behold. But speaking of which, she was a famous celebrity back in the Insect Cave. In our Muxu City Reincarnator Forum's 'Beauty Contest,' she consistently held the second spot!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Everyone says that although Lady Pustules is undoubtedly the ugliest reincarnator, the two most beautiful ones seem to have come from the Insect Nest? One is the current Lady White Night, and the other is this one."

Another reincarnator stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over Xia Yu's still undeniably voluptuous curves despite her disheveled state. He sneered, "She's undeniably beautiful, that figure...it's like something out of a Japanese erotic manga. But tell me...those breasts of hers, could they be implants? They're way too exaggerated..."

The person next to him shook his head and said, "The beauty pageant rankings were initially compiled by some bored people, but later, when the traffic increased and it became profitable, the Reincarnation Organization took over. This ranking is officially certified, and it's orchestrated by top-tier priestly reincarnations. They absolutely don't consider those 'technologically advanced' procedures. This is definitely due to their exceptional talent! But I advise you not to get your hands on her. This woman is Blood Lord's woman, and a thorny rose at that—no, a poisoned datura! She's ruthless. Look at her now; she probably just killed someone."

"She's pretty as she may be, but she's still a traitor at heart. And who doesn't know she's a total bitch? Who knows how many times she's been with someone else? A pheasant can't become a phoenix just by climbing up a branch." Someone else added disdainfully, "Oh, by the way, you guys should check out the Reincarnator's internal forum, there's some juicy gossip there!"

These whispers pierced Xia Yu's ears like needles, but she didn't even have the strength to get angry.

She just wanted to leave this shameful place as soon as possible and find a secluded corner to lick her wounds.

However, she overestimated her current condition. She forced herself to walk less than 500 meters out of the mall and came to a deserted, overgrown roadside. Finally, she could no longer hold on, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the cold, dirty ground.

It's over...it's all over...

This thought gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake!
Not only did she fail to win back the resentment in Lin Lu and consolidate her LV3 realm, she also lost everything!

The [Dawn] Farmer's Chainsaw, bestowed upon him by the Blood Owl Lord and barely warmed up, along with the [Silent Hill] shotgun, which he had painstakingly acquired and intended to sell for a good price at the Black Sparrow Pavilion auction house, all ended up benefiting Jiang Jin!

Not to mention, in order to survive, she exhausted all her strength to break Valeria's seal, causing her SAN value to plummet, her soul to be damaged, and her foundation to be shaken! If it weren't for the SAN-locking mechanism, she would have already fallen into the Annihilation Layer! She can only grit her teeth and hold on now, otherwise, falling into the Annihilation Layer near the isolation zone would mean encountering Ash Wraiths!

As for... advancing to LV4 Summoning Mistress in the future? From now on, it will only be a slim theoretical hope.

In a future where meme contamination is becoming increasingly severe and dungeons are becoming increasingly difficult, what does it mean if her strength stagnates or even regresses due to this severe blow? It means that she will eventually die in some terrifying dungeon, just like those ants she once killed!
The fear and torment of being sentenced to "death" but not knowing the "execution date" is a hundred times more agonizing than dying immediately!
The thought that he would most likely die a miserable death in despair and pain in the future, and that his soul might not be able to be reincarnated due to meme pollution, filled Xia Yu with extreme panic and resentment!

"Pfft..." A sweet taste came from her throat, and she forced back the blood that was rising in her mouth, but a trace of bright red blood still spilled from the corner of her mouth.

With trembling hands, she took out her phone.

Clinging to the last glimmer of hope, Xia Yu wanted to see if there were any high-risk, high-reward quests on the Reincarnator Forum that could quickly earn a large number of Resentment Crystals. Even if the hope was slim, she had to cling to life and take it one step at a time.

Just then, she suddenly caught sight of the title of a popular post pinned to the top of the forum—

[The first quarter 20XX list of the Muxu City Female Reincarnators Beauty Pageant has been officially released!]

"Oh right... today is the release day..." Xia Yu muttered to herself. This beauty pageant has been established for many years and has gradually gained considerable influence in the reincarnation circle, even indirectly affecting a person's net worth and access to resources. For example, in the past few years, Madam Baiye has served as the host and emcee for Black Sparrow Pavilion's auctions and shopping events on multiple occasions, earning substantial rewards.

Xia Yu remembered that the reincarnators were spreading rumors that the imperial court and the Meme Contamination Monitoring Department had decided to launch a large-scale crackdown on the Insect Nest team. Out of "political correctness," she, as a "model" who "abandoned the darkness and turned to the light" and left the Insect Nest to join the Bloody Team, had a good chance of surpassing Lady Bai Yewei, who had always been ranked ahead of her, and taking the top spot this quarter with her "correct stance"!
If he could really reach number one… a faint glimmer of light ignited in Xia Yu's gloomy heart. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to greatly increase his fame, making it much easier to accept high-paying missions and attend large-scale events to earn rewards, and also speeding up the process of accumulating Resentment Crystals. Although the hope of advancing to LV4 was slim, at least… he could still give it a shot!
With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, she clicked on the post.

The rankings slowly loaded.

Then, she was completely stunned.

As expected, just as rumored, she did surpass Bai Yewei in the rankings in the new quarter!
but……

She remained in second place! Bai Yewei, on the other hand, fell to third!
Xia Yu's gaze was fixed on the name at the top of the list and the photo attached to it.

That was a name she never expected!

Liu Yan!

Jiang Jin's wife!
In the photos attached to the post, Liu Yan is wearing an elegant long dress. Her face is exquisitely beautiful, with a unique and resilient temperament. She has a slender figure with amazing curves, so exaggerated and hot that it is comparable to that of Madam Bai Ye. However, she has a natural and perfect proportion and elegant charm.

The comments section describes her as a top-tier beauty with no flaws in looks, figure, temperament, and audience appeal!

The comment section below had already exploded, with various comments refreshing rapidly:
"The first place may change, but the second place is always there! Xia Yu's title of perpetual second place is forever stuck, hahaha!"

"Wow, so beautiful! Who is this woman? I need all her information within five minutes!"

"What witch queen? She's just a perennial runner-up! Hilarious!"

"Luckily, Xia Yu, the Pan Jinlian PLUS, didn't get first place. That's great! What goes around comes around!"

"Why is she already a married woman?! I refuse to accept this! I want to learn from Prime Minister Cao!"

"Upstairs, if you can stop the Eternal Dream members under Jiang Jin's command, then don't bother deleting this post."

"Liu Yan is truly beautiful! Her beauty is so comfortable, unlike some of those flashy, cheap women! Her figure is also impeccable, perfectly proportioned and healthy!"

"I envy Jiang Jin! He's the vice-captain of Nirvana, has the second-highest Soul Imprint authority in the Eternal Dream team, and his wife is the number one beauty in the beauty pageant... A true man should be like that!"

"puff--!!!"

Upon seeing these glaring words and that lofty name, Xia Yu could no longer suppress her injuries and frustration!

She felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and a metallic taste rushed to her throat. Unable to hold back any longer, she spat a mouthful of scalding blood directly onto the phone screen, blurring Liu Yan's beautiful face and the mocking comments into a bloody mess!
She felt as if all her bones had been removed, and she fell straight backward, completely unconscious on this desolate and cold road.

All his past ambitions, schemes, and pride were ruthlessly shattered by reality at this moment. Xia Yu was now just like a dead dog lying on the roadside, ignored by everyone.

The announcement of this beauty pageant list will soon be known to all reincarnators.

Yihai Camp, the villa where the Nirvana Team is based.

At this moment, Yu Tianlun and Xu Yinqiu continued to watch several Thai horror movie clips that they had finally managed to obtain.

Although the current decision is to move into a Japanese horror film, to be honest, the censorship of Japanese horror films is too difficult. After all, the fundamental reason for the banning of horror works is the fall of Edo in Japan.

So, even if it's just to prepare for the Thai horror elements we might encounter later, it's good to do some preparation beforehand.

The movie playing on the screen was the Thai horror classic *Shutter*. Its eerie color palette and gradually building psychological pressure made the air in the room feel somewhat stagnant. "Thai horror films have very distinct characteristics," Xu Yinqiu said, habitually analyzing as she watched. "Religious elements, especially Buddhism and witchcraft, are deeply ingrained. The theme of karma and retribution is very prominent. Ghosts often possess strong obsessions and regional characteristics, and... they are very adept at creating that subtle sense of unease in everyday life, which then explodes suddenly. Like that Thai horror game *Sweet Home*, it's the same."

Yu Tianlun nodded, his gaze still fixed on the screen: "Yes, and it feels like most of the ghosts in Thai horror movies... at most reach the level of the Lost Layer. Theoretically, there's a possibility of resolving them through specific methods or by untangling their obsessions. Although they surpass Japanese horror movies in many aspects of filming techniques, the most terrifying vengeful ghosts are mostly found in Japanese horror films."

He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"But there is one exception—the old woman ghost hanging in the [The Ghost is Coming] instance... She gives me the feeling that she is definitely something from the deepest part of the Annihilation Layer, and may even have touched the edge of the Interdimensional Layer. That kind of resentment is pure, unsolvable, and diffuse, and can almost distort the space and time of the entire instance."

Xu Yinqiu deeply agreed, a hint of apprehension flashing in her beautiful eyes: "Yes, based on past experience, even a near-LV5 reincarnator wouldn't have an easy time surviving the [Haunted Ghost's Appearance] instance. That level of curse is beyond the scope of conventional combat. Every reincarnator who enters the Ghostly Mall doesn't dare to step onto the top floor."

At this point, the movie "Shutter" enters its final climax.

Xu Yinqiu looked at the horrifying scene before her. A sinister female ghost was riding on the male protagonist's neck, creating a very frightening visual impact.

“Although this female ghost looks scary in the movie,” Yu Tianlun said calmly, “she should only be at the level of the Lost Layer, definitely not at the level of the Annihilation Layer, and she is completely incomparable to the old woman who hanged herself in ‘Coming Soon’.”

Shortly after, the movie ended, and the end credits rolled.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief and stretched their stiff bodies a little.

Xu Yinqiu took out her phone and habitually browsed the Reincarnator internal forum. Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, "Tianlun! Look! The new round of the female Reincarnator beauty pageant list has been released! Number one... Number one is actually Liu Yan!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Tianlun also curiously went over to take a look.

Sure enough, on this highly popular list of female reincarnators' beauty pageant, Jiang Jin's wife Liu Yan's photo topped the list!

The photo shows Liu Yan with a gentle yet resilient temperament, stunning beauty, and a hot figure; she is truly breathtaking.

The comments section below exploded, flooded with praise and amazement.

"Liu Yan has become a celebrity now!" Xu Yinqiu laughed. "Although she has always been beautiful, I didn't expect the photos released this time to be so effective, and she has become a sensation."

Just then, Yu Tianlun's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID; it was Gao Lan, the manager of Black Sparrow Pavilion.

Upon answering the phone, Gao Lan's warm and respectful voice came from the other end: "Commander Yu, hello! I apologize for bothering you! We saw that your esteemed member, Ms. Liu Yan, won first place in the latest beauty pageant, which is truly well-deserved! As you should know, our Black Sparrow Pavilion is about to hold a large-scale auction. I wonder if we could have the honor of inviting Ms. Liu Yan to be the host of this auction? The remuneration is absolutely negotiable!"

Clearly, Black Sparrow Pavilion wanted to capitalize on Liu Yan's sudden rise to fame and use her popularity to generate buzz for the auction.

Yu Tianlun replied politely but firmly, "Thank you for the Black Sparrow Pavilion's kindness. However, unfortunately, Liu Yan is not currently at the residence. She has gone out for personal trials and her return date is uncertain. I'm afraid she cannot accept your invitation."

The other party repeatedly expressed their sincerity and hoped to contact Liu Yan directly, but Yu Tianlun politely declined each time.

After hanging up the phone, he and Xu Yinqiu exchanged a smile, both feeling somewhat helpless. Liu Yan's rapid rise to fame had indeed exceeded their expectations.

"I wonder what kind of expression Jiang Jin would have if he knew how popular Liu Yan is now," Xu Yinqiu joked.

Yu Tianlun, however, thought a little deeper: "The greater the fame, the more attention, but sometimes that's not necessarily a good thing. I hope everything goes well for Jiang Jin."

at this time……

Bangkok, "Sweet Home".

Jiang Jin was completely unaware that his wife had become a celebrity in the reincarnation circle.

He and Lin Lu were taking the time to rest and recuperate, while cautiously waiting for midnight to arrive, wondering if the television would turn on automatically again.

Jiang Jin's excitement mainly stemmed from the two newly acquired weapons. He repeatedly stroked the shotgun he had extorted from Xia Yu, which emitted a faint mist and was covered in rust.

“If I remember correctly,” Jiang Jin said to Lin Lu, his tone tinged with reminiscence, “this gun should be from the Silent Hill 2 instance, specifically in a locker in the women’s changing room at Blake Haven Hospital. When I played that game back then, getting this gun was a significant advantage in the mid-game.”

He recalled the plot of Silent Hill 2, a world filled with psychological metaphors and a heavy sense of guilt. The protagonist, James Sunderland, receives a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, and travels to Silent Hill, only to uncover the cruel truth that he had suffocated her because he could not bear the torment she suffered from her illness.

The entire game is permeated with a dark and oppressive atmosphere, and the monster designs are full of symbolic meanings of repression, guilt, and self-punishment. In this monster-infested world, the shotgun is one of the most important tools for the player's survival.

"This gun is quite powerful in the game, with huge close-range damage, especially effective against some slow-moving but tough monsters." Jiang Jin examined the gun. "I wonder if, in the horror dungeon, in addition to its basic physical damage, it will have additional effects on memetic or specific psychological obsession-type ghosts."

Lin Lu was more interested in the giant chainsaw, even though she couldn't use it at all.

“I remember when my ex-boyfriend played Dead by Daylight, the killer he was most afraid of was the one with the chainsaw, I think his name was… ‘The Farmer’? His chainsaw dash was terrifying, he could chop someone down in one go.”

Jiang Jin nodded: "Yes, that's it. The killer's chainsaw from Dead by Daylight. It's characterized by its immense power, and once it starts charging, it's very difficult to dodge, plus it has a strong sense of oppression. The one Xia Yu gave me has runes containing evil power, so its power is probably even more terrifying than in the game. This kind of heavy melee weapon... might be a trump card."

The two discussed the new equipment, which temporarily eased the oppressive atmosphere in the room.

Lin Lu's confidence increased considerably after successfully defeating Xia Yu, and she became more attentive to her training in black magic.

However, peace is always fleeting.

As the hands of the clock quietly crossed midnight—

Sizzle... sizzle...

The silent television screen suddenly lit up without warning!

After the static and noise subsided, new footage began playing!
Jiang Jin and Lin Lu instantly held their breath, staring intently at the screen!
In this scene, the main character is still Artest.

He walked alone in the living room of "Sweet Home," looking somewhat anxious and uneasy, as if searching for something or waiting for something.

Suddenly, Atai's expression changed drastically!

His eyes widened instantly, his pupils contracted to their maximum, and his face was filled with extreme fear!
Then, Jiang Jin noticed a flash of light appearing in the television screen!
And... a somewhat familiar voice...

"Ugh... Ah!!!" In the video, Atai let out a suppressed, desperate scream. Like a startled rabbit, he scrambled to the wardrobe in the corner of the living room at top speed, flung open the door, crawled inside, and then slammed the door shut from the inside!
The screen stopped there, exactly five seconds had passed!

Without any hesitation, Jiang Jin rushed over again and unplugged the power!
The screen went black.

But this time, the chill in their hearts was more intense than ever before!
What exactly did Atai see in the video? What scared him so much that he hid in the closet?

The most crucial question is... what happened after Atai hid inside?
The television did not provide an answer.

But an ominous premonition had already quietly crept into the hearts of Jiang Jin and Lin Lu!
(End of this chapter)