Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 282 The Evil Spirit Nun
The Summoning instance takes place inside that burger joint in Monroe, Connecticut.

"What did you just say?! You're going to enter the [Midnight Ring] horror instance within a month?!"

Blood Lord's face instantly changed color, and he even subconsciously lowered his voice, as if just mentioning that name would bring misfortune: "Do you know what you're facing?! Sadako Yamamura, she's one of the most infamous Annihilation Layer evil spirits in Japanese horror dungeons!"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and looked at Jiang Jin with a solemn expression: "Although according to the current intelligence, Sadako's activity range is believed to be mainly in the shallowest layer of the Annihilation Layer, which is roughly equivalent to the range where the SAN value drops to 25% to 29%, that is still the Annihilation Layer! The degree of distortion of the rules and the absolute power of the evil spirits within the Annihilation Layer are simply beyond what LV2 can withstand! Even if Yu Tianlun personally takes you in, trying to protect you under Sadako's curse is absolutely a gamble with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death!"

Jiang Jin's heart sank.

The information he had previously obtained about Sadako at the Reincarnation Camp was indeed somewhat vague and contradictory, with some reports even suggesting that Sadako belonged to a semi-annihilated layer evil spirit. Only now, hearing Blood Lord's words, did he truly realize the gravity of the situation.

The Annihilation Layer is a deathly forbidden zone that only the truly powerful among the Reincarnators can venture into. Even Jiang Jin only managed to enter once with the [Annihilation Layer Pass]. There, he was practically like a cataract patient, unable to even see clearly.

"According to the information I received earlier, Sadako doesn't even qualify as an evil spirit from the Annihilation Layer..."

“Conflicting intelligence is normal,” Blood Lord said in a deep voice. “Before and after the fall of Edo, the degree and nature of the memetic contamination of the [Midnight Bell] instance itself underwent drastic changes. The Sadako curse in the past might have had some patterns, but now… it is more unpredictable and more hopeless.”

The atmosphere inside the cramped burger joint became incredibly oppressive.

Blood Lord's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, his brain racing: "One month... I'll get you from LV2 beginner to true LV3 within a month..."

How can this be done?!

After all, Blood Lord isn't a hunter!
He then shook his head, his tone tinged with bitterness: "It's simply impossible. Even if you invited Long Mingzhang and had him teach you everything he knew without reservation, it would still be impossible. Reaching LV3 is not just about accumulating power, but also about having a deep understanding of the essence of the rules and establishing the direction of your own domain's evolution. It requires time and opportunity."

Jiang Jin remained silent, waiting for him to continue. He knew that the Blood Lord wouldn't say these things without reason.

“However,” Blood Lord’s tone shifted, a sharp glint rekindling in his eyes, “if it’s about breaking through to near LV3… with your astonishing talent for understanding rules, perhaps… we can take a gamble!”

"Near LV3?" Jiang Jin looked at him.

“Yes,” Blood Lord explained, “Near-LV3 is a critical state. Your basic strength, your adaptability to the contaminated layer, and especially the nascent form of your ‘Hunting Domain’ have all been honed to the point of being infinitely close to the threshold of LV3, only lacking the final moment of enlightenment or a breakthrough under extreme pressure. Reincarnators in this state are far stronger than ordinary peak LV2, but they do not possess the professional skills of LV3. If LV3 is a qualitative change, then near-LV3 is the peak of quantitative change accumulated to the extreme. Simply put, near-LV3 can step into the annihilation layer in a short time and deal with the evil spirits in the shallow annihilation layer.”

The transition from the Lost Layer to the Annihilation Layer represents a qualitative change. The most significant obstacle to the erosion of the material world by meme contamination is the Lost Layer. For reincarnators, crossing this barrier essentially transforms them from human to non-human beings!

Blood Lord continued staring at Jiang Jin, saying, "As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold, and risk often goes hand in hand with opportunity. If you can survive Sadako's curse with your near-LV3 strength... then the extreme terror that squeezes your potential could very well become the strongest catalyst for breaking through your barriers! At that time, you might really have a chance to break through in the next three months and become a true LV3 Forbidden Zone Hunter!"

Blood Lord's tone carried a power that seemed encouraging but was almost seductive: "Listen, Jiang Jin, if you can really do it, then you will create a miracle of advancement speed that is extremely rare in the history of reincarnators!"

Jiang Jin's breathing became slightly rapid.

Nearly LV3... Surviving under Sadako's curse... And then using this as an opportunity to break through to LV3!

This was an incredibly crazy plan, and frankly, the success rate was pitifully low. But the possibilities described by the Blood Lord and the current desperate situation left him with no other choice.

Either wait for the inevitable death a month later, or fight with all your might for that slim chance of survival!

He looked at Blood Lord, the hesitation in his eyes gradually replaced by determination: "Then tell me, what should I do? How can I reach near-LV3 within a month?"

Seeing the flames in Jiang Jin's eyes, Blood Lord knew that he had made his choice.

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and began to outline the crazy and dangerous training blueprint: "First, we need to make full use of this [Soul Summoning] instance. Although the evil spirits here are powerful, the rules are relatively suitable as a 'training ground' for you to initially delve into the Lost Layer and comprehend the pollution of different rules."

Then, based on the "memories" given to them by the reincarnation system, the two returned to the slightly old but still tidy detached house that Blood Lord rented in this world.

Without the slightest delay, Blood Lord cut straight to the point: "Time is of the essence, we must improve our strength as soon as possible. You have only been at LV2 for a short time, so you must deepen your accumulation during this period to achieve the effect of accumulating strength for a future breakthrough."

He gestured for Jiang Jin to take out the crimson jade he had given him, to aid in his cultivation.

"One of the core aspects of a hunter advancing to LV3 lies in the initial construction of their domain," Blood Owl Lord said in a deep voice. "The conventional method is a slow and gradual process, but we don't have time for that now. I have a quick but extremely risky method: actively lower your SAN value to the Lost Layer. In that state, your perception will be infinitely close to the essential rules of the Contaminated Layer. Then, absorb a large amount of Resentment Crystals and forcefully break through the bottleneck. With your talent for comprehending the rules of contamination, you will definitely be able to comprehend the rudiments of your own hunting domain on the edge of life and death."

Jiang Jin internally screamed: What kind of talent do I have for understanding rules?! Those are abilities from the lawyer profession, okay?!
However, he remained outwardly calm, expressing his concern: "Actively entering that state... wouldn't it be too dangerous? What if the SAN value goes out of control during the process of absorbing resentment crystals, and we become completely lost in the contaminated layer and can't get back?" Blood Lord explained: "Of course there are risks, but the key lies in the 'domain.' Once you successfully condense even the most rudimentary form of your domain, it can form a stable 'coordinate' in your consciousness, helping you maintain spatial awareness of the material layer and your direction of return in the lost layer. We humans are born as material layer beings. To transcend mortals, we must learn to survive in the contaminated layer and even control some of its rules. Adapt to it, utilize it, and you will become a true powerhouse."

Jiang Jin knew this was the only quick way at the moment, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll give it a try!"

He sat cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room, holding the Crimson Jade in his hand, and first ate some specially prepared pieces of contaminated meat that could slowly reduce his SAN value.

Soon, a feeling of dizziness and detachment washed over me. With the prompts from the reincarnation system, the scenery around the room began to blur and distort, as if veiled by a layer of gray gauze.

He is actively pushing himself into the realm of the lost.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Jin took out several crystals of resentment and began to try to absorb the pure resentment ash within them. At the same time, he concentrated all his energy to sense and capture the mysterious concept of "domain"—an invisible force field of rules that belongs exclusively to hunters and can define the hunting grounds, track and set traps, and weaken prey.

Frankly, this was a major reason why he decided to choose the hunter class. The hunter class has such high growth potential; once you level up and gain a mature hunting domain, you can truly be called a well-rounded warrior!
However, just as his consciousness stepped halfway into the Lost Layer, and his perception of the corruption of rules became unusually acute—

A sudden change occurred!

The light in the room seemed to be instantly sucked out, plunging the room into an almost absolute darkness and deathly silence!
The temperature plummeted, and a strong, musty smell began to permeate the room.

Then a tall, twisted figure dressed in a black nun's robe emerged from the darkness and appeared in front of Jiang Jin!
Her face was ashen, her features contorted, and her dark eyes, devoid of white, stared intently at Jiang Jin. A chilling smile spread across her lips—it was none other than the demon nun Valak!

She had been lurking in the shallow layers of the Lost Layer all along!

In the environment of the Lost Layer, her power seemed to be greatly enhanced, and a terrifying pressure descended as if it were a tangible force!
"Ugh!" Jiang Jin felt his breath catch in his throat, and his soul trembled!

Without thinking, almost instinctively, he immediately pulled out the Silent Hill shotgun from his watch, aimed it at the Nun's head that was inches away, and pulled the trigger!
"boom--!"

The roar of shotguns echoed in the small room!
However, to Jiang Jin's horror, the bullet hit the ghost nun's forehead. Although it made her let out a sharp scream and sway slightly, the effect was far less than expected!

It was as if most of the damage was negated by that invisible resentment and dark power!

Silent Hill shotguns are most effective against monsters with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but their effectiveness is greatly reduced against pure, evil-believing demonic entities!
"Come back quickly!" Blood Lord roared upon seeing this!

Jiang Jin also realized something was wrong, so he immediately took out a piece of meat that could quickly restore SAN value and stuffed it into his mouth. At the same time, he frantically circulated his mental power, forcibly pulling his consciousness back from the edge of the Lost Layer to the Material Layer!

The darkness and the figure of the ghost nun receded like the tide, and the room returned to its previous state, but the chilling aura and the mental impact left by the nun still lingered.

Jiang Jin was panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"What did you just see?" Blood Lord asked hurriedly.

"It's that evil spirit nun from the Ferris wheel!" Jiang Jin said through gritted teeth. "She's actually waiting for me on the shallow level of the Lost Layer!"

"Damn it!" Blood Lord's face was extremely grim. "We've been targeted! It seems the demon nun left a mark on us in the Ferris wheel at the amusement park! She's been lurking in the Lost Layer, just waiting for us to venture deeper into the Contaminated Layer to launch an attack!"

This situation was completely beyond Blood Lord's expectations.

The demon nun Valak is one of the top beings in the Conjuring Universe, and her strength has definitely reached the peak of the Lost Layer! Even if she is weakened in the shallower parts of the Lost Layer, she is still far beyond what the two of them in their current state can withstand head-on.

"What should we do?" Jiang Jin was still shaken; just a moment ago, he had truly felt the breath of death.

Blood Lord thought quickly, his eyes grave: "Destroying her is impossible, at least not for us right now. The only way is to temporarily repel her and buy time. And in this instance dominated by Western demons, the most effective force... comes from the divine power of opposing faiths. I've seen the standalone movie, The Blood of Christ, which can defeat her."

He looked at Jiang Jin and said decisively, "Go find Lian De! He is a Level 2 Priest. Although his level is not high, he has mastered the authentic sacrificial methods. Perhaps he can temporarily borrow the divine power of the 'God' of this instance world through prayer or ritual to restrain the demon nun and banish her back to the depths of the Lost Layer!"

The original plan was completely disrupted. The advancement training was forced to stop, and the most urgent task was to deal with the deadly threat of the demon nun.

The two dared not delay any longer and immediately got up to find the brothers Lian Xuan and Lian De, who had split up!
(End of this chapter)