Forge a path to success.

Chapter 160 A Hundred Tales of Fog and Moonlight (1)

"A new intruder?" "How pathetic!" "What a misfortune..."

Ghostly figures surged from the depths of the mist, one after another, deformed forms crawling out. Some had their upper bodies shredded by seashells, their exposed flesh covered in barnacles; others had bodies fused with decaying trees, leaving only weeping faces; still others had their entire bodies melted by deadly poison, crawling like fleshy mud… Each “person” was utterly terrifying, a multitude of twisted lives gathered together, like a nightmare brought to life.

Vande had stopped screaming and started gagging, even Chu Hengkong's expression wasn't good: "What is this?"

"Heh... It's ugly, isn't it?" the dog-man chuckled, drooling blood as he gnawed at the dog's body. "Be prepared, this could be your tomorrow..."

"If it has to turn out like this, I'd rather die," Ji Huaisu said softly.

"You've reached the desolate wilderness of despair, how can you still think you can die happily?" the kobold howled at Chongming. "You should teach the newcomer some common sense!"

“I already said it,” Chongming shrugged. “After spending four days here, the nightmare will become reality. This is what happens when you live with a dream that has become reality.”

Vande retched even louder, for it suddenly understood Chongming's explanation. To be devoured by wild beasts, assimilated by trees, become food for parasites, or be melted away… these were all nightmares for some. When those dreams that had tormented people for years became reality, it meant that the dreamer had been assimilated by the nightmare, and from then on, had become this twisted and hideous monster.

This place is truly insane; even if you try to survive cautiously, you can't escape the torment of evil gods.

As they spoke, monsters fused with demons appeared one after another, numbering over a hundred, their sheer numbers resembling a chaotic dance of demons. Chongming glanced at them: "A few more have disappeared."

"Rotting like this, neither dead nor alive, will eventually become unbearable." A monstrous, fleshy mass crawled forward, its flesh trembling as if laughing. "And you? How many times is this? 30?"

“35 times,” Chongming said calmly.

"Thirty-four failed counterattacks! You've been driven off the battlefield again, haven't you? No wonder you and your minions came this way!" the tree monster sneered loudly. "Seriously, how long do you plan to repeat this farce? Are you going to drag these living beings to hell again? Are you going to stand by and watch them be tortured into madness?"

Chongming remained silent, as did the other researchers. It was the dog-man who turned and roared, "Enough is enough! At least they still have courage, don't they? They're much stronger than us!"

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the monsters, silencing them completely. The monsters slumped back into the mist, while the dog-bodied man panted like a real dog, then looked up at Chu Hengkong.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Those idiots have all gone mad… If you stay too long, it’ll always end up like this…” the dog-man mumbled. “I am Volka, come with me. Are you prepared?”

“We have prepared a story,” Chu Hengkong said.

On the way there, Chongming gave a brief explanation: they were going to a "must-pass path" for newcomers, where they could obtain food, materials, relics, and even special powers, but all goods had to be exchanged for "stories." No currency or barter was accepted; only stories were accepted.

“Stories are wonderful things,” Wofka said, his spirits lifting. “Hope may fade, light may dim, but a good story is always a good story… In the long, long days of fear, all that remains to comfort oneself is a story!”

"What kind of story do you want?" Ji Huaisu asked with slight interest; she had never seen such a deal before.

"Anything is fine, as long as it's interesting... You can make the story more interesting! That way, people will vote for you more..."

The dog-bodied Volka led the group into the mist, with a small group of monsters following behind. The fog was so thick that they had to hold onto each other's sleeves, or they would easily get lost.

Chu Hengkong was the second in the group. He held Ji Huaisu's hand and tugged at Volka's tail with his tentacles. As they walked, his ears twitched. The mist didn't obscure sound, and amidst the chaotic footsteps of the group, several unfamiliar footsteps quietly blended in. The footsteps of the outsiders grew louder, and it seemed that a large figure had joined the group, as the footsteps at the end of the line were particularly heavy.

"The line has gotten longer," Ji Huaisu reminded him.

“There will be other people joining us,” Volka said. “Please don’t turn around, and remain respectful.”

A vast, empty cave emerged from the mist, its dark expanse resembling the gaping maw of a monster. None of them turned back, following Volka into the cave. Inside, many grass mats were arranged in a circle, and a circular hole opened in the ceiling. This hole seemed to lead directly to the top of the sand dunes, and a full moon hung above it, casting its dark light into the cave.

Volka led the group around the cave, and when they finished, each person was positioned in front of a straw mat. To his left was Chu Hengkong, and to his right was the person who had joined them at the back of the group. The darkness inside the cave was even deeper than outside; even though the ascendants sat side by side, they couldn't see each other's faces clearly.

Only the Volka could be seen by everyone because its seat was right under the moonlight hole, where the dark moonlight served as illumination.

It cleared its throat and said in a low voice, "First of all—Chongming, get out of here."

"Ha! Why should I?! I've prepared an incredibly exciting adventure!" Chongming protested loudly, completely ruining the eerie atmosphere with his shout.

“We’ve all heard your story countless times, let’s try something new.” Volka stuck out his long tongue. “You, the bespectacled friend tucked in your pocket, will have your turn.” “Very well! I am a learned scholar of eye magic, and my vast knowledge will surely broaden your horizons!”

Fan De waved his tentacles excitedly; he always acted like a madman whenever he could show off his knowledge. Chongming clicked his tongue loudly and gave his seat to the Eye Demon. The cave fell silent once more. Chu Hengkong looked down and noticed a black wooden stick had appeared beside him.

“We have new members joining this time, so let’s talk about the process,” Volka said. “The upcoming ‘Moonlit Tales’ is a monthly event in the Undersea Valley… Whoever is illuminated by the moonlight begins to tell a story, and after telling the story, they must end with a fixed phrase.”

"The first story is over. I am Wofka—like this."

"After the story is finished, if everyone thinks it's good, they move the wooden stick forward and throw it. After everyone has expressed their opinions, Moonlight will choose the next storyteller. If someone tells a particularly good story, they may be chosen again. After 100 stories are told, the person who shared the good story, as well as the person who participated in the Hundred Stories for the first time, can receive a 'gift'... This is the newcomer's gift package."

Earning a gift simply by telling a story—you couldn't find such a foolproof deal anywhere. Perhaps in this eerie borderland of the Heavenly Prison, a story is more valuable than physical currency. However, the process sounds far too much like a ghost story ritual. And then there's the constant emphasis on moonlight…

Chu Hengkong considered leaving, but Chongming and his group were, after all, the only people he could talk to at the moment. Judging from the tone of Vofka and the others, these people had indeed fought against Vansalar. Ji Huaisu gently patted his hand, his partner suggesting that they wait and see, and he also decided to trust Chongming this time.

"There are three rules in the Hundred Tales."

1. Do not interrupt when others are sharing their stories.

2. You may not refuse a gift.

3. Show respect to everyone.

Participants are strongly advised to strictly adhere to the rules here. Otherwise... you will be solely responsible for the consequences.

The atmosphere was somewhat eerie, but no one spoke up or objected; everyone remained quietly in place. Since none of them knew the terrain in the fog, leaving the cave at this moment would actually be the more unsafe option. Volka wagged its tail contentedly.

"Tonight, the full moon shines on the deep valley, and a hundred voices murmur in the eerie mist. The first story begins..."

Once upon a time, there was a country called the Kingdom of Lennar. It was a country with many mountains and little vegetation, and it was famous for its mining and processing industries. The people mined ores to export in exchange for resources from other dust islands, and lived a simple and frugal life.

But one day, fog began to rise over the mine. The fog disoriented everyone, and terrifying beasts roamed within it. Mining work came to a sudden halt, and life became unsustainable. The monks who had been called in to help surveyed the area and declared that death was imminent, urging everyone to flee their homeland.

The miners were all men with families. Who would willingly leave their homeland? Who would dare risk everything to embark on a perilous voyage across the sea? After investigating, they discovered that the wild beasts and the fog always appeared together. The foreman said that the fog must be brought by the wild beasts, and that if they were eliminated, their hometown would be safe.

The miners, full of youthful vigor, shouldered their tools and vowed to fight the beasts to the bitter end. But once inside the fog, they would inevitably drift apart, searching left and right for their companions. Turning back, they would find the wild beasts so close they could barely touch. Their bright orange vertical pupils hung like lamplight in the fog; the tall beasts stood upright, their hairy faces silently watching…

The miners were terrified, especially the foreman, who turned tail and ran. A wild beast chased after him, its cavernous mouth filled with sharp teeth. He managed to escape back to town, but was so frightened he never recovered and never succumbed to illness.

Whether the foreman was just a coward and hallucinating, or whether there really was a ghost in the fog, he couldn't tell. From that day on, he could always see the beast's face in the vicinity. Stepping out of his house, the beast would silently watch him in the alley. At the market, the beast would stand in the crowd, watching him. Hiding in the deep alleys, the beast would reappear behind the windows of high-rise buildings. The beast would walk towards him, its jaws wide and gaping, ready to devour those who deserved to die that day.

The foreman hurriedly fled home, sealing the doors and windows, daring not to step outside. No matter how his wife and daughter questioned him, he remained silent. These ghostly tales were absolutely forbidden to be told to anyone else; if they knew, they would become like him!
However, the strange occurrences in the Kingdom of Lennar continued; the fog grew thicker, spreading from the mountains to the town. One day, the foreman woke up to no avail. He drew back the curtains and found the streets shrouded in fog. Within the fog shimmered countless yellow lights, all with the vertical pupils of wild beasts. They stared at the foreman's house, slowly opening their mouths…

The foreman rushed out of the room in terror. He finally understood that the monk's warning was right; this place was no longer habitable. But he couldn't find a single person inside or out. In the kitchen stood long-haired wild beasts, and in his daughter's room lay small wild beasts. Their gazes were exactly the same as those of the beasts outside, exactly the same.

The foreman finally understood: there had never been any wild beasts; it was the people who had entered the fog and transformed into their animal forms. He grabbed his wife and daughter and fled out the door, running for their lives, with the wild beasts chasing after them.

Lost in the fog, the foreman was disoriented, and the wild beasts behind him drew ever closer. As he fled, he wondered, in the eyes of the wild animals, did it appear as if a man was chasing a mad beast?

"—The first story is over. I am Wolfka."

The story abruptly ended, pulling everyone's thoughts back to reality. The man, torn apart by the wild beast, lowered his head, silent. Chu Hengkong silently moved the black wooden plank forward; the cave was dark, and he couldn't see the comments given by the others.

Then, the area where everyone was sitting began to rotate, and the dark moonlight swept across the strange outlines one by one. Suddenly, the rotation stopped, and the moonlight shone on a man with tentacles.

The second person is Chu Hengkong.

(End of this chapter)