Nightmare Despair

Chapter 6 Who's Spying?
"Solaka Town".

Zhou Kai noted down the name, planning to look it up online after escaping the nightmare.

The recognizable architectural style and the existing text confirmed to him that this ghostly place was inextricably linked to the real world.

He picked up the oil lamp from the ground and held it in his hand; the light source immediately became stable.

Zhou Kai carefully looked around and found that the pool of filthy blood beneath the monster he had dismembered was still spreading dynamically, and the edges even had an abnormal warmth.

This means that when he returned to reality, time had stopped there.

"It's both a good thing and a bad thing."

The fact that time has stopped means that no unexpected changes will occur in the area he can observe.

However, if a crisis approaches, he will have no way to avoid it.

call……

He took a deep breath, and the breath he exhaled from his mouth and nose turned into a white mist in the cold environment.

It seemed that thick clothing could not block out the damp, cold air that seemed to penetrate to the bone.

His body had been steadily weakening, which, besides the punishment of death, was mostly due to the corrosive effects of the strange environment here.

This time, I'll be staying in the dream for a longer time, and the cold and dampness are problems I must solve.

"Lighting the fireplace is imperative."

Carrying the oil lamp, I approached the fireplace, its light shining into the dark hearth.

The dim light outlined the jagged white bones inside, casting eerie shadows on the blackened cave walls.

Zhou Kai tried to tear off the tablecloth next to him, stuff it inside, and light it.

Click click... hiss.

The flame struggled weakly for a moment before quickly going out.

The same applies if you replace the furniture with dry wooden furniture.

[Not suitable, let's look for something else.]

A caption pops up on the fireplace.

Zhou Kai hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay."

It seems the next goal is clear: explore the first floor of the house, find suitable fuel, and light the fireplace.

He groped around a bit.

Suddenly I remembered that the bloodstained axe had been automatically stored in the "Items" section of the panel when I returned last time.

It feels like spending ten minutes looking for your phone, only to suddenly realize that you've been holding it the whole time.

Zhou Kai scratched his head, took out the axe, and held it in his hand, finding it much more comfortable to handle than before.

This is thanks to his all-in approach to Level 2 mixed martial arts, which significantly improved his strength and coordination.

His physical abilities had already surpassed those before he was corrupted.

But we still need to be careful.

Aside from the "failed experiment," none of the monsters here are weaker than him in terms of strength.

"Let's go check the study first."

After killing the monster, Zhou Kai hadn't entered the study yet.

Generally speaking, places guarded by monsters should have some good stuff.

As he walked toward the study door, this time he took the time to observe more carefully.

On the wall to the right of the study, which connects to the staircase to the second floor, hangs a rooster-shaped wall lamp. The lamp body is empty, without a wick.

If you get close enough to smell it, there's always a strange odor, similar to ozone and burnt hair.

Under the lamp, three individual photos, framed with violet flower patterns, hang on the wall, depicting two men and one woman.

The woman's photo frame was half shattered, and her face was scratched all over, as if someone had frantically scratched it with their fingernails in a fit of rage.

The man's photo frame was clean, while the other was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Zhou Kai examined the dusty one closely and concluded that it was likely his elder brother, a bald man with a thick beard and a large build.

"Were these the original owners of this place? One of them turned into a monster?"

Zhou Kai memorized the two faces; if he could find information about them in real life, it would be an important clue.

The study is small, just over ten square meters. A bookshelf has fallen over, making the room feel cramped.

Zhou Kai tried to make as little noise as possible, then crawled inside and looked around.

Most of the books were soaked in some kind of liquid, making them either impossible to open or the text completely blurred.

There were a few sheets of paper on the desk, stuck there and unable to be removed, but the handwriting was still fairly clear. Zhou Kai stopped and read them word by word.

The fog was too thick; I tried to follow Sir Sullivan's carriage down the mountain, but we got lost in the forest.

[My dear (hidden by a stain), I miss you so much. Are you doing alright in [location unclear]? I'll come over as soon as I'm done with my work.]

【…】

They told me to stay home as much as possible and avoid going out at night... but damn it, it's nighttime every day lately!

Sir Sullivan, a biologist, gave me a microscope... How could there be so many eggs in the rainwater?

[He gave me a packet of seeds; the plant can withstand [something]. If I can hold on for a while longer, I'll try to send you the seeds.]

Zhou Kai's gaze grew increasingly somber as he looked at him.

'Every day is night,' 'Insect eggs in the rain,' 'Plants that defend against something'...

These letters contain a wealth of information.

Click.

Zhou Kai reached out and pulled open the drawer. Inside were several bottles of ink and a glass bottle containing some scaly seeds.

[Shriveled Seeds (Upgradeable)]

The entry appeared, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The desk has three drawers; the other two contain a pile of blank letter paper and a rather retro optical microscope.

Zhou Kai only brought the seeds.

The items he carries can only be accessed in the panel when he is in reality, but in the dream, once they are taken out, they can only be carried with him... and cannot be put back in.

He continued reading, hoping to find information about fuel.

Lanze brought back a stranger, perhaps from the north... He died a few days later.

Oh, I'm confessing; we shouldn't have done that.

That's all for the letter.

Zhou Kai placed the oil lamp on the table and continued searching through the cramped study, hoping to find any overlooked clues.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered and shone brightly.

As he searched, an absurd thought suddenly pinned him to the spot.

The table is too messy.

He thought, "I need to get ready."

The thought came out of nowhere, but his hand reached for the pen against his will.

"Something's not right." Alarm bells rang in his head. "I didn't come here to do cleaning!"

But his body was already seated, and his fingers were unscrewing the ink bottle, as if he were being pulled by an invisible thread.

He watched helplessly as his hand raised the pen and aimed it at his forearm.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he concentrated all his will to resist this inexplicable behavior, but his body remained motionless, becoming a prisoner possessed by an external will.

"Depend on!"

Just as the pen tip was about to pierce his skin, Zhou Kai suddenly broke free from his restraints.

He stiffly raised his head and looked at the window, which was half-blocked by the bookshelf.

He first saw a small patch of white mist produced by his breathing, appearing and disappearing on the glass.

Then, a face was pressed there.

A boneless, pale face, like a leavened pancake, with eyes that were two pitch-black holes, but a mouth stretched to an impossible angle, silently smiling at him.

Huh, huh.

Zhou Kai felt utterly disheartened. He suddenly felt a surge of energy from somewhere and instinctively grabbed a pen, intending to smash it.

Just as the pen was about to slip from his hand, he desperately twisted his wrist, forcefully changing its direction.

The pen, weighing over 100 grams, finally slammed onto the bookshelf with a dull thud.

He just lost control again...

Zhou Kai's face was extremely grim.

The trick failed, and the pale face outside the window instantly contorted, letting out a silent scream.

Having temporarily escaped control, Zhou Kai struggled to pick up the oil lamp and stumbled as he ran wildly out of the study.

What a rip-off!
The guy who wrote this letter is absolutely the biggest jerk ever!
There's a window in the study that lets in light, and it's damn well hidden behind the bookshelf!
(End of this chapter)