Night fell.
The Demon Sister dragged her feet as she returned home.
"Failed again?" The elder Demon Sister, sprawled on the sofa watching TV, asked without turning her head when she heard the door open.
The younger Demon Sister replied listlessly, "Yeah."
Then, as if remembering something, a cheerful smile bloomed on her face.
"But today was pretty fun."
The elder Demon Sister said, "My dear sister, don't get too close to humans, or you'll regret it in the end." Being the older sister, she could see right through her sister's mood. Clearly, something that happened during the day had made her happy, but for a demon, having human friends was a dangerous path.
"Sister, I'm not getting close to humans. Everything I'm doing now is just to get the blood back," the younger Demon Sister explained.
The elder Demon Sister responded with a nonchalant "Oh," popped a grape into her mouth, and beamed, "Mmm, so sweet. Human fruits are really delicious."
"I want some."
"Go buy your own."
The younger Demon Sister whined, "Nooo…"
At the dormitory…
"Lin Fan, I think she likes you," Lao Zhang said, lying on his bed, after pondering for a long time.
"Why?" Lin Fan asked.
Lao Zhang replied, "She keeps looking at your lower body. I read in a book that when a woman keeps staring at your lower body, it means she likes you. But you already have a wife, so it's tricky."
Lin Fan chuckled, "You know a lot."
Lao Zhang said proudly, "Of course, I've been studying hard, so I know a lot of things."
The Evil Chicken, its wings tucked in, squatted nearby. It had always believed these two were dreaming.
A woman likes you? Give me a break.
Can you not be so narcissistic?
Even as an Evil Hero, it couldn't tolerate such narcissistic humans. They were terrifying, absolutely terrifying, without a shred of self-awareness.
The night was quiet.
The two chatted about many topics that would sound bizarre to outsiders.
But they were having a great time, their laughter echoing occasionally.
"Lao Zhang, I think I'm going to a strange place again." Lin Fan was thinking that today seemed to be May 30th. Every time, at the end of the month, he would enter a strange world and live there for a long time, but every time he woke up, he found that very little time had passed in reality.
"Can you take me with you?" Lao Zhang asked, his face full of anticipation, eager to go to the strange place with Lin Fan.
Lin Fan replied, "I really want to take you with me, but I've tried many times, and it's never worked."
"Waaaaah…" Lao Zhang wanted to cry. It was so frustrating. Every time Lin Fan said he would take him, he never did. He really felt like crying.
The Evil Chicken rolled its eyes.
Dreaming is dreaming.
Why say so much?
As if you're really going to a strange world.
The clock on the wall ticked.
"Lao Zhang, I'm going."
Tick, tick, tick!
The second hand moved.
May 31st passed.
June 1st arrived.
The otherworldly scene officially began.
Target selected: Torchbearer, ordinary human Lin Fan.
Mission: Unbroken bloodline, the inextinguishable flame of humanity, until the awakening of the world's will.
Physical strength transfer: 100%.
Descent!
"An unfamiliar environment."
Lin Fan opened his eyes. A white funeral hall. The sound of crying reached his ears. People with solemn expressions stood around. In front of them were twenty or so black and white photographs. The people in the photos wore bright smiles, forever frozen in time.
Grief permeated the air.
"Dad…"
"Mom…"
Children cried heartbrokenly. The families had cried themselves hoarse, unable to make a sound.
A flood of memories poured into Lin Fan's mind.
"Yin spirits, fierce spirits, evil spirits, demonic spirits…"
"A fierce spirit appeared in a residential building. A thirty-person team went in, and only a few escaped. Yes, escaped. And that fierce spirit is still active in that building."
Lin Fan pondered.
A very dangerous and unfamiliar environment. Why did things have to be this way? Harming lives was wrong.
H City, Action Department.
"This time, more than twenty of our brothers died there, and we couldn't even retrieve their bodies. So, I will lead the team this time. We'll assemble fifty people, and no matter what, we must slay this fierce spirit. We absolutely cannot let it continue to harm innocent lives."
"Advisor Yang, tell us about this fierce spirit."
The speaker was the Action Team Leader of the Action Department. The current global situation was dire, with supernatural incidents occurring everywhere. Starting with scattered deaths, these supernatural events gradually surfaced.
The nation took action, inviting Taoist masters and experts from Maoshan.
They hoped these experts could help resolve these matters.
The experts exchanged glances, then all deflated. We're all just boasting. We're good at exorcisms, but regarding these supernatural events, we're truly powerless.
However, sometimes, boasting seemed better than knowing nothing. Based on what they had read in ancient texts, when they put those methods into practice, they actually worked.
Bullets soaked in black dog blood.
Bullets blessed before the statue of Guan Yu.
These had lethal effects on supernatural beings.
The embarrassed experts, learning that their methods were effective, breathed a sigh of relief. They became advisors to the Action Department, poring over ancient texts daily, searching for ways to deal with these beings.
The initial results were promising.
But these supernatural beings were too bizarre. Even with weapons that could harm them, ordinary humans couldn't withstand the intense pressure of such combat.
Therefore, even when dealing with ordinary Yin spirits, serious casualties could occur.
Advisor Yang said gravely, "This fierce spirit is codenamed Nightmare. It can create illusions in your dreams, causing you to mistake your teammates for the fierce spirit in the real world. So, before departing, you need to take this invigorating soup. It will maximize your chances of staying awake."
"Remember, you must distinguish between reality and illusion."
The team members' expressions were serious. They knew the terror of fierce spirits. No one was joking. They also knew the heavy burden they carried.
The lives of H City's citizens rested on their shoulders.
If they failed…
It would be truly disastrous.
Residential Building.
This building was over thirty years old.
It looked rather dilapidated.
The surrounding streets were deserted.
Police lines cordoned off the area, warning citizens of the danger and forbidding entry.
"Such an oppressive feeling."
Lin Fan looked up and saw dark clouds shrouding the building.
As he approached the area, he felt the temperature drop significantly.
"Lin Fan, are you nervous?" the bald man beside him asked softly, tightening his grip on his weapon, the only thing that could harm the fierce spirit.
He absolutely couldn't lose it.
Lin Fan replied, "I'm not nervous. I'll protect you all."
"Tch, don't let it be me protecting you," the bald man said, slapping Lin Fan's shoulder and laughing.
They entered the residential complex.
A gloomy, cold wind blew.
Chilling.
Terribly cold.
Everyone was on edge, not daring to be careless.
The complex was silent.
Although it was daytime, the dark clouds overhead cast a gloomy pall over the area.
The entire building was pitch black.
Not a single light was on.
When the fierce spirit appeared here, residents either fled or died tragically. This had a significant impact on the local community.
Suddenly, a诡异 red light flickered on in one of the apartments.
Everyone quickly aimed their weapons at that apartment.
The team leader said, "Don't panic."
"Hee hee hee…"
A sinister laughter echoed around them, seemingly coming from all directions, as if the person was laughing right next to their ears. The immersive feeling sent chills down their spines.
Everyone stared at the apartment with the red light.
Lin Fan, however, looked in another direction. In the dark corner, a figure stood.
The figure was shrouded in darkness, its face and expression invisible, but its sinister eyes watched them.
Lin Fan raised his hand and waved at the figure.
The figure's gaze lingered on Lin Fan, then it melted into the darkness and disappeared.
His wave to the fierce spirit went unnoticed by the others.
"Follow me. Everyone stay together." The team leader waved, leading them towards the apartment with the red light.
They entered the stairwell.
Drip!
Drip!
The sound of dripping water?
They shone their flashlights.
Everyone's faces paled. Corpses lay scattered in the stairwell. The dripping sound came from blood slowly trickling down the stair railing.
"Zhang Ming."
The first corpse was their comrade, Zhang Ming.
Zhang Ming was dead, his body cold, a strange smile on his face, as if he had died smiling.
Everyone's hearts sank.
They knew danger was close.
"Stay alert," the team leader said grimly.
Creak!
The team leader pushed open the door to the apartment with the red light. What was inside? He gestured, and the team cautiously entered.
A clean and tidy apartment.
No problems were immediately apparent.
"Captain, something's here." Someone shouted.
In the dining area, several steaming dishes were laid out on the table.
"Someone's cooking here?" a team member asked.
This place had been occupied by the fierce spirit. How could anyone be cooking here? Weren't they courting death?
The team members stiffened. They felt someone breathing cold air on their necks.
"Ah!"
"A fierce spirit!"
"Fire!"
Rat-tat-tat!
Lin Fan saw them raise their guns and fire at their teammates. He couldn't stand idly by. He vanished instantly, snatching the bullets out of the air.
The bullets harmed no one, all clattering to the floor.
"I'll fight you!"
The team members, trapped in the illusion, punched the walls and slammed their heads against them.
Lin Fan raised his hand and knocked them unconscious.
He could sense their minds were being affected.
Now, only Lin Fan remained standing in the apartment. Everyone else was unconscious.
The red light flickered.
Red.
Then black.
In the darkness, they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces.
When the light returned, a figure sat at the dining table, holding a bowl and eating.
Flickering.
Appearing and disappearing.
The figure was expressionless, its eyes devoid of life.
"Who are you?" Lin Fan asked.
The figure was a man. He brought the bowl to his lips and stared directly at Lin Fan.
Lin Fan sat down at the table, placing his hands flat on the surface, and said, tilting his head, "You smell really bad. Haven't bathed in a while, have you? But don't worry, I don't mind. I don't discriminate against anyone."
"These are my colleagues in this body. If they were my friends, you wouldn't be sitting here eating now."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
If anyone else saw this scene, they would be speechless with terror.
Dude.
The one sitting next to you is a fierce spirit.
A really cruel one.
Can you show a little seriousness?
Or a little fear?
Timidity, apprehension, anything would be appropriate.
But now…
You're acting like you're equals, like we're all buddy-buddy with supernatural beings.
Nightmare put down his bowl.
He twisted his head.
Crack!
Crack!
A classic horror movie trope: the neck crack sound effect, essential for enhancing the terrifying atmosphere.
A gust of cold wind swept through the apartment.
Nightmare's eyes held a certain magic, capable of drawing others into illusions.
A moment later…
"Even if you look at me like that, it won't work. Do you know where I was earlier?"
"At a funeral. The families of those you killed were crying so hard."
"It almost made me cry too."
"But I'm not attacking you now. I'm reasoning with you. I hope you understand that although I'm a nice guy, my patience is limited."
Lin Fan looked at Nightmare, explaining the situation, persuading through reason. Fighting was acceptable, but resorting to violence without cause was wrong.
Gurgle!
Nightmare's head fell from his neck, rolling on the dining table, then towards Lin Fan, its eyes fixed on him, blood trickling from the corners.
The doors in the apartment slammed repeatedly.
The cold wind howled.
The atmosphere was intensely terrifying.
Ordinary people would be scared witless.
"I'm talking to you about something serious. Please treat it with respect." Lin Fan picked up Nightmare's head and placed it back on his neck.
His expression was stern.
His demeanor was serious.
He scolded loudly:
"Please correct your attitude. You've killed so many innocent people, caused so much pain to their families. Don't you feel any remorse?"
"The more I think about it, the angrier I get."
Lin Fan glared at Nightmare, his fury radiating outwards. The previously cold air was instantly replaced by a surge of scorching heat, pure Yang energy filling the apartment.
Nightmare felt discomfort.
He abruptly stood up and let out a piercing shriek at Lin Fan.
The scorching heat was unbearable for Nightmare.
He instantly dissolved into a puddle of bubbling liquid.
The moment Nightmare died, the dark clouds above the residential complex dissipated.
Sunlight streamed in.
Everything returned to light.
The surrounding citizens stopped and looked at the complex, noticing the dark aura had vanished, replaced by brightness.
Lin Fan saw that everyone was unconscious.
If they woke up and found themselves fine…
They would definitely blame him.
Hmm…
Let's all lie down together then.
Perfect.
Smart.