Chapter 28: Nightmare

Chapter 28: Nightmare

The rain kept falling,

The atmosphere was tense.

Outside the west gate of the gymnasium, the small team members were on edge, gradually watching the sky brighten.

Throughout the night, civil war raged in Rain Alley City, with booming and howling sounds echoing, causing people to tremble with fear.

However, after 3 AM, the entire city gradually fell silent.

It could even be described as "deadly quiet."

It was enough to send shivers down one's spine!

"Wuuuu~"

A deep and prolonged alarm sounded, reverberating through the city streets, carrying an indescribable sense of melancholy.

"It's 6 o'clock," Jiang Ruyi stood on the steps, gazing at the quiet city in the rain.

Trees were toppled, and fences were shattered.

The traffic light at the intersection was now broken into several pieces.

On the walls of distant buildings, there were faint traces of destruction, with rubble scattered on the ground.

The heavy rain had washed away any possible bloodstains, but it couldn't remove all the chaos.

"Time's up, your task is over," Zhang Feng suddenly spoke up.

"Is it over?" Tian Tian stood behind Jiang Ruyi, like a little assistant.

"Mhm," Jiang Ruyi extended her hand and gently patted Tian Tian's head with a smile.

Jiang Ruyi, as the team leader, was undoubtedly very capable.

Although she herself was trembling with fear and spent the night in anxiety, she had been trying to calm herself down.

The gentle and strong Jiang Ruyi influenced and changed the overall demeanor of the team, and she was Tian Tian's reliable support throughout the night.

"Yes, it's over," Zhang Feng confirmed, "There may still be wandering demons in the streets, but it's been daylight for a while, and there won't be any new demon invasions."

"Finally!" Lu Ran sighed inwardly, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down to sit.

For a 17-year-old high school student, staying up all night was no big deal.

Who hasn't pulled an all-nighter in front of the computer?

Airport gunfights, canyon duels...

You tell me, what is fatigue? But Lu Ran, who had just experienced the night of the 15th, had been on edge all night, often engaging in battles, which was extremely exhausting.

Not to mention that Lu Ran had been abducted by the Paper Doll and hovered between life and death.

Lu Ran was very satisfied with his and the team's performance.

Throughout the night, the team members, under Zhang Feng's proper arrangements, fought against the Mist Realm demons.

When they encountered demons from the Stream Realm and above, they obediently stayed behind the Moon Gazers, not causing trouble for the warriors.

They would definitely get the points they deserved.

Lu Ran had experienced everything he should have, and even things he shouldn't have.

At this moment, he was physically and mentally exhausted, only wanting to sleep soundly.

"Someone will come to relieve you soon," Zhang Feng continued, "You can choose to rest inside the gymnasium.

If you want to go home and recuperate, we will have specialists organize and escort you back."

The invading demon clan would not disappear on its own.

From the 16th to the 18th, the officials would search the entire city for three days to ensure there were no remnants of demons.

Only on the 19th could the people in the shelter return home, and the entire society would resume functioning.

"Ruyi, are you going to rest at the shelter?" Tian Tian asked in a low voice.

Jiang Ruyi placed her hand on her forehead, her ring finger and thumb pressing against her temples, looking weary:

"No, I'm going home."

It would be more comfortable at her own home, and with the divine statue in the shrine, the followers could rest assured.

"Oh," Tian Tian sounded a little disappointed, responding softly.

With this farewell, it was likely that they wouldn't see each other for three whole days, until the 19th when they would meet again at school.

The alarm had just stopped when a team arrived on time for the shift change.

Lu Ran and the others were all going home, and under the officials' organization, they boarded a large bus with many classmates.

"Class Leader Jiang!"

"Good morning, Class Leader Jiang! My goodness, what did you guys go through last night?"

The classmates greeted each other, chattering away.

Jiang Ruyi, the school's top student, was a well-known figure wherever she went.

Jiang Ruyi just smiled and nodded, not saying much.

The trainee team stationed inside the gymnasium naturally didn't know what had happened outside.

But the members of Team 98 were all exhausted, their clothes disheveled, and there were bloodstains on their bodies that the rain hadn't washed away, clearly indicating they had been through several fierce battles! Especially Lu Ran, he was the most disheveled one in the team!

His clothes weren't just disheveled; they were torn and tattered.

The other trainees couldn't help but stare in awe.

The other students had been guarding the gymnasium, but Lu Ran...

"Lu Ran, what happened?" A male student looked at the pitiful Lu Ran, "Did you get into a physical fight with a demon?"

Lu Ran was considered a rising star, ever since he summoned a demon on the shrine platform and ranked first in the Evil Dog Village Assessment.

Lu Ran didn't recognize the other student, so he just smiled and didn't say anything.

He looked unfathomable.

The other trainees were left speechless!

"So terrible, your clothes are torn to shreds, what kind of demon was it?"

"Hey, look at Lu Ran's arm, that large patch of flesh, is it newly grown? The skin color is different."

"It must have been torn by a demon, right? Wow, just thinking about it is terrifying."

Amidst the discussions, Lu Ran remained silent and sat down on the seat.

It was undeniable that Lu Ran was indeed exhausted, too tired to talk.

But on the other hand...

There are a thousand ways to show off!

Lu Ran casually played the 'silent' card, and the effect was quite good.

Tsk, that's better~

I was flying with the Paper Doll last night, almost lost my life, so what's the big deal about showing off a little?

"Vroom~" The vehicle started and slowly drove away from the gymnasium.

Due to the special circumstances, the trainees and social volunteers on the bus were all sent to their doorsteps.

Lu Ran was no exception. As the bus stopped at the Rain Alley Home Community, he bid farewell to his teammates and, escorted by a Moon Gazer, entered the community and made his way to his home.

"Divine Sheep, bless me." Lu Ran, exhausted, entered his small bedroom and bowed repeatedly before the shrine.

"I'm back alive. Last night was truly dangerous."

"How strange. You know, did the Crimson Paper People really take a liking to me?"

Lu Ran muttered to himself, reporting the situation. Then, he walked into the bathroom, removed the clothes that had been torn by the Crimson Paper People, and took a refreshing hot shower.

Only after he was clean and refreshed did he return to his small bedroom and collapse onto his bed.

Before falling asleep, Lu Ran picked up his phone from the bedside table and checked it. As expected, his mother and sister had sent him several messages.

Lu Ran replied to each message, assuring them of his safety and expressing his apologies. Then, he fell into a deep sleep.

He fell asleep quickly and soundly.

At noon, Lu Ran, who was sleeping soundly, began to twist and turn in his sleep, his expression becoming increasingly unpleasant.

It seemed like he was having a nightmare.

"Where am I?" Lu Ran furrowed his brows, gazing at the dimly lit environment, a world shrouded in mist.

Wait a moment!

Lu Ran's face froze. This environment felt so familiar; why was that?

I think I've been here before!

Lu Ran was shocked!

Deeply buried memories gradually surfaced in his mind.

That's right, I've been here before.

After the Evil Dog Village assessment, I had a similar dream. In that dream, I saw the souls of dozens of evil dogs.

I also saw the giant sculpture of the Demon Clan: the Evil Dog!

"Uh-oh." Lu Ran covered his head with one hand.

Why? After waking up from that dream, why couldn't I remember what happened here?

Is this really just a dream? Lu Ran was filled with doubts as he slowly took a step forward.

After walking only a few dozen meters, Lu Ran stopped.

The world was dimly lit and shrouded in thin mist, limiting his visibility.

He stopped suddenly because, in this silent world, Lu Ran saw a familiar figure.

"Crimson Paper People?"

Lu Ran's eyes widened as he looked up at the sky.

In the mist, that graceful figure stood suspended in the air.

To be honest, if he didn't know she was a demon, Lu Ran might have called her "Immortal" just based on her ethereal beauty!

"This..." Lu Ran's heart stirred.

Is this the Crimson Paper Person that Deng Yuxiang beheaded last night?

"Hmm?" In mid-air, the Crimson Paper Person, who had been standing silently, seemed to sense the arrival of a little human.

She slowly floated down, her bright red scarf fluttering gracefully.

Lu Ran's mouth hung slightly open. Unlike the previous night, the Crimson Paper Person now appeared as a translucent soul.

Her face, both pale and beautiful, looked slightly blurred.

"Yi!!!"

The Crimson Paper Person finally revealed her true face, and a piercing scream emanated from her red lips.

Her eyes locked onto Lu Ran, burning with intense desire, almost overflowing.

"Huff!"

The Crimson Paper Person rushed towards Lu Ran.

Lu Ran retreated repeatedly, but his feet stumbled, and he fell onto his buttocks.

"Yi!"

Another scream, and the Crimson Paper Person's pouncing figure suddenly stopped.

Her body trembled and struggled, as if imprisoned by an invisible shackle, unable to move any further.

Lu Ran's face turned deathly pale as he watched the Crimson Paper Person fly backwards.

The mist dissipated slightly, and Lu Ran's eyes widened in shock!

He saw a massive demon sculpture.

It was the statue of the Crimson Paper People of the Demon Clan! Its immense size and overwhelming aura gave Lu Ran a sense of immense pressure.

She was eerie yet enchanting.

Her face was as white as paper, and her expression was alluring and captivating.

The soul of the Crimson Paper Person was sucked into the red lips of the giant sculpture, never to be seen again.

The world fell silent once more, devoid of any piercing screams.

"Where am I?!" Lu Ran screamed in his heart.

He didn't believe this was just an ordinary nightmare.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew, sending chills down Lu Ran's spine.

"Gudu."

Lu Ran swallowed, slowly turning his head to look behind him.

A massive black sheep's head came into view.

Yes, there was no body, only a black sheep's head floating in mid-air!

"Huff~"

Black flames flickered.

The enormous black sheep's head burned with dark fire.

Its horizontal pupils perfectly embodied the phrase "dead sheep eyes," creating an incredibly eerie sight.

"Divine Sheep?" Lu Ran called out.

What kind of creature was this? In Lu Ran's knowledge, neither the divine nor the demon clans had such an existence.

A black sheep's head burning with black flames? This was absurd.

Lu Ran addressed it as "Divine Sheep," attempting to summon his own deity.

At the same time, he also held a sliver of hope.

What if this black fire sheep's head was the ever-changing Divine Sheep?

"Baa~"

A sheep's bleat emanated from the black fire sheep's mouth.

Lu Ran's hair stood on end, and he even stopped breathing.

It was just a sheep's bleat,

But it was eerily chilling.

"Huff!!"

Lu Ran didn't have time to react before the black sheep's head slammed down!

The little human,

Was completely engulfed by the black sea of flames.

Thanks to the generous reward from Jin Da Meng, the boss is so generous!

The boss is generous, handsome, and unbeatable!

There will be more chapters after the book is published, (`) heart.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end