The undead have descended upon the world? I possess a sword that can cleave the heavens once more!

Hua Linlin didn't know which direction she was running in, or how long she had been running.

She was never a sporty girl; from childhood to adulthood, she would skip physical education classes and avoid morning exercises whenever possible.

Now, carrying a heavy sword, wearing flat shoes, and running such a long distance in the night wind, my lungs are about to explode.

She quickly ran out of energy.

She stopped, panting, bent over, and braced herself on her knees with her hands. The sword was tucked under her arm, and the scabbard hit the ground with a dull thud.

Excessive exercise caused a burning sensation in my lungs, as if someone were stirring them with hot tongs; my thigh muscles also accumulated enough lactic acid to cause severe soreness and swelling, making me tremble even when standing.

But what made her even more breathless was that look in his eyes.

That calm and gentle gaze, yet one that kept people at arm's length.

She reached up to wipe away the tears on her face. Her fingers touched her cheeks, which were icy cold. She didn't know if it was from the night wind or from crying for too long.

The more I think about it, the more upset I get.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!"

She gritted her teeth and cursed three times at the air.

It's unclear whether she was criticizing Wu You or herself.

After she finished cursing, she looked down at the sword in her hand. She had spent all her saved allowance and even borrowed some money from her cousin to buy this sword.

And now? They didn't even give it a second glance.

The tear stains that had just been wiped away reappeared. Tears slid down the corners of his eyes, down his cheeks, and dripped onto the scabbard.

"He doesn't even want a sword... Does he hate me that much?"

She knew all along. Wu You used to take a sword to school every day; in fact, she was the one who gave him that sword.

Thinking of the sword she had given Wu You every day, Hua Linlin, who was feeling distressed, suddenly laughed out loud again.

But as she laughed, tears started falling again. For a moment, her expression was a mix of crying and laughing, making her look somewhat comical.

She quickly realized what was happening and shook her head.

"They've already rejected you, what are you still thinking about, Hua Linlin!"

Her smile faded, she took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, finally managing to calm her sorrow slightly.

I took out my phone and glanced at it.

It's past 11 p.m.

There are several unread messages, all from my parents.

Hua Linlin knew without even thinking that this was a call to go home.

She replied to her parents with "I'll be right back" and then put her phone away.

It was only then that she noticed her surroundings.

It was 11 p.m., and the streetlights were dim.

The streetlights on this road are spaced far apart, and the light is dim and doesn't illuminate very far.

The trees on both sides were lush with leaves, and when the wind blew through them, they made a rustling sound, as if something was whispering inside. Fallen leaves on the ground were also swept up by the wind and rolled across the road with a whooshing sound.

She wasn't looking where she was going; she was just running and didn't even notice when she ended up in such a remote place.

Ahead was a narrow road, with dark alleyways every so often on either side. These alleyways resembled open mouths, revealing nothing but bottomless darkness.

Hua Linlin gripped the sword in her arms tightly, feeling a slight sense of dread.

She didn't dare linger, so she quickly lifted her aching thighs and quickened her pace.

Every time she passed the entrance to an alley, her heart skipped a beat. She always felt that something inside was watching her.

"I should have... familiarized myself with the route a little before running."

She muttered to herself.

"It's all that idiot's fault!"

Their pace quickened, almost to the point of jogging.

But according to Murphy's Law, what people fear most is most likely to come to pass.

Just as she was about to cross an intersection, she heard a series of dragging footsteps.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

It moved at a leisurely pace, like something being dragged along the ground.

Hua Linlin couldn't help but quicken her pace.

As she passed the alleyway, she glanced inside.

A swaying figure emerged from the depths of the alley. The figure walked unsteadily, as if unable to control its body, each step crooked and unsteady, looking as if it might fall at any moment.

Hua Linlin breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out to be a drunkard who had drunk too much.

She was about to look away—

A chilling feeling suddenly enveloped her body.

The feeling was hard to describe; it was as if something invisible was crawling up from the soles of my feet, down my calves, thighs, waist, and all the way to the back of my neck.

It was cold, but not the cold of winter; it was a chilling cold that seeped into your bones.

The next moment, the scene before my eyes changed drastically.

She was still standing on the road, but the trees along the roadside, the residential buildings in the distance, and the cars parked on the side of the road—all of them were gone.

Instead, black fog replaced it.

An endless expanse of black mist. Thick, sticky, and slowly writhing like a living thing.

The streetlights beside her were still on, but most of their light was swallowed up by the black fog, leaving only a small patch of light in her vicinity.

"Where is this?"

Hua Linlin's pupils contracted sharply, not knowing what had happened.

Then she heard the footsteps again.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Getting closer.

She turned her head abruptly.

The swaying figure was approaching her step by step.

The distance is already very close, less than ten meters.

Hua Linlin looked around: both sides of the road were shrouded in black fog, with no exit and no way to retreat. The only place she could stand was this small patch of concrete illuminated by streetlights.

She gritted her teeth and drew the longsword that she had originally intended to give to Wu You.

The sword gleamed with a clear, cold light in the dim glow. She gripped the hilt with both hands in a very awkward posture, the tip of the sword pointing crookedly at the approaching figure.

"You...you...don't come any closer!" Her voice trembled, but she still shouted at the top of her lungs, "I have a weapon, a very sharp one!"

The figure seemed not to hear her words at all, and continued to drag its body closer step by step.

Eight meters, six meters, four meters.

Hua Linlin felt the sword in her hand getting heavier and heavier.

No, that's not right.

She's getting weaker and weaker!

That chilling feeling was still seeping into her body, like countless tiny needles piercing her muscles and bones, slowly draining her strength away.

bang-

The sword slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.

She bent down to pick it up, but her fingers couldn't even hold it.

A moment later, she herself sat down on the ground. Her whole body was limp, as if all her energy had been drained, and she even had difficulty raising her hand.

The figure had already walked up to her.

By the dim light of the streetlamp, she finally saw the face clearly.

What a distorted face it was!

That's not human at all!

That's a monster!

Hua Linlin wanted to scream, but it felt like something was choking her throat, and she couldn't make a sound. She could only stare wide-eyed as the distorted face got closer and closer.

The mouth opened.

A gaping, blood-red mouth.

She could see the sticky substance clinging to the triangular teeth inside and smell a rotten, nauseating stench.

Hua Linlin closed her eyes in despair.

She felt the cold, rough ground beneath her, and beside her lay the sword she had bought herself, its scabbard still damp with her tears.

Is this a nightmare?

But the texture and the fishy smell are just too real.

This is not a dream.

It must hurt a lot, right?

The thought had barely crossed my mind when another one followed—if only he hadn't refused...

She gritted her teeth, waiting for the excruciating pain.

One second, two seconds.

The imagined pain did not occur.

Instead, a familiar voice came from above.

"Why are you running around in these places instead of going home?"

Hua Linlin suddenly opened her eyes.

The streetlights cast their light on a figure wearing a black trench coat and a silver badge, holding a translucent longsword that shimmered with four colors: red, orange, blue, and green.

The place where the monster was located was now empty, with only a few wisps of faint black smoke slowly dissipating in the night wind.

Wu You stood in front of her, looking down at her. The streetlight illuminated half of his profile, making his features appear almost unreal.

He sheathed the four-colored crystal longsword at his waist, then bent down to pick up the sword Hua Linlin had brought from the ground, put it away together, and then squatted down, extending a hand to her.

"Don't just stand there."

Hua Linlin stared blankly at the hand, unable to react for a moment.

This... isn't a dream, is it?

She blinked.

The surrounding black fog was rapidly dissipating, and the vanished trees, residential buildings, and cars parked on the roadside were gradually reappearing in sight, like a faded painting being repainted, and everything was back to normal.

She didn't come to her senses until the hand waved in front of her.

She raised her hand, trying to grasp it. But as soon as her fingers lifted, they fell limply back down.

"I...I have no strength left."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of grievance and embarrassment.

Wu You then realized that ordinary people pulled into the Dark Domain by the Thousand-Faced Corpse would rapidly lose their physical strength.

This is a unique ability of the Thousand-Faced Corpse Clan, and it is also the fundamental reason why ordinary people cannot even resist a first-tier Thousand-Faced Corpse Clan. It's not that they don't want to run, it's that they can't run.

He switched the two swords, then squatted down, put one arm around Hua Linlin's shoulder, and helped her up from the ground.

Hua Linlin's body is very light, so light that you can hardly feel its weight.

She leaned against Wu You and could feel the warmth of his body—even through his trench coat, it was still warm.

Her face flushed red.

The tips of her ears turned red.

After a moment of silence, Wu You spoke.

"What you just saw is a state secret. Please do not mention it to anyone. If you do, you may be subject to restrictions on your personal freedom for allegedly violating relevant provisions of the Eastern Spirit Kingdom's highest legal code."

Hearing Wu You's routine tone, Hua Linlin was stunned: ? ? ?

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but for a moment she didn't know where to begin.

After a while.

"So... has that kind of monster always existed?"

She didn't ask where the monster went, nor did she ask who Wu You was.

She's not stupid—the fact that they're still standing here is the best answer.

Wu You did not respond to her question.

He looked into the distance, his gaze falling on the sky that had been cleared after the black fog dissipated. The moon was still hanging there, round and bright.

"If I told you that this is the truth of the world," he paused, "would you believe me?"

Without any hesitation.

"believe."

Hua Linlin turned her head to the side and stared straight at Wu You's profile.

Wu You raised an eyebrow.

"Believe it? You'll have to give a statement and sign a confidentiality agreement."

"what?"

"I was just kidding. You have to sign a confidentiality agreement even if you don't believe me."

"???"

Hua Linlin's expression froze again.