~~ Closing the door and setting Chu Han free ~~

“There’s no need to understand, just keep going!”

“Are we still continuing?” Chai Gang questioned, feeling resentful.

“Do you have a better solution?”

Chai Gang looked down.

Su Mo smiled, “Should we try?”

His tone was clearly the same as it had been before, however Chai Gang couldn’t help but feel as if he was being looked down upon.

“You say we should try it, so let’s just try it! Who’s scared, Who!” ^[1]It’s written Who怕Who！So this is the best I can try and translate it

Doof!!!

The ground began to crumble, leaving behind another large hole. And as expected, below them was the same exact corridor.

Chai Gang feeling undecided asked, “Should we jump down?”

“You can also try and smash above us.” Su Mo pointed upward, feeling in a playful mood.

Chai Gang remained silent.

“You’re not going to try it?”

After speaking Su Mo looked down, then without hesitation threw the torch into the hole.

Chai Gang’s head jerked up as he hurriedly tried to grasp at the torch and angrily spoke, “Oi, we only have this one flashlight! What would we do if it were to drop and break?”

Su Mo nodded his head in understanding, “I have my reasons. Let’s continue walking.”

Su Mo finished speaking then continued walking forward, no longer looking back.

“As your uncle, if I’m with you again in a group, then my surname isn’t Chai!”

Although grumbling, Chai Gang’s walking speed picked up….

Having themselves repeatedly returning to the same spot, coupled with Su Mo and himself being in these strange circumstances. With the fear of the unknown, Chai Gang who was had reached the end of his limit, seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.

Upon seeing this, Su Mo felt his heart stir slightly and spoke up suddenly. “Can you tell me about Dreamland’s Paradise?”

Firstly an extra app had appeared on his phone, after which he somehow found himself at an unknown location. Su Mo had quite a few questions about this situation.

“The main question is whether we will be able to leave this place alive, but if you have any other questions you’re welcome to say them.”

Although his tone of voice wasn’t very good, Chai Gang still held back his temper and spoke. “The reserve service’s authority is also limited, so the things that I know don’t amount to much….”

As if releasing something that he had been restraining in his heart, the clamp had now been opened and would not be able to be closed again. Chai Gang then divulged to Su Mo everything that he knew.

As Chai Gang said, he had only entered these scenarios three times now, and has remained in the reserve duty position. So his knowledge regarding the Dreamland’s Paradise was really restricted. However, even under these circumstances, all that Chai Gang’s knew was still more than what Su Mo knew.

With Chai Gang divulging everything he knew Su Mo realised that it seemed he had entered an entirely new world….

The Dreamland app could be considered to be a powerful ‘software’ that integrates all things into one place. In every way shape of form this App provided the user with functions with almost everything included like, chatting, online shopping, auctioning, forums…. if you can think of it, it has it. It is all inclusive.

Not really caring about all of the other unmentioned features, Su Mo didn’t pay any special mind to it. Except for the information that it was a game. —— A deadly game.

As evident from Chai Gang’s introduction, the Dreamland app game was divided into two main categories: Dramatic missions and reality missions.

The dramatic missions were again divided into three categories: Development scenarios, parallel scenarios and pillaging scenarios.

Development scenarios were numerous, complicated and complex. There are many types and kinds, but they all depended on the earth itself. Parallel scenarios are really cool, because they have another main world.

As for the pillaging scenarios, what he’d heard of it was pretty terrifying, but even he wasn’t to certain as to what it entailed.

“What do they mean by reality missions?” Su Mo asked.

After he raised the question, Chai Gang began rubbing his hands together in excitement, “As for reality missions, they are really exciting!”

Patting Su Mo’s shoulder, Chai Gang pretended to put on airs^[2]acting as if you are more intelligent and have more profound thoughts than they actually do as he continued, “Eish Su Mo, did you really think that we were in a world consisting of only science? Without any gods or ghosts?”

Although he put on airs, his expression of looking at me, eagerly, waiting for my response, gave him away completely.

Su Mo co-operated in responding with, “Huh?”

Chai Gang’s mouth twitched, “Whether or not there are monsters or ghosts in this world, I also don’t know. But the amount of strange and mysterious incidents that occur are too many to be a coincidence… Like, have you ever heard about that incident with the X ship? I’ve heard whispers from the grapevine that that is in some way related to the Dreamland’s Paradise!”

Although Chai Gang was speaking with such fervour, he had actually never experienced the reality missions. To make matters worse, all of the knowledge he had came from the free push notification from the Dream App. He’s also heard that not only was the mortality rate for the Reality missions exceptionally high and that it had many restrictions, but also that the chances of you being defeated and dying was very great.

However, the reward that you would receive upon completing the reality mission would obviously be incredibly generous.^[3]TL:As if that makes it worth it. Smh.

“Although I’ve already completed two scenarios, this is all that I know. Also that the remuneration gap between the official players and the reserve players is huge. Even in terms of their priveleges of what they can ‘access’ alone, there is a huge difference!”

Speaking up until this point, Chai Gang gritted his teeth in anger and stomped his foot. Based on his actions and demeanour it was clear that he’d been hoodwinked in the past… Maybe even more than once.

Although Chai Gang was speaking in a disorderly and chaotic manner that was incredibly confusing, Su Mo still made sure to listen attentively to everything he said.

At the end Chai Gang specified that the function that he was most pleased with was ‘online shopping’. “I mean, it’s pretty awesome don’t you think? This App is just so awesome! As long as you have enough Dream currency you can get whatever treasure that you want! Everything goes! And if you order something but you aren’t satisfied with it, you can have it refunded within three days, free of charge.”

At this point Chai Gang revealed a grin that all men would understand and with a boorish smile on his face he continued, “You can even get a ‘personal tailor’ a~.”

Su Mo wasn’t really interested in the ‘person tailor’, but on the other hand the ability to be able to ‘buy whatever thing you want’ sounded a little too suspicious. But at least he now understands, through listening to Chai Gang’s explanation, what the significance of the Dream currency is.

“Eish, saying all of this is useless to you. Just wait until we finish this mission, then you will be able to see for yourself first hand things that you would have thought to be impossible beforehand!”

It could be surmised that this great and powerful App had long ago surpassed the scope of what could be understood through science. So how could Su Mo not feel curious?

However, what he was most curious about, was who was actually behind the App itself….

As the two chatted to pass the time, they once more found themselves back at the where they had started. Looking down the passageway they could clearly see the three large holes. Chai Gang once more began to fall apart, “Little bro, big bro Su Mo, Grandpa Su!!^[4]He’s addressing him in increasingly more polite ways, because he’s really starting to panic. The older a person is to you, the more respect you’d show to them, so that’s why … Continue reading Please. I’m begging you, can you please be so kind as to stop it, even for me, can you do that? You figured out the solution on how to get out long ago right? Tell me, tell me now!”

With his eye’s all bloodshot, Chai Gang was finally driven mad.

Su Mo also knew that he’d already reached the edge of what he could bare, so he quickly urged him by saying, “You’ve held out slightly longer than I thought you’d be able to.”

“Thank you!”

Chai Gang showed a smile that was difficult to look at as it contrasted his crying to make an ugly expression.

“This space is like Mobius’s ring. If you strictly think about it in that way, then this would therefore actually be a four-dimensional space. Which would mean….”

Chai Gang waited in expectation.

Su Mo continued in earnest, “Which would mean that there is no solution!”

Thump!!

His soul having left his body, Chai Gang fell on the ground face up, foaming at the mouth… He then leaped a meter into the air, lifting the axe above his head ready to take his life!

“However…”

The axe stopped midair. Chai Gang was up to his waist in tears as he said, “Boss, can’t you finish your sentences in one breath?”

The corner of his mouth curled in a bitter smile, Su Mo then, word for word enunciated, “It makes no difference, He… is coming!”

“Who? Who’s coming?”

Chai Gang felt that if he had to deal with Su Mo any further, he would sooner or later find himself doing something bad. “Boss, can you not be so dramatic!”, Chai Gang yelled.

Chai Gang didn’t see that at that moment Su Mo’s eyes that were originally still, flashed with an insanity that caused a person to feel suffocated, “A few of the floors below us should be repaired by now…” Su Mo mused.

“Wha, what do you mean?”

Before his voice had even died away, the three gapping holes in the passageway infront of them suddenly disappeared! At the same time, the already dim lights within the passageway, began to flicker non-stop as if they would die out at any time.

tcshhh….tcshhhh

A strange noise came from behind them. The two of them turned their heads to look behind them at the same time and there they say a small silhouette, dragging ‘something’ twice it’s size before it disappeared behind the corner. That ‘something’ seemed to be an adult and using the visibility from the flickering lights, the two people could clearly see his appearance ———— Dai Xing Zhang.

Chai Gang had yet to even regain himself from his feelings of panic, when Su Mo speedily pursued after them!

But unexpectedly, when they rounded the corner, not even half of the shadow of that figure could be seen. The only trace left of them were large pools of blood that were all over the floor leaving a shocking sight to behold.

“Brother Dai is… is he dead?”

Even if they knew beforehand that these scenarios contained dangers around each corner, to the extent that Chai Gang himself was ready at any moment to forfeit his live. However, to see with his own eyes his comrade in such a situation, it was still difficult to accept.

“At this moment, I couldn’t tell you whether he’s alive or dead, but there’s nothing we can do about it now, so we should just….”

Su Mo only managed to say half of his sentence before his body suddenly froze!
His body bent over kneeling in a submission pose, with his one hand touching the ground and the other pressed firmly against his head. At the same time he was began to unceasingly yell out like a wild animal!

This unexpected turn of events gave Chai Gang such an incredible fright that he subconsciously jumped back a few steps. With his voice slightly shaking he spoke, “Su Mo? You. Are you okay?”

At that moment it felt as if a cold and vicious air filled the passageway!

What caused Chai Gang to feel even more frightened was that this wave of cold and vicious energy was actually coming from Su Mo!

“No, no way!”

“You can’t, you can’t come out!”

Holding back to the point that his voice was became a whisper, the evidence of his struggling and encrouching insanity, the terrified Chai Gang retreated backwards.

“At the least…. this is not the time for that!”

The blue veins on Su Mo’s face began to visibly pulse as his face became an unnatural red colour. Chai Gang fearfully gulped back his saliva as he mustered up the courage to go to Su Mo’s side. Guarding himself, he patted at Su Mo’s shoulder, “Su? Are you okay, are you sick?”

With a sudden sharp turn of his hideously twisted face, he saw that his eyes had become as red as blood!

Ruthless, filthy, evil…. came from his monstrous gaze. Black, an infinite darkness; a shadow enshrouded his entire body. Chai Gang stood stiffly in place, unable to move even an inch —— So this is what death is like.

Falling, his soul was falling, falling down into the eight layer of Hell…. ^[5]Buddhism: The Avici Hell, the last and most painful of the eight hot hells

In just that second of eye contact, Chai Gang felt as if a century had passed.

“I’m okay.”

Until those indifferent three words ^[6]In chinese it’s three characters being “我没事“。 had reached his ears, that terrifying shadow had finally disappeared out of sight, as if it had all been an illusion.

Su Mo had already returned back to ‘normal’, however seeing how his face was as white as a sheet, Chai Gang who was still recovering from his state of shock found his words stuck within his throat unable to come out.

drip….drip…

The five long and slim fingers of Su Mo’s left hand had blood continuously flowing from it.

Chai Gang’s gaze shifted to the ground where he once more lifted the axe and hacked at the floor, however when he broke through the ground, he saw that to his surprise there were five more holes where he had managed to cut through. ——— As if by a snap of his fingers it had come to be.

“Final, finally….”

What had finally happened?

Did those pair of terrifying eyes really belong to the ‘Su Mo’ that he knows?

Nevermind the feeble Chai Gang, even if the other three demons within the courtyard saw Chu Han, they wouldn’t dare to draw near to him. Fortunately, Su Mo was able to forcefully suppress Chu Han who was itching to have a go, otherwise…

Chai Gang who was ignorant of the fact that he had just avoided calamity, still wasn’t able to stop his legs from shaking, along with the obvious look of terror on his face at that moment which betrayed what he was truely thinking.

Upon seeing this, Su Mo who wasn’t one to just lay something out in the open, gave a feeble smile, understanding how Chai Gang must have felt in that moment and suggested, “How about we move separately from here? You’ll go to the right and I’ll go to the left.”

“Ah… okay, okay!”

Finished speaking, Chai Gang dared not spare Su Mo a single glance further, fled without a single glance back.

“You’re freaking everyone out.”

As if taunting in a soft whisper, watching as the figure of Chai Gang’s back disappeared , Su Mo’s face was cold and indifferent….

The shape of the passageway would obviously cause him to return to the same spot. However, oddly enough, Su Mo didn’t find that Chai Gang came back around again.

“Very good.”

Finally!

Once more going forward and turning the corner, he found that something which didn’t belong to the passageway had appeared. ——— A large floor-to-ceiling mirror.

This massive mirror allowed for Su Mo’s pallid face and his body, which had wasted away to be fully revealed. Looking at the him in the mirror, as the corner of his mouth twisted upward as it grew larger and larger.

drip… drip….

“Big brother, you’re bleeding? Doesn’t it hurt?”

Behind Su Mo in the mirror, a person suddenly appeared. A little boy that only came up to his waiste. The corner of his eyes narrowed slightly as Su Mo asked without expecting a reply, “Is that lollipop yummy?”

The little boy’s eyes flashed with a look of uncertainty. “Big brother, aren’t you scared of me?”

In that moment the little boy took the lollipop out of his mouth.
The multicoloured lollipop was shaped like a true to life, little person. ——- Xiao Ya.

“Can you give me one?” Su Mo still hadn’t turned his head to look behind him.

“I can!”

The little boy became abnormally excited, “Mommy told me, good things should be shared with friends!”

He then scooped out a lollipop from within a sack. This lollipop was once again very familiar to him. ——- Dai Xing Zhang.

While grabbing the lollipop the little boys brow furrowed and with a puzzled look said, “But big brother, you aren’t my friend yet!”

“Huh? Well then how do I become your friend then?”

The little boy thought deeply about it for a moment before his eyes lit up, “Big brother must play a game with me, how does that sound? And if you win, then we will be friends!”

“What game?’

“Hide and seek!”

The little boy returned the lollipop and clapped his hands with excitement. “Big brother must hide well~a, you mustn’t let me find you!”

“And if you find me?”

The little boy became even happier as he spoke, “Then big brother will turn into a lollipop, to be eaten all up by me!”

Su Mo finally looked behind him.

“Are you sure you want to play with this uncle?”

It’s bloody, it’s cruel, it’s evil; his face showed a extremely twisted and odious smile on it with his eyes teeming with the feeling of…. a desire to massacre and insanity.

“Hmm?”

Just as the little boy wanted to say something, his feet began to lift off from the ground!”

“hiccouph….Big brother, what are you doing?”

Licking the corner of his lips, he tightened his hand that was clasped around the boy’s neck.

“This uncle just thought of something that’s even more fun, an even more stimulating game!”

The little boy stopped smiling, “Okay, how about you first let me go, then I’ll definitely play with you!”

“Obviously…. I can’t!”

‘crack’ , The sound of cracking echoed as Chu Han immediately twisted the little boy’s neck….

~~~

Author has something to say:

Su Mo: Child abuse is not advisable. (said in a indifferent manner)
Chu Han: What if I ‘abuse’ you then? (Smiles sinisterly)

TL: Hey everyone. (crickets) Oof, I deserve it. I am so sorry I haven’t updated in so long, but I promise I haven’t dropped this and I have not died.
On the bright side, at least covid’s over and I’m now on holiday so hopefully I’ll be able to update a little more than before.