novelraw Chapter 121: A Narrow Clash
Chapter 121: A Narrow Clash
Beneath the white specter’s cloak was the boy with the thick glasses—Xiao Ke—his eyes squeezed shut, his face a little pale.
Beside him was a girl who looked even younger.
The girl resembled Xiao Qing, but her facial texture was like a doll’s, not that of a real person; her eyes gleamed like blood-red gems, and her hair drifted slightly in the air.
Before the others had time to register and look over, Xu Zisheng reached out and tore the human skin cloak off, then clumsily pulled it over his own head.
He felt a twinge of regret—he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t dodged earlier.
Did the Writer see all of this…
Xu Zisheng’s heart fluttered; he didn’t dare glance too directly at his shoulder.
Cheng He clutched his head and looked up, but all he could see was the space before him shimmering and warping slightly—only a vague, thin back and an arm exposed.
Then, in a blur, ripples spread through the space; that arm seemed to catch on an invisible membrane and tugged outward.
That unseen membrane was like a reflective mirror, absorbing all the surrounding darkness.The arm and the blurred figure vanished in an instant, as if the scene he’d just seen had been an illusion.
Yet Cheng He could tell from the scent lingering in the air that it wasn’t a hallucination.
Although he hadn’t seen clearly, he still recognized the orphanage’s uniform. The person who collided with them must have been a player, right?
But—
Just because he hadn’t seen them clearly didn’t mean the other side hadn’t seen him and Yang Qianqian…
Earlier he’d had a strange feeling about this place; a single thought and that sudden tentacle attack had sent him off in that direction. He hadn’t expected to gain something by accident.
Oof, my head hurts—definitely swollen—
These thoughts flashed through Cheng He’s mind.
In reality he scrambled up and, transforming into a curse doll, grabbed the impulsive Yang Qianqian by the collar and bolted.
The human skin cloak’s effect had just been broken once; Xu Zisheng felt a little drained.
He couldn’t bother with anything else—he only wanted to turn another way and separate from those two troublesome people.
But fate did not cooperate.
After drifting for a while, the white specter’s presence dimmed, as if it had dissolved into the darkness.
For some reason, though, it felt as if they’d installed a tracker on him: even if he couldn’t see them clearly, he could sense they were following right behind.
Xu Zisheng glanced back, past the white specter, and saw among the oncoming horde of furious ghosts the same snarling creature with an extremely keen sense of smell.
Its three fish-eye-like orbs trembled wildly; that huge, ugly head had shriveled more, purple-blue flesh veins snaking across it.
The creature’s sunken orifices breathed rapidly, exhaling white breath in the cold night—clearly it had marked Cheng He and the others’ scent.
Damn it!!!
Why have those two been following me this whole time?!
Xu Zisheng was barely keeping the calm expression on his face; unease rose within him.
Although those ghosts looked completely deranged, they somehow realized they must not let them run toward the dormitory building.
So they chased and blocked them, forcing them to head in another direction.
Under such urgency, both groups had to give everything.
In the dark, odd flashes of green light cut through the air, towering twisted doll silhouettes appeared, and occasionally the sharp hiss of something slicing through the void sounded like a whip.
Back and forth, the two groups—both hiding beneath invisibility ghosts—began to display an unspoken coordination.
Whether in battle awareness or seizing opportunities, Xu Zisheng and Cheng He were strangely similar.
Their timing to strike coincided perfectly.
Not that Xu Zisheng wanted this kind of tacit cooperation.
It only made him feel more pressured.
These two official personnel are strong—definitely not amateurs; they must rank somewhere high in the state institutions.
Cheng He felt a measure of surprise as well. The other side didn’t strike often, but every attack was perfectly timed—swift as the wind, without the slightest hesitation.
Who exactly was hiding behind them?
If those enemies were troublemakers, things would be bad.
The noise was now far greater than before; Xiao Gui’an’s consciousness was unsettled, half-asleep and half-awake.
What’s going on?
It’s a bit noisy—who’s so rude?
Why is this bed shaking?
Wait—no, wasn’t I just asleep?
Xiao Gui’an’s soul jolted and he snapped fully awake; his dreamy eyes flew open.
The dark mist swirled slightly, and Xiao Gui’an immediately saw Xu Zisheng’s tightly furrowed brows and thin lips pressed into a straight line.
Heartbeat and breathing were wrong—Xu Zisheng was moving at top speed, tightly wound with nerves.
The smell of blood…
A faint metallic tang came from Xu Zisheng.
Is he injured?!
What’s happening?
What’s that sound behind him?
Xiao Gui’an checked with the Proxy System about the time—at this hour Xu Zisheng should have been back at the dormitory building.
The untouchable dark mist seeped out slightly, spilling from the human skin cloak; a faint silhouette shimmered.
Xiao Gui’an looked up. Not far behind them poured all kinds of ghostly forms, surging from every direction, forcing Xu Zisheng to fight and dodge their attacks at the same time.
Xiao Gui’an: ???
What’s going on with Xu Zisheng?
Did he poke the ghosts’ nest?!
I only dozed a little—I just glanced away for a moment, right?
Soon Xiao Gui’an realized something was off: the one being blocked wasn’t exactly Xu Zisheng, but that faint white specter.
Xu Zisheng had been swept up in it and was suffering by association.
Xiao Gui’an frowned slightly. He couldn’t see clearly, but he vaguely understood that specter was the culprit who had exposed Xu Zisheng.
At this hour, chased by ghosts yet still having strength left—other than a player, there probably weren’t any such people.
Could those two be the official personnel Xu Zisheng suspected?
Out this late, causing trouble, and dragging others into it—definitely not good kids—
A cold presence flashed by; Cheng He felt a chill along his spine and his body stiffened—had something just fixed its gaze on him?
“…clack… don’t stop…” The doll slumped in his arm tilted its head stiffly.
Yang Qianqian’s gem-like pupils flickered; she too had sensed that gaze from somewhere unknown.
Hard to detect, yet carrying a faint terror of oppression—was the hidden presence within this instance about to show itself?
Xu Zisheng felt the Writer’s aura tremble—a tiny pulse, fleeting, sharp and icy. It wasn’t directed at him, but at the others.
Sir…
The last Cursed Child’s emotions were complicated. He calculated the time in his head—dragging this out was not an option.
Not to mention whether the ghosts would multiply; once it neared two in the morning, that terrifying huge shadow might appear again—and then everything would be too late.
For now, they had no choice but to team up with those two and break through the ghosts’ blockade!