Chapter 61: You Responded to Me
Nightmare?!
Ye Da’s heart leapt in alarm!
Wasn’t it said that as long as the Sunworm Lantern was present, those ghostly things wouldn’t dare approach? Moreover, here, every household hung Sunworm Lanterns like festive lanterns. If I were a ghost, seeing these talismans all over the street, I’d certainly have no desire to come near.
Or is it...
The ghosts in the Pit World are far stronger than those in the Newcomer Forest. Even with the Sunworm Lantern, they may still invade?
Of course... Ghosts were only Ye Da’s speculation, since he had never seen any of these things himself. Monsters fond of knocking on doors in the dead of night—other than ghosts, what else could they be?
Yet Ye Da decided to stick firmly to the principle: neither open the door nor make a sound.
Ghosts act according to certain rules. As long as those rules aren’t broken, generally, they can do nothing to you.
“Guest, it’s me.”
However...
Outside, the old man’s voice sounded, “Guest, are you still resting? I’ve come to ask if you’d like a bath.”
Oh! This ghost has quite the wit, able to change its role at will.
This time, it pretended to be the innkeeper, but trying to use that trick to fool Ye Da was too naive!
“Knock, knock!”
The thing outside, hearing no sound from within, knocked again. “Guest!”
“Guest, are you alright?”
...
Trying different ways to force me to speak?
Ye Da thought about plugging his ears, but just then...
“Whimper!”
“Whimper, whimper~”
Both wolf cubs let out low whimpers, seemingly annoyed by the disturbance at the door.
Hearing the cubs’ growls, Ye Da suddenly realized...
This might not be a nightmare after all.
When he had encountered ghosts in the treehouse before, the wolf cubs had vanished instantly.
“Guest, if you don’t speak, I’m coming in.”
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The voice outside sounded again.
Ye Da thought, it seems the innkeeper is only worried about him, and with the wolf cubs as proof, this isn’t a dream.
So he replied, “I’m fine. Don’t come in.”
“Hehe!”
Yet...
The moment Ye Da replied, a strange giggle drifted in from outside. “You answered me, you answered me.”
“I can come in now, hehe~”
“Bang!”
The door was suddenly flung open by a gust of demonic wind.
That wind, laden with sand and dust, swept into the room, blowing straight onto the bed and forcing Ye Da’s eyes shut!
But he desperately wanted to see what was coming in...
So, squinting through the pain of sand, Ye Da peered toward the doorway...
Red...
A mass of red mist.
The mist slowly coalesced, resembling both a human and a towering shadow.
As the red mist almost solidified into a human form, it lunged at Ye Da—like a hurricane, or a speeding truck!
Ye Da felt a fierce wind in his face. He wanted to flee, but his whole body was rigid, not even a finger could move.
It was like being pinned down by a ghost!
Ye Da could smell thick, watery blood filling his nostrils. That icy sensation began at the tip of his nose and spread.
For a moment, it felt as if his nose touched ice made of fresh blood!
That chill was spreading, trying to freeze him solid!
“Get out!!”
Just when Ye Da thought death was imminent, a fierce shout thundered in his ear.
The sound was like a bolt of lightning, jolting Ye Da back to his senses!
“Whoosh!”
The red mist vanished instantly, as quickly as cotton candy dissolving in water.
Ye Da awoke from his daze, surprised to find himself lying in bed, asleep. The two wolf cubs were anxiously perched at the bedside, licking his fingers incessantly.
A damp, warm feeling spread from Ye Da’s fingertips, that sticky sensation giving him a sense of security.
So...
Was I dreaming again just now?
And the wolf cubs in the dream—were they nightmares in disguise?
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It’s truly impossible to guard against!
“Guest, are you alright?”
The old man stepped over the wooden threshold, holding a Sunworm Lantern. Its light fell upon his aged face, deepening the furrows on his forehead and around his mouth.
He walked slowly to Ye Da’s side and said, “Thank goodness I came in time. I never expected these things to get so rampant.”
“But perhaps it’s just because your level is too low, your energy too weak.”
“For a newcomer of your level, the Pit World is far too dangerous. You should have leveled up as much as possible in the Newcomer Forest. If you’d reached Black Iron Tier Three, you wouldn’t be so helpless.”
Ye Da asked, “Why are you here?”
Hidden in his words was a question: how did you know?
If you knew, why didn’t you come sooner?
“Old age brings forgetfulness.” The old man smiled sheepishly. “Usually, the inn is filled with old acquaintances. Occasionally, a few newcomers arrive, but their strength isn’t lacking, so no one is easily troubled by small nightmares.”
“I simply forgot to bring you the lantern.”
“I’d just lain down and closed my eyes when I remembered, so I hurried over.”
...
Ye Da didn’t know what to say.
After all, the old man wasn’t entirely wrong. If anyone was to blame, it was Ye Da’s low level.
However...
If the old man knew Ye Da had only spent two days in the Newcomer Forest and was already a Black Iron Tier One warrior, what would he think?
“Ordinarily, hanging the Sunworm Lantern at the door is enough to prevent nightmare invasions.” The old man took a string from above the window curtain and tied the lantern to it. “But if you’re afraid, you can hang the Sunworm Lantern beside your bed. That way, you won’t have to worry.”
“Thank you.” Ye Da thought for a moment and asked, “May I ask, where do these nightmares come from?”
“Too many have died in the Pit World. Their resentment can’t return to the underworld and naturally gathers here. The deeper you go into the Pit World, the more numerous and powerful they become!” The old man yawned. “Ah~ Old age makes one sleepy.”
“Get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow if anything comes up.”
With that, the old man turned and left.
Ye Da watched the Sunworm Lantern at his bedside, listening to the sound of insects bumping against the lampshade. The sunworms inside struggled to escape, but were trapped by the glass they couldn’t see, repeatedly ramming it and making soft “tap tap~ tap tap” sounds. The light shimmered and flickered across the bed, and after a while Ye Da’s eyes grew blurred. Gradually, he sank into sleep.
“Knock knock!”
“Pa pa pa!!”
Ye Da felt he hadn’t been asleep for long before he heard knocking at the door again.
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