Something Unspeakable

The previously childlike, twisted voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and grating, filled with the fury of being offended.

"How dare you... ask Little Red Riding Hood a question!"

Its rigid body shuddered violently, and its stitched fingers splayed wide, dark red threads oozing from the tips like writhing, living things.

Tap, tap, tap!

It lunged toward Cheng Shuili in a swift, eerie display of movement!

The tattered dance shoes struck the stone slabs heavily, creating a dull, rapid sound, while the dark red hem of its dress billowed through the mist like rotting blood.

"Disobedient guest... naughty guest... I will make you... into a new doll! I will keep your freshness... forever!"

Vicious intent accompanied the foul-smelling wind that rushed toward her.

Little Red Riding Hood's long, thin fingers were like ten sharp wooden spikes, thrusting straight at Cheng Shuili's face and throat with speed that left behind blurred afterimages.

But Cheng Shuili was prepared.

The moment it lunged in a rage, instead of retreating, Cheng Shuili stepped forward, lowered her center of gravity, and kept the box of fresh red watermelon steady in her left hand, while her right hand's long blade silently left its sheath!

The blade's gleam was not dazzling; in fact, it was somewhat dim.

But the aura of absolute severance inherent to Night Hunt itself was intimidating enough!

Following Cheng Shuili's movement, the blade swept diagonally from bottom to top.

Cheng Shuili did not choose to parry those ten dangerous fingers; instead, with a very clear objective, she flicked away Little Red Riding Hood's straw-colored wide-brimmed hat.

She had noticed the word "Fake" behind the name revealed by Insight.

Since Little Red Riding Hood was a fake when not wearing her little red hood, what would happen if she removed the hat?

The moment the hat flew off, Little Red Riding Hood's lunging motion seemed to hit a pause button, freezing abruptly in place. It let out a short, sharp "Hah" sound, and its hands flew to cover the top of its head.

But Cheng Shuili's movements did not stop.

The trajectory of the long blade paused imperceptibly in mid-air, then changed direction; the flat of the blade, carrying a heavy, brutal force, slammed into Little Red Riding Hood's exposed face!

"Smack!"

With a dull thud, Little Red Riding Hood's cotton-stuffed body staggered backward, nearly falling.

It moved its hands away from its head just a fraction, and Cheng Shuili caught a glimpse: on the pale scalp, there seemed to be words stitched in rough black thread.

Before she could make them out, Little Red Riding Hood went completely berserk.

"Hat... my hat!! Give it back!"

Its voice lost all pretense of childhood, turning into a sharp, venomous shriek.

The mist was stirred by its emotions, swirling violently.

It no longer attempted to attack Cheng Shuili; instead, like a mad thing, it dropped to all fours and scrambled toward the straw-colored hat that had rolled onto the moss.

Now!

A cold light flashed in Cheng Shuili's eyes. The watermelon box in her left hand vanished, replaced instantly by a heavy bucket.

This was something she used to wash fruit in her territory, and she kept several in the Abyss Ring.

The moment Little Red Riding Hood's fingers were about to touch the brim, Cheng Shuili raised her hand and splashed the entire bucket of clear water directly onto its cotton-stuffed body!

"Hiss!"

A grating, corrosive sound erupted, accompanied by a massive burst of white steam!

The sound was like a red-hot iron being plunged into ice water.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!"

The scream Little Red Riding Hood emitted was beyond description; its previous lunging posture twisted and deformed, its entire body seemingly gripped by invisible hands, spasming uncontrollably as it rolled on the mossy stone slabs.

The clear water soaked through its tattered dark red dress, rapidly seeping into the coarse stuffing inside.

The once-fluffy cotton matted down at a visible speed, and the rough stitches began to snap, emitting faint popping sounds.

Chunks of waterlogged, filthy stuffing fell from the tears, landing on the slippery moss with barely a sound before dissolving rapidly into puddles of thick, black sludge that mixed with the water on the ground.

In just two or three seconds, the theater doll that had been venomous, vicious, and clawing just moments ago lay limp on the ground, reduced to a heap of sodden rags.

The straw-colored wide-brimmed hat lay lonely a few steps away, appearing particularly jarring in the mist.

Cheng Shuili did not lower her guard immediately.

She stood with her blade held high, her gaze sweeping sharply over the pile of remains and the swirling mist around her.

The dense fog seemed stirred by the conflict, more active than before, flowing slowly as if countless invisible eyes were watching from deep within.

A hint of a new, unpleasant burnt smell had mixed into the cloying, sweet fragrance.

After waiting for about half a minute, the remains stayed still, and the mist gradually returned to its slow, flowing state.

Only then did Cheng Shuili walk forward, cautiously poking the pile of rags with the tip of her blade.

On the original scalp position, a line of small text was stitched in black thread:

【The direction runs contrary to the fragrance.】

Fragrance... it must refer to the scent she had smelled since entering the maze.

If the direction runs contrary to the fragrance, it meant she needed to head toward the area where the scent was faintest.

Cheng Shuili pondered for a moment, then gently closed her eyes, temporarily blocking out visual interference, focusing all her attention on her sense of smell, carefully distinguishing the subtle changes in the concentration of that rich fragrance in the mist.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and cast her gaze toward one side of the corridor.

The fragrance there seemed... just a sliver thinner; if her attribute points hadn't been high enough, she wouldn't have been able to distinguish it at all.

Without hesitation, she turned and stepped toward the direction where the scent was relatively sparse.

Only one step away, Cheng Shuili turned back, used her blade to flick the lonely straw-colored wide-brimmed hat from the ground, and tossed it casually onto the pile of slowly dissolving doll remains that were still oozing black water.

The brim covered the line of text and was quickly soaked through by the filthy black sludge.

Cheng Shuili looked at it no more, moving forward cautiously and steadily along the chosen path.

The gray-white mist remained thick, with limited visibility.

The stone walls and mossy ground looked lifeless in the fog.

All around was absolute silence, with only her own light footsteps echoing in the corridor, soon absorbed by the heavy mist.

After walking for about ten minutes, the mist ahead seemed to flow more violently.

Cheng Shuili stopped and listened intently.

Aside from her own breathing and heartbeat, there seemed to be a... highly intermittent dripping sound.

She immediately recalled the second rule.

Cheng Shuili became alert, her gaze scanning the stone walls on both sides.

On the right wall, near the ground, a dark water stain was slowly expanding; several thick, black drops of water were seeping from the cracks in the masonry, elongating, then hitting the moss with a "tap," the sound magnified several times in the silence.

It wasn't just one spot.

Not far ahead of her, above the left wall, similar stains and dripping beads had appeared.

All around, the dripping sounds began to chime sporadically, like an ominous countdown.

Cheng Shuili did not hesitate and immediately executed the rule.

The dripping sounds grew louder, like a light rain, pattering down.

Cheng Shuili's body was tense, waiting for the sound to end.

At that moment, something cold and viscous brushed gently against her ankle.

It wasn't a water droplet.

It felt more like... wet hair?

Or, perhaps, the tentacle of some soft-bodied creature?

Cheng Shuili forcibly suppressed the urge to jump away, slowly lowering her head; the moment she clearly saw the thing, she used Insight.

【Insight successful!】

【Name: Something Unspeakable】

【Description: One of the maintainers of the Mist Corridor, it loathes any source of noise. Its form is indeterminate, often appearing as water flow, hair, or viscous tentacles. When the walls begin to seep water, it means they are cleaning out the violators in the corridor. Turning your back to the wall is the only way to avoid it; being touched by it is not dangerous. Of course, this is provided you remain silent and accept the mark it leaves behind. Violating the principle of silence will provoke a true attack.】

【Weakness: Fears being seen.】

Never mind the strange name; this weakness was also bizarre enough.

And... a mark?

It didn't sound like anything good.

Cheng Shuili pondered for a moment, then gently gripped her long blade, the tip lightly touching the thing coiled around her ankle.

Cheng Shuili clearly saw a pair of eyes appear on the slimy, tentacle-like object; the moment they met her eyes, it shrank back as if terrified!

The eyes, which had suddenly opened and widened on the surface of the viscous tissue, were filled with indescribable horror.

It didn't even have time to convey any malice or attack intent; the moment it met Cheng Shuili's calm gaze, it emitted a silent scream.

At least, that was the message Cheng Shuili read from its instant stiffening and subsequent frantic recoil.

The strand of hair or tentacle retracted into the water stain on the wall ten times faster than it had brushed against her, as if it had never appeared.

All that remained was a lingering trace of cold, wet sensation on Cheng Shuili's ankle, and at the edge of the round water stain on the wall, there seemed to be a hint of indignant, exasperated annoyance.

Cheng Shuili retracted her gaze; regardless, the crisis should be resolved.

And... she had not been marked.

Although she didn't know the difference between being marked and not being marked, given that following the rules led to being marked, and considering the dungeon's natural malice toward players.

Cheng Shuili felt it was better not to be marked.

She closed her eyes and smelled the fragrance again.

She confirmed the direction was correct before continuing forward.

The dripping sound echoed several more times along the way, and Cheng Shuili used the same method to scare off several "Something Unspeakable" creatures.

Aside from these monsters, no other accidents occurred on the road.

Until she reached the end of the corridor.

Cheng Shuili looked up; what met her eyes was a wooden door, and most prominently, a particularly large iron lock hanging on it.

She stared at the lock, walked forward a few steps, and stood before the gate once she confirmed it was indeed locked.

What did this mean?

Did she have to find a key?

Cheng Shuili earnestly recalled the journey; aside from Little Red Riding Hood and "Something Unspeakable," she hadn't seen any other NPCs.

As for a space where a key could be placed... that was pure nonsense.

Now that she was here, going back to find a key was impossible.

Cheng Shuili shook her head and, bored, pulled out the Skeleton Key she had treasured from the Abyss Ring.

Just as she inserted the key into the lock, a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound rang out behind her.

Cheng Shuili looked up, suddenly realizing what was happening.

The key to this door wasn't obtained along the way; rather, one had to stand before the door and wait for an NPC or monster to arrive, then obtain the key through dialogue or combat.

Cheng Shuili thought this, but her hands didn't stop.

A "click" sounded from inside the heavy lock, and the crisp sound of the lock core popping open was exceptionally clear at the end of the silent corridor.

The rhythmic "tap-tap" sound behind her paused for a split second.

Cheng Shuili didn't look back; with a flick of her wrist, she shoved the heavy wooden door open.

"Creak—ga—"

The tooth-aching friction pierced the mist. She couldn't tell where the room led, as Cheng Shuili could only see a piece of black cloth hanging down, obscuring everything inside.

"You...!"

Before Cheng Shuili could look closely, a hoarse, dry voice filled with unbelievable anger sounded from a few steps behind her.

Cheng Shuili pretended not to hear, raising her foot to step into the room.

But just as her leg was lifted, a long blade flew diagonally, planting itself right in front of her, blocking her path.

Only then did Cheng Shuili turn to the side, scanning with her peripheral vision.

In the mist, a thin, hunched figure stood there.

It wore tattered, faded gray wolf fur, holding a lantern with dim, yellowish light and a glass cover covered in oil stains.

Its face was hidden beneath an oversized gray wolf hood, with only the lower half visible.

On its face, identical to Little Red Riding Hood's, were zipper-like marks stitched crookedly in rough black thread.

Its other hand held a large brass-colored key.

Clearly, this was the one who had come to deliver the key. And, without needing Insight, Cheng Shuili could see that this character was the Big Bad Wolf who wanted to eat Little Red Riding Hood.

"How dare you... how could you open it yourself!" The Big Bad Wolf's voice trembled with shock and rage, the lantern's light flickering accordingly. "This is... against the rules! This is cheating!"

"Cheating?" Cheng Shuili spread her hands. "My being able to open it is my own capability. Why is it cheating when I did it through my own skill?"

Her voice was matter-of-fact, and her tone carried the implication of "don't be ridiculous."

It choked the Big Bad Wolf, who opened its mouth and closed it, opened it and closed it again.

Seemingly realizing it couldn't best this human in language, it suddenly raised the brass key in its hand, pointing the tip at Cheng Shuili, its zippered mouth opening and closing to spray mist that carried a musty odor: "Disobedient guest... must be punished! Stay forever... and scrub the corridor!"

Before the words finished, its thin, long body stretched abruptly in a way that defied joint structure, like a giant stick insect, and it lunged at Cheng Shuili, lantern and key in hand!

The dim light dragged distorted ribbons of light through the mist, illuminating the unnatural, elongated shadow behind it.