16: Chapter 16 Someone Has to Die, the Bait

As Lin Chuan's thoughts shifted, a deep, ethereal light faintly emanated from his pitch-black Stone Buddha Body, making the already dark and sinister Buddhist hall appear even more terrifying and eerie.

The intensification of the Terror Resurgence brought only benefits to him, with no downsides.

The more the world collapsed, the more Believers he would have, and the more powerful and terrifying he could become!!!

"Zhao Linfeng."

Lin Chuan's grand and cold voice exploded directly within Zhao Linfeng's mind.

"Di... Disciple is here."

Zhao Linfeng knelt prostrate on the ground, his entire body soaked in cold sweat. The fear of nearly having his belly burst open by the "ghost fetus" just moments ago still lingered in the depths of his Soul.

"The Ghost Domain of this 'Resentment Fetus Ghoul' has already taken shape."

"The entire Changyang City has now become a cage."

"Those outside cannot enter, and those inside... cannot leave."

Lin Chuan's words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in Zhao Linfeng's heart.

"My Buddha... then... what should we do?"

"I beg My Buddha to show us the way..."

Zhao Linfeng asked with a trembling voice.

"If you don't want to die, do as I say."

A sinister light flickered slightly in Lin Chuan's stone eyes.

"Listen well, this Abnormality has three major killing rules."

"First, Parasitism. Any physical contact, or even being deeply contaminated by its aura, will result in being parasitized."

"Second, Wailing. Hearing its cry will mark you, followed by a certain-death attack."

"Third, Gluttony. Once marked, it will devour everything you have."

At this point, Lin Chuan paused, his tone becoming grim.

"Pass down the order."

"Have all the surviving Night Watchmen take action."

"Maintain order within the city."

"Tell those surviving ants..."

"If they want to live, come to the Rebirth Temple."

"Kneel and worship this Buddha, and you shall receive protection."

"Those who do not believe... their life and death are up to fate!"

Lin Chuan's voice was cold and eerie, devoid of any emotion.

Before, he had to develop Believers covertly.

Now?

Under the shroud of despair from this A-rank Abnormality event, he was the only life-saving straw for all living beings in Changyang City!

...As Lin Chuan's will was carried out.

The entire Changyang City was in a complete uproar.

The 'Terror Resurgence' that had been covered up by the government was completely confirmed at this moment.

"There's a ghost! There's really a ghost!!"

"My neighbor... my neighbor is a man, his belly suddenly exploded, and a monster crawled out from inside!!"

"Help! Someone save us!!"

Panic spread through the city like a plague.

On the streets, crowds were fleeing in a frenzy everywhere.

Vehicle collisions, burning fires, and cries for help rose and fell one after another.

And even more terrifying than this were those omnipresent "infants."

Some were crawling in the sewers, some were hanging from streetlights, and some... were crouching on the bellies of corpses, feasting.

Amidst this scene of a living hell.

Loudspeakers began to blare in every corner of the city.

It was Zhao Linfeng utilizing the city's entire broadcast System.

"Attention all citizens!"

"This is the Changyang City Ghost Suppression Department."

"Please head to the Rebirth Temple on the outskirts of the city immediately! There is a shelter there! A Buddha is presiding over it!!"

"Repeat! Head to the Rebirth Temple immediately!!"

This broadcast was like a lighthouse in the darkness.

Countless desperate people began to swarm toward the outskirts of the city.

However.

Not everyone believed it.

"What Rebirth Temple? What Buddha?"

"It's definitely a scam! We need to go to the city government! To the police station!"

"Right! How can there be any gods or immortals in this world!"

A portion of staunch materialists or stubborn individuals chose to stay put or hide in basements they deemed safe.

Unfortunately.

In the face of an A-rank Ghost Domain, there were no safe zones.

Those who did not head to the Rebirth Temple, whether hiding in bank vaults or air-raid shelters, were soon attacked by the rule powers.

Their bellies all swelled up at the same time.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Dull sounds of bursting echoed in every corner of the city.

It was the sound of bellies exploding.

It was also the sound of lives fading away... outside the Rebirth Temple.

A dense crowd of people covered the entire barren mountain like ants.

One hundred and twenty thousand people.

This was the last surviving population of Changyang City.

They huddled in the open spaces around the temple, shivering, their eyes filled with terror.

And above their heads.

A faint golden light screen, like a giant bowl turned upside down, shielded these one hundred and twenty thousand people within.

That was the First-Layer Ghost Domain activated by Lin Chuan.

Although his First-Layer Ghost Domain was not as domineering as the Second-Layer Ghost Domain, as long as he narrowed the domain's range and concentrated the rule power... he could still barely withstand the erosion of the 'Resentment Fetus Ghoul'.

"Waaah!!"

In the darkness outside, the occasional cry of an infant could be heard.

Whenever this happened, Lin Chuan's Ghost Domain light screen would tremble violently.

But fortunately, after the terrifying rule power was filtered by the light screen, it did not act directly on the crowd.

"We survived..."

"The Buddha has truly manifested!"

"As long as we are in the temple, we will be fine!"

"Thank you, Buddha! Thank you, Buddha of Rebirth!!"

At this moment.

Everyone knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically toward the direction of the main hall.

In the face of death, these people became increasingly devout toward Lin Chuan, this "Buddha."

[Obtained Power Of Will +1!]

[Obtained Power Of Will +5!]

[Obtained Power Of Will +10!]

[...]

Inside the main hall, Lin Chuan watched the numbers jumping frantically on the panel, his heart completely unmoved.

In these few days, he had harvested a full one hundred thousand points of Power Of Will!

Under normal circumstances, this would probably take several years to accumulate.

As expected.

Despair is the best catalyst for faith.

However.

The good times did not last long.

The morning of the fourth day.

Zhao Linfeng dragged his exhausted body to find Lin Chuan.

"My Buddha..."

His voice was dry and raspy, his lips cracked.

"A problem has arisen."

"The food and water in the temple... are running out."

Lin Chuan's pitch-black stone eyes moved slightly.

"Aren't there reserve granaries in the city?"

"They're all gone," Zhao Linfeng shook his head bitterly.

"The influence of the Ghost Domain is too deep."

"The teams we sent out to find food discovered... all the food has rotted."

"All the water has turned into black corpse water."

"The power of that 'Resentment Fetus Ghoul' seems to be corroding all organic matter."

"According to the current rate of consumption..."

"Seven days at most."

"Even if these one hundred and twenty thousand people aren't killed by the ghost, they will all die of thirst or starvation."

The main hall fell into a deathly silence.

Lin Chuan remained silent.

Although he was an Abnormality and did not need to eat or drink.

His Believers did.

If these one hundred and twenty thousand people all died, his "leek garden" would be ruined.

Furthermore.

Without a source of Power Of Will, his desire to continue evolving to A-rank would be indefinitely delayed.

According to the panel, to evolve to A-rank, he needed a full five million evolution points!

That was a hundredfold increase compared to his evolution to B-rank!

"No."

"These one hundred and twenty thousand Believers must be preserved!!"

Lin Chuan frowned.

"Zhao Linfeng! Listen, I want you to..."

Soon, Lin Chuan issued a command to Zhao Linfeng... at noon.

A special team walked out from the protective light screen of the Rebirth Temple.

Leading them.

Was a cold, hunched figure that coughed incessantly.

That was exactly Lin Chuan's D-class Clone... the coughing ghoul clone.

Behind it.

Was Zhao Linfeng, holding the Ghost Blade with his Ghost Hair dancing wildly.

There was also Qin Yao, who had harnessed the Ghost Hand, and Zhou Kai, who held the ghost pen.

And the Crying Ghost, who had been hanging upside down in mid-air.

Lin Chuan even selected five Night Watchmen who had harnessed F-level Wraiths to follow as support.

This was the strongest combat force that Changyang City could currently assemble.

"Depart."

As the coughing ghoul clone issued a low command.

The group stepped into the dead city, where black Paper Ash fluttered everywhere.

At this time, Changyang City had completely changed its appearance.

The once prosperous streets were now full of devastation.

The skyscrapers looked as if they had undergone hundreds of years of erosion; the wall surfaces were peeling off, revealing the blackened steel bars inside.

The green belts by the roadside had long since withered, and the trees were twisted and deformed, like withered human hands reaching toward the sky.

The air was filled with a thick stench of rot and blood.

The asphalt on the ground had become soft, and stepping on it would cause dark red liquid to seep out.

It was just like... stepping on rotting flesh.

"Is this... is this an A-rank Ghost Domain..."

Qin Yao couldn't help but shudder as he looked at the surrounding scene.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Zhao Linfeng glanced at him coldly, his grip on the Ghost Blade tightening.

"Keep close to 'Lord Envoy'."

The envoy he spoke of was naturally the coughing ghoul clone walking at the very front.

This Clone, completely controlled by Lin Chuan, was currently emitting D-class rule power, forcefully carving out a safe zone within the surrounding Ghost Domain.

The team advanced very slowly.

Their goal was the city center.

According to Lin Chuan's senses, the most massive and evil aura was entrenched right in the center of the city.

"Cough, cough..."

Suddenly.

The coughing ghoul clone stopped in its tracks.

It turned its head, its murky eyes looking toward a building by the roadside.

It was a kindergarten strictly sealed off with barbed wire.

Gaoyu Kindergarten.

"Since we are passing by, let's clear it out while we're at it."

Lin Chuan's consciousness flowed within the coughing ghoul clone.

Inside this kindergarten was hidden that D-class "Ghost Sculpture."

He hadn't had time to deal with it before.

Now that he was going to resolve the "Resentment Fetus Ghoul," he might as well kick aside this stumbling block on the road.

More importantly... even the smallest mosquito has meat.

This D-class Abnormality might become the key to the coughing ghoul clone's evolution.

"Go in."

The coughing ghoul clone waved a hand.

Zhao Linfeng and the others did not dare to delay, immediately breaking open the gate and rushing inside.

It was quiet inside the kindergarten.

On the playground stood dozens of lifelike plaster sculptures.

There were white rabbits, big gray wolves, and several human head sculptures.

But the moment everyone stepped onto the playground.

Swoosh!

All the sculptures' heads turned in unison.

Dozens of pairs of plaster eyes stared fixedly at the intruders.

"Don't move!"

Zhao Linfeng roared.

As the Head of the Ghost Suppression Department, he knew the rules of this Ghost Sculpture very well: if you moved while it was staring at you, you would be petrified!

Everyone immediately froze in place.

However.

The Coughing Ghoul controlled by Lin Chuan moved.

Not only did it move, but it also walked over with a swagger.

"Cough cough! Cough cough cough!!"

The violent sound of coughing, carrying a terrifying curse rule, instantly swept through the surroundings.

Crack! Crack!

Dense cracks suddenly appeared on the sculptures that had originally intended to launch an attack.

In front of the D-Class Coughing Ghoul controlled by Lin Chuan.

A mere D-Class Ghost Sculpture was simply no match.

Soon, Lin Chuan suppressed its true body!

"Contain it!"

Taking advantage of the moment the sculpture was suppressed, the Coughing Ghoul controlled by Lin Chuan called out to Zhao Linfeng.

Quick-eyed and fast-handed, Zhao Linfeng directly threw out a specially made Golden Body Bag and covered the "Clown Sculpture" that served as the source.

"Done."

After cleaning up the Ghost Sculptures.

The team continued forward.

Half an hour later.

They arrived in front of the Department Store in the South District.

Here, another D-Class Abomination was entrenched—the Ghost Alarm Clock.

"Ring ring ring—"

Just as they approached the building, a sudden, urgent alarm sounded.

Time seemed to fall into chaos at this moment.

A Night Watchman walking at the back suddenly aged at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Hair turned white, skin shriveled.

In just a few seconds, he turned into a dried corpse and fell to the ground.

"Everyone, be careful!!"

Zhao Linfeng's face changed drastically.

The ringing of the Ghost Alarm Clock could accelerate the flow of time.

If a living being heard its alarm, they would soon die of old age.

However, this Rule Ability of its was completely unthreatening to Lin Chuan.

Because an Abnormality itself is immortal and indestructible.

"Devour it."

Lin Chuan controlled the Coughing Ghoul and rushed directly into the building.

Under the blessing of the rules from his B-Ranked true body.

The Coughing Ghoul directly ignored that eerie alarm sound and grabbed the black alarm clock sitting on the counter.

Zzzzt... The alarm clock vibrated frantically in the Coughing Ghoul's hand, trying to break free.

But the Coughing Ghoul's chest suddenly split open, as if forming a large mouth, and stuffed the alarm clock directly inside.

Burp.

With a strange swallowing sound.

The aura on the Coughing Ghoul surged once again!

It had not only fused with the Alarm Clock Anomaly's Puzzle Piece but even vaguely mastered a trace of the rule power of time.

"Very good."

"The current Coughing Ghoul can now face C-class or even B-Ranked Anomalys head-on."

Lin Chuan was satisfied.

Subsequently, the team continued their journey.

The further they walked toward the city center, the more terrifying the surrounding scenery became.

What were originally just decaying buildings were now actually starting to "grow flesh."

The walls were covered with a thick, dark red membrane of flesh that was still pulsing rhythmically.

It was like... walking inside the internal organs of some giant creature.

And what made one's scalp tingle the most.

Were those "things."

On the walls, on the streetlights, on the dead tree branches... gray-white figures were crawling everywhere.

Those were the Clones of the Resentment Fetus.

But they were no longer just in the form of infants.

There were monsters with infant heads but adult bodies.

There were deformed children covered in arms, crawling like spiders.

There were even balls of flesh with several faces.

Densely packed.

Tens of thousands.

When Zhao Linfeng and the others stepped into this area.

Swoosh!

All the "Resentment Fetuses" stopped squirming at the same time.

Countless pairs of pitch-black eyes without whites turned in unison.

Staring straight at them.

No sound.

No movement.

Just staring like that.

This silent gaze was more Soul-crushing than a frantic roar.

Gulp...

Zhou Kai swallowed hard, the ghost pen in his hand trembling.

"Old Zhao... are we really going to make contact with these things?"

"This... there are too many of them..."

Cold sweat poured down Zhao Linfeng's forehead.

Even though he was an E-Class Ghost Controller who had experienced countless storms, he still felt a sense of despair in the face of so many Abnormalities.

"Don't panic."

From within the Coughing Ghoul's body, Lin Chuan's cold voice rang out.

"These are all just Clones..."

"We only need to find the source and contain it."

"These Clones will naturally disappear afterward."

Lin Chuan's gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, looking toward the landmark building in the city center... the Changyang Building.

There, it was enveloped by a mass of the densest and darkest mist.

He could sense it.

The true body of that A-rank Resentment Fetus was right there.

However, Lin Chuan also knew very well.

Relying on their team to charge into that nest and take down an A-rank Abnormality was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Even if his true body came in person, on the opponent's home turf, the chances of winning probably wouldn't exceed thirty percent.

"I must lure it out."

"Lure it to my home turf."

"Lure it within a one-mile radius of the Rebirth Temple!"

Only within the coverage of the Second-Layer Ghost Domain would Lin Chuan have a greater degree of certainty in suppressing this A-rank Abnormality using his tenfold-amplified rule power!

But.

This Resentment Fetus Ghoul didn't seem very active.

It had been hiding in its nest, only letting its Clones wander outside, with no intention of moving at all.

"I need a bait."

"A bait with enough weight to make it go crazy and rush out regardless of everything."

Lin Chuan's gaze swept over the people around him.

Zhao Linfeng?

No, his strength is too weak; the Resentment Fetus Ghoul might not even take an interest in him.

Qin Yao? Zhou Kai?

Even less likely.

Crying Ghost?

Still no.

Finally.

Lin Chuan's gaze fell upon the coughing ghoul clone.

At the same time, he also looked at the Alarm Clock Anomaly the Coughing Ghoul had just devoured, as well as... the golden bag in Zhao Linfeng's hand containing the "Ghost Sculpture."

"Abnormalities can devour each other to grow."

"For an A-rank Resentment Fetus, three D-Class Abominations can be considered a significant temptation."

"However, this alone is not enough."

"I still need a little... special seasoning."

Lin Chuan's consciousness shifted slightly.

He looked at the five shivering F-level Night Watchmen in the team.

A cruel plan took shape in his mind.

"Zhao Linfeng."

Lin Chuan's voice rang in Zhao Linfeng's mind, cold and without a trace of warmth.

"Let those five Night Watchmen act as bait for me!"

Hearing this, Zhao Linfeng was stunned, then suddenly turned to look at those five colleagues.

"I need them to be parasitized."

"Then, at the moment the Resentment Fetus Clones are about to burst out of their bodies... I will have the Coughing Ghoul take them and flee back to the Rebirth Temple."

Lin Chuan's plan was almost asking those five people to go to their deaths.

Zhao Linfeng's hand holding the Ghost Blade was trembling.

Those five people, though not very familiar normally, were colleagues who had fought side by side after all.

Even half an hour ago, they were still encouraging each other, saying they would make it back alive.

But he also knew.

This was the only way.

For the sake of the survival of the 120,000 people at the Rebirth Temple.

For the sake of the life of this entire city.

Some people... must be sacrificed.

"I'm sorry..."

Zhao Linfeng closed his eyes, and a murky tear slid down from the corner of his eye.

The next second.

He snapped his eyes open, with nothing but resolve and ruthlessness remaining in them.

"You five! Take off your Supernatural Protective Suits!! Then, go ahead and lead the way!"

"Wh... what?!"

The five Night Watchmen looked at Zhao Linfeng in disbelief.

"Captain Zhao... are you crazy?!"

"Without the protective suits, we'll die instantly!!"

"Do as you're told if you don't want to die!!"

Qin Yao and Zhou Kai also reacted; they had just received Lin Chuan's transmission as well!

At this moment, although they felt reluctant in their hearts, they also immediately brandished their Ghost Hand and ghost pen, blocking the five people's path of retreat.

Under the threat of death.

The five Night Watchmen could only despairingly take off their protective suits.

Zzzzt... Deprived of the protection of the Supernatural Protective Suits, as soon as their skin touched the Paper Ash in the air, their bellies swelled up at a terrifying speed, like inflating balloons.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Screams of agony echoed through the skies.

The "Resentment Fetus Clones" that had been staring fixedly at everyone became even more restless.

They smelled the scent of new life.

And just then.

From the top of the Changyang Building, which was shrouded in black mist.

A world-shaking cry of an infant suddenly rang out.

"Waaaaah!!!"

That sound was eerie and ominous, filled with extreme greed!

"Run!!"

Lin Chuan controlled the Coughing Ghoul, grabbed the five Night Watchmen whose bellies were so large they were about to explode, and turned to run!

Zhao Linfeng and the others followed closely behind, fleeing frantically.

And behind them.

Boom!!

The glass curtain wall of the Changyang Building shattered.

A massive, terrifying black shadow resembling a mountain of flesh squeezed out of the building.

It had a giant infant face but possessed countless tentacle-like umbilical cords.

It stared fixedly at the Coughing Ghoul, letting out an earth-shattering roar from its mouth.

Then, it moved its bloated and terrifying body, beginning the pursuit at a fearsome speed.

"It's coming!!"

Inside the Rebirth Temple, layers of blood-red light erupted from Lin Chuan's Stone Buddha Body!