Zhang Congwen’s body went rigid, his words choking in his throat. The hand resting on the uncanny man’s shoulder still felt the icy chill clinging to that spooky form.
“Help—”
He didn’t finish. The uncanny man suddenly twisted, snapping his body with a brutal force. With a grotesque ‘gulu gulu’ sound, Zhang Congwen’s head tumbled from his shoulders, rolling twice across the floor. Even then, his eyes brimmed with terror and disbelief.
“Ge…Ge…”
“What did you do to my brother?”
A jolt of agony shot through Zhang Congwu’s heart. He rushed outside, just in time to see his brother’s lifeless body, those stricken eyes forever open. Rage consumed him. He shouted, ignoring that the creature before him radiated a terrifying power.
“Brother… I want you to pay for my brother’s life! All you uncanny fiends—die! Hahaha… die!”
The two brothers had clung to each other since childhood, growing up in the orphanage, always together. Zhang Congwen had been his anchor—now, with that pillar shattered, Zhang Congwu was barely holding on.
“Damn uncanny wretch, taste what I’ve got for you!”
Zhang Congwu’s eyes were bloodshot, torn with grief, and he pulled out a yellow talisman, a twisted smile curving his lips.
“Hahaha! This is my S-rank Exorcism Talisman. You’re going to pay, for my brother!”
Lu Ziqi, hearing Zhang Congwu’s mad boast, felt his glee twist to envy. He himself had only ever gotten an A-rank item—how did this nobody get so lucky?
That was an S-rank item!
Among a million players, barely a handful could acquire one. Yet it was this small fry who held it, right beside him—no wonder the jealousy festered.
“…”
The uncanny man stood where he was, pitch-black eyes glancing over Zhang Congwu coolly, with a chill that could freeze bone.
The bravado draining from him, Zhang Congwu’s laugh cut short; a chill swept down his back. Instinct screamed at him to run, now—immediately. But the talisman in his hand could, in theory, subdue even high-level uncanny beings. It was tailor-made for these monsters. Surely this creature would fear it.
It had to be his imagination…
He bit his fingertip, letting a drop of blood spill onto the Exorcism Talisman. Instantly, gold light blazed from the yellow paper, illuminating the darkness and sending uncanny presences trembling and howling as they fled from miles around.
“Die…for me—”
Why… was his S-rank Exorcism Talisman useless?
The uncanny man’s claws pierced Zhang Congwu’s throat, and crimson blood gurgled to the ground.
Zhang Congwu, dead.
In his final moments, he never understood why a top-tier item—something uncanny creatures should fear—had failed him.
The three left in the main hall stood paralyzed, unable even to run.
“Ziqi… Gege—I’m scared. What do we do?”
Unlike her usual melodrama, Bai Lili was genuinely afraid. The uncanny man was horrifyingly powerful; even Zhang Congwu's S-rank prop had been brushed aside, and she only had a B-rank disguise card. How were they supposed to fight?
Lu Ziqi didn’t answer. He still had a Concealment Talisman, but who knew if this uncanny thing could see through it? Maybe… his lover could test it. Bai Lili, teetering on the edge of a breakdown, didn’t catch the malice flashing in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lili. I couldn’t protect you. In the next life, we’ll be together again.”
She looked at him, startled by the gentleness in his eyes.
Facing a sudden confession at the end, Bai Lili’s heart fluttered, swept away by the rush of shared doom.
Before she could process anything, she felt herself shoved, the world tilting beneath her. Without her realizing, he’d pushed her forward.
The uncanny creature’s fanged maw closed in—yet, just as it was about to bite down, Bai Lili found herself hurled far away.
Su Xu caught a whiff of acrid stench, glancing over to see a yellowish puddle pooling beneath Bai Lili.
“Can’t find…”
The uncanny man lifted his head, not even glancing at Bai Lili sprawled on the ground, his retreat pure disdain.
Her face flushed deep red—with all her life, she’d never felt such humiliation.
Suddenly, Su Xu remembered something. She sprinted over to Bai Lili with the speed of a champion. On the game’s light screen, players had shared: advanced uncanny creatures were particular in choosing prey, finding those stained with filth especially repulsive.
It was true!
The uncanny man ignored the two women entirely, chasing straight after the fleeing Lu Ziqi. With a single swipe, he ended Lu Ziqi’s life.
…
Afternoon had barely arrived, but a thick, choking blackness blotted out the sky so that even a hand before your face was lost to shadow.
On the highway, a small pickup crawled forward, its yellow headlights feeble and tentative as fireflies in the endless dark.
Somewhere along the way, a heavy fog had crept in.
The lights barely pierced a few meters ahead, forcing them to slow to a crawl.
Two hours on the road, and still no end in sight—anyone could tell something was wrong.
Pang Pangzi’s shirt clung to his sweaty back. He dared not look in the rearview mirror, nor out the window, lest he see something unspeakable.
A mechanical voice broke the silence: “Entering fog zone. Please reduce speed. At the next intersection, turn left. Caution: Rule number one of the uncanny map—Drive with care, or your loved ones will weep for you.”
The navigation system had switched itself on—and a winding road truly appeared up ahead. Pang Tong’s face went deathly pale.
“Keep driving forward.”
Don’t look them in the eye. Don’t respond, no matter what.
If you actually followed the GPS’s nonsense, straying onto that unknown path, an encounter with the uncanny was guaranteed.
Ye Shu fingered the prayer beads in her hand. The red glow pulsed hotter, a gentle warmth radiating from them.
Seeing Ye Shu’s composure, Pang Tong found himself calmed, as if a weight lifted from his chest.
With a whoosh, the car shot past the mysterious turn, pressing on. Before long, another fork appeared.
Pang Tong was steadier now. Without glancing at the new turn, he kept right on driving.
Soon came a third bend, then a fourth… then a fifth… a sixth… Spiraling endlessly.
The good news: they realized it was a trap, one crafted by the uncanny forces.
The bad?
They were stuck—no exit, and the gas tank was nearly dry. The spare fuel had been left behind, meaning someone would have to go fetch it by foot.
Pang Tong’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “Hero Ye, this road… Are we really trapped? Is it an uncanny wall?”
“I think so.”
From the start, they’d been cornered in a dead end—the uncanny’s aim was merely to stall them.
The fuel ran out, and the car sputtered to a halt amid dense fog.
The air grew bitingly cold, the kind that seeped in, even through layers of blankets. Something was scratching gently at the windows—a sickening, nails-on-glass squeal splitting the silence.
Smack!
A black handprint appeared against the glass, the whole car rocking just a little under its force.
Slap. Slap. Slap.
More handprints—the glass a web of blackened marks. The faint, shrill laugh of a woman echoed just outside.
In the fog, a hulking figure materialized; its bloated body bristled with dozens of hands, each hand with its own gaping mouth, teeth jagged and black as saw blades.
The beautiful green-eyed creature cradled in its arms gazed out hungrily.
The uncanny did not just devour people—they preyed on each other as well.
Ye Shu leapt from the car, sword drawn. With a single slash, she cleaved through a headless uncanny.
Dark, sticky blood splattered the peachwood blade. Calm as ever, Ye Shu methodically wiped her sword clean, while the green-eyed beauty opened its maw, devouring every trace of violence as if tidying up.
Pang Tong: “…”
“Get out and refuel.”
Ye Shu had a feeling it would be even more dangerous to stay put.
She’d filled the tank before leaving Jinshan Temple, yet after so long on this highway, unease grew heavier by the mile.
Sure enough, a few leagues down the road, some immense weight slammed onto the car. The roof groaned, ripped by enormous force.
“Found you…”
As that chillingly familiar voice echoed, Ye Shu’s eyes narrowed. Brandishing her peachwood sword, she lunged at the uncanny man.