"Soul-Crying Street": The Cat Was Gone, and So Was the Bell

12th floor.

Xu Xi stood on the street, looking at her now empty right hand, feeling a pang of regret.

It seems we can't take the black cat with us.

However, the little bell that the other party gave me is still there.

Just as he was about to continue through this cycle, a layer of crimson liquid suddenly gathered and spread across the ground.

The crimson blood, thick and viscous, was rising at a visible rate, like a surging undercurrent, while a strong, pungent stench of blood filled the air.

Xu Xi looked up and found that the entire street was submerged in blood.

Under a streetlamp not far away, in the dappled light and shadow, a young woman stood alone.

Her nightgown was stained a shocking crimson with blood, and the long gash at her wrist resembled a burst dam, dripping blood continuously.

Blood soaked up to the woman's ankles, but she remained standing there numbly, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.

The other party didn't care, Xu Xi dared not be indifferent.

He immediately lifted his leg, intending to run towards the end.

At this rate of rise in the blood-red water, if he doesn't run, he'll likely drown here.

However, the blood seemed to have some kind of negative buff; as soon as he stepped into it, he was bound by invisible shackles, making it difficult for him to move.

Movements became unusually sluggish, and no matter how hard one tried, speed could not be increased.

Left with no other choice, Xu Xi could only move step by step toward the end with great difficulty, each step requiring many times more effort than usual.

Hopefully, he can reach the alley before the blood rises to his head.

Otherwise, he would be forced to experience what it feels like to drown.

Blood seeped down his trousers to his knees, the sticky, cool, and slippery texture of it.

Xu Xi managed to move about a third of the distance with great difficulty.

Looking at the remaining two-thirds, he suddenly felt there was still hope.

But Xu Xi reached the section of road opposite the young woman, the woman, who had been standing there blankly, moved her eyes and then slowly looked at him.

In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before Xu Xi.

His heart skipped a beat.

But the young woman simply extended her bleeding wrist and opened her palm.

This begging gesture subconsciously reminded Xu Xi of the little bell the black cat had given him.

After trying to place the small bell in the other person's hand, the young woman stared blankly at the bell in her palm, and after a moment, tears of blood slowly streamed down her face.

The close contact allowed Xu Xi to see her appearance clearly.

... His eyebrows and eyes bore some resemblance to the woman who hanged herself on the 8th floor and the man who kowtowed on the 4th floor.

So, is this young woman the couple's daughter? And the cat is actually her pet?

After shedding tears of blood alone for a while, the woman put away the little bell, and somehow a fruit knife appeared in her hand.

She held the blade, handle facing outwards, and handed the sharp fruit knife to the young man opposite her.

Xu Xi moment, then reached out and took it.

The next instant, the young woman disappeared from Xu Xi's sight, and at the same time, the blood receded like the tide.

The streets were clean and tidy again, with only a faint smell of blood lingering in the air reminding him of what had just happened.

Xu Xi silently examined the newly acquired Item.

The cat is gone, and so is the bell.

But I did get another small knife.

Fortunately, the young woman took the blood with her when she left, Xu Xi, who was finally able to move normally, went to the next floor without hesitation.

Congratulations, you were right.

"The lonely soul that wandered alone has found liberation; death is not the end, but the chance to finally sleep soundly in a free place."

--

[I was almost scared to death when that woman in the nightgown Xu Xi!]

[This won't do anymore, even the dense barrage of comments can't give me a sense of security.]

[So these two floors can interact and link together?]

[The second player didn't choose to save the cat, didn't even get close, and went straight down to the next level, barely making it to the alley entrance before being drowned in blood.]

[So you can actually complete the game whether you save the cat or not, but if you save it, the cat will give you a bell. If you give the bell to the woman in the nightgown, you will get another Item.]

[Whether it's Cat Xu Xi, let's go for it together.]

[Waaaaah, why can't I take the kitten with me? I don't care! Dungeon, give me back my kitten! (crying and screaming) (rolling on the ground)]

[Can't you get the bell even if you don't rescue the cat?]

[The problem is, bells can get run over by cars too. If you go to that woman in the nightgown with a broken bell, are you trying to get yourself killed already??]

[Indeed, the sign said the black cat was her only salvation, and the broken bell meant the black cat was dead too. No one could guarantee the woman in the nightgown wouldn't go berserk on the spot.]

--

The 13th floor was unaffected.

14th floor.

At first glance, Xu Xi saw nothing unusual; the scene was calm and peaceful.

Just as he was about to pass by the supermarket.

"Bang--"

A figure fell from a great height onto the ground in front of the supermarket, his limbs twisted and covered in blood.

Large wads of banknotes fell like petals from a fairy's shower, gradually covering most of the gruesome corpse.

[Big boss, let's go get those tonics! We need to grab all the cash here!]

[But didn't it say earlier that picking it up would kill you?]

[This is different. This time, the money is related to a certain cycle later on. The second player got trapped in that cycle because he didn't take the money here. He couldn't go back or get out, and eventually he broke down and committed suicide.]

[Who knows if we can even get this? If we do, great; if we don't, great. This Dungeon is just designed to kill players, isn't it?]

[Of course it is! Aren't the God Hunt just treating humans like ants and toying with them?]

[I agree. Some countries are even saying this is an opportunity for global evolution. What a load of rubbish! Who says global evolution is Contamination? It's more like it's coming to devour us!]

[Well, in a way, these players are also national heroes.]

Yes, even if it wasn't voluntary, the contribution to the country is real.

[But isn't the country also Contamination because players die?]

[You can't calculate it like that. The players are fighting with their lives, gambling for hope. Blame this damn God Hunt.]

[That's right, but unless a player can climb to the top and wish to end the game, it's just a matter of dying sooner or later. It's a worthless life; God Hunt, take it if you want.]

Don't be so pessimistic. Just think about how the whole world will be with you then, you won't be alone.

[Not necessarily, he might be selected for the Dungeon before that time.]

[That's true]

[... You guys are really something else]

As the chat progressed, the mood sombered considerably. For them, the netizens who were joking and teasing each other today might be facing Dungeon tomorrow. Even if they were just casually chatting online, many of them were actually filled with anxiety.

The gloomy atmosphere was broken shortly after the barrage of comments subsided.

[Holy crap, did Xu Xi mess up with the Little Black Men guy?!]

[Xu Xi: Damn it, no one told me that taking the banknotes from this floor would trigger so many Little Black Men!]

Xu Xi bent down and picked up the scattered banknotes one by one.

He never expected that the later cycles would require these banknotes!