218. "Shadows of Terror"

The story of "Shadows of Terror" is simple. The protagonist is an ordinary office worker who works at a soap company and lives a monotonous life. But one day, he always feels that someone is secretly watching him. At this time, his life also changes. He meets a nice girl and falls in love with her. However, the spying gaze always follows him like a shadow, making the protagonist neurotic and causing him to have many arguments with his lover, boss and friends.

Later on, it wasn't just his sight that caused the protagonist to hear strange sounds, and he could always see strange things in the corners of his field of vision. He became eccentric and lonely.

Then, one night, the protagonist finally discovered the source of the gaze: his own shadow. Monsters lurked in his shadow, and these monsters were not only in his own shadow, but also in the shadows of other people.

As he walked in the sunlight, and his shadow enveloped his lover, monsters emerged from her body. The protagonist was terrified and distanced himself from everyone, but the monsters in the shadows multiplied.

Finally, one day, his friend found the protagonist, who had fallen into extreme madness. He picked up a gun and killed the monster that emerged from the shadows on his friend. The bullet also pierced his friend's body. After killing his friend and the monster on his friend, the protagonist gradually understood everything. He went out into the street and shot at all the monsters in the shadows. Finally, after killing his girlfriend, the protagonist was shot dead by the police.

What makes this book truly remarkable is its ending. After everyone concludes that the protagonist is simply hallucinating and the so-called monster doesn't actually exist, a tentacle quietly disappears from the shadow left by the protagonist's corpse, leaving a chilling impression upon closer examination.

Moreover, the author's detailed descriptions make the reader feel as if there are monsters in their own shadow.

Darkness and shadows are fears that have existed in humankind since ancient times, and the author's depiction of them makes them even more frightening.

"This novel is quite addictive."

Trist took a deep breath, put the book down, and suddenly, a soft thud sounded from the shadows behind him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked over.

The fat orange cat had woken up at some point and was jumping off the sofa, making that sound as it landed.

"The writing in this book is very uncomfortable."

Unlike Trist, Xiya wasn't suspicious; she just frowned.

"So that man just now was in a similar situation to the protagonist after reading this novel, believing that monsters also exist in reality, which is why he was holding a gun and preparing to attack others?"

Lu Ban stood up and hugged the orange cat. The orange cat struggled a little unwillingly, but in the end, Lu Ban grabbed the scruff of its neck and made it behave.

He tugged at the cat's mouth and rubbed its belly. The orange cat looked utterly hopeless and could only let Lu Ban torment it.

"He's obsessed with reading."

Trist commented, but he was still somewhat shaken.

After finishing the book, I don't know if it's because the things in it are too realistic or for some other reason, Trist always has a subtle sense of fear, afraid that he might see some monster crawling out from the shadows of Lu Ban or Xiya.

"But if it's a mission in the Silent Land, then perhaps there really is an extraordinary force behind this writer called Gudu."

Xiya added.

"Really."

Trist nodded.

"Now it seems that perhaps the publisher's approach to me was also influenced by the Silent Land."

His current Career Development Task is to solve a far-reaching mystery. While he was still choosing a case, he received an invitation from Lu Ban. Thinking of the case in the Gudu, Trist immediately realized that this might be the case his Career Development Task required.

Trist was originally just an ordinary, down-on-his-luck policeman. After being dismissed from the police force for making a mistake, he gained the favor of the Silent Land and became Chosen of the Gods. His chosen profession was [Detective].

Along the way, his Career Development Task have all involved solving a few cases and opening Detective Agency. Although this can be considered as punishing evil and promoting good in a certain sense, Trist still feels some fear as he faces increasingly difficult missions in the Silent Land and his dwindling rationality.

"Here is the information the publisher gave me, along with the key to the accommodation in the Gudu. I'd like to check it out when you arrive."

He shook the key to the file folder and took out the documents inside.

The documents show that Gudu's mother was a textile worker who used to work for a wealthy family. She was later kicked out after being slept with by the young master of the family. However, she was already pregnant with him at the time. Later, the young master of that family died young without leaving any offspring, and the family took Gudu and his mother back and raised them as an illegitimate son.

Gudu's mother had passed away before he came of age. He started writing short stories when he was a teenager, and later became famous for his book when he was twenty. His family gradually became proud of him, but Gudu never went back.

"Illegitimate children Ruined City. If they are lucky, they will be helped and live a relatively normal life. If they are unlucky, they will never be found again and eventually die somewhere unknown."

Trist sighed.

"The house in the Gudu capital is in an affluent area, within the third ring road of the Gudu. We can go there now."

The Ruined City has a ring structure with ten rings in total. The outermost ring is the poorest, and the further in you go, the richer you become. Within the fourth ring, you can be considered rich. Trist's Detective Agency is located in the fifth ring, which is the boundary between the rich and the poor. You can see both the rich and the ordinary people there.

The further out you go, the more chaotic the security becomes, with gangs firmly controlling that area. The Fifth Ring Road is already the furthest area that the police can reach.

"In addition, no outsiders know about Gudu's disappearance yet, but some people, mainly his lovers, have already noticed. The publisher contacted me this time mainly because Gudu's new work has already provided a partial draft, so what they actually want is the rest of Gudu's manuscript."

Trist said another thing.

"Is that the supreme masterpiece mentioned in the mission description? Have you seen it?"

Xiya asked.

"Of course I haven't seen it. The publisher said that if I agree to the investigation, they will show me the manuscript to look for clues. I plan to reply to them today."

Trist put down the file folder and looked at the two of them.

"So, should we go to the publishing house first, or to our home in the Gudu?"

"Let's put those aside for now. Can we get something to eat? We're a little hungry."

Lu Ban put the orange cat down, and the kitten, which had been thoroughly abused, immediately let out a meow and disappeared to who-knows-where.

*

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