Black Shadow

<Li Yèlái> found himself in a bizarre space, enveloped by dense, swirling mist. Through it, he could glimpse distorted, dim light spots from the outside world.

The air around him grew increasingly viscous, trapping him firmly in place, making movement difficult.

"Here we go again." <Li Yèlái> felt a pang of despair.

He had entered this dreamscape once more.

Over the years, he would periodically find himself trapped in this strange dream.

In the distance, a twisted, pitch-black figure was relentlessly approaching him.

Just like always.

Unlike last time, this <Black Shadow> was getting closer.

How many years had it been? It still hadn't given up.

<Li Yèlái> could even vaguely make out the <Black Shadow>'s distorted form through the thick fog. Countless tentacles writhed and extended from its back, and blurred faces or grotesque limbs flickered in and out of existence on its body. Deeper within the shadows, four thick chains emerged, dragging the <Black Shadow> and restraining its advance.

As the <Black Shadow> drew nearer, an overwhelming, suffocating pressure, as if sinking to the bottom of the ocean, threatened to crush him, until his vision was consumed by utter blackness.

Faint whispers echoed around him, like chanting or screams, like mournful murmurs.

The words were obscure and profound, the voices neither male nor female, yet <Li Yèlái> understood their meaning.

'Where are you?'

In an apartment in the old district of <Border City No. 3>, a young man with a delicate appearance suddenly jolted awake from his sleep.

The dream had taken a heavy toll on his body.

<Li Yèlái>'s body trembled and convulsed as he struggled to sit up, suppressing the urge to vomit. He quickly grabbed various items from his bedside table.

Among them were talismans, a Buddha statue, a crucifix, a voodoo doll, and even some joss paper.

"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Dou, Zhe, Lin, Xing."

"Amitabha."

"Hallelujah."

"By the power of the law, quickly!"

He gasped for breath, reciting a string of prayers.

Perhaps they truly had an effect, or perhaps it was mere psychological comfort, but <Li Yèlái>'s emotions slightly eased. His rapidly beating heart gradually stabilized.

Just then, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open, startling <Li Yèlái>.

He saw a young girl in pink pajamas, her messy hair failing to hide her beauty, standing at the doorway.

It was his sister, <Li Yúnyān>.

"Had that dream again?" <Li Yúnyān> yawned and asked.

"Couldn't you knock? Have some boundaries!" <Li Yèlái> immediately suppressed his look of terror and nodded in response.

This strange dream had plagued <Li Yèlái> for many years.

At first, he could only see blurry figures in the distance within the dream.

As time passed, the shadowy figure drew closer and closer to <Li Yèlái>.

He was unable to move, forced to watch the <Black Shadow> approach step by step.

However, the doctors at the clinic couldn't diagnose his condition and could only prescribe him sleep medication.

"Do these mystical items, meant for times of disaster, actually work?" <Li Yúnyān> pointed a finger at the talismans and Buddha statue in <Li Yèlái>'s hand. "Do these gods and deities have to fight before they can save you? And what's with this joss paper?"

"I suspect that dark figure might be the legendary <Black Impermanence>, and the joss paper might be a bribe," <Li Yèlái> said with a serious expression.

He wasn't sure if these items were effective.

These were all things <Li Yèlái> had found while working at the <Antique Shop>.

However, this business was complex. A CD full of study materials from the pre-disaster era, seventy years ago, could sell for three thousand <Mega City Coins>?

<Li Yèlái> couldn't comprehend it. Perhaps it was the power of knowledge.

"You should believe in the wisdom of the ancients," <Li Yúnyān> said. "Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena."

"I know, that means old Master Confucius didn't want to talk and instead used brute force to beat people until they were incoherent," <Li Yèlái> pondered seriously. "Are you telling me to learn from old Master Confucius and beat up that <Black Shadow>? Actually, I've had that thought too."

Hearing <Li Yèlái>'s interpretation.

<Li Yúnyún>'s eyes widened, as if a question mark had appeared above her head.

<Li Yèlái> seized the opportunity to ask, "Sis, have you noticed any changes in my bedroom?"

<Li Yúnyún> scanned the bedroom, looking confused. "Any changes? Did you buy more furniture?"

<Li Yèlái> glanced at the ceiling. The distorted <Black Shadow> seemed like a remnant of the night, not dispelled by the sunlight filtering through the high walls. It lurked on the ceiling, its dangling tentacles writhing wantonly on the walls. Yet, his little sister seemed oblivious.

He knew his condition was worsening.

If this was a mental illness, then he was already experiencing hallucinations.

If not, it meant that monster had truly pursued him from his dreams into reality!

He couldn't stay home any longer, no matter what.

So, <Li Yèlái> looked at the writhing, fading <Black Shadow> on the ceiling and said calmly, "No."

He didn't tell his sister about the strange vision he'd seen.

After stuffing the Buddhist beads and cross into his backpack, he slung it over his shoulders and left the apartment.

He worried that staying home might put his sister in danger.

No one knew what would happen if the <Black Shadow> actually found <Li Yèlái>.

He needed to get to the nearest <Security Bureau> as fast as possible.

It was the safest place he could think of.

If the <Black Shadow> really showed up, he'd let it taste the power of modern technology.

However, <Li Yèlái> also knew this journey wouldn't be peaceful.

Every time he had this strange dream, his luck would turn bad for a while afterward.

This was also the main reason he believed the <Black Shadow> was real. What kind of mental illness caused such bad luck?

Now, after leaving the apartment, he had to be wary of the misfortune that could appear on the streets at any moment.

But just as he stepped out of the apartment, he heard a shout.

"<Xiǎo Yè>."

<Li Yèlái> turned and saw a middle-aged man with graying temples, wearing a <Suit>, waving at him from not too far away.

It was <Doctor Wang> from the clinic <Li Yèlái> often visited. They were practically old acquaintances.

"I was just about to come upstairs to find you," <Doctor Wang> said with a kind smile as he approached.

<Li Yèlái> felt a strange sense of dissonance.

But he still replied, "<Doctor Wang>, I had that strange dream again."

"Perfect, that's why I came to find you," <Doctor Wang> said with a gentle smile. "Shall we go upstairs and talk?"

The feeling of dissonance grew stronger in <Li Yèlái>, an instinctual urge not to, or rather, a fear of letting <Doctor Wang> into his home.

So, he said, "Let's talk at the hospital instead."

<Doctor Wang> paused for a moment, then smiled, "Alright, I drove."

Drove? <Li Yèlái> forced a smile and nodded.

Then, the two got into a black car and drove away from the apartment.

They drove in silence.

Only the sound of the radio broadcast echoed in the car.

'Yesterday, a serious criminal case occurred in the old district of <Border City No. 3>. The perpetrator is still at large. Anyone with information can call...'

Listening to the radio broadcast, <Li Yèlái> in the back seat clutched his backpack tightly, silently watching <Doctor Wang> in the front seat. In his hand, he discreetly dialed the number he'd just heard.

As the car suddenly turned into a private underground garage, <Li Yèlái>'s unease intensified.

So, <Li Yèlái>'s face turned <Pale> as he asked, "Is <Doctor Wang> still alive?"

The middle-aged man in the driver's seat paused, but without turning around, he said calmly, "You figured it out? Your voice, appearance, and build haven't changed at all. How did you know?"

He seemed surprised, but not overly so. More so, there was mockery and malice in his tone.

Yes, that feeling of dissonance and unease came from this '<Doctor Wang>' himself. He wasn't <Doctor Wang> at all!

Was someone impersonating <Doctor Wang> to approach him and his sister? And they could imitate him so perfectly?

Once he realized this, <Li Yèlái> didn't dare let him stay near the apartment.

This was also why <Li Yèlái> got into the car with him. He couldn't let his sister, still in the apartment, be in danger.

The moment the middle-aged man admitted it, a wave of immense fear washed over <Li Yèlái>, making his body go weak.

He felt like... he had truly gotten caught up in something terrifying.

"Why are you looking for me?" <Li Yèlái> asked, his voice trembling as he hugged his backpack tightly.

"I'm being pursued closely, and I need a new skin and identity. Your skin is quite good," the middle-aged man said, turning his head to look at <Li Yèlái>, his face revealing a sinister smile. "However, since you know I'm not <Doctor Wang>, why did you dare get in the car with me?"

Skin? Identity? <Li Yèlái>'s body trembled more violently. How bizarre was this?

To peel off someone's skin and replace them? Did monsters truly exist in this world?

But the fear drove him to quickly reach out, unbuckle the '<Doctor Wang>'s' seatbelt, and grit his teeth, saying, "No, it should be, how did you dare let me get in the car?"

The middle-aged man froze. The next second, he found the brakes had failed. He instinctively yanked the steering wheel, only to pull the entire thing off.

Under the middle-aged man's shocked and horrified gaze, the car instantly lost control and sped towards the garage wall.

Yes, this was <Li Yèlái>'s 'bad luck'! The negative effect of the strange dream!

Specific effect:

In any case, last time, after having the nightmare, he insisted on going to work.

As soon as he got on the bus, it stalled after one stop. No matter what the driver did, it wouldn't start.

He reluctantly paid for a taxi, but it broke down before they even covered the initial fare.

He rode his bicycle, only for the tire to burst.

Walking to work, he entered an alley. A potted plant, half his height, suddenly fell from a balcony above, aiming for his head.

He narrowly dodged the plant, only to step on a loose manhole cover.

Finally reaching the main street, he encountered billboards blown down by the wind or runaway cement trucks.

It seemed the whole world was against him!

If Li Yèlái wasn't somewhat accustomed to his bad luck, and didn't maintain a high level of vigilance after every nightmare, he would have been killed long ago.

By being alert to any potential danger, he had avoided being killed.

From a certain perspective, Li Yèlái was a vehicle killer!

Therefore, Doctor Wang, who knew the situation to some extent, didn't dare let Li Yèlái into his car.

This was also the main reason Li Yèlái knew the person in front of him wasn't Doctor Wang.

After he mentioned having a nightmare, the other person still dared to let him get in the car? Did they not care about their car anymore?

The moment the vehicle crashed into the wall, the front of the car instantly deformed and twisted. Simultaneously, the airbags violently deployed, engulfing Doctor Wang.

Li Yèlái, who had already grabbed the handle and fastened his seatbelt, quickly regained consciousness.

He immediately opened the rear door and, with numb limbs, crawled out of the smoke-filled car.

Since his bad luck was so terrible, anyone traveling with him would also be in danger.

This was Li Yèlái's tactic against this 'Doctor Wang'.

No matter what kind of monster you are, you'll face my E-rank luck first!

However, before Li Yèlái could get far from the car, he saw the garage door not far away slowly closing.

From the twisted and deformed sedan behind him, a malicious laugh from 'Doctor Wang' could be heard.

With a crisp 'clang', the deformed car door was neatly sliced open.

A figure emerged from it – it was 'Doctor Wang'!

His face seemed to have been completely torn off, revealing red flesh and eyeballs, disgusting and terrifying.

He looked at the pale-faced Li Yèlái with a horrifying smile. "Good, at least your face isn't injured."

Li Yèlái's face was filled with terror. The fear of facing the monster made him react. He took out various items from his backpack.

They were talismans, Buddhist statues, crosses, and the like from before.

"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Dou, Zhe, Lin, Bing."

"Amitabha."

"Hallelujah."

"By the power of the law, I command thee!"

He held the items and prayed urgently, hoping they would protect him and expel the monster before him.

These were originally tools he used against 'Black Shadow', but now he was using them against the monster in front of him.

However, 'Doctor Wang' was completely unaffected and walked towards him step by step, his eyes full of mockery.

Although the recent accident had surprised 'Doctor Wang' somewhat, he had transcended mortal limits. A mere car accident couldn't harm him much. Moreover, upon entering this garage, he had already secured an invincible position. This was the hunting ground he had prepared.

Here, he would meticulously peel off Li Yèlái's skin and then live his life.

As for prayer? It only made 'Doctor Wang' laugh. How could ephemeral faith contend against a deity?

"Don't be afraid. The one who died in this accident was Doctor Wang. I will live on as you and take good care of your sister. Speaking of which, your sister is quite beautiful too." He revealed a malicious smile. Even from his bloody and mangled face, one could sense his depravity and vulgarity.

Upon hearing the last sentence, Li Yèlái's terrified face froze.

In many situations, he wasn't a brave person and never chose dangerous jobs.

He had attachments, reasons why he couldn't die.

And now, this skin-peeling monster not only wanted to kill him but also harm his sister?

Unacceptable!

His terrified expression turned into a ferocious glare!

Li Yèlái, enraged, found that these items were completely useless.

He furiously threw down all the items and pulled an axe from his backpack.

"You really don't know what's good for you!"