Underworld Paradise

The sun was moving faster than they had expected.

Most of Sub-Street was already shrouded in shadow.

Their luck was truly terrible.

The giant advertising sign above a supermarket facade jutted out noticeably from the neat storefront.

It was the shadow cast onto the street by that very sign that made the advancing tide of shadows bulge outward!

Those who ran faster had crossed the bulge in the shadow earlier.

But the fat man had only just reached it!

The two of them had run until their eyes were rolling back, so how could they have noticed that the ground beneath them was already covered by the sign's shadow?

The moment their feet entered it, the "Water Ghosts" gathered in this deathly shadow zone suddenly sprang up. Their monkey-like claws clamped around the fat man's legs!

The fat man was scared out of his wits, and his bulky body toppled toward the ground!

But he didn't fall onto the concrete. He plunged straight into a nest. Dozens of Shadow Evil Spirits burst out of the patch of shadow, which was as large as the advertising sign.

They quickly swarmed all over the fat man, tearing at him with their claws and gnawing at him with their fangs. Even after they had ripped open his belly, one of the smaller Shadow Evil Spirits crawled inside him and began eating its way out!

"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!"

His screams rang across the entire block.

In a place like this, death really wasn't the most terrifying thing.

The fat man was still alive throughout the entire feeding frenzy. These vicious, cruel shadow Water Ghosts knew exactly which parts to eat first, keeping their prey from dying too soon and ruining the fresh taste...

Yang Qin's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground.

If she hadn't turned back in time, she would have ended up just like the fat man!

This was terrifying!

This place was terrifying!!

She didn't want to stay here.

"Foolish." Su Li watched the whole thing with cool detachment.

In fact, by the time Jiang Wang and Xu Yan had made their decision, Su Li already knew these people wouldn't make it.

They had no idea how the Evil Sun worked.

It was completely different from the clear skies and bright sun they had seen before.

It actually moved faster!

So it wasn't just the fat man who wouldn't make it out. None of the others would escape Sub-Street alive, either!

"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!"

Sure enough, another scream rang out. Even from a kilometer or two away, it was crystal clear.

It was the older man. He had run out of strength and stumbled into the shadows. Then he was like a piece of fatty meat dropped into a pool of piranhas. Blood sprayed into the air, forming a conspicuous cloud of mist!

"Faster!!"

"Move faster!!"

Jiang Wang and Xu Yan were at the very front.

They were almost at Main Street, where the sunlight was still bright.

But the shadows of Sub-Street were like an merciless stone gate, slowly closing shut!

At last, when they were less than a hundred meters from Sub-Street, the river of shadows completely swallowed the street. Hundreds of shadow Water Ghosts began hunting them down!!

"No, no! No, no!!" Jiang Wang cried out in despair.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, a sharp claw shoved its way inside!

It was a large shadow Water Ghost, its claw curved like a hook.

Jiang Wang was hoisted up mercilessly, like a live fish caught by the gills.

Then the other shadow Water Ghosts gathered around him like diners at a hot pot restaurant, greedily and methodically slicing fresh sashimi from his body, savoring its liveliness and tenderness!

Xu Yan met the same fate as Jiang Wang.

The other two who had been running in the middle were reduced to nothing in a matter of moments.

It had been nothing more than a shadowy street, and the sun had only just disappeared—yet it had become a hell of the underworld. What unfolded there was more than anyone could bear to watch!

Wu Hen stood at a distance, watching the entire scene unfold as well.

Unlike the man-eating monsters he had seen in movies and TV shows, the real monsters in the Otherworld had their own habits, and even seemed to have their own food culture.

That very precision and specificity made death all the more terrifying.

"Let's go. The sunlight has already reached the road ahead," Su Li said calmly.

Wu Hen nodded and followed close behind her.

The others were still half out of their minds. They were most grateful that they had chosen to follow Su Li, so now they didn't think too much about it. Wherever Su Li went, they went.

Yang Qin, slumped on the ground, was completely limp and toppled over.

"Slap her awake," Su Li said flatly.

Wu Hen glanced at Yang Qin, collapsed on the ground.

Youth was great. She could lie down and take a nap at any time...

Wu Hen went over and gave her a few sharp smacks.

Yang Qin's face was red and swollen, but she soon came to.

She realized that if she didn't get up and follow the group, she would die here. So she got to her feet again, sobbing and trembling, too weak to stand straight.

Wu Hen gave her a hand, but noticed a wet patch where Yang Qin had been sitting...

Sigh, Yang Qin, you're old enough to know better than to drool all over the ground.

Su Li clearly had the route planned out.

After that, the group made their way out of the high-rise district without incident and reached the area near the Old Train Station.

"Are we going inside? There are lots of places in the station where the sunlight can't reach," an older woman in the group asked.

"No need to go onto the platforms. The train is parked outside. We can just follow the tracks," Su Li said.

"That's good, that's good!" The others all breathed a sigh of relief at the news.

Shadow Evil Spirits weren't very strong, but there were so many of them. If large numbers of Shadow Evil Spirits were lurking inside the station, they still wouldn't escape death.

"Climb over this wall, and the tracks are on the other side. The train is four or five kilometers down the line. There are no buildings casting shadows along the way, and no awnings blocking the sunlight," Su Li explained to the group again.

The buildings near the Old Train Station were all old and low. Most were overgrown with moss and vines, clearly long abandoned.

The wall in front of them was a low brick wall covered in Virginia creeper. There were some old electrical wires on top, but it wasn't difficult to climb over.

The group helped one another over the low wall around the station and onto the open ground by the tracks.

"Give me your hand." Wu Hen crouched on top of the wall and reached out to Yang Qin.

Yang Qin's face lit up with delight, and she hurriedly reached out with both hands.

Wu Hen pulled her up onto the wall, then lowered her down on the other side.

A little gratitude showed in Yang Qin's eyes. She was just about to thank him sweetly and use the chance to get closer to him, but Wu Hen completely ignored her. She could only pout and follow behind, feeling wronged.

"Did I offend him somehow? Why does he dislike me so much?" Yang Qin couldn't understand.

But before she could think it through, the fear and unease of those around her made her realize something was wrong!

The others in the group were like startled horses, shifting restlessly in place. A few even wanted to climb back over the wall.

"Wait, Su Li, what is this supposed to mean? Don't you see what's in front of us???" the older woman in the group shrieked.

"Midnight Mass!! Those are all Midnight Mass!! Su Li, have you brought us to the Midnight Mass nest?!"

"Let me go back! Hurry, let me go back! I don't want to stay in this hellhole!!"

The group descended into chaos. Nobody could stay calm.

It had been fine before they climbed over the wall. They hadn't known what the area around the train station was like.

But once they were over the wall, they discovered that the train station and both sides of the tracks beyond it were densely lined with terrifying stone sculptures!

It was like they had accidentally stumbled into a factory full of horrifying statues.

The problem was, those who lived here all knew that the things standing motionless in the sunlight weren't ordinary stone. They were Midnight Mass, even more terrifying than Dusk Night Evil Spirits and Shadow Evil Spirits!!!

Su Li hadn't told them the truth.

The Old Train Station was the nest of the Midnight Mass!!

"This is the only way out of this patch of Evil Soil," Su Li said calmly.

"But..."

"But what? If you haven't lost your mind, you should know that the Midnight Mass can't move during the day. Even on cloudy days, they remain in their sculpted forms. Right now, they're just statues!" Su Li shouted.

After Su Li's sharp rebuke, the group soon stopped panicking and arguing.

It was true. If the Midnight Mass could move, then the moment they climbed over the wall, they would have been eaten down to the bones!

To cross the Midnight Mass nest...

The road out of here and onward to the Nuwa Divine Tree wasn't far now.

Their ultimate destination was the Nuwa Divine Tree.

"There are still two hours before sunset. These Midnight Mass won't attack us. Let's do what Su Li says," said Scar-faced Uncle, one of the people in the group.

"It's too late to turn back now, anyway," Wu Hen added.

There were no obstacles along the four or five kilometers of tracks, either. Sunlight covered the entire open stretch, which eased the others' worries a little.

"Let's go." Su Li still walked at the very front of the group.

This time, however, she drew her pistol and remained on guard.

Su Li gave Wu Hen a look, signaling that he had to stay right beside her, no matter what.

Wu Hen wished he could shrink down to a baby and curl up by the gun holstered against Su Li's long legs. A clever, capable big sister—his favorite!

"Are you really sure the Midnight Mass won't move?" Yang Qin whispered to Scar-faced Uncle.

"Probably."

"Pro... probably??" Yang Qin's eyes widened, and terrified tears welled up again.

Weeds grew thick on both sides of the tracks. Even under the bright sunlight, the scene still felt as eerie as a graveyard.

And the evil spirits stood there one by one, their sculpted forms so lifelike. Their faces were especially unsettling. They wore all kinds of different smiles, yet every one of them gave off a chilling, false warmth!

If she had to compare them to something, they were like the ghostly officials who greeted you in the underworld.

They greeted you with smiling faces, welcoming you to the Underworld Paradise. They were polite on the surface, but in the corner of your eye you could always catch their little expressions and gestures, as if they couldn't wait to torture you!

With the sunlight shining on them, would they really stay completely still?

Yang Qin still felt that wherever she went, their eyes followed her??