Nowhere to turn and... a "proposal"?

Having nowhere else to go and... a "suggestion"?

As the night passed, even with Sadako Yamamura's sleepless nights and no further mishaps, the situation was far from optimistic.

To be precise, it was by observing the condition of the scars on her calves that one could relatively intuitively perceive that the "warmth" emanating from the girl had weakened somewhat. Clearly, even under the stimulation of medication, the lack of proper rest had affected the girl's actual condition.

This discovery deeply worried Tang Yuyang, and most users also had their eyes darting around, clearly confirming some of their suspicions.

We can't delay any longer!

Who knows how long this precious "talisman" can last? We need to find another way out as soon as possible before entering a period of risk.

In particular, after a brief test, it was confirmed that once the En no Ozunu stone statue was separated, the "warmth" or power within it could only last for about half a day before it needed to return to Sadako's side to recharge its power.

After discussing it together, the group decided to stick together and go to the video rental store, which was the source of the cursed videotape that the students had previously rented, which was different from the one of the living girl and related to "Sadako Ghost," to see if they could find any clues.

The problem is that----

"Since that videotape has already been created, it means that at the bottom of that well in the video, somewhere unknown, there is already a..."

It should be "Sadako" who turned into a vengeful ghost, otherwise where would this curse come from?

"But wouldn't that mean there are two Sadako existing at the same time? And in the current situation—"

They quietly fell behind the group, and some people were whispering among themselves.

In the current situation, a group of people are surrounding a makeshift stretcher or "carriage" made of simple parts by hand. Gauze is hung down on all sides to provide some cover, and the girl, whose head gauze has also been changed, is surrounded above it.

They take turns carrying it in groups of two or four, ensuring that those around them are always within a safe range.

Even if local residents raise questions, they can explain it by saying they are participating in a parade similar to a local traditional custom.

It has to be said that, in order to avoid any unnecessary energy expenditure for this "precious child," users now even do the walking for her.

Unfortunately, in some of the less-than- Humanity tests conducted earlier, including intentionally letting one or two students out of a certain area to try and "escape," these two were indeed quite lucky. Perhaps because they had taken the "ghost stories" that everyone had told them to heart, they sensed something was wrong before they had run very far, or perhaps they simply "encountered" something.

Anyway, not long after, he was screaming and trembling, and in a frantic "escape" back, as if his mind had collapsed!

Especially since he still had a fresh, foul odor about him, it was clear he had lost control of his bladder from fright.

That's all there is to it.

The facts were laid bare. Putting aside the reactions of the users who had intentionally been testing the system, the few "hostages" who had been kidnapped finally reluctantly believed them and became relatively cooperative.

That did save some trouble.

However, such trivial matters do not offer much practical help in resolving the current situation.

"I don't remember the specific details clearly, but I recall that in one of Sadako's settings, there seemed to be a distinction between two sides representing good and evil, and between a larger and a smaller Sadako. Also, it seems that it was said that the demon Sadako 'possessed a new body and was reborn as a living person'—"

By deliberately keeping a distance, Tang Yuyang followed the palanquin ahead, with several people clearing the way for each of them. He also chatted with the people next to him.

"What's truly frightening is that the logic of time has become blurred; it's even possible that a vengeful ghost and a living person, two seemingly illogical entities with the same name, are actually the same being—"

At this point, even though it was Tao Guangsheng who was speaking, he couldn't help but shiver slightly.

Even the audience members weren't willing to respond.

In a semi-silent state, the group of people stayed close to Sadako, moving hastily until, guided by a male student, they arrived at an old-fashioned rental shop on an old street.

It's hard to imagine that in Tokyo, nearing the turn of the millennium, with the rise of new media like DVDs, there would still be room for these old-fashioned rental shops that are not run by anyone.

Looking at the small shop nestled between two buildings, its glass windows visibly dusty, the shelves inside, some sparse and some dense, held numerous videotapes.

According to the boy who rented the videotape, this place was supposedly a small shop run by a group of like-minded people who didn't aim to make a profit. They didn't earn much money from re-burning videotapes, and later, no one was left to run it professionally.

In short, it's simply a place to preserve nostalgia for older people from the past.

There's nothing that can be done now. After all, the TV and equipment in the Ju-On House were destroyed on the spot, and even if there were videotapes, they would most likely have been reduced to ashes.

Besides the ever-present threat of Kayako, there was also a hidden "Seven-Day Curse" hanging over their heads.

The group had no choice but to come here to try their luck, hoping to find another cursed videotape in order to find a way to "let others watch it and thus transfer the curse."

As you rummage through the shelves, you find videotapes that look mostly old and worn, some even with unidentified stains on their surfaces.

Following the subtle tactile sensations he sensed, Tang Yuyang quickly located a corner of the store, a relatively secluded low shelf, where a large number of old videotapes were hidden in cardboard boxes underneath.

What's particularly different is that, unlike other video media displayed in relatively open spaces, these videotapes, which seem to prefer not to be discovered, do not have complete cover information.

The slight "discomfort" attached to it alone is enough to illustrate its peculiarity.

Holy crap, these are probably all "cursed videotapes" that were copied and reproduced.

The truth is somewhat chilling.

After a brief discussion, everyone suspected that these were copies of the content that people who had been cursed in the past discovered after the discovery of the "transfer rule," and in order to survive and protect themselves, they deliberately used them to distribute and view the content to unsuspecting people.

To take it to an even more extreme point, perhaps this "non-profit" unmanned store exists and was even created for this very purpose—

These things, harboring resentment and curses, have quietly lurked in the lives of countless people.

It's terrifying to think about.

Just to be on the safe side, after taking more than one of the videotapes, the group suppressed their unease and found a nearby device to play and confirm the contents of the tapes.

Even if it's something cursed, since everyone has already been cursed before, it makes no difference.

Amidst the flickering, snow-like specks on the screen, a woman in white quickly appeared, combing her hair in an oval mirror. Her blurry face flashed past the lens...

Amidst the floating text, the scene suddenly shifts to a panoramic view of a volcanic eruption, titled "Mihara Mountain Volcano Eruption." Blurred figures can also be seen in the frame, seemingly fleeing for their lives.

Immediately, it briefly switched to a close-up of a woman wearing a white cloth on her head. The focus was zoomed in, and you could clearly see that the word "Zhen" appeared strangely between the pair of dark black eyes, and she even blinked----

Sure enough, what can still be read from the DVD player now is no longer a complete image, but only a piece of content pieced together from multiple strange and fragmented images.

The overall impression is that it resembles the work of a novice photographer, which is both naive and lacks logic.

But that doesn't stop everyone from being drenched in sweat watching it.

Especially the black-haired girl who was also in the audience; almost everyone was staring intently at her expression, ready to react immediately if anything seemed amiss.

Unsurprisingly, this girl named Sadako Yamamura was probably seeing this kind of content for the first time.

As the black hair on her face, which was covered by her bangs, was vaguely blown about by an invisible breeze, a strange sense of dazedness gradually appeared on her face.

"I think I've seen this video before—no, it's like in a dream—"

A dreamlike sound was being whispered from the girl's lips.

As you look further into the scene, a desolate ancient well gradually comes into view, creating an unsettling feeling as if something is peering up from the bottom of the well—a blurry vision.

As I watched, beneath the skin of that girl's face, which had initially appeared gentle, a struggle gradually emerged, even revealing a hidden, almost ferocious, expression!

This reaction—it's enough to confirm something!

They dared not take any more risks and test the waters.

Everyone rushed forward and frantically turned off the television.

Some people had even pulled out guns and pointed them at the screen, clearly ready to fire another round at the slightest provocation!

Fortunately, at least in front of this "Sadako," this special videotape behaved remarkably "docile."

There was no problem as everyone had anticipated, such as "the video continuing to play even after a power outage."

After a short rest to calm herself down, the girl, who still seemed somewhat dazed, was lifted onto a palanquin and continued to enjoy the privileged treatment of a human-powered sedan chair.

No one dared to say anything more, or continue to provoke him.

Time always seems to fly by when you're busy with things.

In just one short day, from noon to evening, the group mostly traveled by public transport, visiting several well-known or relatively "niche" old temples around Tokyo, trying to find possible "priests" or "exorcists".

There's no way around it; in a world where supernatural ghosts and evil spirits exist, there should theoretically be corresponding elements of mutual generation and restraint. Not to mention, the "Sadako Girl" in front of the users is undoubtedly a living example.

Unfortunately, this promising path ultimately yielded no results—even though Fukuzawa Yukichi was openly stuffed into a wooden box labeled "offering."

The middle-aged host who came out to greet them afterward did not demonstrate any effective understanding or purpose in the subsequent inquiries.

More accurately, he was completely unaware of the "strangeness" among the crowd, and his chanting of scriptures for the "believers" was ineffective and had no effect whatsoever.

He also failed to provide any information about a highly respected "senior" as these visitors had hoped.

Disappointed, Tao Guangsheng finally remembered to mention that the abbots and shrine chiefs of Japanese temples and shrines are mostly from family traditions, or rather, temples are simply hereditary family businesses and private property!

The saying, "If you can't start a business in Tokyo, you can only go home and inherit a temple," is not just a joke.

Therefore, given that it is actually a "profession" rather than a "belief," their blind search may not be effective.

Including the so-called ritual implements and scriptures that have been enshrined in the shrine for many years, in Tang Yuyang's perception, they had no clear meaning and were just old and ordinary objects.

This almost extinguished everyone's hopes!

As darkness approached, they couldn't delay any longer. On the way back, almost everyone in the group had a somber and dark expression. Even the students sensed that something was wrong and didn't dare to speak rashly.

"If things continue like this, we might have to take a gamble—"

How do we bet?

Upon hearing Yong Qi's voice, Tang Yuyang turned his head and asked in a low, heavy voice.

"With the videotape, Sadako's threat level can be temporarily reduced."

"As for Ju-On- on, our 'living Sadako's can probably only last two or three days at most, maybe three or four days, but we haven't found any other clues or methods to ensure her survival."

The middle-aged man spoke in a very low voice, so the people around him had to press themselves close to him to hear him.

"----Everyone should understand that this is True Body Mission; if you die here, you're really dead."

"Our situation is very dangerous right now, because judging from her previous departure, Kayako has definitely been targeting us, it's just that due to her influence—"

He pointed to the palanquin ahead, and for some reason, he sighed.

"Alright, everyone should understand. Our real danger right now mainly comes from the threat of Ju-On, but to put it another way, it's probably because Kayako has 'too few' prey, which is why it keeps targeting us."

"I don't need to elaborate on the predicament of two people encountering Tiger in the wild—now, if we want to survive, my wisdom is limited, and I can only see two solutions: either we find a way to use Sadako to counter Kayako, or someone can simply eliminate the Ju-On! But as you saw in today's test, the latter is clearly unlikely."

"It's hard to strike the right balance. If you go too far, I have no doubt that this girl might turn into another real 'Sadako'."

Despite their seemingly unwavering pace, the slight shiver beneath the surface clearly indicated that everyone understood what this meant.

"Either—expand the curse's reach! Expand the Ju-On's hunting grounds, forcing Kayako to divert her attention to more prey!"

"Because, based on current observations, its killing pattern is most likely not applied to everyone simultaneously. Therefore, to survive..."

If we go, we have to make sure the target group it's hunting expands to a point where we can hide among them, turning us into the "fastest runners" in a real sense.

Clearly, everyone who heard this statement changed their expression to varying degrees. Some even vaguely sensed something, though they still seemed somewhat incredulous.

"Brother Yong, what do you mean?"

Yong Qi glanced at the middle-aged woman who had asked the question, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What do you mean? I think I've made myself perfectly clear."

"If we want to survive, we need more people to act as shields, to take the blame—"

"Brother Yong, that's enough! We're all in this together now, just tell me how you want to lose money!"

He seemed to suddenly interrupt his companion's speech, but he didn't try to dissuade him; he simply asked for specific solutions.

Dong Yuling's attitude was already very clear.

Having gone through trials and tribulations, he was no longer the naive and naive young man he once was, and many things he did were simply based on his own stance.

However, it must be said that Dong Yuling's slight "statement" actually made some people secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Without hesitation, the middle-aged man looked around and revealed a sinister smile before laying everything bare.

"----To put it simply, let's blow up that 'Saeki House'!"