First Encounter with the Uncanny

The empty streets, shadowy pedestrians, thick fog, and the oppressive presence hanging overhead...

Zhu Zhuqing and the other two almost instantly concluded that they had been enveloped by the so-called Rules Horror Tales!

"This place is seriously creepy! I wonder if the chat can see what's happening to us! They have to tell Gu Zhi!"

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu both hid behind Zhu Zhuqing. Though Zhu Zhuqing was the youngest of the three, she seemed far more composed and dependable at this moment.

"According to the chat, every Rules Horror Tale has plenty of rules that cannot be broken. We need to find them. As long as we don't violate the rules, we'll be fine!"

Zhu Zhuqing recalled what the chat had said. The viewers had explained Rules Horror Tales in great detail; now, they only needed to find out what strange rules existed here!

"Is it this?"

Xiao Wu suddenly cried out. A slip of paper was pasted onto every door along both sides of the street, and they seemed to contain the rules the chat had mentioned.

[Rule One: Please do not exceed a height of five meters.]

[Rule Two: Please do not refuse the lamplighter's request.]

[Rule Three: Please do not respond to anything said by anyone wearing red.]

[Rule Four: Please do not walk on the streets for more than one hour.]

[Rule Five: Please do not enter rooms with open doors.]

Thanks to Xiao Wu's reminder, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong began gathering the rules posted on the doors. After removing the repeated information, they were left with those five rules.

"Doesn't seem that complicated, does it?"

After reading them carefully, Xiao Wu felt that the rules were not as terrifying as the chat had made them sound. Especially since they were so clearly stated, they did not seem difficult to follow.

"I'll first see whether Law Power works here!"

Ning Rongrong was quicker-witted. She remembered the chat saying that only rules could fight rules. They possessed Law Power, something close to rules themselves. Even if they could only use it for one second, it should still work.

No sooner said than done, Ning Rongrong first looked toward the sky. Rule One said they could not exceed a height of five meters, so there had to be some rule-based restriction above their heads.

Earth God's Power began to circulate, and Ning Rongrong had already decided on the law she would define!

"Heaven and Earth Reversal!"

Their Law Power could only be activated for one second, and its range did not exceed five meters—just enough for Ning Rongrong's experiment.

As the law of Heaven and Earth Reversal took effect, a flat patch of ground before Ning Rongrong instantly exchanged places with the space five meters above it.

At that instant, Ning Rongrong suddenly sensed that power of rules in midair. The Earth God Law and the uncanny rule repelled each other, directly tearing the patch of ground sent skyward into pieces!

The fog blanketing the entire uncanny space began to churn rapidly. A profound gaze seemed to descend from above their heads, bone-piercingly cold, making all three of them shudder.

"Passing Clouds and Mist!"

Zhu Zhuqing instinctively sensed that something was wrong and immediately unleashed her Wind God Law. The three figures scattered with the wind, as though they had never existed at all.

Though that profound gaze overhead sensed something unusual, under the protection of the Wind God Law, it failed to discover any trace that Zhu Zhuqing's group had ever been there. In the end, it could only withdraw its gaze with a hint of confusion.

"That was close! Could that be the uncanny thing the chat mentioned? It feels stronger than the dean!"

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had expended a great deal of strength, and Xiao Wu supported one in each hand to keep them from collapsing. Still, the attempt had been worthwhile. At least it had helped them identify where their opponent was.

"That thing is at least a Soul Douluo! And according to the chat, as long as people keep dying in this space, it will only grow stronger!"

Ning Rongrong came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so she had the most authority when it came to high-level cultivators. That gaze was not as powerful as her Grandpa Sword or Grandpa Bone, but it possessed the strength of a high-level Soul Douluo, perhaps even a Titled Douluo!

"We should figure out how to leave, or notify Gu Zhi!"

Zhu Zhuqing caught her breath and began leading Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu in considering their options. The chat had mentioned that Rules Horror Tales had exits, but the means of escape seemed to be hidden within the rules, and they could not figure it out for the moment.

"Third Brother and the others might have been dragged in too! Should we look for them?"

Xiao Wu considered another possibility. If the entire Shrek Academy had been drawn into this uncanny place, then Tang San and the others should be here as well!

"Then we'll look for an exit while searching for them. Flender may not be much, but he's still a seven-ring powerhouse!"

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were of one mind. The chat had disappeared, perhaps because they were too far from Gu Zhi for him to notice them. In that case, they might as well reunite with Flender and the others first.

"These streets are a tangled maze. Which way do we go?"

Zhu Zhuqing raised another question. The street they were on had eight branching paths, and each one seemed to have more branches at its end. They could not jump up high to survey the area either. If they searched them one by one, they would either die of exhaustion or starve to death!

"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe!"

Ning Rongrong directly resorted to the supreme art of luck. With her eyes closed, she pointed at random and chose the branch road to the southeast.

"This... forget it..."

Although Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu both felt it was inappropriate, they followed her in the end. As long as they obeyed the rules, it would be fine.

"Look! Some of the doors really are open!"

Ning Rongrong walked at the front. Thanks to her support-to-defense conversion, she was no longer that little support who could only hide behind everyone else. Right now, she was the toughest tank in their three-person party!

"It smells so good! I can't see what's inside, but one whiff tells me there's a whole table full of delicious food hidden in there!"

Xiao Wu's words had truly captured the essence of the chat. It had been several hours since they finished dinner, and if she claimed she was not hungry... well, hunger really was beginning to hit her.

"No wonder the rules say not to enter rooms with open doors. So they can tempt people into taking the bait like this!"

Ning Rongrong hurriedly reminded Xiao Wu not to enter rooms with open doors. There was no food inside—only uncanny things waiting to devour whoever entered!

"The rules also say that we can't walk through the streets for too long. We need to find a safe room to rest in!"

Zhu Zhuqing carefully examined the rooms lining both sides of the street. Most had open doors, but some were closed. Those rooms might be safe houses.

"Don't rush! Let's wait until our Law Power has recovered before we investigate!"

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing about to investigate the rooms with closed doors, Ning Rongrong stopped her again. Though they had greatly depleted their Law Power, it could be used again as their Soul Power recovered.

For now, the best option was to wait until their Law Power had recovered before investigating. That would give them a better chance of survival.

"Fine... Someone's there!"

Zhu Zhuqing had just agreed when she suddenly saw a figure flash past ahead!