Jiang Nuo watched, poking at her dessert with her silver fork, and casually remarked, "It's not just Yi Ran; four people have died in the last seven days. What they all have in common is sudden good fortune and wealth, followed by a rapid, unexpected death."
Thump.
Peng Dong's wrist twitched involuntarily, and the wine glass he was holding fell limply to the ground, hitting the carpet with a dull thud, much like the turbulent beating of Peng Dong's heart at that moment.
"I..."
"You're next." Si Yan's voice was even colder.
His tense emotions were torn apart, and Peng Dong slumped helplessly in his seat, unable to close his eyes.
"I don't want to die..."
"Then tell me, what strange things have you and Yi Ran come into contact with?" Jiang Nuo leaned back and took a small sip of her soda.
Peng Dong rested his elbows on the table, scratching his head incessantly. "It's a Good Luck Society; as long as you participate in their activities, you can improve your luck."
" Yi Ran said... he dreamt about the phone call. The first time he called, the number was disconnected. But if he called again, he could become a member. That's how he got me there."
Si Yan had finished eating. He lowered his eyes in thought, fiddling with Jiang Nuo's fingers. "How do the Good Luck Society communicate with each other? Do they have a base of operations?"
Peng Dong pressed his lips together forcefully, clearly anxious. "We meet on the second Wednesday night of every month in the underground parking garage next to the crematorium, and then take the elevator to the conference room."
"Ah?"
Member number two, who was happily eating meat, was surprised and quickly took out his electronic screen to look. "The crematorium doesn't have a dedicated underground parking garage, nor does it have an elevator."
Peng Dong was stunned for several seconds before he finally reacted.
"Then where should I go...?"
Jiang Nuo's eyebrows twitched slightly. "What color was the door to the conference room you went to?"
Peng Dong looked blankly at him. "White."
Very well, it matches the rumors about the crematorium; the problem is indeed there.
"Speaking of which, tonight is the second Wednesday," Member Number One looked at the calendar, then looked up at Si Yan and Jiang Nuo, "Does this mean this batch will all die tonight?"
Upon hearing this half-sentence, Peng Dong's already ashen face turned even uglier. "I don't want to die, I don't want to..."
He jumped up, knocking over and shattering the porcelain plate in front of him. Ignoring his disheveled state, he lunged at Jiang Nuo, crying, "Save me! I'll cooperate with your investigation, you have to save me!"
Jiang Nuo moved back a little, then suddenly raised her hand and pressed it against Peng Dong's forehead. A sharp pain shot through Peng Dong's head, and he let out a low growl, but dared not struggle.
A few seconds later.
Jiang Nuo nodded with a questioning tone, " The Evil Spirit spirit didn't possess it."
"Could it be Su Min?" Member Number One asked.
Jiang Nuo denied it, "No, I searched her soul."
"Young Master, the other four have already been brought back to the association and are under strict guard. But isn't it a bit too much of a risk of alerting them?"
Just as Si Yan was about to answer, the phone in her pocket rang shrilly.
He frowned and answered the call on speakerphone.
"It's terrible, young master!! One of the four people is showing unusual behavior! Return immediately!"
"Damn it, don't steal my phone!... Hold him down! Someone come quick!..."
Click.
It was the sound of a phone falling to the ground, followed by hurried footsteps.
Faintly, a few low moans could be heard.
"Level 2 alert activated! The mutated human has escaped!"
Upon hearing this, the two association members immediately stood up, their eyes filled with shock.
"Level II Alert!"
Si Yan strode forward, speaking rapidly, "Back to the association."
Jiang Nuo followed behind, and just before leaving the room, she turned back to look at Peng Dong, who was still in a daze, and said, "Come on, or you'll die."
"Okay, okay."
--
"Usually, when a suppressed vengeful spirit escapes, it triggers a Level 3 warning to prevent it from harming nearby residents or unsuspecting members. A Level 2 warning is for Ghost King level spirit, or Aberrant Monster that has never been included in the association's list. The last Level 2 warning was issued three years ago."
After explaining the situation to Jiang Nuo, the members arrived at the association.
Unlike any of Jiang Nuo's previous visits, the park was filled with an invisible, dazzling light that formed shackles, controlling every Aberrant Monster and vengeful ghost that tried to escape.
"Young Master!"
The equally vigilant gatekeepers, upon seeing Si Yan and Jiang Nuo, felt as if they had seen saviors. "The Chairman and the Grand Elder are both absent. We've already activated the alert as ordered by Gu Shan, but the Aberrant Monster has vanished. We can only confirm that it didn't escape the park."
"Continue the lockdown."
Si Yan didn't stop walking; her long legs strode into the light-filled enclosure, and she walked side by side with Jiang Nuo.
The two were already similar in stature, and now their sharp edges were fully revealed, like twin blades.
"Young Master, Mr. Jiang."
Gu Shan, who had just returned from outside, was still wearing his combat uniform. Even though he was over forty, he remained upright and dignified. He and the other members were searching the large open space in the park.
Even after Qi Cang revealed his demonic nature, he still couldn't find any trace of the Aberrant Monster creature.
Upon seeing Jiang Nuo, Qi Cang strode over, his tone grave.
" The Aberrant Monster is very strange; it is neither demon, ghost, nor human."
It was only a brief change, yet that eerie, chilling power seeped into every crevice. His sudden demonic transformation was purely a result of being forced to reveal his true form.
Jiang Nuo frowned. "Is it the Evil Spirit Grandpa mentioned?"
"No, it's not." Gu Shan shook his head. "I saw Evil Spirit before, twenty years ago. The current spiritual energy is insufficient to support another Evil Spirit's mutation. That was definitely not Evil Spirit."
"Mr. Jiang, this is a recording of the afterimage captured by the park's surveillance cameras just now."
Just as they saw on Su Min's phone, it was clearly an ultra-high-definition video, yet the entire image was shaking abnormally, and the afterimage only lasted for ten seconds.
Jiang Nuo slowed down the speed. The Aberrant Monster left side of its face melted, like blood-red lava flowing down. As it passed by, it even made a strange gesture towards the surveillance camera.
The Aberrant Monster stuck its index finger into its left eye, pulled out the eyeball, and then swallowed it.
Yellowish-white and bright red viscous fluid continued to drip.
Si Yan's breathing stopped abruptly, and she turned to look at Jiang Nuo.
Smack
The electronic screen was crushed to pieces by Jiang Nuo, and his eyes instantly turned scarlet.
Everyone was startled by his sudden reaction and stood there bewildered.
For a fleeting moment, they even felt that the person in front of them was detached from reality, with a kind of eerie, detached feeling.
" Nuonuo."
Si Yan suddenly hugged Jiang Nuo tightly, placing his palm on the back of her head.
Jiang Nuo was back in reality.
He sneered, his voice low and hoarse, almost indifferent.
"Looks like it's another old friend."
Sizzle sizzle--
A piercing electrical hum reverberated throughout the entire park.
Everyone looked up in horror as three giant screens suddenly lit up, the text on them distorted and the background glaring.
" Jiang Nuo, the challenger, failed his third attempt at the Hell-level six-star dungeon, Fantasy."
"The instance is about to close. Please escape in time."
"The system is warning you again. Please escape immediately and do not indulge in Fantasy."