Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Hey, This Is the Mastermind! Can’t You Be a Little More Serious?

The thought startled even Yun Zhenyue.

’Could there be such a coincidence in the world?’

This made things a bit tricky for Yun Zhenyue.

’Hopefully, that mall owner hasn’t harmed Mengmeng’s parents.’

’With my status, I could order their release, and everyone would be happy.’

’Otherwise...’

’...dealing with him would be another headache.’

Just as Yun Zhenyue was pondering this...

RUMBLE...

The path leading to the crimson space began to tremble violently!

Dust billowed up, blanketing the entire area!

As if in an earthquake, the ground caved in!

The concrete, as if devoured by some great beast, formed a massive, deep pit.

Several dust-covered luxury cars plunged into the chasm!

"Protect her ladyship!"

Yu Honghui, at their side, commanded in a low voice.

The Nightmare Hunter members immediately shielded Yun Zhenyue and Mengmeng!

But to everyone’s surprise,

the tremor lasted only a few seconds before stopping.

The entire underground garage, however, did not collapse.

It just left an impassable pit in the path ahead.

It was bottomless, like an abyss.

Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, within moments,

a tide of black blood gushed up from the bottom of the pit, filling it completely.

Tiny bubbles frothed on the surface of the black blood, releasing a nauseating, acrid stench. The blood continued to eat away at the surrounding walls, emitting a SIZZLING sound.

An uncrossable river of despair now lay before them.

One Nightmare Hunter member cautiously reached out and touched the black blood.

Instantly, his fingertip was corroded!

The flesh dissolved completely, revealing stark white bone.

"Hsss..." The Nightmare Hunter sucked in a sharp breath and instinctively took a step back. Fortunately, his healing ability was potent; the flesh on his finger grew back within seconds.

Seeing this, Yun Zhenyue and Mengmeng exchanged a look.

In that moment, they both understood.

The purpose of this blood pit was obvious.

It was clearly meant to stop them from passing.

’Is it deliberately trying to stall for time?!!’

’There’s definitely something wrong with this mall owner!’

It was plain to see.

As if confident the blood pit would trap them, the crimson space’s contraction slowed, the presence within seemingly gloating.

"This..."

Indeed.

Yun Zhenyue thought for a moment.

She really couldn’t think of a way to cross.

An ordinary player would have been deterred long ago.

The corrosion was so powerful that even an Evil Star couldn’t withstand it, let alone a human. A single drop would probably cause instant dissolution!

Even the most intelligent, top-tier player would have to rack their brains and likely die nine times out of ten just to get across, wouldn’t they?

But just then!

Yu Honghui wore a look of disdain.

"All of you, stand back."

Hearing this,

Yun Zhenyue pulled Mengmeng back a few steps.

The other Nightmare Hunter members all looked at him with anticipation.

At this moment,

Yu Honghui bent down, hovering his palm over the blood pit!

In an instant!

A terrifying, cold light burst from his pupils!

Then, an endless, icy energy emanated from his palm, and the sound of CRACKING instantly filled the space.

In less than half a minute,

he had completely frozen the entire blood pit!

All the black blood solidified, forming a path of ice.

"Damn, Yu! You’re the man!" a Nightmare Hunter exclaimed.

’Talk about a perfect counter!’

’Anyone else would’ve been screwed.’

’But Yu’s power is the perfect counter for this kind of thing!’

’Terrifying black blood? Just freeze it solid. Problem solved.’

The biggest threat now

was accidentally slipping and falling on the ice.

The other Nightmare Hunters relaxed at the sight.

"See? This garage is nothing special. No need to be so cautious."

"All smoke and mirrors. What a filthy, pretentious mess."

"My Lady, are you hungry? Why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit?"

"I say we just charge in. Kill anyone who doesn’t cooperate and be done with it!"

"..."

After all, as the Evil Stars of the Nightmare Hunters,

what kind of horrifying scenes hadn’t they witnessed?

Some of their own instances were far more terrifying than this garage!

The presence within the crimson space seemed to have witnessed this. The space stopped shrinking, as if in shock. It had never imagined they could pull a move like this. ’Isn’t this fucking cheating?’

’Are these Evil Stars on a goddamn field trip?’

’This is an SS-plus-rank instance!’

’Not a fucking kindergarten!’

’Show some goddamn respect!’

It was tilted.

The entity was well and truly panicking!

Before Yun Zhenyue and the others could step onto the ice path,

the crimson space squirmed!

An eerie figure squeezed out of it.

It was a stooped old ghost, its pupils murky yet arrogant.

It stood before the crimson space and immediately snapped, "Why are you so unruly?"

"Who allowed you to trespass on the Master’s territory!"

Hearing this, Mengmeng bit her lower lip. "Are my mom and dad in there?"

"Get out of the way! We’re going in!"

The group of Nightmare Hunters stared at him with icy gazes.

An invisible, piercing killing intent, as cold as December snow!

The old ghost couldn’t help but tremble at the sight. His master had ordered him to stop these intruders. He’d assumed they were just a bunch of petty thieves, not a pack of Evil Stars.

He had seen everything clearly from inside the crimson space.

Their leader was that stunningly beautiful young woman.

His master had even warned him fearfully not to harm her, that he could, at most, drive her away.

’This girl’s identity can’t be simple.’

With this thought,

the old ghost plunged two fingers into its own pupils!

HUMMM!

It immediately used its ability!

It could strip away all surrounding light!

Then, it would slowly deprive everyone of their five senses!

Leaving them lost in an endless darkness!

The deeper its fingers plunged into its eye sockets, the greater its pain, and the more powerful the energy it unleashed!

Though only a top-tier Crimson-robed Ghost, it had once used this sinister move to grievously injure an Evil Star!

Countless other ghosts of its rank had also fallen to this very move!

"Now, tear each other apart... heheheh..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Only the strongest is qualified to reach the end and meet the Master."

The old ghost gloated. Even as a pain so intense it made its legs tremble shot from its eye sockets, it endured, sneering with venomous words.

’By now, they must be lost in the darkness, right?’

But just then!

The old ghost, with two fingers still stuck in its eyes, suddenly felt that something was wrong.

’Wait, why can I see light through the gaps between my fingers?’

’This... this isn’t right, is it?’

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Steeling itself, the old ghost pushed its fingers in deeper!

The pain made it break out in a cold sweat!

But...

Suddenly!

The light assaulted its eye sockets!

FLASH!

In this moment, warm tears flowed from the corners of the old ghost’s eyes.

Unavoidable, unignorable!

It was as if it had stared straight at the sun for an hour on the brightest afternoon!

’Is it dawn already?’

"So... so bright!" it murmured.

’Who turned on the lights?’

’There aren’t any lights in this garage!’

After waiting for a long time,

it still hadn’t heard terrified screams from the group.

Nor had it heard the shrieks of them killing each other.

The old ghost couldn’t stand it any longer. It yanked its fingers out, and as its vision slowly returned, it saw a sight that shattered its spirit.

BUZZ!

Yun Zhenyue and her group were all staring at it as if it were a monkey.

A female ghost made of pure light was shining like a giant lightbulb!

The light from before had come from her body.

The entire underground garage was brilliantly illuminated. Forget stripping away light; there was enough here to grow vegetables.

Deprive them of their five senses? The only sense that had been deprived was its own sight.

"This old geezer... is he a fucking idiot?"

one Nightmare Hunter couldn’t help but snark.

The others couldn’t bear to watch, their faces twisted in disgust.

"Why is he sticking his fingers in his own eyes? Is he cosplaying something?"

"That’s disgusting. He didn’t even wash his hands."

"The main boss is right behind him, guys. Try to be serious."

"Look who’s talking. Weren’t you just laughing?"

"Hey, gramps, if you’re all out of party tricks, just go home. Stop playing with your eyeballs."

Even Mengmeng clutched the hem of her dress, finding the sight unbearable.

The old ghost was so furious it nearly spat blood!

"You, you people—"

It trembled.

Its trembling finger pointed at them.

’After all that effort, this whole group was completely unaffected?’

’So I endured all that pain, jamming my fingers in deeper, for nothing?!’

At that moment, the master of the crimson space seemed to fall silent, or perhaps was just emotionally exhausted. This servant had brought it great shame. For a moment, the contraction of the space slowed even further.

"Don’t even think about entering! Without the master’s permission, no one can escape!"

"Just wait here to die! You can be my funeral companions!"

To save a sliver of face, the old ghost roared.

But Yun Zhenyue and her party paid it no mind.

They were clearly getting impatient.

One by one, they started crossing the ice.

"Enough of your bullshit!"

With a loud SMACK, a faceless man slapped the ghost across the face.

Then, a sheet of skin—a face the old ghost found disturbingly familiar—appeared in his palm!

After putting on the skin mask,

the faceless man transformed, taking on the old ghost’s appearance and even its aura!

"See? Anyone can just walk in," he said.

"What a bullshit portal. It’s like a public bus—anyone can get on."

He tried reaching his hand into the crimson space and found that it worked.

Then, he suddenly yanked!

"No, stop! You’ll stretch it too wide!"

"Stop it! Stop! This is madness!!!"

To the old ghost’s absolute, panicked horror,

the faceless man actually ripped the edges of the crimson space wider!

Once he had torn the opening to a suitable size, the faceless man turned respectfully to Yun Zhenyue.

"My Lady, you may enter now."