When one experienced an overwhelming intensified fear, what was once deemed as terrifying to them became just another scene of numbing fear. Fang Chen kept his head lowered for what felt like an eternity, and a sense of soreness slowly crept along his neck. The person opposite him watched in silence.
After a stalemate of over ten minutes, Fang Chen bit the bullet and asked the first question, “Why are you following me…?” He was still trembling; well, anyone sitting and facing a rotting person would naturally find themselves too frightened that they wouldn’t be able to utter a single word.
In the midst of the silence, a sharp female voice and a terrified male scream pierced through, echoing in the corridor. Those sounds were distinct from the previous ones—undeniably human in nature.
Fang Chen turned his head in surprise and looked at the tightly closed door. Without any warning, he rushed towards the door in the next instant. He himself didn’t know why he was running or if he could even escape out of here. The moment he stepped out of the door, the crisp breeze in the corridor caused his scalp to prickle with numbness.
Warm orange-yellow lights graced the third floor. Fang Chen’s mind was in a blank. He stepped down the stairs and stopped at the turn.
Before him, Wang Huiwen was sitting in front of the door, wearing only a tank top and underwear, while Zhang Rui was vigorously attacking an unidentified creature kneeling on the ground with a broom. That thing tried to stand up but repeatedly failed and stumbled on the slippery wet floor.
The scene was both comical and freakish.
Fang Chen didn’t dare to turn around, nor did he have any courage to continue his descent.
He had seen that thing on the ground before… right in front of his own apartment.
Under the muted light, he caught a clear view of its appearance: greenish-brown skin, very thin, with sparse red hair all over its body, and a continuous childlike “ahh ahh” sound coming from its mouth. Its eyes lacked sclera, as though they were painted with a layer of black ink, completely devoid of any shine.
Why did he mistake it for a human before?
Fang Chen held onto the railing as he leaned against it, his entire weight nearly dependent on its support. Back then, he had looked too hastily that he instinctively thought it was a person… Well, what else could it be then? This monster in front of him?
Wang Huiwen also noticed Fang Chen; she opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Then, she suddenly pointed towards him, tremblingly.
No.
It wasn’t him she was pointing at!
Fang Chen closed his eyes in despair. That person had caught up and was probably angry that he had run away on his own without consulting, leaving him behind.
However, after a while, the expected pain never came. Rather, a gust of wind brushed past him, and when Fang Chen opened his eyes, all he could see was the view of someone’s back.
The figure was familiar; the person standing behind him just now was Nie Shi!
He had a moment of relief, but very quickly, his heart started racing again. Perhaps this time, that person had really caught up and was right behind him!
Clutching a dagger, Nie Shi walked over to the deformed monster on the ground.
Zhang Rui, still shivering, watched him as he flipped it around. Without blinking, he stabbed it right in the heart with the dagger, penetrating into the shrivelled body with a “splurt” sound. Black mucus started oozing out from the wound.
Wang Huiwen widened her eyes and emitted a silent scream, while Zhang Rui retreated in fear.
Fang Chen tightened his grip on the railing; the friction between the iron railing and his own flesh caused a faint pain, giving him the confirmation that whatever happening now wasn’t a dream.
The monster suddenly collapsed in shape, shrinking smaller and smaller until only a layer of dried, greenish-yellow skin remained.
Someone vomited, and a sour stench filled the air.
With his hands still holding onto the railing, Fang Chen walked down. That mass of rotting meat didn’t follow him down… Does that mean he couldn’t leave that room?
“What’s this?” Wang Huiwen asked with a voice filled with terror, covering her mouth in fright “What’s this thing?!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Nie Shi didn’t answer; the dagger in his hand was stained with black mucus, dripping down, looking disgustingly repulsive. He appeared completely unperturbed by it, holding it loosely in his hand.
“Why did you come down?” He suddenly asked Fang Chen.
“I…” Fang Chen was momentarily muddled-headed, and his feet slipped, almost falling down. Nie Shi effortlessly steadied him with a single outstretched hand.
As Fang Chen looked down, he realized the floor underneath his feet was covered in a slippery blue liquid, emitting a faint lemon fragrance. It was an overturned cleaning detergent; that thing probably couldn’t stand up because of it.
Seeing the slackened skin under Nie Shi’s foot gradually dissipating into ashes, Fang Chen’s pupils dilated. The black mucus on Nie Shi’s dagger was also gradually dripping off and disappearing.
In only his boxer shorts, Zhang Rui stood there, panting heavily with a shocked expression. The flesh on his abdomen rose and fell with each breath, like undulating waves.
“Ahhhh…”—the faint and weak cries sounded again, this time slightly distant, as if coming from the lowest floor.
Wang Huiwen shook her head as she retreated towards the door. In the next moment, Zhang Rui entered the apartment in one broad stride, pulling Wang Huiwen along and firmly shutting the door behind them.
Fang Chen felt a momentary bewilderment; did he just lock them out?
“Let’s go back,” Nie Shi suggested while casually glancing downstairs. “They’re coming again.”
Though Fang Chen had numerous questions he wanted to ask, the present moment wasn’t the right time. Those sounds were indeed getting closer, echoing a blend of a kitten’s wails, a baby’s cries, and the mournful lamentation of a woman.
The door to his apartment was still open, but Fang Chen didn’t have the fortitude to step inside.
Nie Shi was still opening his apartment door at his own unhurried pace. Looking at how he even remembered to lock his door and bring along the key when he came down just now, Fang Chen found him utterly unbelievable.
“Can I… spend the night at your place?” Fang Chen stared at the open door of his apartment, fearing that the rotting man might appear in front of him at any moment.
Those sounds were even closer now, as if right beneath their feet.
Nie Shi had one hand on the door handle, turned his head towards Fang Chen, and after a brief pause, he replied, “Sure.”
Gathering his courage, Fang Chen kicked at his own door, but the force wasn’t quite under control, resulting in a resounding “bang.”
Those faint cries abruptly stopped.
Goosebumps covered Fang Chen’s entire body as he quickly followed Nie Shi into the apartment.
Only when the living room lights flickered on that Fang Chen’s heart calmed down and every nerve in his body gradually relaxed.
Nie Shi opened a drawer and took out a piece of white cloth to wipe his dagger. Fang Chen observed him silently. “You…”
“Hmm?” Nie Shi paused in his actions, meeting Fang Chen’s gaze.
“Does that thing… eat people?” He couldn’t forget the scene he witnessed when he opened the door that day—the pristine ceramic white tiles covered in crimson blood, and… the unsettling “gulping” sound of chewing on internal organs.
For the past few days, he had been avoiding this matter. He would rather think of it as a human. However, now he had no choice but to admit it was actually a man-eating monster.
“You’re afraid?” Nie Shi, who had unknowingly finished wiping the dagger, walked into the living room.
Fang Chen raised his head, the light flickering across his eyes. His eyes were moist, with a hint of redness in the corners. His hair, a tangled mass, further contributed to his dishevelled appearance.
Nie Shi: “Don’t be afraid.”
Fang Chen trembled involuntarily. This phrase was too familiar—heard just over ten minutes ago… He suddenly froze. Why did Nie Shi come to the third floor? He ran out of his own apartment, and the rotting man didn’t catch up with him. Instead, it was Nie Shi who came.
In the centre of the living room stood Nie Shi, bathing in the glow of the light. His expression remained unchanged throughout, hands casually resting on the sides of his legs. The more Fang Chen gazed upon him, the more an air of profound confusion seemed to settle in his mind.
No matter how he looked at him, Nie Shi appeared to be an entirely normal person.
Fang Chen temporarily dismissed the absurd thoughts in his mind, but owing to Nie Shi’s earlier “heroic” display, he remained on edge.
“Ahhhh~”
A prolonged, mournful cry echoed, clinging to Nie Shi’s door, the sound vividly reaching Fang Chen’s ears.
Sensation tingling his scalp once more, Fang Chen bowed his head and looked down at his own shoes.
Nie Shi, with a slight furrow in his brows, approached the entrance and forcefully kicked the door.
Instantaneously, the sound outside ceased.
Fang Chen: “……”
The bathroom tap was turned on; Nie Shi was washing his hands. Fang Chen stood by the door, hesitated for a moment, and said, “You have a good understanding of that thing.” There was no doubt about this; one could tell just by observing Nie Shi’s actions and how he skilfully countered.
“It’s malevolence.”
“What?”
“The malevolence left behind after a person dies,” Nie Shi explained. “They don’t have a name.”
“Have you also killed them before? Those malevolences.” Fang Chen couldn’t help but use the term Nie Shi had told him—“malevolence.”
“Mm.”
The two faced each other in silence.
Nie Shi was a man of few words, seemingly more accustomed to silent actions. He handed the dagger to Fang Chen, who then looked somewhat bewildered.
“For you,” Nie Shi said, lowering his head, half of his face concealed in the shadows.
“No…” Fang Chen tried to push the dagger back, inadvertently brushing against the ridge of the handle in the process. He shifted his hand to inspect it, finding a peculiarly ugly, distorted diamond shape engraved on the silver handle.
Nie Shi shook his head, insisting, “For you.”
Fang Chen didn’t feel he was bold enough to confront those man-eating monsters. He continued to decline, “Then, what will you use?”
“A gun.”
Fang Chen thought he might’ve misheard and asked again, “What will you use?”
“I have a gun.”
“……”
And here Fang Chen thought he was living in a good socialist Country C.
“Why do you…” have a gun? Fang Chen didn’t dare to ask further, afraid that Nie Shi might lose patience and put a bullet in his own head out of annoyance.
Fang Chen’s words hung in the air, only half-uttered. Nie Shi waited for a moment for him to continue, but realized Fang Chen had fallen into a complete silent. And so, he lifted his gaze and look at him.
The two locked eyes, but eventually, Fang Chen yielded, choosing not to dwell on the matter any longer. “How did you know they are… malevolences?”
Nie Shi remained silent.
Fang Chen thought he was organizing his thoughts.
After a while, Nie Shi said, “Can’t explain it clearly; in any case, I just know.”
Fang Chen was rendered speechless. Nie Shi continued to gaze at him, his stare intensely focused, causing Fang Chen’s scalp to tingle after being the subject of such scrutiny.
“There’s something seriously very wrong here. You should’ve noticed it by now.”
“Mm.”
Fang Chen felt a sense of helplessness. Nie Shi responded to every sentence he spoke, but they were all useless nonsense.
“The couple on the first floor is dead, did you know?”
“I know.”
“How did you know? Did you see it too?”
Nie Shi remained silent again, taking a few seconds before responding, “They lied.”
Fang Chen didn’t immediately grasp it; there seemed to be no connection between these two matters.
Nie Shi fell silent once more.
Outside the window came a sudden cry of a distressed cat, shattering the silence. Fang Chen reflexively turned his head. Before long, the deep howls of large dogs joined in, creating a symphony of increasing intensity as more and more cats and dogs chimed in.
“What’s happening?” Fang Chen stood up, wanting to approach the window to take a look—an act of courage he wouldn’t have dared before.
“Meow—”
Another sharp, drawn out cry of a cat; Fang Chen instantly sat back down.
Nie Shi looked at him with a hint of confusion.
Fang Chen’s complexion turned ashen, and he subconsciously asked, “Again… what’s that?”
Nie Shi glanced out the window, “Cat meowing.”
Fang Chen felt he really couldn’t communicate with this neighbour of his.
“Don’t worry about it.” Nie Shi continued, “It’ll stop in a while.”
Fang Chen asked, “How do you know?”
Nie Shi returned a rhetorical question in a serious tone, “Won’t they stop once they get tired from meowing?”
Fang Chen: “……”
Fang Chen was tired.
what a mysterious guy, thanks for the chapter!
It’s really sounds like a dream
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙