The cemetery was silent. This was the peace of the dead.
The woman in the black dress hid her face and wept. Her son, Fen, had died.
The people attending the funeral were mournful and sat silently in their seats.
Annie looked at the coffin in front of her with an unsettled expression.
Fen had died yesterday, a horrifying death.
It was said that Fenâs head was split in two, a bloody hole was carved into his chest, and his entire bedroom was stained with his blood.
But no one knows who the murderer was.
The coffin was set quietly on the lawn. It was silent in the face of the priestâs eulogy.
Annieâs eyes were unfocused, her face was sunken, her eye bags were dark, and her body was trembling.
Because she knew who killed Fen.
Morris.
The demon that was sacrificed in the holy fire.1
The funeral ended soon and people left the area with heavy faces. Annie stood up dazedly, still staring at Fenâs coffin.
âWhatâs wrong with you, Annie?â A girl with chestnut brown hair stepped forward and stabilized Annieâs swaying body.
Annie turned her head; her eyes had become very cloudy.
âMarie, did you see it?â She reached her hand out toward the tightly sealed black coffin.
Marie stared intently. A blood-red handprint appeared on the coffin.
âWhat? Thereâs nothing, ah.â Marie turned her head and looked suspiciously at Annie.
Annieâs pupils dilated, as if she was shocked, and her breathing became rapid.]
â From <<Nightmare>>
âI hope to get along with everyone as quickly as possible!â Karina said with a smile. She behaved very pleasantly, and each of her actions was pleasing to the eye.
Many boys in the class couldnât help but whistle at her in welcome.
After all, in this isolated town, there werenât too many beauties like Karina.
âSit there, Karina.â The English teacher, who always had a stern face, couldnât help becoming infected by the cheerful and beautiful girl, and his expression was much softer.
âAlright! Thank you, teacher!â 2 Karina walked to the window seat with her schoolbag. There was a girl with chestnut brown hair sitting in front of her.
âHello hello, ah. Karina, my name is Marie~â The girl named Marie smiled, which made her average appearance more attractive. âYouâre so beautiful, Karina!â
Karina patted her long blonde hair in embarrassment and smiled: âThank you, Marie! Youâre also very beautiful!â
âHai hai! Class is beginning, be quiet!â The English teacher cleared his throat and scolded them coldly.
Marie immediately stuck her tongue out playfully and turned back around.
Karina also took her seat, but since she had just moved there after all, she looked around curiously, observing the environment which was completely unlike that of her previous school.
Her attention was caught by a boy with black hair.
In this kind of society where strength and beauty were admired, even teenagers who were just entering puberty would take heed and exercise, so they all looked more or less healthy with tanned skin.
But this black-haired boy was very different.
His skin was a bit more white than hers, as pale as If he had a serious illness. It should have looked unnerving, but his green, half-lidded eyes were stunningly beautiful. His entire face was gorgeous, and Karina couldnât control her heartbeat.
She had always liked beautiful things, and this kind of boy who was as beautiful as a myth or legend was extremely attractive to her.
Maybe after class she could ask if he had a girlfriend. If so, she could ask what she looked like and if she was pretty.
Karina patted her cheeks and looked at the unnamed boy with blurry eyes. She felt that this transfer was perfect. Today was really her lucky day.
Ling LingâClass was over. Everyone began packing up their things to leave the classroom, preparing to go to their next class.
Karina was about to approach and chat with the black-haired and green-eyed boy, only to find that he had already left the classroom and disappeared.
Reluctantly, Karina stomped her feet and regretfully waited for the next class.
Zhou Yu walked out of the classroom and went to his locker.
He looked straight ahead, his emerald green eyes dark.
He remembered the sect that a few people were talking about in class just nowâthe holy sect.
It seemed to be a popular sect in this small town. The faith that his father Eugene followed, the so-called âBlessing of the Gods,â came from this sect.
And Morrisâs mother, Emily, a sullen woman, seemed to be a member of the holy sect.
Actually, since the Morris family moved away two weeks ago, he hadnât seen his mother again.
That was truly abnormal. Morrisâs mother, Emily, was a devout worshipper, and it was said that she was a low-level administrator within the sect.
In her opinion, everything within the sect was more important than her son Morris.
That was what Morris often complained about to him.
Even if he was a cheerful teenager, he would still look sad when he mentioned it. It was enough to prove how pious his incompetent mother was to her sect. 3
So how could Emily, who cared so much about the sect, leave the town so suddenly?
Leave behind everything she cared about?
Zhou Yu frowned doubtfully. He absently opened the door to his locker, ready to take out the textbooks he needed for his next class.
But the next moment, Zhou Yu looked at the books inside uncertainly.
Among the neatly arranged books, there was a fresh, dewy rose resting quietly, emitting a floral fragrance.
The flower fit his aesthetic very well, and he liked it very much.
But his locker was locked.
Blinking his eyes, Zhou Yu blankly took a few books from his locker and shut the door again.
Holding the inexplicable rose from his locker in his hand, he walked to the trash can and threw the beautiful rose inside.
Seeing the delicate rose fall into the trash can, Zhou Yu was slightly regretful and sad.
Why would he feel that way?
Zhou Yu couldnât explain it. He frowned, then turned away and left.
It was just a rose of unknown origins. Why would he feel that way?
In the crowded hallway, the students rushed to their classrooms for lessons.
Nobody noticed the rose that gradually wilted in the trash can.
The speed of its wilting was so fast, as if someone was crushing the rose sadly.
It must be that the flower was ugly. Thatâs why Zhou Yu didnât like it.
After a while, a ghostly hand silently appeared, crushing the rose to dust.
There was still some time before class after he entered the classroom. Zhou Yu sat back, thinking quietly about the abnormal place where Morris disappeared.
Pengâ
Someone fell down inside the classroom.
Someone deliberately pushed that person down.
âHahaha, Johnny! You can even trip on flat ground! Pu, hahaha!â A man dressed like a gangster with earrings eyeshadow showed an arrogant smile.
The young man named Johnny had a pair of thick, beer-bottle glasses. He looked timid and didnât dare to resist the insults from the people around him.
âHey! It wasnât this rowdy before! Without Morris, youâll become a gangster! Haha!â
The man then laughed. He even stretched his leg out and kicked Johnny roughly, forcing him to the ground again after he was standing up.
After the forceful kick, Johnny fell to the ground for a long time without rising. He could only clutch his head in despair, trying to avoid the othersâ ridicule.
Zhou Yu watched the bullying scene in front of him and had no intention of stepping in to help.
He knew this Johnny.
He used to be a low-level person on campus like this Johnny, and he was bullied.
And just like Morris saved him, Morris also helped this guy.
But this guy seemed to be a shitty worm who obviously didnât have an ounce of gratitude in his heart.
He didnât express his gratitude to Morris after receiving help.
But after Morris helped him fend off the campus bullies many times, he took it for granted.
One time he even deliberately provoked a few school bosses who had bullied him and then tried to command Morris to teach them a lesson.
He. He was just asking for this outcome.
The corner of Zhou Yuâs mouth twitched mockingly. He looked away and stopped staring at the pitiful, hateful Johnny.
But even if Zhou Yu didnât want to cause trouble, trouble would find him automatically.
Johnny clutched his head and curled up on the floor. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a figure not too far awayâthe mixed-race Asian Zhou Yu with black hair and green eyes.
âTa! Morrisâs follower Zhou Yu is here too! Why donât you beat him up? Heâs the one who always provokes you!â
After he grit his teeth and endured a few punches and kicks, Johnny suddenly yelled. The volume surpasses the other noise in the classroom.
Zhou Yu raised his eyes and looked apathetically at the idiot in glasses.
The gangsters who were kicking Johnny also stopped and looked hostilely at the thin mixed-race Asian in front of them.
âYo. If it werenât for Johnnyâs reminder, I wouldnât have noticed you. Ha. What a coincidence. Iâll take care of you together today!â
The man in earrings walked grimly towards Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu stood up, a switchblade appearing in his hand behind his back.
Ling Lingâ The class bell rang.
The history teacher walked in and showed his displeasure at the idiocy in front of him.
The gangsters obediently walked back to their seats, but didnât forget to toss out a few ruthless words: âWait for me after class!â
Johnny also rose from the ground. With his head low, he didnât dare to look at Zhou Yu and went straight to his seat.
Zhou Yu sat back in his seat and held the knife coldly in his hand.
Okay, ah. Heâll wait.
On the other side, Annie, who left school, hadnât been home for two days.
""
The bell rang in the quaint church, and Jenny, with her messy blonde hair strewn across her back, clasper her hands together to pray for the blessing of the gods.
The priest in a black priestâs robe walked up to Annie and asked gently: âMy child, do you have any doubts? May the gods bless you!â
Annie raiser her head. She looked haggard after staying awake for several nights and days, and she was no longer half as beautiful.
âFather, save me! You must save me! Demon, thereâs a demon out to kill me! Itâs Morris, that demon!â
Hearing the blondeâs twisted and crazy words, the priest couldnât help but frown and say: âMy child, are you okay? Letâs go to a hospital first. You donât look well.â
âNo, I wonât go to a hospital. Father, please help meââ Annie grabbed the priestâs robes, her voice sharp.
At that time, she had last her appetite from the many daysâ worth of nightmares, and she looked skinny and dramatic.
âAaahhhh!!!â
She clung to the priestâs robe, but a moment later she looked up dazedly into his face and screamed.
The priestâs kind face had turned into a skull.
The two black eye holes glowed with a faint ghost fire, smiling at her.
âNoâPlease, let me go. I was wrong, I was really wrong. I shouldnât have lied to you. Sorry, I donât want to dieâŠâ
The blonde girl screamed and sobbed, then fell to the ground convulsing in pain.
Her arm bent 180 degrees behind her back. The priest standing to the side could hear the overwhelming sounds from the oddly-behaving girlâs skeleton.
The priest was so frightened by the scene that he quickly beheld the cross hung on his neck and desperately prayed for the blessing of the gods.
The priest recited his doctrine with his eyes closed. He didnât notice the sound of the cross on the ceremonial table in the center of the church behind him make a cracking noise.
The god bound to the cross still had a gentle face, but there were now more cracks and burn marks on the beautifully carved god.
The god was dead.
Jie jie jieâ
Shrill laughter appeared throughout the church, as evil and ear-piercing as a demon resurrected from hell.
[Entering world, please prepare for reincarnation. There are five newcomers this time. Everyone who survives will be rewarded with 800 bonus points.]
A thin transparent cover enveloped the corner of the street. Within the protective cover, a few people fell to the ground, unconscious.
However, the dozens of reincarnations that remained standing on the ground were still conscious.
The white-haired man looked at the Lord Godâs watch on his wrist unhappily. âThis time, the Lord God has really played this too far.â