Su Shan led Lin Qiao, Dr. Zhao, and Han Yimo down the street. They had intended to find some simple “Human-Level” games but stumbled upon a display screen by accident.
On it was a single, lonely sentence:
*”I heard the echoes of the scapegoat.”*
Lin Qiao felt something was off.
While previous screens had also displayed solitary sentences, none of them had been this one.
“Han Yimo…” Lin Qiao turned to him, hesitating.
“Hmm?” Han Yimo raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“You…” Lin Qiao chose her words carefully. “Aren’t you… *afraid* in a place like this?”
Dr. Zhao and Su Shan, overhearing their conversation, also turned to look curiously.
“Afraid?” Han Yimo pondered for a moment. “Now that you mention it… I *was* terrified before. But after Qi Xia appeared, my fear gradually faded.”
“What…?” Lin Qiao frowned slightly. “You’re saying… because you’ve seen Qi Xia’s methods, you’re no longer afraid of this place?”
“Exactly.” Han Yimo nodded. “Haven’t you realized it yet? Qi Xia is the *savior*. He’ll get us out of here.”
Lin Qiao stared at him coldly.
She knew this man had already lost his mind.
During the days Qi Xia was absent, Han Yimo’s psyche had been tormented daily. The only way he could cope was by convincing himself this was all part of a fictional world.
But at least he would soon be free.
If he died before the *echo*, his lost reason, sanity, and worldview would be restored.
In a way, it was a kind of salvation.
“Su Shan… where exactly are we going?” Dr. Zhao asked the girl beside him.
“Like Qi Xia said, let’s find some ‘Human-Level’ games.” Su Shan replied. “Based on what you’ve told me, it seems like a safe bet.”
“Oh…” Dr. Zhao shot her a shifty-eyed glance. “Right, right… whatever you say.”
The four of them had just confirmed their direction and were about to leave when they witnessed something utterly bizarre.
A hunched old woman was slowly shuffling along the roadside, tugging a naked toddler behind her.
The woman moved at a snail’s pace, her face etched with deep wrinkles like furrows in barren earth. She wore antiquated clothing, as if she had stepped out of ancient times.
The little boy, no older than three or four, was clad in a bright red bellyband, his wrists and ankles adorned with gleaming gold bracelets. A single tuft of hair stood upright on his forehead.
The four of them frowned in unison.
What… was this?
*Locals?*
Were there elderly women and children among the *locals*?
Lin Qiao found it particularly strange. She had been here a long time and had never seen *participants* like this.
Their ages completely defied the norms of *Terminal Land*.
As the pair drew closer, Lin Qiao instinctively covered her nose.
A bizarre stench had begun to permeate the air.
“Oh, my…” The old woman flashed them a kindly smile, her wrinkles deepening like knife scars as she grinned.
Lin Qiao gulped and took an involuntary step back.
Something about these two felt *wrong*.
“Ma’am…” Su Shan, though also unsettled, knew too little about this place to react with caution. She even attempted conversation. “Do you… need help?”
“Little girl…” The old woman chuckled. “Did you hear it?”
“Hear… what?”
“Yes, yes!” The woman nodded vigorously, releasing the child’s hand to draw a circle in the air with her gnarled fingers. Then, pursing her withered lips, she mimicked: “*Dang!* So loud! So terrifying!”
“You… you mean the *bell*?”
“Oh, my… that was no ordinary *bell*…” The old woman shook her head. “Wasn’t I clear? So loud! So earth-shaking!”
“Su—Su Shan…” Lin Qiao tugged at her sleeve, voice trembling. “Stop talking to them. Let’s go.”
Though confused, Su Shan nodded and turned to leave.
But the moment the four of them turned around, the old woman was suddenly in front of them again—this time, much closer.
The stench of decay emanating from her now filled their nostrils.
Still puckering her wrinkled lips, she repeated, “Oh, my… what *was* that noise? So loud! Right here! In this very area!”
It finally dawned on them—this old woman was *dangerous*.
With no escape, Su Shan asked quietly, “Ma’am… are you… looking for something?”
“Yes, yes!” The woman nodded eagerly. “I’m looking for *someone*! A person!”
“Looking for someone…” Su Shan exchanged glances with the others before replying, “Ma’am, if you tell us who you’re searching for, maybe we can point you in the right direction?”
Lin Qiao noticed beads of sweat forming on Su Shan’s forehead.
“Direction?” The old woman tilted her head. “It’s *this* direction! Right here!”
Lin Qiao stepped forward. “You’re saying… you heard the bell *here*, right?”
“Yes!” The woman beamed. “I heard it even in the *car*! Who was it?”
The four exchanged uneasy glances. The woman’s words grew increasingly bizarre. *In the car?* Did she *drive* here?
Moreover… she seemed to be searching for an *echoer*. Was it the *scapegoat* mentioned on the screen?
Only Lin Qiao knew the *scapegoat* was Chen Junan.
Should they just hand him over now?
Sure, he had an *echo*—death meant little to him…
But who *was* this old woman?
Just then, the toddler toddled over and tugged at the woman’s hand. “They’re not talking. Are they dumb?”
“Dumb?” The woman eyed them suspiciously. “No… I don’t think so…”
“Can I *eat* them?” the child asked brightly.
A chill ran down their spines.
“Didn’t you eat before we came down?” The woman chided. “We finally found someone to ask. Wait until we’re done.”
“Aww…” The child pouted. “Not even a *little* bite?”
As the standoff continued, a distant shout pierced the air.
“CHEN JUNAN, YOU BASTARD, STOP RIGHT THERE!!”
They looked up to see a furious woman chasing Chen Junan like a bat out of hell.
Chen Junan, looking as if he’d seen a ghost, sprinted for his life—
—only to freeze in his tracks when he spotted the old woman and child. His face turned ashen, as though he’d encountered *real* monsters.
Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and bolted in the opposite direction.
Qin Dingdong, about to yell after him, caught sight of the eerie duo. She shuddered and immediately followed Chen Junan’s lead, fleeing at full speed.
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