Chapter 396: Tunnel
Translator: Lonelytree Editor: Millman97
It’s now 2 am sharp; I still have forty-four minutes left. Chen Ge followed the trail and felt like he was not that far away from that tunnel. The trees by the road swayed, and the leaves rustled. The white cat in his embrace was getting increasingly uneasy, and its claws stuck into Chen Ge’s clothes.
Looks like the white cat has already sensed something. Chen Ge patted the animal’s head. You were so feral before this. How come you’re so easily scared nowadays?
The white cat looked at Chen Ge with complicated emotions in its eyes. It would probably have had a hard time explaining itself as well.
I cannot bring any ghosts or items from inside the Haunted House on a Nightmare Mission, but the white cat has perfectly avoided all these limitations. It is not a ghost, and it once chased a ghost to run away from it. Looks like I’ll need to focus on training it in the future. Chen Ge started to make plans for the white cat. The ghost stories society’s blood was prepared for a Red Specter, but even after it consumed it, nothing happened. After I dealt with the chairperson, I should take over the 24th floor at Fang Hwa Apartments. Hopefully, something would come from it.
Holding the white cat, Chen Ge was thankful that he had the thought to save the cat back then. This won’t be my last Nightmare Mission. In the future, the white cat should have more uses.
The white cat gripped Chen Ge’s clothes tightly as if it was heavily reliant on Chen Ge as well and felt connected to the man. I suppose good things come to good people.
One man and one cat travelled alone on the abandoned road. From afar, the picture was quite charming. The night breeze moved the tree branches, and the shadows danced on the road. After another twenty minutes of walking, the temperature suddenly dropped. The wind howled in their ears, and a strange smell rushed at them. “We’ve arrived.”
Chen Ge slowly raised his head to look at the tunnel that cut through the mountain, and his pupils narrowed. The tunnel was dark, and he could not see the end. The wind lifted the edge of his s.h.i.+rt, and Chen Ge suddenly s.h.i.+vered. The chill was not the type that could be felt on his skin—it was the kind that originated from his skull and traveled to every inch of his body.
I haven’t felt this in a long time already.
Before the six-meter-tall tunnel that was more than ten meters wide, the man looked so small. He looked into the darkness, and it felt like the thing inside the darkness was also looking back at him.
Without the accompaniment of his employees, Chen Ge was reminded of his first Nightmare Mission. He stood there and took a deep breath.
No wonder this is called a Nightmare Mission!
The tunnel was definitely longer than forty-four meters. Chen Ge took out his phone and shone it into the dark. There were various scratch marks and strange markings on the wall. The road itself was rather flat, but there were animal bodies strewn all over it.
There is still some time until the mission starts. Chen Ge stomped his feet and tapped his cheeks lightly. Calm down, don’t panic.
He looked onto the video sharing app, sharing a few pictures and updated his status. Generally, he was saying that he would post a video later tonight and told everyone to be ready.
The replies from the people online did help to disperse the fear in Chen Ge’s heart. He leaned against the stone wall of the tunnel and did not forget to do a promotion for his Haunted House.
At 2 am, someone ran to a haunted tunnel to update their status—that was something rare. People soon flocked to Chen Ge’s page, and it reached a point where the admin private messaged Chen Ge, begging him not to do such a dangerous thing in the future. They worried about his safety. After replying to some of the comments, Chen Ge exited the app at 2:43 am. He did not care much about the people’s comments; he was there just for the mission. He stood back at the mouth of the tunnel.
“It’s time to start.” Clicking open the video recording function on his phone, Chen Ge placed the white cat on his shoulder. When the time on the phone turned from forty-three to forty-four, he started to walk into the tunnel. It was much darker inside, and it felt like he was wading into a sea of darkness. Entering the tunnel, Chen Ge’s body was enveloped by chilliness until it became difficult for him to breathe.
“Chen Ge, Chen Ge…”
Whenever he took a step, Chen Ge would call out his name. This way, when he took the 44th step, it would also be the time when the mission ended. Chen Ge moved further and further away from the entrance. The light behind him faded until everything was swallowed up by darkness.
The phone was like a flickering light in the dark, and Chen Ge was like a lost s.h.i.+p at the sea. The only thing he could do was focus on completing that forty-four steps. The deeper he went into the tunnel, the greater the pressure he felt. His brain screamed in alarm, telling him to leave immediately.
Cold sweat drenched his forehead, and his voice echoed within the tunnel. The echoes were so consistent that he had a hard time telling which of those originated from his lips. When he made the 15th step, the white cat in his arms suddenly perked its ears up, and its multi-colored eyes stared at the side of the tunnel.
Some noise came from the deeper part of the tunnel. It sounded like footsteps mixed with cries for help. Something is coming.
In the dark, something that felt like a giant spider moved above him. Small specks of dust fell on Chen Ge’s body, and his back was wet with sweat. He resisted the urge to look up and continued marching forward. The thing above his head did not move, and to make matters worse, footsteps of a second individual appeared behind him.
The footsteps sounded uneven, like the body was twisted and it could not walk with a normal gait. Chen Ge maintained his speed. The footsteps slowly closed the distance until they were only one meter behind him.
“Chen Ge…”
After he said his name, a green vein popped on the back of his palm, but he did not turn back.
When he took the 26th step, the white cat seemed to have finally gotten a good look at the thing in the dark, and it hugged Chen Ge’s arm tightly. Standing not far from Chen Ge was a woman in red dress. Her head was lowered, and she looked like a madwoman. Her hair was a mess, and it hid her face. She stood on one side of the tunnel, several meters in front of Chen Ge.
Chen Ge ignored the white cat’s attempt to rustle his s.h.i.+rt. He also saw that woman, the woman that populated so many legends regarding this tunnel.
His calves numbed, and his palms filled with sweat. Chen Ge tried to not make his eyes move toward the woman. He kept his gaze fixed on the darkness ahead. When he walked past the woman, out the corner of his eyes, he saw the woman suddenly move.
Like she was asking for help, she raised her arm to wave at Chen Ge!
A chill ran up his spine to his brain. Chen Ge’s mind was flooded with the stories related to this woman. The drivers that did not save her would be haunted by her until they left the tunnel, and those who responded to her would be caught in an accident inside the tunnel.
In that case, it was better if he just ignored her.