pertwk Chapter 15: The Grudge, other teams?
Chapter 15: The Grudge, other teams?
The ten-day rest period in the God's Space passed in the blink of an eye.
For the first three days, everyone focused on familiarizing themselves with their enhancements, sweating profusely in their personal spaces or training grounds accessed by paying a small amount of reward points. Zheng Zha had a basic grasp of the use of vampire energy and internal force; although far from reaching the level of "explosion," the power of his punches and kicks was already significantly greater. Zhan Lan's mental scan could cover a radius of 100 meters and she could conduct simple mental communication. Zero's sniping became more precise and deadly, and she even exchanged for a sniper rifle equipped with spirit-type bullets. Overlord had become a humanoid heavy firepower platform, and Li Shuaixi's swordsmanship had also become much sharper. Chu Xuan spent most of his time in his makeshift analysis room, built with the team's shared funds (Wang Lin suggested, and everyone agreed to reserve a portion), working on alien samples and data terminals, seemingly calculating something. Wang Lin, on the other hand, focused on the precise control of mental force and further understanding of the Contract Paper, occasionally exchanging ideas with Chu Xuan about rules and energy.
On the fourth day, the team training improved their coordination under the guidance of several basic tactics designed by Chu Xuan. However, Wang Lin could sense that Zheng Zha's passionate, aggressive style clashed fundamentally with Chu Xuan's meticulous calculations and cold, calculating mindset, even at the cost of sacrificing some pieces for the optimal solution. This contradiction was only temporarily suppressed by the success of the contract and the alien world.
Ten days later, the Supreme God's prompt rang precisely in the minds of all reincarnators:
[Enter the pillar of light within thirty seconds, target locked, Ju-on begins teleportation...]
Ju-on!
Wang Lin's heart skipped a beat. It really was this unsolvable horror movie! A world of ghosts and monsters with no distance restrictions and no way to defend against them using conventional methods—this was a huge test for the current team.
"Ju-on? Is that the Japanese horror movie?" Zhan Lan's face turned pale.
"Indiscriminate attack, anyone who enters that house will die..." Li Xiaoyi's voice trembled.
Zheng Zha's expression was grave, but his eyes were resolute: "Don't be afraid, we have enhancements, we have weapons! The Supreme God won't issue missions that are guaranteed to kill you!"
Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses: "The effectiveness of physical attacks in ghost and monster horror movies is questionable. Supernatural defensive and offensive methods should be prioritized. According to the Main God's hint of 'no distance limit,' it likely means that traditional defensive strategies are ineffective."
Zhang Jie exhaled a smoke ring, a barely perceptible hint of darkness flashing in the depths of his eyes: "Ju-on... Hehe, this is going to be fun."
Without another word, everyone quickly stepped into the pillar of light.
After a familiar semi-conscious state, Wang Lin regained consciousness.
He found himself standing on a slightly dilapidated street. It was evening, the sky just before dusk. The surrounding area consisted of typical Japanese-style houses, and the street was eerily quiet. Standing with him were Zheng Zha, Zhan Lan, Zhang Jie, Ling Dian, Ba Wang, Li Shuaiying, Chu Xuan, and three newcomers—two men and one woman—all dressed in modern urban attire. Including Wang Lin himself, there were twelve people in total.
"It seems this time will be quite difficult, twelve people." Zhang Jie looked at the newcomers, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
The three newcomers quickly woke up, looked around blankly, and then began to ask questions in fear. One of them, a young man with dyed yellow hair and a sleazy appearance, even cursed and swore.
Just then, a gentle voice rang out: "Is this your first time in the world of horror movies?"
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw seven people standing on the other side of the street. Leading them was a young monk with a gentle smile. He wore white robes, had nine ordination scars on his head, and possessed a handsome face with soft eyes that instantly won over anyone. Behind him stood six people: four men and two women. One was tall and muscular with sharp eyes; another wore glasses and had a calm expression; another had a fierce face and was clearly not a kind person; two girls huddled together, looking fearful; and the last one had his head bowed, his face obscured.
"Who are you...?" Zheng Zha asked warily.
"My Buddhist name is Shikong, you may call me Shikong," the young monk said with a smile, his hands clasped together. "We are the team that entered before you, from the 'West Sea Team.' Judging from your appearances, you must be newcomers, right? This world of Ju-on is extremely dangerous, with ghosts and monsters that are formless and intangible. How about our two teams join forces to get through these seven days together?"
The West Sea team? They entered first? Joining forces?
Wang Lin's heart sank. Something was wrong! In the original Infinite Terror story, the Central Continent Team encountered the Indian Continent Team in Ju-on, and they only met them midway through the mission, not at the beginning in the same location. How did it become the "Western Sea Team" here? And they even offered to join forces?
He immediately activated his Lie Detector Eye in secret; with his enhanced mental strength, this skill's perception became even clearer. Looking at the monk who called himself Shikong, alarm bells rang in Wang Lin's mind!
The lie detector didn't return a clear judgment of "truth" or "lie," but rather an extremely subtle and twisted malice, like an undercurrent beneath a deep pool—calm and gentle on the surface, but chillingly cold inside, filled with greed and an inhuman eeriness. This monk is suspicious! He's definitely not as friendly as he appears!
Moreover, the name "Shikong" and the nine precept scars... In Buddhism, only highly accomplished monks can receive the nine precepts. How could such a young monk be allowed to do this? More importantly, the divine prompt didn't mention any other reincarnation teams at all!
Wang Lin remained calm and quietly moved closer to Zheng Zha and Chu Xuan. At the same time, he quickly drew a simple warning symbol on his left palm with his right index finger (the faint sensation of the contract paper allowed him to vaguely convey simple information), signaling Zheng Zha and Chu Xuan to be vigilant with his eyes.
Zheng Zha was slightly taken aback, while Chu Xuan's eyes flickered behind his glasses, but he didn't show any reaction. However, Wang Lin knew that he had received the message.
"Join forces? How do you mean by joining forces?" Zheng Zha, as the apparent captain, stepped forward and asked, his hand already on the hilt of his gun.
Monk Shikong's smile remained unchanged: "Naturally, we should share information and resources to jointly resist Nagaya. Our team arrived a little earlier than yours and has already conducted a preliminary reconnaissance of the area. The haunted house is not far ahead. Our two teams together number nearly twenty people, with abundant yang energy and enhanced abilities. As long as we are careful, cautious, and support each other, we may be able to overcome this calamity."
What he said was reasonable and sincere, and his dignified appearance made him easy to believe. The three newlyweds already showed signs of interest.
But Wang Lin's sense of danger was also frantically warning him. The dilapidated two-story Japanese-style house in the distance, barely visible, exuded an intense, chilling aura of death, like a gaping maw ready to devour its prey. The monk and his group before him also gave off an unsettling feeling, like something cloaked in human skin.
"Great! Teaming up is great!" the blond newbie shouted immediately. "Many hands make light work! Master, you have to protect us!"
The monk Shikong smiled and said, "The Buddha said, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Please come with me, everyone. Let's find a safe place and discuss this further."
As he spoke, he led his team toward the other end of the street, seemingly trying to lure the Zhongzhou team away from the haunted house.
"Wait a minute." Chu Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice calm and even. "Cooperation is fine. But we need to know the details of your mission, and... how did you enter this world ahead of time? According to the rules of the main god, the Reincarnation Team should enter the horror movie world at the same time."
Monk Shikong paused, turned around, his smile still gentle, but a faint shadow seemed to flicker in the depths of his eyes: "This benefactor is indeed cautious. As for the task, it is naturally to survive for seven days. As for entering early... perhaps the main god made a slight error, or perhaps it is the Buddha's mercy that allowed us to arrive a little earlier to guide you all. The specific reason is not entirely clear to this humble monk."
A lie! The lie detector's feedback was even stronger! Wang Lin could almost feel the malice emanating from it. This monk was concealing crucial information!
Zhang Jie then spoke up lazily, "Monk, why isn't that guy behind you with his head down saying anything? Is he ashamed to be seen?"
Behind the monk Shikong, the man who had been keeping his head down seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly.
The monk Shikong's smile remained unchanged: "This companion was born mute, is introverted, and dislikes seeing people. Please don't be offended, benefactor."
"Oh?" Zhang Jie raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, but his eyes became even more playful.
Zheng Zha glanced at Wang Lin (who shook his head slightly), then at Chu Xuan (who remained expressionless), and finally at Zhang Jie (who exhaled a smoke ring). He understood immediately. He said in a deep voice, "We still need to discuss the cooperation. Why don't we settle in first and then contact each other later?"
A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Monk Shikong's eyes, but his smile remained unchanged: "That's fine then. There's an abandoned shrine to the left at the next intersection; it's fairly tidy, so we'll stay there. If you all change your minds, you can come find us anytime."
After saying that, he led the six people in the opposite direction from the haunted house and quickly disappeared around the street corner.
"They're suspicious," Zheng Zha said in a low voice as soon as they left.
"There are serious problems." Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses. "First, the main god's notification didn't mention any other teams, so their appearance is illogical. Second, the monk's story is full of holes, and his emotional responses are too 'perfect,' unlike a real person. Third, the person in their team with their head down has a very unnatural aura. Fourth, they're trying to lure us away from the core mission area (the haunted house)."
Wang Lin added, "My intuition and...some kind of perception told me that the monk was very dangerous and full of malice. He was lying through his teeth."
Zhan Lan's face turned pale: "Then what are they? Ghosts? Or... other reincarnation teams? But the main god didn't say."
"It could be some kind of 'variable' or 'trap' in the Ju-on world," Chu Xuan analyzed. "Kayako's resentment can distort reality and create illusions. It could also be... a 'special hostile unit' arranged by the main god, similar to a hidden boss or a competitive mechanism. In any case, they are definitely not benevolent."
"So what do we do now?" Zero asked, a gun already subtly in his hand.
"The main objective is to survive for seven days." Wang Lin looked at the mansion in the distance, which appeared particularly eerie in the twilight. "Regardless, that house is the key. We need intelligence, we need to understand Kayako's attack methods and patterns. We can't rush in, but we can't stay completely away either. I suggest we find a building that is at a suitable distance, relatively open, and easy to observe and evacuate from, as a temporary base to gather intelligence, while also being wary of that so-called 'West Blue Team'."
Chu Xuan nodded: "Agreed. We definitely can't go to that abandoned shrine. We need to find a base ourselves. Also, someone needs to scout out the perimeter of that haunted house to get firsthand information and verify whether the 'West Sea Team' is monitoring us."
"I'll go," Zero volunteered. "Snipers are good for reconnaissance."
"I'll go with you," Wang Lin said. "My senses might be able to detect abnormalities in advance."
Zheng Zha thought for a moment: "Okay, Lingdian, Wang Lin, be careful. Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, you protect the newcomer and find a suitable base with Chu Xuan. Keep in touch via communicator."
Zhang Jie nodded indifferently.
Everyone sprang into action. Chu Xuan led the others to search the nearby buildings for a suitable temporary campsite. Lingdian and Wang Lin, taking advantage of the deepening night, stealthily made their way towards the legendary haunted house.
The closer you get to the haunted house, the more pronounced the chill in the air becomes, as if the temperature has dropped several degrees. The surrounding houses also appear more dilapidated and silent; even the chirping of insects seems to have disappeared.
Zero and Wang Lin crouched behind a low wall, observing the haunted house through binoculars. It was a typical two-story Japanese house with a small courtyard, but the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, the doors and windows were tightly closed, and it was deathly silent. Behind the windows on the second floor, there always seemed to be an impenetrable shadow.
"There's no sign of life," Zero whispered. "But it feels really bad, like something's watching me."
Wang Lin's sense of danger was also pounding wildly. In his "eyes," the house seemed like a source emanating a thick, dark aura. He tried to concentrate and use his newly acquired "basic rule perception" to "see."
In a daze, he seemed to "see" countless, tiny, resentful black threads spreading out from that house, covering the entire block, and even... connecting to the direction where the "West Sea Team" had just disappeared? The threads were faint and difficult to detect.
"At midnight, we might be in big trouble." Wang Lin withdrew his senses, his expression grave. "That monk's group probably has some kind of connection with Kayako..."
Just then, a faint, childlike humming sound drifted from the direction of the haunted house and entered their ears.
The voice was hollow and childish, yet it carried a chilling quality that seeped into one's very bones.
Lingdian gripped the gun tightly. Wang Lin's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
The Grudge has begun.
And what role does that mysterious "West Sea Team" play?
Night fell completely, swallowing the last rays of light. This cursed town revealed its sinister side.