AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 221 - 103: The Night Watchman in the Storm_2

Chapter 221: Chapter 103: The Night Watchman in the Storm_2

"Om..."

"Om..."

The bronze bell in the bell tower emitted a deep hum amidst the storm, creating an invisible domain as the sound waves vibrated, forming ethereal ripples that spread out like blades, enveloping the entire castle...

On the cliff edge nearest to the sea, the Night Watchman stood in the storm, letting the rain splash against his coat, forming a curtain of water, his tower-like figure immovable.

He turned to glance at the bell tower, then carried the Bronze Ancient Lamp to the edge of the precipice.

The gale made his coat flap wildly, the rain plastered his hair untidily across his face, but his features remained as resolute as if carved from stone.

He slowly lifted the Ancient Lamp, its orange glow spreading a domain amidst the wind and rain.

Beneath the cliff at his feet, countless twisted shapes swarmed like insects, climbing desperately as if to breach the domain of the castle.

In front of the Night Watchman, within the mingling wind and rain, it seemed as if a winged creature of unknown origin was refracted, as if it were the ruler among the insects, surrounded and moved forward by them, like a cavalry ready to flatten and drown the lonely castle.

Those insect-like figures climbed while issuing pained cries, their voices blending with the moaning of the sea wind and the beating of the rain, resonating as though with an ancient and evil chant.

In the storm, that eerie sound surged toward the Night Watchman like a tsunami:

"I AvgruNnen av tåKe og jaGer forTapte Sjeler fanTome!"

"I AvgruNnen av tåKe og jaGer forTapte Sjeler fanTome!"

"I AvgruNnen av tåKe og jaGer forTapte Sjeler fanTome..."

The Night Watchman’s expression remained stoic, but a blaze of crimson like a cluster of flames seemed to ignite within his eyes, blazing brighter than the sun.

His lips, tight and slightly downturned, finally relaxed.

He slowly opened his mouth, uttering syllables fundamentally identical to the pained cries, but his voice was deep and sonorous, like the sound of ancient bells, overpowering the tsunami and thunder, echoing across endless time, resonating here:

"De som jager lyset i tåke blir til slutt fantomer!"

"Boom—Crack!!!"

Pure white lightning tore through the pitch-black sky, streaking past the bell tower.

The scene at this moment bore an uncanny resemblance to the painting by Mao Feiyang, the only difference being Mao Feiyang’s painting did not bear any trace related to the Night Watchman.

...

Inside the corridor of Art Classroom-IV, Mao Feiyang gazed at the droplets on the glass window, staring out at the world which seemed to have changed entirely, lost in contemplation.

Looking at the paint washed away by the rain, feeling the chilly draft seeping through the door cracks, he slowly clenched the torn piece of paper he had drawn, "Is that really a ’Virtual Image’?"

The Art Student beside him started at the words, just as he was about to speak, he was pulled aside by Mu Daxian.

Mu Daxian glanced at Mao Feiyang and said in a somber tone, "Let’s go, let’s get back to the classroom."

Mao Feiyang slowly shifted his gaze and followed Mu Daxian’s steps, but after a few steps, he couldn’t help but look back at the world outside again.

However, this time, being further away, he saw nothing but the rain-drenched window.

Lin Yi’s gaze also followed Mao Feiyang, but as he walked down the corridor, he suddenly felt a lightness under his feet as if there were no stone bricks beneath them.

Lin Yi was startled and suddenly realized something, "Wait, this...?!"

At that moment, he felt the surrounding space shatter like a mirror, and he stepped into the void, plummeting down into the fissure.

"Whooosh..."

The familiar roar of the wind returned to his ears, and he found himself once again falling through the heavy clouds, accelerating downward.

"I’ve entered this place again!"

Lin Yi quickly calmed down and guessed that if dreams had a sequence, then perhaps it would soon be his turn to enter into the perspective of Kuai Hongji or Wei Liang?

Sure enough, he soon felt a push on his back, as if a comfortable, warm bed supported his body.

His vision changed and gradually sharpened...

Then he found himself lying in bed.

"A bed?"

His first reaction was to freeze for a moment, then he couldn’t help but mutter, "Why is there a bed?"

Just as the words left his mouth, a familiar voice came from beside him, "Why shouldn’t there be a bed? Old Lin, did you sleep yourself stupid?"

Lin Yi was dumbfounded on top of being dumbfounded, confused for a good few seconds, before he realized that he had woken up.

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Wei Liang leaning on his railing, poking out a huge annoying face, looking at him with a benevolent fatherly smile.

The dormitory’s power outage was from 0:00 to 18:00, so at this time, the only light in the dormitory came from the sunlight outside the window, and when the sunlight was refracted on Wei Liang’s face, that smiling face, both yellow and white, suddenly had a kind of ghostly aesthetic like from a Hong Kong horror film.

"Damn, are you trying to scare me by playing ghost this early in the morning?!"

Feeling a chill, he slapped over and pushed Wei Liang off the bed.

"Eh?! Eh eh eh eh..."

Wei Liang lost his balance and fell off the bed.

The "jingling clang" of the chair and Wei Liang’s "ouch" noises instantly merged into one.

Lin Yi quickly glanced at his watch.

6:28.

Then he carefully checked the time on the wall clock as well, and it was also 6:28.

Although he had experienced an extremely thrilling journey in his dream, his spirit and body did not exhibit the weariness that would come from such an expedition.

On the contrary, at that moment he felt clear-headed and refreshed, and was in the best condition possible.

"Ha—"

He stretched lazily, his body involuntarily making a series of pop and crack sounds, as if he had gone through some strange transformation.

He might be fine, but someone else was not so fortunate.

Wei Liang was lying spread-eagled on the floor between the beds, hissing and groaning, his body constantly jerking a couple of times like a Pupa Cultivator.

Lin Yi’s gaze moved past Wei Liang to the other roommates.

Tian Bufan was at the washstand brushing his teeth, Wei Shan had just come out of the bathroom, and Kuai Hongji stood beside Tian Bufan, straightening his collar in front of the mirror, then looking out the window.

"You all got up early?" Lin Yi asked in surprise.

"We let you sleep in since you were sleeping soundly... gurgle gurgle gurgle..." Tian Bufan finished rinsing his mouth and washed his face, "There’s no need for everyone to get up at once since we’d have to queue up anyway to wash."

Tian Bufan made way, went to the side to wipe his face with a towel, and Kuai Hongji took his place.

"Hey hey hey, shouldn’t it be my turn now?" Wei Liang called from the ground.

"Pupa Cultivators line up behind the dogs," Tian Bufan said as he came over, about to step over him.

"Damn! A gentleman does not accept a favor he has not earned!" Wei Liang executed an agile kip-up, avoiding the humiliation between Tian Bufan’s legs.

Tian Bufan ignored Wei Liang and came over to Lin Yi’s bed, knocking on the railing: "Get up."

"Please, I’m already awake," Lin Yi said dryly.

"So I’m telling you to get out of bed, not to wake up."

"...your reasoning is so sound I can’t even refute it."

Lin Yi silently got out of bed.

"So... what did you dream about?" Tian Bufan asked beside Lin Yi.

"Hmm?" Lin Yi looked at him suspiciously, "You know?"

"What?"

"Nothing..." Lin Yi’s eyes flashed with a hint of confusion, then he shook his head, "I dreamed about Maozi. I’ll tell you about it after I organize my thoughts."

"Okay," Tian Bufan showed a curious expression.

Lin Yi was the last one in the dorm to get out of bed. By the time he changed his clothes and finished washing up, the time was nearly 6:45.