Inside the cave.
“Everyone… If I’m not mistaken, you must be the rising stars of Kangcheng No. 2 High School, right? Tsk, just stepping into the world and already falling here—what a pity~”
After the trap, came the people.
Hidden in the corners of the cave, previously undetected, were a large number of thugs.
By the time the students inside realized what was happening, it was already too late.
“I suggest you don’t try to resist. The spiritual world of adults is not some playground for kids like you. If you move… you’ll end up just like him.”
In a pool of blood, Sen Daluo was still screaming.
Blood gushed uncontrollably from the stump of his knee, flowing everywhere— already seeping to the feet of the students.
These students, pampered since birth and raised watching green blood on screen, had never faced such a scene.
Especially not Sen Daluo.
He screamed desperately, not just from pain, but also with some calculated intent—
He was trying to make his voice reach outside the cave, hoping the three strongest in the class and the teacher would come rushing in to save him.
But as he screamed, he suddenly remembered the pact he’d made with those three.
[No matter what happens inside— strange noises, screams, cries for help— we are absolutely not going in. Agreed.]
“……”
If he could, Sen Daluo would’ve traveled back in time to give his past self a good beating.
But he couldn’t.
Because of his own greed, he’d cut off his own lifeline— driving away the class’s strongest members and leaving himself isolated and helpless.
Worse still, the others had clearly seen this was a trap from the start.
Yet like a fool, he’d ignored their earnest warnings.
He even rallied the whole class to exclude them, mock them, insult them.
Now, writhing in pain, Sen Daluo finally snapped out of the delusion that “the spirit beast is right in front of me.” Only now did he realize what a colossal mistake he’d made.
Help… Someone help me… It hurts… Please, save me!
“How should we deal with this one?” one of the thugs glanced impatiently at Sen Daluo. “Too noisy. Let’s just chop him up. We’ve already got enough people.”
Sen Daluo immediately shut his mouth.
He clenched his jaw so tight to hold in the screams that he nearly bit through his own lips.
“At least he knows his place. Throw him in the cage. He’ll be good for clearing mines later.”
For now, Sen Daluo clung to life.
……
This was the middle-lower region of Mount Qin, with a moist climate and dense forest.
That gave me a bit of cover.
“Phew—Did I lose her?”
My heart was pounding as I crouched in a tree, peeking anxiously through the leaves behind me.
No movement.
I couldn’t track where Cluru was, and presumably, she couldn’t sense me either.
The foliage was thick— perfect for hiding.
No one could see what was inside from the outside.
I decided to stay put and lie in wait.
She’s here!
The rustle in the forest not far away made me hold my breath.
Cluru approached slowly, heading straight for my tree.
She didn’t look up. She didn’t seem to notice me.
“You’re still as foolish as ever… my darling little sister~”
Cluru’s voice, laced with seductive confidence, drifted through the trees.
Pfft… So in this dream of hers, we’re playing out a “sisters” storyline?
Classic Cluru.
“You’ve always feared me. You couldn’t even lift your head when facing me… You didn’t dare meet my eyes, not even dare to appear in front of me.”
Cluru whispered mockingly.
“To avoid me, you’ve hidden in closets, behind ceiling panels, inside wardrobes—even inside a suitcase… You thought you were clever, but I always found your little tail~”
“Guess why that is~?”
Why?
Now I was genuinely curious…
Her dream actually had structure?
Cluru kept walking slowly forward.
Then she seemed to notice something.
She began circling the area near my hiding spot.
“You can’t escape~” she smiled lazily, without hurry. “Your heart is shouting out to me—it wants me to know where you are. You’re sweating. The wind carries your scent. Your legs are starting to go numb, like electricity running through them. Right now, all you want… is to move your legs, right?”
Move… my legs?
Huh. They were going a little numb…
Guess I should stretch them out a bit—
?!
Just as I was about to shift my legs, I snapped awake in horror.
Hypnosis!
Damn it—her words carried hypnotic suggestion in this dream!
I hadn’t realized before… and nearly fell right into her trap!
“Oh~ so now you’re ignoring your sister’s words?” Cluru’s lazy tone was now tinged with pressure. “My little darling has grown up… She’s starting to have thoughts of her own…”
I tensed every nerve.
No more letting down my guard— not even for a second.
This creature was terrifying. Was this really just a little octopus spirit?
Even the slightest mental lapse, and she could seduce you into obedience.
“My beloved sister~” Cluru’s voice now sounded genuinely wounded. “Do you really hate your big sister that much…”
Hmph. We shrine maidens and evil beings stand on opposite sides of justice!
Even if you are my sister— I will still… strike you down for the greater good!
…What the hell, why am I getting into character too?
This bastard’s mental influence is seriously messed up.
It’s not even proper hypnosis, and yet… I’m somehow gradually slipping into the role in Cluru’s dream!
Could it be… a domain? No way… Cluru’s only at the Qi Condensation stage!
Mental domains are techniques from the Nascent Soul stage!
No. Definitely not a domain.
But it’s… close.
Qi Condensation stage and already glimpsing the threshold of domain control?
Sorry, that kind of talent is way beyond my comprehension.
“Strike down your own kin for justice? Could you really do that?” Cluru’s bewitching voice echoed around me, ramping up her mental assault.
At the same time, her search radius was closing in.
She was almost at the tree I was hiding in!
“Come out now~ Be good~”
Another wave of psychic force slammed into me.
In that instant, I almost stepped out just like she commanded.
I managed to resist the attack, but for a split second, our minds connected.
And in that fleeting moment, a flood of information poured into my consciousness—
I understood, more or less, the kind of dream Cluru was having.
—Me: a shrine maiden, the younger sister.
—Cluru: the elder sister, a witch disguised as a shrine maiden who infiltrated the human world.
We were both raised by the same old sorcerer since childhood, then entered a shrine maiden academy together for training.
At the academy, Cluru displayed astonishing talent.
She was hailed as the star of her generation, the future of the magical world.
I, on the other hand, was utterly average.
Mediocre in both academics and magic.
Compared to her, of course the old sorcerer showed her nothing but favoritism— ninety-nine percent of his affection went to Cluru.
As for me, the failure? He gave me nothing but fists and feet.
Despite the enormous gap between us, Cluru never looked down on me.
She always cared for me, doted on me.
But I… I could never treat her normally.
I feared her brilliance. It was her excellence that brought me so much suffering.
Every time I stood before her, I felt nothing but helplessness— a crushing despair that no matter how hard I tried, I’d never catch up.
So, I always avoided her.
But she always found me.
I thought that this kind of hopeless life would go on forever—
Until one day.
That day, an unknown demon suddenly appeared on campus.
I was no match, and was seriously injured, near death.
Cluru revealed her identity as a witch to save me.
She drove the enemy away, but in doing so, became a target of the entire world.
After that day, Cluru vanished without a trace.
I, meanwhile, was placed under heavy surveillance and intense training.
I underwent brainwashing— fed extreme beliefs like “all witches must die.”
They branded my spirit with seals, made it impossible for me to betray the Shrine Maiden Association.
Then they forcibly poured power into me, shaping me into a weapon to kill Cluru.
And today… is the day I’ve come to assassinate her.
Reunited after years apart, this is where we will have our final showdown.
……
What kind of melodramatic sob-fest of a dream is this?! Hahahaha— Once Cluru wakes up, I’m reciting this whole thing word for word and roasting her a hundred times over!
This is it? This is her idea of emotional tragedy?
She really got stabbed in the brain by her own plot!
Even the dumb kid version of her is crying over this nonsense.
And even though I was only pulled into the role for a second, the weight of those emotions hit me like a gut punch— I nearly didn’t recover.
Thank god it’s just a dream.
Phew… I need to think of a way to deal with Cluru.
Even if I can’t wake her up, I’ve got to at least disable her.
She’s way too dangerous right now.
If I accidentally fall into a coma from her poison, or slip into deep hypnosis because I let my guard down, and really get absorbed into that dream role… the consequences would be catastrophic.
Hmm… now that I think about it, Cluru should be right about to find this tree.
I should make an emergency escape—
Cluru— Huh?
Where is she?
Where is she?! She was just here a second ago!
“Long time no see~”
Her playful voice came from behind me, accompanied by the strongest mental attack at close range, instantly blasting my mind into blankness.
My body leapt forward on pure reflex but the moment of contact came too late.
Something slick and numb touched my calf.
Oh no!
It’s a venomous stinger!
I’ve been poisoned!
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