Translator: CinderTL
"Is there something different about him?" Lin Wan'er looked toward the door, her voice filled with curiosity. "I don't see anything special."
"There isn't."
"Since there isn't, let's go upstairs and keep me company," Lin Wan'er said, resting her chin on her hand. "I'm sure you're not waiting for him either, right?"
"The rain is getting heavier, and all the children with homes are heading back," Lin Wan'er murmured, her gaze fixed on the darkness outside the window, her eyes veiled like a thin mist. "He will too."
In a large but empty room, a girl sat cross-legged on the floor.
She was adorable, dressed in a Lolita-style dress, her eyes burning with intensity as she stared ahead, swallowing hard.
To her left was a massive black iron hammer, and to her right, a grotesquely shaped saw, even more exaggerated than the ones used by lumberjacks.
Her heart was racing, and she couldn't hold back any longer. She turned her head toward the darkness in one corner of the room and said, "Number 3, this girl looks pretty dirty. Let me take her for a bath. I'll make sure she's clean inside and out. That way, you'll have a better view—"
"No."
A cold, clear voice interrupted her. In the darkness, there was a modest-sized sofa, and seated slightly to the right was a figure.
From the movements, it seemed this person was reading a book.
But this was in complete darkness. How could they see? Did they have eyes that could pierce through the black?
The girl clasped her hands together, putting on a pitiful expression. "Please, Number 3."
"No."
"Hmph!" The girl stood up angrily, hands on her hips, a half-person-tall black leather bag slung over her back. She muttered under her breath toward the darkness, "Cheapskate!"
But her fiery demeanor instantly dissipated when the figure in the darkness raised their eyes. Those eyes were unlike anyone else's.
They were a sapphire blue, like gemstones.
As soon as Wan Yuanning, who had been pinned against the wall and stared at for two hours by Number 8, saw those eyes, her own narrowed sharply.
The other person's eyes were strikingly similar to hers.
But that blue was even clearer, like a calm sea, with occasional breezes creating ripples that had a jelly-like texture.
"Who are you?" Wan Yuanning asked, forcing the words out despite the excruciating pain in her body.
But the other person seemed completely uninterested in her. After stopping the girl who wanted to do as she pleased, they simply lowered their head and continued reading.
From the way the girl addressed him, this person was likely Number 3 of Crimson.
And the girl who made no effort to hide her interest in Wan Yuanning was Number 8.
Wan Yuanning had never received any information about these two. Everything about the official members of Crimson was classified.
She only knew that their last mission's target was Crimson's Number 4. Their team's primary objective was to eliminate Number 4.
Only after that would they focus on escaping the Nightmare and surviving.
Crimson's atrocities were too numerous to count. Almost anyone with even a slight understanding of the Nightmare knew of their terror, as well as the madness and depravity that surpassed even that fear.
For most people, if they were unfortunate enough to encounter Crimson in the Nightmare, some might even choose to commit suicide.
At least that way, they wouldn't be tortured by them.
Ending up in Crimson's hands was something she hadn't anticipated. Her memories only went as far as her battle with Number 4.
After being humiliated by herself, Number 4 raised his foot and stomped down hard.
Then she lost consciousness.
She thought she was doomed.
What was even stranger was that although her body ached and her joints felt like they were falling apart, the pain was nothing compared to the agony of being backlashed by that forbidden power.
Clearly, someone had saved her.
It was Crimson.
The long-standing internal information of the Night Watchers, their education, and her subsequent participation in several operations to suppress Crimson's followers had given her a deeper understanding of their madness and terror.
The fact that they had gone to such lengths to save her must mean they wanted to extract confidential information about the Night Watchers from her.
For example, the mole hidden within their Crimson ranks.
She knew of that person.
But only their codename.
Operations and intelligence were handled by different departments within the Night Watchers, so she couldn't access more core information.
"What... what do you want from me?" Wan Yuanning's face was resolute, as if saying, "Do whatever you want, I won't flinch."
If she could provoke the person in front of her into killing her outright, that would be the best outcome—at least she'd suffer less.
She wasn't exactly fearless, but who wouldn't prefer to endure less torment if possible? She was tough, not foolish.
"Shut your mouth," the person on the sofa slowly turned a page of the book, the crisp sound of the paper echoing, as if the scent of ink could be smelled from afar.
"If you have the guts, untie me and fight me one-on-one!" Wan Yuanning's tone was fierce. "If you don't dare, just kill me."
Before her words fully settled, something was tossed beside her, landing with a metallic clink.
As Wan Yuanning recognized the object, her eyes lit up.
It was her weapon, the Butterfly Blade!
"Fine, as you wish, one-on-one," the person on the sofa didn't even look up, their voice calm and composed. "Number 8 will play with you. If you win, we'll let you go. But if you lose..."
Wan Yuanning's throat tightened cautiously. "What if I lose? You'll just kill me, right?"
"That would be too boring," the one called Number 3 shook his head slightly. "If you lose, you'll belong to her."
Hearing this, Number 8's eyes sparkled, and she immediately threw off the black bag on her back. "What are we waiting for? Let's start!"
The girl rubbed her hands together, her gaze fixed on Wan Yuanning as if she were already her prize. She had just been about to leave, but—
Happiness had come too suddenly!
Looking at the Butterfly Blade on the ground, this self-proclaimed strong woman hesitated for the first time.
She didn't know how strong Number 8 was.
But she was definitely not weak.
Especially when she saw this petite little girl holding a war hammer in her left hand and a large saw in her right, her face brimming with eagerness.
At this moment, Wan Yuanning's confidence wavered.
She wasn't afraid of death, but why did she feel that being taken away by this volatile little girl would lead to some strange and unpleasant things?
Seeing Wan Yuanning remain silent, Number 3 on the sofa didn't pressure her. He simply lowered his head and continued reading his book.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
Wan Yuanning wanted to say some harsh words to regain her lost dignity, but in the end, she obediently kept her mouth shut.
She stealthily retrieved her butterfly blade, hiding it in her clothes, and comforted herself by saying it was just a temporary retreat, a strategic move to achieve her goal.
When the time was ripe, she would rebel against them all.
(End of the Chapter)
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