Chapter 129: Crimson Overflow

Chapter 129: Scarlet Tide

As Chu Fu hacked his way forward through the realistic mannequins, the players were also busy exploring the dungeon.

When Chang Shuyue realized that the club's past might be connected to an urban legend spanning the entire dungeon, her first reaction was to search through the original host's phone more thoroughly.

"We must have missed something, like..."

She drummed her fingers rhythmically on the desk as she pondered, then her eyes lit up. "Group chats—what year is this? A close-knit club like this must have a group chat."

She first checked the original owner's contact list, confirming there was no club group chat, then logged out of the account and returned to the login page of the social app.

Sure enough, under the "Saved Accounts" section, there was another hidden account belonging to the original owner.

Using the "Forgot Password" function, Chang Shuyue reset the password for the secondary account and quickly logged in.

Compared to the main account, which was filled with chat logs and contacts, the secondary account's interface was much simpler. The contacts list was nearly empty, and the only frequently used group chat was pinned at the top, named "Urban Legends Sharing Club (20)."

"The main account is for real-life friends, family, and school matters, while the secondary account is for connecting with departments and people related to urban legends and the supernatural?"

She murmured, Chang Shuyue clicked into the group chat and scanned through the past messages.

Though the club had some cooperation with the official Containment Facility, it was essentially a student club formed by college students. They wouldn’t normally deal with dangerous legends that often.

Most messages in the group were ordinary, mainly consisting of event notices and casual chats.

However, one detail caught Chang Shuyue's attention:

The most recent message in the group was from over two weeks ago—December 14th, the day the club last contacted the Containment Facility to report the discovery of a new urban legend.

Since then, not only had the Containment Facility lost contact with the club, but the group chat had also fallen into an unnatural silence, as if...

In a single night, all the members had quietly died, never speaking again.

A chill ran down her spine at the thought that popped into her head.

If the "Mirror" urban legend had truly taken the lives of the entire club half a month ago, then what kind of monsters had been assuming their identities and living normally before the players entered the dungeon?

Taking a deep breath, Chang Shuyue pushed aside the horrifying possibilities in her mind and instead clicked on the club president's profile in the member list.

This was likely the president's secondary account as well—the profile was empty, with a fake nickname and location.

The profile picture was equally simple: a white background with a single black speck, as if someone had casually taken a photo of a moldy white wall and uploaded it.

"No private messages at all," Chang Shuyue mused, propping her chin in her hand. "Did they really never message, or were all the messages deleted?"

The social app was very similar to one from her original world. She connected the phone to her computer with a charging cable and attempted to restore backup data using the PC version.

Before long, empty message threads gradually appeared on the screen.

Ignoring the small talk, Chang Shuyue focused on the messages around December 14th:

[December 12th, 14:03]

Me: There’s a rumor going around campus lately—if you summon a mysterious spirit in front of a mirror, it can grant your wish.

Me: I heard someone even got the midterm exam papers this way! [Laughing emoji] Could this be a new urban legend?

President: It’s possible. I’ll look into it. You can also ask around to see if anyone has useful information.

Me: Got it! I’ll ask my classmates.

President: Be careful when investigating.

Me: [OK emoji]

[December 14th, 18:34]

Me: After badgering them for two days, I finally got the instructions!

Me: The summoning method is: Be alone in a locked room, turn off all lights, sit in front of a floor-length mirror in complete darkness, light a red candle, peel an entire red apple completely in front of the mirror, and then repeat "Spirit of the Mirror" three times while inviting it to descend.

Me: Important! The apple peel must not break, or it might bring terrible consequences!

President: Got it. Nice job. [Handshake emoji]

President: Since there haven’t been any casualties at school yet, it’s either just a rumor or not very dangerous. I’ll test it myself tonight and let you know.

President: If I don’t contact you afterward, immediately alert the Containment Facility—there might be an unrecorded, uncontained dangerous urban legend on campus!

The chat logs froze at this point, flickering with TV static, like an old TV screen.

The flickering glow danced across Chang Shuyue’s face as she saw two messages that shouldn’t exist appear:

[December 14th, 21:11]

President: Get help immediately.

President: Trust nothing I tell you!#”%

Both messages were marked with red exclamation points, indicating they had never been successfully sent...

So how did they end up in the original owner’s chat history?

Before she could think further, more messages flooded the screen, fragmented by the static. The unstable light made her eyes water.

[December 15th, 8:45]

President: I tried the ritual last night. There's no danger. I’ve already contacted the Containment Facility to discuss containment measures.

Me: Thank god you're safe! You didn’t message last night—I was worried sick I almost ran to your dorm this morning!

President: Don’t worry, I’m fine. [Smiling emoji]

President: The researchers theorize that when summoned by multiple people at once, its power might be divided, leaving it vulnerable and easier to contain.

President: So, can you join us in summoning the Spirit of the Mirror tomorrow at 8 PM sharp to help with containment? [Smiling emoji]

Me: I don’t have class tomorrow night, so sure!

President: Until then.

It seemed that from the 15th onward, the "President" was no longer the real person—likely an entity impersonating or disguised by the urban legend...

Just as Chang Shuyue had this realization, she froze, her eyes widened at the screen as the flickering light illuminated her stunned expression.

The last message that popped up had been sent just moments ago—two minutes ago!

[Just now]

"President: I see you."

...What?

A chill shot up the back of Chang Shuyue's neck. As her gaze shifted, she noticed the tiny black dot in the president's profile picture swelling unnaturally fast, drawing closer and closer...

That was no mere speck.

It was the dark pupil at the center of an iris!

"His" eyes weren't just watching her—they were closing in on her!

The pupil moved alarmingly fast, abruptly filling almost the entire profile picture before she could react.

The void-like pupil pressed against the inner side of the screen, quivering faintly, as if peering through an invisible aperture at the world beyond the display.

Blood gushed from the pupil, instantly dyeing the white background a sickly red. The scarlet hue continued to seep beyond the profile picture, spilling into the chat window, until warm, sticky fluid oozed from the cracks of the phone screen, dripping onto Chang Shuyue's palm...

Without hesitation, Chang Shuyue pulled out her Grade-B Offensive Tool, *"Gently Tapping the Awake Mind."* A rusted crowbar appeared in her hand, and with a sharp strike, she shattered the phone screen.

Web-like fractures spread as the screen flickered twice before going completely dark.

Yet, the anomaly didn’t end there.

Her idle computer suddenly lit up, casting a pale glow on Chang Shuyue's face. At the center of the screen, another dark pupil emerged, beneath which jagged, blood-scrawled words read:

"I see you."

Amid the pounding of her racing heart, the system whispered in her ear: *"Congratulations, player. You have unlocked the urban legend—'I See You.'"*

*"Good luck."*

......

Since her roommates were all affected, Chang Shuyue had been staying temporarily at Yu Yin's apartment.

As night fell, Yu Yin returned, exhausted from her trip. The moment she opened the door, she found the apartment as if struck by a sudden storm—the living room was in total chaos.

The walls were smeared with blood, resembling a crime scene.

Shattered fragments of the TV, computer, and phone littered the floor. Meanwhile, Chang Shuyue, whom she had kindly taken in, hunched in a corner gripping a rusted crowbar, her expression tense and alert.

"Uh..."

A sound of surprise escaped Yu Yin's throat, but she quickly remembered this apartment wasn’t truly hers anyway. Calming down, she cautiously asked, "Why are the lights off?"

Chang Shuyue lowered her voice, answering mysteriously, "Because... turning on the lights at night lets *it* see me."

Yu Yin realized Chang Shuyue must have provoked some new urban legend and was now forced to stay vigilant.

Seeing her paranoid state, Yu Yin instinctively softened her footsteps, carefully picking through the debris to approach her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Chang Shuyue glanced at her and, despite the tense atmosphere, cracked a joke: "There’s good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

"Good news first," Yu Yin replied, a sense of foreboding making her straighten up. "Let me enjoy something before hearing the bad news."

"The good news is, I dug up critical intel today—about the club’s past encounters, the urban legends they faced, and even the specific summoning method for one of them."

Yu Yin held her breath. "And the bad news?"

Chang Shuyue pointed out the window. The apartment building across from them was brightly lit, each unit resembling fishbowl-like displays, its occupants and furnishings fully visible under the night’s contrast.

Through the clear windows, they could see every resident under their lights—but on the same floor, a girl stood trembling before her window, hands covering her eyes, lips moving as if chanting something.

Light reflected off her face and hands, revealing two shiny tear tracks.

Yu Yin deciphered the girl’s lip movements: she was sobbing while repeating, "One, two, three, Red Light, Green Light... no talking, no moving..."

After finishing, the girl suddenly whipped her head around, searching her empty room in panic as if confirming something.

After several rounds of this, a figure suddenly loomed right behind the girl. Its arms, like two black water snakes, constricted tightly around her neck.

The lights in that room cut out abruptly. The last thing they saw was the girl’s terrified face staring at them before the shadow dragged her into the darkness...

"The bad news is, I just discovered there’s another urban legend across from your place. It seems to be randomly selecting residents in this area, forcing them to play 'Red Light, Green Light.' Sooner or later, it’ll be our turn—so why not go after it first?"

Chang Shuyue looked at Yu Yin and hefted her crowbar. "So, ready to face it with me?"