Chapter 136: I Love All Things Beautiful and Desperate.

Chapter 136 I Love All Things Beautiful and Desperate.

On the other side, Chang Shuyue, who had missed the players' gathering, landed lightly on the school fence, steadying her balance like an agile cat. At the same time, she flicked out a crowbar and tapped the surveillance camera lightly.

This tool belonged to the Silent Domain, and its function was as its name suggested—it could impose a state of silence, slumber, or shutdown on objects through "tapping," with the duration inversely proportional to the object's power level.

Against ordinary technological devices, the crowbar could likely keep them disabled until the end of this instance run.

The moment the crowbar made contact, the infrared light in the center of the camera instantly went dark.

Chang Shuyue remained vigilant, scanning her surroundings to confirm there were no other electronic devices nearby that could allow the urban legends to spot her. Only then did she let out a soft sigh of relief and turned her gaze beyond the campus.

"How's it going on your end?"

She lowered her head and spoke toward the ear-like device clipped to her collar.

This was a specially crafted communicator by Yu Yin to maintain constant contact with her—around Chang Shuyue’s neck hung a ring woven from blood threads, its end cradling an organ that resembled an ear but also had a miniature mouth on its side. At a glance, it looked like a neck-worn wireless microphone used by teachers during lectures.

Yu Yin’s voice came through the "earpiece": "Going alright."

"We encountered four urban legends at the library entrance. They were tough at first, and some players got hurt. But once we figured out their rules and attack patterns, it wasn’t hard to contain and eliminate them together."

"Now we’re inside the library. The legend says that if you randomly pull a book from the shelf and peer through the gap, you might catch a glimpse of the endless interior of the urban legend ‘The Endless Library.’"

"We’re testing it now—" Yu Yin’s voice suddenly cut off, followed by a low curse. "Damn it, another urban legend just appeared!"

"Should we really expect anything less from the endgame boss, the Mother of Urban Legends? She’s got so many bizarre followers, each one as loyal as a guard dog!"

Through the "earpiece," Chang Shuyue could faintly hear the sounds of chaos and asked with concern, "Can you handle it over there?"

"For now, yes," Yu Yin replied before turning the question back. "What about your side?"

When they had discussed the plan earlier, they had agreed that Chang Shuyue—being hunted by "I See You"—couldn’t participate in group activities and had to operate covertly on solo missions. So, she had taken on another task:

Monitoring the movements of urban legends outside the campus and relaying the information to Yu Yin’s group, ensuring the players in the library wouldn’t be surrounded.

Of course, she would also do her best to block outside urban legends from entering the library and becoming a burden to the other players.

Though Chang Shuyue was alone, her quick wit gave her an advantage over most urban legends.

Taking them down single-handedly would be difficult, but exploiting their rules and leading them in circles? That wasn’t impossible.

At this moment, Chang Shuyue’s gaze cut through the gray mist, closely observing the area near the campus entrance.

Before long, a faint silhouette emerged within the fog.

Chang Shuyue tensed internally, tightening her grip on the crowbar, only to widen her eyes in recognition upon seeing the figure—

A young man with black hair and blue eyes approached the school gate. Though he appeared relaxed and leisurely, the moment Chang Shuyue spotted him, he noticed her gaze and returned it.

In that instant of eye contact, Chang Shuyue felt his gaze sharpen like a blade, cutting through the thick mist and piercing straight into her, making her muscles tense involuntarily and her hair stand on end.

Fortunately, in the next moment, Chu Fu seemed to conclude that she bore no hostility—nor the strength or courage to oppose him.

That piercing intensity vanished without a trace, replaced once more by a laid-back demeanor, as if the earlier confrontation had been Chang Shuyue’s imagination.

Yawning leisurely, Chu Fu even waved at her casually, as though they hadn’t met on a dungeon street where urban legends could appear at any moment, but in the safety of a marketplace, exchanging a passing greeting.

…So mundane. In this context, it felt downright jarring!

In the presence of this senior, who seemed to move in the same circles as the Red Tree Apostle, Chang Shuyue inexplicably felt uneasy.

As Chu Fu drew closer, she instinctively adopted the deferential manner of a junior facing an elder and greeted stiffly, "Good morning, Mr. Chu."

"Good morning," Chu Fu nodded. "You seem surprised to see me?"

"...Yes."

Chang Shuyue answered truthfully, "I thought you’d appear in the thick of things."

After all, Chu Fu’s actions in the dungeon gave the impression that he woke up every day looking for trouble—heading straight for danger, not the type to linger on the fringes.

The corners of Chu Fu’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "The best way to deal with a fugitive is to strike the killing stroke when they least expect it."

A fugitive?

Did he mean the Ill Fate Witch?

So, this senior already had a plan in mind…

Nodding thoughtfully, Chang Shuyue’s gaze suddenly fixed on a distant point, her grip tightening on the crowbar.

"They’re here," she whispered.

A cold wind stirred the thick fog, and within it, a dark-red, dilapidated bus slowly emerged from view. As its wheels drew nearer, the form of "No. 414" gradually became clearer—it drifted through the mist like a ghost, its seats filled with peculiar passengers.

Even through the dust-covered windows, Chang Shuyue could feel the malicious stares of the urban legends aboard, their gazes prickling her skin.

The ghostly bus drew closer, the dozens of urban legends inside radiating an aura of extreme cold and danger.

Just as Chang Shuyue began taking stock of the items in her system inventory, preparing for a hard fight, No. 414 abruptly slowed and halted at a cautious distance from the school gate.

Chang Shuyue froze for a second before realizing: It was wary of Chu Fu’s presence.

So… urban legends could feel fear too?

As she processed this, Chang Shuyue suddenly noticed something writhing inside the backpack behind Chu Fu.

First, an umbrella pushed open the zipper and floated out, its vibrant canopy unfurling as if in a display of challenge.

Then, a pair of red high heels slipped through the gap in the zipper, stepping out one after another, their surfaces oozing an endless stream of blood—a bright crimson threat.

"...?"

For a moment, Chang Shuyue couldn’t control her expression, gaping in shock. Who in the world carried two urban legends around with them?

Wait, no—why would urban legends break free from their loyalty to the "Mother" and defect to guard the school gate?

The two factions faced each other across a safe distance, the atmosphere hung heavy like the calm before a storm.

After a long silence, Chu Fu broke the stalemate with a light chuckle, his tone friendly as he offered:

"No. 414, we’re old acquaintances by now. Won’t you come out and play with me?"

No. 414 remained silent.

Every time it saw Chu Fu’s smile, it recalled that night when it had been forced to circle the same area endlessly until it finally picked him up…

It was certain—this man had a talent for tormenting urban legends, and it had no desire to experience his methods firsthand. The other urban legends aboard, seeing No. 414’s silence, too sensed trouble.

Moreover, for some inexplicable reason, the urban legends felt a creeping chill running down their spines as they faced the smiling human male, as if something terrible was about to happen.

Upon inquiring further about the human’s identity—wasn't this the notorious urban legend hunter who had dismantled "Mirror Corridor" and "Three Kowtows"?

The urban legends exchanged uneasy glances, but in the end, not one dared exit the bus.

Bus 414 wasn’t surprised by this outcome. These urban legends, the last to respond to the Progenitor’s summons, had never held much loyalty or attachment to the Progenitor in the first place. It was only natural that they’d be intimidated by Chu Fu, whose reputation had recently skyrocketed in their world.

The bus’s amber headlights flickered as it cast a glance toward the distant library, resolving to ignore the Progenitor’s shrill, desperate summons.

After a silent standoff, the maroon bus slowly turned around and drove away, its shadow vanishing once more into the fog.

Chang Shuyue watched the retreating urban legends, then turned her gaze to Chu Fu’s calm silhouette. She couldn’t help but feel the urge to write a news report.

What's more compelling than a tense showdown?

The moment the enemy saw a certain someone standing on the opposite side, their desire to challenge him was instantly extinguished, and they stepped aside in deference!

From the perspective of an entertainment journalist, elements like a mysterious identity, obscure origins, formidable power, and far-reaching notoriety—these had viral potential if written into an article or report!

Chu Fu paid no attention to Chang Shuyue’s sudden excitement. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the library, sensing that his counterpart had begun to act.

Hearing the frantic click-click-click of hurried footsteps, Chu Fu glanced down at the red high heels and noticed their pace had quickened, as if agitated.

"Um… Madame Heels," Chang Shuyue, also noticing the anomaly, asked curiously, "what’s wrong?"

The high heels took a few steps, their toes pointing toward the school. "We hear… the Progenitor screaming."

After a pause, it added in confusion, "But it’s strange—the Progenitor keeps issuing mixed signals."

"At times, it urgently commands us to come, frantic, furious, and panicked—less like a command from on high and more like a distress call. Other times, it sends out calm signals, telling us not to come, not to gather, and not to take independent action in the city."

"Right now, every urban legend must be wondering," the high heels said, "which order should we follow?"

Chang Shuyue frowned at this. It sounded like the boss was having a breakdown?

Of course, more concerning than the mental state of the "Mother of Urban Legends" was the possibility that the players in the library might face unforeseen threats. She quickly reminded Yu Yin to be on guard.

Only Chu Fu remained unfazed, his lowered eyes showing no trace of confusion—instead, they flickered with a subtle, knowing amusement.

*Of course it’s contradictory.*

Chu Fu thought.

*Because only the distress signals were truly sent by the Progenitor. The other orders—*

*Those were all Elius controlling it.*

...

In the "Endless Library," towering bookshelves filled with endless volumes stretched endlessly into the distance.

The floors, shelves, and high domed ceiling were all uniformly white and unnaturally pristine, like a scene from a dream.

The only jarring contrast came from the black threads suspended above the shelves.

These threads exuded an ominous aura, densely woven into expansive cobwebs that intersected at different angles, forming a warm, cocoon-like formation.

Inside the nest, a massive black butterfly flapped its wings, its proboscis trembling as it emitted a distinct, plaintive frequency—repeating its commands, or rather, its cries for help, to its children.

Just then, a pale hand gently stroked its wing—so tenderly, as if caressing a beloved rose. Yet the touch instantly froze the butterfly’s wings, which spanned over ten meters when fully spread, forcing it to submit fearfully to Elius’s touch.

"Calling so desperately—are you hoping your children will come to save you?"

Elius smiled as she asked, not expecting an answer as she sighed softly. "What a shame. I actually liked you a little—I cherish all things beautiful in their despair."

"But I never expected you’d be so eager to escape me."

Her voice lowered, tinged with displeasure.

The black butterfly convulsed under Elius’s palm, its massive form shrinking uncontrollably until it was no larger than an ordinary butterfly in nature.

Its sentience erased, the true Progenitor of urban legends fluttered its wings twice in the air before obediently perching on Elius’s fingertip, its fragile antennae grazing lightly against her.

Elius nodded in satisfaction.

Now that she had complete control over the Progenitor, who could deny that she was the true "Mother" of urban legends?