Using Night Roaming, Zhang Yuanqing rode the air currents down into the tunnel. Along the arched ceiling, high-powered xenon lights were installed every five meters, flooding the Inner Ring Tunnel with brilliant white radiance.
A roadblock had been set up at an intersection a dozen or so meters away, barring entry.
Inside the eerily quiet tunnel sat row after row of parked cars—left behind by the ordinary people who had vanished over two hours ago.
After inspecting the scene, the Public Security Bureau and official walkers had collected several valuable clues, including dashcam footage and blood samples, but the vehicles were temporarily left in place.
On one hand, this preserved the scene; on the other, they could not yet be certain the tunnel was safe. To prevent further casualties, the tunnel would remain closed for several days, so it was best to leave the cars where they were for now.
It had to be said that the official walkers were quite experienced. The little girl in the red hat had likely never left the tunnel.
The missing victims were still inside as well.
If traffic resumed, another mass disappearance might easily take place a few days later.
*Clack-clack-clack-clack...*
Inside the empty, deserted tunnel, the Red Dancing Shoes scurried frantically about, at times sprinting across car roofs and leaving behind footprints, at other times darting along the ceiling and walls.
Concealed in his invisible state, Zhang Yuanqing walked slowly between the cars, watching the Red Dancing Shoes rush around like a headless fly as he frowned in thought.
*The little girl in the red hat hasn't left, and the missing victims are still in the tunnel, yet the official walkers couldn't detect them...*
There were only two possible reasons. First, the girl in the red hat operated on far too high a level—so high that even Deacons were kept in the dark.
Second, the item possessed unique properties and belonged to an overseas class that the Deacons had limited knowledge of, leaving them without any leads for now.
Even so, Zhang Yuanqing believed that within three days, the Deacons in Songhai would unravel the mystery of the little girl in the red hat. But whether the missing people would still be alive by then was another matter.
Having grasped the crux of the issue, Zhang Yuanqing found himself in a dilemma.
His aunt and the missing people were inside the tunnel, but not in reality; instead, they were trapped in an unknown, incomprehensible dimensional rift.
Though he had identified the key, he lacked the ability to enter it.
*I should call Fu Qingyang. He's a Dominator and knows far more than I do.* Zhang Yuanqing took out his phone.
Just then, the Red Dancing Shoes running along the wall suddenly began stomping against it like mad, producing loud *thuds*. Crisp footprints were stamped into the hard concrete, sending bits of cement crumbling down.
Immediately after, water-like ripples spread across the concrete wall and swallowed the Red Dancing Shoes.
In the very next second, Zhang Yuanqing lost his connection to the shoes.
*This...* His heart sank. He rushed over to where the shoes had vanished, pressed both palms against the wall, and pushed with silent force. Two handprints sank into the solid concrete.
Yet nothing happened.
The Red Dancing Shoes could kick its way into the dimensional rift, but he could not.
Zhang Yuanqing decisively gave up trying and dialed Fu Qingyang's number.
While the call was ringing, he saw ripples stir across the wall once more. A pair of brand-new, exquisite red dancing shoes broke through the ripples and returned to the tunnel.
*Tap, tap, tap...*
The Red Dancing Shoes darted swiftly around him, lifting a foot every now and then to kick the wall.
*It's trying to tell me Auntie is right on the other side of the wall and wants me to hurry over? But I can't cross over...* Zhang Yuanqing gave a bitter smile.
Seeing the Red Dancing Shoes return, he suddenly remembered a detail. In the item description of the Red Dancing Shoes, it was mentioned that after its previous owner died, the shoes began to wander.
It had wandered all the way into the Sheling Tunnel dungeon.
These shoes originated from the Void class and possessed the ability to wander between Transcendent-stage dungeons. This was its unique mystical property, which was why it could enter the dimensional rift.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing immediately activated its second form and chose equip mode.
The Red Dancing Shoes turned into two beams of dim red light, wrapping around his feet and replacing his sneakers.
Then, they stood dumbly on the spot, motionless...
*Looks like that won't work. The second form only grants evasion; it can't take me along to "wander."* Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows in disappointment.
Just then, the call connected.
Fu Qingyang's voice came through. "Speak."
Presumably knowing he was handling urgent business, the Money Prince wasted no words.
Zhang Yuanqing recounted his findings in detail.
Fu Qingyang said, "A self-contained realm? The overseas 'Eternal Night' class has a corresponding skill, but that's a Dominator-level technique. If that's the case, there's no need to look for them. They're dead for sure."
Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew grim to the extreme. "How do I get in?"
"The fastest and most reliable way is naturally to seek help from the Void class. Stand by where you are," Fu Qingyang said. "I'll try to contact that President, but it will take time."
Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to hang up.
He did have an item from the Void class—the Red Dancing Shoes—and it could indeed enter the dimensional rift, but it could not bring him along.
What was he supposed to do?
If the item controlled by the girl in the red hat truly possessed Dominator-stage power, then Auntie...
Anxiety flared fiercely in his chest.
The more anxious he became, the more tangled his thoughts grew. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. As his mind raced, an idea quickly struck him.
His physical body could not enter, but what about his spirit body?
The second form of the Red Dancing Shoes only had an evasion feature and lacked the "wandering" capability, which was why it could not carry his physical body into the dimensional rift.
Could he project his spirit body out of his flesh, attach it to the Red Dancing Shoes, and follow them into the rift?
*However, a spirit body has limited strength and cannot open the inventory. Even if I enter the dimensional rift, how will I rescue Auntie?*
*The Ghost Bride and Little Doubi are spirits; they can come with me. I won't be alone. Once inside the rift, I can possess an ordinary person and use their body to fight...*
*Right! The Military Soul Mask has merged into my spirit body. That item provides massive stat boosts, enough for me to fight in the dimensional rift.*
*Besides, I don't need to defeat the enemy. I only need to protect Auntie, and then wait safely for the boss's rescue...*
Having thought it through, he delayed no further. He casually opened the door of a nearby car, slipped inside, and sent Guan Ya a message:
"I'm inside a car in the Inner Ring Tunnel. I need to project my spirit body for a while. Bring people to protect my physical body, and remember to bring Blood Rose. I might run into danger—tell Fu Qingyang to send reinforcements as fast as possible."
After sending the message, he deactivated the equip mode of the Red Dancing Shoes and cast Astral Travel.
His spirit body immediately drifted out of his physical form.
*Smack! Smack!*
The Red Dancing Shoes angrily kicked its master's body twice with its tips.
It assumed its master was deliberately playing dead because he did not want to dance with it.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body wrapped around Little Doubi and Bai Lan, latching onto the Red Dancing Shoes.
Soothed by him, the Red Dancing Shoes stopped throwing a tantrum and bounded toward the wall with lively steps.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
It stomped violently against the wall, leaving behind clear shoe prints until ripples finally stirred across the surface.
With another step, the Red Dancing Shoes plunged into the ripples.
The moon shone bright amidst sparse stars; tree shadows flickered and danced.
All around was dead silence, without even the chirping of insects. From deep within the dense forest came the faint, distant howl of a wolf.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body separated from the Red Dancing Shoes and looked around.
He stood at the entrance of a dense forest beneath a silver platter of a full moon. Silvery moonlight illuminated the distant wilderness.
*If not for the lack of a Spirit Realm notification in my ear, I would've thought I entered a dungeon. It's night here too—great, this is when my condition is at its peak...* Zhang Yuanqing swept a vigilant gaze across his surroundings.
*Tap, tap, tap...*
The Red Dancing Shoes turned into a dim glimmer of light and darted into the woods.
Zhang Yuanqing floated after it. The forest was dead silent, dense foliage blocking out the moonlight and plunging everything into deep darkness.
Fortunately, spirit bodies naturally possessed the ability to see through darkness, leaving his vision unimpaired.
After drifting through the woods for a few minutes, he spotted a corpse lying prostrate below and stopped immediately.
It was the body of a middle-aged man wearing a black T-shirt and cropped pants, one shoe lost in flight. He lay facedown on the ground, crimson blood oozing from his abdomen and staining the soil beneath him.
With a gentle wave of Zhang Yuanqing's hand, the body flipped over. The man's paunchy abdomen had been ripped open by sharp claws, its internal organs completely devoured.
His neck was a bloody mess, bearing distinct bite marks.
Evidently, this middle-aged man had been tackled by some beast, had his neck snapped in a single bite, and then had his entrails hollowed out.
This was definitely not good news.
Leaving the corpse behind, Zhang Yuanqing followed the Red Dancing Shoes with a heavy heart. Along the way, he encountered several more bodies—middle-aged men, women, and children—all dead in the exact same gruesome manner as the man.
In addition, he found monster tracks in the forest.
Wolf tracks.
The prints did not fall in a single trail of four paw prints, but in pairs, meaning the wolf walked upright.
Zhang Yuanqing quickly pieced together what had happened to the missing victims. After entering this bizarre space, they had ventured into the dense forest for some reason and were subsequently hunted down by a terrifying werewolf.
One by one, they had died fleeing for their lives.
Finally, the Red Dancing Shoes came to a halt in front of a wooden cabin.
The cabin sat on elevated ground where surrounding trees appeared to have been cleared away, affording an open view. Bright moonlight spilled over the scene, while the cabin remained deathly quiet.
Having stopped in front of the door, the Red Dancing Shoes moved no further.
*Auntie is inside?* Zhang Yuanqing drifted toward the wooden cabin. His body easily phased through the wooden wall. A casual sweep of his gaze revealed several figures sitting beside a fireplace.
There were seven in total, hugging their knees, leaning against the fireplace and the wooden walls, shivering in terror.
Hushed whispers passed among them.
"I don't want to keep hiding here. Let's run for it."
"If you want to die, go ahead, but don't drag us down with you! Hiding in this cabin is the only way to stay safe. If you go out, that wolf will eat you alive."
"That wolf will be back to knock on the door soon... I have a feeling it's going to break in next time..."
Although their voices trembled with fear, they seemed to have passed the peak of sheer panic and had begun accepting the fact that they were caught in a "supernatural event."
The young man who had spoken first lowered his voice and said, "But we can't keep hiding forever... Jiang Yu'er, do you have any ideas?"
By now, Zhang Yuanqing had located his aunt. Curled up beside the fireplace with her knees hugged to her chest alongside the others, her face was pale, her lively eyes darting around as she watched vigilantly for movement both inside and outside the cabin.
In the dimness, everyone turned to look at her.
Jiang Yu'er said in a low voice, "Someone will come save us. We've been missing for so long; the constables definitely know by now. And since supernatural events really exist in this world, the government must have known for ages.
"There will definitely be specialists who handle this kind of thing coming to rescue us."
Her words successfully calmed the group, easing their panic.
"Is the injury on your leg okay?" the young man beside her asked with concern.
"The bleeding seems to have stopped, but I feel a little dizzy..." Jiang Yu'er replied.
Floating inside the wooden cabin, Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief as a surge of joy at finding her welled up within him.
However, he quickly suppressed his delight and began analyzing the situation based on their conversation. Just as he had anticipated, after fleeing into the dense forest, these people were hunted by the wolf. Out of forty-two, only seven remained.
The survivors had escaped into the cabin, where the wolf gave up the chase, allowing them to cling to life.
But why did the wolf stop chasing them?
Such a flimsy wooden door couldn't possibly keep a monster out.
*I need to figure out the situation first. If Fu Qingyang is right and this item is very likely Dominator-grade, then even I'm in danger, let alone rescuing Auntie...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately floated toward the young man beside Jiang Yu'er and possessed him.
He looked down at Jiang Yu'er's calf. A deep gash scored her skin, clotted over with thick, blackened scabs.
Zhang Yuanqing promptly leaned close to Jiang Yu'er's ear and whispered, "Auntie, it's me."
Chapter 365