Chapter 541: Ash Ruins

Fear is an emotion everyone possesses. Some people, through rigorous conditioning, forge nerves of steel; no matter what horrors they face, they never let it show. They can stay calm at all times and take the best possible countermeasures.

Forged by the Underworld Live Show, both Chen Jiuge and I were exactly this kind of person.

But not showing it didn't mean we didn't feel it. Once that deep-rooted dread was triggered, the consequences would be far more severe than they would be for an ordinary person.

If this district really could turn the fears buried deep in our hearts into reality, it would be a true disaster for us live show streamers. The fears harbored by ordinary people and the fears known to live show streamers were on completely different levels.

I was starting to understand Chen Jiuge's earlier warning. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

I had agreed verbally, but in truth, I had no confidence at all. Still, this was the only known route to escape the Deep Dream Layer, so I had no choice but to face it.

The burned houses occasionally popped and cracked like splitting firewood. A pungent stench drifted through the air, making it feel as if the entire district was one massive, festering burn wound.

"We're getting ready to enter the central area." Chen Jiuge glanced back at me, then walked shoulder to shoulder with Ye Bing.

Ever since stepping into the Despair District, he had stuck incredibly close to her, looking as though he wished he could hide inside her shadow. This abnormal behavior caught my attention.

I followed closely behind Chen Jiuge, treading with extreme caution. The streets grew narrower, and the intersections multiplied. The entire district emanated an oppressive aura. Even the occasional noise from the blackened houses was enough to make someone jump.

"Look at that!" Chu Men, who brought up the rear, suddenly called out. He pointed at a blackened three-story building. A moment ago, a charred silhouette had flashed across its third-floor balcony.

I stopped in front of the building and furrowed my brows. "What was that? It's not like the thoughts or the humanoid shadows. It seems to have its own physical body. Is it a nightmare?"

"Don't stop, keep moving. We'll be in trouble if they latch onto us," Chen Jiuge said immediately, having also noticed the disturbance. His voice was stern and laced with urgency.

"What are they?"

"You could consider them monsters unique to the Despair District," Chen Jiuge explained as he ran. "The memories of those who burned to death have fused with their bodies. I don't know the exact reason. Maybe the agony of the flames was seared so deeply into every inch of their skin, or maybe the extreme physical pain allowed their memories to perfectly reconstruct their basic physical structures. Don't worry about the details. Just stay far away when you see those shadows, and never try to fight them. This is their turf. One wrong move and you'll poke a hornet's nest and cause a massive disaster."

I nodded, recalling what I had just seen using the Judging Eye. The black shadow maintained a basic human outline, but it had been altered beyond recognition by the flames. Amidst the charred flesh and scars, only a pair of cold eyes stood out as being any different.

My first impression of it was pure, hideous ugliness. Even with a psychological endurance far surpassing that of ordinary people, it made my scalp crawl.

"I wonder how many monsters like it are hiding in this district..." The Despair District was ten times larger than the Lightless District. The number of monsters lurking here had to be a despair-inducing figure in its own right.

I didn't dwell on it. Chen Jiuge seemed to be carrying other life-saving items. The shadows hiding in the buildings only spied on us from afar; they seemed wary of something and didn't make a move against us.

We walked for about an hour before Chen Jiuge, who was leading the way, finally stopped. "We're here. This is it, though I suggest we don't go in just yet. It's too dangerous inside."

A massive architectural complex sprawled before us. Rows of buildings were fused together. They should have been separate structures, but the raging fire, collapsed attics, and piled rubble had welded them into a single entity. It looked like an ancient castle inhabited by devils, exuding an unnatural aura.

"This is it?" Chen Jiuge had taken us through a maze of alleys. I knew he was deliberately taking detours so I wouldn't learn the true path in and out, but I cultivated both Buddhism and Daoism. Having also swallowed the Flower of the Dream Realm, my mind was crystal clear and my memory was astonishing. I had memorized the route long ago.

"This vast expanse of ruins is the core of the Despair District. The mirror I mentioned is in the tallest building in these ruins." Chen Jiuge and Ye Bing stood together, pausing in front of a scorched door.

"We're going in through here?" I looked at the tottering door in front of us, highly doubting it could take a push without collapsing entirely.

"There are many entrances. This is just one of them." Chen Jiuge pointed to the surrounding doors and windows. This massive complex was formed by piecing many houses together, leaving countless open paths. Finding a single mirror in such a sprawling space wouldn't be easy. "Different entrances lead to different places. If you really want to go inside, stick close to me and don't wander off. Otherwise, you'll suffer the consequences."

With that, he stepped inside first, repeatedly urging Ye Bing not to stray too far.

"Why so concerned about Ye Bing? That doesn't fit the style of a live show streamer." Chu Men and I followed closely behind, stepping into the ash-covered ruins.

The interior of the complex was even more complicated than I had imagined. Cramped rooms connected to one another, their walls cracked by the fire and scorched pitch-black. Wandering through them for too long gave the illusion that every room was identical, making it incredibly easy to get lost.

'If it can awaken the deepest fear in a person's heart, I really want to know what I'm most afraid of.' If anyone else knew this thought of mine, they would be absolutely stunned. I was practically numb to fear. No matter what terrifying thing appeared before me, there were only two outcomes: either it killed me, or I successfully escaped. When you threw life and death out the window, any fear was greatly diminished.

The floorboards beneath our feet had long been reduced to ash, and the ceramic tiles were blackened and fractured. The room was in complete disarray. Everywhere, you could see the traces of the agonizing struggles of those who had burned to death.

I examined a deformed household security lock on a doorframe. The lock had been smashed out of shape and its insides were melted, while the door itself was covered in the pounding marks left by the victim.

It was utterly tragic. Under the scorching flames, blood and flesh had melted together as they smashed against the door; every impact would have torn off a layer of skin.

"Someone intentionally locked them inside?" I looked at the dark, bloody prints on the door. They were very low, only reaching my waist, suggesting the victim wasn't very old. Judging by how the fire had spread, it had likely started in the kitchen. "This is an old-fashioned gas stove, and the hood has been burned down to a bare iron frame. This scene looks like a fire caused by a naughty kid playing with fire while their parents weren't home."

The door was deadbolted tight. The little guy couldn't escape at all. The raging fire blocked the window, and the flames spread further into the house.

I stared at the charred marks on the door and then down at the melted iron security lock, simulating the scene in my mind. The flames had surged forward, leaving no avenue of escape, and the only door was locked.

The child had desperately pounded on the security door, trying with all his might to survive, but no one could rush in to save him. As the thick smoke blinded him and the flames slowly crept over his body, that sheer agony was exactly what was called despair.

I reached out and peeled a layer of black crust off the security door. At that moment, I finally understood why this place was called the Despair District.

"Don't touch that!" Chen Jiuge suddenly waved at me, telling me to step away from the door. He led me around from another angle. Only from this position did I see a humanoid black shadow lying prone against the outside of the security door. It was short, looking exactly like a child who had burned to death.