Matryoshka Off-Limits Chapter 74

Chapter 74 Crazy Love Season

The hearse drove out of the darkness, and an amazing sight appeared. The sky became bright, revealing the sun in a place that was supposed to be perpetually dark.

Up ahead was a gentle slope, with a straight road coming into view. A red sign was planted at an angle along the road: “Fierce Ghost Highway.”

As the bright sunlight came through the window, a shiver run down Wen Shi’s spine.

From the moment he entered the first instance, it felt as if an unseen force had been pushing everything forward.

His dimples were gently poked, breaking his train of thought. Wen Shi finally noticed the mini scarecrow trying to get his attention. The scarecrow’s big eye showed clear concern.

“I’m fine.”

Wen Shi’s eyes twitched, his tightly pressed lips relaxed, slowly returning to his usual self.

Not to mention distant matters, just this Big Eye in front of him was a connection he had traded half his life for—definitely not a result of any other power. Looking at it this way, Jian Qingrong’s presence oddly made him feel relieved.

Wen Shi had intended to continue questioning, but unexpectedly, the host suddenly covered his face with a cloth, laughing uncontrollably. “Those monsters actually believed a human… Hahaha, look, as expected, they’ve fallen into corruption… Hahaha…”

“……” Wen Shi asked cautiously, “What corruption?”

The host struggled to stand up straight, looking at him. “Isn’t it what you said, a bunch of dirty secrets? Isn’t that corruption!”

Wen Shi’s lips twitched. “Did you know the hospital got a new director?”

The host was dumbfounded, and after a few seconds, he screamed in surprise, “Big news! Big news!”

Simultaneously with the scream, a ghostly hand reached in through the window.

The withered and thin arm, like dried meat strips, emitted a strong stench of decay. Half of the outside corpse had already come in. Its appearance was extremely bizarre, with only a few strands of hair at the back of its head.

It had been years since it smelled the scent of living flesh and blood. After the corpse squeezed its head inside, it prepared to pounce directly on its prey.

Sitting in the seat, the child who was clearly full of vitality showed no trace of fear on his face. “Do you know why I didn’t close the window?”

The brain, which hadn’t been exercised in a long time, seemed rusty. The corpse even seriously contemplated the question: why indeed wasn’t the window closed?

In a brief distracted moment, a tremendous force pulled his pitch-black arm inward, smoothly causing the corpse, which had been trying to rush inside, to tumble in.

A loud thud echoed.

The dehydrated head happened to tumble into A’Sang’s bowl.

A’Sang: “……”

Could there be such good luck?

He glanced at Wen Shi, hesitated to speak, and finally said, “He hit his head, probably beyond saving.”

Eating monsters was no longer a secret, but doing it openly might shatter his image in Dad’s eyes.

Wen Shi played along, “Then just throw it out.”

A’Sang: “It’s so stinky, I’ll go to the back to throw it.”

The corpse tried to get up but was held down by the child’s hand.

He couldn’t smash the monster’s head in Dad’s arms. A’Sang, concerned about hygiene, held the corpse’s neck, hopped off Wen Shi’s thigh, and dragged the food to the back row.

At this point, the corpse understood it had run into a tough opponent and struggled desperately.

Reaching the back row, A’Sang placed his other hand at the crown of the head. He gathered all the resentment and hatred, smashing it with the bowl with a dull thud. After the muffled sound subsided, he smoothly retrieved a crystal. Using the few strands of hair left on the corpse’s head, he wiped his hands and then tossed the dissected corpse out.

He had almost finished digesting and could start eating again.

Fierce Ghost Highway wasn’t lacking in food. A’Sang returned to Wen Shi’s side, paying attention to saving face. “Dad, I’m feeling dizzy from the car. I want to go outside for some fresh air.”

On the roof of the car, there was a huge octopus-like monster, its claws sliding down, looking quite appetizing.

Wen Shi: “…Go ahead, stay safe.”

A’Sang nodded, then climbed up directly through the window.

With A’Sang handling the monsters on the road, Wen Shi hardly had to do anything else. He focused solely on finding the shard.

He already had a World Shard himself and knew well that without any clues, finding something smaller than half of a child’s palm in size was like finding a needle in a haystack. He couldn’t just get off the car now and dig through the Fierce Ghost Highway to the Watchtower Mountain.

Thinking about this, Wen Shi rubbed his brow. The game was a rational thing, or else it wouldn’t tolerate him exploiting the rules multiple times.

Suddenly releasing an impossible task was completely unreasonable.

A slight tingling sensation reached his scalp. The scarecrow tugged at Wen Shi’s hair, as if trying to convey a message.

The pulled hair strand drifted in front of him, reflecting a faint silver light under the sunlight.

The scarecrow flapped its wings a few times in succession, indicating there were still many.

Wen Shi had never grown white hair before. He quickly pulled over a tuft and examined it, finding several strands of white hair mixed in.

The sky, the rising sun at an unfamiliar time, was already descending.

Wen Shi leaned closer to look at the host, who hadn’t changed much. Instead, the host was startled upon seeing him, “How did you age so much?”

The window wasn’t showing much, so Wen Shi gestured towards Big Eye and used its pupil as a mirror. Not just the hair, but also fine wrinkles were evident around the corners of his eyes.

The sun’s angle gradually shifted, intensifying the aging process. Though his skin remained smooth, it was slightly looser. Even his cat ears lost some of their sprightliness. When Wen Shi tried to return to his seat, he felt his bones were weak and lacked strength.

Big Eye showed signs of urgency.

Leaning back in the chair, catching his breath, Wen Shi felt puzzled. He hadn’t triggered any side quests.

Without understanding the game’s rules, he couldn’t progress. He used his time to observe everything abnormal around him. His aging affected his vision. He scanned the interior of the car with a wandering gaze, finding nothing. Squinting, he looked out the window, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was setting.

As the sun neared the horizon, lanterns started floating up into the sky.

Clusters of orange-red dots formed a pattern, illuminating sections of Fierce Ghost Highway at intervals, dispelling the false daylight and revealing an atmosphere shrouded in ghostly vibes.

This dark contrast, compared to the earlier false brightness, surprisingly brought a greater sense of comfort.

“The sun…” Wen Shi rubbed his clothing corner with his fingers. In just a short while, the sun had set, resembling his own burning lifespan.

After the sun had set, only the lanterns could provide brief moments of light on this ghostly path.

Wen Shi’s expression slightly steadied as he asked the scarecrow, “Can you help me get a lantern?”

As they approached the underworld, the gloom thickened. The scarecrow’s wings, moisturized by the gloom, grew back by about half.

Fluttering with its partially restored wings, it flew toward one of the glowing points. Soon, a lantern in the night sky rushed towards Wen Shi, pushed gently by the mini scarecrow from behind.

The flickering firelight danced, and the lantern swayed in the wind. Finally, it arrived in front of Wen Shi.

Carefully unwrapping the paper lampshade, Wen Shi took out the candle inside. His hands weren’t steady now. The candle shook intensely, and the candle’s warmth flowed into his blood. He sensed the aging aura within him greedily consuming the candle’s flame. In the process, the white tips of his hair turned black, and his flesh regained some vitality, no longer just a shriveled husk.

Seeing him regain a bit of vitality, the mini scarecrow immediately went to push the second lantern.

A’Sang, who was cleaning monsters in front of the car, witnessed the bizarre actions of the scarecrow. Sensing something was off, he quickly jumped in through the rear window.

“No monsters?” He even thought there might be some filthy creature afraid of the dark, secretly lurking in the carriage.

A’Sang first checked every corner, only to realize that something was wrong with Wen Shi!

The young man with cat ears was no longer youthful. He leaned against the chair, weakened by age, as light as a feather, as if he could float away at any moment.

A’Sang rushed over. “Dad!”

Worried about frightening him, Wen Shi gently covered the child’s eyes with his hand. “It’s okay.”

A’Sang gripped the emaciated hand. He didn’t know what happened but could only feel the rapid passing of the person before him. He stuttered, a mix of sadness and urgency, “I-I’ll bite you. While there’s still time.” He was so distraught that he even tossed aside his cherished bowl. “Before it’s too late.”

“……”

You’re going to kill your dad with kindness sooner or later.

Wen Shi’s lips twitched. “I think I can still salvage this somehow.”

At least for now, he didn’t want to order the zombie father-son combo.

Lanterns were being pushed in from outside, their numbers increasing in the sky. Some floated right outside the window at low altitude, so close that a simple arm stretch could reach them.

A’Sang and the scarecrow worked together tirelessly to collect candles.

“Cough, cough.” The night was deep as water, the sun had completely set, and an intense itch surged in Wen Shi’s throat. He couldn’t control the cough that burst out. His frail body shook violently, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the still-attached white lantern.

The white paper was instantly splattered with blood spots.

Seeing this, A’Sang collected candles even more desperately. Wen Shi wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth and found some relief surrounded by the candlelight.

He had never felt this powerless before. His entire body seemed drained, and the cool wind blowing in through the car window scattered his disheveled white hair across his face. With the transformation time passed, deprived of his night vision, Wen Shi’s view of A’Sang’s face was blurry. Candlelight reflected in his pupils. After quietly watching for a while, he suddenly summoned his strength, propped himself up, and leaned over to blow a breath towards the rows of candles.

“Hoo—”

The moment the candles extinguished, his body became incredibly weak, his cheeks sunken, his breath faint.

Startled, A’Sang quickly extended his arms to protect the one candle that hadn’t gone out yet.

Almost simultaneously, the scarecrow also opened its wings, shielding the flame’s tip.

“Don’t worry,” Wen Shi strained a smile, looking at them, “My aging is just skin-deep. My mind isn’t confused…”

A barely audible voice, but carrying an undeniable persistence.

His fingertips moved slightly, indicating they shouldn’t obstruct.

After some hesitation, both the scarecrow and A’Sang finally stepped aside due to their trust in him.

“Wait.” The host rushed over. “Hold off on doing anything foolish for a moment. Tell me the information about Frank Hospital before closing your eyes.”

He frantically tried to find paper and a pen. Failing that, he bit his finger and prepared to jot down the information on his arm, “Go ahead, I’ll remember.”

Wen Shi rolled his eyes, exasperated. The irritation almost brought him to the edge. He took a deep breath and swiftly blew out the last remaining candle.

The flame was instantly extinguished. Wen Shi’s eyelids drooped, his feeble body slumped heavily, and the last thing he saw was the host’s nearly devastated, blurred face—

“No!”

Darkness and solitude, as if drowning in the sea.

Every attempt to breathe felt choked in his throat. His body and soul seemed like opposing magnets, repelling each other, separating.

Was this what dying felt like?

Not emptiness, not exactly discomfort, more like helplessness.

Wen Shi grew calm. It was said that just before death, hearing was the last sense to go. He faintly heard A’Sang calling “Dad” and also the host’s cries.

Oh, his poor Big Eye.

No mouth, couldn’t call out.

After this thought flickered through his mind, Wen Shi lost consciousness completely.

He had no idea how long the entire death experience lasted.

It felt like centuries had passed, yet also like just a moment. With his consciousness fading, his sense of time slipped away. Wen Shi felt like he had entered a winter hibernation, until the ice melted and the cold blood began to flow once more. His nearly nonexistent heartbeat followed its rhythm, regaining vitality. The itch in his throat vanished, but it was parched. Wen Shi felt uncomfortable all over and struggled to flex his muscles before finally managing to cough.

He laboriously lifted his eyelids, and a magnified small while face greeted him. What a visual shock.

Seeing him revive, the host exclaimed in astonishment, “Cat demon.”

Only a cat demon had nine lives.

Wen Shi couldn’t be bothered to respond. He turned his head and saw A’Sang with teary eyes, still trembling from the sudden death scare. He couldn’t even hold onto his bowl. Finally, Wen Shi’s gaze landed on the scarecrow… Big Eye could still cry, though it couldn’t speak. But the tears it shed were harmful to Wen Shi’s body.

“I’m fine.” He shifted his body slightly, amidst A’Sang’s bewildered gaze. Even though he didn’t know if the boy could understand, Wen Shi used his hoarse voice to explain, “Everything beyond the death gate is about life and death. Just like the starting point of the Mirage Landscape is also its end, representing life and death, this path is no different.”

The struggling candlelight couldn’t replace rebirth. The natural law of life and death couldn’t be defied. Thus, all he needed to do was accept this process naturally.

A’Sang asked in confusion, “Why does only Dad die once?”

He didn’t dare blink, afraid that if he did, Wen Shi might die again.

“Probably because… I’m a human.”

Among those in the car, he was the only human, bound by these natural laws.

Just as he said this, the hearse suddenly came to a stop.

The host glanced. “We’ve reached the Watchtower Mountain.”

The Watchtower Mountain didn’t have any winding mountain roads. Once one passed through the lengthy tunnel, they’d arrive in the underworld.

The host’s disposition turned serious, which was unusual for him. “I can only accompany you this far. I suggest you stop here as well.”

Wen Shi was one to heed advice, especially considering the quest only mentioned the shard being on the way to the underworld. He had no reason to venture into it needlessly.

“Dad, there seems to be something on the ground.” A’Sang was sensitive to anything related to food. At the tunnel entrance, there was a cake box. Amidst the flickering tunnel lights, it appeared eerie in isolation.

He picked up the bowl and hopped down from the car. He circled around the box before finally picking it up. Throughout this, A’Sang held his arm up high, ready to strike anything that might jump out.

“Should I open it?” A’Sang asked.

Wen Shi nodded. “I’ll do it.”

He had unwrapped several gift boxes today, one more wouldn’t make a difference.

The ribbon was undone, releasing the sweet scent of exclusive cream. The in-game items were undeniably realistic, and even the ingredients were of high quality.

Big Eye flew over, took a look, and nodded at Wen Shi, confirming it was just a regular cake.

Handing over a cake so readily, did the game lace it with poison?

Although his birthday was indeed coming up.

Wen Shi took out the cake with an indifferent attitude. Without the cake covering it, the bottom half of an envelope was revealed-

To be opened personally by Xiao Shi.

Wen Shi’s eyes trembled. In this world, only one person would address him like that.

After a brief moment of distraction, he even forgot to check if there was something wrong with the envelope and just tore it open.

【Right, it’s me, your old man. I’m a player too.】

The familiar tone brought a mixture of bittersweet and amusement to Wen Shi’s heart. The impact of the message was somewhat softened. The safety charm was obviously not an ordinary object. He had worn it for so long, so he was somewhat mentally prepared.

【Long story short, you know I hate writing.

I made a bet with the game, the details don’t matter. The fact that you’re reading this letter proves I’ve won again. Hahaha! In front of me, it’s just a little brother!

I opened a passage in the underworld. You know how it is, “father owes, son repays.” I made a deal with the game to return the shards, and you’ll be the one who will fill this opening. The condition is that I get to design a level. How does dying feel? Is Fierce Ghost Highway fun? Remember to give it a good review!

The World Shard is on my body. Just find my corpse.】

Wen Shi made an effort to lift the corners of his mouth, imagining the cheerful tone of the letter’s contents. He tried a few times but failed. When it was time to prepare for the aftermath, his father disappeared from the hospital ward. And he never came back.

For all these years, he clung to the hope that maybe his father was still alive. From childhood to adulthood, that person seemed capable of anything. So as long as he didn’t see the body with his own eyes, he held onto that fantasy.

Now, the other person wanted him to shatter that fantasy with his own hands.

“No wonder there were no tasks on Fierce Ghost Highway, no clues either.” Wen Shi smiled wryly and continued reading.

【Here’s a hint: My body might be at the top of the Watchtower Mountain or under a certain tree along the highway. Climb the mountain, dig around, you’ll find it eventually.

By the way, you came in during Ghost Festival. It will not be long before your birthday. Happy birthday!】

Wen Shi was left at the orphanage’s doorstep on July 20th, so the orphanage director made that day as his birthday, and it hadn’t changed since.

Folding the envelope, Wen Shi looked up at the car lights. The harsh glare made his eyes and nose feel unusually sour. He struggled to breathe normally through his mouth.

A’Sang and Big Eye showed concern. His unusual silence made even the host hesitate to interrupt.

After an uncertain amount of time, Wen Shi managed a helpless smile. He didn’t go up the mountain to dig as the letter mentioned. Instead, he walked slowly towards the front of the car.

“With candles and a birthday cake, how could a birthday celebration be complete without family by my side…”

His footsteps stopped next to the faceless driver. Wen Shi stared at it for several seconds, then took out the Greenwood Sword and sliced down.

The faceless figure wasn’t as soft as expected. Its shell was unexpectedly brittle. It split into two halves, revealing a pale corpse. The long finger bones clenched something shiny.

At that moment, Wen Shi couldn’t hold back any longer. He half-knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, his voice choked, “Father…”

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