Girl Doesn’t Die in Fairytale Town: Chapter 13 – “Pale”
As the melodious, slightly hesitant voice sounded, Hua Qiling froze.
“How could this be…?”
She hadn’t expected to encounter “Pale” the moment she entered Ghost Town.
And now she was alone in the enemy’s territory!
It was like being in a dungeon raid, before even having a chance to learn the mechanics, the strongest boss suddenly appeared right in front of her.
Meeting “Pale” wasn’t part of Hua Qiling’s initial exploration plan for Ghost Town.
The first phase of the investigation plan was simply to gather more information about Ghost Town.
Indeed, Hua Qiling had intended to confront “Pale” eventually, but she hadn’t planned on rushing to her death…
The plan was to proceed step by step. No one wanted to run straight into the boss’s face.
The people at the Bureau quickly realized that the worst-case scenario had occurred.
“Stay calm, Hua Qiling,” Li Ping’s voice was urgent. “Maintain vigilance, don’t show any aggression, and approach with caution!
“To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, we’re cutting off communication now. You’ll have to act according to the situation!”
Although Li Ping was worried about Hua Qiling’s safety, it was better to let her face the danger than to let “Pale” discover the external communication, lest the situation worsen further.
Faced with this undesirable situation, they could only take it one step at a time.
The earpiece fell silent; the communication had been cut off.
Now, Hua Qiling was truly alone in this terrifying disaster zone, facing the supposed boss of the area.
“Hello.”
Hua Qiling took a deep breath, suppressing her apprehension, and turned to Luo Yan, offering the most amiable smile she could muster.
“Oh,” Luo Yan said, slightly nervous. “Sorry… Did I disturb you?”
She had regretted speaking the moment she greeted the stranger. The woman was carrying weapons; what if she was dangerous?
So, when Hua Qiling actually responded, and in such a friendly manner, Luo Yan was caught off guard.
“No.” Hua Qiling used “Eagle Eye” to subtly observe Luo Yan, her gentle expression unchanged. “Is there something I can help you with?”
—Unexpected.
Facing the silver-haired girl who had troubled her for so long, Hua Qiling suddenly realized that something seemed… off about her.
No… it should be said that “Pale” was normal, very normal.
Apart from her inhumanly beautiful features, “Pale” looked no different from any ordinary girl in Yan City.
However, this normalcy, appearing in the “Ruin” level disaster area “Ghost Town,” was the most abnormal thing.
When Hua Qiling turned around, Luo Yan noticed the white cloth covering her eyes and let out a small gasp. “Ah, Miss, your eyes…”
“Just an old injury, nothing to worry about.”
Hua Qiling said calmly. After the initial panic, she had gradually regained her composure.
“Is that so? Okay…”
A flicker of pity crossed Luo Yan’s heart. She already struggled with her limited vision; this woman couldn’t see anything at all…
This thought quickly passed, and she politely curtsied, a servant’s curtsy.
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Luo Yan. I’m a helper at Mrs. Natalie’s manor. Welcome to our town.”
Seeing this, Hua Qiling’s eyes sharpened.
“That’s… a Western Continent style curtsy…”
There were many mega-cities in the world, each with its unique customs.
Some of these customs originated from the Old Era. The curtsy Luo Yan performed was one such custom, a remnant of the Western Continent.
However… “Luo Yan” sounded more like a name from the Eastern Continent.
Perhaps from these fragmented pieces of information, she could uncover the true nature of Ghost Town.
Hua Qiling noted the name and nodded. “My name is Hua Qiling.”
“That’s a beautiful name,” Luo Yan said with a smile. “It’s nothing, really. I just rarely see visitors from outside, so I was a little curious… Miss Hua Qiling, where are you from?”
Seeing a clear figure again, and just like Ling Qi, a newcomer to the town, Luo Yan couldn’t contain her curiosity.
Luo Yan felt that the town was good, her life was good, but she was also interested in the outside world.
Coupled with the recent string of strange events, Luo Yan had a desire to find answers.
Furthermore, perhaps she could find some answers regarding her strange illness from these inexplicably clear outsiders.
“Somewhere… a very distant place,” Hua Qiling replied vaguely.
Relatively speaking, Ghost Town was currently adjacent to Yan City, but considering the need to cross between reality and illusion, it wasn’t wrong to say it was far away.
However, this was the first time Hua Qiling had clearly heard “Pale’s” voice. It was quite pleasant, she had to admit.
The listening devices they had sent in before had been affected by strong energy fluctuations, making it almost impossible to discern the original voice. They could only barely make out a few words from the chaotic noise.
“The same answer as Ling Qi.”
Luo Yan murmured softly and then saw Hua Qiling’s visibly startled expression. She quickly explained,
“Ling Qi is a friend of mine… Do you know her, Miss Hua Qiling? She also came to town not long ago.”
How could I not know her…
Hua Qiling was shocked to hear the name “Ling Qi” from Luo Yan’s mouth. She still remembered the scene on the surveillance screen where Luo Yan had lightly touched Ling Qi’s body, causing her to vanish.
Suddenly, Hua Qiling felt a chill run down her spine.
“No, I don’t know her,” Hua Qiling forced her expression to remain calm and asked, “But, coming from outside… can people live in this town?”
Being in the town personally, the feeling was much stronger than through the screen.
Everything in the town bore the marks of time, as if it had been abandoned for centuries. It didn’t look habitable at all.
Or rather, what lived here probably wasn’t human.
And, Ling Qi had clearly…
“Of course, Ling Qi is very comfortable living in town,” Luo Yan seemed happy. “Miss Hua Qiling, do you want to live in town too? Everyone would welcome you.”
This seemingly mature, blind woman spoke gently, and Luo Yan had a good first impression of her.
If she was willing to stay in town, it would be nice.
“Live in town?” Hua Qiling suddenly recalled the black flowers blooming everywhere, shuddered involuntarily, and quickly shook her head. “No, no, I think I’ll pass.”
“…Okay.”
Luo Yan’s excitement was immediately extinguished, a look of disappointment flashing across her face.
Seeing her disappointed expression, Hua Qiling inexplicably felt an urge to agree, but she quickly suppressed this terrifying impulse.
Luo Yan’s disappointment didn’t last long. She looked up at the sky, then slapped her forehead.
“Oh dear, it’s getting late. Little Tini will be waking up for dinner soon. I have to hurry back…”
Luo Yan looked apologetically at Hua Qiling and said,
“It was a pleasure chatting with you, Miss Hua Qiling, but I’m sorry…”
Although Luo Yan wanted to chat with Hua Qiling longer, if she seemed trustworthy, Luo Yan would have shared her situation with her, hoping to find a solution.
Unfortunately, the current situation didn’t allow it. If she went back any later, little Tini would be in tears.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Hua Qiling quickly waved her hand.
She was eager for Luo Yan to leave so she could continue investigating this strange town.
Of course, while chatting with Luo Yan, Hua Qiling had also been secretly memorizing every word she said.
Clearly, in Luo Yan’s perception, there were other residents in the town.
But… were there really residents here?
Their target, Ling Qi, a member of the Dawn organization, was recorded as deceased in the Anomaly Management Bureau’s archives.
Hua Qiling had even witnessed her demise on the surveillance screen, the culprit being the lovely silver-haired girl before her.
But, according to Luo Yan, Ling Qi was still alive and well in this town.
Not only that, but in this conversation, the town Luo Yan described was prosperous and peaceful.
…Not at all like the desolate ruins she saw.
Just then, Hua Qiling felt a chill run down her spine.
Despite the emptiness of the town, at this moment, it felt as if countless eyes were coldly watching her.
“Miss Luo Yan,” Hua Qiling swallowed hard and whispered, “Can… can I go with you?”
“Huh?”
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