Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Lu Yanzhou didn't flinch: "Then, will Juanjuan dislike it?"

He actually admitted it!

Lu Mingxuan was dumbfounded. Marriage truly changes a person—his uncle's image in his mind was becoming increasingly transformed.

Under the man's deeply affectionate gaze, Lin Juan's ears inexplicably felt warm: "It's… not too bad…"

Lu Mingxuan gradually grew accustomed to his uncle's evolving demeanor and urged, "Enough talk, let's hurry. Time's almost up."

"But," Lu Mingxuan propped his chin with one hand, "Uncle, your outfit…"

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Lu Yanzhou saw nothing amiss with his attire.

"It's too formal!" Lu Mingxuan smacked his palm. "Uncle, do you have something more casual?"

"It's fine, it's fine. Isn't this a comic con? With your uncle dressed like that, he might even be mistaken for cosplaying some novel character. Let's go, let's go."

Lin Juan's guess was spot on. As soon as the three of them entered the exhibition hall, girls in all sorts of beautiful costumes kept approaching, asking which characters they were cosplaying.

There was no denying that their group was exceptionally eye-catching. Lu Yanzhou, in his business suit, looked as if he were about to attend a corporate meeting at any moment. Lin Juan, with his exquisitely styled long hair, seemed to have stepped right out of a manga. Lu Mingxuan, a handsome college-aged man, also drew plenty of attention with his striking looks.

Lu Yanzhou was accustomed to being stared at and had long learned to ignore such gazes. Seeing Lin Juan's eager curiosity as he looked around, he occasionally pointed out novelties to him.

Between the two of them, an exclusive atmosphere formed, one that others couldn't penetrate.

Lu Mingxuan felt a bit disheartened.

His original intention was to have a good time with Lin Juan, but he hadn't expected his uncle to tag along and monopolize Lin Juan. Every time he turned to say something to Lin Juan, he saw the young man with smiling, crescent eyes chatting with his uncle.

It was Lin Juan's first time at a comic con, especially one of this scale. Influenced by the vibrant atmosphere, he grew increasingly excited.

When people get excited, they tend to talk more.

Especially when they have a highly cooperative companion by their side.

The convention featured a wide variety of IPs—from spontaneous cosplays to official ones, encompassing anime, games, and novels. There were cosplays of protagonists, side characters, mythical creatures, and all sorts of creative acts—a truly comprehensive display.

"If I'd known, we should've changed into costumes too," Lin Juan said, getting caught up in the excitement and feeling an urge to join in.

"I can have someone send outfits over," Lu Yanzhou offered unconditionally.

"I was just saying," Lin Juan turned around and saw Lu Mingxuan trailing behind them like a shadow. "Has the author you wanted an autograph from arrived yet?"

"Let me check," Lu Mingxuan, struggling with the pile of freebies he was carrying, fumbled for his phone.

Seeing his difficulty, Lin Juan reached out: "Give some to me and your uncle to hold."

Lu Mingxuan, unable to manage everything, handed over a portion and pulled out his phone to check: "They're in the east hall. The signing starts at 10:30. It's about time—shall we head over?"

"Let's go. We came mainly to accompany you to the signing event."

The signing area was packed with people. Lin Juan and Lu Yanzhou stood in line behind Lu Mingxuan, experiencing the rare feeling of chasing after a celebrity.

As the line slowly moved forward, the noise from all directions grew louder. Lin Juan tilted his head back slightly and asked, "Lu Yanzhou, do you find it too noisy?"

"A little," Lu Yanzhou admitted. His background meant he rarely found himself in such chaotic environments. Moreover, with his germaphobia, he would never have come to such a crowded place if not for Lin Juan.

"Sorry to put you through this," Lin Juan said, aware of his aversion to crowds.

When it got crowded, he had seen Lu Yanzhou frown multiple times. The man, who couldn't stand being touched by strangers, always protected him from being jostled in the crowd.

Lin Juan wanted to say that he didn’t need such protection—he wasn’t a porcelain doll, and a little pushing wouldn’t hurt him. But seeing the man’s slightly pursed lips and serious expression, he swallowed his words.

"It's fine," Lu Yanzhou replied, his hands full. Otherwise, he would have liked to stroke Lin Juan’s hair.

"Once Lu Mingxuan gets his autograph, let's find a quieter place to wait for him."

"There are still many areas we haven't seen. Don't worry about me." Lin Juan's thoughts were always written on his face, and Lu Yanzhou, familiar with him, could easily tell he was genuinely interested in the event.

Still, Lin Juan's consideration touched him.

The man's gaze grew even softer.

Two girls who had been watching them exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

They struck gold!

Who would've thought they'd stumble upon a real couple at a comic con!

They had been observing the trio for a while, especially the long-haired young man and the man behind him. From their subtle interactions, it was clear they were a couple.

No matter what the long-haired young man said, the man behind him listened attentively, the affection in his eyes plain to see.

Lin Juan noticed their gazes. Throughout the day, they had attracted plenty of attention, so he didn’t think much of it and didn’t bother looking back.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind them.

"Someone fainted!"

"Quick, make space! Call an ambulance!"

The crowd parted, clearing a large area. In the middle lay a girl.

A friend of hers stood anxiously nearby: "Xiao Ling!"

The girl remained motionless.

Lin Juan slightly furrowed his brow. He sensed a faint, strange vibe.

It lasted only a moment before vanishing.

Was it his imagination?

The event organizers had prepared for emergencies, and soon medics arrived with a stretcher to carry the girl away.

Things quickly returned to normal.

The line continued moving orderly, and soon it was Lu Mingxuan’s turn.

Lu Mingxuan was clearly excited. After getting his autograph, he exchanged a few words with the author before stepping aside.

Following the "while we're here" mentality, Lin Juan also asked for an autograph.

"Thank you for your support."

Lu Mingxuan's favorite author was a girl with long bangs, wearing black-framed glasses and a black mask that covered most of her face. While signing, a faint ink-green mark was visible on her exposed wrist.

An Zhimo was famous for writing horror novels, with her most renowned work being the recently serialized *Reverse Time*.

While waiting in line, Lin Juan heard people discussing the book's plot.

After getting the signature, Lin Juan moved aside, and Lu Yanzhou followed.

Perhaps because he was the first to leave the line without asking for a signature, An Zhimo couldn't resist asking, "Don't you want a signature, sir?"

"His copy is with me," Lin Juan said, waving the signed paper in his hand. "We don't want to keep the other fans waiting."

With that, Lin Juan took Lu Yanzhou by the wrist and left.

Friendly laughter followed them from behind.

The second floor of the exhibition hall had a designated rest area. Lin Juan didn't plan to keep looking around and let Lu Mingxuan explore on his own while he and Lu Yanzhou went to the second floor to rest.

Lu Mingxuan had long wanted to wander freely. Being with adults always felt restrictive. It was fine with just Lin Juan, but with Lu Yanzhou, an elder, around, Lu Mingxuan didn't even dare to seek out friends with similar interests.

Lin Juan noticed his discomfort and thought that since the kid rarely got out, he should let him have fun.

They chose a spot on the second floor with a good view, overlooking the entire first-floor exhibition hall.

Zhou Tiantian was an amateur cosplayer. Having just finished her college entrance exams, she learned that her favorite author would be holding a signing event in the capital. She traveled there with friends who shared her interests to attend the comic convention.

They had prepared for this event for a long time.

The night before the convention, the six of them gathered together.

"This convention is our first official event. Everyone must prepare well and not drop the ball!"

"We know!"

Zhou Tiantian returned to her room with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

To save money, the four girls shared a hotel room.

It was late, but Zhou Tiantian tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She sat up and saw that one of her friends was also awake.

"Tiantian, can't sleep either?"

"I'm a bit excited. What about you, Xiao Ling?"

"Me too. I'm so nervous about seeing An Zhimo in person tomorrow."

"Since we can't sleep, why don't we double-check our costumes?"

"Okay."

They got out of bed quietly and inspected their cosplay costumes.

They were planning to cosplay as the four main characters and two popular monster bosses from *Reverse Time*.

Xiao Ling was cosplaying a popular side character who ultimately died at the hands of a monster.

They had carefully checked the costumes and props before and after arriving, making sure everything was okay. This final check was just to calm their excitement.

Unexpectedly, the costume that was fine just moments before was now damaged.

Xiao Ling's costume was torn.

"How did it get so damaged?" Zhou Tiantian held up the outfit, stunned.

The costume had multiple holes and some unknown stains that looked like blood but had no smell of blood. Not only the costume but also the props for that character were tattered.

The outfit was too damaged to wear. Zhou Tiantian had to wake the others.

Xiao Ling was really upset.

She had saved up to buy the costume, and now it was ruined. Not only was the money wasted, but she also couldn't participate in the event she had been looking forward to for so long, which was even more disappointing.

Her friends understood how she felt. Seeing Xiao Ling so down, Zhou Tiantian impulsively blurted out, "Why don't you wear mine?"

"No," Xiao Ling refused, knowing that Zhou Tiantian had also saved up for her costume and treasured it. "Maybe it's because the character died tragically in the book, so I shouldn't cosplay them. Forget it."

"How can you think that way?"

"This could work! If Xiao Ling goes out like this, she'll definitely be the most unique one at the convention!"

Though heartbroken over her ruined gear, Xiao Ling didn't want to reject her friends' kindness and tried to sound cheerful. "Alright, let's go for a battle-damaged version!"

It was late, so after making new plans, they went back to bed.

Xiao Ling tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She kept wondering how her costume had been damaged.

During the inspection, she noticed that the damaged parts of the costume almost perfectly matched the description of the popular side character's death in the book.

To cosplay the character well, she had studied the character's background in detail and couldn't have mistaken it.

She had a bad feeling about this.

In the book, the character died at the hands of monsters living in time rifts. These monsters could appear at any point in time, leaving no trace. Was her ruined costume a sign of something?

With a heavy heart, Xiao Ling eventually fell asleep.

She found herself in a vast, silent, odorless, gray world.

Suddenly, cracks appeared all around, like a plastic bag being torn open from the outside. Sharp claws tore through the fissures, and monsters crawled out.

One, two, three...

Their eyes glowed red, as if they had spotted something delicious. Drool dripped from their open mouths.

Xiao Ling turned and ran.

But as she turned, she heard heavy breathing up ahead. Looking up, she saw a bigger monster lunging at her.

"Ahhhhh!!!!!"

No matter which direction she fled, monsters with sharp teeth were waiting for her.

Sharp teeth tore through her skin, ripping away large chunks of flesh.

Xiao Ling screamed in pain.

Chunks of her flesh were being torn away, and losing consciousness became the most beautiful luxury she could wish for.

*Would someone save her...?*

Early the next morning, after Zhou Tiantian got up and washed up, she noticed Xiao Ling still hadn't gotten up.

She walked over to the bedside. Xiao Ling’s eyes were tightly shut, her brows furrowed, and she was mumbling something indistinctly, even when Zhou Tiantian leaned in close.

"Xiao Ling, wake up," Zhou Tiantian said, giving her a gentle shake when there was no response. "It's time to get up."

Xiao Ling suddenly opened her eyes, the lingering fear in them not yet faded.

Xiao Ling instinctively reached out her hand, the memory of it being torn off still vivid in her mind. She touched herself in disbelief.

It was intact.

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Tiantian asked with concern.

Drenched in cold sweat, Xiao Ling let out a long sigh. "It’s nothing, just a really terrifying nightmare. Thank goodness you woke me up, or I would’ve thought I was going to die in that dream."

Die from the pain, or, after being devoured, die in despair.

Thankfully, it was just a dream.

Everything in the dream felt so real, as if her whole body was still aching. Xiao Ling clutched her racing heart, relieved it was only a nightmare.

"Don’t talk like that," Zhou Tiantian scolded lightly. "Quick, say 'pei, pei, pei' to ward off the bad luck."

Seeing her friend’s concern, Xiao Ling complied: "Pei, pei, pei."

The two girls exchanged a look and laughed together.

Xiao Ling went to wash up, but a moment later, Zhou Tiantian heard her cry out in alarm:

"Why are my clothes completely soaked?!"

Torn clothes could still be salvaged, but soaked ones? How could she wear them?

Zhou Tiantian rushed in and saw the drenched, crumpled clothes. She touched them and asked, "How did this happen?"

Others who heard the commotion came over and were shocked at the sight. "I was just here to get my clothes earlier, and I didn’t notice they were wet."

"Me neither."

Clothes don’t just get damaged or soaked for no reason. Yet everyone’s suitcases were separate and locked, and the outsides were dry. It seemed impossible for someone to have cut or wet the clothes from a distance.

Holding the wet clothes, Xiao Ling felt a chill creeping up from her feet. She forced a weak smile. "Forget it. Maybe it’s a sign that I shouldn’t cosplay as him. We’re running out of time—let’s just go."

In the end, Xiao Ling entered the exhibition hall wearing her everyday clothes.

Zhou Tiantian was uneasy about leaving her, but they had activities to attend and couldn’t keep an eye on her the whole time.

Xiao Ling used her ruined clothes and bad mood as an excuse to skip the activities, saying she would wait outside for them.

Zhou Tiantian and the others understood—if it were them, they wouldn’t be in the mood to participate either.

"Should I stay outside with you?" Zhou Tiantian had a feeling her friend wasn’t quite herself today.

Xiao Ling forced herself to perk up. "It’s fine. I’ll just sit for a bit. Make sure to take lots of photos inside—I want to see them."

Seeing her insistence, Zhou Tiantian reluctantly went ahead to join the activities.

With her friends gone, Xiao Ling sat alone on the floor by the wall, hugging her knees.

Despite the hot weather, she felt cold all over.

The temperature around her seemed to drop, and the sounds of the crowd faded away. It was as if she had returned to that vast, blank space.

She was trapped there again, with grotesque monsters crawling out from all directions, their greedy eyes fixed on her.

Her intact body throbbed with the phantom pain of being torn apart.

Why was she back here?!

Despair washed over Xiao Ling.

The monsters swarmed her. As she fell to the ground and was bitten, her last thought was: Will anyone wake me from this nightmare this time?

In the middle of the event, Zhou Tiantian heard shouts outside and her heart leaped. She sprinted out.

"Tiantian, where are you going?"

"I just remembered something. I need to step out for a bit. Don’t worry about me."

A crowd had gathered, and Zhou Tiantian heard someone yell, "Someone fainted!" She called out Xiao Ling’s name several times but got no response. A bad feeling gripped her.

"Excuse me, the person who fainted might be my friend. I need to check."

Zhou Tiantian pushed through the crowd and saw the familiar figure lying unconscious on the ground. "Xiao Ling!" she cried out anxiously.

Medical staff came over with a stretcher. Unable to leave her friend, Zhou Tiantian followed them.

She held her unconscious friend’s hand, calling her name over and over.

Finally, there was a response.

First, her fingers twitched, then her eyes slowly opened.

"Tiantian?"

"It’s me, it’s me. Are you okay? What happened? Why did you faint?"

"I don’t know." Xiao Ling’s mind was foggy. She remembered something terrible happening, a dull ache spreading through her body, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall the details.

Xiao Ling seemed normal after waking up. She declined the suggestion to go to the hospital and returned to the exhibition hall with Zhou Tiantian.

Zhou Tiantian refused to leave her alone and insisted on bringing her to the activity area. Unable to argue, Xiao Ling reluctantly followed.

The activity area was still bustling. Zhou Tiantian introduced her to several new friends.

Xiao Ling kept feeling pains throughout her body and would occasionally touch herself. Zhou Tiantian noticed and pulled up her sleeve. "Xiao Ling, what’s wrong with your arm?!"

The girl’s arm was covered in winding, dark red lines that looked like bloodstains, almost completely covering it.

Xiao Ling stared at her arm, momentarily dazed.

These marks... look like something ripped them open...

As these thoughts crossed her mind, the dark red lines gradually turned bright red, and beads of blood began to seep out from them.

Zhou Tiantian watched helplessly as Xiao Ling's arm was torn apart by an invisible force, scattering chunks of flesh everywhere.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Caught off guard, Zhou Tiantian let out a terrified scream.

Xiao Ling raised her arm, watching as the flesh exploded, blood pooling on the ground, revealing the stark white bone beneath. She seemed oblivious to the pain, giggling mindlessly.

The screams drew more attention, and as others witnessed the horrifying scene, they too lost control, screaming in terror.

"My arm!"

"Your neck!"

Amid the chaos of screams, someone noticed that they, or others around them, were beginning to show the same symptoms as the girl.

"Riiip!"

A sound like ripping cloth echoed, and to their horror, the empty air was being slashed open, one gash after another. Sharp claw tips emerged from the tears, gradually tearing the openings wider.

Then, a claw with razor-sharp nails stretched out from one of the fissures.

The tear was ripped even wider.

Without a second thought, Zhou Tiantian grabbed Xiao Ling's other arm and desperately pulled her toward the opposite side of the rift.

But after just a few steps, she came to an abrupt halt.

Not far ahead of her, another rift was slowly forming.

"That's the monster 'Wenjian' from *Reverse Time*!"

The exclamation jolted everyone awake. The people in this area were all die-hard fans of *Reverse Time* and were very familiar with the monsters in the story. No one had made the connection earlier, but now, with the reminder, everyone realized that the creatures crawling out of the void were indeed the monsters known as "Wenjian" from the book!

"Wenjian" lived in the cracks of time and space, coming and going without a trace. They could manifest anywhere at will, making them one of the most formidable monsters in the story.

They existed in huge numbers, always emerging in hordes, and would only retreat back into the temporal rifts after devouring every living being in the area.

Knowing what they were up against, a wave of despair washed over everyone.

Because aside from feasting on human flesh, these monsters also fed on the intense emotions born from extreme fear.

The latter was a particularly special treat for them.

Would they, too, endure unimaginable suffering before meeting a hopeless end?

The thought of the scenes described in the book was enough to send chills down their spines. Even before anything happened, those with weaker constitutions were already losing it.

The descriptions of "Wenjian's" hunting scenes in the book were so vivid that merely reading the words could make one's blood run cold. Now, faced with the reality of it, the terror was overwhelming.

Whether it was their imagination or not, the monsters seemed to be coming out faster.

The first monster fully emerged.

"Wenjian" resembled a crocodile but with a sharper snout, its body covered in scales, and claws bearing longer, sharper nails—like sharpened blades capable of slicing through human flesh with ease.

Lu Mingxuan was also in the area.

With the monster right in front of him, Lu Mingxuan grabbed the person next to him and rolled aside, narrowly avoiding its sharp claws.

The once joyful comic convention had instantly turned into a screaming, chaotic hellscape.

The monsters emerging from the void were massive; even the smallest stood waist-high. Their size did not hinder their hunting speed—on the contrary, their smaller stature made them faster and more agile.

Lu Mingxuan dodged and weaved, but human speed was no match for the monsters. His arms and back were slashed deeply, dark red blood streaming down his clothes as his vision began to blur.

According to the book's lore, the claws of "Wenjian" were highly poisonous.

Am I going to die here?

It seemed the saying "ignore your elders and pay the price" was true. He should have listened to his grandfather and stayed in Lu Manor, never leaving.

The monster opened its jaws, revealing glinting, sharp teeth, and lunged at him.

There was nowhere left to hide.

Lu Mingxuan clenched his teeth. Being bitten to death was not a good way to go.

No, he couldn't give up!

Focusing intensely, Lu Mingxuan gathered his strength. He hadn't slacked off in his training lately, and he had even managed to kick away a smaller monster earlier, saving a fellow convention-goer.

This monster was much larger than the previous one, standing at least two meters tall. Lu Mingxuan knew his chances were slim, but he refused to wait for death.

If only he had a weapon...

If only he had a weapon!!!

A brilliant light erupted from his body, throwing the lunging monster backward. As the glow faded, Lu Mingxuan found himself holding a massive wooden scythe.

As if infused with boundless strength, Lu Mingxuan leaped up from the ground and swung the scythe, cutting down the monster in front of him.

The monster was sliced in half, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

In that moment, Lu Mingxuan's mind was empty except for one thought: kill these monsters!

After taking out the one before him, he charged toward other areas.

Zhou Tiantian had fallen to the ground, trapped and awaiting certain death, when a scythe descended from above, slaying the monster looming over her.

Gasping for air, she tried to thank her savior, but he had already moved on, cutting down monsters and rescuing one person after another from the brink of death.

As if sensing the threat he posed, the monsters in other areas began to thin out, swarming instead toward Lu Mingxuan. Already injured and overexerting his newly awakened superpower, Lu Mingxuan was pushed to his limits. A moment of carelessness led to a powerful claw slamming into him, throwing him heavily to the ground.

Those he had saved rushed to his aid.

"Stay back!" Lu Mingxuan shouted, using every ounce of strength to stand up.

He knew he was at his breaking point. He had already sent a message to his uncle, who would arrive soon. But until then, even if it cost him his life, he would take these monsters down with him.

Lu Mingxuan thought he would be afraid, consumed by fear, but instead, he felt a surge of fighting spirit, his resolve firm. The moment his superpower awakened, he understood the responsibility of being a superpower holder.

He would hold the line until the very end!

No matter the cost!

With his superpower flaring, Lu Mingxuan fought with all his might, charging forward.

Then, he was grabbed and pulled down from mid-air.

"BOOM!!!"

Several monsters were sent flying after being struck by one that was hurled sideways.

The monsters surrounding Lu Mingxuan were cleared out by a long-haired young man who had suddenly arrived.

"You've done well," Lin Juan placed him on the ground. "Now, the adults will handle it from here."