Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 1002: Chapter 702: Unexpected Discovery_2

Here is the translation:

Qu Hong quickly reached a cooperation agreement with Yang Xiao, extending her hand to show him the ring while explaining, "This ring is no ordinary item. Only cadre-level members at the younger brother tier within the Black Wood Society are allowed to wear it. Within the organization, this person’s status is second only to the president and the wakatou, among only a few others. It’s considered a very high-ranking position."

"What’s the reason for a Black Wood Society cadre from Japan appearing here?" Even Qu Hong couldn’t understand this.

"The most likely scenario is that they concealed their Japanese identities and moved about covertly in this city, posing as Supernatural Group members capable of dealing with paranormal incidents. However, I suspect they have already run into trouble—a complete wipeout," Yang Xiao said.

"All dead?" Qu Hong was taken aback. "How do you know?"

Yang Xiao casually wiped a finger across the table, lifting up his now-dirty fingertip to show Qu Hong, "The dust on this table proves they haven’t been back in a long time. You also mentioned that this ring is extremely valuable. They wouldn’t have left it behind for no reason. To put it mildly, this item could expose their identities."

"How did they die? Did they get discovered and dealt with by your Patrol Defense Office?" Qu Hong boldly speculated.

"Impossible. If our Patrol Defense Office operatives had taken action, they would have traced everything back to this place, gathered all evidence, and erased any clues," Yang Xiao said, pausing briefly before adding, "Unless it was to set up a trap."

"There’s another critical reason: we’ve taken their place here, replacing their identities," Yang Xiao said while gesturing downward with his finger.

Qu Hong took a deep breath and nodded. Yes, this final reason was the most convincing to her. After all, in all previous missions, never had someone whose identity was replaced suddenly appeared alive and caused trouble for them.

"Mr. Chu, may I ask — how many missions have you completed thus far?" Qu Hong inquired softly.

"Six," Yang Xiao replied frankly. "And you?"

"Five."

Although Qu Hong was young, her experiences within the Nightmare World were substantial. Yang Xiao could infer that in the real world, Qu Hong likely wasn’t someone easy to deal with either. She must have lived a life balanced on the blade’s edge, frequently engaging in battles involving the Resentful Eye. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Qu Hong also began reassessing Yang Xiao’s abilities, realizing that despite his seemingly young age, he was quick-thinking, level-headed, and maintained a sense of composure in dangerous situations—a quality with a distinct leadership air. She had dealt with Patrol Defense Office personnel before, and someone like Yang Xiao was unlikely to be merely a squad leader.

Nonetheless, neither voiced their speculations out loud. Doing so would risk tarnishing the dynamics between them. At this moment, their focus needed to be on unity and collaboration, exhausting every possible means to escape this hellish place. This wasn’t the time for probing into each other’s backgrounds—it wasn’t like they were here on a date.

Clearly, they were both highly satisfied with each other. A strong and reliable ally was the greatest blessing in a nightmare scenario.

"Mr. Chu, our mission involves 12 participants, but 6 haven’t shown up yet. Do you have any leads?" Qu Hong asked.

"Not for now. But..." Yang Xiao pointed at the safe. "I think we can start by taking a look at that disc."

The disc revealed no visible markings or identifying features. A thorough inspection of the office turned up no equipment to play it. Just as Yang Xiao expressed regret that they might have to wait until the next day to find a player, Xi Huijun suddenly spoke up. "You... are you looking for a player?"

"What are you trying to say?" Yang Xiao turned to her.

Xi Huijun raised her hand and pointed toward the door leading to the employee quarters, whispering nervously, "There’s a small room all the way inside that has equipment. I... I found it by accident, but I don’t know if it works."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao immediately walked toward the employee quarters and opened the door. However, before stepping inside, it seemed he suddenly thought of something. Turning around, he beckoned to Xi Huijun, "Come on, you’re coming with us."

Yang Xiao wasn’t planning to use Xi Huijun as a scout. He simply didn’t want anyone left on their own. He worried that while he was searching, Xi Huijun might get replaced by a ghost—killed in the process—and by the time they returned, a new "Xi Huijun" might be sitting there waiting for them.

The small room’s light was broken, and Yang Xiao tried several times but couldn’t get it to work. They had only one flashlight between them, which Yang Xiao used to quickly locate an old playback device in the corner based on Xi Huijun’s directions. He also found a small black television set hidden in a nearby cardboard box.

They carried these items—along with some tangled wires—back to the spacious office and began assembling them. After a bit of adjustment, they were ready to start. Yang Xiao placed the disc into the player, and the three of them sat together on the sofa. After a few seconds, a distorted jumble of static appeared on the screen, accompanied by a faint crackling sound.

The scene was dim. The camera shook continuously, and it seemed to be recording a narrow space. A group of people was moving deeper into the darkness, apparently through a tunnel. Excluding the person holding the camera, there were at least three others up ahead.

These individuals progressed silently, carrying various pieces of equipment, clearly well-trained. Yang Xiao faintly heard sobbing noises, but the sound was intermittent, quiet, and mixed with background noise, making it difficult to discern.

After asking Qu Hong and Xi Huijun, they both confirmed that they also heard the sobbing. Only then did Yang Xiao feel relieved.

The sound of sobbing wasn’t terrifying if everyone could hear it. What would have been frightening was if he was the only one who could.

About two minutes later, a voice abruptly spoke amid the background noise. It was in Japanese. As a modern young man accustomed to learning new skills from the internet and watching films, Yang Xiao understood a bit of Japanese. The voice had said: "We’ve arrived."

The group stopped moving. With the camera still shaking, Yang Xiao realized they had reached a more spacious area, about the size of half a basketball court. At the same time, the woman’s sobbing became clearer. In the next instant, two individuals were shoved into the frame.

Yang Xiao frowned. The two were a man and a woman, both appearing quite young. The woman wore an old floral dress, while the man was dressed in a blue work uniform. Both had their hands tied behind their backs and were obviously restrained.

Off-screen, the voice of a man spoke again, but this time his words were too fast for Yang Xiao to understand.