Chapter 145

At nine in the evening, Han City.

Absolute silence.

This was not normal. As a tourist city, at this hour in the past, travelers would be strolling down the streets. Especially at this time of year, graceful figures in floral dresses would laugh in groups, complementing the lush flowers and plants in the roadside greenery. Perfume mingled with the scent of blossoms, interwoven with the aroma of street food, making one unconsciously sink into the pleasures of the world.

But at this moment, there was not a single extra sound on the entire street. Calling it absolute silence would be more accurate than saying the street was as dead as a graveyard.

Unfounded terror, tension, and horror pervaded the streets.

Ping'an Restaurant.

The glass door was shattered into pieces on the ground. The parrot that would squawk "Welcome!" whenever someone entered had been torn apart, its beak separated from its head and body, feathers and blood scattered across the floor.

In the restaurant's kitchen, three girls who were clearly tourists huddled beside a half-height refrigerator. They covered their mouths with both hands, tears streaming down in large drops, their chests heaving violently, yet they dared not make a sound.

Beside them, leaning against the prep table, were the proprietress and two underage kids who were clearly relatives helping out. Across from them were a couple.

Everyone was frozen as if a pause button had been pressed, not daring to move an inch.

"Jingle—" At that moment, a phone charm chain hanging from a tourist's neck made a faint sound as she trembled.

"Whimper—" She let out a frightened sob, but thankfully, her friend beside her immediately reached out and grabbed the charm, stopping its sway.

A stir rippled through the kitchen; everyone panicked at the sudden noise. Someone glared angrily at the girl, and she could only press her hand even harder over her mouth, tears and snot pouring out uncontrollably.

After a moment, the boss peeked outside, then waved at everyone to signal there was no danger.

She raised her hand, made a '8' shape, and held it to her ear to mimic a phone, then pointed outside. Everyone quickly understood her meaning—the proprietress's phone was outside.

One of the girls raised her hand.

She opened her memo app and typed a line: "Do you know what's going on?" Then she zoomed in and held it up.

Everyone shook their heads.

The proprietress gestured for the phone. Once it was passed over with the utmost care, she saw the zero-signal icon in the top right corner and felt a chill in her heart. Still, she composed a message to the police and hit send, but the signal icon spun endlessly without result, as if telling her the act was futile.

The proprietress thought for a moment and typed: "No signal here, but the bar outside has a landline!"

A landline, which uses analog electrical signals for communication. Simply put, as long as the line wasn't cut, information could get out.

The others with phones slowly pulled them out, checked the signal, and finding none as expected, mimicked the others and typed on their phones—

"The person at the next table... got pounced on. I saw his arm get torn off! What the hell is happening here? Is he still alive? Should we go help him?"

"He's probably dead. Forget it. If he were alive, he'd have made a sound by now and attracted the monsters."

"So... what's going on here? Has something like this ever happened before?" A tourist typed to ask the proprietress.

The proprietress was baffled. Dear heavens, if something like this had ever happened in Han City before, she'd have been dead long ago. How else could Han City have been named a tourist city?!

Seeing the proprietress shake her head, another tourist caught on: "It's got nothing to do with Han City! Do you guys remember the announcement the government put out early this morning?"

At her words, everyone recalled it and was immediately filled with regret. Everyone present was either a young tourist who didn't fear trouble, or a business owner trying to make more money. Since the government hadn't come knocking door to door, they'd just continued business as usual, going out to shop and eat... Who could have known?

But this also gave everyone a glimmer of hope—at least the government was reliable. They had to call the authorities for help! They needed to get to the landline outside.

After more discussion, they pooled some thoughts.

When the monster had burst into the store earlier, a few of the girls and the people at the next table had hidden under the tables. The girls had escaped, but the next table hadn't—most likely because someone's phone rang, sealing that whole table's fate.

"Everyone, take off anything that makes sound! We don't want to attract those monsters!"

"Silence your phones too. Check if you have any alarms set!"

The girl in the middle of the three typed two more messages, then was the first to take off her shoes, carefully removing everything on her hands, neck, and waist that could make noise. She wrapped them in her coat before setting them aside.

The others followed her lead, mimicking her as they stripped off the miscellaneous items on them.

But just removing a few trinkets to avoid making noise already had everyone drenched in sweat.

It couldn't be that serious... The man from the couple sitting by the door grumbled inwardly as he watched everyone obediently comply. This was like a real-life version of Silent Hill, not daring to make a single sound.

Because he was a bit miffed at that girl for taking charge, when everyone discussed who should go out and bring the phone in, and their gazes unconsciously fell on the only man present, he stayed silent—

Whoever came up with the idea should do it themselves. Since she was the one saying they needed to sneak out and get the phone, it wasn't his job.

"I'll go." Suspecting she was being morally coercive, the middle girl of the three stood up. Her two companions stood up with her. The proprietress pointed outside and said in a hushed, whispered tone, "I'll guide the way." She turned and made a 'shush' gesture at her two nephews, who, though fifteen and terrified, nodded to show they understood.

The group tiptoed out of the kitchen quickly.

The couple left behind in the kitchen—the girl looked at her boyfriend with a hint of doubt in her eyes. She didn't want her boyfriend to go out and risk his life either, but hiding behind others like this, dragging her along with him, felt a bit too...

She thought, too unreliable.

"Don't worry," the man noticed his girlfriend's gaze and turned his head, whispering in a breathy voice, "I'll protect you."

The warm, reassuring breath brushed against her face. At his words, the girl immediately filled in the rest—he wasn't afraid to take risks; he was just prioritizing her safety. She nodded, touched, and let go of the doubt she'd just had.

The dining area was in shambles. Tables were overturned. People who had been alive just moments ago now lay scattered on the floor in gruesome pieces.

Everyone's hands and feet were shaking as they finally followed the proprietress to the front counter, just about to pick up the phone.

Then—"Riiing~ Riiing~"—the sound came, like a death knell, suddenly ringing out from the middle of the restaurant.

The ringtone was vaguely familiar, like the ringtone of the man who had just died horribly.

"His alarm!" the girl gasped in terror. She was about to lunge forward to shut off the damn alarm on the phone on the floor when she felt a hand grab her, yanking her hard toward the counter.

She stumbled and, along with the others, tumbled behind the counter.

A second before she fell, she vaguely saw a huge shadow appear at the entrance of Ping'an Restaurant.

That was fast! If she'd gone to shut off the alarm just now, she'd be dead by now!

A wave of after-fear surged through her. The girl turned her head to look at the proprietress, who had grabbed her arm and saved her life. The proprietress made a 'shush' gesture at her. The girl nodded at her gratefully.

Meanwhile, a few "crack crack" sounds rang out, and the ringing abruptly stopped—the phone seemed to have been crushed.

But the monster didn't leave. The girls, with eyes squeezed shut and hands clamped over their mouths, heard faint, tiptoeing footsteps pacing around the restaurant.

A deathly silence settled, turning this into a game of endurance—who would be the first to make a sound.

Hold on... The girls' palms, clamped over their mouths, were slick with sweat.

Could it hear their heartbeats? Never once had anyone felt their own heartbeat was so thunderous.

After what felt like an eternity, a soft gasp suddenly came from the kitchen, followed by a loud clang of metal and a scream. Everyone's eyes flew open, and they caught a glimpse of a shadow darting toward the kitchen.

In just a few seconds, a bloodcurdling scream erupted.

The proprietress steeled herself, seized the moment, grabbed the phone, and dialed the police.

"Beep beep beep—" Hurry!

A moment later, the scream cut off abruptly. The proprietress had barely gotten the words "Help me" out when a cold automated voice came through the receiver.

She slammed the phone down in despair, then ripped out the cord and hurled the whole thing toward the door.

The moment it crashed, a huge shadow burst out from the kitchen and charged toward the entrance.

After a long while, once the monster had finally moved away, the girls returned to the kitchen.

Fortunately, the proprietress's two nephews, relying on their small size, had cleverly hidden inside a cabinet and not made a sound, escaping harm.

"What happened?" she asked as she looked at the mess, pulling her nephews into her arms to soothe them.

One nephew typed: "He was so scared. He abandoned that sister and tried to squeeze into the fridge, but his watch hit the fridge and made a noise. It attracted the monster. Then we didn't dare look anymore."

Everyone's gaze shifted to the refrigerator. The boy was half inside it, his other half torn off and tossed aside, dying with his eyes wide open. They then looked at where the girl had been sitting. Her head was separated from her neck, her long hair soaking in the dishwashing sink.

The rest could be easily inferred—the man had acted recklessly, the woman hadn't been smart, and both had died.

Never before, not for a single moment, had they felt human life was so fragile. The immense terror and pressure made their heads buzz.

"It's over, it's all over..." The proprietress slumped to the floor, recalling the words she'd just heard—"We're sorry, the call you are trying to make cannot be completed." Despair sent tears streaming unbidden down her cheeks.

.

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, Lin Tu, in the middle of her call with Zhou Yi, felt her phone vibrate.

She opened it and saw a notification from [Infinite Calamity]—

[Dear player, we've detected that you are already within a disaster world. We are now issuing you the invitation for this disaster.]

[Calamity from the Heavens

Rating: A-level (Player's overall stats below standard; survival probability 49.999%)

Disaster: The Silent Land

Summary: A thick fog is gradually enveloping Han City. No one knows how it appeared, no one knows where it came from. People only know it's spreading, and at the center of the disaster, the monsters are starting a game of catch-and-kill. "Shh!" Don't make a sound—it's coming!

Main Quest: Survive for three months!

Side Quest: Kill monsters (A-level world: 7 points per monster. Reaching a certain number of kills unlocks a random reward.)]

[Player "Lin Tu" will be loading into the novice disaster world in three minutes.]

[Countdown: 2:59...2:58...]

Lin Tu: "..." So this was it—she was just sitting at home, and trouble fell from the sky?

"I'll talk to you later." Lin Tu hung up quickly and began preparing what she needed for the disaster.

First thing to prepare, naturally, was a map of Han City.

It was rare to be a local in a disaster world, and of course she'd use that as an advantage. Lin Tu directly connected the Butler to her computer and had it download the entire satellite map of Han City for reference.

With the map ready, Lin Tu next considered her drop point.

She could spend 150 points on a [Travel] to place herself precisely at a location.

The best spot would be near the military, so Lin Tu could... hitch a ride on the nation's coattails, she thought with satisfaction.

After all, she was the one who'd sent up that [World Map (Disaster Version)] item. From what Zhou Yi had just said, it wasn't hard to deduce that the government had already taken some action. It wasn't too much to catch a ride while she was at it.

Lin Tu's eyes scanned the map and found something terrible—Han City had no military district.

She took a deep breath and set her sights on the police headquarters. Then she noticed... the police headquarters was in the suburbs.

In recent years, Han City had been heavily developing its tourism industry, so the city's layout had changed from decades ago, pushing the police station, once near the city center, to a remote location.

Lin Tu thought about calling Zhou Yi back to ask, but time was clearly running short.

In the end, she chose a police substation near the city center. There were quite a few buildings around it, and on a quick glance, she spotted a restaurant called "Ping'an Restaurant" with a guesthouse on the second floor, which would allow her room to slot right in.

Last but not least, she needed to ensure she could still contact Zhou Yi once she entered the disaster.

Lin Tu quickly consulted the Butler. Most items didn't allow communication between those inside and outside a disaster, but Lin Tu was different—she had Anju. She could spend points to send Zhou Yi an invitation to visit her home. When time was up, Zhou Yi would automatically return and leave the disaster.

With her location set, Lin Tu lay down on the bed. In the last few seconds, she sent Zhou Yi a message telling her not to refuse the invitation.

Lin Tu closed her eyes. A moment later, the world spun, and when she opened them again, all around her was silence.

Lin Tu scrambled to her feet and went to the window. Outside, the street was in ruins, with human corpses scattered everywhere. Many of the streetlights were smashed, and vague shadows about two meters tall were wandering the street. With Lin Tu's eyesight, it wasn't hard to make out their forms.

Humanoid—specifically, bipedal animals with hands. They were agile, with visibly massive muscles. Countless tendrils grew from those muscles, swaying and waving in the air, as if quietly sensing the vibrations of sound.

Their heads were like water droplets, with their feeding organ at the front—a long proboscis. On either side were their ears, tendrils that drifted outward like jellyfish.

Lin Tu noticed their skin had a cold metallic sheen. She flicked her blade, frowning. This would be a bit tricky.

But "tricky" only meant hard to kill. With her upgraded [Lighthouse], as long as she didn't deliberately court death, she should be able to survive.

After a moment's thought, Lin Tu decided to stick to the original plan: get Zhou Yi over first, have her carry the disaster's information out, then regroup with the government.

She couldn't actually stay here for three months. Six days from now was when she and Guan Suiyue were set to enter a disaster together, so she had to try everything in her power to find a way out of this one.

"Alright, purchase the advanced function [Guest Room], then..." The Butler directed the operations.

Soon, outside the disaster, Zhou Yi received the invitation.

She sent a message to the government liaison she was working with, and the response came back shocked—

"You can go in, scout out information, relay it back, and then come out safe and sound?"

Zhou Yi: "I should be able to come out safe and sound." She figured her best friend could probably guarantee her safety at least enough to not die on arrival...

The liaison: Red... wasn't that the color of no survivors?

But he didn't question Zhou Yi, since she was the one who'd handed over the item.

"I have to decide whether to accept within an hour. Can you tell me what you need as soon as possible?"

"No problem!"

The liaison sprinted off with the information toward the temporary command center.

Pan City, situated between Han City and Mulberry City, was where the chief commander announced the establishment of an emergency command center to respond to the Han City crisis.

At that moment, the command center was discussing what exactly was happening inside Han City.

"There are approximately 130,000 people right in the heart of the fog, and it's still expanding outward. The expansion range matches the map exactly. If it goes as the map indicates, then a million people will be swallowed up."

"We've sent drones in to try to gather intel, but we've got nothing. The drones lose contact the moment they enter. We also sent in a squad of police dogs to scout, but it's certain there's no signal in there, and it's very easy to get lost. This fog is highly unusual."

"We can't make contact with anyone inside. Phone lines don't go through, and the network is dead. But the police have received many calls from inside Han City, all just static. A few got through with actual words, but the calls cut off quickly, like they were forcibly terminated."

"..."

It was as if the entirety of Han City had been suddenly sealed off by some mysterious force.

Everyone sat grimly in their seats, their hearts racing with anxiety.

"I've got something!" At that moment, the liaison burst in.