vncnus Chapter 18 Ju-on 4
Chapter 18 Ju-on 4
With the Buddhist scriptures in hand, everyone felt somewhat reassured, but no one dared to lower their guard. Chu Xuan quickly devised a plan for using the scriptures: Wang Lin, Zhan Lan, and himself, who had relatively strong mental power, would take turns reciting them, each for one hour, to maximize endurance and prevent excessive consumption of the reciters' mental energy. The purification field of the scriptures could cover the entire stronghold and a small surrounding area, sufficient to resist most of the indiscriminate erosion of resentment and mental oppression.
The second wave of attacks (range-based mental oppression and physical invasion) was effectively contained by the continued chanting of Buddhist scriptures, but it did not completely stop. Dark red water stains still seeped from the walls from time to time, and strange noises still emanated from the shadows in the corners, but their intensity was greatly reduced, no longer capable of causing substantial mental breakdown or physical damage to the group. It seemed more like the curse was continuously consuming the energy of the Buddhist scriptures, or searching for weaknesses in the purification field.
"According to the intelligence provided by Wang Lin, the third wave of attacks is likely an illusion attack, targeting the things that occupies an individual's deepest fears," Chu Xuan analyzed during a break. "The purification field of Buddhist scriptures can weaken its intensity, but it cannot completely block it. Everyone must be mentally prepared, hold fast to their true nature, and remember that everything they see is illusory. If a companion is found to be in a hallucination, immediately approach the Buddhist scripture reciter, or loudly chant Buddhist mantras or purification mantras. If that doesn't work, physically awaken them—but control the intensity."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light in the room suddenly began to distort and change.
Suddenly, Zhan Lan before Zheng Zha transformed into Kayako's pale, swollen face, lunging at him with a sinister grin! He instinctively raised his fist, but Chu Xuan's warning and Wang Lin's chanting of scriptures flashed through his mind. He abruptly stopped himself, closed his eyes, and roared, "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing!" This was a nine-character mantra he'd learned from a movie; he didn't know if it would work, but shouting it did lessen his palpitations. When he opened his eyes again, "Kayako" had vanished, and Zhan Lan was looking at him with worry.
Zhan Lan found herself back in the alley where she was bullied by her classmates during her childhood, and fear welled up in her heart. But the silver lines on her forehead lit up, her mental shield activated on its own, and Wang Lin's steady recitation acted like a stabilizing force, pulling her back to reality from her memories.
Zero's mind conjured up the image of his most painful assassination attempt, the target's dying gaze. He remained expressionless, only his fingers twitching slightly. He suppressed his trembling and focused his attention on the crosshairs of his sniper scope, as if the illusion had never existed.
Ba Wang and Li Shuaixi experienced less of the hallucination impact, but they each went through terrifying scenes and survived thanks to their strong nerves and the protection of Buddhist scriptures.
The newcomers weren't so lucky. The blond-haired youth suddenly screamed, flailing his arms and legs as if being torn apart by countless unseen forces. Finally, he grabbed his own neck, his face turning purple. Zheng Zha rushed over to pull him away, but was repelled by an invisible force. Wang Lin immediately increased the volume of his chanting, and Buddhist light enveloped the blond-haired youth. He struggled a few times before collapsing to the ground, unconscious, but his life was not in danger. The other two newcomers also experienced a moment of mental confusion, foaming at the mouth, but under the protection of the Buddhist scriptures, their lives were not in danger.
Zhang Jie... He sat in the corner, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes glazed over for a moment before clearing up, but a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. No one knew what he had seen in his hallucination.
Chu Xuan remained completely unaffected. He simply adjusted his glasses and calmly took notes: "Illusion attack, moderate intensity, highly targeted. The Buddhist scripture purification field can weaken its direct impact, but cannot prevent it from inducing inner fear. The higher one's mental strength and the stronger one's will, the better the resistance. Newcomers have weak willpower and require special attention for protection."
The third wave of attacks was weathered without major incident thanks to the protection of Buddhist scriptures and the resistance of individual will. However, everyone felt a deep sense of exhaustion, not only physically but also mentally from the constant tension.
After a brief respite, the fourth wave of attacks followed.
This time, it wasn't a matter of area-of-effect attacks or psychological assaults. Suddenly, a heavy, wet thud resounded from the base's gate.
boom! boom! boom!
Each strike seemed to resonate deep within everyone's hearts. On the wooden door, wet handprints began to appear, densely packed, "imprinted" in from outside! At the same time, water began to seep from the ceiling, not the previous dark red, but murky black water mixed with hair and grime, emitting a strong stench of decay.
"A physical attack combined with the invasion of the curse." Chu Xuan's voice remained calm. "The Buddhist scripture purification field will have a reduced effect in blocking physical curses. Prepare for melee combat, prioritizing attacks with energy or exorcising properties. Be careful not to let the black water or handprints come into direct contact with your skin!"
Before the words were even finished, the door burst open! Not smashed open, but as if torn open from the inside by countless invisible hands! A twisted, soaking wet woman's figure, her joints bent backwards, crawled into the house like a spider! It was Kayako!
She raised her head, her long hair obscuring her face, revealing only one eye filled with resentment, staring intently at Wang Lin, who was reciting Buddhist scriptures—or more precisely, the scriptures in his hand!
"Roar—!" A non-human roar burst from her throat, filled with extreme resentment and longing. Using all four limbs, she moved with astonishing speed, ignoring Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie who were blocking her way, and charged straight at Wang Lin!
"Stop her!" Zheng Zha roared, his vampire energy and inner strength erupting simultaneously. His fists glowed with red and white light as he slammed them hard into Kayako's back! Zhang Jie's short blade also pierced her neck like a venomous snake.
However, when their attacks landed on Kayako, it was as if they were hitting slippery, tough rubber. Most of the force was deflected, causing her to sway slightly and black liquid to splash everywhere. Kayako didn't even turn around; with a backhand swing, a huge, icy force swept Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie away!
At midnight, the trigger was pulled, and the Evil-Slaying Bullet struck Kayako's shoulder, exploding into a cloud of black energy. Kayako let out a painful howl, slowing her speed slightly, but she still pounced on Wang Lin madly!
Wang Lin's heart was pounding like a drum, but he forced himself to keep his voice steady as he recited the Buddhist scriptures, holding them high and pouring as much spiritual energy into them as possible!
"Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form..."
The golden light from the Buddhist scripture instantly intensified, transforming into a solid, semi-transparent golden light shield that protected Wang Lin within it!
Kayako slammed into the light shield!
"Hiss—!" Like boiling oil poured on snow, a lot of blue smoke billowed from the part of Kayako that touched the light shield, and she let out a shrill scream. She frantically scratched and bit the light shield, causing it to fluctuate violently and its light to dim at a visible speed!
Wang Lin felt his spiritual energy draining away like a floodgate being opened, veins bulging on his forehead, yet his recitation became even louder and more resolute!
"Feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are also like this..."
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie, who had been swept away, pounced again and fired continuously at midnight. Zhan Lan also concentrated her spiritual power and transformed it into an invisible spike that pierced towards Kayako's head!
Under the suppression of Buddhist scriptures and the onslaught of the crowd, Kayako's body began to fade, and black water continued to rise. She let out a defiant shriek, leaped backward, crashed through the wall, and disappeared into the darkness outside, leaving behind only a scene of devastation and a pungent stench of decay.
Wang Lin collapsed to his knees with a thud, drenched in sweat. The Buddhist scripture in his hands dimmed, and even a scorch mark appeared on the edge of the pages. The confrontation just now had consumed a large amount of the scripture's energy and almost drained his spiritual power.
"Fourth wave, repelled." Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, data streams flashing in his eyes. "Kayako's true form briefly appeared, her physical attacks were imbued with powerful curses, and consumed a great deal of Buddhist scripture energy. Her attack pattern is predicted to be: prioritizing targets with the strongest resistance to resentment (Buddhist scriptures and their holders). Next time she appears, we need to change our strategy; we cannot allow her to directly attack the scripture holders."
Zheng Zha wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, still shaken: "Such a strong resentment... even Buddhist scriptures could only barely force her back."
"Energy consumption is about 30%." Chu Xuan checked the Buddhist scriptures. "At this rate of consumption, plus the consumption from the previous three rounds, the remaining energy may not be enough to support us until the end of the seventh wave, especially since the intensity of the last two waves of attacks is expected to be even higher."
Bad news followed one after another. Outside, the vengeful spirits, including "Shikong," who had been driven back by the Buddhist scriptures, had not left. Instead, they began to emit a rhythmic, chanting-like whisper. This whisper penetrated the walls and entered everyone's ears, causing them to become restless and unable to concentrate. At the same time, signs of the fifth wave of attack began to appear—an environmental anomaly.
The building housing the outpost began to groan under the strain. Cracks appeared in the walls, from which seeped black, writhing things—like hair, or countless tiny worms. The floor became soft and sticky, as if stepping on rotting flesh. The air grew thinner, filled with a nauseating, sweet, fishy stench. The entire space seemed to be squeezing and twisting inward, trying to trap and devour them alive!
"The fifth wave, environmental manipulation, has created a lethal zone." Chu Xuan's tone finally turned serious. "The purification field of the Buddhist scriptures is being compressed, its range is shrinking. We must find a breakthrough as soon as possible, or... hold out until the environmental anomaly reaches its peak and naturally weakens. But our oxygen and physical strength may not last until then."
The light from the Buddhist scriptures was compressed to cover an area of less than five meters around the group, and the light dimmed considerably. The reciter changed to Zhan Lan, whose mental energy was also rapidly depleting, and whose face was pale.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die!" Zheng Zha gritted his teeth. "Charge out! Maybe there's still a chance outside!"
"There are five vengeful spirits lurking outside, and Kayako could reappear at any moment," Zhang Jie poured cold water on the idea. "Rushing out will only lead to your quicker death."
"What are we going to do then? Just wait here to die?" the Overlord roared.
Wang Lin, catching his breath, looked at the dimly lit Buddhist scripture in his hand, then at the deteriorating environment around him, and the shadowy, vengeful spirits outside the window. His mind raced. In the original story, the Central Continent Team survived only thanks to Zheng Zha's outburst, Chu Xuan's strategy and sacrifice, and Zhang Jie's covert assistance, but they suffered heavy casualties. Now, with the Buddhist scripture, their situation is much better, but their energy is insufficient…
"Chu Xuan," Wang Lin suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse but firm, "you said that the attacks of Ju-on are based on resentment, a powerful, distorted field of spiritual energy, right?"
"That's one way to understand it," Chu Xuan said, looking at him.
"That Buddhist scripture is also an energy field, and a positive, purifying one at that." Wang Lin held up the scripture. "Its current consumption is mainly to counteract and neutralize the negative energy of the curse. If we... don't just defend, but instead use the energy of the scripture to actively impact and interfere with a key node in the curse's energy field, such as... the main body of that haunted house, or the core of those vengeful spirits outside, wouldn't that disrupt its attack rhythm, or even severely damage it? Buying us time, or creating an opportunity to escape?"
Chu Xuan's eyes behind his glasses suddenly lit up: "Actively attacking the core of Ju-on... is extremely risky, but theoretically feasible. Ju-on's energy field is not uniformly distributed; the haunted house is the source, and the vengeful spirits outside are the nodes. Attacking the nodes might provoke Kayako's frenzied counterattack, but it could also force her to relinquish some of the power she uses for environmental manipulation. If we attack the source... we don't have enough power to reach the haunted house and launch an effective attack."
"We can attack the node." Wang Lin looked at the five lingering vengeful spirits outside the window, especially the leader, "Shikong." "Concentrate the remaining Buddhist scripture energy, coordinate all attacks, and try to deliver them to the afterlife... or rather, destroy a vengeful spirit node. Disrupt its formation!"
Chu Xuan quickly calculated: "The success rate is less than 40%, and it will accelerate the depletion of the Buddhist scripture's energy. But passive defense will also lead to death after the energy is exhausted. It's worth a try. Target: the vengeful spirit of the leading monk. It seems to be the key to the node. Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, Ling Dian, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, prepare for the strongest attack. Wang Lin, Zhan Lan, inject the remaining spiritual power into the Buddhist scripture to the maximum extent. When I shout 'Release,' concentrate the purified energy of the Buddhist scripture and direct it towards the target! I will use the remaining energy crystals to set up a one-time enhancement array to amplify this impact."
In dire straits, there is no other choice.
Everyone sprang into action. Zheng Zha began compressing his vampire energy and inner force into his fists, red and white light intertwining as his aura steadily rose. Zhang Jie's short blade gleamed with an eerie black and red sheen. Zero replaced the bullet with a specially made silver one, engraved with intricate runes (a previously treasured item). Overlord fitted the heavy machine gun with the final anti-evil ammunition belt. Li Shuaixi channeled his inner force into his blade.
Wang Lin and Zhan Lan sat cross-legged, pouring their remaining spiritual energy into the Buddhist scripture without reservation. The scripture lit up again, though not as bright as before, but with a more refined quality.
Chu Xuan then placed several energy crystals around the Buddhist scriptures in specific positions, and his fingers moved quickly to outline a temporary formation.
Outside the window, "Shi Kong" seemed to sense something, stopped whispering, and five pairs of empty, resentful eyes all looked into the room.
"Now!" Chu Xuan shouted in a low voice!
Wang Lin and Zhan Lan simultaneously pushed their mental power to the limit. With a "hum," a golden beam of light, as condensed as a physical object, pierced through the dim purification field like a sharp sword and shot towards "Shi Kong" outside the window!
At the same time, Chu Xuan's array shone brightly, coating the golden beam with a sharp light!
"Roar—!" The vengeful spirit "Shikong" let out a terrified roar, and black energy surged wildly around its body in an attempt to resist!
Zheng Zha's fist, Zhang Jie's blade, Zero Point's bullets, Overlord's rain of bullets, and Li Shuaixi's sword light, following closely behind the golden beam of light, erupted with a thunderous roar!
boom--!!!
The golden light of purification mixed with the multicolored attack energy and slammed into "Shikong"!
The blinding light and violent energy surge shook the entire stronghold! The black mist and golden light annihilated each other, emitting a piercing hissing sound and the extremely mournful wails of vengeful spirits!
When the light faded, only a few wisps of rapidly dissipating black smoke and a charred mark on the ground remained where the vengeful spirit of "Shikong" had been. It had been completely purified!
At the same time, the other four vengeful spirits let out painful howls, their forms becoming noticeably thinner and unstable. The ever-growing and deteriorating environmental anomalies around them suddenly paused, as if losing some support, before slowly receding! The cracks in the walls stopped widening, the floor returned to its solid state, and the air became somewhat fresher.
"We did it!" the Overlord roared excitedly.
But Wang Lin and Zhan Lan simultaneously groaned, blood gushing from their mouths and noses, and collapsed to the ground. The light on the Buddhist scripture completely extinguished, the pages turning gray, as if all its power had been exhausted. Chu Xuan's array also shattered, the energy crystals turning to powder.
"The Buddhist scriptures... have run out of energy," Zhan Lan said weakly.
Chu Xuan helped Wang Lin up, examined the Buddhist scriptures, and said in a deep voice, "The energy is exhausted, but the body is not destroyed. It may slowly recover under special conditions, but it cannot be used again in the short term. However, we have bought some time. The fifth wave of environmental attacks was interrupted and will not recover for at least several hours. The interval between the sixth and seventh waves of attacks may also be lengthened."
Zheng Zha looked out the window at the four remaining vengeful spirits, who were clearly much weaker but still glaring menacingly, and at the haunted house in the distance that seemed to be enraged and whose resentment was boiling even more intensely. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "From now on, we can only rely on ourselves to tough it out."
Without the protection of Buddhist scriptures, the final sixth wave (possession control) and seventh wave (ultimate outburst of resentment) will truly test everyone's will, strength, and... luck.
But at least they destroyed a key node, disrupted the rhythm of Ju-on, and gained a precious respite.
Wang Lin struggled to sit up, looking at the dim Buddhist scripture in his hand, and then at his teammates beside him, who, though exhausted, had determined eyes.
The toughest battle is about to begin.