Frightening Joke: Above the Mist

"It's breathing…"

The speculation that there might be a living being below made everyone present look at each other, but having chosen to descend, even if the road ahead was paved with knives and fire, no one would retreat.

"Be careful, even if it's a living being, we need to get its information and pass it on to the outside."

"Yes!"

The suddenly accelerated heartbeat stemmed from the instinctual fear of humans, but a higher will overcame the dread of the unknown and death.

The team continued to spiral downward.

The further down they went, the greater the chance of being pulled off the stairs and falling into the deep hole during the "inhale" rhythm, as the force of the breathing grew with depth.

So, whenever they sensed the "exhale," everyone immediately linked arms and hugged the wall. When the strength of the people united, it was barely enough to resist this "breathing."

However, as the team continued downward, the wind from the "breathing" not only shook the body and made it difficult to stand but also carried more sinister effects.

At a certain depth, it felt as if everyone had crossed a barrier; they could feel this eerie breathing wind in every pore. More terrifyingly, strange phenomena appeared not just around them but also in their minds.

"Did you hear something?"

"Yes, in my ear."

"Not in your ear, it's in your mind!"

This sound was indescribable; it seemed like some language and yet merely a wailing.

It not only caused a throbbing pain in the head but also made it impossible for anyone to focus completely.

The "breathing wind" required a lot of effort to maintain balance, and now it constantly "roared" in their minds.

It's tough to think deeply in an extremely noisy environment, and now everyone felt as if they were trying to solve a math problem in a chaotic bar.

"Look at the walls!"

Suddenly, someone shouted.

Everyone turned toward the voice.

On the walls of this deep hole of unknown depth, plants appeared!

There was a botanist in the group, and immediately someone asked what kind of plant it was.

The botanist's answer, after careful examination, left everyone silent.

"Roughly speaking, it's a herbaceous plant, but it is entirely gray-white, even its roots. This is rare, growing in such an environment, in such form… I don't even know its source of energy…"

"Can I dig one up to have a closer look?"

No sooner had he spoken than the botanist started acting.

However, as soon as he dug up the plant, an accident happened.

A gray grass lay in the palm of his hand, and simultaneously, the botanist's heart clenched tightly, and he shook his head vigorously, feeling the world spin and distort, while the faces of those watching him began to twist as well…

In a daze, he faintly heard a whisper; he couldn't describe what information it held, only that… he felt cold, dreadful, terrified, and… a strong sense of death emanated from the darkness below.

"Ah!!!!"

In that abrupt moment, the botanist let out a savage scream as if tearing his body apart, completely losing his balance and falling downward.

The scream was so eerie, not purely of despair and pain; what was more chilling was that he seemed to be witnessing something that brought him to an extreme fear.

"Grab him!"

Seeing the botanist about to plunge into the dark depths, someone hurriedly shouted.

Fortunately, those around him were already prepared, and someone on either side had grabbed him before the shout even sounded.

Yet, what sent chills through everyone witnessing this scene was that the two people who grabbed the botanist did indeed hold onto him.

But the next moment, both of those holding him suddenly stiffened entirely.

The instant they touched the botanist, a sound appeared in their ears too…

Their previously normal faces became terrifyingly hideous in an instant, with blood seeping out of their eyes, nostrils, ear holes, and mouth corners.

This appearance made the other people who were prepared to lend a hand hesitantly pause.

That unintended hesitation caused three distorted-faced individuals to all tumble into the dark chasm simultaneously.

Everyone fell into an eerie silence.

This strange scene was now beyond scientific explanation, and someone quietly moved away from the cave wall.

The gray-white grass on the cave walls seemed… as if it had spread over from another world.

Could it be that this deep hole is the legendary entrance to hell…?

————

"Young master, let's go home."

The butler looked at his young master, unsure when it began, but this naturally kind yet always proud young master had changed significantly.

He became fond of being alone, disliking going out, and no longer mingled with his former "friends."

The butler didn't know whether this change was good or bad, but… his young master's kind nature remained unchanged.

At this moment, during the bizarre disaster in Ye City, this young master Song Que "took it upon himself" to let all the businesses and companies of the Song family unconditionally accept the victims.

All the citizens taking shelter from the rain in buildings owned by the Song family received excellent care.

As the butler spoke, Song Que continued to make calls, coordinating efforts tirelessly.

He knew this rain was related to Fog Gathering, but he couldn't understand why so many innocent people had to be involved in this matter.

Moreover, what puzzled him even more was who possessed such power to unleash a "curse" of this magnitude.

Yes, Song Que viewed this rain as a curse.

He believed it wasn't the doing of Fog Gathering, based on the voice and conclusions drawn from communicating with others, this rain was indeed a man-made disaster.

Initiating such a level of a curse surely came with an enormous price, so the perpetrator must have had significant motives.

Song Que couldn't delve too deeply into this matter because ongoing issues were keeping him overwhelmed.

"Young master, we've found two shops about to be flooded with blood water, one with about a dozen people, and the other with only two people. The water level is rising too fast, and there isn't enough time. The two shops are quite some distance apart, and our lifeboat can only rescue one. What should we do?"

The question over the phone made Song Que frown tightly.

He hadn't anticipated that such a trolley problem would land on his shoulders.

Two people or a dozen people…

Which to choose?

"Two people, a dozen people…"

Song Que murmured.

Just then, a voice, familiar yet somewhat strange, abruptly appeared behind him:

"This isn't a trolley problem; the answer is already simple."

Song Que turned around suddenly, only to see two men standing behind him.

And the voice belonged to Bai Yanliang.