Rules-related weird stories: 4016

On the ancient stone bridge shrouded in mist, Mao Feiyang advanced as if treading on thin ice. He tightly wrapped his yellow knitted sweater around himself, his dark and thin frame appearing fragile, as if embracing the darkness.

Knowing that Mao Feiyang would be fine, Lin Yi took the opportunity, relying on his God's-eye view, to quickly survey the surroundings.

He first looked around, trying to find the cliff where the Night Watcher was located from the ancient stone bridge where the watchtower stood.

Theoretically, the castle was situated on a cliff, surrounded by mist-covered mountains and the ocean. To find the Night Watcher's location, one only needed to focus on the side facing the sea. However, after an initial search, he found nothing, so he had to give up and focus his attention on the stone bridge.

Mao Feiyang was quite frightened by the surrounding environment and naturally didn't dare to look around, so he didn't notice anything special about the stone bridge.

Lin Yi was different; he stared wide-eyed, observing everything.

He was quickly attracted to the candlesticks on the stone bridge that held burning candles.

At first glance, Lin Yi found it difficult to discern the material used to cast the candlesticks. It seemed to be something between a bluish-gray stone and some kind of ancient bronze.

A cluster of flames burned at its center, swaying in the sea breeze as if only the base of the flame remained. The light it cast was also distorted and dissipated into the mist, but it simply wouldn't go out, as if clinging to its last breath.

Lin Yi's attention was initially drawn to this cluster of flames because he realized it was extremely familiar. After a moment of recollection, he realized that it was the same kind of flame found in old kerosene lamps!

But he soon discovered that what truly exuded an air of mystery was not the candlelight, but the candlestick made of this special material.

The candlestick was in the shape of a disc, with the base carved with patterns of some kind of magical creature, like a twisted snake, or some kind of long, winged animal, seemingly a depiction based on mythology.

Beyond those patterns, there were also some strange graphics or characters, somewhere between the hieroglyphs of Mayan and Egyptian civilizations and the pictographs of ancient China, with a hint of the sacrificial aura of bronzeware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. A single glance seemed to reveal a twisted history.

These patterns and characters surrounded the candlestick, making the entire candlestick seem to be shrouded in an indescribable power.

Lin Yi only glanced at it a few times before feeling an unnatural sense of dread, as if the thing carried a strong aura of ominousness, or perhaps the candlestick was surrounded by a power far beyond his ability to touch...

‘Contamination.’

For some reason, the word popped into Lin Yi's mind as if guided by a ghost. In fact, he didn't know what "contamination" represented. He only believed that the power beyond his understanding should belong to the "contamination" mentioned by the form teacher.

‘No, it should be…'Extraordinary Trait'?’

‘Extraordinary Trait…?’

Lin Yi narrowed his eyes. When was the first time he heard this term? Why did it suddenly roll off his tongue so easily?

‘That's right! Tian Gongzi said it!’

His eyes lit up.

[“In our time, it is clear that some people have found the rules of certain extraordinary traits and are trying to replicate those things…”

“The kerosene lamps in the hands of the security guards.”

“Those kerosene lamps on the walls of the gymnasium.”

“Even the streetlights all over campus.”

“Our student IDs, various credentials that can represent identity.”

“These things…may or may not carry some extraordinary traits.”

“Of course, I'm not sure about the streetlights, but those kerosene lamps are definitely not normal things.”

“Not only are they not normal, but they are also products of modern civilization, at least…something that only started appearing in the last few hundred years.”]

In the dormitory, Tian Bufan said this…

‘This candlestick…seems to have an 'extraordinary trait' no weaker than that of the old kerosene lamp?’ Lin Yi pondered.

He didn't know what an extraordinary trait was, but his intuition told him that this aura that could give him a sense of security should be an extraordinary trait.

Following the light all the way forward, feeling the remaining afterglow of the extraordinary traits in the candlesticks and candlelight, Lin Yi was unknowingly about to follow Mao Feiyang to the end of the ancient stone bridge.

But as Mao Feiyang approached the archway of the castle, the distance between him and the watchtower grew further and further, and the brow under the art teacher's beret gradually furrowed.

“The distance doesn't seem to be enough…”

The art teacher looked at the stone pillars supporting the ancient stone bridge. These stone pillars were built on the mountain rocks, and the foundation of the mountain rocks was a reef cluster extending diagonally into the sea.

At this time, the moon was dark and the wind was strong, and the sea breeze carried the mist upwards. Some twisting figures seemed to appear on the dark and humid mountain walls. They climbed upwards little by little with difficulty, and then climbed to the back of the stone bridge…

‘Swish, swish…’

‘Swish, swish…’

Lin Yi keenly captured some strange movements. This subtle vibration came from beneath "his" feet…more precisely, from the back of the stone slab beneath his feet.

Theoretically, stone slabs of this thickness should not allow vibrations to be transmitted so clearly, unless…the number of crawlers was too large.

In fact, their numbers were indeed large…countless twisted figures, like swarms of insects and ghouls, clung to the back of the stone bridge, closely following Mao Feiyang's footsteps forward.

Occasionally, one or two wisps of candlelight swaying in the wind were twisted by the mist and fell on their palms and claws, causing their palms and claws to emit hissing smoke and painfully retract into the darkness.

A strong sense of fear welled up in Mao Feiyang's heart. The twisted figures, like black, viscous filth, were chasing his trail, as if a pair of hands were gradually catching up from the shadow behind him, trying to strangle his throat.

The light projected from the watchtower was finally blocked by the thick mist and could no longer shine on him. The remaining candlelight on the stone bridge could not provide him with much protection. He took a deep breath and rushed towards the arched gate, a mixture of Gothic and Baroque architectural styles.

As he rushed into the archway, the mottled silhouettes cast by the glass windows enveloped him. The strange and mysterious ancient totems seemed to echo the arrays of stars that could not be traced in the long night, cutting off the mist's invasion of the castle.

The mist rolled endlessly but could no longer advance even a fraction. Only the sobbing sea breeze, carrying an icy chill, constantly washed over Mao Feiyang's back, stinging his skin.

“Is this the kind of occasional wind mentioned in the rules?” Mao Feiyang carefully put away the two rules close to his body, rubbed his palms, and hissed with hot air.

“Let's find the art classroom first…” he murmured.

Beyond the archway lay a quiet corridor filled with dim candlelight.

The corridor was quite spacious. Mao Feiyang carefully moved within the candlelight's domain, mindful of the movement rules.

Lin Yi, on the other hand, was observing the overall environment.

Regardless of whether the rules specifically labeled "castle" as "art building," he had no doubt that this place was originally a castle, only later modified for various reasons and given the name "art building."

The stone walls of the corridor were not smooth and flat but had some pitted and uneven traces. Despite the candlelight, there was still a natural chill.

Most castles in the past were like this, especially those built by the sea. Most areas were extremely cold, with warmth truly provided by fireplaces and carpeted inner chambers.

After walking in the corridor for a long time, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Lin Yi's heart, as if something unseen was hidden in the shadows of the empty corridor.

As soon as this thought occurred to him, an uncomfortable feeling of being watched fell upon him, making him feel uneasy.

The newest novels are first published on 69shu.com!

"It feels like there's something in the darkness…"

"Is it those things crawling under the stone bridge?"

"Or some other kind of creature?"

Lin Yi felt uncomfortable. Even in a dream, this dark and oppressive environment made him feel uneasy.

And he hadn't noticed it before, but once he did, he instantly became agitated.

Soon, however, Mao Feiyang safely emerged from the corridor and entered a magnificent hall filled with candelabras and chandeliers.

Tall spires and intricate vaulted ceilings were adorned with exquisite patterns and carvings, exuding an air of mystery and majesty.

In the very center of the hall stood a giant oak tree. At a glance, it was impossible to tell if the oak tree was still growing. It looked dilapidated, as if it had suffered a devastating blow during its growth and was frozen in eternal time at the moment of shattering.

Its surroundings seemed to be filled with a misty aura. These mists had existed for countless years, enveloping it like an invisible field.

It was like a perfect work of art, preserving both the state of growth and decay.

In front of it was an equally large stone platform, which should have held something originally, but now only a base remained.

On the platform, there was also an ancient and broken emblem. The complex lines and carvings looked like some kind of pattern formed by the fusion of weapons and the moon, a bit like the patterns on tarot cards or those more ancient ritual symbols.

This pattern had been almost smoothed out by the years, but Lin Yi could still feel the aura of glory and splendor emanating from it.

Looking up, huge stained-glass windows were embedded in the walls. A few faint rays of moonlight shone through the glass, emitting a cold and colorful light, scattering on the giant oak tree, through its branches, and finally enveloping the base on the platform that he didn't know what originally placed there.

The murals on the walls around the hall seemed to depict legends of believers and gods. The complex and broken graphic symbols could no longer be traced back to their origin and era, becoming one of the symbols of the artistic atmosphere in the art building today.

In this space filled with peace and sanctity, Lin Yi seemed to feel a sense of tranquility and transcendent power in his mind and soul.

However… whenever the sea breeze blew through the corridor to the hall, the swaying candlelight distorted the light and shadows in the hall. The originally peaceful, sacred, and serene atmosphere instantly became strange, as if some kind of curse had fallen upon the empty hall…

Suddenly, Lin Yi's pupils contracted sharply.

He suddenly realized… that there had always been several huge and broken sculptures in this hall.

On the four walls of this arched hall, mysterious graphic symbols formed ancient murals, but within the murals, there were also some sculptures, except that these sculptures had long been damaged beyond recognition, so no matter how you looked at them, you couldn't see anything special.

But judging from the remaining parts of these sculptures, they should all be non-human species…

Fortunately, these sculptures were genuine sculptures, completely different from the unknown existence defined as "sculpture" that Lin Yi had seen in Tian Bufan's dream.

However, just as he looked around at the sculptures and murals, he suddenly saw, in the dark, cramped corners around the hall that were not illuminated by the candlelight, one sculpture after another with different expressions and forms.

These sculptures were huddled in the corners like living people, maintaining a sneaky posture, peeking out from the darkness, both longing for and fearing the candlelight, ultimately just hanging there without any extra movements.

At this time, Mao Feiyang was also marveling at the grandeur of the hall, unable to help but praise the greatness of the so-called "art journey."

But Lin Yi noticed that when Mao Feiyang had his back to the sculptures, each of the sculptures wriggled and twisted from their static postures, but their actions seemed to be slowed down countless times, so they just watched Mao Feiyang from afar, and then tried to move carefully in areas where the light could not directly reach.

The eyes of the sculptures had no pupils, only a stone ball, but Lin Yi could feel the chilling horror emanating from them, as if as long as there was no candlelight here, they would swarm out like a swarm of insects, submerging Mao Feiyang.

At this time, Mao Feiyang, who had looked around the hall environment, looked at the sculptures that had stopped in front of him, and suddenly frowned…

"Just now… they didn't seem to be in that pose?"

Mao Feiyang shuddered violently, and a sense of suspicion surged in his subconscious. How could sculptures move? That's outrageous!

This inner voice was transmitted to Lin Yi's perception simultaneously. Lin Yi's hair stood on end, and he quickly roared: "Damn it, Maozi, don't mess around! The rules! Think about what the rules say!"

Fortunately, the confused look in Mao Feiyang's eyes flashed past, and he immediately regained his clarity: "It should be so, it should be so… Don't panic, don't panic, sculptures are supposed to move, yes, they are supposed to move…"

He exhaled, unaware that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He swept around, and then found a wooden stake filled with signs at the fork in the corridor behind the giant oak tree.