บท 13: Song of a Depraved Siren
cw: brief, veeeery brief sexual description
While the two people in room 301 were having a peaceful rest, the horde of paper dolls continued their celebration dance to the fourth floor, passing through tightly closed doors one after another. The sound of gongs and trumpets lingered in the air like a cold caress of the undead, sending a burst of cold fear to the frightened souls beyond the door.
Upon finding no disturbance, they smoothly ascended to the fifth floor, unaware that behind them, the door number 404 quietly creaked open.
Sister Hong poked her head out and seeing that the paper dolls had gone up the stairs, she heaved out a sigh of relief and opened the door wider. Compared to her strict and no-nonsense appearance a few moments ago, it was like she had become a wholly different person now.
The business suit that made her look stiff and rigid was no more, replaced with a piece of white silky lingerie that barely reached her knees, showcasing her voluptuous and sexy body. She had foregone her glasses and raked her fingers through her hair to make it a little disheveled, knowing that men would not be able to resist her when she looked this way.
Right now, she was akin to a seductress, a demoness who had come out to hunt for prey.
Confirming that the paper dolls had indeed gone to the upper floor, she sashayed to room 406 and knocked softly on the door.
"Who is it," came a cautious voice from inside.
"Brother Zhi…" she deliberately lowered her voice so that it sounded gentle and sultry. "It's me, Hong."
There was a few seconds of silence before the man's gruff voice sounded again, this time closer as though the man was plastering himself to the wall while peeking out of the window. And judging from the rustling curtain, it seemed like her guess was spot on.
"What do you want?" He did not show any signs of opening the door for her.
Bastard, she cursed inwardly. Such a beautiful woman sending herself to your doorstep and you still don't want to let her in? Who are you trying to kid?!
She did not show the contempt on her face though. Instead, she deliberately flicked her hair to one side to display the fair column of her neck, the gentle dip of her collarbones and most importantly, her cleavage that offered a glimpse to her full breasts. If the man was still peeking out of the window, then he must have seen her nipples that had gone taut through the flimsy piece of lingerie she was wearing.
She had done it enough times to know that this was an irresistible sight which no man could refuse, especially in an unlawful place like this where the strong preyed on the weak.
Outside, she was a powerful executive officer who was feared and respected by countless others. But here… after coming to this abhorrent place, she learned in a hard way that she was but a weak and vulnerable woman. Money and status meant nothing in the face of death. If she wanted to survive, she had to adapt to changes and sought the best way to preserve her life.
So far, she discovered that this was the best method she could utilize to the maximum, and the appearance of her skill card further strengthened her conviction. Men were animals in human clothing who were thinking only with their dick eighty percent of the time. And by using her womanly charm, she would bewitch them and make them do her bidding.
That's right, just like the blood parasite…
It needed a living body to survive, while she needed men to thrive.
She let out a soft and meaningful chuckle. "Well, we are both in our third Cycle. Won't it be better for us to team up and get to know each other intimately from early on? If you want, I can even tell you what my special task is…"
Sure enough, in the next second, there was a click and the door creaked open by an inch.
Surnamed Zhi's large frame occupied that gap, and she took immense pleasure in how he couldn't seem to take his gaze off her seductive curves. "You…" he swallowed thickly before dragging his eyes up to her face, a flicker of lust clouding his features. "You want to team up?"
'Got you.' She licked her red lips, stepped forward and gently blew a breath against the man's tense jaws.
She placed her hands on his broad shoulders and went on her tiptoe to whisper into his ear, giggling. "Of course. We are the strongest ones in this Cycle so it's only right for us to earn the tickets, right?" As she spoke, she grabbed his wrist and led it to her inner thigh, letting him feel how soft and silky her skin was and also…
"Y–You are not wearing anything underneath?" He choked on his words, his voice strained on the edge.
She bit back a moan when the man's thick and rough fingers parted her folds and plunged into her core that was already dripping wet. "Ah, gentler…" she whispered breathily and nipped on the shell of his ear, teasing. "Brother Zhi, we will make such a perfect team, won't we?"
"Yes," Surnamed Zhi grunted in a hoarse voice. He yanked the woman into his room and locked the door behind them, unaware that at that exact moment, her eyes were gleaming in an abnormal green shade.
Skill Card: Song of a Depraved Siren
Skill Type: Mind control
Skill Level: 4
Skill description: Sinking into depravity, the black-hearted siren will chant a haunting song every night, sending turbulent waves over the dark ocean and drowning the enchanted sailors. She drags them into the icy depth where they will accompany her for a lifetime, both body and soul.
Number of usage: 1/2
***
Meanwhile, in room 507.
Old Guan was huddling in the corner of the room, shivering in fear and terror while he listened to the ghostly music that was approaching where he was. With tears streaming down his face, he desperately clasped his hand over his mouth to prevent any sounds from coming out.
The sound of gongs and trumpets were steadily getting closer and closer…
Chills ran down his spine and he pressed himself closer to the wall as if he could hide inside this way. Intense fear smothered down on him with the weight of a thousand pounds. In the pitch-black room, only the sound of his rapid breathing and thundering heartbeats could be heard.
Exactly what was this place?! The horrible monster inside the bus, the neverending road, the moving paper dolls and earlier, the unnerving screech that shook him down to the core… he had had enough! He really had had enough of it!
When the music sounded right outside his door, he buried his head between his knees and covered his ears tightly, willing himself to ignore his surroundings until they left on their own. Much to his surprise, everything went smoothly. The paper dolls did not stop even for a second as they continued to dance along the dark corridor.
Old Guan slumped against the wall weakly, panting. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, it was as if he had taken a jump into an icy lake. His mind was still ringing from the extreme rush of adrenaline.
H–He was saved… he was still alive…!
Relieved, he slapped a hand over his itchy cheek and scratched it distractedly… only to grab onto a few strands of long black hair between his fingers.
Old Guan froze, eyes widening in horror. I–It was not his hair… he did not have long hair. But if it did not belong to him, then who…?
His blood abruptly ran cold. The extreme fear rushed back, strangling whatever breath was stuck on his throat. Trembles wrecked his entire body as he slowly… very very slowly lifted his head to lay his gaze upon the terrifying creature on the ceiling.
"AAAAH—!!!"
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
delanasiwarka
delanasiwarka The appearance of the first skill card is here! Delana will slowly explain it at the same time when Jin Jiuchi learned about it, but if you're curious, then you can read about it in the 'Guide to the Nightmare Cycle' in the aux chapter! Beware of spoilers tho!
Hehe, what do you think Nian and Jin Jiuchi's skill cards will be?
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