You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 521: Moonlit Night Horror
Tang Yin leaned against the wooden wall of the toilet, his brow furrowed, his mind racing. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind in the darkness and take stock of the current situation in the village.

Yesterday morning, a little girl of unknown origin got lost in the Shenge Valley and was regarded as an ominous person by the villagers. Tang Yin recalled the little girl's terrified eyes and his heart tightened.

He himself had also lost his way in the God Valley last night. Although the villagers acknowledged that he was indeed a lost traveler, he was still considered an ominous person.

Tang Yin's thoughts drifted to Qian Jin, the representative of the Qian Group. He recalled Qian Jin's shrewd eyes and thoughtful expression. From his words, Tang Yin deduced that this village had a horrifying superstition: pushing unlucky people off a cliff.

"When the evening mist rises, a feast is about to begin."

This mysterious line echoed in Tang Yin's mind like an ominous prophecy. He realized that this line might also be derived from the village's superstition.

Tang Yin peered through the cracks in the toilet's wooden planks, gazing at the thick fog swirling outside. He suddenly realized that the source of the fog must be the Shenge River. This river, along with the surrounding fog, formed the core elements of the villagers' superstition and fear.

But what exactly is the danger? What are they afraid of?
The word "Yellow Springs Man" surfaced in Tang Yin's mind, and he shuddered. Did it mean the dead? The unclean Divine River, the dead returning to the mortal realm... Tang Yin's mind began to uncontrollably generate negative associations.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to find a reasonable explanation for this strange superstition. Suddenly, a bold hypothesis formed in his mind:
Could it be that some pathogen, spread through the dense fog, existed in the Divine River? Would the infected transform into zombies, triggering a biochemical crisis? Tang Yin's imagination began to run wild.

He reasoned further: Assuming the fog had a only 10% infection rate, the chance of cross-infection among humans was %. This explained why the villagers isolated the infected. Since zombies lacked intelligence and couldn't open locked doors, they could achieve active isolation simply by hiding in locked rooms.

Tang Yin smiled bitterly and shook his head, realizing that this was just his imagination. But he had to admit that the logic of this story seemed to make sense.

His thoughts returned to the strange statues in the village and the "Wolf Cry" from Wolf Master. This village clearly held many unsolved mysteries. Even aside from those factors, the legends of the dense fog and the Divine River alone were captivating enough.

Tang Yin stood up and paced back and forth in the small space. He couldn't help but ask himself: Even in the remote countryside, is there really anyone who believes in such superstition that can be explained by science?

He recalled the genuine fear and awe on the faces of the villagers and felt a little uneasy. This superstition seemed to be deeply rooted in their hearts, becoming an unshakable belief.

Tang Yin leaned against the door, peering through the crack. The thick fog continued to swirl, as if alive. He couldn't help but wonder, if there really was something hiding in the fog, what would it look like? Was it the "Yellow Springs Man" imagined by the villagers, or perhaps a zombie infected by some unknown virus?

……

Suddenly, his brows furrowed even more tightly, and a hint of alertness flashed in his eyes. "No, there's a loophole," he muttered to himself, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

Tang Yin closed his eyes and tried to recall Wang Lina's words. That petite girl with fear in her eyes had once said to him, "From now on, stay here all night, lock the door, and don't make any noise..."

"Can't make any sound?" Tang Yin's eyes snapped open, a flicker of doubt and vigilance in his pupils. This sentence was like a key, unlocking a new direction for his thinking.

This rule doesn't seem to have anything to do with infectious diseases.

Tang Yin stood up and paced back and forth in the small space. The wooden floor creaked slightly under his feet, and he stopped immediately, as if this tiny sound might bring about some unknown danger.

He had to admit that the reason he loved to daydream so much was because he was afraid of the unknown and things he didn't understand. This fear was like a tentacle in the darkness, constantly eroding his sanity.

Tang Yin's thoughts drifted to ancient times. He imagined how the ancients faced incomprehensible natural phenomena and diseases. Images of gods, demons, and monsters flashed through his mind. These imaginary creatures were both objects of fear and their explanation for the unknown world.

"On the one hand, they are afraid of these tangible monsters," Tang Yin murmured to himself, "On the other hand, they feel that this is better than being completely 'invisible' and 'unaware'."

His gaze passed through the window and fell on the thick fog outside. The fog seemed to have life, slowly wriggling, making people shudder.

Tang Yin suddenly realized that if one died at the hands of something invisible or unknown, then life would be too unreasonable and too unclear.

"So, even if it's a fictitious name or image, the ancients would recognize and remember it..." Tang Yin murmured, "This is actually a very rational behavior."

He smiled wryly and shook his head, realizing that his fear of the unknown was no different from that of the ancients. The difference was that Tang Yin couldn't be content with simple labels and assumptions. Only by finding the truth could he truly feel at ease.

However, at this moment, Tang Yin suddenly realized that what he was facing was not simply fear of the unknown, but an extremely real threat, a fear for life itself. This realization was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, instantly sobering him up.

Tang Yin closed his eyes and repeated Wang Lina's words in his mind. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to carve those words into his mind.

"That is to say," he said softly, with a tremor in his voice, "there is something out there that becomes dangerous at the mere sound of a sound."

Tang Long's gaze once again fell on the thick fog outside the window. The mist seemed even more eerie, as if it held countless unknown threats. He couldn't help but wonder if the dangerous creatures were the dead from the Divine River? Or perhaps assassins sent to eliminate those with Divine Disorder who had violated the rules?
"The wolf is coming?" The word suddenly flashed in his mind, making him tremble all over.

Tang Yin's eyes suddenly lit up, "Maybe Wolf is the killer's code name--" he whispered, with a hint of excitement and fear in his voice.

Just then, a subtle noise suddenly came from outside. Tang Yin's body instantly stiffened, and his breathing almost stopped. He held his breath, pricked up his ears, and listened carefully to the movement outside.

The sound was soft, like some creature moving in the fog. Tang Yin's heartbeat quickened, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He didn't know what was out there, but he knew that whatever it was, it could mean life-threatening danger.

……

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

A shrill scream pierced the night sky, like a sharp blade piercing the silent darkness. Tang Yin was suddenly awakened from his reverie, his heart beating violently. It was a woman's scream, filled with fear and despair, like a wail from the depths of hell.

At this moment, two options suddenly popped up on the game interface, the fluorescent green font appearing particularly glaring in the darkness:
[Option 1: Go outside and take a look]

[Option 2: ??? (Unlocked)]

G-chan frowned, her fingers hovering in the air, hesitant. The second option was obscured by a string of mysterious question marks, as if mocking her helplessness. Helplessly, she chose the first option. With her choice finalized, Tang Yin in the game fell into deeper thought.

The timing was too coincidental: he had just proposed a hypothesis, and the evidence for its verification suddenly appeared. This made him feel a little uneasy, as if an invisible hand was controlling all this.

Before he knew it, his surroundings had fallen into complete darkness. The darkness was like a gigantic monster, its bloody maw gaping wide, ready to devour Tang Yin. Fear of the unknown surged over him like a tide, his breathing quickening and his palms beginning to sweat.

"Calm down, calm down," Tang Yin muttered to himself, trying to calm himself. However, his mind told him that dangers were lurking just as lurking outside. Whether indoors or outdoors, no matter the reason, fear was fear; it was everywhere, like a shadow.

But—even so, Tang Yin couldn't suppress the curiosity burning in his heart. This curiosity was precisely the source of his strength to overcome his fear. It was like a bright light in the darkness, guiding him in the direction of his progress.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Yin made up his mind and slowly pushed the door open. The door hinge creaked harshly, as if warning him of the impending danger.

The outside world had not completely fallen into the abyss of darkness. Although the sky was dim and overcast, a faint ray of moonlight still stubbornly penetrated the clouds, casting a hazy silver glow on the ground.

Even with this weak light, the visibility was still hopelessly poor. Looking out, Tang Yin could only see endless fog, as if the entire world was engulfed in it. Under the moonlight, the Hidden Mist Village was shrouded in a milky gray mist, like a forgotten ghost town.

In such low visibility conditions, even walking was fraught with risk. Tang Yin took cautious steps, fearing he would miss a step or collide with an invisible obstacle.

But even so, he couldn't ignore the screams. The fear and pain contained in the voice pierced his heart deeply. Something terrible must have happened, and he had to find out.

According to his memory, the call should have come from the right. Tang Yin adjusted his direction and carefully moved in the direction of the sound. At this moment, Wang Lina's face suddenly appeared in his mind. Those big eyes filled with fear, pale cheeks, and trembling lips.
"No!" Tang Yin shook his head violently, trying to shake off these terrifying associations. He secretly warned himself: "Stop letting your imagination run wild. Or rather, I can't let my imagination run wild anymore."

Tang Yin knew that his path to survival lay in overcoming his fear of the unknown. However, the fear of facing this life-threatening situation had already pushed him to the brink of collapse. He couldn't bear any more, especially the fear of "losing someone." Such pain would likely completely break down his fragile psychological defenses.

Forcing himself to think from a different perspective, Tang Yin told himself: If he could solve the mystery, he could help someone, killing two birds with one stone. This thought gave him some courage and motivation.

……

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

Another heart-wrenching scream pierced the silence of the night like a sharp dagger. Tang Yin shuddered, his hair standing on end. This time the sound was closer, as if it were only inches away.

Tang Yin took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that impulse was the devil, especially in such an unknown and dangerous environment. He needed a weapon, something to protect himself.

Crouching, Tang Yin began to grope around his feet. The cool night breeze brushed his cheeks, bringing a hint of dampness. His fingers touched the soft weeds, and wet dewdrops soaked his fingertips. Unfortunately, he couldn't find even a decent branch, let alone anything else that could be used as a weapon.

Unwilling to give up, Tang Yin began to push aside the weeds and dig deeper. Suddenly, he felt something hard on his fingertips—rock. Hope reignited, he quickened his movements, oblivious to the scratches on his fingers from the rough stone.

Finally, after some effort, Tang Yin unearthed a stone roughly the size of his palm. He held it in his hand, feeling its weight and rough surface. "Never mind, it's better than nothing," he thought self-deprecatingly. At least it was better than using his bare hands.

Although the moonlight barely illuminated the grass beneath his feet, Tang Yin remained extremely cautious. He cautiously used his toes to explore the path, fearing he might step on anything dangerous. Every step felt like walking on the edge of a knife, a mixture of tension and excitement.

Unknown dangers lurked all around, and Tang Yin dared not relax even a little. He concentrated hard, listening intently to the sounds around him, his eyes piercing the fog, searching for any suspicious figures. Confirm the source of danger, then act accordingly—this was the code of conduct he set for himself.

As he went deeper, the screams gradually died down. However, even stranger sounds began to reach Tang Yin's ears.

Tick-tick-tick
It was the sound of dripping water, but it was creepier than any horror movie soundtrack.

Tear, tear, tear, tear
It sounded like something being torn apart, and Tang Yin didn't dare to imagine what it was.

The worst-case scenario flooded his mind like a tide. Bloody images, twisted limbs, horrific monsters, every thought made his heart beat faster and cold sweats break out.

"No, I can't think about it anymore!" Tang Yin shouted in his heart, forcing himself to move on.

Finally, after walking for what seemed like an eternity, Tang Yin saw it.

In the center of the mist, a tall figure loomed. Moonlight shone through the dense fog, casting an eerie silver edge on the silhouette. As the mist shifted, the figure faded in and out of focus, like a demon from a nightmare.

Tang Yin opened his eyes wide, trying to discern the true face of the figure. Suddenly, a gust of night wind blew away some of the fog, and he finally saw clearly—

The monster with a human body and a wolf's head stood there like a statue from hell.

Its silhouette looked particularly terrifying in the mist, its long, sharp claws gleaming coldly in the moonlight. The red eyes on the wolf's head were like two burning flames, staring straight at Tang Yin through the mist, as if to devour his soul.

Tang Yin suddenly felt dizzy. His mind raced, trying to rationalize everything before him, but all logic collapsed at that moment.

"No, impossible," Tang Yin muttered to himself, his voice trembling so much that it was almost inaudible. His face instantly turned as pale as paper, his legs trembling uncontrollably, and the stone in his hand nearly slipped.

"How could such a thing even exist!" Tang Yin shook his head violently, as if that were enough to deny the reality before him. His eyes widened, his pupils constricted with fear, and his lips trembled. Cold sweat streamed down his cheeks, and every cell in his body screamed for escape.

"This thing, a monster with a human body and a wolf face!"

His mind went blank, all his courage and rationality were swallowed up by fear at this moment. He wanted to run away, but his feet seemed to be rooted and he couldn't move.

At this moment, the werewolf slowly turned its head, its scarlet eyes fixed on Tang Yin. As their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

(End of this chapter)