Chapter 120: Chapter 117- Nightmare Fuel

Sol shook his head and tried not to think about his suspicions. Instead, he moved to the little girl’s room.

He pushed the door open with a heavy heart and entered.

There wasn’t much to analyze, it seems like the murderer spent less time here than they did in the woman’s room.

But Sol did take notice of the little girl’s expression.

Why would she be smiling in the last moments of her life?

“The killer must have been someone she knew.”

Sol concluded.

He was then about to leave but a book on the nightstand next to the bed caught his eye. Or rather, its jarring title caught his eye.

’The Child Eating Nian Beast.’

Sol walked over to the nightstand, all while making sure to avoid the little girl.

She was also releasing a suffocating pressure that could likely kill or injure him severely if he got too close, which was shocking.

It might be weaker than the other Victims but still, what eight-year-old has such a cultivation?

Sol reached the nightstand and picked up the book. When he flipped it open and read its contents, he realized it was a children’s fairy-tale book. One a parent would read to their child when they went to bed.

It spoke of a mythical creature called Nian that existed in the past.

It lived in a mountain range called the Dark Forest, and each year it would awaken before descending the mountain cave it lives in and wreak havoc on nearby villages.

During these attacks, it would specifically target the children of the villages. It wouldn’t immediately kill them but round them up and carry them back to its mountain cave in the Dark Forest.

After that the children were never seen again.

Some say they were eaten immediately after, but others say the monster kept them locked up and fed them until they were plump before devouring them whole

The villagers lived in terror because of this creature. But every year they could only board up their doors and windows when the time came for the Nian Beast to awaken and descend the mountain. Which wouldn’t be enough to stop it from taking their children.

No matter how the villagers prayed to the Deity they worship to do something, he never did.

However, one year, the Deity’s young son heard about the Nian Beast and the suffering of the villagers. Being more benevolent than his father, this young child snuck out of his father’s palace and went to the village the Nian Beast would target next.

There he told the villagers he would kill the Nian Beast for them.

The villagers were exhilarated, and they threw a huge celebration.

Finally, when the time came for the Nian Beast to awaken, the villagers boarded their homes and waited. However, as they waited and waited, hoping to hear the young boy say it was alright to exit their homes, he never did.

Only until the next day did they realize that the young boy had been taken by the Nian Beast.

Turns out, the young boy had never meant to kill the beast, he was only a child, and he was never strong enough to begin with. His only goal was to have the Nian Beast take him in place of the villagers’ children.

He simply wanted the villagers to go at least one year without having their children taken away.

However, when the Deity found out his son had been taken by the Nian Beast, he was enraged.

In his anger, the Deity descended from his palace and went into the Dark Forest to rescue his son.

Luckily, the Nian Beast had wanted to plump up the son before eating him, so the Deity was able to save his son in time. But regretfully, the Nian Beast had escaped the Dark Forest before the Deity came.

The villagers were happy at this outcome, but in his anger, the Deity planned on punishing the villagers. But thankfully, the son pleaded with his father and prevented the potential genocide.

The story ended with the village being saved, and Deity never giving up on searching for the Nian Beast.

But some say that every time a child goes missing, it was the Nian Beast managing to hide from the Deity to take that child.

After Sol finished this story, he couldn’t help but feel creeped out.

This was pure nightmare fuel, what fairy tale?

There were also depictions of the Nian Beast in the book.

Whoever drew it did too good of a job.

It was without a nose, eyes, or ears, only a mouth so it could wholeheartedly focus on eating.

It had a ghastly black slender body that could easily slip through the smallest of gaps in doors and windows.

Its four legs were slender as well, good enough to allow it to walk on thin glass and not break it. Or good enough to walk in the middle of the night without making a sound.

It had several arms too, fitting enough to capture and carry numerous children back to its cave to devour them.

Just reading the story gave Sol chills, but with these depictions it was haunting.

Sol wanted to toss this book away and forget about it, however, something caught his attention.

’Peace Lake Village.’

It was the name of the village where the Deity’s son was taken from.

“This name, why does it feel like I’ve seen it before?”

Sol was confused by this feeling. He closed the book and looked at the cover. Now that he looked at it again, this book cover looked familiar.

Sol’s brows furrowed but soon his expression changed, and he turned and dashed out of the room.

He ran straight for the office and after almost breaking the door down he entered and ran to the main desk where Victim One was.

On the desk, slightly under his body, there was a book.

It had the same color as the one in Sol’s hand, and even a portion of its name could be seen.

So, there were two copies of this book?

Alright, but that didn’t explain to Sol why had the feeling he knew the name of that village.

As Sol was thinking this, his gaze wandered around the desk, and soon his body froze. There on the desk, was the paper that detailed the servant’s employment at the palace. It was being blocked by another paper. This paper was worn out, and it looked older than the fresh white ones scattered on the desk.

At the Heading of this paper, Sol could clearly see the words written.

’Peace Lake Village Expedition Log.’

Sol was standing a distance away from Victim One, and though the aura around him had lessened, it was still terrifying. However, he gritted his teeth and took a step forward.

Immediately, his back bent because of this suppressive force, and his bones creaked. Perhaps if it was anyone else, they would have blacked out from the pain, but Sol wasn’t just anyone.

All that torture hadn’t just tempered his body, but his mind and willpower as well.

With everything he could muster, Sol reached out and grabbed at the paper.

The paper was at the edge of the desk, and it was one of the closest ones to him.

His fingers were merely inches away, and after pushing himself some more, he managed to clamp the paper between his middle and index finger.

After this was done, Sol immediately flung himself back with all his strength to escape the suppressive force.

Vomit!

Sol immediately coughed out a mouth full of blood. His bones weren’t broken, but his weaker internal organs had been slightly damaged.

However, his seedling trembled a bit and released a green glow that covered his internal organs and healed them.

After the pain had lessened somewhat, Sol lifted his trembling hand and looked at the paper while he was still lying flat on his back. When his eyes darted over the words on the paper, he understood one thing.

That fairy tale wasn’t just a fairy tale; it was based on real events that happened in the past. It was only turned into a fairy tale after an extremely long time had passed.

Sol reached the end of the old expedition log, and he saw some added notes at the end.

“Ever since this incident, my son has listened to every word I say. He no longer complains or disobeys me. However, I can’t help but feel this change is too drastic. Either the incident has really impacted him to make him become more filial… or he isn’t my son.”

Sol read that last line a few more times and he could feel the complicated and skeptical emotions Su Moon was going through when he wrote it.

After Sol allowed his hand with the paper to drop to his side, he shifted his head slightly to look at Victim One. No, from this report his name was Su Jin.

While he stared at Su Jin, he couldn’t help but think back to the word Su Moon half wrote with his blood on the desk.

’Impostor.’

“Then is this Murder Mystery solved?”

Sol couldn’t help but ask himself aloud.

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