Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Chapter 330 - 321: I’m in a Hurry

Realizing this, his initial excitement cooled slightly.

He didn’t dare make any other moves.

He might be immature, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew leaving his seat would violate the rules, and that meant death.

For now, all he needed to do was survive.

The bus’s approach now caught everyone’s attention. As it drew closer, its headlights illuminated several figures up ahead.

Guo Wei, sitting at the very front, was the first to get a clear look. Standing there were five scarecrows, completely covered in straw.

The scarecrows stood perfectly still. Under normal circumstances, it would have been nothing to worry about.

But on this Deceitful Bus, especially after everything that had happened, a knot of fear began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"Ahem... looks like some ’passengers’ are about to board,"

Yang Hu said, putting heavy emphasis on the word "passengers." The implication was obvious.

"What do you mean by that?"

Guo Wei asked from nearby, her face a little pale. She was asking what everyone else was thinking.

"Ahem... It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s just that these ’passengers’ might not be human. All you need to do is stay quiet after they get on and play the part of a normal passenger.

Remember, you’re all temporary actors in a script.

And since you’re actors, you have to stick to the script. Do what a passenger is supposed to do.

No matter what happens, don’t leave your seat. Don’t say anything you’re not supposed to, and don’t scream. That will let those... things... know you’re alive."

Yang Hu had barely finished speaking when several people opened their mouths to press him for more.

But just then, the bus, which had been slowing down, came to a gentle stop at the platform.

The automatic doors opened with a CREAK, and a gust of cold wind swept in, carrying a fine mist of rain.

It instantly dispelled what little warmth there was inside, and everyone couldn’t help but shiver.

Outside, it was pitch-black.

Then, one by one, the five figures boarded the bus.

By the faint light inside the bus, they could see that the scarecrows had human limbs mixed in with the straw, as if they were mangled corpses with straw bursting out from within.

They were still dripping blood.

The straw on their bodies RUSTLED in the cold wind.

This terrifying, grotesque scene left everyone on the bus horrified. Their pupils dilated as a tidal wave of fear washed over them.

However, remembering Yang Hu’s words, no one dared to make a rash move.

Fortunately, the scarecrows didn’t react violently.

After boarding, one of the scarecrows—its hollow eye sockets made of black buttons—scanned the interior before starting down the aisle.

Just then, the drunken man who had boarded earlier, his head lolling against his seat, must have been stirred by the sudden blast of cold wind from the open door. He twitched.

He slid right off his seat.

He landed squarely in the aisle, blocking the path of several of the scarecrows.

Seeing this, everyone on the bus gasped. They looked at the middle-aged man on the floor with a mixture of sympathy and pity.

’Of all the times to fall, he had to do it now, right in front of these things that were obviously not human. Isn’t that just asking to die?’

Things unfolded just as they had expected.

One of the scarecrows simply glanced down at him.

The next moment.

Strands of straw, like iron wires, shot out from its body.

The scarecrow disintegrated, completely covering the middle-aged man.

In the span of a few breaths, a living man vanished without a trace.

After devouring the drunken man, the strands of straw twisted back together, reforming into the scarecrow. Now, however, its surface was stained blood-red.

The vague outlines of flesh and blood had even appeared on what was once its plain straw face, creating a truly bizarre visage.

Witnessing this, the passengers finally understood where the human flesh and limbs on the scarecrows came from.

After that, the scarecrows each found a seat and sat down.

Curiously, they each chose a seat next to one of the five remaining human passengers.

It was only then that everyone realized an extremely serious problem.

’This bus only has about twenty seats. If more of these monsters get on later, what will happen when there are no seats left?’

As a scarecrow approached him, Yang Wu showed no reaction.

It was as if he was completely ignoring what the scarecrows had done.

Seeing this, the others followed his lead.

After all, people in this kind of situation tend to have a herd mentality. In their eyes, Yang Hu was the veteran; following his example couldn’t be wrong.

The bus drove on for several more minutes.

The scenery outside changed. The raised paths between the fields were gone.

In their place was a stretch of rolling hills dotted with graveyards.

Just then, a voice suddenly broke the silence in the bus.

"Excuse me, could you please move?"

It was Hu Qi. He had stood up, and sitting next to him was the very scarecrow that had killed the drunken man.

He made his request politely, but the scarecrow didn’t move. It just turned its head stiffly, its blurred face of flesh and straw twisting into a bizarre smile.

Seeing this, the others looked on with bewildered expressions.

Sitting in the back, Yang Hu simply shook his head. ’I can’t believe it,’ he thought. ’After two clear warnings, someone is still actively trying to get himself killed.’

’Once this guy dies, there will only be three temporary actors left.’

’We’re probably not even halfway to the final stop and the end of the script.’

’No one else can die.’

’Otherwise, if the number of temporary actors drops below two, my mission as the guide will be a failure.’

However, before he could make a move, there was a wet SQUELCH.

The entire head of the sneering scarecrow suddenly burst open.