SIATOWITF Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Nightmares and Snakes: The Little Snake Entwined on the Car Emblem

Chapter 1: Nightmares and Snakes: The Little Snake Entwined on the Car Emblem

Black… so black…

In the utter darkness and silence, bone-chilling cold surged through his body in waves, his fingertips numb as if he had lost all sensation.

Ji Mo An opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Or perhaps he was speaking, but his voice was ruthlessly swallowed by the darkness, leaving not a trace of sound.

In the darkness, Ji Mo An blankly widened his eyes.

Where is this… He laboriously controlled his arm, pressing it against his throbbing forehead.

Hiss… so sticky… A liquid flowed down his cheek, dripping into the darkness.

Was it sweat?

Or blood…

Ji Mo An shivered, slowly moving his somewhat unresponsive legs.

Too cold… he had to leave this place… he would freeze to death.

He stumbled a few steps, unsure if he was moving forward or backward.

Suddenly, the man froze in place, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes.

Something was watching him… He could feel the sharp gaze behind him, staring unblinkingly.

As if cutting through flesh and bone.

He’s going to die… run, run, run, escape this place, don’t look back, he’s going to die…

His heart pounded violently, and overwhelming fear flooded his mind, urging him to run forward.

Thump.

Ji Mo An fell.

Something coiled around his ankle, cold scales moving against his skin, bringing a slight pain.

What was that?

Ji Mo An turned his head blankly, speechless at the sight before him.

It was a huge golden eye, its pupil a vertical line, exuding a terrifying aura.

A beast’s eye.

His frantically beating heart suddenly skipped a beat, and the sudden, spreading pain on his forehead made him forget his fear for a moment.

So painful, so painful that his vision blurred, and he felt like his head was about to split open.

“Let go of me…” He struggled with his eyes closed, the scales that had been wrapped around his ankle now climbing up his waist, controlling his wrists.

“Hiss, hiss…”

A slippery, icy thing parted the strands of hair that were clinging to his skin due to sweat and moved across his forehead.

“Don’t touch me!” Ji Mo An struggled desperately, but he couldn’t break free from the constraints of the scales.

That thing was still wreaking havoc on his forehead, even using its forked end to pry at his eyelids.

“Ha… ha…”

The eerie sensation of the scales climbed onto his neck, constricting… suffocating…

So painful… was he… going to die?

—–

“Ah!”

Ji Mo An suddenly sat up in bed.

He subconsciously covered his forehead, the feeling of suffocation around his neck still lingering.

This dream again… Ji Mo An fumbled on the bedside table for his glasses and put them on.

The clarity of his vision brought him some peace of mind.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Ji Mo An sighed. Ever since that accident, he would occasionally fall into the same nightmare, and it seemed to be happening more frequently lately.

The terrifying feeling of suffocation persisted until he woke up, but the content of the dream was quickly forgotten.

In just a few seconds, the dream was completely forgotten.

“Ding-a-ling…”

His phone suddenly vibrated, ringing incessantly under the covers.

[6:30]

It was his Monday alarm. Ji Mo An swiped to turn it off, and the messages that had arrived overnight gradually appeared.

What was this again?

[@First Guild (Following): Recruiting Space-Type Ability…]

Ji Mo An raised his eyebrows, unlocking his phone while washing up.

[Dear players, we sincerely invite all Infinite Flow Players to join the First Guild family. We currently have three openings for Space-Type Ability users and two for Thunder and Lightning Ability users. Those interested should send their application forms privately to the Vice Guild Leader~ ps: Mental Ability users are exempt from interviews and will be admitted directly.]

“…” Ji Mo An paused, continuing to scroll through the comments section.

[Has anyone noticed that there are more and more Infinite Flow Players lately! (Seventh Guild is also recruiting, urgently needs Water Ability users.)]

[Rage! Can you guys in the First Guild have some shame? You’ve already poached eighteen of my new teammates. Ice Ability users can check out our Snow Shadow Guild]

[Lóuzhǔ Lóuzhǔ – OP, here’s a Space-Type Ability user, where can I get the application form?]

[The application form is in the pinned post~]

A new reply popped up, with a conspicuous “Following” badge next to the replier’s name.

“What kind of nonsense is this again?” Ji Mo An walked downstairs and immediately saw Ji Mo Xin, who was grinning foolishly at her phone while sitting with her legs crossed and munching on a fried egg.

“Brother!” Ji Mo Xin immediately swallowed the fried egg and crossed her arms.

“This is super popular, brother, can’t you get with the times?” She harrumphed smugly. “I’m the Guild Leader of the First Guild!”

“Guess how many people are in our guild?”

“Twenty,” Ji Mo An said, too lazy to play along. “Are you done eating?”

“You underestimate me!” Ji Mo Xin yelled. “We have three group chats in our guild now. Brother, are you still eating at the company? Can I hang out at your company for a day? I can’t stand going to school for even one more day.”

“Dream on,” Ji Mo An tapped the little girl’s back lightly with his phone, but Ji Mo Xin snatched it away.

“I’ll add someone for you, my Vice Guild Leader. The Guild Leader is going to be MIA for another week, and I feel like he can’t manage everyone with so many people now. I, Ji Mo Xin, officially appoint you as the Grand Overseer of the First Guild. Aren’t you honored?”

“That’s so honorable. I wonder if the Guild Leader has finished her homework from last week,” Ji Mo An sneered, snatching his phone back.

“It’s okay, there’s still half an hour of traffic. I’ll just copy my deskmate’s during early reading. Brother, if you’re sarcastic again, I’ll revoke your position and demote you to a Tier 1 Player,” Ji Mo Xin made a “stop” gesture and jumped up to run to the garage.

“Aunt Mu, we’re leaving,” Ji Mo An nodded to Aunt Mu, who was preparing to clear the dishes, and pressed the elevator button to go downstairs.

Fifteen- or sixteen-year-old children were very impatient, preferring to run down the long stairs rather than wait a few seconds for the elevator.

“Brother!”

Before the elevator door opened, Ji Mo An heard his sister’s ‘howl’.

“Brother! Must keep!” Ji Mo Xin frantically pressed the “up” button on the elevator, dragging Ji Mo An away quickly.

“Keep what?” Ji Mo An looked puzzled.

“This!” Ji Mo Xin eagerly approached Uncle Wu, the driver, pointing at the car.

It was a beautiful Rolls Royce “Shadow”. The originally silver car emblem was now wrapped in a dark, black thing.

“Old Gu and I took the dust cover to be cleaned yesterday. We were just about to put it back on today when we saw…” The driver saw Ji Mo An approaching and stepped aside.

“How come snakes always pick the good cars to climb on?”

“Brother, look, isn’t it cute? It’s definitely not a wild snake. I’ve searched it up; it’s a pet snake. It’s so small, it’s still a baby snake,” Ji Mo Xin tugged at Ji Mo An’s sleeve eagerly.

It was indeed a small snake, about fifteen centimeters long and as thick as a chopstick.

It coiled on the car emblem, its jet-black scales clinging to the silver-white figure, making it look particularly beautiful.

The little snake really knew how to find a good spot. It rested its tiny head on the figure’s curved back, its bright red tongue appearing from time to time at its mouth.

But snakes… how could there be snakes in this kind of place?

Most of the neighbors nearby were familiar, and he hadn’t heard of anyone developing a fondness for raising snakes.

The only family he knew who did lived in the south of the city.

“Brother, keep it, keep it! It’s a black kingsnake, non-venomous, it’s not against the law!” Ji Mo Xin looked at the little snake with intense desire. “Its eyes are golden! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful little snake.”

“No.”

Then she received the expected answer.

“Brother, I only have one wish in this life. Are you really so cruel as to watch your poor sister go to school with a broken heart to suffer?” Ji Mo Xin began to act shamelessly.

“No,” Ji Mo An refused decisively. “Uncle Wu, catch the snake carefully. Ask the neighbors if anyone has lost a snake.”

This snake was raised so well that its scales shone brightly, and it certainly didn’t look like a wild snake.

“Brother, sob, sob, if no one claims it, can we keep it?” Ji Mo Xin made a pitiful concession.

“No.”

A triple refusal.

Ji Mo Xin used her ultimate move. She took a deep breath and opened her mother’s WeChat.

“I’m going to find Mom.”

“It’s useless even if you find Grandpa, and Mom wouldn’t agree to you keeping a snake anyway. They’re abroad, it’s nighttime there now,” Ji Mo An responded very skillfully to his sister.

However… this snake was indeed beautiful. No wonder Ji Mo Xin was so captivated; even he was a little tempted.

“Mom would like it; isn’t her latest design the Ouroboros?” Ji Mo Xin wanted to salvage the situation. “How about I get into the top fifty in the grade for the final exams?”

“Deal,” Ji Mo An grabbed her school uniform collar and stuffed her into the car. “You’re going to be late.”

“Brother, I love you,” Ji Mo Xin made a cheesy heart shape in front of her chest.

“Give it to me,” Ji Mo An took the transparent box containing the snake from Uncle Wu.

Thinking about the live-in aunt who was only good at feeding intelligent creatures, Ji Mo An, who had ten years of passive experience coexisting with pets, consciously took on the task of raising the snake.

—–

The time of arrival at the school was 7:30, just barely making it before the doors closed.

Ji Mo Xin shoved the papers into her schoolbag with a worried expression, patting her lower back.

“Brother, can’t we change cars? My back hurts. I really like Dad’s new Promessa.”

“It’s not like we’re going to a banquet; safety is the most important thing,” Ji Mo An said, turning the box, admiring the black snake from all angles.

He had already sent photos to a friend. It was indeed a Mexican black kingsnake, and the golden eyes and red tongue were most likely individual variations.

Non-venomous, no owner. With these two conditions met, keeping it wouldn’t be a difficult task.

Watching Ji Mo Xin run towards the teaching building under the urging of the schoolteachers, Ji Mo An slightly curved his lips.

Compared to the aristocratic schools, City Number One High School was more tiring, but the children studying here had all entered based on their scores, and they were the most outstanding of their peers.

His own precious child didn’t need to go to private international schools to engage in intrigues or cultivate connections. He only hoped that Ji Mo Xin would go to a university she liked and do what she wanted, like any ordinary family’s child.

As for studying abroad.

Don’t be ridiculous. It’s far away and dangerous abroad. It’s enough for Mom and Dad to go sightseeing.

“Young Master An, are we going directly to the company?” Uncle Wu struggled to turn the car around; it was rush hour now, and there were a ridiculous number of cars in front of the school.

“Mm,” Ji Mo An nodded, placing the little snake aside and picking up his phone.

Buzz…

A pop-up window appeared on his phone.

[“Blood Shadow” has accepted your friend request]

“?”

It was the Vice Guild Leader that Ji Mo Xin had added for him this morning, Ji Mo An remembered.

However, this profile picture…

He looked at the black-and-white anime profile picture and slightly twitched the corners of his mouth.

Okay, well, teens are in their edgy phase.

Just like how he used to drive supercars out for night drives every day when he was in college.

[Blood Shadow: Vice Guild Leader of the First Guild.]

[Blood Shadow: hello brother, can you give me a note? Our guild leader said your name is AnAn?]

[Blood Shadow: brother, we are colleagues, get to know each other? I am at Hui Du Middle School, in the third year, which school do you go to?]

[Blood Shadow: How old are you? I feel like I should be older than you, you can just call me Shadow Bro.]

“…”

[I am 26 years old.] Ji Mo An moved his fingers, still telling the truth.

The other side deducted a question mark and then quickly withdrew.

[Blood Shadow: I*, it turns out to be Brother An, a senior player, respect, respect [holding fist]]

“…” A little polite, but not much.

Ji Mo An expressionlessly deleted the message with the “indecent” words and closed his phone.

You’re the senior one, your whole family is senior.