Secret room!
. . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... .... ..... .... ... .. .
Liuping perched atop a tree in the town, peering into the wilderness beyond as the sun rose.
Darkness lay just 800 meters beyond the small town, a profound night that obscured the landscape.
Yet, Liuping distinctly recalled journeying hundreds of miles from the wilderness to reach Dark Mist Town.
Yesterday, the darkness seemed distant from Dark Mist Town.
In just one night, the darkness had advanced so much that the sun struggled to penetrate the dark fog surrounding the town, unable to dispel the night beyond its borders.
"The realm of death..." Liuping murmured.
The world seemed cleaved in two: black and white.
The shadowy expanse represented the realm of death.
Following the previous night's incursion, it had crept dangerously close to Dark Mist Town, nearly enveloping the entire settlement.
"If no one opposes the encroaching darkness tonight, will Darkness continue its advance and swallow the entire town into the realm of death?" Liuping felt a surge of urgency in his heart.
He leaped from the tree and swiftly navigated through the ruins, following the mental map of the town etched in his mind.
"The bar..." He muttered to himself as he maneuvered through the debris.
Soon, he arrived at the bar, now a scene of complete devastation with broken bricks and tiles strewn across the ground.
A massive paw print, several meters deep, marred the earth nearby, its edges coated with a layer of black powder.
"The fire... must have been fierce." Liuping grimaced.
Sensing something amiss, he hastened to the bar's original location, clearing away debris until he uncovered a charred corpse.
Liuping approached the body and turned it over.
It was the bartender.
The bartender lay in a hasty demise, one arm outstretched as if reaching for something.
Reaching—
Liuping's gaze shifted towards where the bartender was reaching.
In the distance, a corner of the bar caught his eye, seemingly empty.
"Disperse!" Liuping commanded, employing a technique to clear the rubble and ashes from the ground.
The once-hidden wooden floor of the bar emerged, bare and unadorned.
"This part is untouched!" Liuping observed as he approached, tapping the floor and detecting a hollow space beneath.
Should I break through the floor to see what's under?
Liuping glanced back at the bartender.
The bartender's expression was frozen in desperation and agony. His body contorted as if in a final, futile attempt to reach the distant corner before succumbing to death.
Liuping pressed his hand against the ground.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice resonated from beneath:
[Proceed with identity verification. Nights watchman recognized. Access granted.]
The ground split open abruptly.
Liuping tumbled through the opening, twisting before landing firmly on the ground below.
Before him lay a relatively spacious underground chamber filled with essential supplies and a vertical glass booth.
Etched into the void, two lines of small text provided clarification:
[You've discovered the phone booth.]
[This remote communication device is potentially equipped with special features.]
Liuping sighed.
"You don't need to tell me. I learned common knowledge of this era, I know what this is."
"Now I know what he was reaching for."
The bartender likely intended to report the situation in Dark Mist Town and ask for reinforcement.
The bartender was designated as receptionist number 03687 and had the authority to conduct trades and issue official identities.
Behind such an individual undoubtedly lies a formidable organization.
Indeed, individuals like the bartender should be familiar with all kinds of situations and be prepared for potential dangers.
Moreover, the leader of the nights watch had emphasized the higher risk during month-end nights.
It raises questions as to why they waited until the last moment to seek assistance, and why their attempts have failed.
Perhaps, as Liuping speculated, relying solely on basic common sense may not be enough in this situation.
Additionally, the phone booth may have special functions, adding to the mystery.
Deep in thought, Liuping was interrupted by movement in the void.
A new message materialized before him:
[Reminder]
[A peculiar disturbance has been detected north of Dark Mist Town.]
Recalling the urgency conveyed by the Sequence, Liuping hesitated, contemplating the potential significance of the phone booth.
"Is this worth anything if I sell it?" Liuping pondered aloud.
His ordinary storage bag had limited space, unable to accommodate such a large item. Additionally, the piggy bank only accepted currency, not bulky objects like phone booths.
Deciding to leave the phone booth where it was for the time being, Liuping resolved to address it later after exploring the northern outskirts of the town.
Turning away from the bar ruins, Liuping embarked on his journey north.
Along the way, he encountered numerous scorched humanoid imprints on the road, emitting a noxious odor as they clung to the ground.
Within a few hundred meters, faint noises emanated from a collapsed, multi-story building ahead.
"Who's there? Is anyone there?" Liuping called out, receiving no response.
Despite the silence, the noises persisted, prompting Liuping to exercise caution.
Retreating several steps, He concealed himself behind a large stone and prepared a technique.
After a tense moment, a frail figure emerged from the ruins.
It was Old K.
With his feet mangled and unable to support him, Old K crawled on his hands towards the source of the sound.
They exchanged silent gazes, observing Old K's frenzied state, his mouth contorted with drool and blackened blood, his hands transformed into deadly claws—
"I'm sorry..... my healing technique won't be able to save you" Liuping whispered, canceling his technique.
However, he couldn't allow Old K to Be tormented like this, a lurking danger seemed to emanate from the man's very being.
In this dire circumstance, every iota of spiritual power was precious, so...
Liuping drew his pistol and aimed it at Old K.
Unaware of the impending threat, Old K continued to crawl towards Liuping with a ravenous determination, as if Liuping were the most delectable morsel in the world.
Liuping pulled the trigger.
Boom!
Old K's body jerked as a cavity opened in his chest, halting his advance as he collapsed to the ground, no longer able to crawl forward.
At that moment, Old K seemed to transform, his eyes clearing slightly.
"It's you... hurry, shoot me in the head! I'll only die with a headshot!" Old K uttered, his words devoid of coherence.
"What happened last night?" Liuping inquired.
Old K's expression twisted with fear, morphed into madness, and finally surrendered to despair.
"Quick! End me! Otherwise, it'll be too late!" he shrieked.
With those words, Old K convulsed violently, and within moments, sharp bone spurs erupted from his body.
"Please, I beg you—" he pleaded.
Liuping watched as Old K's eyes glazed over entirely, his forehead splitting open to reveal another set of darkened eyes.
Boom!
A bullet obliterated his head.
All movement ceased abruptly.
The lifeless body lay still on the ground.
Liuping observed the corpse in silence.
"Quick! End me! Otherwise, it'll be too late!"—
In another interpretation: "Kill me, and I won't suffer anymore."
'...Was he afraid of transforming into a monster? Or was there something else at play?'
Liuping found himself bewildered.
As the wind swept through the town and departed, a sense of unease lingered in the air.
The world gradually succumbed to a deathly silence.
Time stretched on.
The body remained unmoving.
Liuping holstered his gun with a slow, deliberate motion, stepping back before resuming his journey.
Half a quarter-hour later, he reached the northern outskirts of Dark Mist Town.
A line of small text materialized in the void:
[The anomalous wave is concentrated 500 meters to your left. You must locate its source to be analyzed by this sequence.]
Liuping climbed atop a heap of rubble and gazed in the indicated direction.
Recollection flooded his mind.
During his initial exploration of Dark Mist Town, he had traversed the entire perimeter and passed by that spot.
There stood a dilapidated structure, once known as a "church."
Though it appeared abandoned, it gave off a distinct aura, unlike the other buildings.
Determined, Liuping conjured a technique as he moved forward.
The bricks and stones that obstructed the passage flew out, stacking up on the opposite side of the church.
Liuping peered into the church.
—He understood why the church felt so different from other structures.
While other buildings had crumbled, a bit of exploration would reveal their emptied interiors.
But the church was different.
Despite its abandonment, everything within remained meticulously arranged, untouched by human hands.
No one dared disturb the grace of the church.
Liuping ventured inside, surveying the interior until he halted before a wall.
Water seeped through the wall, accompanied by faint, reverent murmurs from within.
Liuping strained his ears, the religious intonations growing clearer as he focused.
As the voices multiplied, Liuping steadied himself and delivered a forceful punch to the wall.
Crash!
Bricks tumbled to the ground, unveiling a concealed chamber.
Instantly, Liuping grasped the layout of the secret room.
The secret room was small, its four walls and floor adorned with smooth stone surfaces intricately inscribed with mysterious runes, coalescing into an elegant circle that encompassed a statue resting atop a metal pedestal.
The statue depicted a woman draped in a resplendent, colorful robe.
With an expression exuding compassion and dignity, her eyes closed serenely as she clasped a length of black iron rope in both hands.
This black iron rope encircled her wrists, twisted around her torso, and ending in a weighty shackle secured tightly around her ankles, imprisoning her feet.