Chapter 14: Happy Birthday
The solid wooden door swung open towards the little girl, slamming shut just as a tongue shot out.
An elderly man with a pronounced bald head poked his face through the door, holding the doorknob with one hand. He smiled and nodded at Luo Jun before stepping to the side, allowing him entry into the room.
Luo Jun hesitated briefly, then without a second thought, rushed into the room. The old man closed the door with a bang.
Outside, the furious growls of the monstrous little girl could be heard, accompanied by loud knocking on the door. However, this noise died down after a few seconds.
"She's gone off to find other prey," the old man remarked, retracting the eyes he had placed on the peephole. He turned back to Luo Jun with a smile.
"Thank you, esteemed elder, for your timely rescue." Luo Jun stood behind the bed, maintaining a distance of three to four meters from the old man. His tone was very respectful, but his eyes never left the old man. Inside, he was gripping the Heavenly Machine Dice tightly.
In the brief moment that had passed, the number of chances had already refreshed.
The reason he dared enter this room was twofold: firstly, he had nowhere else to flee, and more importantly, he had seen the old man's smiling nod. According to the rules set for the room, obeying the rules indicated that he was likely human. In stark contrast, the little girl had been a monster who killed without regard for the rules, bursting through the door as though they meant nothing to her.
Yet who exactly was this old man? Why had he appeared in his room? Luo Jun's mind was flooded with questions, which made him appear humble on the surface, while internally he was ten thousand times more cautious. He kept a watchful eye on the old man, searching for any traits that might suggest he was not human.
The old man was also scrutinizing Luo Jun. After two seconds, he nodded with a smile, saying, "Not bad. When I first arrived and saw the room empty, I thought you were dead. To return alive after breaking the rules, you must have some abilities."
The admiration in the old man's tone puzzled Luo Jun. Before he could ask anything, the old man's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he leaped into the air, rushing over the bed toward Luo Jun!
"What incredible speed!" Luo Jun was taken aback. Fortunately, the cooldown for the Heavenly Machine Dice had expired, and relying on his exceptional reaction time, he activated it in an instant. As time around him slowed, he saw the old man had already closed the distance, hand reaching for his face, just inches away!
Dodge!
"Ding! Event difficulty 96, final score 23+5, event failed!"
Difficulty 96? Luo Jun abandoned the idea of using the Lead Dice to retry. If he couldn't evade, he would block!
Out of instinct to respond to the attack, Luo Jun raised his hand to shield his face. As he activated the dice, his hands had already reached chin height, close to the old man's hand, making the blocking easy!
"Ding! Event difficulty 61, final score 58+5, event successful!"
Still over sixty in difficulty? Luo Jun was astonished, but his hands were already straining upward and successfully blocked the old man's wrist!
"What incredible strength!"
Luo Jun felt as if the old man's arm were made of steel; despite his own strength being five to six times that of an ordinary person, he couldn't budge it. Instead, he was repelled sideways, narrowly escaping the old man's grasp.
Seeing this, the old man's eyes lit up. He quickly propelled himself off the ground and lunged at Luo Jun, executing a swift kick.
Before Luo Jun could regain his balance from the numbness in his arms, he saw a leg rushing toward him. In a moment of panic, he activated the Heavenly Machine Dice again. This time, he decided not to rely on dodging and directly went for the block!
"Ding! Event difficulty 57, final score 61+5, event successful!"
Feeling a sense of relief, Luo Jun raised his numb arms to block while jumping with both feet.
With a loud "bang," Luo Jun was swept away by a kick, spinning in mid-air for a full three hundred and sixty degrees before landing, barely managing to steady himself.
The old man's attack was ferocious and heavy; taking it head-on would surely be unbearable. Luo Jun leapt to dissipate part of the force!
However, even then, his forearms were trembling with pain, as if they might snap from another hit!
Clearly, the old man had no intention of letting him go; he turned to chase after him.
This time, even before the old man could act, Luo Jun had already jumped up, feet together, and unexpectedly kicked towards his opponent first!
The old man was too fast; since Luo Jun had acted first, he wouldn't have time to respond passively. If that were the case, it was better to turn defense into offense for a shot at survival!
The old man was surprised that this kid dared to counterattack. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly; he didn't dodge Luo Jun's attack and swung a punch instead!
Was he aiming to trade injuries? No, with his strength, a kick from Luo Jun wouldn't hurt him at all. However, that punch could easily cost Luo Jun half his life.
Noticing the old man's movement, Luo Jun felt a sense of relief and activated the Heavenly Mechanism Dice!
Target determined: kick toward his fist!
He couldn't evade or block in time, but if he moved first and met the old man's fist directly, just a slight adjustment of his leg angle would greatly improve his chances!
"Ding, event difficulty 36, final score 48+5, event successful!"
Good!
With newfound confidence, Luo Jun pushed off forcefully with his legs!
With a loud smack, the sole of Luo Jun's shoe struck the old man's fist, reducing the power disparity between them. Even so, he didn't clash directly. Feeling the force coming from the ground, he bent his legs to dissipate most of the impact, then propelled himself horizontally outward!
He effectively used the old man's fist as a launching pad, and the direction he flew was right toward the door!
After just a few exchanges, their positions had unknowingly shifted; Luo Jun was outside, and the old man was inside. Now, with this leap, if Luo Jun could reach the door, his chances of escape would greatly increase. Moreover, the man-eating girl monster likely wasn't far away; if the old man pursued, there could be a chance for them to turn on each other.
Just like when he encountered the seafood monster earlier!
The old man stumbled back a step. Upon seeing Luo Jun flying toward the door, his eyes glimmered with appreciation. As Luo Jun seemed to be escaping the room, the old man inhaled deeply; his clothes swayed as if controlled by the wind, and he suddenly accelerated, shooting forth like a meteor!
This burst of speed was several times quicker than his previous attacks. Even as Luo Jun grasped the doorknob, the old man managed to catch up, grabbing Luo Jun's wrist!
"What?!"
Luo Jun panicked, never expecting the old man to unleash such speed. Had he been holding back before? A wave of despair surged over him, but it passed in an instant, and he rallied himself!
He couldn't give up!
Just as he planned to summon the Heavenly Mechanism Dice, a commanding voice rang in his ears.
"Luo Jun!"
Luo Jun froze, looking at the old man in surprise.
"You know me?"
After arriving at this strange hotel, all Luo Jun had seen were monsters and rules; he didn't even know where he was. Who would have thought someone would call out his name?
The old man shook his head with a smile: "It's the first time I've seen you, but I know a lot about you."
"You're eighteen years old, attending Class 9 of Third Year at Ningdong Second High School. You lost both parents at six and were raised by your grandfather until you were fifteen. Now you live in an old community two streets away from your school, scraping by with odd jobs and welfare… Also, today, no, yesterday was your birthday."
The old man offered Luo Jun a kind smile:
"Happy birthday."