“If that were the case, he wouldn’t have bothered leaving a mark. So, he just wants us to be cautious about entering the tunnel,” Ling Mo said as he slowly approached the wall, feeling his way along until he found the mark.
His fingers quickly detected the rough texture left by the burn marks amidst the layers of mucus and moss. Ling Mo scraped off a bit with his nail, and even before bringing it close to his nose, he caught a faint whiff of charred scent.
“Host Xu,” Ling Mo extended his fingers, “take a sniff and see if you can estimate how long it’s been since it burned.”
“Hmm? Okay.”
In the darkness, a cool breath brushed against Ling Mo’s fingertips. The process lasted barely two seconds, but as Xu Shuhan withdrew, Ling Mo distinctly sensed her breath had become more rapid, even tinged with a hint of reluctance.
“Did you discover something?” Ling Mo asked quickly.
“Huh? You smell pretty good…” Xu Shuhan replied instinctively, but she snapped back to reality and quickly corrected herself, “No, no! From the scent’s intensity, it’s likely been about a minute… Also, there’s nothing unusual about the tunnel entrance. If he issued a warning, could it be because something went wrong inside the tunnel when he chased in?”
“Makes sense.” Ling Mo leaned into the tunnel, cautiously waving a tentacle inside. “Two possibilities: he either heard a new sound besides the ‘cry for help,’ or he saw something…” He paused before continuing, “I think it’s the latter.”
Xu Shuhan had just relaxed but froze again at his words, “Why?”
“Here…” Ling Mo opened his hand, revealing a piece of fabric, “Caught on the tunnel wall, indicating he was in a hurry. If it were a sound, he’d be more cautious, but seeing something would make him speed up and chase frantically.”
“But…” Xu Shuhan hesitated, wanting to point out that given Yuwen Xuan’s ragged appearance, losing a piece of clothing wouldn’t necessarily indicate his state of mind… Inferring so much from this clue seemed a bit rash.
“You might not have noticed… Yuwen Xuan may be unkempt, but his suit is always pristine. Even without the means to change, the only worn-out part would be the seat area…”
Ling Mo said as he unhesitatingly entered the tunnel, “If he saw something, his speed should increase… Let’s hurry!”
Xu Shuhan stood there, wide-eyed…
“Wait… Why do you pay attention to such things!” She followed him in, the tunnel’s height halved compared to outside, making it much narrower. Even as a woman, she had to crouch. Running quickly would indeed cause some scraping. On the concrete walls, she noticed handprints, likely left by Yuwen Xuan.
It’s impressive Ling Mo’s psychic power could detect such details… But what surprised Xu Shuhan most was Ling Mo’s casual remarks… Observing the seat area could be explained by focusing on superpowers, but how did he notice whether it was clean or changed! Was he always monitoring and spying on them!
“Oh, it’s just a habit,” Ling Mo explained ahead, “Observing others helps in hiding oneself better. You should understand that, right?”
Xu Shuhan paused…
“Right… He’s doing it for them…” Xu Shuhan thought.
Her mask wasn’t just self-protection; it was a tool to conceal her observations… Others saw her as an introverted ice queen with peculiar habits, but he saw through her mask to her true nature…
“But I mostly observe superficial things… Still, knowing more is always useful. See, it’s handy now.” Ling Mo said, suddenly leaping forward, his voice coming from below, “We’re here, be careful.”
“You should occasionally observe more deeply! Like me…” Xu Shuhan sighed, taking two steps forward before jumping down.
Upon landing, Xu Shuhan immediately sensed a subtle difference.
The silt on the ground seemed deeper… The air around them felt thicker, filled with a pungent odor. Ling Mo, who had arrived earlier, was already covering his nose with his sleeve, squinting uncomfortably.
“Too bad I didn’t bring a backpack,” he muttered, “Night Vision Goggles would be handy.”
“Actually… it’s good you didn’t,” Xu Shuhan replied.
She was surveying the surroundings… Even for a Zombie, the scene was excessively gruesome…
The passage, barely two meters wide, stretched straight ahead, filled with silt and submerged in remains… Most were mere fragments of bones, yet the place exuded an overwhelming sense of dread… Like stepping into a passage of hell. 𝐑ΑꞐȯᛒÈŠ
Besides the ground, the walls were equally horrific… Bloodstains, thick mucus, and unidentifiable substances from the remains… Seeing these traces, Xu Shuhan instinctively covered her mouth. Not from disgust, but from fear…
Whatever Yuwen Xuan saw here, it’s certain that anything surviving in such a place is far more terrifying than Zombies…
“Ling Mo…” Xu Shuhan spoke nervously.
Just then, a soft “thud” echoed from the concrete tunnel they had just passed through.
The sound was close, originating right at the tunnel entrance!
Both were startled, and as Xu Shuhan was about to move, Ling Mo grabbed her. Suddenly, a chilling “wah” echoed from outside the tunnel, reminiscent of an infant’s cry! In such a dark, silent environment, the sound alone was enough to send shivers down one’s spine!