The girls' room had a layout similar to his, except for having two small beds.
Even though there were two small beds, only one of them had a raised blanket.
He floated forward.
He saw the two girls curled up on the same bed, like two lonely young beasts, huddled close to each other, seeking a sense of security.
Their sleeping forms made Li Andy envious and jealous.
He felt an urge to squeeze in between them and wake them up.
After observing for half a minute, he quietly left the room.
He wandered around, following his memory, assessing the differences between reality and the game.
In this monastery, besides Night Raven Sister, there were several “ordinary” sisters living there.
They were all survivors of mysterious incidents, their lives overshadowed by the specter of memory.
Li Andy floated over their roofs and observed the madness of these individuals.
For example, the old Sister Jill, who was responsible for managing the church, once had three children. But in one incident, her children passed away one after another. Sister Jill believed she had harmed them, so every night she would confess repeatedly to their portraits and photos.
Another example is Sister Erinda, who appeared to be a devout believer but was actually a blasphemous painter. Her paintings always depicted twisted monsters or scenes of bloody cannibalism. After each painting, she would kneel before it and cry, then tear and burn the works.
There was also Sister Mary, who was once an astrologer but for some reason developed astrophobia, always feeling that the stars in the sky were watching her. On clear nights, she would hide in her wardrobe in extreme fear, even though her room had no windows at all.
If he hadn't clearly known this was a monastery, he would have thought he was in a mental asylum.
Once a person deeply touches the mysterious, he lives forever in its shadow.
Even if you try your best to hide yourself and return to a normal life.
Those things will eventually knock on your door one day.
It's like your shadow, always following and watching you.
Li Andy quietly retreated to the corridor, his thoughts somewhat jumbled.
He clearly knew that, like those sisters, he could never escape.
Only by continuously improving himself could he find true vitality.
Even if advancing would bring him closer and closer to the abyss.
"Oh, right! There's one more place!"
As Li Andy was about to return, he suddenly remembered a place from when he played the game that had always bothered him.
A moment later.
Li Andy arrived beneath a goddess statue in the church.
The base of this towering goddess statue was actually hollow.
In the game, the holy water drops sold by the church were all taken from a secret room inside. But apart from Sister Anna, no one else had permission to enter there.
Li Andy closed his eyes tightly and observed the inside with a strange perspective.
In his soul state, he could vaguely sense danger, which was one of his few useful abilities.
After confirming there was no danger, he slipped inside.
But as soon as he passed through the wall, he was stunned by the sight before him.
In the dim, eerie secret room, only four crimson candles burned.
The faint candlelight enveloped a blurry statue in the center.
Who would have thought that inside the goddess statue, which was always worshipped outside, there was another bizarre statue!
Li Andy swallowed, suddenly feeling the shadow beneath his body in the room become restless, and a surge of hunger rushed from deep within his body to his soul.
This statue was a relic!
It was a relic he had never seen in the game!
Its function and side effects were unknown.
Suddenly, the candle flames on either side of the statue flickered without wind.
Li Andy was instantly startled, quickly retreated, and flew straight back to his room.
At the same time, Sister Anna's door suddenly opened.
A pair of pure white eyes coldly scanned the corridor.
The patrolling ghost sisters stopped in unison, raising their lanterns crisscross, illuminating the church brightly.
However, no unfamiliar shadow appeared under the light.
After a long while, Anna closed her eyes and slowly retreated into her room.
The ghost sisters in the corridor also lowered their lanterns and resumed their patrol.
Everything was as silent as in days of old.
Meanwhile, in Li Andy's room, a soul and body were tightly overlapped, not daring to move.
The next day.
Li Andy yawned and sat in a corner of the church, praying with other believers.
He wasn't religious; he just did it for the free breakfast.
Since it was free, he figured he might as well go with the flow and show some respect.
“Brother, are you alright?”
A soft voice from a girl by his ear made Li Andy perk up. He opened his eyes and his eyes lit up even more.
At this moment, Yuquan Youxi had changed into a choir sister's dress and was distributing communion with Sophia and several other sisters.
The dress she wore was a one-piece style, with the hem falling below her knees, primarily black. She wore a black headscarf, a clean white triangular collar, and a white ribbon tied around her waist.
The overall design was simple yet elegant, rustic yet refined, and it did not diminish the girl's freshness in the slightest. The silky white socks and thick-soled shoes that encased her delicate feet, on the contrary, further highlighted her youthful vitality and vigor.
If this outfit were in a gacha game, it would easily sell for 268 yuan.
“Brother?”
Youxi whispered again. Seeing Andy nod in response, she quietly placed an extra piece of bread on his tray and then hurried to the next spot.
Sophia, who arrived later, also quietly poured a little extra milk when she reached him.
Li Andy couldn't help but find it amusing; it was as if… he was being supported by the two girls.
After breakfast, Li Andy quietly left the church.
Night Raven Sister was very busy, so she didn't bother him much.
As long as he didn't cause trouble, his freedom was generally not restricted.
At his age, it was time for him to find a way to make a living.
He couldn't possibly let those two girls work to support him forever.
Leaving the church, Li Andy arrived at Black Alley.
Black Alley.
The name sounded like a narrow alley, but in reality, it was an old district composed of buildings with various contrasting styles.
Initially, it was a gathering place for gold prospectors. But due to the decline of the gold rush, it gradually evolved into a slum.
Subsequently, driven by imperial industry, it grew taller and taller, gradually transforming into a mixed-bag area filled with various grey and black businesses.
There were no bright lights here, and the narrow tall buildings made it difficult for sunlight to penetrate. Even at the brightest noon, only scattered patches of light could be seen on the ground.
Li Andy walked through it, covering his nose.
The smell of alcohol, engine oil, and decay drifted back and forth, carried by the alley winds from different directions.
From above, mysterious liquids would occasionally drip, requiring constant vigilance to avoid them.
If he had to describe it in one sentence, it would be:
“An urban village, punk-ancient style.”