NOVEL NEXT Chapter 340: Passing Conditions
"Muyao, something seems a bit off, don't get too close yet..."
Xiao Yi, sensing something wrong, immediately became alert and climbed down the ladder into the so-called underground space…
As he entered, the smell of blood reached its peak.
The pungent odor made Xiao Yi struggle to adapt, and he couldn't help but pinch his nose.
The underground space was quite dim, which was expected since it was nearly an enclosed space with limited light.
However, Xiao Yi's eyes, gradually adjusting to the darkness, immediately spotted... the bodies lying haphazardly all over the ground.
They were undoubtedly a pile of bodies, and... they were bodies that had not been dead for long.
"...What happened?" Xiao Yi frowned.
Had those monsters broken in? But... the entrance had not been damaged, and from the size of the monsters Xiao Yi had seen, it was clear they could not have passed through the entrance.
Could it be that there were creatures as small as humans, or perhaps...
However, it was useless to think about these things here, these people were already dead, and the killer was not here. Delving deeper without any clues was just a waste of time.
Xiao Yi carefully investigated, confirmed that everyone here was dead, and that no one had survived, then he left through the entrance.
"...What happened?" Luo Muyao asked as she saw Xiao Yi return.
"...They're all dead," Xiao Yi replied.
"All dead?" Luo Muyao was momentarily stunned, "What do you mean? What happened?"
"I'm not sure about that…" Xiao Yi said, then continued walking, "When I arrived, they were already dead, unable to confirm the prior situation, but from the way they died, it seems to be beyond the capability of normal human force. Let's leave for now… The only certain thing is that this place is no longer safe."
"...Okay." Luo Muyao immediately nodded silently, not asking further, and hurried to keep up with Xiao Yi.
Then, as they climbed out, Xiao Yi sensed something wrong once again.
"There's some strange noise around…"
Xiao Yi immediately noticed, unlike the silence earlier where there were neither human nor monster shadows, he now heard strange noises coming from all directions.
It sounded like a mix of breathing... mingled with the sound of something vibrating, like a heartbeat.
Xiao Yi, now perceptive of these subtle signs, immediately warned as Luo Muyao emerged:
"Don't move just yet, there's something hiding around…"
"...Uh, okay." Luo Muyao immediately shrank behind Xiao Yi, daring not to move.
Even though nothing was visible around and it was quite peaceful, Luo Muyao felt it was always right to be cautious since Xiao Yi had mentioned it.
Subsequently, just like Xiao Yi had said, something indeed lurked around, and this lurking presence… realizing that Xiao Yi and Luo Muyao did not act as expected but were alert to its presence, knew its continued hiding was pointless and revealed itself…
"Such impressive insight, I didn't expect… you to see through me…"
With those words, the figure of a man appeared in front of Xiao Yi.
"...Uh, who are you?" Xiao Yi asked.
"Who I am is not important…" The man didn't seem to reveal his name, instead, he playfully said to Xiao Yi, "What's important is who you are…"
"...I, who am I?" Xiao Yi was momentarily stunned, thinking this man couldn't possibly be exploring some philosophical issues? Did he really have the mindset for this in such a situation… is he out of his mind?
"You are well known," the man continued, "Or rather, there are not many who don't know you... Xiao Yi, Savior of Dragon Country, regarded by all on Blue Star as the greatest hope against Analog Horror."
"...Oh? Is that how others describe me?" Xiao Yi scratched his cheek, "I don't know why… I'm not that pleased. Is it because others didn't give me a cool and poetic title?"
"Is that the point? No…" The man suddenly paused, then sighed before continuing, "I see, indeed, talking with you means you steer the conversation, never mind, just know one thing… you will die by my hand."
"...Ah?" Startled by this, Xiao Yi blurted out, "What does this mean? Why suddenly talk of killing? Do you have any grudges against me? I don't recall ever killing your mother, did I?"
"...It's not about personal grievances," the man somberly spoke, "but about you and me, everyone is eventually going to die, so you might as well let me kill you… at least allow me the honor of personally killing the legendary Xiao Yi before the final death arrives."
"..." Xiao Yi was silent for a moment, then asked Luo Muyao, "Did you understand what he's talking about?"
"No…" Luo Muyao also shook her head, "Heaven knows what he's saying."
So Xiao Yi looked back at the man and said, "Sorry… we really don't understand what you're talking about."
"Don't you get it?" The man sighed, "I thought if anyone could understand, it would be you. Most of the world foolishly thinks you are the hope to conquer Analog Horror, but anyone with clear eyes can see… Analog Horror is unbeatable, even the miraculous power you possess is but a charity of Analog Horror..."