"Damn it, this ghastly thing is relentless?!"
I frowned, the situation had become a bit tricky.
"Lu, we should go take a look."
Ivis, beside me, was also getting jumpy due to this persistent, ghostly presence. He was about to walk towards the man in the trench coat.
"Don't rush..."
I reached out and stopped Ivis.
"In this bizarre environment, it's better to be safe than sorry. If he wants to follow, let him. I refuse to believe we can't shake him off by taking different paths!"
Ivis might want to court death, but I certainly didn't.
Knowing full well the other party wasn't good news and still approaching them, wasn't that an idiotic move?
I pulled Ivis and turned away, my doubts growing by the second.
I was starting to question Ivis's identity. Was he truly the owner of the diary I found, or had he, for some unknown reason, assumed Ivis's identity to be by my side?
Setting aside his specialized skills, even in this situation, Ivis lacked the most basic sense of self-preservation. This alone made me doubt his identity.
Unless his mind was somehow influenced, there was definitely something wrong with the person beside me!
I led Ivis back to the previous crossroads and chose a different direction.
This time, we hadn't gone far before we saw the familiar figure. And this time, the individual appeared within ten meters of us, meaning we would encounter him if we took just a couple more steps.
"You're everywhere?"
"Lu, what do we do now?"
I looked up at the sky, noticing it was growing darker. I didn't know when the last bit of light would vanish. We no longer had time to play this game of cat and mouse. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"We're running out of time. It seems we have no choice but to confront this ghastly thing head-on!"
Facing such a persistent specter, my anger flared up.
Since you're determined to pester us, I'll see what you're made of!
Ivis and I split up, standing one behind the other, and cautiously approached the man in the trench coat.
In a blink, I found myself behind the man. His trench coat was incredibly long, completely obscuring any information from behind.
As I got closer, I noticed that the little elephant that had accompanied him during his first appearance was not present. This made me breathe a sigh of relief. At least on the surface, he didn't seem like a trap.
"Hello, do you need my help?"
I coughed gently, about to speak, when the man in the trench coat turned around first and greeted me.
"What the heck, where did you come from, a ninja, so heavily concealed!"
The man in the trench coat turned, yet it was as if he hadn't. His entire body was swathed in the massive trench coat, even his face was hidden by the collar, leaving only his eyes visible.
As I heard him speak, a strange feeling washed over me. My intuition told me this trench coat man had largely transcended the human realm, like a monster wearing human skin!
My guard was raised to the highest level. Facing his seemingly benevolent inquiry, I didn't reply. Instead, I stared intently at his body, not missing a single detail.
On one hand, I was observing him for anything unusual. On the other, in response to such a seemingly friendly question, an easy reply could easily lead me into his trap.
After all, who knew if this trench coat man might act like an AI in a movie, only taking the next step when certain conditions were met.
In this bizarre environment, it was better to be cautious.
"Who are you? We're trapped in this godforsaken place. Can you help us leave?"
Damn it! What a liability!
The one who spoke was none other than Ivis. Upon seeing the man in the trench coat, he acted as if he'd seen his own father. Seeing my silence, without even a second thought, he excitedly answered the trench coat man's question.
"Oh, my friend. I'm so thrilled to meet you. You wish to leave? No problem, I will fulfill your wish!"
Although the sentiment should have been joyful, these words, spoken by the man in the trench coat, lacked any emotional inflection. Instead, they sounded like pre-programmed responses from a robot.
"Oh no!"
My instincts screamed danger, but before I could react, I suddenly saw the man's trench coat unfurl, revealing a pitch-black space within!
The next second, I felt a pulling force emanating from it. There was no room for resistance. Instantly, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness.
"Lu, wake up, wake up!"
In a daze, I thought I heard someone calling my name. I wanted to reply, but my body felt incredibly weak, as if I had just run a marathon.
My eyelids felt as heavy as iron plates. It took immense effort to pry them open.
The first thing I saw was Ivis, looking at me with a worried expression. His left hand was slightly raised in mid-air, as if he was about to slap me if I didn't wake up sooner.
"Where... where is this..."