"What the hell, is that how this door is used?!"
I was stunned, completely bewildered.
No one could have predicted that a plain, ordinary door would be pushed open from the outside!
As I stood there in a daze, I saw that there was no one behind the door, but rather a vortex-like thing, with space warping unnaturally, instilling a sense of dread.
A teleportation portal?!
I felt a surge of bewilderment. I had already started to accept the bizarre artistic style of this world, but I never expected it to keep throwing new curveballs at me.
I wouldn't be surprised if a red-skinned beastman suddenly lunged out from behind the door.
As I stared blankly at the door, an ancient voice suddenly echoed from behind it.
"Vishy has no wine today!"
Richard chuckled upon hearing this voice.
"For an uninvited guest like myself, everything is the best arrangement!"
The man who called himself Vishy didn't speak again. Instead, the crisp sound of a cane tapping on the ground was heard from behind the door.
Upon hearing this, Richard acted as if he had received a secret signal. He turned and smiled at me.
"Today, I'll show you just how bizarre this dark city is. This is just the beginning. Without our agreed-upon secret signal, you'll never know what awaits you when the door opens."
I noticed a clear trace of hatred on Richard's face as he said this. I suspected he had been tricked before and had developed some psychological trauma.
Now that the identity of the person on the other side was confirmed, Richard turned to me after speaking and directly stepped into the distorted space.
Richard's intention was for me to follow him, but facing this bizarre spatial anomaly, I couldn't help but hesitate.
Maybe I should just forget it.
It wasn't that I was a coward. It was just that no sensible person would have experienced something like this. The door frame itself was normal, but the interior looked like normal space had been stained by a patch of filth. It definitely didn't look like a good place.
"Lu, come over here!"
Perhaps sensing my prolonged absence, Richard's voice suddenly came from the other side of the door.
Fine, I'll just give up. I can't leave for the time being anyway. If I want to understand the true nature of this dark city as quickly as possible, this is a hurdle I must overcome.
Besides, someone like Richard, who has survived in this dark city for so long, must look down on cowards from the bottom of his heart.
Considering the trouble with Vixius, I'm still in a situation where I'm dependent on others.
Gaining Richard's approval now is very important.
With a firm resolve, I gritted my teeth and walked straight into the door.
...
The sensation was peculiar. I couldn't find the right words to describe how I felt traversing this strange door.
If I had to find a similar feeling, it would be like passing through soft clouds or a giant marshmallow.
After a brief sensation of being suspended, I found myself in another unfamiliar place.
Richard had seemingly vanished somewhere. Facing the strange environment, I stood cautiously in place, quietly observing my surroundings.
It seemed that this place, like Richard's house, was a hidden location within the dark city.
This was an unusual room. In the center of the room, I saw a massive fireplace with a roaring fire that seemed to burn eternally.
What made me wary was the bookshelf next to the fireplace, where all sorts of strange items were haphazardly arranged. For example, gray potions, feathers of unknown birds, a blood-stained monkey's paw, and most perplexing of all, leaning against the fireplace was a colossal skull, at least half the size of a person!
"Richard, where are you?"
I loudly called out for Richard, who had brought me here. It seemed he wasn't an ordinary person either, as who would normally have such a collection in their home?
"Coming, coming!"
Richard's voice emerged from the room before he did.
"Why did you take so long?"
"Oh, Yivis suddenly made a sound, and I was worried, so I went to check on him. Fortunately, nothing serious happened."
I casually made up an excuse, my eyes fixed on the person behind Richard.
"It's good that nothing happened. Let me introduce you to my old friend, Vishy."
Richard moved aside, revealing the person behind him.
"Hello, Lu."
"Hello, Vishy."
As I greeted him, I couldn't help but scrutinize him.
Frankly, Vishy's appearance was a stark contrast to my impression of the room.
I had expected the owner of so many peculiar artifacts to be at least a wizard with birds in his hair, or at least appear eccentric. But Vishy was so normal that he didn't seem like someone living in the dark city.
He was wearing the most dapper double-breasted suit, around fifty years old, with immaculately styled hair, and a complete set of accessories—cane, hat, and pocket watch—giving him the air of an old London gentleman.
If it weren't for the still-open, bizarre door behind me, I would have thought I was visiting the home of some ancient nobleman.
As I was appraising Vishy, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine, as if someone was staring at me.
Following the direction of the gaze, I suddenly realized that besides the three of us, there was actually another person in the hall!
Damn it, where did this living person come from!