One step.
Two steps.
Lin Ye finally halted about a meter from the entrance to the stairwell.
By now the stench coming from the stairwell had reached an unbearable level.
Lin Ye had already held his breath.
His gaze fell upon that single figure.
That figure was a patch of black, in the shape of a human, its hair grown long and wild, covering its face so no one could make out its true features.
'Riiip—'
A faint sound suddenly rose. The figure stirred slightly, its head lifting slowly, and through the filthy, tangled strands of hair, it seemed to catch sight of Lin Ye standing before it.
"Fam…"
"Family…"
After murmuring those words,
the figure lying on the ground sprang up with a jolt, and the next second it lunged straight at Lin Ye.
"Look out."
Haruno shouted.
Murakami Mamoru spun around and ran without the slightest hesitation.
At a time like this, running was the best choice.
'Thump, thump, thump…'
The sound of his fleeing footsteps echoed across the first floor of the mall.
Meanwhile, Lin Ye dodged and at the same time threw a punch.
'Thud…'
Hard as steel, utterly immovable—the feel of it was nothing like an ordinary body.
The next second,
the black hair of the stinking figure surged wildly, countless strands spreading open and rushing toward him.
Lin Ye didn't hesitate. He instantly unleashed all his strength, leaping aside to dodge, and the moment he did he bolted straight toward Haruno.
"Let's go."
He grabbed Haruno, pouring all his strength into it, and ran down the path with a 'thump, thump, thump…'
Haruno's two legs actually couldn't quite keep up with Lin Ye's pace, but the moment she heard the howling sound behind them, she endured the discomfort and forced her legs to move with all her might.
So terrifying.
Haruno's heart was panicked to the extreme.
The ceaseless howling sound nearly drove Haruno mad.
Why was this monster chasing them so closely? What would be the harm in slowing down a little?
But the warmth and body heat transmitted through her gripped hand set her heart at ease, making her realize she would be fine.
With Lin Ye here, she would be fine.
"Thump, thump, thump…"
With a burst of rapid footsteps, Lin Ye pulled Haruno and they swiftly dashed up the stairs.
Part of Lin Ye's attention stayed on that long-haired black shadow behind them.
It was chasing slower and slower, and the distance between them grew.
In the end, after they went up the stairs, Lin Ye clearly noticed the long-haired black shadow's speed slow and come to a stop, no longer continuing the pursuit.
It gazed in the direction of Lin Ye and Haruno, then finally turned away.
Before long, another set of footsteps rang out,
accompanied by shouts.
"Help, help me…"
"Hey, hey there… help me…"
It was Murakami Mamoru. He had been the first to flee and had found a place to hide, but he never expected that the long-haired black shadow would in the end give up chasing Lin Ye and Haruno up the stairs and turn to chase him instead.
He fled desperately, unleashing every ounce of strength in his body. At this moment his mind held only one thought: run, run with all his might, run until that monster behind him gave him up.
"Thump, thump, thump…"
"Thump, thump, thump…"
Rounding a corner, he saw another staircase leading up, and that long-haired figure was still following, showing no sign at all of giving up.
This made him grit his teeth and, hardening his heart, stride up the stairs.
The moment he reached the top, just as he was wondering whether the long-haired black shadow had given up, he spotted a figure draped in clothing not far off.
This was…
With a "whoosh,"
the trench-coated figure turned around and instantly tore off its clothes, its naked body suddenly exposed to the air.
Even though the entire mall was dim, this monster's body was unusually conspicuous, glistening with reflected light.
"I'm done for…"
Murakami Mamoru's mind went blank, and he suddenly felt that he was finished.
...
...
After Lin Ye and Haruno reached the second floor, they waited a while in a spot far from the stairwell.
Midway, cries for help drifted over.
It was Murakami Mamoru's voice.
Those repeated cries for help weighed heavily on Haruno's heart, but she also knew this was the everyday reality of the Strange world.
Listen to it more, get used to it more, and it would be fine.
That was Haruno's thinking at this moment.
"It seems that once you run up the stairs, the long-haired Ghost on the first floor stops chasing,"
Haruno made the judgment based on the sounds; she felt this analysis and conclusion of hers ought to be fairly accurate.
"Very careful observation,"
"Of course. To survive here, observation is a must. I'm not like you and Lin-kun, players with such superb abilities."
Ordinary people had ordinary people's methods.
Even though Haruno had already entrusted the safety of her own life to Lin Ye, she still needed to familiarize herself with and adapt to this Strange event as quickly as possible, prepare for the future, and accumulate more experience now.
This was the first time she had been dragged into a Strange event, but it would by no means be the last time she was dragged into a Strange event.
This time Lin Ye was here, but what about the future?
Who in the future could guarantee that Lin Ye would still be at her side?
And so,
she needed to grow stronger as fast as she could—even if it was only psychological growth, that too was precious.
Haruno followed Lin Ye and continued walking.
This time, she deliberately let go of the hand that had been clutching the corner of Lin Ye's clothes, keeping half a meter of distance from Lin Ye.
Although it made her heart flutter with unease, she endured it and pressed forward.
This was all necessary experience.
If she wanted to live better in the future, restraining the fear in her heart now was a must.
'Tap, tap, tap…'
Footsteps kept sounding.
Only the footsteps of Lin Ye and Haruno.
Rounding a corner.
Lin Ye looked over and once again discovered a shop bathed in an orange-yellow glow.
"There's a shop on the second floor that stands out too."
One on the first floor, one on the second floor—
Lin Ye boldly guessed there would be one each on the third and fourth floors as well.
And these few shops were surely connected to clearing the instance.
Haruno noticed it too. "Lin-kun, should we go over and take a look?"
Lin Ye glanced sideways at the girl who had drawn up beside him. "Not scared?"
"Even if I'm scared we have to go look. Even if it's only looking inside from the outside—it could be a trap, but it could just as well be a clue to leaving this place."
A Strange instance involved many clues and rules.
Clearing a Strange instance required more clues.
"Alright then, Miss Haruno, this time I'll let you go ahead and explore."
Haruno's heart lurched at once. Noticing the faint, barely-there smile at the corner of Lin Ye's mouth, she immediately understood this was Lin Ye teasing her and getting back at her—after all, she was the one who routinely teased and toyed with Lin Ye.
"Fine."
Even though her heart was in a flurry, she agreed.
With Lin Ye behind her, she would be fine; Lin Ye wouldn't let anything happen to her—that was her greatest source of confidence.
Haruno walked forward step by step.
The dim corridor gradually bathed in a faint orange-yellow glow as she drew nearer.
Haruno felt her body grow a touch warmer, a feeling entirely different from the chill of before.
Before long,
Haruno arrived in front of the orange-yellow shop.
Only after stepping closer did she see clearly the shop's name.
"It's a clothing store."
A clothing store selling apparel for young men and women.
Through the glass of the door, Haruno saw rows of neatly arranged garments hanging on the racks inside.
"The first floor was a jewelry store, and this one on the second floor is a clothing store,"
Haruno pondered deeply. "What do they have in common?"
For now, the only thing they had in common was that both happened to be these types of shops.
Lin Ye pointed at the third floor. "Let's go check the third floor."
Haruno nodded at once.
She too had made the connection that the third floor must also have at least one shop lit by an orange-yellow glow.
Finding the pattern among these orange-yellow-glowing shops
was the key to clearing the instance successfully.
Lin Ye and Haruno followed the corridor toward the escalator.
The escalator had already stopped.
The two walked up the escalator, ascending step by step.
Haruno's gaze swept around, surveying the situation. Suddenly she noticed something and tugged hard at Lin Ye's clothes to alert him.
Lin Ye looked over but didn't see anything.
"Someone just slipped behind the wall."
Lin Ye nodded and used perspective.
It was… Murakami Mamoru.
Hidden over there.
Lin Ye scanned around in the direction he had come from but found no strange figure.
"Lin-kun, well?"
"It's Murakami Mamoru."
"He's not dead?"
"At least not dead for now."
"Such good luck."
Lin Ye withdrew his gaze. "Is Miss Haruno displeased?"
"Of course. He really ran fast."
"That's normal."
Murakami Mamoru wasn't close to them to begin with, so running at the first sign of danger was the most normal thing—Lin Ye could fully accept it.
"Lin-kun, your mindset really is good, that you can even accept this."
"Of course I can. It's a good thing. Isn't one less burden better?"
Hearing this, Haruno's eyes lit up.
It really was a good thing.
"Lin Ye really is a good person—he even intends to protect a stranger like Murakami Mamoru."
"In a Strange event, too many deaths aren't a good thing, and in some situations you need people to scout ahead,"
So that was it.
Haruno understood.
She thought of those two shops with orange-yellow glows.
Each shop surely held a certain degree of danger.
But if Lin Ye were the one charging in first every time, the risk to Lin Ye would be far too great.
Having survived until now, Lin Ye was by no means a simple, kindly sort.
"So, Miss Haruno, the time will come when I'll have you scout ahead."
Haruno was stunned for a moment, but she quickly patted her chest. "Leave it to me!"
She accepted gladly. "I'll do my best."
This left Lin Ye stunned. In his view, Haruno ought to have whined and refused, telling him not to arrange things this way—but instead Haruno had actually accepted.
Advancing in order to retreat?
Fine, fine.
Haruno answering this way was even better.
How could he not give Haruno this opportunity?
The two arrived on the third floor.
The third floor wasn't much different from the second floor or the first floor.
Along one side of the corridor were shops with all sorts of signs, silent and gray, suffused with a faint air of desolation and cold loneliness.
The two continued walking forward, following the corridor, searching for the shop they judged would exist, bathed in an orange-yellow glow.
One minute.
Two minutes.
At last,
Lin Ye and Haruno discovered that familiar shop with the orange-yellow light.
"Be careful,"
As they drew near, Lin Ye gave a reminder on his own initiative.
The two walked forward steadily and in order.
When they were five meters away, Lin Ye suddenly stopped.
"What is it, Lin-kun?"
Haruno grew wary.
"Come out!"
Haruno: ???
But she quickly caught on.
There was something here.
She immediately turned to look in the direction Lin Ye's gaze was cast.
But it was pitch black; she saw nothing.
'Gulp…'
Haruno's heart held nothing but tension. A trace of sweat surfaced on her forehead and trickled down.
She completely trusted Lin Ye's judgment.
She was all the more certain that Lin Ye would never joke at a time like this just to frighten her.
"Come out, otherwise don't blame me for being rude."
Lin Ye's reminder carried a chill, because he could be certain that the one hiding in the shadows was not a monster, but a person.
'Click…'
The faint sound was unexpectedly loud.
There really was someone.
Haruno suddenly thought that if she had been walking through here alone, she likely would never have discovered that existence, and would have had no time at all to react even if she were ambushed.
Thank goodness Lin Ye was here!
'Tap, tap…'
A short while later,
accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a woman wearing a tight black yoga outfit appeared.
Her face was delicate, her figure shapely and graceful with alluring curves. At this moment, her eyes were filled with wariness, and she clutched a stick in both hands, as though this stick could give her more of a sense of security.
"Are you—are you people, or… monsters?"
"Miss, you should introduce yourself first."
"Uh…"
The yoga woman hesitated for a while, but still chose to answer first. "Kurosawa Eiko, a yoga instructor."
"Lin Ye."
"I'm Haruno Yukinoshita."
The three gave brief self-introductions.
"Before coming here, did you run into anything unusual?"
The female yoga instructor thought about it but couldn't think of anything.
"Did you come into contact with any animals?"
"A cat."
A cat again.
Sure enough,
their arrival here all had something to do with cats.
"Were you hiding here from the start?"
The female yoga instructor shook her head. "I ran into a… monster, it should have been a monster."
Recalling it, she felt some fear, her body trembling slightly.
From the female instructor's description,
Lin Ye and Haruno learned what kind of monster the female instructor had encountered.
It was not the long-haired Ghost they had met on the first floor, nor the naked-bodied Ghost that Murakami Mamoru had run into, but a Ghost in tattered, messy clothing.
The female yoga instructor had at first thought it was a person, but the moment she got close she saw that monster coming toward her. She called out twice and got no response, so on instinct she turned and fled to hide.
As a yoga instructor, she had good looks and a good figure, and had always been stared at by men, which had given her a rather high level of wariness about such things.
This time,
she reacted in time and fled in time.
But she didn't run around blindly; instead she chose to hide near this shop that looked clearly problematic, waiting for people who might appear.
After listening, Haruno realized that this woman, who looked like a mere pretty face, did have brains and emotional intelligence, and knew how to analyze and judge.
This dangerous place
could indeed keep drawing out a person's potential.
"What about you?"
Haruno gave a brief explanation, and informed her of the Ghosts on the first and second floors, as well as the situation of the other person, Murakami Mamoru.
"This is a buffet restaurant,"
The third floor was mainly dining and restaurants.
The shop bathed in orange-yellow light being a restaurant was within expectations.
Lin Ye faintly had a guess.
It all depended on what that light-bathed shop on the fourth floor turned out to be.
...
...
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