Chapter 906: The Missing

Current time flow speed: 1:13

In the lower-right corner of the field of view, crimson numbers flickered, indicating the time flow speed of different areas.

The two patches of the same red not only did not dilute the gloomy feeling,

but rather, placed in this deserted scene, it resembled the gray-white ashes left after burning paper money in a brazier.

That was... yin fire.

He did not act rashly.

Even though time was pressing, Lin An simply stood in place, quickly gathering scene information and gradually constructing a map in his mind.

The time flow speed varied between each area, with the highest, the Insect Valley, reaching as much as twenty-three times.

Under a time flow speed of 13 to 1...

He had already pulled the pursuer back by at least three kilometers, accounting for the opponent's inexplicable pause.

In this area, he had at least around forty minutes and thirty-two seconds of safe time.

After a moment, Lin An furrowed his brows slightly and slowly retracted the mental energy that had been largely suppressed.

Besides this room being undetectable like a dark cell, there were certainly other living people in the building, but a sweep of his mental power revealed nothing abnormal.

Outside the building it was afternoon, daytime, and the street was quite lively.

Judging from the current situation, he likely entered this area just as the supernatural incident first appeared.

Looking at the pair of shoes behind the door, Lin An did not choose to walk straight in.

A pair of embroidered shoes?

Supernatural incidents in reality usually have a physical entity, although the several incidents that had occurred in Heiyu, he had never found any legend of the entity's ghost or monster.

But this time, he had a vague impression.

It seemed he had heard it when he was very young.

A woman who died by the Yellow River? Revenge? An opened coffin?

Under the deceased's bed there would always be a pair of Republic-era embroidered shoes...

Uncertain, not familiar.

For him, by the time he heard the story, it had already been gradually forgotten by people; in his fragmented memories, only a faint childhood fear remained.

Lin An asked the Second Will without changing his expression:

("Do you have any impression?")

In this situation, he actually hoped the Second Will would feel somewhat 'familiar'.

After a moment, the Second Will's eyes flickered, and it replied just as uncertainly:

("It has happened in the simulation.")

("It is similar to a vengeful ghost story, accompanied by illusions and dream attacks.")

("But the scene I experienced at that time was during the Republic of China era, and it was in a courtyard house.")

He gave a slight nod, and a flash of disappointment crossed Lin An's eyes.

Although the Second Will did not elaborate, it clearly told him that, in the simulation he had undergone, that manufactured supernatural incident was probably not the same as the current scene.

He let out a light breath.

Since he couldn't determine it, he might as well quickly check it out to see what mischief this area was up to.

Taking out the mechanical compass, Lin An's right hand continuously condensed Arcane Torrent as he decisively headed toward the concealed door.

It had all-attribute damage bonus, and moreover, the various incidents within Heiyu were not as terrifying as in reality.

Even if he were attacked head-on by a supernatural entity, he had sufficient confidence to escape.

Any incident, the difficulty of its initial stage would not be too great.

It's just a pity.

In his original plan, he hoped the incident in this area would be similar to the Insect Valley or Meme.

These two types of incidents are relatively controllable, making them convenient for him to use.

For Meme-type incidents, as long as he locates the event, he can simply trigger it and then directly toss any Meme-related entity at the area's entrance.

That would easily interfere with the pursuer.

Even more ruthlessly, he could directly accelerate the Meme power...

Just as in the previous area, if he knew there were pursuers behind him, he would likely catalyze a large-scale human infection, lure them to block the entrance, and then also throw the crystal skull there.

Not to mention an advanced third-rank.

Even if a fourth-rank individual entered this area unprepared, they would likely have their thoughts collapse on the spot under the Meme impact.

"Thud... thud"

Lin An's footsteps on the wooden floor produced a faint creak; the room's renovation did not appear to have been short.

The compass rotated, hovering before him, its skill-glow of discernment spreading like flowing water into the room.

His field of view was limited.

The bedroom curtains were drawn; in the lightless room, only a corner of the windowsill and that pair of red, somewhat vivid embroidered shoes could be seen.

Fully focused, Lin An slowly extended his left hand and calmly pushed the door open.

"Creak"

At the rusted copper ring joint, it emitted a dying rotational sound.

The thin white door was easily pushed open, revealing the entire bedroom. Upon entering, Lin An suddenly felt a chilling dampness, like the air beside a lake, enveloping him.

Inside and outside the house were like two different worlds.

A faint musty smell permeated the air; weak light seeped in with difficulty from beneath the curtain's lower edge.

On guard, ready to act at any moment.

Just after steadying his gaze to see inside the house clearly, Lin An's right hand's condensed Arcane Torrent paused slightly.

Unlike in the rehearsal, perhaps there would be a different 'person' image on the bed.

There was indeed someone in the room, but it was a young man standing with his back to the curtain.

Upon hearing the sound, the young man glanced at the door somewhat nervously.

His face was full of surprise, his eyes wary; obviously he had also been startled by Lin An's sudden appearance.

"Who are you!?"

After the man instinctively cried out, upon seeing the compass floating before Lin An and that purple light, he was even more like seeing a ghost, instinctively stepping back.

His face turned deathly pale, and the silence was broken.

Lin An did not answer the young man's words right away; with his mental perception, he sensed that the other was merely an ordinary person.

Not being detected by himself, perhaps it's due to the effect inside and outside the house?

At a glance.

The not-large room contained nothing except an old-style wooden bed and a bedside cabinet.

The empty room seemed merely for sleeping; even the wardrobe that should have been there was missing.

From the bedroom's layout, it seemed the owner was not wealthy.

He had not let his guard down.

In the silence, Lin An scanned around and noticed that the bedroom floor was covered in dust.

The evenly fallen dust seemed like a thin layer of snow floating on the surface.

Except for a faint line of footprints beneath the young man's feet, the rest of the place was covered in dust.

Even behind those shoes, it was the same.

At the foot of the bed, a neatly stacked set of bedding also seemed to indicate that, besides this young man who seemed to have just arrived,

This room hadn't seen anyone for a long time.

Or perhaps the owner of those shoes had left long ago, so that dust from long neglect covered everything.

"Who exactly are you!?"

The anxious cry sounded again; the young man in a jacket couldn't help reaching for the key at his waist, seemingly intending to use the nail clipper on the key as a weapon for self-defense.

Too lazy to waste words.

Lin An expressionlessly directly used Arcane Energy to yank the person over, releasing a slight aura from the Awakened Ones.

"I ask, you answer."

"Why did you come here? What did you find?"

If it weren't to conserve spiritual energy, Lin An wouldn't mind simply killing him first and letting the corpse speak.

His time was pressing; in extraordinary times he took extraordinary measures.

Hearing that icy tone, and seeing Lin An's right hand flashing with light in an unbelievable way, the young man trembled uncontrollably all over.

Damn, what the hell is this!?

He could feel that this suddenly appearing mysterious person likely meant to kill him if they disagreed.

Moreover, that person's aura actually gave him the feeling of facing a beast in the wild.