Chapter 121: Station 24: Echoes of Sound

Chapter 121: Station 24: Echoes of Sound

An untraceable breeze swept in from the end of the corridor, carrying with it a dampness and a solitary chime that filled the space.

The corners of the black silk robe billowed in the wind.

Breaking the silence, the man stepped on the shattered tiles, heading towards the direction of the bell's sound.

The faint tinkling of his footsteps on the broken porcelain seemed to rouse Mobis, who followed the man, his towering figure more resembling an oversized pet than a bodyguard.

Cephus disliked the impression Mobis gave, but lacking the courage to stand in front of Yan Qiling just yet, he could only trail silently behind Mobis, acting as one responsible for covering their rear.

Upon reaching the room at the end of the corridor, all the vines appeared to originate from within. The floor was mostly reduced to an unrecognizable pile of rubble, while the green vines thrived exceptionally well here.

The room's door had vanished, and by its decor, it seemed to have served as an office for one or several individuals. The bell's source was a telephone nestled in the right corner of the room.

It was an old-fashioned landline phone, cream-green in color, blending seamlessly into the surroundings and even lending a strange vitality to the entire room.

Odd yet harmonious.

Yan Qiling stepped over the vines without any change in his expression and approached the phone. Just as he was about to answer it, Mobis beat him to it, taking the call and activating the speaker.

Static crackled from the receiver, accompanied by trembling electronic waves.

Then, they heard a voice that was difficult to identify as male or female, or rather, a voice that seemed both at once.

"It... static... Killer... is among... you... static..."

"Sweets... are Its... favorite... static..."

"When blood flows again... It will give you... new clues... Now, open the... drawer in the office... You'll need it..."

The call disconnected with a series of beeps, leaving only the endless sound of a busy signal.

Mobis immediately turned to search the dilapidated drawers. He quickly found some small snacks and a shiny key, though it was unclear which door it belonged to.

As Mobis continued searching, Caprice suddenly frowned.

"Did you hear anything?"

In the stillness, they caught the sound of heavy footsteps echoing from the other end of the corridor.

Yan Qiling's eyelashes quivered as he softly whispered the word of death:

"Ubitos."

Both of them froze for a moment before realizing it was the monster's footsteps!

Cepheus' first instinct was to retreat back into the office. In contrast, Mobis and Yan Qiling's immediate reaction was to dash out the door!

This was an unexpected turn of events, but seeing their actions, Cepheus hastily gathered his courage and followed suit – he didn't want to be left behind!

Before they could reach the spot where they had entered, Ubitos, equipped with a bite-resistant muzzle at the end of the corridor, let out a beastly roar. He charged towards them with a blood-stained chainsaw raised high!

Despite this, they were generally faster. Mobis managed to take the lead and step onto the bridge first.

Cepheus had initially thought he would be the last one, but to his surprise, Yan Qiling, who had been running ahead of him, suddenly moved aside, allowing Cepheus to pass through the bridge first. Then, Yan Qiling calmly pulled the lever beside the door frame!

The two drawbridges slowly rose.

This oriental beauty moved with an inconceivable blend of elegance and strength, like a soaring black butterfly, lightly tapping the elevated ground with the tip of his feet before gracefully leaping over the raised bridge, landing steadily in front of them.

Cepheus was left wide-eyed and astonished, while Ubitos, wielding the chainsaw, was completely cut off from the bridge!

Mobis, grabbing the two, attempted to run but was stopped by Yan Qiling.

"His presence here indicates there's still a connection within the building. The original house is no longer safe. We need to find another place. I'll distract it here; you two should take the others away from the original location first."

Cepheus felt uneasy about this plan.

"What about you? You can't stay here indefinitely after we leave, right?"

"I'll be fine."

This slender figure stood in stark contrast to the panting Ubitos on the other side of the bridge. Yet, he remained calm, gazing steadily into the monster's eyes without any sign of panic.

"I'll find another way out. Don't worry, once I'm done here, I'll figure out how to locate you all."

Cepheus was about to protest, but Mobis promptly pulled him along, saying,

"Let's go."

The two men stomped away on the metal bridge with a clatter.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, plunging their surroundings into absolute darkness. The man's inky cloak billowed like the wind, blending seamlessly with the night.

Yet, his beautiful blue eyes suddenly glowed with a faint purple hue. The intense blackness only served to accentuate the gentle radiance.

In that instant, the iris, a fusion of blue and purple, spun swiftly to one side within its socket, revealing the pulsating eye on the back of his head!

That eye gleamed with a magnificent chaotic red, akin to oil swirling in water, emitting a mesmerizing array of colors.

It was the Manifested Jewel!

His deep gaze locked onto Ubitos.

The giant, panting heavily, discarded the buzzing chainsaw he held. The severed chains had freed his hands, and he could have easily collapsed the iron bridge with his strength. Instead, he placed those hands on the ground and bowed his head submissively.

Like a devoted buffalo lowering its sharp horns before its master, all intentions of aggression were withdrawn.

Countless crimson threads emanated from the man's being, weaving into the vast back of Ubitos.

In this exchange, a magnificent red lotus bloomed unseen by ordinary eyes.

-

High on the twelfth floor, the spacious apartment was detached from the city's clamor. The silver-haired youth lay in bed, yet the light pollution from nearby streets remained unavoidable.

Merely a flick of his finger could lower the automatic blinds, instantly shielding him from such disturbance.

Yet, he no longer found the light pollution as bothersome as before; anything that allowed him to perceive the world didn't provoke the same irritation it once did.

Ming Yiyang interlaced his fingers, placing them gently on his abdomen.

In the past, it would have been almost impossible for him to lie in such a proper manner on his own bed. Such a gesture might have only been characteristic of someone as disciplined as Yan Qiling.

But at some point, he had grown accustomed to this posture.

As the doctor had said, he could now see.

Though the colors before his eyes were still somewhat dim and indistinct, it was a significant improvement from the complete darkness he had experienced previously.

It started a few days ago.

Occasionally, visions resembling illustrations of hell would flash before him.

At times, it was a factory filled with mounds of flesh, livers entangled with meat, as two giants skillfully processed corpses.

Initially, he assumed these were hallucinations, precursors to a mental breakdown.

But soon, he realized...

These were glimpses of the Realm of Unending Suffering!

Silent and without any warning, they seeped into his vision like ink unintentionally spilling beyond the margins of a book, infiltrating his eyeballs and revealing unexpected scenes.

Strangely, all these visions were presented from a subjective perspective.

It was as if he was dwelling within someone's eye, sharing their view of the tormented world.

Upon realizing this, he clenched the blanket in his hands, lost in thought amidst the antiseptic scent of the hospital.

...There was only one possibility.

That was...

His Yin-Yang Eyes were now in Yan Qiling's possession, being utilized by that person! Moreover, the Purple Violets Yin-Yang Eyes... still maintained a bloodline connection with him!

And now, he saw it again.

The kneeling giant and the blooming red lotus.

The young man covered his silver eyes with his hands, suddenly bursting into a soft laughter.

It wasn't a pleasant sound; there was no joy in it. Instead, it carried an eerie chill that sent shivers down one's spine, accompanied by an unsettling neurotic quality.

Wasn't this also a form of destiny?

-

Mobis and Cabius returned to their original corridor at a pace reminiscent of fugitives. Before entering the room, they noticed Higa Kaiming and the others gathered around the spot where they had just been, seemingly engrossed in studying something.

Seeing them approach, Hu Gao Ming's first reaction was:

"Where's Yan Qiling?"

Mobis remained composed and replied:

"Yan had some business to attend to and will be apart from us temporarily. Just now, we discovered that the adjacent building has a passage leading to the kitchen. Those two perverts could enter here at any moment through that building, so it's not safe over there."

Ilan made the sign of the cross on his chest, looking worried.

"We'll have to find a new location then."

Mobis turned to Hu Gao Ming and asked,

"What are you two...?"

"I found a hidden door in the foyer. It seems to lead to somewhere underground, perhaps a place with supplies. That's why we wanted to investigate."

Hu Gao Ming smoothly answered the question and countered with another:

"Did any of you notice something unusual just now?"

Indeed, they had discovered that the murderer was among them, and this individual had a penchant for sweets.

Cepheus entertained this thought but quickly suppressed it.

Neither he nor Mobis would utter such a statement.

As expected, Mobis didn't mention the matter at all. Instead, he retrieved a key from his bosom and said, "We only found this. See if you can unlock the door with it."

Surprisingly, the key matched the secret door perfectly, and with a simple turn, the door creaked open!

Upon seeing the door ajar, Mobis took back the key and then scanned the surrounding individuals, asking, "Who will go down first?"

Silence ensued.

After a moment of silence, Hu Gao Ming spoke in a cold tone:

"I know the map. I'll lead the way."

In the eyes of those waiting inside the house, hope and gratitude flickered to life.

Yet, Mobis's gaze held an unusual sense of alertness.

Still, he didn't object, for he was indeed unfamiliar with the map of this place.

Beyond the door lay a narrow staircase, pitch-black and bereft of light. Though it was built against the wall, there were no railings, making it perilous to navigate.

Yet, in the current situation, staying put was far more hazardous than descending the stairs.

Hou Gaoming stepped onto the metallic staircase.

It was a rusted spiral staircase. The deeper he descended, the louder the droning noise became, though it was difficult to discern the source. It resembled the clamor of an electric drill in operation.

It wasn't until a hazy glow reappeared before everyone's eyes that they could finally make out the scene before them.

Unbeknownst to them, they had somehow maneuvered behind the massive kitchen exhaust vents!

Strangely, two broken bridges spanned the space between them!

The gap between the bridges was narrow enough for even a child to leap across effortlessly.

However, a colossal rotating metal fan was whirling frenziedly in the middle, blocking their path.

At the end of the vent, there stood a mysterious door, its destination unknown.

This was their sole means of escape.