Chapter 125: Station 24: Condemnation

Chapter 125: Station 24: Condemnation

However, the warehouse might not be all bad; it could mean that there was food inside.

Initially, Mobis had demanded that the children venture out to search, which elicited dissatisfaction from both Isabelle and Dory.

After rearranging their plans, Eddie and Steve decided to go out in search of supplies instead.

Until their return, they hoped the children would stay safely within the warehouse.

Cephus offered his assurance, holding the fire ax as the only one capable of deterring Mobis within the house.

Vasina's death had left the remaining survivors with a chilling taste of Mobis' terror.

Yet, his rhetoric about demons had also deeply ingrained itself into everyone's minds, particularly Dory's.

Though she disagreed with sending the children out to search for food, she accepted the possibility of a killer being among them.

"God be with you, children. One of you has been infested by a devil. If your conscience still remains untouched, please step forward. We won't harm you; we'll only exorcise the devil within you and restore your purity."

The three remaining youths showed no reaction to her words.

Dory wasn't surprised; she merely spoke in a gentle tone:

"I swear, I will dedicate my life to protect you all from Mobis' harm. But if none of you is willing to step forward, I must ask you to sit in the center, to prevent the devil from suddenly attacking any innocent souls."

Mobis observed the elderly woman and the silent children, then said simply,

"I agree with your approach."

Dory didn't overlook his presence. She straightened up and addressed Mobis directly:

"A devil does indeed walk among us, and each one of us might be tempted. But as long as our hearts are filled with light and love, the Lord's mercy will descend upon us, and we shall be able to repel malevolence."

"Mobis, you too must master yourself."

In response, Mobis poured coffee beans from the jar into his mouth, chewing them with a mocking expression on his face.

Dory let out a soft sigh, then she raised her hand to make the sign of the cross over her chest. Only then did everyone notice the intricate, peculiar tattoos covering her fingertips and the back of her hand, as if they were living religious symbols with a synaptic quality that sent shivers down one's spine.

For a moment, Isabel couldn't decide whether this woman or Mobis was more obsessed.

Despite Dory's eccentric appearance, there was no way to verify the truth behind her previous "rules."

Hu Gaoming simply sat in the middle, pondering the situation at hand – it was utterly baffling.

Since Vasina's death, Yi Lan's mental state had been on the brink of collapse. Dory soon noticed her distress and approached her, whispering,

"My sister, child of God, do not grieve. Life and death here are but natural occurrences. Only by putting your faith in the Lord can you find solace. Take this, hold onto it tightly."

Yi Lan, trembling, accepted the pendant hanging from Dory's hand, and Dory felt content with her compliance.

"As long as you pray devoutly, just like me, blessings will descend upon you, and those misfortunes will be dispersed," she said.

Then, she held the cross to her chest and began to pray.

Yi Lan, grasping onto what seemed like her last hope, pressed the cross against her forehead and started to pray, mimicking Dory.

Their soft whispers of prayer soothed the tensions of those around them.

Isabella, too, found herself involuntarily praying for Steve and Eddie, her thoughts constantly drawn to Steve's injured leg.

However, whenever she remembered the reason behind the injury, her prayers were quickly swallowed by the hatred in her heart.

Her icy gaze shifted to Mobis in the corner, like a venomous snake ready to strike.

At that moment, a monotonous tapping on the door caught everyone's attention.

Mobis was the quickest to react.

In an instant, he raised his gun, pointing it at the children in the center of the warehouse, and said,

"Go open the door."

Hu Gaoming gave him a glance but didn't resist much as he walked over to the door.

With caution, he slightly cracked it open.

Mobis closely observed his every expression.

The youth's expression shifted from its initial wariness to one of delight, then resettled into tranquility, as he nudged the door open even wider.

Mobius, on high alert, rebuked sternly:

"Why are you opening the door? Close it!"

Hu Gaoming turned to look at him and shifted aside slightly.

Mobis encountered the very oriental man he had believed to be dead.

The man's crimson and sapphire irises remained stunning under the fluorescent light, resembling meticulously crafted artifacts more than natural eyes.

His artificial nature emerged eerily, though it was an anomaly that no one could quite articulate.

As a result, this sensation fleetingly brushed past everyone's minds without leaving a trace.

Yan Qiling entered with empty hands, casually shutting the door behind him.

Scanning the room, he remarked, "There are many fewer people here."

Mobis remained on high alert, his weapon still trained on Yan Qiling. "Yan...? Are you really Yan? Prove it!"

Yan Qiling responded to Mobis's paranoia with tolerance, speaking calmly, "We went to the adjacent building, made a call, and then this giant called Ubitos started chasing us. I raised the drawbridge to let you warn the others to evacuate while I stayed behind to distract Ubitos."

"I succeeded, Mobis. I lured him into the concrete tank. Although I'm not sure how long it'll take for him to escape, we'll be safe from harassment for a while."

Mobis remained skeptical but gradually lowered his gun, no longer displaying the overt hostility he had before.

"How did you find us?" he asked.

Yan Qiling didn't think the question required a specific answer.

"When I came back, I didn't take the bridge. Instead, I retraced my steps to a fork in the road with three paths. The middle one leads back to the kitchen. The left path is a tin shed, which offers poor concealment. So, I assumed you might have chosen the right path."

His explanation made sense, indicating that Yan Qiling had reached the point where they initially decided on their route.

He continued, "And... I saw Vasina's corpse outside."

The mention of Vasina's name flipped a switch in Yi Lan's already calmed emotions.

She, who had just regained composure through prayer, suddenly broke down in tears. Dory promptly embraced her, took off the purple scarf around her neck to cover Yi Lan's face, and tried to soothe her.

"My sister, that child has now ascended to paradise, free from the constraints of the mortal world. He is under the divine protection of the gods. Sister, there is no need for tears; he has been released from earthly suffering and returned to a realm of endless joy."

Yan Qiling had already sensed something amiss. As his eyes swept across the room, he inquired,

"What has happened?"

By now, Mobis was mostly convinced that Yan Qiling was not an impostor monster, so he lowered his gun, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Nothing, Vasina accidentally triggered a trap. And then... he died, just like that."

"Accidentally?"

Isabella, who had been listening quietly by the side, could no longer contain her frustration.

The uncertainty of her boyfriend's fate and this madman's presence pushed her anxiety to its peak, causing her negative emotions to spill over.

"Vasina didn't do it accidentally! Mobis, that was murder!"

Addressing Yan Qiling, she recounted the entire incident, seeking some semblance of validation from this seemingly mild-mannered man to reassure herself.

Yan Qiling fulfilled her request, wearing an expression of confusion and astonishment as if he briefly empathized with the scene she had described.

However, those emotions eventually subsided into a tranquil calmness.

After a brief silence, his inquiry was rooted in rational survival instincts:

"So, do you have any idea what that voice meant when it spoke about the 'Third Rule'?"

Izabella, still processing, looked at him puzzledly.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm still alive, and none of you have died either. According to Mobis's theory, there shouldn't be a so-called 'Third Rule.' Yet, you all heard it. What does that imply?"

What did it imply? Izabella glanced at Mobis, hatred deep in her gaze: It meant Mobis had trusted the foolish voice on the broadcast, killing the wrong person! A helpless child was lost because of his mistake!

Mobis clearly realized this issue too, but he would never admit his error.

So, he merely continued to hold onto his weapon, speaking coldly:

"To blame anyone else would be unjust, for he stepped into the trap himself."

To Isabella's surprise, Yan Qiling didn't seem to hold any moral reproach against Mobis either. Instead, he turned to the silent Hu Gaoming and asked, "What's your take on this?"

Although he had a premonition that Yan Qiling wouldn't die so easily, the actual sight of him still struck a different chord. Hearing that familiar gentle tone, an inexplicable ache rose in his nose, making him feel like crying. However, he suppressed this moment of vulnerability with a light cough, pretending to remain composed.

"There are three possibilities. First, we might have been deceived by that voice. There might never have been any three rules at all; it only wanted us to turn against each other."

"Second, the rules mentioned in the phone call could be correct, while those broadcasted through the speakers are false. The truth might be mixed with deception, requiring us to discern it."

"Third, the killer is among us. But someone has already separated from our group and created these voices to stir conflict, possibly leading to murder. Regardless, the endgame remains the same."

Looking at Yan Qiling, Hu Gaoming recalled the man's previous statement and added, "But these rules don't really matter, because defeating the murderer doesn't guarantee our escape from here. Our immediate priority should be to protect ourselves in future traps and search for an exit."

Yan Qiling made no comment on Hu Gaoming's words but instead looked at the others.

Cobius was the first to voice his agreement with Hu Gaoming, yet he remained concerned:

"We haven't found any food in this warehouse, and Eddie and Steve still haven't returned. Regardless of what we might find, our train won't arrive until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."

Perceiving their predicament, Yan Qiling proposed,

"When you arrived, did you notice a fork in the garden path?"

Isabella paused before responding,

"I think I saw it, but it was behind an electric fence. We didn't dare approach."

Nodding, Yan Qiling said,

"I found the power switch for the fence when I came here. If we cut the electricity, we should be able to pass through that area. I'll go and check if there's any food over there, and while I'm at it, I'll search for Steve and the others."

"If I locate them, I'll prioritize bringing them back. The shortage of supplies is indeed a problem, considering we need to survive for three days. Without food or water, there's no way we can make it."

He intended to depart, and Mobis regarded him with a cold expression, not uttering a single word.

And the blind, golden-haired youth spoke up, asking:

"Mr. Yan, may I accompany you?"

Yan Qiling turned his head, even though he knew the other person couldn't see, he still gently revealed a smile as pure as a white azalea.

"Your well-being is of utmost importance, nothing else matters more."

He closed the door and left, his black velvet robe stirring a detached breeze.

The sightless youth briefly attained a moment of focus, but just as swiftly returned to an unfocused state, leaving no perceivable abnormality.