NOVPUBUpon hearing Julia’s warning, Daniel didn’t make an immediate exit.
He recognized that the Sophia in front of him might be a manifestation of the creature.
He was uncertain of the monster’s strength, and recklessly antagonizing it might plunge him into even greater peril.
Without betraying his emotions, Daniel calmly replied, "I’m busy right now, with my girlfriend."
From the other end, Julia’s voice dripped with urgency, "Your girlfriend has already been brought to safety by us. The one in front of you is definitely a creature. Get out of there!"
Daniel abruptly ended the call.
Turning around, he was met with Sophia’s bewildered gaze. "Daniel, who was that on the phone?" she inquired. "What did she tell you?"
As she spoke, the enveloping fog intensified, turning so dense that he could barely see his hand in front of his face.
The only illumination left was the eerie, crimson glow emanating from Sophia’s eyes.
With a swift motion, Daniel backed away, striving to distance himself from the creature before him.
What was this creature?
Why hadn’t it attacked him?
Had he not yet triggered its aggressive tendencies?
Confusion clouded Daniel’s thoughts. "Regardless," he thought, "I should make my escape."
Relying on memory, Daniel swiftly approached the exit.
Just as he was about to cross the threshold, the ’Sophia’ from near the couch called out, "Daniel, where are you going? Are you leaving me behind again?"
Her voice carried a haunting melancholy, sending shivers down his spine.
Daniel’s eyes widened in realization.
Now, he was entirely convinced that this was not Sophia but a grotesque monster in her guise.
As a shiver of dread coursed through him, he was just a step away from the apartment’s exit.
But in that split second, he felt a soft yet unsettlingly slimy sensation touch his shoulder.
He whipped around, his eyes narrowing in horror.
Draped over his shoulder was not a human hand, but a long, mucus-covered, brown tentacle, extending eerily from the depths of the fog.
Clearly, it was the work of the ’Sophia’ creature!
"Run!"
That single thought dominated Daniel’s mind.
The strangeness of this creature had already surpassed his wildest imaginations.
Without clear information, acting rashly would only serve to thoroughly enrage this monstrous entity.
With a swift turn, he charged forward, prepared to sprint away. However, within mere steps, he realized the scope of the gray mist had expanded.
He should have been in the hallway outside the apartment, but his vision remained alarmingly limited.
Run!
He had to escape the confines of this oppressive fog!
But suddenly, a series of whooshing sounds echoed around him, as if something was darting past him at breakneck speed.
With mere human eyesight, Daniel couldn’t discern what it was.
However, he stopped abruptly.
For right in front of him, almost brushing against his body, a wall materialized out of nowhere.
A wall formed by elongated, black tentacles!
Drip! Drip!
The adhesive slime continuously oozed downward, and from behind, the crisp, rhythmic clatter of footsteps sounded.
The monster was launching its attack!
Daniel instantly realized this, and with no room for caution, he aimed his gun directly at the tentacle wall and squeezed the trigger.
Hoping to ensure effectiveness, he invoked his ability of hundredfold damage.
In an instant, the bullets that shot from the Spiritual Artifact magazine surged with a hundred times the spiritual potency, piercing through the tentacle barrier effortlessly.
The spiritual residue on the bullets acted like a virus, lingering on the tentacles, spreading rapidly as if consumed by flames.
A fiery exit quickly burnt its way through the tentacle wall, and Daniel immediately darted through.
Behind him, a heart-wrenching, piercing shriek erupted.
Clearly, that shot had inflicted insufferable pain on the creature.
More tentacles emerged from the mist, reaching out to him.
Daniel retaliated with swift gunshots, but these were just regular Spirit bullets.
The earlier hundredfold attack had drained him completely, and every step he took was now fueled by sheer determination.
Still, the power of the standard Spirit bullets sufficed.
After severing the approaching tentacles, he made his escape from the apartment building.
Confronted by this creature, he knew he was outmatched.
In a public restroom, water gushed into a sink.
Daniel stood before a mirror, scooping up water to cleanse his shoulder.
Only then did he notice the rotting decay where the tentacle had touched him, with blackened blood oozing from the deteriorated flesh.
With a subtle shift of his consciousness, a force within surged towards his shoulder.
After expelling a substantial amount of the black blood, the decaying flesh started peeling away, and the wound began healing at a visible rate.
In no time, Daniel’s shoulder appeared as pristine as before, soft and unblemished.
The power within the Healing Crystal was profound.
But Daniel could discern that after its use, the healing energy had somewhat waned.
Perhaps, like the Echo Stone, its power was dispersed among various pyramids.
It seemed a journey to the pyramid was imminent.
Just as Daniel shut off the water, his phone buzzed from his pocket again.
Upon answering, Julia’s voice came through, "Daniel, where are you now?"
"I’ve escaped," Daniel responded. "I’m in a public restroom."
Julia sounded surprised, "You got out? Are you okay? Do you need a medical team to assist you?"
Daniel replied nonchalantly, "No need. It’s just a minor injury. However, the creature is still inside the apartment. "
"Its threat level is high, likely Rank B, perhaps even Rank A. Sending Brooks might be a safer option."
Unexpectedly, Julia’s voice responded from the other end, "Mike and I are already here, and we haven’t noticed anything unusual."
Daniel’s brow furrowed, "Are you sure you’re at the right place?"
Julia sounded a touch annoyed, "I’m a seasoned investigator; I wouldn’t make such a basic mistake. "
"Plus, I personally escorted your girlfriend from here; I’m familiar with this place. The apartment looks orderly, no signs of any creature’s presence."
"Wait for me there," realizing something was amiss, Daniel hung up and rushed to the scene.
Upon entering Rachel’s apartment, Daniel looked around in disbelief.
The eerie mist that once pervaded had vanished, replaced by a tidy and pristine living space.
Julia approached, saying, "Your girlfriend tidied up before leaving. I’ve inspected the place, and there hasn’t been any change. No signs of struggle either."
Daniel remained silent, it was evident that no creature had been here.
But he had distinctly encountered that monster.
Why had it disappeared so inexplicably?
And the mist, thick as smoke from a blazing fire, couldn’t have just vanished so quickly.
Yet now, it was all gone.
Was that creature targeting him specifically?
Daniel furrowed his brow, pondering if he’d been marked by a formidable entity.
Atelarxus?
Mike returned after conducting his own check, entering from the door, "Found no traces of any creature outside either, Dan. You sure you weren’t hallucinating?"
It wasn’t a hallucination!
Daniel was sure of it.
The wound on his shoulder could attest to that!
However, having just healed, the only tangible evidence of the creature’s existence was gone.
Julia suddenly suggested, "You could use your power to foresee the whereabouts of that creature."
Daniel responded calmly, "I can’t right now. In my encounter with that monster, I exhausted much of my energy. I’m nearly drained."
Julia and Mike didn’t question him further, instead offering reassurance, "Just be cautious for now. Martin has arranged for your girlfriend and close friend to work at the Investigation Bureau. "
" You can rest easy about their safety. If you’re genuinely concerned, you can also stay at the Investigation Bureau."
Daniel shook his head, declining, "Thank Martin for me."
Yet Mike added, "Aren’t you going to check on her? Your girlfriend’s been worried sick about you. She’s been asking us non-stop."
Thinking of Sophia, a rare smile graced Daniel’s otherwise stoic face.
Being suddenly exposed to such world-altering information must’ve rattled her.
He should indeed go to her first.
Seeing Daniel smile, Julia stared as though she had witnessed a wonder of the world, exclaiming incredulously, "You, the ice-hearted man, can actually smile?"
Without responding, Daniel headed straight out of the apartment.
Unbeknownst to them, after their departure, the grey mist once again enveloped the apartment.
An eerie silhouette emerged from the fog.
It lingered by the window, watching intently as Daniel and the others left the building.
Its lips curled slightly, eyes gleaming with an unsettling light.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
Downstairs, Daniel abruptly pivoted and looked up, fixing his gaze on a window on the 13th floor, right where Rachel’s apartment was located.
Mike, confused, asked, "What’s wrong?"
Julia halted and followed Daniel’s gaze, seeking the source of his fixation.
Daniel whispered, "Did either of you feel as if someone was watching us from that room?"
Mike and Julia both shook their heads in unison. "Perhaps you’re just overly startled, maybe it’s just your imagination," Julia mused.
Imagination? Daniel didn’t think so.
He had become accustomed even to the presence of death; there was no way he was merely spooked or hallucinating.
He was certain: there was someone in Rachel’s apartment.
