NOVPUBEveryone, including Daniel, turned to Wes with puzzled expressions.
Hiding something at a time like this? Was he intending to let everyone die here?
Even Daniel was curious, wondering what Wes could possibly be concealing.
Under the scrutinous gazes filled with hostility, Wes had no choice but to reveal what he had been hiding.
To everyone’s surprise, it was a mobile phone.
Furthermore, it looked very worn out, clearly a model from at least twenty years ago.
More importantly, they could sense an eerie spiritual power emanating from it, identifying it as a Spiritual Artifact.
Alex furrowed his brows, "What is this?"
Wes flipped open the phone, but the screen remained dark. "This is a Spiritual Artifact that our organization acquired by accident." He paused before continuing, "When the phone is turned on, it will start to ring."
"If answered, an eerie voice can be heard from the other end. The call ends abruptly after a short while, and not long after, a monster no less dangerous than a Rank A entity will appear."
Rank A monster?!
At these words, everyone furrowed their brows even deeper.
They were already at their wits’ end dealing with a Rank S monster before them, unsure of how to proceed.
Who in their right mind would use the Spiritual Artifact to summon another monster nearly as dangerous as a Rank A entity?
Was this not just asking for trouble? It felt utterly absurd, like an act of someone who had too much on their plate already.
Daniel, however, had a different perspective. "We can use this monster to lure out the Rank S monster!"
Wes nodded vehemently in agreement. "Exactly, that was our initial thought."
The others seemed somewhat confused. "Can this thing really draw out the Blood-eyed Monster?"
Daniel took his time to explain, "Monsters of the Blood-eyed Monster’s caliber rule supreme in their respective territories."
He continued, reflecting, "The fact that the tentacle monster has constantly remained hidden within the coffin is proof of that."
"It would only come out of the coffin with the Blood-eyed Monster’s permission." Daniel posited, his voice taking on a contemplative note, "Therefore, the appearance of a new monster in its territory would undoubtedly enrage the Blood-eyed Monster."
Understanding dawned on Alex and the others, yet it brought no comfort.
The realization carried a heavy burden of fear and uncertainty. "But that means we would have to face no less than two monsters," someone pointed out, the dread palpable in their voice.
"Can we really handle that?"
Daniel spoke softly, a somber tone in his voice, "If we cannot confront the physical entity of the Blood-eyed Monster, we will never be able to leave this small town."
"We might as well take a gamble. Only by facing it can we harm it, and eventually, destroy it." He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in before concluding, "This is our only chance."
Julia suddenly broke the heavy silence, a tinge of hope in her query, "So... do we start now?"
Wes appeared somewhat disagreeable, his face reflecting doubt as he asked, "Are you all certain?"
He continued, emphasizing the irreversible path they were contemplating, "Once we initiate this, there’s no turning back."
Could they, with their existing numbers, truly triumph over such potent forces that loomed in the shadows?
Deep within, Wes harbored no confidence.
He spoke again, adding a crucial detail, "I forgot to mention, whoever hears the monster’s voice over the phone will be targeted by that monster."
His voice grew stern as he laid out the implication, "This means we need to choose one person to take the call."
It was apparent that Wes was making a rational point.
Yet, it met with a heavy and uneasy silence from the group.
Being marked by a monster of no less than Rank A was no small matter.
Moreover, it carried the high risk of attracting the covert attention of the Blood-eyed Monster, a situation which promised no escape, and a certain death scenario.
At this moment, Mike gritted his teeth and stamped his foot determinedly, breaking the silence, "It couldn’t be simpler. Perhaps the Blood-eyed Monster will emerge as soon as the monster from the phone does. They might end up fighting each other, providing an opportunity for me to take advantage of the chaos."
Alex shook his head, dismissing Mike’s plan with a serious demeanor, "Let me do it. If it’s just a Rank A monster, I can handle it."
In the precarious situation they were in, every individual was vital. The loss of even one would be a severe blow to the group’s collective strength.
The only strategy left was to trust; to believe in Alex’s ability to survive amidst two powerful adversaries.
As Alex extended his hand to take the phone, ready to bear the weight of the responsibility, Daniel swiftly intercepted, grabbing the phone first.
"I’ll do it," he said, his voice carrying a resolve that brooked no argument.
As he spoke, all eyes converged on Daniel.
Alex spoke with a cold resolve, "You took the lead last time; it’s not your turn this time around."
Julia echoed the sentiment with a note of worry in her voice, "Yes, this time is even more dangerous than the last. Alex has formidable strength, his odds of survival are greater."
Despite their persuasive efforts, Daniel maintained a serene expression, reassuring them, "I will be fine."
Mike initiated to join the others in dissuading Daniel, but was interrupted as Daniel firmly asserted, "Rest assured, I will definitely be okay."
At these words, everyone, save for the perplexed Wes, paused momentarily, their faces reflecting a dawning realization.
Observing Daniel’s tranquil demeanor, they harbored a speculative thought in their hearts - Daniel must have foreseen something about the future again.
With this thought, Alex relinquished his insistence, advising with a composed yet concerned tone, "If that’s the case, just be careful."
He added, emphasizing a reality they all knew too well, "The future can still potentially be altered."
Wes was left even more baffled by this conversation.
What was happening?
What did they mean by ’the future’?
Could someone among them actually predict what was going to happen next?
It seemed impossible, for if it were true, they would have foreseen a way out of this predicament a long time ago, and fled to safety.
However, Wes dismissed the whirlpool of questions swirling in his mind, opting to believe he was overthinking it.
After all, as long as he wasn’t the one being sacrificed, it was fine.
For the sake of precaution, Daniel took the phone and stepped out of the inn.
If the plan was to pit the phone monster against the Blood-eyed Monster, they had to account for the tentacle monster as well in this perilous scheme.
Thus, Daniel found himself back inside the house at the T-intersection.
At this juncture, the fog had grown markedly thicker.
The visibility on the streets was reduced to less than a meter.
Daniel released several silk threads to forge a path ahead before daring to stride forward with confidence.
Yet, soon enough, he realized something was amiss.
It seemed as though he had lost his way in the enveloping fog.
"This doesn’t appear to be a road in the town," he murmured, surveying the muddy ground beneath him; no roads in the town were like this.
He glanced around, finding the fog was so thick and endless that it obscured any sign of buildings.
Checking the time on his phone, he noted with alarm that a whole thirty minutes had elapsed.
The journey from the inn to that house shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.
Instead of reaching his destination in that ample time, he found himself in an open field devoid of any structures — an occurrence that defied all logic.
The only plausible explanation was that the Blood-eyed Monster had ensnared even his silk thread ability within an illusion.
Daniel furrowed his brow, lamenting, "It seems the Blood-eyed Monster’s domain power is even stronger than I anticipated."
Powerful monsters could create an independent space within their sphere of influence, a phenomenon known as the "power of domain."
Within this space, the domain holder possessed godlike control.
The extent of the Blood-eyed Monster’s illusory power, which had managed to deceive even his silk thread ability, indicated the immense force of its domain space.
"Blood-eyed Monster... Its danger level might have even reached S+," Daniel speculated, his complexion gradually turning grave.
It wasn’t fear that distorted his face but the recognition that the situation was becoming increasingly complex.
He didn’t have an infinite ability to turn back time; he needed to proceed with utmost caution in the actions to come.
Suddenly, a bizarre noise emanated from within the fog.
Daniel listened intently.
It sounded like the squelching of worms wriggling in mucus.
The tentacle monster?
Could it be that due to the illusion, he had already arrived inside the house?
A ripple of movement crossed Daniel’s face, and without hesitation, he began to follow the direction of the squirming noises.
The presence of the tentacle monster’s sound indicated that he had not strayed far from the town.
With a newfound sense of direction, Daniel quickened his pace substantially. He planned to activate the phone near the tentacle monster.
Suddenly.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
A series of footsteps echoed from behind Daniel.
They were heavy yet distinct, closing in on him steadily, but they did not sound human.
Instantaneously, Daniel drew his Desert Eagle and spun around abruptly to face the source.
The flashlight’s beam could only reach a distance of three to four meters, revealing nothing but the thick fog that enveloped the surroundings.
Yet the footsteps were drawing ever nearer.
Daniel felt a prickling sense of unease. "Whose footsteps are these?" he muttered to himself.
He was caught between forces unknown; the tentacle monster lay ahead, and behind him... could it be the Blood-eyed Monster?
Daniel’s heart stuttered, urging him to hasten his pace.
He needed to find out what was going on, and if it indeed was the Blood-eyed Monster, then it was precisely what he was seeking.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
As Daniel quickened his steps through the fog, the heavy footsteps remained vivid, albeit maintaining a deliberate distance from him.
No matter how fast Daniel moved or even ran, the footsteps stayed consistently twenty to thirty meters away.
What exactly did this entity want?
Daniel glanced at the phone in his hand. Could it be...?
He flipped open the phone cover, and instantly the footsteps receded by about ten paces.
It did not want him to make the call.
Daniel stowed the phone back in his storage wallet. The very moment the phone disappeared, the footsteps promptly advanced towards him.
A surge of exhilaration filled Daniel’s heart as he briskly moved forward to meet the unknown.
After a dozen or so steps, suddenly, a faint glow emerged amidst the fog that lay before him.
The light bore a blood-red hue, glaring strikingly against the encompassing gray mist.
It was the eye of the Blood-eyed Monster!
Daniel was instantly certain, and his steps further quickened.
However, as he neared the red light, an overwhelming wave of coldness engulfed him.
Daniel came to an abrupt halt.
This sensation was suffocating, causing an instinctive apprehension that crossing that threshold would mean immediate death.
Daniel hesitated, finding himself at a perilous crossroads of uncertainty.
