NOVPUBFive people, yet six sets of tableware.
Clearly, something was off. But up to now, there was no sign or scent of any creature.
An inexplicable unease surfaced in Daniel’s heart.
Creatures that couldn’t be detected were either very unique or incredibly powerful.
Either way, it wasn’t good news for them.
Daniel’s brows knitted together, casting a sidelong glance at the others.
Joey and the rest seemed oblivious to the anomaly, continuing to eat their breakfast undisturbed.
Akid, having drained his cup of milk, got a refill from Aesop.
If it weren’t for that extra set of tableware to his right, everything would seem perfectly ordinary.
But the very normalcy underscored the gravity of the situation.
The group, including Joey, must have been ensnared in some sort of trap.
And the only reason he remained unaffected might be due to the immunity from his special ability.
Daniel remarked, seemingly in passing, "What brings you all here?"
Joey stroked his goatee, speaking even as he chewed, "No harm in telling you. Frankly, we’re here in search of treasure."
It appeared they had prearranged their answers. Even with Joey’s candid admission, the others didn’t exhibit any particular reactions.
Susanna chimed in, "Daniel, while I’m unsure of your purpose here, the Sahara Desert isn’t exactly safe these days. Why not join us? It’ll be good to have someone watch our backs on this journey."
With two Level 3 Evolvers in the group, they would indeed be an unstoppable combination.
Riding on the conversation, Daniel probed, "Is your entire team here?"
Akid shrugged nonchalantly, "Of course. We’ve been together for over a year now, all for the sake of the treasure."
Susanna added with a smile, "You’re aware of all our abilities. Perhaps you could reveal yours? It’ll make our collaboration smoother down the road."
Daniel responded, "Just as you’ve guessed, I can perceive others’ abilities and some associated details."
His eyes briefly darted to the plate beside him, "I’m done eating. Whose set is this? If they’re done, I can clear it up as well."
"No idea."
"Who sneaked an extra portion?"
"There wasn’t any sneaking around. I only made these servings. Since we all have our plates, would you mind clearing that one?" Aesop chuckled, addressing Daniel, and then returned to his meal.
The rest remained unfazed, seemingly undisturbed by the mysterious additional set of tableware.
And just like that, breakfast came to an abrupt end.
After tidying up, the group gathered around a map, detailing the upcoming route for Daniel.
"This highway is a tourist route and ends less than fifty kilometers ahead," one of them pointed out.
"After that, we’ll need to traverse about a hundred kilometers off-road. We haven’t explored here before, so this is where we’ll halt and begin our search."
"If we don’t find our target, we’ll proceed eastward. We’ll devise the subsequent plans after this search is completed."
Daniel glanced over the map briefly, offering no objections.
On the road, Daniel deliberately lagged behind, intending to pinpoint where the anomaly lay.
Of the remaining three vehicles, Joey and Aesop each drove one separately, while Akid and Susanna shared the third.
Leading the convoy was Aesop, followed by Akid and Susanna in the middle, with Joey right ahead of Daniel.
The caravan wasn’t moving fast, and the fifty-kilometer stretch was covered in about thirty to forty minutes.
Throughout the drive, Daniel didn’t notice anything amiss.
Perhaps the creature was confined to that previous area.
Having left its territory, any supernatural anomalies would naturally cease.
Or so Daniel thought.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the vehicle ahead.
He stared intently.
Inside, Joey seemed to be nonchalantly looking towards the passenger seat, murmuring something, and occasionally bursting into laughter.
It was as if he was casually conversing with someone seated next to him.
But the catch was, Joey was the sole occupant of that car!
Daniel froze.
His foot pressed harder on the accelerator, causing his vehicle to surge forward until it was tailgating Joey’s car.
Inside the vehicle, Joey felt a jolt as his car was nudged, causing it to shake violently.
"Damn it!"
Both of Joey’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, resembling iron clamps. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he caught sight of Daniel in the trailing car. Sticking his head out the window, he shouted, "What the hell, man?!"
"Do you want us both dead out here?!"
"Sorry, just got lost in thought for a moment," Daniel responded, regardless of whether Joey could hear him or not.
Then, he gently pressed the brakes, slowing down and creating some distance from the vehicle in front.
His expression gradually darkened.
Us?
It seemed the creature possessed the ability to manipulate perceptions. Joey was already under some delusion.
An illusion, perhaps?
There were no traces of any spiritual energy fluctuations, so probably not. But how did it accomplish this?
Daniel was unsure and didn’t confront it.
When things were still uncertain, it was best not to stir the waters.
The convoy continued its journey.
After the highway came the desert.
Traveling on the desert terrain was much slower compared to the paved roads.
With over a hundred kilometers left, their speed remained consistent at around seventy to eighty miles per hour.
When they encountered quicksand areas, they had to navigate around them.
It was only when the sun was directly overhead that the convoy reached the anticipated area.
The group gathered together, preparing for their midday meal.
As usual, Aesop was in charge of the outdoor cooking.
After disembarking, Akid continuously buzzed around Susanna, while Joey sat on a chair, laughing and chatting with thin air, an image that was eerily odd.
With a steady demeanor, Daniel asked, "Joey, who are you talking to?"
In that instant, a hush fell over the group.
Feeling the intense gazes of everyone, a chill ran down Daniel’s spine.
Had he just triggered the creature’s attack pattern?
Joey replied calmly, "What are you talking about?"
"This is my younger brother, Jonathan. Haven’t I introduced him to you already?"
Akid chuckled, "Daniel, for a high-level 3 Evolver like yourself, your memory seems quite poor."
The remaining two joined in with the laughter.
Daniel furrowed his brow.
Was he the only one unable to see?
It seemed as if they all knew this so-called ’Jonathan’.
Had the creature’s power affected all of them?
Daniel pondered for a moment, deciding to probe a bit further. "Can all of you see it?"
In the next instant, the four — Joey, Aesop, Akid, and Susanna — froze in place.
An unmistakable shadow passed over their faces.
Their eyes, filled with intense resentment, fixated menacingly on Daniel.
Then, as if under the influence of some arcane force, their features began to contort and twist, morphing into a grotesque, unrecognizable form.
Their mouths elongated and warped, revealing rows of sharp, jagged fangs when agape.
It was a sight of sheer horror.
The corners of their mouths turned up sinisterly, emitting a cold, bone-chilling laugh.
"So, you’ve discovered our secret," the overlapping voices whispered, sounding like a haunting curse echoing in Daniel’s ears.
Before Daniel could react, they lunged at him with wide-open jaws.
In an instant, they tore him apart.
Yet, Daniel’s eyes remained transfixed on a spot behind the car’s back seat.
There, a shadowy figure materialized, too vague to discern clearly.
The entity’s face was an abyss of darkness, save for the edges of its mouth which curled slightly, revealing gleaming silver teeth.
Then, darkness consumed Daniel’s consciousness.
...
[Remaining time rewinds within 24 hours: 9.]
Daniel blinked open his eyes to find himself inside the hotel’s VIP vehicle.
The seats had been reclined to fashion a makeshift bed. Outside the window, darkness engulfed everything.
Across the road, some five or six meters away, Joey and the rest were busy fortifying their vehicles.
Then Susanna approached the window, tapping softly.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Who is it?" Daniel inquired.
"Hello, I’m Susanna," she replied. "We’ve been observing the skies tonight, and a sandstorm seems imminent. You might want to secure your vehicle. If you lack the tools, you can tether it to ours. That should enhance our collective safety."
Daniel lowered the window, casting a calm, scrutinizing glance at Susanna, detecting no anomalies.
"No need, Susanna. There won’t be a sandstorm," Daniel responded.
Seeing his skepticism, Susanna quickly interjected, "We have extensive experience living in the desert..."
But Daniel cut her off before she could finish. "First, answer me one question."
"What question?"
"Is Joey’s younger brother with you all?"
"Joey’s brother? He isn’t..." Susanna began, but stopped midway as realization struck.
She looked at Daniel with astonishment, "How do you know Joey has a brother?"
Without mincing words, Daniel briefly outlined the information he had about their group. He then added, "I possess the ability to acquire information about others."
A look of understanding dawned on Susanna’s face. "I see. What a fascinating ability. To gather information about others, including their powers and tactics, gives you a natural advantage in battles."
Growing slightly impatient, Daniel remarked, "You haven’t answered my question yet."
Only then did Susanna recall, shaking her head in response, "Joey’s brother isn’t with us."
As expected.
A shadowy glint flashed in Daniel’s eyes.
