Chapter 280

Chapter 67 Ward

This crow was very similar to goat cheese.

They were of similar size, had equally shocking scarlet eyes, and their beaks were almost identical in shape. But upon closer inspection, one could notice some slight differences. For instance, the eyes were darker, the feathers under its neck weren’t as dense as those on goat cheese, the upper tail coverts and tail feathers were relatively longer and more upturned… and so on, subtle differences that were hard to spot unless you looked closely.

But it was indeed not goat cheese…

If it wasn’t goat cheese, it meant I could eat it.

“Caw—”

The black crow let out another hoarse, grating caw. It suddenly spread its wings as if about to take flight — in the next moment, thick, dark smoke completely enveloped the crow.

Where does it think it’s going…

The black smoke curled around the large bird’s body in threads and strands, emitting a teeth-grating “sizzle.” In no time, it had eroded everything away. I closed my eyes, quietly waiting for the **feeling of feeding** to come.

“……”

?

I waited for a long time but didn’t feel the expected sensation. I half-closed my right eye, looking ahead only to see the fence and vines. The crow that had been perched there had vanished, along with the dark smoke, and I felt nothing returning to my body.

Strange…

Had the crow been swallowed by the dark smoke? But I hadn’t eaten it… What was going on?

It made no sense…

I subconsciously took a step forward, my delicate arm gently lifting, wanting to touch the empty space ahead—

Buzz…

Suddenly, a sharp, needle-like pain struck my head.

“Aah!”

The fleeting pain wasn’t particularly intense, yet it still caused me to let out a soft cry. I couldn’t help but retract my hand reaching forward, pressing my thumb against my temple and rubbing it.

…What?

Just then, that electric-like jolt hit my mind again, followed by waves of dizziness. My steps faltered slightly, and as soon as I realized it, I grabbed onto the railing. Then, countless images flashed before my eyes like sped-up slides.

Wet, mottled walls, rows of dilapidated white beds separated by curtains, the shadows of people lying on the beds faintly moving in the dim light.

A rotten wooden cabinet filled with unknown items, yellowish transparent containers, syringes.

Blood.

Fresh red blood slowly dripping down through some kind of tube.

Many shadows.

Unknown wriggling creatures…

These scenes flashed by too quickly. I couldn’t have a good look at what they were; everything returned to silence, and the railing and vines on the terrace gradually became clearer in my vision.

“Gag—”

The intense dizziness made me involuntarily gag, followed by the sound of hollow water droplets.

Drip.

Drip…

The sound seemed to come from deep within my mind, or perhaps from behind.

What were those things just now…

What’s happening to me…

I felt incredibly panicked, unsure of what problem I was facing. My mind went blank, and my heart raced. I stood there for a moment, stunned, then suddenly turned and ran back.

I need to go to sleep. To hide under the covers… Just get a good sleep, and when I wake up, everything will be fine.

But just as I ran out of the terrace, I came to an abrupt stop after only a few steps.

In front of me was a narrow, dark corridor. The corridor seemed to be built with rough wood, extending far into the pitch-black distance. The walls around were as old and mottled as those seen in the previous scenes, some parts peeling off. Candles hanging on the walls flickered with flames, casting dim light that seemed ready to go out at any moment. The air was thick with a damp, decaying smell.

Faintly mixed with the scent of blood.

This isn’t my home…

But I was clearly at home just now!

My lips trembled, and my right eyelid twitched. This inexplicable, unprecedented situation left me completely bewildered. My mind felt like a mess, unable to think, and I instinctively took two steps back… then turned and ran back!

Jump from the terrace to find Victor—

Thud!

The violent impact threw me off balance. I fell backward, landing on the ground with a thud, then immediately covered my face, groaning: “Ugh… Ah…”

Pain…

It hurt so much!

That really did hit hard. My face had hit something sharp and hard, almost biting my tongue. Now, my vision was spinning, and my head felt dizzy.

The buzzing sound reverberated, and after a moment, I felt a stinging sensation in my nose, and tears began to trickle down my cheeks.

“Guh…”

I struggled to stand up, one hand covering my face, while the other groped forward. Then, I touched wet, cold, hard stone… My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly wiped away the tears welling up in my eyes with the back of my hand, then stared intently—only to discover that behind me was no longer the balcony.

Wet, cold rocks had completely blocked the passage behind.

What’s going on…

Pia, pia, pia.

My little hand kept slapping around on the rock, but it remained completely immovable.

What’s happening…

Am I not at home? Where am I!

I felt extremely frightened. Clenching my teeth, I mustered all my strength and punched the rock face.

Dong!

This force was enough to directly pierce through the wall of an ordinary house. With one punch, the floor beneath my feet began to tremble, dust fell from above, and a sharp pain shot through my hand, but the rock remained unmoved. Not even a crack appeared.

“Sis—”

I immediately realized that it was foolish to confront the rock with my body. I quickly stepped back several steps, took a deep breath, and blue light burst forth from my entire body.

Bam bam bam…

Countless sharp ice spikes condensed from above. I compressed the hardness of the ice to its limit and swung my arm.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh—

The ice spikes flew forward at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye, striking the rock with a “ding ding ding” sound before being bounced off, scattering haphazardly across the walls and floor. One even grazed my cheek as it passed by.

Snap, snap.

In the next moment, the short ice scythe was already in my right hand.

“Aah!”

I let out a soft cry and dived forward amidst swirling white mist, slashing the rock face with the scythe.

Crack!

The sharp ice blade nearly buried itself entirely, and several cracks spread out from the rock surface. Accompanied by echoing “crack crack” sounds, they rapidly spread out of sight.

It’s working…

I struggled to pull out the short scythe and slashed again at the fissure—

Clang!

Rustle rustle…

Rock fragments scattered and hit my forehead. The crack in the rock widened further. I pursed my lips tightly and pulled out the scythe again, slashing once more.

Boom!

Boom boom boom—

Time and time again, I swung the icy blade, and the rock in front of me gradually began to form a large hole. White frost spread and climbed up both walls. The rubble underfoot piled up, soon making it difficult to find a place to step. But even as my arm started to tingle and my knuckles hurt, the rock still showed no sign of loosening, as if I were chipping away at a mountain.

Clang!

The short scythe finally snapped.

“Huff—huff—”

I panted heavily, threw the scythe handle aside, and sat down on a pile of rubble.

I’m exhausted.

Drip, drip.

The peculiar sound of water continued to echo in my ears. Apart from that, everything else was eerily silent, so quiet that it made me feel uneasy.

I couldn’t understand what was happening now; this exceeded my comprehension.

I must be dreaming, just like the previous times. Those vivid, lifelike dreams… but this time, it seems different somehow.

Clearly, this isn’t a memory. And I’m no longer an inactive observer; I’m part of it… Is this really a dream?

Just now, I wasn’t even sleeping…

I can’t figure it out.

I shook my head, stood up from the ground, and brushed the dust off my bottom. Hesitating for a moment, I began to walk deeper along the passageway.

Since I can’t get out, I might as well see what’s inside…

Creak, creak.

In the narrow, dim space, the sound of my shoes stepping on wooden boards was particularly jarring. I walked forward cautiously along the passageway, my hands instinctively pulling together in front of my chest, my fists clenched tight.

I’m so scared…

To muster some courage, I cleared my throat and hesitantly called out, “Is anyone there…”

“Is anyone here?”

“Hey—”

My weak voice disappeared into the darkness without any response.

Not long after, I saw a door slightly ajar to the left of the passageway ahead, with a faint glow of firelight seeping through the gap.

What kind of room is this…

I tiptoed over carefully, first pressing my ear against the door to listen quietly. Finding no movement inside, I mustered my courage and gently pushed the door open.

Creak—

An indescribable smell hit my nose.