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Are you sure your source was reliable?
My voice breaks the suffocating silence that is ever-present on Wuwang hill. Chongyun nods without looking back at me, intent on keeping a lookout for spiritual activity.
Yes, they were able to describe the thing haunting the house pretty accurately.
I hum in contemplation, pointedly ignoring the pout that Xingqiu shoots at his friend. I had not been privy to said description, so the nervous anticipation building inside me makes me slightly giddy. I did not even like horror stories; the only reason I was here was—
There's no point in glaring at me like that.
Alhaitham chides from beside me. You're the one who insisted on joining us.
I frown. Yes, because you guys were dead set on going. Chongyun can handle himself, but what about you lot? What if you trigger a death condition with that smart mouth of yours?
I pause to take a breath.
Death condition?
The Wanderer asks from up ahead, sounding more curious than worried. Aether waves him off.
This isn't the Door World,
He reminds me, making me sigh.
You're right. I've been reading too many light novels. That Guuji.. Yae...
I trail off as we crest a hillock and notice a large, rundown house a ways ahead. There.. There wasn't a house here before, right?
Chongyun and Xingqiu both shake their heads. Chongyun hesitates.
Well, there used to be one here, very long ago, but it caught fire once and was burnt to the ground.
At Xingqiu's questioning look, he explains further, It's listed in my family records as one of the strongest magnets for spiritual activity, and not of the good kind. After it burnt down, however, things seemingly went back to normal.
He frowns. I'm not sure what could have caused it to reappear.
As Chongyun pulls out a few talismans, I notice Aether looking around. Something the matter?
I ask him. He's silent for a moment.
I'm not sure, but.. remember that lawachurl we fought here a few months ago? The one that looked like it was affected by Xiao's karma?
He asks. I shudder, remembering the strange, haunted eyes of the monster.
Yeah, why?
Are you suggesting that the malevolent energy of the house may have been absorbed by the lawachurl?
Alhaitham cuts in.
That is certainly a possibility,
Chongyun puts away his talismans. But defeating it would leave the energy with nowhere to go except the soil..
His brows furrow. Is the house an illusion?
We carefully make our way towards the structure. The Wanderer takes the first step onto the porch, testing the creaking boards with his foot.
It's old, but it's real alright.
An eerie chill flows out of the dark house when Chongyun opens the main door. Aether steps forward, pulling out his lumenstone to use as a makeshift torch.
I thought that only worked in the Chasm?
I remarks as I follow him inside unthinkingly. The floorboard beneath my left foot groans loudly, sinking down by almost half an inch, and I pause in alarm. Uh,
I reach out blindly behind me and grab someone's arm, not daring to take my eyes off the floor as I carefully shift my weight to the other foot. I let out a shaky breath as I get a more stable footing, letting go of my death grip on the arm.
Thanks, Chongyun.
I turn to him, only to be faced with a bone-chilling smile and empty sockets.
My blood runs cold.
I jolt away with a shriek. My foot lands heavily on the floorboards, and they give way almost immediately. My foot falls through, and as I tip backwards, something cold and slimy touches my ankle before someone grabs me by the arms and lifts me off the floor. I turn around in a panic, only calming down once I realise it is Alhaitham. I twist and trap him in a koala bear hug, trembling from the adrenalin.