abnormal mutation

Chapter 32 Black Coffin
"Big brother, you're back." Evan opened the courtyard gate, interrupting Roland's thoughts.

Perhaps hearing the commotion outside, the two elderly people turned their heads and looked over. When they saw Roland, they were clearly stunned for a moment, straightened up, and gave a slightly stiff smile.

Roland's body trembled, his pupils contracted slightly, a chill ran down his spine, and an indescribable sense of fear welled up in his heart.

He forced a smile, nodded in response, and then left as if nothing had happened. Back home, he immediately signaled to Evan to close the doors and windows tightly.

"Big brother, what's wrong?" Evan asked with concern when he saw that his older brother looked strange.

"When did the new neighbor arrive?" Roland finally came to his senses. He could no longer remember the old man's face, but the fear in his eyes lingered.

He hoped it was just his imagination, but his intuition never failed him.

“It was only about half an hour,” Evan recalled. “Talgen heard some noise outside and came out to check. He said an elderly couple had moved in. We didn’t go over to say hello, and they didn’t come over either…”

"Have you noticed anything amiss?" Roland stood at the window, carefully observing the situation outside.

Several people shook their heads, but Targen squinted his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

“I saw a coffin on their sled before, wrapped in burlap, probably black with gold trim, but it was a bit small, it would be hard to fit me in it,” Targen pondered.

"How can you be sure it's a coffin? It might be a suitcase," Evan asked doubtfully.

“I’m guessing, one end is big and the other is small, it’s long and flat, and there are those decorations.” Targen became more and more certain as he spoke.

Roland rubbed his temples vigorously, feeling as if he had forgotten something. The twin wolf mercenaries quickened their pace, and two warm currents flowed into his body, clearing his mind.

"sled!"

He suddenly realized that the other party had a sled, but he didn't see any sled dogs or reindeer.

He suddenly stood up and went to the window. In the dim light, he could only see the low courtyard wall. There was no smoke coming from the chimney on the other side. It was very quiet, even though the two old people had just been tidying up the house.

"We can't stay here any longer. Get dressed, grab your weapons, and hurry!" he urged anxiously, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

The group was puzzled, but dared not delay. They hurriedly dressed, hiding their weapons in their bosoms or at their waists.

“Let’s go—” Roland pushed open the door and went out carrying an oil lamp, with the others following closely behind.

It was quiet outside. The snow reflected the purplish-red moonlight, and the visibility wasn't too bad, but the color was eerie.

The group quietly entered the courtyard. Everything seemed normal, though the air was slightly damp, and a light mist had risen in the air. Roland handed the oil lamp to Targen, gripped the revolver in his arms with one hand, and opened the courtyard gate with the other.

"crunch-"

The dry, harsh friction sound was jarring and carried far into the night, causing the men to unconsciously tense their muscles.

"Crack—" The boots cracked the ice, and the group's breathing quickened noticeably.

Roland walked a few steps to the street, looked up in the direction of his neighbor's house. The gate was closed, and it was dark and silent. He turned his head to look at the west gate tower not far away. It was completely dark, and a chill ran down his spine. It seemed the law enforcement officer had skipped work today.

"Keep up," he said in a low voice, then hurried eastward along Monastery Street.

Luke and his three companions followed closely behind him, their eyes darting around nervously, as if someone might suddenly jump out from some corner.

No one followed. The only sound on the quiet street was the disorderly footsteps of a few people. They were no longer so tense, and Roland's hand, which had been holding the gun, became a loose support.

'Am I just being paranoid?' But he didn't regret it. He would rather it be a false alarm than put himself in danger.

"It's getting foggy," Evan said softly.

"Hmm." Roland replied casually. He was thinking about where he should hide. Compared to the Law Enforcement Bureau, he preferred the Rose Cross Pharmacy because Julia had left a strong impression on him.

"Why aren't any lights on?" Targen muttered.

These words struck Roland like a bolt from the blue. He froze on the spot, mechanically turning his head and neck. The fog had thickened, blurring the street scene, leaving only faint outlines.

The street was still the same street, but there was no smoke from cooking fires, no lights, and it was extremely quiet.

"Big brother, what are we having for dinner tonight?" Andrew asked, grinning widely. "All you think about is food. Aren't we going to the sales home?" Luke slapped him on the forehead.

Roland was shocked and turned around abruptly, staring intently at the two of them: "Who said we were going to the sales home?"

Luke looked bewildered, scratching his head with a puzzled expression. Andrew licked his lips and asked with a grin, "Aren't we going to eat lamb stew with herbs?"

Something's not right, something's not right, something's not right...

Roland's head throbbed with pain, and he felt somewhat disoriented, much like when he was drunk a few years ago. He knew something was wrong, and his will kept reminding him, but he couldn't calmly organize his thoughts; his mind was a complete mess.

"Let's go, let's go -"

He simply stopped thinking, cleared his mind, and strode forward. A pretty face with a half-smile appeared in his mind, as if seeing her would solve everything.

The others looked blankly at each other, but based on their trust, they could only hurriedly follow, their footsteps becoming increasingly disordered.

The fog seemed to grow thicker, and gradually, the outlines of the surrounding houses became indistinct, with only a purplish-red veil remaining.

After an unknown amount of time, Roland suddenly stopped. Talgen, who was behind him, was caught off guard, bumped into his back, and fell to the ground.

"How long have we been out?" He turned around, his brows furrowed, a hint of struggle in his eyes.

"About half an hour," Evan said confidently.

“How could that be? I’ve been sweating for at least an hour,” Targen retorted, getting up.

"Did you guys forget your brains? We just came out." Luke glared at him, his tone impatient.

“…” Andrew looked bewildered.

Roland stood as if naked in a blizzard, his body icy cold, his muscles involuntarily tensing.

The Monastery Street is only a few hundred meters long!

'Memory, time, extraordinary…'

He wanted to summon the Twin Wolf mercenaries, but he knew that was his trump card, and he had to make a decisive move when he revealed it.

"Run!" He turned and continued walking, his pace quickening unconsciously.

After running a few steps, a large dark shadow suddenly appeared to their left, and the group unconsciously slowed their pace.

"We've arrived at the town hall." Roland was overjoyed.

But just a few seconds later, his smile froze instantly as a familiar courtyard appeared before him. Wasn't this his own home?

"Finally home, I'm exhausted." Targen smiled happily.

"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Andrew asked, stepping past Roland to open the door first.

"Everyone back off, don't go any further." Roland grabbed Andrew and hurriedly stepped back a few paces.

Danger!

A strong sense of crisis made his scalp tingle, and the mental stimulation actually made his mind a little clearer. What lay before him was not a courtyard, but a gaping maw of abyss that could devour everything.

"Come out, you come out here!" he shouted at the front.

He couldn't escape. His last glimmer of hope was extinguished. He had to force the person behind the scenes to come out. Only by facing the enemy would he have a chance to win.

Grandma Mia once said that extraordinary beings are not omnipotent. Even low-sequence extraordinary beings are still mortals and can die from a single shot to the head.

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(End of this chapter)