Puzzle Madness

Chapter 171 Autumn is the Hunting Season (Part 7)

The air was stale, making my head throb. There was no ventilation, and the smell of sweat and mildew mingled together, unable to dissipate; the small concrete room was stuffed with cotton-like stuffing.

Eyeglasses shrugged. He had calmed down and sat cross-legged in the corner.

"These two appeared around the same time, with Psycho Exploration appearing earlier. Conversely, it's also possible to say that the full-metal savage influenced the creation of Predator."

On the contrary, it was Big Head Hong, who had previously proposed this view, who refuted this inference:
"They shouldn't be all-metal giant-headed savages: they are generally under 1.6 meters tall, just with large heads; and they always move in groups, with very high-tech weapons, such as laser cannons, chainsaws, and flamethrowers."

"That guy just pulled out a big cleaver."

He was most serious when talking about these things; fear, on the other hand, retreated deeper into his body.

The chatter lasted only a short while, but it did slightly dispel the unease that permeated the air.

Suddenly, Eyeglasses-wearing boy raised his hand, as if asking a question in class. He snapped his fingers twice, gesturing to Ai Xi:

"You don't seem nervous at all. Students these days have such good mental fortitude, or am I just getting old?"

Ai Xi was indeed the calmest of all, and she did not hide her composure: perhaps because she was the first to encounter the monster.

She didn't respond, her face expressionless, staring at the lens of the eyepiece illuminated by the flashlight's reflection.

Undeterred, the boy with the eyepiece continued to press for answers:
"Why did you come here alone? Do you have any secrets to share? After all, you don't even look like you brought a flashlight."

Not everyone can run freely in the dark—let alone when being chased by some strange creature.

This calmness was indeed somewhat unusual, especially considering her age.

The concrete floor was very cold, the kind of damp cold that could give you a migraine if you slept there.

Ai Xi stuffed both hands into her school uniform pockets, and tucked the lower half of her face into her collar:

"I also brought a flashlight: it's just too bright, so I don't like using it. Besides, the main passageway here isn't complicated; you'll remember the way after coming a few more times."

"You must be readers of 'Super Psychological Exploration'—you've come here to see that [man-eating air-raid shelter]?"

“I’m in a similar situation to you, looking for something too: but like I said before, I’m looking for a serial killer.”

"This is my current hobby. Also, if you can provide useful clues, the police will offer a reward; that is, a valid tip."

"So you can also understand it as me doing odd jobs on weekends, only the job is a bit special."

The man in the sour soup bak kut teh frowned as he examined the soles of his feet, probably checking for scratches from running barefoot.

"But--you're still a high school student, right? The police in the Cochin Autonomous Prefecture wouldn't encourage this kind of thing, would they? It sounds very unsafe."

Huang Youtian seemed to have ADHD; the cold ground felt like it was on fire from his stomping. His tone was hurried, and it was difficult to discern his emotions.
"A little... how should I put it? Like, the kind of thing with bounty hunters or Westerns, right? Haha!"

"Sigh, I went through that phase when I was in middle school too. I was really prone to daydreaming. I can understand."

"Hey, Big Head Hong! Why do you look so weak and listless? And your head is big too, are you the one with the big head, wild man?"

Just when things had gotten a little safer, Huang Youtian started playing pranks again.

But Da Tou Hong was clearly no longer as energetic as before. He just drooped his head like a wilted onion and waved his hand, showing no intention of participating in the discussion.

The guy with the eyepiece looked around—his companions were either overly excited or looked like wilted eggplants.

"I think it's more important to find a way to escape from here first. No matter what that thing outside is, nothing is more important than life."

"Either find a way to break through the iron gate, or keep going in. What do you mean?" The man with the sour soup bak kut teh crossed his hands, making an X shape.

“That’s not an iron gate, it’s a protective door from an air-raid shelter—although it looks very old, it’s impossible to break it open by hand without tools.”

"And even if they find something in the air-raid shelter to break it open, since that door appeared so abruptly, there might be traps outside as well."

"Can we ask for help? Try to get rescued? There are only a few of us, it's dangerous no matter what we do."

The guy with the glasses pushed up his glasses and pointed in the direction of the aisle:
"Then let's keep going in."

"The air-raid shelter has more than one entrance, and there is still a way out. It's the middle of nowhere outside, so calling for help won't do any good; it will only attract the monsters in the tunnel. The other side is at least closer to the city and safer."

Ai Xi, unusually, spoke up and echoed what the man in the eyeglasses said:

"Yes, he's right. I came in from the other side. There must be other routes."

"Let's all go inside together: there's no point in splitting up here."

No one objected—unless someone could pry open the steel security door with their bare hands, exploring deeper was the only way.

The man holding the sour soup bak kut teh placed his palm across his index finger on the other side, making a pause gesture.
"Wait a minute. Has anyone told the hotel where they're going? If someone can find this place, it would be better to wait for rescue."

"We can barely hear any footsteps now—they might not be able to follow us here; we might be saved if we wait a few hours."

"Of course, the premise is that you've already told others you're going to explore the air-raid shelter."

Huang Youtian pursed his lips. His pacing had become a repetitive friction between his shoes and the cement.
"I'm staying at a hostel. My luggage is still at the front desk. But hostels usually don't call the police, and they wouldn't know I'm in a place like this."

"Big Head Hong? You seem to be staying at a guesthouse? Never mind, that's about right."

"Oh, Glasses! Do your family know you're here? You're not coming home for dinner tonight, and no wife or girlfriend is looking for you?"

Unfortunately, the guy with the eyepiece shook his head.

Sour Soup Bak Kut Teh then looked at Ai Xi—since this girl was taking classes in Mong Street, she should be considered a local; perhaps her family members who knew where she was would come looking for her.

Ai Xi shrugged her shoulders, the movement resembling both turning her head and shaking her head:
"Me too, nobody knows I'm in this air-raid shelter. Alright—stop thinking about it. Unless any of you have a radio or a walkie-talkie or something, there's no way to send out a distress message."

"Who among you brought any? Nobody? I suppose so. You should have prepared some."

"The food is fine, but I didn't bring any water, and it looks like you didn't either. Smell this room: everyone just ran around and is sweating profusely; your athletic ability will only get worse and worse, and you won't be able to run anymore soon."

"Let's act as soon as possible. It's better to avoid things outside than to sit and wait for death."

"Just like in horror movies, there are only two options: hide or keep running. Most screenwriters would lean towards running away—"

Huang Youtian suddenly stopped. He turned his head quickly like an owl, staring at the direction of the door.

Cluck. Crack--Squeak squeak squeak.

A strange sound, sometimes long, sometimes short, with pauses, suddenly rang out; it was nearby, right outside the doorway through which they had escaped.

It sounds like scrubbing sandpaper hard against a metal plate, but everyone has a similar image in their mind:
It was an exceptionally large kitchen knife, scraping against the ground.

The sound is somewhat like a knife scraping against glass, but it's rougher and makes your molars ache: this is probably due to the particles on the concrete surface.

Ai Xi raised one eyebrow and nodded toward the door:
"See, I told you so?"

(End of this chapter)