Before everything goes out

8 PM.

It was completely dark.

In the mountains and forests, the fog was as thick as ink. Its originally clear texture had now transformed into a state that Li Fei was familiar with—a state that was both misty and watery.

It hovered around the entire camp, moving slowly and persistently.

In this world, darkness has a physical form.

chapped.

The campfire was relit.

Within an extremely limited area, the darkness was dispelled, barely creating a safe zone for the group to spend the night.

Actually.

As they moved camp, the group was still considering how to break through the encirclement of the forest.

After all, now that we know it's not a ghost wall, but just the trees causing trouble, there's still a chance to get back to the village.

But right now.

Trees cannot be used as a reference; even Snake Seven, the guide, couldn't find his way in the mountains.

It won't work during the day, let alone at night.

then.

After discussion, the group finally decided to spend the night in the deep mountains and forests.

We'll return to the village early tomorrow morning to regroup and make further plans.

"I'm exhausted..."

Gua Tou threw down all his luggage and lay down on the ground.

Seeing this, Snake Seven spoke up to warn them.

"Don't lie down directly on the ground. It's cold in the mountains and the ground is damp. You have to make a makeshift bed on the ground, or you'll freeze to death when you wake up tomorrow morning."

Under his guidance, the pebbles and weeds in the camp were cleared away and replaced with slightly softer fresh leaves.

As a makeshift bed.

It can insulate against moisture, delay the cold, and make you feel more comfortable lying on it.

The group hadn't planned to stay overnight, so they had to keep things simple and not lie on the ground, which was already quite good.

Then it was time for dinner.

The group sat down and took out their dry rations, but they had little appetite.

Apart from the beef tripe who was enjoying his meal, no one else ate a single bite. It wasn't that they weren't hungry, but rather that they were under pressure.

Looking around, darkness surrounded me.

Tentacles formed from condensed darkness kept wriggling and reaching towards the camp, only to retract after being scorched by the firelight.

Listen carefully.

When no one is speaking, you can faintly hear whispers in the dark forest.

"These trees are actually alive..."

Niu Wenbing raised the steamed bun to his mouth, then slowly put it down.

The thought of it made him feel very uncomfortable.

He looked up; the nearest tree, about five or six meters away, was brightly lit by the firelight, which was alright, but looking further away...

In the darkness further away, the trees lay layer upon layer, like a demonic illusion.

I didn't notice it before, but now when I look at it, I always feel like some tree has moved, or some tree is whispering.

Then, thinking about the terrifying legend about Grandpa Tree, he couldn't eat anything.

"Brother, have one!"

Niu San peeled open a roasted sweet potato and handed it to Niu Wenbing.

"It's been roasted over a fire, so it's very sweet."

I have no appetite.

"Eat up, you'll have the energy to go back to the village tomorrow."

Go back to the village?

No one who saw Grandpa Tree ever came back alive.

This might be their last meal before they die.

Niu Wenbing sighed:

"Third son, sometimes I really envy you and second son. One of you doesn't care about anything, and the other is simple-minded and fearless."

"Hehehe, I actually envy your intelligence, big brother."

Rejected, Niu San handed the roasted sweet potato to Li Fei, who was standing next to him.

The three of them sat together in the camp.

Snake Seven leaned against a rock, while Pockmarked Man and Melon Head were on the other side.

"Here, Li Fei, eat this. You're not feeling well."

Seeing Niu San's silly look, Li Fei, though not having an appetite, couldn't refuse, so he took the sweet potato and started eating it.

Sometimes I think you're a lot like my second brother.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, it just looks very similar."

They look very similar?

Could it be that your second brother also traveled from another time?

Li Fei gave a wry smile, and Niu San continued talking about his second brother.

"My second brother is just as smart as my eldest brother. I could tell when we were kids."

"Once, the three of us brothers were setting off firecrackers together. One of the firecrackers hit my second brother, and his cotton-padded coat immediately caught fire."

"Guess what?"

"My second brother neither dodged nor rushed; he just stood there like a fool, staring at the fire. Only after half of his clothes were burned did he slowly utter a single sentence..."

"So that's how fire burns."

What is all this about?

Based on your statement, you're saying your second brother is smart?

Isn't this simply a case of slow reaction?

"Later, after the disaster, my second brother fell seriously ill. When he woke up, he was a little mentally unstable."

"San'er, what you're saying is incorrect."

Niu Wenbing finally spoke up, correcting Niu San's statement.

"Zhiyuan's problem isn't mental instability, Wang Guodong said it's called a split personality."

"Dissociative identity disorder?"

Li Fei immediately became interested.

This disease is quite rare. I've heard about it a lot, but I've never actually seen it.

"Yes, Wang Guodong said that after his serious illness, another person moved into Zhiyuan's body..."

Niu Wenbing paused at this point.

Seeing Li Fei's curious gaze, he hesitated in his tone.

"You might find it hard to understand, and we didn't believe it at the time either. Nobody would believe it if we told them."

"It's okay, just say what you want, there's nothing I can't accept."

Li Fei patted his chest.

Seeing this, Niu Wenbing nodded and continued:

"The other person said he 'time-traveled' from another world..."

At first, we didn't believe it either, thinking that Zhiyuan had just suffered brain damage from a high fever. But then, the man started speaking a foreign language...

Zhiyuan doesn't speak any foreign languages, and we've only seen him in movies. It wasn't until then that we slowly began to believe him...

Niu Wenbing became increasingly less confident as he spoke.

The villagers still haven't accepted this kind of thing, let alone Huanzi who has lost her memory.

To his surprise...

After listening to his fantastical tale, Li Fei neither questioned nor pressed for answers; his expression simply changed rapidly.

From shock to surprise, and then to ecstasy.

At last.

Under the bewildered gazes of the group, Li Fei suddenly jumped up from the ground and excitedly ran around the campfire.

"There's hope! There's hope!"

Considering it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Li Fei forcefully suppressed his urge to cheer loudly.

What was that saying again?

You searched high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!

I thought it would take at least three to five years to find a way back, but I didn't expect to get a clue so quickly.

If we can find Niu Zhiyuan, he might be able to achieve his goal soon.

"What, are you so interested in my second brother?"

Seeing Li Fei's excited expression, Niu San also got excited.

"Tell me about your second brother quickly, the more details the better."

"Okay, but you have to promise me first that you'll help me find my second brother."

"Don't worry about that, I'll risk my life to help you."

Unlike the perfunctory attitude before.

This time, Li Fei patted his chest and guaranteed it was entirely from the bottom of his heart.