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墨書 Inktalez
The underground market was suffocating, filled with the stench of mold and sweat.
I covered my nose, feeling like I was about to choke.
Could anyone actually live in this place?
A foul odor of spoiled instant noodles mixed with the smell of unknown creatures' excrement hit me like a brick, nearly making me pass out on the spot.
“Wei Na,” Zhong Dali leaned closer, his face pale, “this place… doesn’t seem very clean.”
No kidding!
If this place were clean, I’d perform a dance right here!
I rolled my eyes. Was this big oaf even speaking human language? The air here could kill you!
“Just bear with it,” I sighed in resignation. “It’s better than sleeping outside and getting chased by zombies.”
At least it was safe here for now. The environment might be terrible, but at least I didn’t have to worry about being dragged out in the middle of the night to be a midnight snack for the undead.
Just then, a ragged old man approached us, trembling as he walked. His clothes were patched up so many times that he looked like a fashion icon for beggars.
The old man was as thin as a stick, and his murky eyes sparkled with shrewdness; it was clear he was no stranger to hard times.
“You… are new here?” He squinted at us, his voice raspy like a broken accordion.
“Yes,” I nodded, forcing a friendly smile while already calculating how to extract useful information from this old coot.
“Excuse me, sir, may I ask who is in charge here?” I tried to speak respectfully; after all, when under someone’s roof, one must bow their head.
“There’s… no one in charge here,” the old man shook his head, revealing a set of yellowed teeth. “Everyone… looks after themselves.”
No one in charge?
Isn't that a complete mess?
My heart sank; this place was even more chaotic than I had imagined.
"Is it... safe here?" I asked, though the zombies couldn't get in, who knew if there were other, more terrifying things inside?
"Safe," the old man replied confidently, with a hint of something strange in his tone. "Here... zombies can't get in."
Zombies can't get in?
That much was true.
The entrance to the underground mall was narrow and blocked tightly with all sorts of debris; even if the zombies tried, they wouldn't be able to squeeze through.
"So... are there any rules here?" I continued to ask, needing to know the survival laws of this place.
"Rules?" The old man paused, as if he had heard a joke. "There are no... rules. Everyone... eats based on their own abilities."
Eat based on abilities?
What does that mean?
I felt like the old man's words were shrouded in fog.
"Old man," I asked patiently, "could you... be more specific?"
"It means... whoever has the bigger fist... gets to decide," he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth that made me shudder.
Damn!
Survival of the fittest?
This place was darker than I had imagined!
“Wei Na,” Zhong Dali suddenly clutched his stomach and said, “I… I’m hungry.”
This foolish boy only thinks about eating!
“Wait a moment,” I suddenly thought of something. “Old man, is there… any food here?”
Food is the priority; we should fill our stomachs first.
“Food?” The old man chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes. “Of course, but… it has to be exchanged for something.”
Exchanged for something?
What do we exchange?
I began to calculate what I had.
“Can we use this to trade?” I pulled out a few energy crystals. These things are like hard currency in the apocalypse.
The energy crystals shimmered alluringly in the dim light, and the old man’s eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry wolf spotting a piece of meat.
“Of course! These… will be enough for you to eat for several days!” The old man snatched the energy crystals from my hand as if afraid I would change my mind.
I let out a sigh of relief; thankfully, I had collected some energy crystals earlier.
“Old man,” I asked, “has anything… special happened here?”
Knowing both ourselves and our enemy ensures victory in every battle; I needed to understand the situation here first.
“Special happenings?” The old man pondered for a moment, stroking the stubble on his chin. “Not really… just a few days ago… a strange person came by.”
A strange person?
What kind of strange person?
My curiosity was piqued.
"That person... was wearing a black cloak," the old man said, his tone shrouded in mystery. "He had... a mask on his face, so I couldn't see... what he looked like."
A figure in black?
A mask?
Why does this feel like a villain from a movie?
"What did that person... come here for?" I pressed on.
"I don't know," the old man shook his head. "He... just stayed here for a while and then... left."
"Did he... leave anything behind?" I continued to inquire, sensing I was getting closer to the truth.
"Something?" The old man thought for a moment. "It seems... he left a letter."
A letter?
For whom?
My heart began to race.
"The letter... is for you," the old man said, pointing at me with certainty.
For me?
I was taken aback.
I didn't even know this figure in black!
"Where's the letter?" I asked impatiently.
"Here you go," the old man said slowly as he pulled out a letter from his pocket. The envelope looked aged, its corners worn down. "This is for you."
I grabbed the letter, feeling its weight, as if a stone were pressing down on my heart.
On the envelope was an odd symbol, resembling a twisted serpent-like design.
This symbol... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.
I strained to recall, but no memories surfaced.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.
There was only one line written on the paper:
"The Dark Council awaits your presence."
The Dark Council?
What on earth is this?
I felt my heartbeat quicken, an inexplicable sense of dread washing over me.
This letter... is definitely not ordinary!
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