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墨書 Inktalez
"Ahhh!"
A piercing scream came from the bushes ahead, as if it could penetrate the sky, making the already silent forest feel particularly eerie.
"What happened?" He Shuo furrowed his brow and quickly stepped through the weeds, asking urgently, "Did you find any clues?"
Two people stopped in their tracks, looking at the thicket in front of them with faces full of fear.
He Shuo approached and focused his gaze.
Lying beneath the bushes was a male corpse, the very companion who had arrived on the island with them yesterday.
The weather was scorching hot, and flies swarmed all over the corpse. Those tiny black insects were densely packed, sending chills down one's spine.
A large hole had been opened in the chest of the corpse, exposing its internal organs. As they got closer, a number of flying insects were startled into the air.
A wave of foul odor hit them like a tide. He Shuo quickly covered his nose, forcing back the nausea rising in his stomach as he asked, "Who discovered this first?"
The others had not strayed too far; upon hearing his shout, they hurriedly began to gather around him.
Upon seeing the corpse on the ground, the stench and bloodiness overwhelmed their already weary bodies. A few leaned against tree trunks and retched.
"This is disgusting! What kind of animal would do this to a person?"
Yang Luo frowned tightly, one hand covering his mouth and nose while the other swatted at the flies in front of him, complaining.
Such wounds were indeed difficult for a human to inflict.
The wounds on the legs were torn and mangled, as if some sharp claws had directly slashed at him before dragging him down and eviscerating him with those same claws.
He Shuo's expression was grave as he slowly approached the corpse, furrowing his brow and carefully examining the interior of the chest cavity. He noticed that all the internal organs were missing.
He couldn't help but take a few steps back and turned to Bai Qi with a serious look, asking, "You grew up on this island; are there any monsters or animals here that hunt like this?"
Bai Qi's face had already turned as pale as paper when he saw the corpse.
He trembled as he opened his mouth and then slowly closed it again, unsure if it was due to the scabs on his wounds or something else, his lips quivering several times.
"Bai Qi, what's wrong?" Noticing Bai Qi's unusual behavior, Yang Luo quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, looking concerned.
Yang Luo's caring demeanor eased Bai Qi's anxiety somewhat. He took a deep breath and then slowly said, "There aren't any monsters on the island; it's just that I've seen wounds like this during sacrificial ceremonies."
"Sacrificial ceremonies?" Yang Luo raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "What is that? Is it a custom of your people? Killing to take organs?"
Bai Qi shook his head, his voice trembling slightly. "No, it's not as simple as you think."
With a tone of exhaustion, Bai Qi leaned against a tree, his body slightly shaking as he continued, "When our ancestors migrated to this unclaimed land hundreds of years ago, they made a deal with the deity here. Every year, we would offer up a devout believer."
At this point, He Shuo and Yang Luo stood up straight, feeling a chill run down their spines and sensing an ominous suspicion growing in their hearts.
Bai Qi lowered his head in self-mockery, as if he had lost all strength.
"You’re not wrong in your thoughts; it’s about offering a living person for it to eat. I used to wonder where those people went, but adults would always deceive us by saying they went to a place closer to the deity."
As he spoke, Bai Qi's expression turned extremely pained, as if he were engulfed in sheer terror. His voice cracked with emotion: "It wasn't until I was twelve that I saw a corpse lying on the rocks below the cliff at the edge of the island that I realized it was all a lie."
"That corpse was like this one—its organs had been eaten."
"It’s not a deity; it’s a demon."
Bai Qi's eyes were bloodshot, with red veins spreading across his eyeballs, and two streams of red blood had dripped from the corners of his mouth due to his agitation.
Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished; the practice of sacrificing living people to demons still existed in this day and age.
Yang Luo's outstretched hand hovered in the air, unsure of where to place it. Bai Qi looked extremely agitated.
In the end, Yang Luo chose to place his hand on Bai Qi's shoulder, gently patting him twice as a form of comfort. "Well, think positively. This race is no longer around, so this bad habit is gone too. Try to see it that way."
This unconventional method of consolation left Bai Qi momentarily stunned.
He stared deeply into Yang Luo's blood-red eyes.
"Alright, since that's the case, if you say it's on the island, then Professor Xu's situation will be even more dangerous. We need to find him as soon as possible." He Shuo's words brought everyone back to their senses; indeed, they needed to locate Professor Xu urgently.
Soon, they followed the chaotic footprints and the traces of crushed grass, eventually finding the bodies of the eight people who had fled in panic yesterday.
Without exception, all had gaping holes in their chests and their innards were hollowed out.
"There's a body here!"
"There's one here too, and over here!"
"I have one here as well!"
Despite the foul odor and their stomachs churning, they dragged the eight bodies to an open area.
In the distance, the sky had already brightened; the weather was clear and sunny.
He Shuo's expression was calm, but his tone carried a hint of heaviness as he said, "With the weather here, the bodies will quickly decompose and attract more mosquitoes. We should cremate them."
"Well, taking their ashes back like this can at least give the families some closure."
After a long time of busy work, they finally gathered some branches and lit a fire.
Thick smoke billowed, quickly igniting a large flame that completely engulfed the bodies of the eight individuals.
Yang Luo stared at the blazing flames, suddenly furrowing his brow as if he thought of something. He said, "It's strange. We've found the bodies of the other missing people, but why haven't we found Professor Xu's?"
He Shuo's expression immediately turned a bit odd upon hearing this.
Bai Qi recalled the moment they discovered Professor Xu's footprints disappearing in front of the well, and his face instantly filled with worry. He trembled as he said, "Professor Xu... didn't really fall into that well, did he?"
At these words, everyone's expressions began to turn panicked.
Yang Luo widened his eyes, mouth slightly agape, disbelief written all over his face. "No way? Didn't you say that well was very shallow?"
Bai Qi replied, "I only said it was shallow; I never said Professor Xu couldn't fall in. Besides, I've never been inside. What if there’s something else down there..."
Seeing Yang Luo and Bai Qi start to argue and forget about the main issue, He Shuo quickly interjected.
He Shuo clenched his fists. "Regardless, we need to hurry and check that well. You three stay here and wait for the rescue team's signal."
After arranging for the other three to wait in place, He Shuo glanced at Yang Luo and Bai Qi before turning back to retrace their steps in the direction they had come from.
Yang Luo and Bai Qi exchanged glances and quickly followed after him.
Bai Qi panted as he ran, saying, "What if Professor Xu really is in that well? What are we going to do?"
Yang Luo looked anxious, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Stop saying that; maybe Professor Xu isn't even there."
The footsteps of the three echoed clearly in this silent place, each person's heartbeat seemingly quickening with the tense rhythm.
He Shuo's face was terrifyingly dark, his gaze firmly fixed ahead as he silently prayed that Xu Qingyuan would be alright.
He was still waiting for the rest of his payment.
If that Xu were to die, he would definitely not receive it.
Soon, they arrived at the well's edge.
He Shuo stopped, looking at the dark well opening. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Everyone be careful. I'll go down first to take a look; you stay up here."
Yang Luo swallowed nervously and cautiously leaned closer to the well, peering inside.
Bai Qi anxiously rubbed his hands beside him, his eyes glued to the well opening.
"Focus~"
Their optical brain sent a message.
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