AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 361 - 168: The Disturbing Lamppost (Additional 600 Words)_2

Chapter 361: Chapter 168: The Disturbing Lamppost (Additional 600 Words)_2

But Lin Yi couldn’t understand the logic behind Wei Liang’s actions, and he couldn’t even ask about it, fearing that asking would disrupt Wei Liang’s eerie state.

In the dormitory area, there were a total of 96 streetlight poles; walking past nine more would bring them to the front of the dormitory building. However, Lin Yi didn’t relax at all. Essentially, it was because he had absolutely no clue about the distance across the campus under abnormal weather conditions.

Moreover, based on his experience walking through the mist last time, so long as they hadn’t reached the "Dormitory Building-096" streetlight pole, no matter how close they were to the dormitory building, it wouldn’t be visible.

...

Under the dense fog, the two figures slowly advanced with the help of the dim streetlights, much like hunters trudging through a snowfield against heavy snow.

As they walked, Lin Yi started to sense that something was wrong.

He found that the cobblestone path beneath his feet was gradually losing its smooth geometric shape and was becoming mushy, like bubbles swelling up from a quagmire, losing its inherently hard characteristics.

He looked down at his feet and saw that, visually, the cobblestone path still existed, but the sensation from the soles of his feet felt like a squishy path; his steps even wobbled slightly, creating a slipping sensation.

"The falling of layers is affecting my perception; because I strongly believe I am still on the cobblestone path, that’s what I ’see,’ but what I ’feel’ is the ’actual path’ after the layer has fallen!"

Suddenly, a sharp light flashed across Lin Yi’s eyes, and the hair on his arms stood on end as he clearly perceived something...

That feeling, it was like... mist?!

He suddenly realized that the thick mist had somehow reached his side, like a blanket being slowly unfolded and about to cover him, while outside the thick mist, countless human sculptures swarmed toward him, seemingly waiting for the moment when he would be engulfed by the mist!

"Shasha shasha..."

"Shasha shasha..."

And some nocturnal species crawled on the ground like hungry hyenas, greedily watching his every move...

"Layer!"

"I... am stuck between two layers?!"

He now felt like a drowning person, perhaps his chest was still struggling above the water surface, but the rest of him had already fallen into the water.

That water surface was the boundary of the layers, once he completely submerged, he would be swallowed whole by the piranhas below, not even his bones left behind!

"What I ’see’ is both above and below the water surface, but what I’m touching is already below the water surface... I must swim to the front, reaching that streetlight before sinking!"

Lin Yi had to use analogous logic to diminish the impact of the layers, even imagining himself swimming, even traversing a swamp, was better than admitting he was walking alongside those blood-fed human sculptures.

His gaze fixed on the dimly lit streetlight ahead, he struggled with Wei Liang to reach the light of the streetlamp, then looked up at its pole.

"Dormitory building-090."

"Damn it... skipped two streetlight poles, no wonder it looked so far away!"

He took a moment to catch his breath, then glanced at the time.

21:06.

Three streetlight poles in six minutes, a pace much slower than he anticipated...

The lights in the dormitory corridor would be turned off by 22:00, plunging it into complete darkness by 22:20, but the only time they could truly make it back would be before 22:00.

Six more streetlight poles...

The dormitory corridor...

What seemed like a short journey felt like two stern battles, and Lin Yi even began to worry if the remaining 54 minutes would be enough to fight these battles.

He took a deep breath, leading Wei Liang into the mist again, continuing to ’swim’ through the fog like a dog, gradually narrowing the distance to the dormitory building.

...

As Lin Yi moved through the fog, he repeatedly told himself in his mind, "I am Lin Yi, my student ID is X0230506098, I am on the cobblestone path leading to the dormitory building," while occasionally glancing at his watch to estimate the distance he had walked...

21:09, Lin Yi reached out to push aside the thick fog ahead and saw the dimly lit streetlight pole in front of him.

"Dormitory Building-092."

The straight streetlight pole, illuminated with orange-yellow light, looked unproblematic at first glance, and the pole had its number written in white paint. Yet, upon looking, Lin Yi always felt an indescribable oddness.

At that moment, he couldn’t determine whether he had gone ’dog paddling’ through the fog for too long, causing his mind to play tricks, or if he doubted the safety of the streetlight pole, or if the pole had indeed undergone some changes he was unaware of.

But he didn’t think too much of it, as Wei Liang’s cold hand was already turning blue, slowly changing back to that ashen-gray state; it was essential to get underneath the light of the streetlamp to catch his breath before moving forward.

He didn’t have much time left.

So, he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and with Wei Liang reached the "Dormitory Building-092" streetlight pole.

As he broke through the dense fog and entered the illuminated area of the streetlight pole, the unsettling feeling in his heart intensified, like the fiercely churning magma before a volcanic eruption, assaulting his heart, causing it to thump wildly.