AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 967 - 449: The Convenience Store in the Mist_2

Chapter 967: Chapter 449: The Convenience Store in the Mist_2

11:04.

Time continues to flow.

It seems that being in front of the Convenience Store has greatly increased my safety.

And because I’ve reached my destination, Lin Yi isn’t in a rush to enter the Convenience Store right away. After all, it’s not easy to come by, and by staying a bit longer, he can gather as much information as possible, and the more information he gets, the more worthwhile the trip becomes.

He continues to perceive...

But here, except for the endless darkness and those hunter-like nocturnal species, he sensed nothing else.

The only certainty is that in this state of the Convenience Store layer, the entire Convenience Store is actually surrounded by hunter-like nocturnal species, but they don’t dare to invade the boundary.

At this moment, Lin Yi suddenly catches some fragmented sounds from those calls...

"Clatter..."

"Clatter..."

Water sounds?

No...

It’s...

"Chains?!"

A flash of insight bursts from Lin Yi’s eyes, and his perception soon detects traces of chains within the mist.

Beyond the light boundaries, there’s another line of defense!

A line of defense made of chains!

"This layer... was also constructed before?!"

"The construction of the campus isn’t limited to the buildings in the surface reality world?!"

"Could this be the true world?"

"The so-called reality... is just a highly anchored mirage, and the true reality is actually only the Convenience Store?!"

Lin Yi thought about the Convenience Store’s air raid shelter design, wondering if the so-called last line of defense means that the campus itself has only this one line of defense?

Which layer is the real world after all?!

"Lin Yi..."

"Lin Yi..."

The calls echoed, making Lin Yi’s scalp tingle and his heart chilled.

"Can’t think too much, better go directly to ask the owner!"

Lin Yi steadies himself, glancing at his watch.

11:05.

Indeed, thoughts are the fastest sword; after thinking in circles, barely a minute has passed.

Lin Yi takes a deep breath and walks to the door of the Convenience Store.

After Lin Yi steadies himself, those calls gradually recede as if the hunter-like nocturnal species have disappeared like receding tides.

Yet the thick mist continues to surge unchecked, as if becoming substantial, cold and sticky, slowly wrapping around every inch of land.

Once everything disappears, in the darkness, there seems to be only one last sound remaining, the slight collision and swaying of chains in the wind.

"Clatter... Clatter..."

...

In front of the Convenience Store, it’s still the same familiar layout—

Familiar snacks lined up on familiar shelves;

The familiar "Open" sign hanging on the familiar door;

One door open, one door closed, inside is that familiar, indistinct gray scene...

This time, however, Lin Yi’s bag is already filled with free tomatoes, making it impossible for him to buy anything else. If anything, Old Mo’s bag could be used, but only if he hands Old Mo’s heart to the Convenience Store Owner first.

"Owner... I’m here as promised..."

Lin Yi sighs inwardly, thinking about Old Mo, unable to resist touching his bag. _{fre eweb\(n)ovel(.)co(m)}

"Old Mo..."

He slowly approaches the Convenience Store door, but as he reaches the front and is about to step inside, his entire body suddenly shivers!

He quickly steps back half a pace, then stares wide-eyed at the Convenience Store entrance, too shocked to speak.

There’s no anomaly with the Convenience Store door itself, but the problem is with the gray substance at the entrance!

"Is this... ’Ashes’?!"

There’s a layer of gray mist floating at the Convenience Store entrance, and the mist is densely granular, like countless floating dust particles, a sensation all too familiar to Lin Yi; isn’t it just "ashes"?!

But... how come there’s so much ashes at the entrance of the Convenience Store?!

When did they show up?

During the last visit, they seemed to have been there?!

Because he remembers, the door hasn’t changed!

"But if that’s the case, doesn’t crossing the threshold mean getting covered in ashes?"

"Doesn’t that mean Li Huiyuan also got covered in ashes? But the Boss didn’t say Li Huiyuan needed to clean off the ashes?"

"No, Li Huiyuan also underwent training corresponding to mine..."

"But... that’s not right either; Mu Daxian and Maozi went into the Convenience Store too, and there should be a problem, right?"

"And back then, the Convenience Store’s red light was flashing, and some nocturnal species along with the chef in the green apron went into the Convenience Store too."

"So basically... those ashes just float there? Like the ashes floated on my shadow back then, though they’re there, they don’t actually affect others?"

Lin Yi ponders silently, gradually discovering the clues.

"In other words... the Convenience Store itself carries ashes!"

"And because the Convenience Store isn’t a living organism, carrying them doesn’t result in abnormalities!"

"Isn’t the Convenience Store a natural ’container’ for ashes then?"

"Wait... if that’s the case, doesn’t it mean the official body has long since found a method to collect ashes?"

Lin Yi suddenly shivers all over.

He thinks of more and deeper things.

If this guess pans out, the official body has long since mastered and initiated the collection of ashes, while others remain oblivious, even the infiltrating organization "God’s Domain" is in the dark, so the official body has been scheming all along?

Lin Yi suddenly feels things have become more complicated again; at S City University, the official approach seemingly anchors campus layers using Experience Students to send Highly Perceptive Experience Students to the Gymnasium or Art Building as combat units for cultivation, but now it seems, whether from a macro or micro perspective, the official body holds the reins of all development?

Obviously, the truth hinges on how much information and means the official body possesses.

And Lin Yi would rather overestimate the official body’s strength.

Because if the official body is capable, then they’re truly reliable; if they’re not capable, then everything falls apart.

The worst suspicion is not even the official body knows what’s going on with the Convenience Store.

A more moderate suspicion might be that these ashes originate from the Convenience Store Owner.

Lin Yi never expected that he had just arrived at the Convenience Store, haven’t done anything yet, and already entangled with numerous unknown events.

One vortex is yet to be escaped, with half a foot plunged into another vortex.

Now he has many questions he wants to ask the Convenience Store Owner, in fact, his mind is filled with questions.

Unable and uninterested in thinking further, Lin Yi takes a deep breath and enters the Convenience Store.

As he steps over the threshold of the Convenience Store, the ashes floating on the portal seem to be drawn to him, gathering around Lin Yi...

Others pass through without a trace, but Lin Yi is entirely different; he wants to be covered in leaves, taking some petals along as well.

Upon entry, he’s completely unaware, but as he traverses the threshold and enters the Convenience Store, he feels a strong pull from behind.

He turns back puzzled, finding the ashes floating on the doorway clinging to his body like adhesive on a mouse trap, the ashes seeming to turn into sticky threads, tightly binding him to the doorframe.

He tries to move forward and finds that he can move.

But the more he moves forward, the stronger the pulling force becomes; after a few steps, he can’t go any further.

Between him and the door, a long adhesive band formed of ashes clings tightly...

"Damn, what’s this?!"

Lin Yi swings his arm, he can move, but his mobility is greatly reduced.

He realizes he’s trapped in some kind of snare, but he feels this snare wasn’t set for him.

Yet, the problem remains.

No matter who this snare was set for, it’s now fallen upon him.

And the worst suspicion is...

This snare was specifically set to catch him.

But here... only the Convenience Store Owner would set traps!

Does the Convenience Store Owner need to set traps?!

Just to deal with a small fry like him?

No way, right?

Definitely not.

Unless...

He’s seriously injured!