The Creatures That We Are
Chapter 1277: Forrest of Riddles

Chapter 1277: Forrest of Riddles

The Forest of Riddles was permeated with thick mist that made it difficult to see. Even Chen Ying’s Clairvoyance didn’t work.

As soon as they entered the “room”, she counted the heads. No one was missing, not even the parrot. It held onto Dr. Jia’s shoulders tightly, body stiff and eyes wide in a dream. Dr. Jia was going to wake it up, but decided against it since it wouldn’t contribute anything but noise.

“Let’s go. Find the question and fill out the answer!” The previous successes bolstered Zhang Wei’s confidence.

They walked amid the thick mist carefully, talking among themselves.

“The place doesn’t seem to have anything to do with riddles,” Liao Liao said.

Vermilion Bird agreed. “It should be called the Forest of Mist.”

“Or not a forest at all,” Adept Horse said. “There’s no tree.”

“Patience,” Dr. Jia said eagerly. “The fact that we see nothing doesn’t mean that there is nothing. Perhaps all sorts of creatures are lurking and staring at us.”

Hong Xiaoxiao sucked in a breath, sidling closer to Liao Liao. Lovely Lamb, carried by Heavenly Dog, wound her arms around his neck.

“Don’t be scared, Little Lamb,” Heavenly Dog said.

“I’m not scared!” Lovely Lamb whispered-shouted. “It’s just... a bit cold.”

“Oh yeah, yes that’s right!” Zhang Wei agreed vehemently. “I feel cold, too, but well, it’s not cold in the physical sense. It’s... how do I put it?”

He struggled to put his feelings into words.

“Lonely?” Vermilion Bird suggested.

“Yeah!” Zhang Wei said. “Maybe it’s because of the mist. It feels like we’re completely isolated.”

The others shared the sentiment. Unconsciously, they had been huddling closer together.

Heavenly Dog took off his headphones and put them on Lovely Lamb, moving to the center of the group with her so that she wouldn’t be scared.

“Something’s ahead.” Qing Ling was the first to spot it.

They stopped and saw a vague grey shadow in the mist ahead, large and towering like a skyscraper.

“Finally, something interesting.” Zhang Wei perked up.

Chen Ying inspected it with Sensory. “No signs of life. There should be no threat.”

“What can threaten us when I’m here?” Wang Zikai sauntered ahead like he owned the place.

They approached the great black architecture. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a cylindrical tower cast in some sort of black metal, around twenty meters in diameter. Its surface was rough, as if coated in asphalt.

Gao Yang conjured a double to touch the black tower. It was cool to the touch, yet it seemed to convey a heated mix of emotions, the most prominent being loneliness, vanity, and despair.

The double vanished in a minute. Gao Yang confirmed, “It’s clear.”

The others immediately went up to the black tower to examine and touch its surface like tourists getting handsy at a tourist sight.

Vermilion Bird pulled away ten seconds later. “For some reason, I feel like it’s in pain and lonely.”

“It’s not alive, and there’s no energy residue.” Chen Ying frowned slightly. “But I feel the same.”

“Can it be reflecting our emotions like a mirror?” Liao Liao guessed.

Gregor shook his head. “If it’s reflecting our emotions, it’s unlikely that we’re all sharing the same feelings.”

“It’s normal to feel similarly in the same environment,” Adept Horse said.

“Well, true. Being in the mist naturally makes one feel lonely.” Gregor looked up at the black tower. “It’s lonely, yet seemingly in a grandiose way. I don’t know how to put it.”

Gao Yang considered for a moment. He asked Lovely Lamb, “Can you mark this place so that we can easily find it later?”

Lovely Lamb nodded. “I can.”

She marked the tower with Maze. Then they continued their exploration.

Around ten minutes later, they encountered another black tower. It seemed no different from the previous one, only bigger. Lovely Lamb marked it too.

Another ten minutes or so passed. They saw a similar black tower.

“Seems ike there are a lot of those,” Liao Liao concluded.

“I got it!” Zhang Wei swore that he would clear his name this time. “In the mist, we’re all lonely individuals. The question of the room is loneliness!”

No one responded.

“Say something,” Zhang Wei urged. “Am I wrong?”

Smiling, Liao Liao played along. “Were the question loneliness, what would the answer be?”

Zhang Wei considered for a moment. “Liveliness, of course!”

The others exchanged an awkward look.

“Whatever!” Zhang Wei declared at the sky, “Cerulean Dog! The question is loneliness! The answer is liveliness...liness...ness...”

The echoes gradually faded. He had had so many misses that this instance no longer embarrassed him. He huffed, “Eh, it’s just a guess. Could be right.”

Gao Yang stared at the lonesome, silent black tower. Qing Ling stood by his side, looking bemused, too.

An idea formed in her head. She glanced at Gao Yang. “Protection.”

Gao Yang pressed a finger to her forehead, giving her a triggerable Absolute Barrier.

Qing Ling turned around. “Nainai.”

“Here!” Nainai ran up to her.

She hopped onto her Tang Dao. “We’re checking the top of the tower.”

“Okay.”

Nainai jumped onto the blade, wrapping her arms around Qing Ling’s waist. They soared into the air, moving parallel to the black tower. Their speed doubled with Gale boosting them.

A few minutes later, Qing Ling and Nainai returned.

“So?” Dr. Jia asked. “Found anything?”

Qing Ling responded, “It’s safe. Come check.”

Gao Yang nodded. He created a golden spaceship with Absolute Defense and lifted everyone off the ground.