“This is not right…”
Ling instinctively stepped back, but behind her was the wall.
Where could she retreat to?
And facing the Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects above her head, although it showed no sign of launching an attack, whether it was that enormous body or that terrifying face, Ling could not gamble on whether it had any malice toward her.
After all, she did not feel that the weapon in her hand could have any effect on this thing before her.
Even if she emptied the magazine, it probably would be meaningless.
Perhaps she should find a chance to escape?
But she did not think her two legs could outrun the other’s countless limbs.
Acting rashly was instead not a good idea.
The most, most, most important point, and also the thing she had been thinking about all along.
Why was the “Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects” still here?
This was an anomalous creature already on record.
The archives had also clearly recorded that no matter what, Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects would not launch attacks on humans who had already discovered the existence of its true body, and should immediately leave.
But not only had it not left, it had instead stayed here the whole time, as if watching Ling and preventing her from leaving, yet not actively launching an attack.
If it was because of the contamination of Isolated and Helpless that the special malice of Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects had been amplified, that could also be understood.
But if it was only that, then it would only immediately launch an attack on Ling, yet it did not.
Why?
Or rather, did it have some other purpose?
Just as Ling’s thoughts were in chaos, the faces in Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects changed again, and using the same old trick, transformed into a figure Ling was extremely familiar with, appearing before her.
This time it was Igris.
“Do me a favor.”
The fake Igris said lightly to Ling before her.
“In this way? You did not even try to hide.” Ling raised her sidearm and aimed it at the ‘Igris’ before her, but she shook her head.
“I need your help.”
“You?”
“We.” ‘Igris’ pointed at the main body on the ceiling and continued.
“I know your purpose, and I also know what those people want to do. They forgot many things in the sewer, things like me.” ‘Igris’, or rather Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects, spoke eloquently to Ling at this moment.
“You may not understand why I would seek help from you. After all, in your eyes, I should be a monster, an evil existence that hunts humans.” At this moment it had completely lost its malice, and the aura that had kept Ling feeling uneasy had also disappeared.
It seemed Isolated and Helpless had stopped affecting her.
“But we lived here before we died, lived in Maulkinson Town. We are also victims. It was those damned cultists who caused the tragedy together. They actively cultivated anomalous creatures in the sewer, and used this to interfere with outside searches against them. Over these decades, countless people have died miserably in this sewer that never sees the light of day. I do not know how long days like this will last, so help me, help me finish them off.”
Ling did not answer immediately, because she still could not be sure whether the other party was telling the truth or a lie, or whether it was only to lure her over and then launch an attack. Read the latest chapters at g.com.
But regarding this matter itself, it was not absurd.
The generation condition of Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects lay in many humans who had lost their lives, and it would inherit the faces of those people, becoming this centipede form.
If those cultists specifically carried out massacres in the sewer, it was very possible to produce this kind of anomalous creature.
And as one of the few non-humanoid anomalies capable of communicating with humans, the records of Thousand Faces Hundred Aspects were also pitifully few, so it could not be ruled out that what it said was true.
But even so, Ling still could not easily believe it, because this was truly too dangerous for her.
“If you want me to believe you, then leave here, leave my side.”
Ling also raised her own request.
If it only wanted to hunt through this kind of deception, then it definitely would not leave, but if what it said was true, then it probably would not refuse either.
“There is no way out in the sewer, no path to life, only a dead end.” ‘Igris’ gave Ling a deep look, then was once again pulled away, turning into a man’s human face and returning to its body.
Along with the dense sound of limbs, it actually really left this place, without the slightest hesitation.
Then at this moment Ling should consider the words it had said.
Especially the last sentence.
There is no way out in the sewer.
What did that mean?
Did it mean that once you entered here, there was no possibility of escaping, or did it mean that the people they were looking for were not in the sewer at all?
Ling hated riddle-speakers, even if it was a centipede that only spoke riddles.
But no matter what, the urgent matter at hand was still to find Igris or Pasa first.
Ling checked the magazine of the sidearm in her hand and once again walked forward.
…
Igris was lost again.
Or rather, she had never really had any sense of direction at all.
But since she could encounter cultists, it also proved that her general direction was not wrong.
It was just that perhaps some slight deviation had caused her to still not discover any clues.
So she now very much wanted to do an inspiration check on the spot, but unfortunately she did not possess a method to autonomously control this kind of ability.
But fortunately, she had been down here so long and had not encountered even one anomaly.
After all, in this kind of environment, it would be quite rare to say there were no anomalies.
“Hehe…”
“…”
A strange laugh suddenly sounded beside Igris, and she also shone the flashlight over, but saw nothing.
Probably she had jinxed it.
She had just said she had not encountered any anomalies, and then she encountered something extraordinary.
“Ehehe…”
Instead, she silently turned off the flashlight in her hand and merged her body into the darkness.
She knew what this was, and she also knew how to respond.
“Hahaha!”
The wild laughter sounded again, and this time it was directly in front of Igris.
But she still had that completely unconcerned appearance.
She was still waiting, waiting for the moment the other party appeared.
“Why not be a little happier?”
A strange voice emerged from the darkness, and immediately after, a figure slowly walked out from it.
It was a clown, with a face covered in greasepaint, a comical and ridiculous outfit, a fat and bloated build, and an especially conspicuous red nose.
“Why do you not smile?”
“It is indeed quite funny.”
Igris did not even have the intention of drawing her gun.
Looking at the other party slowly approaching her, her expression was incomparably calm.
The sewer was very dark, and Igris had even turned off the flashlight, so the clown could not see the expression on her face either.
Even less would he know who he was about to face next.
“Yes… yes! Smile happily! Obedient children get gifts!”
“Rather than that, is Red Lake Amusement Park still open?” Igris ignored what he was saying and instead asked her own question.
And upon hearing Red Lake Amusement Park, the wild smile on the clown’s face slowly disappeared.
“You are from the amusement park?”
“Ah, who knows. Maybe just some poor soul who wandered in by accident. What about you? Why are you here, fired? Or on vacation?”
Igris, as if chatting about everyday matters, came before the clown, her blue and yellow heterochromatic eyes fixed tightly on the clown’s nose, and the corner of her mouth could not help but outline a strange smile.
“Damn it… They did not tell me there would be someone from the amusement park here… You will not tell on me, right? I was just… I was just out to earn some extra money… I will leave right now!”
“Do not be in such a hurry to leave.”
The clown turned to flee, but Igris pinned him in place with one hand.
“Do me a favor. You will not refuse.”
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T/N: Interesting.
It looks like anomalies are “rule-based” and discovering them allows you to beat them.
T/N: Thanks for reading!