Endless Debt

Chapter 1287: Chapter 1:

The night was deep, and fatigue crept into Bologue’s heart; like carrying cargo, he slung Palmer over his shoulder and dragged the drunken man out of the Undying Club.

This sort of thing had happened many times before, and Bologue was quite adept at it. A groaning sound came from his shoulder, and Bologue adjusted his position to prevent Palmer from puking. On one hand, Bologue found it disgusting; on the other, he didn’t want to affect the city’s appearance.

What Bologue didn’t notice was a pair of cold eyes watching him from the shadows not far away. Only after the duo’s silhouettes drifted further down the desolate street and disappeared did the owner of those eyes shift his gaze towards the heavy door sealing the Undying Club.

"It’s been a while."

He murmured softly, as if some memories were stirred, and inexplicably smiled.

Just as he was about to take another step, there was a slight commotion from the alley, like a swarm of rats scurrying past. He turned his head toward the shadows, and in the next moment, the Astronaut dissembled, transforming into countless black schools of fish that blended into the shadows, silently lurking.

Suddenly, a cold, icy dread accompanied the descent of the fish swarm into reality. The rats screamed in terror, scattering in all directions with a rustling noise, and poisonous insects and snakes fled their burrows, driven by instinct, eager to leave this bizarre place.

The fish surged, and in his field of vision, a crimson figure gradually came into focus. At that moment, this figure also noticed his approach. The crimson figure disintegrated, morphing into dark red points of light, dissipating and stirring with the wind.

The fish swarm hovered where the crimson shadow disappeared, coalescing on the ground into an abrupt shadow, which then began to writhe and boil. Amid the shrieking of countless bursting bubbles, a tall, bloated figure slowly emerged from the shadow.

No... it wasn’t a shadow anymore; it was a bubbling mass of tar.

He stood upright with force, the gray-white space suit covered in tar, which flowed slowly and fell, draping him in countless black threads like cobwebs.

The Astronaut jerked his body with effort, snapping all the threads. The writhing tar at his feet gradually settled, the ground hardened once again, and the shadow reverted to being just a shadow.

"I see you," the Astronaut’s voice carried a hint of joy.

The darkness offered no reply.

An unsettling atmosphere pervaded the pitch-black alley, so silent it seemed time was frozen here. Although no figures appeared, the shadows cast by the streetlights on the walls seemed eerie and unusual.

At the instant the Astronaut turned, a crimson shadow leaped from the wall, slender and twisted like a ghost imprisoned within the shadow.

The crimson shadow clung to the wall, darting towards the other end of the alley, an ever-elusive target, shifting its shape—sometimes like black clouds hung in the sky, sometimes becoming outstretched wolves’ claws. The bizarre patterns of the shadow’s dance filled the entire alley in a profound illusion.

The Astronaut raised his hand gently, and the surrounding shadows seemed to take on form. In the boiling shrieks, foul tar transformed into black fish schools, pursuing that crimson shadow.

Two shadows, one chasing the other, swept across the streets, traversing the alleys. Beneath the streetlights’ shadows, they surged at high speed, and at intersections, the fish swarm disbanded, with tiny schools encircling from all directions, quickly contracting the net until the crimson shadow was cornered.

The crimson shadow squirmed intensely, like a pool of floating blood, disbanding to reveal a worn and weary face.

"Who!"

Olivia wearily straightened up, raising the short dagger in her hand. Her disheveled hair fell, covering most of her cheek.

The fish swarm silently circled around her, as if taunting her, maintaining a safe distance but occasionally intruding, violating Olivia’s fragile sense of security.

Olivia struggled to remain calm and restrained, vigilantly holding the dagger. The cold blade shimmered with the glow of Ether.

"I’m not your enemy, Olivia."

A blurred, murky voice came from within the fish swarm, which then accelerated its movement. It swirled around Olivia like a phantom, sharp cries echoing incessantly around her ears.

The pitch gradually rose, and the fish swarm’s speed increased until the blackness joined as one, like a black storm completely enveloping Olivia, leaving no light.

Olivia only felt countless wraiths screaming at her, her hearing nearly crushed. Amid the acute pain, she struggled to extend her hand and try to break free from the darkness.

The dagger struck down forcefully, as if slashing against a rapidly spinning grindstone. The high-frequency vibration numbed Olivia’s arm, and amidst the reverb, the dagger’s blade also turned red-hot, bursting with dazzling sparks.

As the eerie distortion ensnared her in the dark, Olivia felt her body pulling towards another dimension as if navigating a twisted path.

Just as Olivia was about to falter and be completely engulfed by the fish swarm, a soft bang sounded. The churning fish disbanded, and the pervasive darkness dissipated in turn. The precious light cascaded down once more, almost blinding Olivia.

"Ha... Ha..."