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墨書 Inktalez
A shadow suddenly appeared underwater, and Xu Qingyuan instinctively took a step back.
After hearing the sounds inside stop, he slowly moved forward.
The dim moonlight spilled over the dilapidated well, and a thin layer of mist surrounded the well's opening, as if shrouding this mysterious scene in a veil.
Holding an optical brain, Xu Qingyuan struggled to pierce through the darkness with its faint glow, peering once more into the depths of the well.
Suddenly, ripples spread across the calm water's surface, and a shadow slowly emerged.
Then, the muscular upper body of a male mermaid rose gradually from the water.
It was Ansheng, who had disappeared from the ship.
His strong upper body shimmered with a pearlescent glow under the light, his wet hair clinging to his broad shoulders, droplets of water sliding down his muscular contours.
Silver scales sparkled with a mysterious light in the moonlight and the refraction from the optical brain, resembling countless twinkling stars.
His face was chiseled, and his eyes held an indescribable mystery; the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward, as if greeting Xu Qingyuan.
Xu Qingyuan gasped in surprise at this sudden sight.
However, Ansheng seemed unfazed by Xu Qingyuan's fear. He extended a hand, his fingers long and strong, gently waving as if inviting Xu Qingyuan to come closer.
Xu Qingyuan steadied himself; it seemed that Ansheng did not intend to eat him just yet.
Seeing that Xu Qingyuan remained motionless, a hint of confusion flashed in Ansheng's eyes.
He waved his hand again, and a peculiar tone emerged from his throat, as if he were trying to convey something.
Xu Qingyuan hesitated for a moment but ultimately approached the well cautiously, wanting to hear Ansheng's words clearly.
At that moment, Ansheng's gaze suddenly turned sharp. He leaped up with his fish tail and grabbed Xu Qingyuan's arm, pulling him forcefully.
Caught off guard, Xu Qingyuan lost his balance instantly and fell toward the well.
"Ah!" Xu Qingyuan shouted in terror.
...
Before realizing that Xu Qingyuan was missing, everyone was still asleep.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled silver shadows that draped everything around in a hazy veil.
The surroundings were so quiet that it felt as if time had stopped, with only the occasional faint chirping of insects and the rustling sound of the cold wind blowing through the leaves.
The campfire gradually weakened as everyone slept, with occasional sparks flying out and disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
The trees around stood like silent guardians, quietly towering over them, their shadows intertwining under the moonlight to form a mysterious tapestry.
Xu Qingyuan's voice did not wake anyone; they remained immersed in deep slumber, breathing evenly and steadily.
After a long while, the white mist enveloping the area seemed to be gently parted by an invisible hand, silently dissipating. The flames of the fire crackled as they burned the wood, producing crisp sounds.
He Shuo, unaware of what kind of situation he was encountering in his dreams, furrowed his brows tightly, resembling a tightly wound spring.
His eyes slowly opened, and he noticed that Xu Qingyuan, who should have been sitting by the fire, was nowhere to be seen.
He Shuo was momentarily stunned, then quickly turned his head and realized that there was no sign of him among the others either.
A sense of foreboding surged in his heart. He Shuo hurriedly pushed and shouted to wake everyone up.
"Everyone get up, wake up quickly!"
As He Shuo shouted, he kicked a few people beside him hard, ruthlessly pulling them from their dreams despite their sleepy protests.
"Has anyone seen Professor Xu?" He Shuo asked anxiously, scanning everyone's faces.
Upon hearing that Xu Qingyuan was missing, everyone’s drowsiness was instantly shaken off. Yang Luo's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way! It's almost dawn; where could he have gone? He’s probably just nearby taking pictures of those Nata Tribe buildings for memories."
"It's not that simple." Before He Shuo could speak, Bai Qi tugged at Yang Luo's shirt from behind, his expression serious as he said, "Look over there."
Following Bai Qi's gaze, everyone turned to see a solitary set of footprints on the muddy ground.
"Is it Professor Xu?" Yang Luo looked back at Bai Qi, confusion filling his eyes.
Bai Qi shook his head. "I don't know. Let's go check it out first."
The group hurriedly followed the footprints and eventually stopped in front of a well.
Yang Luo glanced at the well and said, "Bai Qi, you have a well here? Why didn't you mention it earlier? We could have made some potato stew."
Bai Qi shot him an annoyed look, thinking to himself that even at a time like this, he was still thinking about food.
Ignoring Yang Luo, Bai Qi and He Shuo leaned over the well and looked inside.
The bottom of the well was too dark, resembling a gaping abyss.
They quickly activated the lighting device on their optical brains.
The well water had not been used for a long time; a few yellowed leaves floated on the surface, and a wooden bucket drifted nearby, gently swaying with the slight ripples in the water.
"It doesn't seem strange at all. Professor Xu couldn't have fallen in, right?" someone said, looking at the calm water surface with a puzzled expression.
Bai Qi frowned and said, "Not necessarily. This well is located beneath the shrine of the deity and has never been allowed for our use. There might be something strange down there."
It was already bad enough to be in this cursed place. On the sea, Bai Qi had felt as if he were under a spell, stuffing his hand into his mouth uncontrollably. Now that they were at his hometown, he had to tell these frightening ghost stories.
Seeing Bai Qi's exaggerated demeanor by the well, the others felt a surge of resentment.
One person wore an obvious look of anger: "Seriously? You guys from Demon Island have so many bizarre things; couldn't you have mentioned them sooner? Now that Professor Xu is missing, what good does that do?"
Yang Luo quickly tried to smooth things over: "Hey, let's not say it like that. We only survived after coming to this Demon Island; you can't blame Bai Qi now. It's heartless to bully the local resident."
Another person began to mock, "Heh, if you hadn't sailed into this forbidden sea back then, would we be facing these issues now?"
Yang Luo was left speechless, "..."
It's over, they're starting to settle scores.
The group began to argue fiercely again. Yang Luo gradually found it hard to keep up with them, while Bai Qi remained silent, crouching quietly by the well.
Their intensity did not diminish; their voices grew hoarse: "I wonder how you got into the Federation. The entrance exam back then couldn't have been... cough cough."
The cold wind of the early morning was biting, and after yesterday's exhausting journey, two or three people couldn't help but cough, their throats feeling as if they were on fire.
With the sound of coughing and hoarse voices, this intense verbal battle finally came to an end.
Xu Qingyuan had gone missing, and the optical brain could not locate him; his fate was uncertain. The group sat back down by the small fire pit, looking dejected.
Only He Shuo, who had remained silent all along, glanced at the circular barrel imprint on the ground not far from the well and then looked at the wooden barrel submerged in the water at the well's mouth.
At this moment, the barrel had already filled with a small amount of water, gently floating on the surface.
He Shuo's expression darkened as he slowly turned away.
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