The Wrathful Spirit Attacks!
By the time darkness fell, the group finally arrived at the last town on the road to Silent Hill.
Silent Hill was in such a remote location that even this closest town was still more than two hours away by car.
The plan was simple: spend the night in a local hotel, then head to Silent Hill at dawn.
The car pulled up in front of the town's only hotel. Out of desperation, Dina had put her damp jeans back on.
Once everyone finished registering, she ignored the curious stares, hurried across the street, and ran into a small supermarket.
Because the place was so remote, there were plenty of empty rooms. Each person could have their own.
After checking in, team leader Carl left the hotel with Lina, who had been clinging to Xu Mo. Julie stayed behind to study a wall map, while Xu Mo and Jason headed upstairs with their keys.
The hotel had only three floors. Jason's room was on the third, Xu Mo's on the second.
At the landing, Jason patted Xu Mo on the shoulder.
"Xu, want to come out later? I just got my gun license. There's a shop nearby, and I'm thinking of buying something for self-defense."
Excitement shone in his eyes. No man hated this kind of thing.
"I'll pass," Xu Mo said, "but stock up on extra bullets. You might need them tomorrow."
With that warning, he went to his room. Still, Jason's words reminded him—he should prepare some weapons of his own. His psychic strength was strong but still restricted by his body; it couldn't last long. Against the monsters of this world, a gun might be practical.
---
That evening, everyone gathered again for dinner.
Carl shared the results of his inquiries.
"I asked the locals about Silent Hill. Most refused to talk… but I did learn something useful."
Jason leaned forward. "What is it?"
Carl cleared his throat, glancing at Julie before answering. Her serious stare seemed to embolden him.
"Decades ago, there was a great fire in Silent Hill. Within a month afterward, dozens of residents vanished."
"Vanished?" Julie frowned thoughtfully.
Carl nodded. "Bodies were never found."
Xu Mo's heart stirred. He remembered the truth. Those people had helped burn a little girl alive—and after she gained power, she had dragged them into the nightmare realm. He had seen this movie long ago, nearly forgotten the details. There were two layers: the outer world and the inner world, like a twisted mirror dimension.
By now, Dina had changed her clothes. Since arriving in town, she'd seemed shaken, her gaze flicking toward Xu Mo from time to time.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms, exhausted from the day's journey.
Xu Mo had just stepped out of the shower when he heard a knock. He opened the door to find Dina standing there in a windbreaker, makeup lighter than usual. Her beauty rivaled Julie's—no wonder she was always a rival in comparisons.
"May I come in?" she asked softly.
Her docile tone surprised him, but he nodded.
The moment he shut the door, Dina shed her coat, revealing a provocative black silk maid outfit. Xu Mo froze.
Before he could react, she threw herself into his arms.
"What are you doing?" he snapped, shoving her away in disgust.
"Don't worry!" she said quickly. "I never even let Blake touch my hand!"
"So what? Earlier you wanted me dead." His voice was cold.
Her expression shifted. "But you looked so handsome today. Let's get back together—I'll do anything you ask."
Xu Mo stared at her, baffled. Did this woman awaken some strange fetish?
She slipped something into his hand. Xu Mo looked down, eyes widening at the packet of protection she had smuggled in.
"You're a pervert," he muttered.
---
Two hours later, Xu Mo sat on the sofa by the window while Dina quietly cleaned the room.
He had to admit—she was interesting. Perhaps worth keeping around, if only for a while.
"Come here," he said.
She hurried over. A thread of black energy flickered between Xu Mo's brows, swirling into the shape of a contract suspended in the air.
"Sign it," he commanded, explaining the method. "Once you do, you'll be my servant. Your life, your soul—everything will be under my control."
Dina's eyes widened in shock, but instead of resisting, her face lit up.
"I'll sign!"
Before Xu Mo could finish his caution, she pressed her hand to the contract, as if afraid he might change his mind.
"I'm yours now," she said with a bright, unsettling smile.
Xu Mo rubbed his forehead. As expected, her twisted desires were developing in an even stranger direction.
---
By ten o'clock, the town had gone quiet. In such a remote place, with Silent Hill looming nearby, the residents always went to bed early.
In Xu Mo's room, he withdrew the dark energy he had been using to suppress the resentment festering inside Dina.
He had noticed earlier that the concentration of resentment varied from person to person. That concentration, he realized, likely determined who the vengeful spirit would target first. Blake's was the highest.
Tonight, Xu Mo thought grimly, Blake might already be dead.
As the dark energy receded, the lights in his room flickered. The faint crackle of electricity filled the air.
Xu Mo narrowed his eyes.
The vengeful spirit had arrived.
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