Chapter 48: Chapter 048: I Didn’t Give You Permission to Leave
Hina Tachibana stared in shock at the slowly approaching figure.
The grotesque appearance, dripping with an unidentified fluid, repeatedly struck at her fragile heart.
She had watched plenty of horror and supernatural movies before, often with her younger sister. During scary scenes, she would cling tightly to her sister, hiding in her arms to shield herself from the terror on the screen.
But those were just movies, separated by the barrier of a screen and an undeniable sense of fiction. Deep down, she knew they weren't real.
Now, things were different.
She was facing a terrifying monster in real life.
The acrid stench of burning filled the air, assaulting her senses and sending jolts of dread through her nerves, deeply unsettling her.
Tap…
Tap…
The creature in her line of sight was moving faster now.
Hina instinctively stepped back, retreating to Lin Ye's side.
"Lin-kun, it's that monster. It's coming toward us again. W-What you said… might be true. We really are trapped here."
Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
If she were alone, Hina might have broken down completely, screaming in panic.
"What should we do? Should we run back the other way?"
She wanted to turn and flee immediately, but Lin Ye's presence kept her rooted, waiting for him to suggest their next move.
"Sensei, you go ahead. I'll take a closer look."
"Eh?"
Hina froze, tightening her grip on his arm.
"No! You can't it's too dangerous."
"Sensei, simply running away won't solve anything. We need to find a clue to escape."
But how were they supposed to find clues?
Looking around,
The street was empty, devoid of anything notable, save for the monster itself.
"Trust me, Tachibana-sensei. I'll be fine. I value my life too much. I'm still single, never even had a girlfriend I'm not about to die here."
His lighthearted remark eased the tense atmosphere slightly, though Hina still clenched her fists nervously.
"I'm the teacher,"
She said, despite trembling in fear. Yet, when it came to finding clues, she tried to step forward and take responsibility.
"Let the man handle it this time," Lin Ye replied firmly. "Sensei, you're still a woman after all. Let me take this chance to play the hero!"
Hina Tachibana watched as Lin Ye let go of her hand and deliberately walked toward the approaching anomaly.
She didn't run but instead bit her lip, staying where she was, convinced she might be able to help.
"Some information can't be obtained during time-stops, so..."
He focused intently on the entity inching closer step by step.
As the distance narrowed, Lin Ye noticed the intensified scent of burning. The acrid, stifling smell was almost overwhelming.
"Hey…"
The anomaly's protruding eyes shifted toward him. It grinned, revealing an eerie expression as thick droplets of liquid dripped to the ground.
The temperature spiked.
Lin Ye felt a wave of heat radiating toward him, causing sweat to bead on his forehead.
"Roar…"
With a sudden bellow of rage, the anomaly lunged forward in a rapid, explosive motion. Its unexpected aggression sent a jolt of fear through Hina, who stood frozen behind him, terrified for Lin Ye's safety.
"Be careful!"
Thud…
The creature smashed into the ground, but Lin Ye had already moved, keeping a safe three to four meters away.
He maintained his distance carefully, and as he observed the ground beneath the creature's feet, he noticed slight signs of melting.
High temperature.
The stench of char.
This creature was burning.
The anomaly, frustrated by its missed attack, rushed at him again. Its flesh stretched grotesquely, exposing even more raw, red tissue. Swinging its right hand, it struck out viciously.
Lin Ye calmly retreated, dodging and maintaining his distance, frustrating the entity further. The more it missed, the angrier it became, seemingly intent on venting its fury on him.
But it could never close the gap.
The temperature climbed higher.
The heat intensified.
An idea began to take shape in Lin Ye's mind.
At that moment, the anomaly realized it couldn't catch Lin Ye. Without hesitation, it changed direction and charged toward Hina.
The sudden shift sent alarm bells ringing in Hina is mind. Instinctively, she took a step back, ready to flee.
Thud…
The anomaly was abruptly knocked away, sprawling onto the ground. A metallic clink echoed as something rolled across the pavement. Lin Ye spotted a coin.
"I didn't give you permission to leave."
In the brief window provided by his time-stopping ability, Lin Ye had landed a series of critical blows on the anomaly and shoved one of his socks into its mouth.
Now,
Watching the sock disintegrate into ash at a speed visible to the naked eye, Lin Ye confirmed his hypothesis.
"The anomaly is burning."
The scorching stench, the rising temperature all pointed to one thing: combustion. And as time passed, the burning grew fiercer and more intense.
If not for the time-stop ability, simply touching the anomaly in its current state would have reduced his hand to charred remains in seconds.
"Sensei, I know how to deal with this."
"Water."
"Water is the key to defeating the monster."
Hina Tachibana's eyes widened slightly, unable to understand why water was the solution,
but she trusted Lin Ye.
However,
where could they find water here?
She glanced around, scanning the surroundings, but there was no sign of any possible water source.
What were they going to do?
Even knowing the crucial item to defeat the monster, it was nowhere to be found.
Hina grew increasingly anxious.
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