Watching the car slowly disappear, Li Chengyi stood still. He really wanted to chase after it, but the meaning behind the man's words made his heart sink.
That man's friends and son seemed to have died because of the "dead corner."
This world... it seemed peaceful, but dangers like the "dead corner" seemed to lurk everywhere.
And what did that man's last words mean?
Why would calling the police cause him to lose his last bit of hope?
Li Chengyi's mind was racing with thoughts, but he had no clear answers.
He took out his phone again and continued searching for information about the "dead corner."
The sky gradually dimmed, and streetlights on the road began to glow with yellow light.
A few students began to emerge in small groups, casually strolling around.
The shops along both sides of the street turned on their lights, filling the area with vibrant hues.
Li Chengyi stood there, furiously searching for information about the "dead corner."
But there was nothing.
All the information seemed to have been blocked or deleted, leaving only a few simple missing persons cases circulating online.
He sighed in frustration and put his phone away, looking up at the sky.
The moon, as large as a basin, hung quietly in the middle of the sky, silent and still.
There must be a way...
Li Chengyi glanced back at the coffee shop but didn't return. Instead, he tucked his phone away and walked toward the bus stop.
As he approached the green belt between the sidewalk and the road, a clear black inscription appeared on the back of his right hand.
Li Chengyi didn't notice it. His mind was still preoccupied with the bizarre underground parking lot and that strange, gigantic face.
The intense pressure and panic filled his entire body. If it weren't for his forceful control, he would've been trembling in fear.
Walking along the green belt, his mind was racing with ideas and possible ways to escape the "dead corner."
He had already considered going back and preparing various weapons—knives, alcohol for fire-starting, powerful pepper spray, and so on. Anything would be better than nothing.
Everything that could help should be used.
He also thought about food and drinks. If he managed to escape the monstrous face but remained trapped in the dead corner, he would need sustenance.
He also thought about the cassette player. He had likely entered the dead corner through the music from that cassette.
So, when he went back, the first thing he would do was gather that cassette.
And then...
Wait! A sudden realization flashed through his mind.
The pattern on my hand! That pattern looks mysterious. It might help me!
A glimmer of hope rose inside him.
He raised his hand, but there was nothing visible on the back of his hand. The pattern could only be seen through reflection in a mirror.
He quickly walked to a clothing store's display window and, using the reflection, looked at the back of his hand.
The black markings had disappeared and returned to their previous form, resembling a black flower pattern.
So, how do I use this? What's its purpose?
Staring at the black pattern on his hand, Li Chengyi thought of an idea. He opened his phone camera and pointed it at the back of his hand.
Sure enough, the phone screen clearly displayed the black pattern on his hand.
It was a cluster of tiny black flowers arranged in a floral pattern.
They seemed to sway in the wind, the overall shape slightly tilted. It also looked like black flames burning, flickering and deep.
Perhaps there's a trick to this? Li Chengyi thought, reaching out to touch the pattern, but his fingertips felt nothing, as though the pattern didn't exist.
I can't wait any longer. The time is running out. I need to prepare other things!
Completely clueless about how the pattern worked, Li Chengyi quickly turned around and jogged toward the bus stop.
He needed to prepare everything as quickly as possible.
Even though the middle-aged man had said that weapons wouldn't help, that was just a stranger. He couldn't trust everything the man said.
Without hesitation, he boarded the bus. This time, there were no mistakes. Before it got completely dark, he arrived at the entrance of his neighborhood.
Instead of going home, he headed toward the chain supermarket on the road outside the neighborhood, preparing to buy long-lasting food supplies.
Compressed biscuits, jerky, bottled water—he bought a large bag full.
He also bought a folding fruit knife, a sharp kitchen knife for cutting meat, several windproof lighters, and a filtering mask.
Faced with the threat of his life, Li Chengyi was able to summon 1000% of his execution ability. In just half an hour, he had everything ready.
He then took out his phone to check for anything he might have missed.
Lastly, he grabbed a small first aid kit from a pharmacy next to the supermarket.
Everything was prepared.
It was now 7:40 PM.
Carrying the large bags, Li Chengyi entered his neighborhood and glanced up at the window of his apartment on the fifth floor. There was no light.
He quickly entered the building, pressed the elevator button, and waited for it to come down.
As he waited, his mind was still occupied with thoughts of the black pattern on the back of his hand.
Before me, there must have been others who prepared like I did. If such simple preparations could help survive the dead corner, then those people on the internet wouldn't be so pessimistic. So…
Li Chengyi had a feeling that the true hope for survival might lie in the pattern on his hand.
But how to uncover its purpose, he had no clue.
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the first floor.
The door slowly opened, revealing the slightly dim, old space inside.
Li Chengyi was about to step in when he paused, noticing the faint dim light. A sense of unease crept up his spine.
He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he turned and decided to rush up the stairs with the bags.
He sprinted up to the fourth floor in one go. Luckily, he exercised regularly; otherwise, with the weight of the bags, he wouldn't have made it up so quickly.
He unlocked the door, and the apartment was empty.
The three-bedroom apartment was dark, with only a little moonlight and the light from the opposite house coming through the living room window.
Huff.
Li Chengyi exhaled deeply, placing the bags on the living room floor and changing his shoes.
As soon as he entered, he noticed some dirty footprints on the floor.
Someone had come into the house without taking off their shoes.
Was it one of Li Chengjiu's guests? he wondered.
He sat down, took a drink of water, then picked up his phone and used the camera to study the pattern on the back of his hand.
Maybe it needs some kind of incantation?
He started mumbling random phrases aloud, like "Open Sesame" or other nonsense incantations.
The range was too broad, and nothing happened.
Maybe I need to draw it out with a pen? His thoughts were influenced by various novels he had read in his previous life.
He grabbed a piece of white paper, took a pencil, and carefully started sketching the pattern.
But his drawing skills were poor, and after some time, all he had was a messy blob that resembled a child's drawing.
Still no reaction.
After a while, the time reached 8:30 PM.
A slight wave of drowsiness began to rise in Li Chengyi's mind.
He immediately became alert.
The last two times, he had felt drowsy before entering the dead corner. Was this the third time?
His mind tightened, and he forced himself to stay awake, gripping the large bags, afraid that if he left them behind, he wouldn't be able to take them with him.
If I die, will I cross over again? A strange thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Those black flowers... I still don't know where they came from, but they seem to be capable of these incredible things...
Li Chengyi sighed internally. As the moment approached, he strangely wasn't as nervous as before.
It was a strange feeling, as if his mind had cleared, and his thoughts became sharper...
Wait!!
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot through his mind.
The pattern appeared because of the black flowers. I crossed over because I touched those black flowers.
The major I studied in my previous life was also related to plant care... everything is connected to plants.
So, is this pattern also related to plants?
This thought quickly took over Li Chengyi's mind.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it could be true.
"I'll give it a try!"
Without wasting any more time, he quickly ran out of his apartment, rushing downstairs with the bags.
He bolted down to the green space between the buildings, where small trees, grass, and flowers were planted.
The area was surrounded by a simple fence, with a sign warning people not to step on the plants.
But Li Chengyi didn't care about the warning. He climbed over the fence and stepped into the green space. The moment his feet touched the grass, his body reacted immediately.
The black pattern on the back of his hand twisted and squirmed, changing into a clear line of text.
"Please maintain contact for ten seconds... loading..."
Li Chengyi pulled out his phone and pointed it at his hand. This time, he clearly saw the line of text.
It was written in the language he had used in his previous life!
"As expected!! This is it!!" A rush of electric excitement tingled through his scalp.
A countdown began to appear on his hand.
"Six.""Five.""Four.""Three.""Two.""One."
Whoosh.
In an instant, all the text disappeared, and the black pattern returned to its previous form, a collection of flowers.
At the same time, a stream of intangible information rushed into Li Chengyi's mind, transmitted through a mysterious method.
"Activation successful."
Buzz!!!
Suddenly, deep, dark mist began to emerge from all directions, engulfing Li Chengyi's body.
The surroundings turned pitch black.
"This is...!?" Li Chengyi stood frozen, not daring to move.
Ding...
A clear, melodic sound rang out, like the sound of jade striking a bell, though it was unclear which instrument it was.
In the darkness, in the distance, a tiny glimmer of purple light slowly appeared, shining brightly and drawing closer.
What do you think of Li Chengyi's discovery? Is the black pattern truly the key to his survival?What do you think the purple light represents?Comment your theories below!