Looking at the fallen male corpse, Bai Yuze, to prevent it from reanimating, pulled the cleaver from its head and chopped off its other hand.
The stinging pain in his palm continued to irritate his nerves. He raised his left hand, and a sigh of relief escaped him as he watched the wound on his palm slowly heal.
The wounds inflicted by a Town-Suppression Strange Object on a strange entity are impossible to remove. Bai Yuze's actions were also testing whether he, after being strengthened by the Guaidan, still counted as human.
The result did not disappoint him; he was merely an ordinary person with slightly stronger healing abilities.
Thump, thump, thump—
Bai Yuze suddenly stood up and looked in the direction of the sound.
"More strange entities?"
But when he saw the newcomer, Bai Yuze froze for a moment.
He saw Yukino slowly approaching, draped in a bedsheet. Her footsteps were as light as possible, but before Bai Yuze, who was enhanced by the Guaidan, they were impossible to hide.
"Is that Yukino?"
Bai Yuze called out, but his right hand still tightly gripped the cleaver.
Upon hearing Bai Yuze's voice, Yukino stopped moving forward, but she did not speak.
Seeing this, Bai Yuze knew that she was afraid the sound she had just heard was made by a strange entity.
Therefore, Bai Yuze picked up the flashlight and shined it in Yukino's direction.
The warm light was not dazzling, so Yukino could clearly see Bai Yuze's figure in the beam of the flashlight.
"Is that Bai Jun?"
After confirming Bai Yuze's identity, Yukino quickened her pace, but before she could take a few more steps, Bai Yuze stopped her.
"Don't come closer yet; maintain a safe distance."
Bai Yuze couldn't be sure if the Yukino in front of him was the real Yukino. Who knew if there were any monsters in this basement that could disguise themselves as others?
Moreover, Bai Yuze had just gone through a life-and-death struggle, and his nerves were now on edge, like a spiny-backed dragon, Haxim, in a state of stress.
No one would be spared; even a passing dog would get a chop.
Yukino also knew that Bai Yuze's current state was a bit unstable. She had come to confirm if Bai Yuze was in the basement precisely because she had heard the sounds of fighting.
As a cat lover, Yukino didn't know what to do when a human was stressed, but she knew what to do when a cat was stressed. She stopped her steps, not caring if water droplets fell on her.
"Bai Jun, don't be nervous."
"I know. First, tell me how you survived?"
Bai Yuze said he believed her, but his eyes never left her for a second. If Yukino showed anything amiss, the cleaver in his right hand would fly directly at Yukino's head within 0.5 seconds, performing a craniotomy on her.
"Since the escape route Yui Yuigahama and I found could only accommodate one person, I decided to approach the green door. During that time, I hoped in my heart that I could avoid the pursuit of the strange entities, which is why I survived safely until now."
Yukino explained the entire sequence of events, but Bai Yuze's vigilance did not lessen.
"Then why, when I wished in my heart for a location related to you, did so many location coordinates appear?"
"Related to me? You mean the bedsheet, right? To prevent the strange entities from tracking by scent, I deliberately tore up the bedsheet I was wearing, then hid it in various places in the hallway rooms, and then changed into new bedsheets from those rooms, repeating this process."
Bai Yuze calmed down after hearing Yukino's answer. Indeed, what he had wished for in his heart was "something related to Yukino." Since the bedsheet was worn by Yukino, it was naturally related to her.
"Last question, you've been moving in the dark for so long, didn't you encounter any strange entities?"
"No."
Yukino shook her head. She had been busy escaping and hadn't had time to observe her surroundings carefully, so even if the environment had changed, she wouldn't have noticed.
Bai Yuze was silent for a moment until a drop of water from the ceiling fell on him, and then he reacted.
"I believe you, come over."
Bai Yuze believed that the Yukino in front of him was the real one, because he noticed that some of Yukino's clothing had been corroded by water droplets, and the skin underneath showed signs of burns. These were clearly wounds caused by not having time to cover her body while running.
At the same time, in his eyes, Yukino had just been dripped on by water, and although Yukino didn't show any signs of being hurt, Bai Yuze saw Yukino's pupils contract for a moment.
This is a behavioral characteristic that humans cannot hide, no matter how much they try, when they are hurt.
"What about Yui Yuigahama?"
After Yukino approached Bai Yuze, she first asked if Yui Yuigahama had left safely. She breathed a sigh of relief after receiving an affirmative answer.
The prolonged high-pressure state and the urgency of escape had kept Yukino's nerves taut. The sudden relaxation almost made her lose her balance.
Fortunately, Bai Yuze was quick-witted and grabbed her.
"Thank you for coming to save me."
In response to Yukino's thanks, Bai Yuze merely smiled faintly.
"Don't mention it. I would have come here whether you were here or not."
"But you clearly could have come the next day."
Yukino also showed a slight smile. She could finally let go of her tense nerves and take a good breath.
"Heh, it was just convenient. How are things here for you?"
"Not very smooth. I can't find any other escape routes. That green door requires a key to open. I suspect that green door is the real way out."
Yukino informed Bai Yuze of what happened next. No matter how much she searched, she couldn't find another escape route, as if it didn't exist, and the only green door required a key, with the corpse of a strange entity still chasing behind her.
Given such circumstances, Yukino was truly strong not to have collapsed.
Draped in bedsheets, the two exchanged information in the hallway.
"I see. No wonder I kept feeling something was off. Was it because of the strange entities here?"
After hearing Bai Yuze's reasoning, Yukino suddenly understood. She always felt that the hints had an urging tone, and everything was too coincidental, like a pre-arranged play.
One might even think that a dragon would appear soon, and after defeating it, they would become true heroes!
"Let's go take a look first. There's no benefit in staying here."
Bai Yuze handed the flashlight to Yukino, while he dragged the male corpse, draped in a bedsheet, following behind Yukino.
"Is this corpse still useful?"
Yukino was a bit puzzled. Clearly, dragging it was just a burden. Wouldn't it be enough to pull out the scalpel? Anyway, its hands had already been cut off, so it posed no danger. At most, its legs could also be chopped off.
"This corpse is not affected by the corrosive effect of the water droplets, which means this guy won't naturally disappear if left here. Leaving him here is equivalent to a hidden danger. Taking him with us might be useful later."
"Whatever makes you happy."
Yukino stopped speaking, concentrating on walking ahead.