Putting Agnes Tachyon's worries aside for now, Platinum was in rather good spirits.
Her mind couldn't really handle thinking that far ahead. Beyond winning the Yayoi Sho, unlocking the Tier 2 shop, and treating her Soul Dissolution Syndrome, all that remained was eating, sleeping, playing, sleeping, playing, and more sleeping and playing.
Having just finished her run, Platinum naturally felt a bit lazy.
After completing a full set of military-style boxing exercises, she felt utterly relaxed. She trembled slightly as she stretched, letting out a satisfied sigh.
'Not bad, not bad. I can really brag about being stronger than Golden Sixty once I get back.'
'Never mind whether she went easy on me or not—the point is, I won, didn't I?'
And like they say, even Symboli Rudolf herself claimed she and Golden Sixty were on the same level. So if I beat Golden Sixty, doesn't that mean I'm stronger than even Symboli Rudolf?
'Guess that really means if you ask, they're just not as good as me.'
But there was still one problem... Although winning the race felt great...
Platinum rubbed her smooth chin, suddenly remembering she seemed to have forgotten something.
'The prophecy! That prophecy!'
[At the mouth of ten thousand rivers, the golden port]
Golden Sixty, Sham, Urban Sea.
In the end, she still wasn't sure which of them was the anchor point.
'No, wait—it might not even be limited to just them...' Platinum racked her brains.
Also appearing in the same race were Jade Lion, Fresh Memory, Ever Flourishing, and a few others. They could also potentially be her anchor points.
If that were the case, the scope of her considerations would expand dramatically. Platinum immediately felt her brain was insufficient for the task.
'Heck, it might not even be Hong Kong. It could be Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou...'
'Ah, forget it. I'll be visiting those places soon anyway. I got all the contestants' contact info too. It's not like I'll never see them again. I'll just check them one by one.'
The sky darkened, the surroundings gradually taking on a dusky hue. Platinum's contemplation was abruptly cut short by a harsh, screeching cry.
'What the...' Platinum muttered. It was a piercing, grating caw, one after another, like someone with a hoarse voice shouting incessantly.
She looked up towards the source of the sound and witnessed an unbelievable scene.
Concrete utility poles stood at regular intervals every few dozen meters along the road, black cables strung from one pole to the next in the distance.
Countless wires stretched from pole to pole, tangled together messily in some places, then combed into parallel lines extending far into the distance.
The section of cable right in front of Platinum sagged noticeably lower, dipping down much deeper. It wasn't because these wires were heavier than others, but because they bore a greater burden.
Crows.
Maybe a dozen, maybe several dozen. In short, a great number of completely black birds perched on the cable above Platinum's head, like a continuous dark cloud studded with dozens of murky, crimson eyes.
Platinum froze, forgetting even to move. The sight before her was just too... too bizarre.
Only this specific stretch of wire was crowded with countless crows, and once she looked up, they all fell completely silent, simply staring fixedly at her.
Platinum took a step to the side. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she saw the crows' gaze shift slightly in her direction.
She glanced back. Without realizing it, she had wandered quite far from the gas station. Calling for Agnes Tachyon or Agnes Digital now probably wouldn't reach them. Looking up and down the street—perhaps because this area was too desolate—there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight.
'The sky isn't even fully dark yet, this isn't exactly the wilderness, and the gas station is just a few steps back...' Yet, Platinum felt an inexplicable wave of dread and palpitations.
'No, the main thing isn't the fear, it's the palpitations. This feeling... The reason I haven't turned and run yet...'
Platinum's pupils abruptly contracted.
She remembered. When she was searching for her first anchor point, when she first met Agnes Tachyon, it was this same feeling.
This feeling of being watched, of being manipulated, of utter insignificance.
Platinum could hear her own heart pounding. She lifted her head again, looking at that oppressive mass of black crows pressing down above her.
'Is it... here?'
She tentatively took a step towards the crows. The birds, which had seemed to be watching her intently, immediately set up a raucous cacophony of caws, the sound of their wings flapping filling the air. A black cloud lifted from the wires, leaving Platinum's view suddenly empty.
'They all flew away... Guess I was overthinking it.' Platinum stared blankly for a moment, then let out a self-mocking laugh.
'Really, scaring myself over nothing. Since when did I get so timid?'
Just as Platinum was thinking about hurrying back to the gas station, she saw the murder of crows circle in the air for a while before simultaneously alighting on another power line further away, but still just within her line of sight.
The crows tilted their heads and once again emitted their grating, harsh caws, as if urging her on.
Platinum rubbed her eyes. She was sure she wasn't mistaken, this was definitely...
Because the crows were still facing her. They were genuinely watching her!
Her throat moved as she swallowed. In the end, the yearning in Platinum's heart overcame her fear, and she walked towards the direction of the crows.
They were like guides. Platinum almost wondered if these crows could think like normal people. They circled, never too far, never too close, occasionally letting out their piercing cries as if to remind her to keep up.
The crows circled higher and flew further. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt the flock was growing, more and more crows joining.
Under their guidance, Platinum crossed one street after another, passing several buildings. All were desolate and devoid of people, seemingly abandoned for a long time.
Faded, half-open shop curtains, speckled with rust, made unpleasant, nails-on-a-chalkboard screeches whenever the wind blew through them.
Platinum's breathing grew increasingly rapid. She felt as if a giant pair of hands was gradually closing in on her.
'Do I still remember the way back? Is there any phone signal now?... Damn it, I should have told Agnes Tachyon first...'
The crows beat their wings one last time, flying towards the roof of a derelict building within Platinum's view. Was it originally an apartment or a hotel? Platinum saw that while the building wasn't particularly tall, its densely packed windows resembled a honeycomb.
'Should I go up?'
Hesitating for a moment, the incessant cawing from the rooftop resumed, as if hurrying her. Gritting her teeth, Platinum bent down and slipped inside the building.
The interior was pitch black. Even the lobby received no sunlight; darkness had fallen early in this space. Platinum stepped carefully on the floor, feeling her way towards where she thought the stairs should be.
Finally navigating through the entire lobby in the dark, her hand found the stair railing, immediately collecting a layer of dust.
The dust made her cough twice. She took out her phone, intending to use its light to see.
Switching on the flashlight, Platinum was instantly startled by the scene illuminated.
"Eeek!" She jumped back a step, nearly kicking out in reflex.
The entire wall was plastered, front and back, with layers of newspaper, all splattered with red paint. The pungent, lingering, acrid smell in the air likely came from here.
Additionally, there were countless graffiti tags in various blue and purple colors scrawled all over. Platinum couldn't understand what they said; they looked like demonic scribbles.
The print on the newspapers was completely obscured by the layers of paint and graffiti.
'What... what is all this?'
If it were just that, it wouldn't have scared Platinum so badly. She saw, right there on the first step of the staircase, a burly man sitting with his knees drawn up, perfectly still.
The man was dressed entirely in dark green, baggy tracksuit that looked like a flour sack. He sat on the step, arms wrapped around his knees, motionless.
Even when Platinum shone her light directly on him, she couldn't see his face. Because his head was covered by a metal pot lid, firmly clamped onto his skull, revealing nothing.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.