Today is also a cloudy day.

The gray clouds and mist block the sunlight and make the autumn chill even more intense.

The members of the action team who were afraid of the cold shivered and muttered, "This ghost weather, I already knew to wear an extra one." ”

The country road under the wheels seems to have an autonomous consciousness and life.

Wander through a labyrinth of vegetation and branches, leading cars and their people to an unknown world.

The dark green labyrinth is surrounded by towering and steep mountains and rock walls.

The faces are dotted with small patches of shrubs, lush green, and stacked with bare gray granite like scales, making the precipitous mountains look like they are part of some kind of gigantic creature that people have never known about.

Just getting close to this mountain forest, Aono's body reacted instinctively.

Inspiration can't help but adjust to the most acute state.

The body trembled slightly, ready to respond to danger at any time.

It's just that this makes the transcendents who are in the same car feel chills all over their bodies, their hairs stand on end, and their backs are covered in cold sweat.

Aono unconsciously leaked a bit of breath, to them, it was like encountering an extremely terrifying monster.

Even if Aono quickly reined in this aura.

Behind everyone, they were still wet with cold sweat.

When the wind blows, I just feel cold.

And I thought about it in my heart.

'Aono-kun, it's really super - terrible! ’

They looked at Aono in the passenger seat with increasingly awe-inspiring eyes, and silently equated him with some super-powerful beings in their hearts - at least, the transcendents had not had this kind of heartfelt fear when facing the two A-class transcendents in the Nagoya branch before.

At this time, Kaneshiro Taiyi has a sense of superiority and pride.

'Now, you must realize how powerful Aono-sama is, right?' ’

Aono didn't care about the reactions of the transcendents, and looked at the mountains not far away.

Far from the city, it's a completely undeveloped mountainous area.

Every country will have such a zone, and Japan is no exception.

The wilderness landscape, detached from the civilized world, does not make people feel the slightest relaxation.

On the contrary, it brings a feeling that is difficult to fathom -

Making people feel like they're getting smaller and more vulnerable.

In the same way, there is a growing desire to find any traces of human activity, as if to find some solace in those familiar traces.

The oppressive and ominous aura shrouded people like a dark cloud.

Even if they are all transcendental, they are inevitably affected.

In other words, it is precisely because they are transcendent that the members of the group can smell the unusual smell in the air, and they will be affected.

Fortunately, this frightening feeling did not last long.

Two hours later, Aono finally saw the traces of human activity again.

First of all, there were some lands carved out on the side of the road, and even though it seemed to be abandoned for a long time, the people's spirits were still uplifted.

Then there were larger areas of fields, and some old, unrecognizable farming tools, but still untended.

Turning an intersection, a quaint and desolate village suddenly appeared in front of Qingye's eyes.

- Higashisaka Village, has arrived.

The wooden structure of the house, unusually old, presents a dark color that has been eroded by wind and rain.

As early as in the photos left by Takeshi Takaji, Aono had witnessed the whole picture of this village, but the current reality still brought him an indescribable impact.

Let's be honest.

This kind of picture is also the first time Aono has seen it.

In his previous life, he was indeed poor after being discharged from the hospital, but because of the rich woman's support, it was only for a short period of time.

Moreover, the Qingshan Hospital, where Qingye is located, is in the rich Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions of China, where can you still see such a village that is incompatible with modern society?

And one more point.

The ancient village at the moment is even more desolate than Aono thought.

Compared to the description of Takeshi Takaji, it is even more deserted.

Or rather

Not a single one?

"Aono-sama, Higashisaka Village, was abandoned five years ago."

"The villagers inside have also left a long time ago, and only a few elderly people are sticking to this place and are unwilling to leave."

Taiichi Kaneshiro hurriedly explained.

Aono was stunned for a moment, rethinking the time of the archaeological record.

That happened 10 years ago.

Ten years is enough time to change a lot.

It can turn a boy into a man, a young girl into a young woman, and an old man into dust in the grave.

It is not surprising that an old village in the mountains will be abandoned in the next decade.

It's just that Aono suddenly realized the power of time.

Walking into the interior of the village, I found that there were still other people here.

The old man, unwilling to leave, is self-sufficient in this mountain forest.

But if you are unfortunate enough to contract some kind of disease, it is very likely that you will only wait here to die.

There were also three or four members of the Nagoya Rangers, who were the first to arrive in Higashisaka Village, but they were not combatants, but were responsible for Aono's logistics.

After being shocked by Aono's appearance at first, these logistics staff planned to let them rest for a while.

Under the fatigue of the carriage and horses, among the group members, even Taiichi Kaneshiro seemed a little tired.

Proper rest is still necessary.

The group decided to set off again in the afternoon and head to the forest known as "Sarin" in the archaeological record.

"By the way, the previous Ito-kun is your companion, right?"

Just suddenly, the logistics team member who stayed behind asked curiously.

"Why did he go alone in the direction of Salin?"

Taiichi Kaneshiro and they thought of Ito Shu's abnormal performance.

Unexpectedly, he not only came to Higashihan Village, but also set off directly to the most dangerous place?

This kind of thing makes people puzzled, but they can't figure out the reason behind it.

I had to wait until I got to Saleen.

Taking advantage of the rest time, Aono walked alone in the village.

As he walked into the village, he noticed that there was something he cared about.

Following the strange aura of inspiration, Aono walked to a small house.

The building is older than the surrounding dwellings, with wooden walls that are not just dull grey but dark brown.

Aono's keen sense of smell can be smelled, and there are many complex smells attached to his face.

Fresh earth, damp mildew, and charring marks from open flames, a little food scrap of unknown origin

The smell is layered, like the annual rings of a stake, round and round.

Each scent is of a different age, some are strong, some are weak.

But they are mixed together to create a unique taste of this wooden house.

And among them, there is a pungent smell that cannot be ignored - it is it that attracts Aono here.

Aono pushed the door open.

The dilapidated and simple wooden door, in Qingye's hands, is lighter than cotton.

"Squeak-"

When the wooden door was opened, there was a harsh sound.

The pungent smell jumped out even stronger.

It made Aono feel slightly uncomfortable.

【】

The hints on the panel are also far more quirky than usual.

There was an anomalous blank space, and there was no description of his state at this time.

Cold.

A heart-piercing chill came from behind Aono.

"Young people"

His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like his throat being roasted by smoke and fire.

With an accent that didn't fit in with Tokyo, it didn't sound like any language Aono was familiar with.

Aono turned around and saw a rickety old man, standing behind him.

The old man's height was no more than one meter six, and his old face was full of ravines left by time, one after another.

The hair is yellowish and gray, dry and sticks to the scalp.

Large patches appeared on his aging face, which looked strange and terrifying.

Suddenly, in such a wooden house, seeing such a shriveled old man, normal people would be frightened.

Aono wanted to disguise that gesture as well.

But it seemed to be a premonition in the dark, and Aono felt that the disguise seemed meaningless in front of the old man, so he calmly looked at him.

"It's so beautiful."

The old man saw Aono's face and let out a strange exclamation.