Rat Sound
Fei Ji stared at the hotel in front of him, his spine trembling with excitement.
"We actually found an inn! Indeed, due to the threat of the Ash Storm, there are some large, standalone inns located in this area in front of the Bridge of Sins."
After all, in addition to pilgrims, the procession occasionally attracts visitors.
The hotel is built using special large volcanic rock, which can completely shield it from the effects of storms.
"It's perfect for us to hide inside, get some sleep, and eat something."
Luo Di, however, was somewhat puzzled. "Who could possibly run an inn here?"
"It could be people from the Hell Merchant Group, or other small or medium-sized forces that have some connection with the Order, so that their people can rest and regroup before heading to the Order."
Moreover, these hotels are generally very expensive, which allows them to make a profit.
Luo Di wanted to ask more questions about the Hell Merchant Group, but the raven had already carried him to the front of the inn.
really.
The hotel in front of them was much larger and taller than the ones in the town before, much like a detached apartment building in the Human World, with a total of 13 floors.
It is sealed off by a heavy, Arched Iron Gate, which is also decorated with a Hell Array designed to combat storms.
Two distinctive red candles were lit on either side of the gate. Even with the strong winds blowing, the candles still shone with a bright, blood-red light, so that passersby could clearly find the gate.
Seven minutes until the storm takes shape.
Just as Luo Di dismounted and prepared to knock on the heavy iron gate in front of him...
A series of heavy footsteps came from the side, along with a sense of oppression and pain, forcing Luo Di to turn his head sharply in the direction from which the sound came.
During the storm,
An individual shrouded in a black rubber cloak is approaching on foot, each step leaving a thick footprint on the ground, and the faint sound of metal clanging can be heard coming from the individual's body, or even from within.
The mysterious man, who was over 1.9 meters tall and had a strong build, quickly arrived at the gate and his gaze fell on Luo Di.
The other party first looked at the crow colt that was turning into a crow, then at the Spine necklace that represented the identity of the spine master, and then quickly looked at Luo Di's left arm.
A woman's voice came from under the hood:
"Spine and torture instruments... who exactly are you?"
"An envoy from the Chaos Nest is preparing to visit Mr. Hook at the torture chamber."
The mysterious woman visibly trembled upon hearing the name Hawke.
She wanted to ask more questions, but as the razor-sharp ash struck her throat, slightly cutting her skin, she said, "... we'll talk more after the storm. Let's go inside."
The mysterious woman reached out and touched the teleportation runes on the iron gate, and was teleported directly to the inside of the iron gate without having to open it.
Luo Di followed suit.
Buzz!
The noise disappeared.
In return, you get absolute quiet from inside the hotel.
Candles were lit on either side of the counter, and an old the Devil with a huge nose was smiling at the two of them.
The mysterious woman did not check in immediately, but instead questioned him in a stern tone:
"Please show your business license in the Pain Plains, as well as the faction or merchant group you belong to."
"OK."
The hotel owner skillfully retrieved the relevant documents from under the counter. After verifying that everything was correct, he began the check-in process and gave the guest a rather high-end obsidian key.
Before leaving, the mysterious woman looked back at Luo Di one last time.
"You should embark on your journey as soon as the storm is over, and we'll meet at the gate then."
This time, with the help of the inn's interior lights, Luo Di was finally able to see the other person's face, which was hidden behind the hood.
It was a woman's face, deathly pale, with a few strands of white hair peeking out from under her hood.
It resembled a human more than the Devil. Due to the cloak, only part of its face could be seen, and its specific physical characteristics were not visible.
But Luo Di was certain that the woman in front of him was a member of the Order, and he had already felt a slight sensation in his left arm.
"Okay, see you then."
After the woman left, Luo Di began the registration process.
This time, however, he couldn't rely on his status as an envoy to stay for free. The big-nosed shopkeeper clearly stated that the inn here was a privately owned business of the merchant group, and even envoys had to pay a fee.
Fortunately, Fei Ji had a considerable amount of currency he had prepared in advance.
As the boss stuffed three gold coins, each bearing the image of the gates of hell, into his mouth, a black obsidian key was spat out.
The key is inscribed with "[1309]" in Hell Script at the end.
"The best rooms are all located on the top floor. Enjoy your stay, young envoy. I will personally deliver a delicious meal once the storm has completely subsided and no customers have entered the shop."
"Um."
Luo Di, with the key in his pocket, went up the only staircase in the hotel.
The stairwell was also lined with white candles, providing pleasant light and fragrance.
When he reached the top floor, he had completely forgotten the danger of the storm, and his body and mind had entered a relaxed state under the comfort of the incense.
The only slightly unpleasant thing was that while going upstairs, I could faintly hear the sound of mice coming from between the walls.
Click~
The door unlocked, revealing an unexpectedly luxurious suite.
Upon entering, three candles of distinct colors are placed on a cabinet: white for calming the mind, blue for psychedelic effects, and red for excitement, catering to the different needs of hotel guests.
The fireplace was burning bones, emitting a strong aroma of marrow, which whetted Luo Di's stomach, which hadn't eaten all day.
Soon after, the innkeeper knocked on the door.
What was placed in his hands was not a grand meal, but a large bowl of freshly roasted shredded meat. The aroma it emitted was very tempting but also extremely unfamiliar. At least Luo Di had never eaten this kind of meat before, and had never seen it in Hell Town.
"What kind of meat is this?"
"Your Emissary Lord, as you know, although my inn is related to the merchant guild, they only come about once every three months. After taking most of the operating funds, they only provide limited ingredients."
The basic ingredients have all been eaten.
Because the inn is located alone on the Pain Plains, it cannot replenish its supplies like the inns in the town.
I had anticipated this situation, so I deliberately kept large meat rats in the walls of the hotel so that I could take out a few as food when the food ran out.
These are all large, meaty rats, packed with nutrients. If that's not enough, I'll bring you another bowl later.
"Enough!"
"Alright~ If Your Emissary Lord needs anything, just stand at the top of the stairs and shout and I will hear you."
"OK."
The door was closed.
Looking at the fragrant shredded meat in front of him, and after confirming that it wouldn't harm his health, Luo Di tried putting some in his mouth. The taste was indeed quite good, and Luo Di gradually overcame his initial aversion and began to eat with relish.
Even while they were eating, the Rat Sound could still be heard coming from inside the walls.
My stomach is full.
Luo Di habitually exercised to aid digestion, and finally lit a pure white candle by his bedside before peacefully falling asleep.
Perhaps it was the sleep-inducing effect of the high-quality candles, perhaps it was the approaching territory of the prologue, or perhaps it was the adaptation to hell and this life of constant travel.
Luo Di slept very soundly this time, and even had a dream.
"Luo Di, why are you still sleeping during class?"
A wave of criticism followed.
Luo Di suddenly propped himself up from his desk. He had somehow returned to the classroom of Class 5, Senior High, where the logic teacher was looking at him from the blackboard.
He was, after all, a top student. After Luo Di woke up, the teacher stopped making things difficult for him and continued writing and drawing on the blackboard.
Luo Di subconsciously looked at his classmates, his former playmates, Gao Yuxuan, and the class monitor. They were all listening attentively and staring at the blackboard.
However, Luo Di soon noticed a strange face sitting in the last row, a white-haired transfer student with a foreign face.
It felt both strange and familiar; Luo Di seemed to have seen it somewhere before.
Just then,
Sizzle!
A sharp scraping sound came from the blackboard, as if someone was scratching it with their fingernails.
As Luo Di looked at the blackboard, he found that the teacher was just writing with chalk, and the other students in the class seemed not to hear him and were still listening attentively.
Just when Luo Di thought he had misheard.
Sizzle!
The sound of scraping the blackboard came again, this time sharper, even causing a slight pain in Luo Di's brain.
Strangely, everyone acted as if they hadn't heard anything.
However,
The scraping sound grew louder and more frequent.
Luo Di finally couldn't take it anymore and rushed to the podium to check the source of the sound. Strangely, there were no scratches on the blackboard, but the sound continued to come.
The sound came from inside.
Ignoring the teacher's advice, Luo Di dismantled the entire blackboard.
really,
The blackboard was covered in scratches, and a huge mouse hole was visible behind it.
at the same time,
The teacher's scolding voice disappeared, replaced by a noisy chatter.
I turned my head to look.
The teacher was standing in his mouth, but his teeth and tongue were long gone, replaced by a mouth full of mice.
Not only that, all the students who were listening to the lecture were the same; rats of different sizes were crawling in their mouths and around their eyes, and some newborn hairless mice were even slipping out of their noses.
Many rats had already landed on the desks and the floor, using their sharp claws and teeth to destroy everything in the classroom.
but,
The new female transfer student had already picked up a set square and a cone and started slaughtering the nearest rats, while inviting Luo Di to join her with her eyes.