Jinx

The Demon Hunter woman's death sentence for the strange cave changed from "immediate execution" to "execution postponed."

This turn of events allowed me to breathe a small sigh of relief.

Since the cave's destruction was postponed until tomorrow, I could explore it again today.

However, I wasn't sure how much I could discover in such a short amount of time. The most critical issue was that I didn't know the pattern of the cave's appearance and disappearance.

Why the cave appeared when Chang'an was alone the night before, and then disappeared after Agent Kong arrived, the answer must lie within this.

I continued to monitor the conversation between Agent Kong and the Demon Hunter woman, pondering the terms they had mentioned.

The "Fallen Demon Hunter" they spoke of was undoubtedly that Serial Killer. As for whether it specifically referred to Maza, I couldn't be sure yet. In any case, just from the literal meaning, "Demon Hunter" should be someone who hunts things related to demons. The definition of "demon" likely wasn't limited to strange entities like "caves," but also included Fallen Demon Hunters.

And "fallen" might refer to some Demon Hunters whose prey changed from "demons" to "humans." This speculation could align with the Serial Killer's recent criminal activities.

The Demon Hunter woman's tone carried a sense of mission to eliminate supernatural entities, and she also mentioned that Luoshan should deepen its cooperation with the Public Security Department. I believe "Luoshan" should be an officially recognized anonymous supernatural organization, or perhaps an anonymous official organization in a different system than the Public Security Department.

Organizations specializing in handling supernatural events really do exist!

This filled me with an indescribable excitement, as if I were witnessing fantastical imagination gradually becoming reality.

Afterward, the Demon Hunter woman seemed to have nothing more to discuss with Agent Kong. Agent Kong quickly ended the call and turned back to the residential complex, arriving at the door of that house.

He took out his key, opened the door, and entered the room, searching everywhere.

He primarily inspected the ritual array on the floor. He didn't rashly step inside the array but walked around its perimeter, observing its state from different angles. He also took out his phone and took multiple photos of the array.

To avoid being suddenly seen if he turned around, the "Firefly" I was controlling stuck itself to his back.

"This shouldn't be," he muttered to himself. "Why can such a flawed array be activated? There are clearly no conditions around here to compensate for the array's defects..."

He looked around a few more times before finally giving up. He casually threw the rolled-up black plush carpet back over it and then left the house.

While continuing to monitor Agent Kong, I wasn't idle either.

I maintained my surveillance while moving to a nearby computer store to purchase equipment needed for exploring the cave.

After Agent Kong left, I didn't rush back to the house. Instead, I released more "Fireflies" inside and around the complex to check for any suspicious individuals.

Even the Demon Hunter woman and Agent Kong didn't know why the Fallen Demon Hunter would set up a ritual array in that house. Therefore, I had to consider the possibility that "the cave's appearance aligned with the Fallen Demon Hunter's expectations," possibly a result of the Fallen Demon Hunter's deliberate actions.

So, was the Fallen Demon Hunter constantly monitoring the Fifteenth Floor room's movements? While it was unlikely they had been paying close attention for eight months, it was entirely possible they had been closely watching specifically during the period someone occupied the Fifteenth Floor room.

I didn't want some unknown dangerous individual lurking in the shadows, watching my every move while I explored the cave.

Perhaps I should add the landlord to the suspect list. Such a person would know when someone moved in and could reasonably pay attention to changes in the room.

I was now monitoring four different areas simultaneously: Maza's location, Chang'an's location, Agent Kong's location, and the area inside and outside the residential complex where the Fifteenth Floor room was located. This meant that all these scenarios were unfolding in my mind at once, with the last one being particularly demanding. It felt like intensely focusing on multiple unrelated difficult problems simultaneously. Even though I allocated most of my attention to the last area, my concentration was rapidly depleting.

I took short breaks from time to time, looking at the distant scenery to relax my mind, then resumed my checks. However, by the time I had checked until evening, having searched everywhere I could, I still hadn't found anyone in or around the complex who fit the description of "suspicious."

Were they truly not here, or had I just failed to find them? I couldn't afford to spend too much time on this; I still had to explore the cave.

I probably wouldn't be going home tonight. I needed to inform Maza first. Unfortunately, I didn't have a landline at home, and Maza didn't have a mobile phone (at least, I didn't find one on her last night). It seemed I'd have to make time to go home and tell her.

Coincidentally, I had a few questions I needed to ask her in person.

I was also hungry, and I could eat at home.

...Speaking of which, I felt like I had forgotten something.

I quickly returned to my doorstep.

Through the "Firefly" inside the apartment, I saw Maza before I even opened the door. She was sitting on the living room sofa, curled up into a small ball with her knees hugged to her chest. Her rolled-up sleeves and pant legs were layered, and her loose, oversized clothes made her appear even smaller.

She hadn't turned on the lights or the TV. She just sat there silently, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window, resembling a small appliance in standby mode.

The sky outside the window was in the twilight phase, transitioning from dark blue to yellowish-brown, which cast a faint sense of sadness over her small silhouette.

I inserted my key into the lock, and the subtle sound immediately caused her to snap awake as if an invisible switch had been flipped. Her head turned sharply toward the entrance.

As I opened the door, she had already leaped off the sofa with lightning speed. She lost her balance and fell.

"...What are you doing?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"..." She pushed herself up using the nearby coffee table, her face stiff as if to cover her embarrassment.

Then, she slowly walked in front of me, circled me twice, her gaze scanning me up and down. She leaned in closer for a more detailed inspection, as if trying to discern something from the gaps in my clothes. She even sniffed occasionally, attempting to detect certain scents.

Confused by her actions, I cooperated by raising my arms and asked again, "What are you doing?"

She glanced up at me, then took a couple of steps back.

"...You're back really late," she said, sounding as if she were probing for something, or perhaps expressing a hint of dissatisfaction.

I had told her I was just stepping out briefly before I left, but I had been gone for most of the day. It was my fault. Still, I couldn't tell her the truth, so I vaguely replied, "Something came up with a friend."

"Did you encounter something outside?" she asked, frowning.

"Encounter something—what do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

She began to list things one by one: "For example, did you meet someone you thought was dead suddenly appearing alive, or did roads appear where they shouldn't be, or did your body suddenly grow limbs and organs that humans shouldn't have..."

What was that last part? Did the calamities she might attract include such indescribable phenomena that sounded like human genetic mutations? I inwardly scoffed while calmly replying, "No."

"Are you sure there's nothing?" she asked, her voice laced with unease.

"Absolutely nothing," I lied, though the "cave" she mentioned fit her second example perfectly.

"That's good then." She seemed to believe I had no reason or courage to falsify such a matter, and her expression relaxed with relief.

Then, she hesitated again, looking at the door behind me. "But I should probably leave first. If I keep staying here..."

"No!" I blurted out reflexively.

"Huh?" She jumped, startled.

"How could I possibly let a girl who can't protect herself wander around outside alone?" I quickly lowered my voice, trying to sound as dependable as possible. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to me, and I'll do my best to cover for you during this time."

"Uh, th-thank you?" She looked utterly bewildered.

I also felt my reaction was a bit excessive, but I couldn't help it. I genuinely didn't want her to leave. Not only had I not unraveled the secrets surrounding her, but the thought that my first encounter with a strange event in so many years might be thanks to her "Jinx constitution" made me want to buy a baby carrier online and strap her to myself like an infant, twenty-four hours a day, always close and attached.

I admit that having such thoughts about a young woman of the opposite sex a few years my junior is rather distasteful. Even if I had the chance, I probably wouldn't actually do it; I'm just expressing my feelings.

Speaking of Maza's disaster-attracting constitution, there's something else I must ask.

Although this might make her doubt my previous situation, out of responsibility, I must confirm it as soon as possible.

I placed my backpack next to the shoe cabinet, turned on the living room light, and then looked at her.

"Maza, I have a question for you. May I?"

"You can ask," Maza said cautiously. "As for whether I'll answer, that depends on your question."

"People around you are affected by your special constitution and easily encounter strange things. You said that before, right?"

"Yes."

"Is this phenomenon limited only to the people around you?" I asked. "Or does it spread further, affecting even the people around the people near you, consequently leading them to encounter bizarre and dangerous oddities?"