Lu Ban pushed open the door, and the sounds inside the bar abruptly vanished. It was as though the place had suddenly closed for business, leaving behind utter silence.
If this had happened before, Lu Ban might have been wary, worried that some strange rule was at work here. But in this world, where the mysterious and supernatural had declined, it was merely a matter of opening a door.
It was fine.
He poked his head into the bar and found that the lights were off as well, leaving everything pitch-black.
Only a little moonlight leaking through the windows illuminated part of the bar, allowing Lu Ban to make out his surroundings.
He tried to move closer for a better look.
"Is anyone there?"
Lu Ban asked again.
There was no response.
He took two more steps.
At that moment, Lu Ban realized that what seemed to be a pair of eyes was watching him.
The eyes were behind the bar, like those of a peeping observer. Its body was hidden in the shadows, leaving only those eyes, faintly gleaming as though reflecting the moonlight.
Another pair of eyes appeared beside a table. They seemed to belong to a human figure, but in the dim surroundings, its outline was impossible to make out. It looked like a puddle of sludge, sending a shiver of horror through him.
Suddenly, Lu Ban discovered that eyes were opening all over the bar—beside the tables, on the chairs, on the stage, and in front of the counter. They all stared at him. Their bodies were impossible to see, blurred into a single indistinct mass, as though a group of shapeless monsters had gathered inside the bar.
"Hello?"
Lu Ban greeted them and took another step forward, his eyes searching for the light switch.
"Sorry."