Once Li Xian had decided where to go, he immediately set off downstairs. But as he reached the stairwell, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded below. He instantly pulled back the foot he had been about to plant on the next step, thought for a moment, then turned and ran upstairs.
Almost forgot-there was still a resident coming after me, the one who smashed the glass.
The front door wasn't the only way to the dump-wasn't there an iron pipe beside the Attic window that connected straight to the Glass Container? I could climb down that.
The building had four stories in all. It was not particularly tall, but one careless move could still mean a fatal fall. He had to be careful.
Li Xian hurried upstairs, constantly listening for movement behind him. Yet what caught up with him first was not the resident, but a drifting mass of black mist.
With the front door shattered, the unknown gas outside had begun seeping into the previously sealed building, spreading at an unnaturally fast pace.
Li Xian searched his pockets. Fortunately, he had not lost his mask along with Little Brown. He had no idea whether it would help, but he put it on just to be safe.
He soon reached the Attic at the very top. The footsteps below seemed to follow at an unhurried pace, and the man kept striking the iron stair railing with a wooden stick. Rhythmic, crisp clangs echoed throughout the building, making it difficult for Li Xian to judge how far apart they were by sound.
He entered the room in the Attic as quickly as possible. After shutting the door behind him, he discovered that the entire series of intricately constructed machines had somehow been smashed to pieces.
But Li Xian knew he had no time