Mutation

The trio returned to the inn and ate a simple dinner. They gathered together, with Jason seated on the couch, Denise on the bed, and Sofia on the couch next to Jason.

"Why?" Denise couldn't help but start questioning, and everyone knew what she was asking about.

There was an issue with the appearance of the cross's shadow, but what did it represent? They couldn't figure it out, but Jason understood. The small town seemed to have many secrets that remained uncovered. The black cat quietly darted from one side to the other, leaping to the windowsill, squatting, and looking out at the street.

"Let's not think about it for now. We'll explore the town again tomorrow," Jason suggested. "Tonight, anyone who wants to go to the bar, come with me. Those who don't, stay here. Don't leave without a clear understanding of the situation. No one should leave unless they're with me."

Jason waved his hand to declare the discussion over after saying this. What could come out of a discussion with no clear direction? It was better to calm down first and look for other clues.

That night, Denise accompanied Jason out. Jason left the black cat behind — it was a spirit creature and would protect Sofia if any danger arose.

The small town was virtually deserted at night, and the local bar was just a short distance from the inn, only about 500 meters away. Typically, bars were the easiest places to gather information. At the very least, Jason could understand the basic situation here and avoid groping in the dark.

He suspected there were secrets related to Sofia here. Pushing open the door to the bar, a cold gust of wind swept in with Jason. The two found a spot to sit, strategically in the middle of the scattered patrons.

There was no blaring music in the bar, nor a bustling crowd — only small groups of patrons sitting around. Strangely, they seemed to lack interest in conversation, just drinking in silence. Once they finished their drinks, they would shout, "Hey, mate, give me another one."

"Two beers," Jason signaled to the bartender with a snap of his fingers.

The young bartender served them two beers with an expressionless face. One of the beers almost spilled, but Jason caught it in time and passed it to Denise.

After taking a sip of beer, Denise leaned in close to Jason and whispered, "There's something off about this guy. He doesn't seem like a bartender — he can't even hold a beer steady. How could someone like that be a bartender?"

"Keep your voice down, I can hear you," Jason cut her off, shaking his head. "Of course, there's something off. It's not just the bartender. I find everyone here a bit strange. This place feels less like a bar and more like a dreadfully quiet graveyard." As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings.

As soon as Jason finished speaking, Denise nodded in agreement, also looking around before saying, "I told you, this place doesn't feel like a bar at all. People here are just here to drink in silence."

"Let's just drink. There's nothing to be found out here," Jason shook his head, picked up his beer glass, took a gulp, and scanned the room again.

Denise also felt that it was pointless, so she followed suit, drinking her beer silently.

Just then, the door was pushed open again, and another gust of wind rushed in. A man with a hooked nose and red hair entered. His eyes were somewhat red, and he looked hostile. His tall stature and rough walk made Denise uncomfortable.

As soon as the man entered, he glared at Denise, who glared back. The moment seemed to freeze, and a wave of fear rose from the pit of Denise's stomach. She couldn't take her eyes off him — it felt like his fierce gaze could penetrate her soul.

"Hey, sweet thing, what are you staring at?" The burly man glared at Denise, heading over to her with a grunt. "Such a pretty girl. Have a drink with me." With that, he sat down next to Denise, pushing her to the other side of the chair with his bulk.

"There's someone here..." Denise tried to speak, but her words fell flat. She suddenly saw the man open his mouth, revealing his yellow teeth with a smile. A nauseating, rotten smell wafted from his mouth, making Denise's stomach churn, and she felt like vomiting.

"Jason—" she turned her head, intending to ask Jason for help.

Just as Jason was about to stand up, the bar door swung open again. A group of people stormed in, brandishing knives, swords, and rifles, shooting madly at Jason and her. Some even charged at them with their weapons.

It all happened in a flash.

And just like that, Jason was swept away like a leaf in the wind. He flew out of the door, and the group rushed after him. The door slammed shut with a bang that made Denise's heart tremble.

Suddenly, the bar fell eerily silent, and even the lights dimmed.

"Help me—"

She felt the burly man's gaze on her, filled with icy malice. His open mouth, full of yellow teeth, suddenly looked like sharp fangs. In front of Denise, it seemed to open to a bottomless black hole, ready to devour her at any moment.

"Oh God, help—" Denise's fear rose from deep within her. The burly man was a monster as if he had crawled out of hell, reeking of decay like a corpse. She looked around, letting out a loud cry for help, "Help—"

Everyone turned to look at her. The men and women drinking in silence observed her with a stunned gaze. This look sent a chill down Denise's spine.

She didn't care about being squished by the terrifying burly man. She jumped on the chair, ready to leap on the table and run out. Now, she had to rely on herself.

The moonlight in the small town was bright. When the bar lights dimmed, the moonlight streamed in through the windows. The man reached out, trying to grab Denise's ankle.

"Ahh—"

Denise screamed in terror, leaping under the table. She witnessed the most terrifying sight of her life. She was usually a brave girl, but after seeing this, she couldn't help but let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The hand reaching out to her, illuminated by the moonlight, clearly revealed a piece of stark white bone, covered with a piece of rotten sleeve.

This was what she was most afraid of. What kind of monster was this?

With a bang, Denise kicked open the door of the bar. Immediately, moonlight poured in from the doorway. The burly man followed, and under the moonlight, he was revealed to be a skeleton dressed in rags. His body was all bones, and the skull no longer had menacing eyes, but two bottomless black pits.

What made her breakdown was the sight of the people from the bar rushing to the door. Under the moonlight, their bodies underwent a horrifying transformation.

One by one, stark white skeletons.

Rotten flesh hung on the bones, falling off in chunks as they moved.

The squelching sound their feet made stepping on the rotten flesh made Denise's stomach convulse. She felt like throwing up. Now, all she could do was run away as fast as possible, getting as far away from these monsters as she could.

"Jason—where are you!"

As Denise ran frantically, she shouted loudly. All she wished for was a miracle — she hoped that Jason would appear in front of her in time.

But the streets were pitch black, and she could barely see the road.

All the street lights were out, and only the chilling wind blew against her body.