Chapter 853: The Haunted Canyon
Chapter 853: The Haunted Canyon
With the battle about to commence, who would've thought something like this would happen?
Mr. Lindsey was completely baffled by the situation. All he could do now was to open his Task Bar.
Schrodinger's Cat
An entity that exists between 'existence' and 'nonexistence', wandering in the world. Find its existence and reveal its true identity to unravel the truth.
Task Reward: Puzzle Quest Module Upgrade, Abundant Attribute/Skill Experience Points.
"..."
"Between existence and nonexistence."
"What in the world is this thing?"
Mr. Lindsey began to ponder.
But at that moment, he noticed that the unit selected on the Strategic Map was moving towards him.
"..."
Mr. Lindsey remained silent.
Having experienced countless adventures, he had long learned to remain calm in the face of adversity. He could assure himself that he maintained a composed exterior even after discovering this peculiar entity.
So, why was this thing suddenly approaching him? Mr. Lindsey didn't move a muscle on the surface, but inside his bag, his weapon was ready.
As the entity drew closer, he tested his skills and items one by one.
Sky Compass - It didn't trigger any warnings.
Hunt Marker - Unable to use normally.
The atmospheric touch didn't sense a hint of movement, and the Solar Flare Archer's heat tracking couldn't lock onto the target either.
There were no clues from Hunt Simulation or Puzzle Quest in the vicinity.
Even on the Adventure Map and Strategic Map, the most commonly used maps by Mr. Lindsey, there was no mark indicating the enemy's presence. It was only when he selected the command box that he unexpectedly discovered the existence of this entity.
This situation...
It was as if a bug had been triggered in a Real-Time Strategy game, revealing the presence of a permanently invisible entity.
...
Amidst this, the entity took step after step closer to Mr. Lindsey.
Although its speed was like that of a casual stroll, in Mr. Lindsey's heart, it felt like an unidentifiable crisis drawing nearer.
5 meters, 4 meters, 3 meters...
Flash!
Mr. Lindsey instantly swung his longsword, and a flame accompanied by a soul-corroding blade gleam unfolded before him.
He wouldn't hesitate at a time like this.
After all, with the battle imminent, the gain or loss of a task meant little compared to personal safety.
However, what happened next exceeded Mr. Lindsey's expectations.
When he swung his sword, he didn't feel any sensation of hitting a target.
Instead, on the Strategic Map, the selected unit immediately accelerated and sprinted towards Mr. Lindsey!
Unable to hit?
The flames of the Lava Jet Sword were one thing.
But even the soul damage of the Extinction Blade couldn't harm this entity?
With no time to think, the entity's position was about to intersect with his own.
Mr. Lindsey immediately activated Focus Mode, altering the flow of time and causing the world around him to slow down.
In this situation, what else could he do to counter the enemy?
Mr. Lindsey's mind raced.
Neither elemental effects, physical attacks, nor soul damage could lock onto the enemy.
Was there anything else that could work now?
Between existence and nonexistence.
On the Starry Sea, the achievement reward for slaying the Ghost Lord was brought up by Mr. Lindsey.
Weapon: Rose Whisper
A dagger with special enchantments. Even if the enemy has no physical form, it can directly hit them.
Achievement Item, Moderate Value.
"You're it!"
Lindsey's gaze was fixed.
In that critical moment, he slapped the Rose Whisper onto his equipment panel.
The sword in his hand, having just landed, slashed upwards diagonally.
Whoosh—
This time, the effect on Lindsey's blade was just a wisp of flame, used to expand the attack range of Rose Whisper.
The good news was that the mark on the Strategic Map had indeed retreated two steps.
But the bad news was that Lindsey's blade still lacked any sense of touch, and there was no blood on the ground either.
The situation before him was so unusual that he couldn't even confirm if the enemy had been hit through normal combat judgment.
"..."
Relying on his combat intuition, Lindsey opened his Hunting Journal.
After flipping through it, he found no record of the new enemy in front of him.
Two possibilities.
First, even after the battle, the Hunting Journal couldn't record the identity of the enemy before him. Second, the enemy was already documented in the journal.
"..."
"Human? Awakener?"
Lindsey shouted loudly to his surroundings.
"I've found you, come out now!"
"..."
"I've found you—come out now—"
In the canyon, only Lindsey's voice echoed between the cliffs; there was no other movement around.
He observed the Strategic Map again.
The selected unit was still moving around him.
The opponent hadn't lost their ability to act, but after that sword strike, they didn't dare approach Lindsey recklessly.
The current situation was like a pack of wolves observing their prey before hunting.
It was also like a tangled mess, searching for its loose end on the ground.
"..."
"............"
Time passed in silence, bit by bit.
Aside from the constant autumn wind and the approaching Righteous One squad on the map, nothing changed before Lindsey's eyes.
Only the chaotic movement on the map proved that there was indeed an unidentified object around him.
As Alice's group was about to arrive, Lindsey knew he couldn't let this drag on.
He tried to negotiate:
"What do you mean by this?"
"If you want to fight, let's continue. If you have other intentions, then show yourself, and let's talk properly!"
"..."
There was still no response in the air.
But on the Strategic Map, Lindsey saw the mark approaching him once more.
And unlike before, it wasn't moving at the speed of a normal person.
It was clearly slowing down, walking at a normal pace.
"..."
Lindsey quickly analyzed the information.
If the choice was to fight, a normal person would accelerate and launch a surprise attack.
Perhaps this was the opponent's way of indicating a willingness to negotiate.
Lindsey turned on Datafication to eliminate his physiological weaknesses, gripped his longsword with his right hand, extended his left hand, and made a handshake gesture.
"In that case, let's..."
Lindsey's voice abruptly stopped.
Because he saw the selected mark on the Strategic Map crossing right through his position.
At that moment, it was behind him.
"..."
Lindsey turned around in the scorched, cold autumn wind.
Behind him was the canyon, and he still couldn't see any figure. His attribute panel showed no negative buffs or signs of injury.
Recalling how he and the opponent had overlapped on the map, Lindsey shuddered, his expression turning completely blank.
(End of Chapter)
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