Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 10: Lava [Complete]

1131: First Encounter with Bear City

The sound of three pairs of footsteps echoed one after another on the asphalt road, their cadence seemingly monotonous and dry under the relentless rays of the sun.

Lin Sanjiu's gaze fixated on the white dividing lines drawn on the asphalt road, following them onward. Walking beside her, Bohemia also stared straight ahead, their pace unwavering. They had been moving forward for a while, so Puppeteer wasn't too far ahead. He floated silently within the silver-white circle, progressing without a sound.

Amidst the continuous sound of the three pairs of footsteps, Puppeteer's voice broke the silence, low and warning, "If anyone dares to act recklessly, I'll claim their head first."

No one dared to disregard this warning – it wasn't the first time he had issued it.

Lin Sanjiu had witnessed many strange and bizarre things in her life, but this situation was entirely unprecedented. She made an effort to keep her head still and only shifted her eyes slightly to scan the area behind them.

The man continued to follow them closely, like a shadow that had risen from the ground. In the brief glimpses from the corner of her eye and the moments they brushed past him, Lin Sanjiu discerned that the man trailing them was middle-aged, with an average build. He wore a checkered shirt and jeans, resembling a farmer fresh from the fields.

However, the enigma lay in the fact that no one knew when he had appeared or from where.

He simply stood there in silence, shadowing the group.

Clearly, Puppeteer had sensed his presence long before they had. As Lin Sanjiu and Bohemia hastened to catch up, Puppeteer had already issued his command, "Don't touch him!"

Lin Sanjiu was taken aback, and Puppeteer paused briefly before adding, "Follow me, keep your distance from him, and don't act without my command."

And so, the four of them continued walking along the highway in silence for ten minutes. Lin Sanjiu had never realized that her steps could feel so rigid. Constant vigilance had left her back feeling stiff, and Bohemia even unintentionally matched her stride several times.

"Does... does he breathe?" Bohemia couldn't help but ask in a hushed voice. "I think I heard something, but..."

Lin Sanjiu understood what she was hearing because she heard it too. The farmer behind them was indeed producing faint, rhythmic, and subdued sounds from his body. However, it was more akin to the sound of air colliding within a partially filled container than normal breathing.

The farmer didn't seem to react to their words. He remained silent for a while, and when he didn't even shift his gaze in the corner of his eye, their tension eased slightly. Lin Sanjiu lowered her voice and inquired of Puppeteer, "Where did this person come from?"

"He didn't exist a moment ago, but then he suddenly appeared," Puppeteer responded in a low voice after a few seconds. He maintained his floating position, not even turning his head – yet, it seemed as if he was still fully aware of everything behind him. 

"Do you sense anything? Why can't we take action against him?"

This time, Puppeteer offered no answer. Instead, when he spoke again, his voice bore a weight of seriousness, "Can you see the road sign up ahead?"

The sign was still some distance away, and with their posthuman vision, they could barely make out the words "15 miles to Bear City."

"I'll count to three. Scatter in different directions and maintain a safe distance from him. Don't take any action until we regroup under that sign in two minutes."

In the corner of her eye, the farmer remained expressionless. His taut, reddened skin vibrated with each step, but aside from that, he resembled an unresponsive cadaver.