There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

Chapter 76: Chapter 73: The Black Fog Envelops

The heavy rain poured down, filling the damp alley with the stench of sewers.

The foul water meandered along the uneven ground like a stream rushing down the stairs, raising murky splashes.

A passerby stepped heavily through the puddles and rhythmically knocked on a door within the alley, silent and soundless, as a thick presence spread through the darkness.

After a moment, a rusted iron gate opened a crack, and a figure shrouded in a cloak and draped in black robes appeared.

"Black mist enshrouds."

A low and hoarse voice slowly rose, grating like a sharp object scraping a mirror, involuntarily instilling a shudder.

"Withering Rose," the newcomer whispered.

As the voice faded, the shadow standing before the gate stepped aside, and the newcomer quickly slipped in, as the iron gate shut tight once more.

The room lay in darkness; although there was a dim yellow light on the ceiling, it was like an ornamental piece, its glow failing to cast down, barely reflecting a faint gleam.

That gleam outlined several dark silhouettes sitting around a round table, their bodies completely hidden by cloaks.

"Has everyone arrived?" asked the person who had just entered, looking around.

"One is still missing."

Another voice, its gender indistinguishable, spoke out; but no sooner had the words been spoken than a regular knocking sound came again at the door.

Although the knock didn't resound outside, the ticking was distinct and unmistakable inside the room.

Therefore, the shadow that had just gone to open the door had no choice but to rise again, gliding out from the corner to the door and pulling it open just a crack, the sinister eyes staring at the bowed figure outside.

"Black mist enshrouds."

"Swan is dying."

The shadow stepped aside.

The person outside entered sideways, tall and straight, advancing toward the round table with unhurried steps.

"Swan, you are late," someone said.

"I encountered some bugs on the way and took some time to deal with them," the newcomer replied coldly, occupying the vacant seat, her voice rigid and stiff.

The room fell silent at once.

After a while, someone said, "The police and the church have been on our tail lately; we'd best be careful."

"There are only two days left, even if they realize what's happening now, it's too late for them to prepare," a disdainful voice responded.

"Moreover, I've already dealt with the police," another chimed in: "They're too busy to care about themselves now."

"Compared to before, this batch of officials is really useless."

Harsh jeering laughter echoed in the darkness, raspy and unpleasant like the murmur of demons, while a dense and cold breath wafted through the air.

Procured arrangements were discussed by shadows under the dim light, and the whole city had been enveloped in darkness, smothered in black fog everywhere.

At that point, a voice asked, "How is the preparation for the sacrifices?"

The last to arrive, who had been silent, spoke indifferently: "I have cultivated three sacrifices for our master, the most suitable vessels carefully selected."

"We only need one."

"It will be one."

"Hmm, this ritual is of great importance, I hope you don't make the same mistake as last time," the shadow warned the female silhouette sternly.

Upon hearing this, one who had been quiet instantly looked over, scoffing: "The problem last time was due to your inability to control your Necrophages, who tampered with the sacrifice I had prepared!"

"These 'Contaminants,' mindless Necrophages, act on instinct alone and can indeed be quite troublesome sometimes," another voice said with some impatience.

Released 'Contaminants' could indeed cause trouble for the police and the church, but if not managed properly, they could also become a nuisance to them.

Before preparing to summon the dark god, they held a prayer ritual, only to find that the prepared sacrifices had been tainted by the Necrophages at some point. This not only resulted in an empty ritual but also nearly caused a backlash from the black mist.

"Regardless, you must protect the sacrifice this time."

"I know," the man nodded, his voice slightly deep as he stood engulfed in shadow.

At that moment, a dark figure in the corner surveyed the crowd and spoke again, "So, the only issue we have left to resolve is the church, correct?"

As the words were uttered, the atmosphere inside the room grew denser and colder, so still that not even an extra breath could be heard.

The church that had expelled them once decades ago was now their most formidable enemy!

...

The heavy rain poured down on the rooftops, puddles forming on the flat roofs and water splashing to the ground through the drainage channels, scattering in all directions.

A dark shadow hung upside down from the eaves, motionless as if dead, perfectly blending into the night as the rain ran down its body to the ground.

Suddenly, the shadow's head turned slightly, its hollow eyes shifting towards somewhere.

Drip-drip... Drip-drip...

Like the footsteps of a clock, or as if something was dropping into the water, the eerie sound echoed through the heavens and earth.

The suffocating darkness slowly oozed around.

The person lying on the rooftop, listening intently, suddenly became alert and without hesitation, swiftly rose and dashed away!

But in the next moment, countless black tentacles surged towards him from behind!

Whoosh!

The black shapes struck the building and instantly dispersed into a cloud of black fog that vanished without a sound.

However, the fleeing man dared not underestimate them, darting through the veil of rain without looking back.

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Frantic footsteps echoed in the alleyway, splashing water with each heavy step as the pursuing darkness reached out from all sides to engulf him!

The darkness burst out of the alley like converging rivers and swept toward the person in the center, but they leaped up in an instant to evade the encircling assault and continued running toward the distance atop the rooftops.

At that moment, a black tentacle as fast as lightning suddenly shot out from the side, hitting the fleeing figure unexpectedly and knocking them off the rooftop; they tumbled to the ground, rolling several times.

The cold, suffocating fog spread out from the alleys again, and although the pouring rain beat down harshly, not a sound was made.

The world seemed to fall into silence, with only the ticking 'drip-drip' beating like a drum in one's heart.

The cornered individual stood up and looked up, only to see darkness in the sky; raindrops fell from the fog onto his face, trickling down from his chin.

He was surrounded...

The silent, seamless black fog merged into the night, yet was darker than darkness itself.

Suddenly, a black tentacle shot out from the mist, swiftly wrapping around his waist and pulling back!

Bang—

He was thrust into the black fog, his mind instantly flooded with bizarre and noisy chatter, causing a swelling headache and muddled consciousness.

But in the next moment, he was flung out of the dense fog, and the clear, crisp sound of the rain washed away the chaotic noises as it rushed into his ears.

The black fog furiously chased after him, but upon touching the neon lights on the main street, it vanished without a trace in an instant.

The person bound by the black tentacles dashed across the street and flew into the alley on the opposite side.

A figure emerged from the black fog, casting a sinister glance at the colors across the street before turning back to the small house with the rusty iron door in the alley.

"Did they follow you here? — You didn't clean up properly!" a voice rang out dangerously cold in the house.

But the deep female voice wasn't the least bit daunted, laughing with a sneer, "Perhaps the eavesdropper was already on top before I got here. Shouldn't it be that you didn't properly watch the surroundings?"

"Stop arguing. We don't know how much that person heard. Go deal with your own subordinates immediately," another voice commanded.

With those words, silence fell once again.

The dim yellow light from the ceiling went completely dark, and the faint outlines of figures present merged into the darkness, returning the small house to a deadly, pitch-black stillness.