Chapter 1972: Chapter 1116: Choice
"Miss Zuo Bo, can you walk by yourself?" Kato Shinjiro asked.
"I can." Sakai Misaki stood, her steps somewhat awkward, but fortunately she could move on her own without anyone’s help, walking wasn’t much of an issue, though running or jumping would be quite challenging.
He took out the map hidden in his chest; he had carefully studied this map before coming here, and chose the most suitable route leading to his destination tonight.
He had to find that out-of-control radio to end this nightmare.
Kato Shinjiro and Sakai Misaki began their journey, along the way Kato Shinjiro casually picked up a stick, handing it to Sakai Misaki to aid her walking, which she did not refuse.
"Tap"
"Tap"
"Tap"
The sound of the stick tapping the ground broke the silence of this underground city, making people feel increasingly uneasy.
Kato Shinjiro moved quickly, and in no time, they arrived at a crossroads, but there was no road ahead.
On the map, a bridge was marked here, but now that wooden bridge had decayed and broken, and from the traces left at the scene, Kato Shinjiro judged it was blown apart.
He leaned his head out and looked under the bridge, below was a pitch-black mass resembling a sticky substance like asphalt, with an unpleasant rotten smell hanging in the air.
They were at least 4 or 5 meters from the opposite bank, and the east bank was clearly higher than the west bank they were on; even with a running start, there was absolutely no chance.
Furthermore... with Sakai Misaki being a burden, he temporarily couldn’t abandon her, as she would be useful at crucial moments.
"Miss Zuo Bo, I will try to cross over, and once I’m over I’ll think of a way to support you. Can you... temporarily stay here?" Kato Shinjiro tested, fully aware of the implications.
Hearing that she might be left behind, Sakai Misaki immediately panicked, unsure if Kato Shinjiro would still care for her after crossing.
"No, please don’t do this, we... can we take a different route?" Sakai Misaki almost pleaded.
"Alright then, please follow me closely." Kato Shinjiro feigned a look of regret, glanced at the opposite bank and sighed, then turned around to choose another route.
Kato Shinjiro adjusted the route, and the two of them moved through the silent low houses, the architecture here devoid of beauty, each cold and eerie like coffins.
Sakai Misaki was startled by the sudden thoughts that popped into her mind; she felt an inexplicable fear here, hoping to leave quickly, and her walking speed increased as a result.
"Tap"
"Tap"
"Tap"
The sound of the stick tapping the ground was quickly disrupted by the rhythm of another sound, Sakai Misaki turned her head toward the direction they came from, and her face turned pale instantly.
She heard it, like a series of clapping sounds, not very clear, perhaps due to the considerable distance.
"It’s coming, hurry Miss Zuo Bo!" Kato Shinjiro urged.
Originally, they dared not make much noise, but now, a ghost had appeared, so they couldn’t worry about that anymore.
Sakai Misaki’s injured legs hindered her speed, she was nearly crying from anxiety, "Wait, please wait for me!"
Listening to Sakai Misaki’s plea, Kato Shinjiro actually stopped, snatching her stick and tossing it away, then squatted with his back turned to let Sakai Misaki climb on.
And so, he ran with Sakai Misaki on his back, the wind whistling by his ears, Sakai Misaki couldn’t help but feel dazed.
She inadvertently tightened her lips, recalling the scenes of the past days; if not for Mr. Katou’s care, she would have died in this bizarre, terrifying world long ago.
Her eyes began to redden slightly, and lying on his back, she instinctively hugged Kato Shinjiro tightly, she could even feel his breathing and heartbeat, this was the feeling of heartbeats.
She seemed to have misunderstood Mr. Katou; there must have been a reason for what he did before, and the broken bridge just now, along with him carrying her now, sufficiently revealed his intentions.
If he didn’t care about her, he would have run away on his own for sure.
"Mr. Katou..."
Just as Sakai Misaki indulged in fantasies, the clapping sound behind them grew closer, snapping her back to reality; they were being pursued by fierce ghosts.
This wasn’t some idol drama where protagonists won’t die; once the fierce ghost caught up, they’d be doomed.
Kato Shinjiro didn’t look particularly brawny, but his physical fitness was good, seemingly slim in clothes yet muscular without, after all, physical fitness is an essential condition for survival in the nightmare world.
Especially running, everyone practiced it, veteran players excelled in this aspect.
In Nightmare World, there was no distinction between armored tanks and meat mountains; nobody could withstand a ghost’s assault, the slower you run, the closer you are to the front lines.
But carrying someone, it’s still too onerous, and just as Kato Shinjiro was feeling fatigued, he had to stop, the two of them blocked by a large door.
This was a dark, large iron door, standing at 3 meters tall, its surface rusted due to age and disrepair, with no other exit nearby, it was a dead end.
And to either side of this alley-like structure were rows of cubicles, constructed like prison cells, with doors but no windows, numbers labeled on them.
The architectural style here was even more grim and oppressive, each room’s iron door equipped with thick locks, able to be latched from outside.
