The Inaccessible Hiding Place

Rule one: the grass does not move objects that are not in a 'displaced' state.

Rule two: the grass does not move itself.

Rule three: the grass does not move objects that are actively confirming their own position.

After a few final tests, Lynch had summarized these rules of the grass, and then, without hesitation, cautiously moved toward the lit farmhouse.

With every step, he kept himself in a state of observation, ensuring that at each position, he could confirm his location in at least two ways.

Under the moonlight, the distance to the farmhouse visibly shortened, and in less than half an hour, Lynch had approached the farmhouse in the middle of the tall grass.

In the open space outside the farmhouse door, a black stone the size of a stool stood upright. From a distance, its texture was indistinguishable, only its jet-black luster under the moonlight was visible. The stone's surface was carved with many stick-figure-like totemic drawings. As the shadows of the surrounding grass swayed, these patterns also twisted eerily, constantly changing position and posture, appearing exceptionally bizarre.

A sharp sting came from his brow, and an unprecedented palpitation and fear instantly filled his consciousness. Lynch stared at the black stone, his muscles tensing. He realized that this object was likely a higher-grade mystery relic than anything he had ever encountered, even more dangerous than the Blood Elegy in his hand.

For example, a disaster grade mystery relic.

【The Inaccessible Hiding Place. Before being devoured by the black stone, the sinner Hogge always used it to hide himself. Under his control, thousands of soldiers pursuing him vanished after climbing the hillside under the gaze of hundreds of witnesses, never to be seen again.】

Hiss. It seemed true; this thing sounded dangerous just from the description. It was definitely disaster grade.

But if this mystery relic is so powerful, why was I able to break through it so easily? I'm not that incredibly smart, am I? Could this be another trap?

Once bitten, Lynch had become even more cautious. He lurked in the grass, staring at the black stone, not daring to move for a long time. However, after repeatedly recalling the story of the mystery relic he had perceived, he finally realized he had overlooked a description.

‘Under his control.’

In other words, the rules he had summarized were merely the effects when this thing operated automatically. If it were under human control, there was no telling what kind of commotion it would cause.

A chill ran through Lynch's heart, and he secretly rejoiced that he hadn't arrived during a period when someone was controlling the black stone. Otherwise, his current outcome might have been very different.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lynch seriously considered whether to simply take the mystery relic. A high-grade mystery relic like this must be worth a lot... No, it must be very dangerous. It couldn't be left in the hands of these villains; it had to be confiscated on behalf of the Watchers.

【Pfft.】

Forget it, laugh if you want to laugh.

Lynch thought for a moment and then dismissed the idea. It wasn't a sudden pang of conscience, but rather his uncertainty about whether taking the mystery relic would alert the hillmen in the farmhouse. If it did, the gains wouldn't outweigh the losses. He decided to confiscate it later, when he was leaving.

But was anyone really here? Lynch muttered to himself, because there was no sound at all from the entire farmhouse.

Could he have come up empty-handed? Had they gone elsewhere to perform the ritual? Or had they also been teleported into the grass to run around aimlessly? They shouldn't be that foolish.

Lynch felt uneasy, hesitating whether to get closer or just go inside to look.

The elder hillman's precise long-range strike from a hundred meters away had left Lynch with lingering fear, and he really didn't want to clash directly with the opponent. But now... since he had decided to protect Maya, he could only cast aside his concerns.

Live by facing death.

Taking one last look at the eerie black stone, Lynch intentionally skirted around it, fixing his gaze on the farmhouse as he concealed his presence, cautiously approaching step by step. All was quiet around him; aside from the sporadic chirping of insects, no other sound could be heard.

He made his way to the outside wall of the farmhouse, peering through a window. Inside the glass pane was a very ordinary farmhouse dining room, brightly lit by yellow flames spewing from a few metal gas nozzles in the corner.

The lights weren't even out, so someone definitely lived here, but where were they?

Taking two steps back, he surveyed the old but not dilapidated two-story farmhouse. The other rooms were dark, with only the dining room showing light. Lynch pondered for a moment, then began to slowly move around the farmhouse, observing its surroundings from different angles.

One step, two steps. Lynch gripped his cane and silently rounded the corner of the farmhouse, turning to its side. The moment he did, a hideous face appeared right before him.

A wolf-like face, shark-like fangs, blood-red eyes, and skin twisted and rough like rubber—it was the visage of a ghoul. Lynch hadn't detected any warning signs and almost ran straight into it.

Holy shit.

His hairs stood on end. Lynch instinctively took two steps back and swung his cane, but halfway through the motion, he strained his arms, forcefully stopping the cane above the ghoul's head.

Because after the initial shock, he noticed that it wasn't a real ghoul, but a ghoul-like hood, just like the one in Maya's photos.

What the hell, it was just a false alarm, only a hood.

No sooner had he finished muttering than Lynch couldn't help but slap himself. To let his mind wander in such a dangerous situation was asking for trouble.

Comparing it to the memory from the photo, he confirmed it was likely the same object. Lynch let out a sigh of relief, calming his nerves slightly, and made a friendly greeting gesture towards the hideous hood. Then, raising his cane, he continued towards the back of the house...

Hm? No, that's not right.

Having already passed the hood, Lynch backed up again, frowning as he created some distance to observe the wall as a whole.

This was an entire windowless exterior wall on the side of the farmhouse, with several components hanging sporadically on it, which together formed a complete ghoul costume, like the one in the photo.

However, judging by the marks on the wall, there had originally been more than one set hanging here.

Counting the nails, there should have been at least three sets hanging here, but now only one remained.

Where were the other two sets?

Staring at the remaining outfit, a sudden sense of unease rose in Lynch's heart.

He didn't fully understand the specifics of this world, but in his homeland, Lynch had seen similar attire frequently in films and television. Such garments were often special props used for important rituals and were usually sealed and protected.

These ghouls actually brought out ritual props this time. What did they intend to do?

This wasn't the most crucial point. The more important question was... they not only brought them out from the mountains, but now two sets were also gone.

What were they doing? Was it really as the sewer ghouls had said, that they were performing a ritual to send Maya into her final state? Was that why no one was controlling the mystery relic, and why these props were missing a set?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Lynch clenched his fists, nervously scanning his surroundings.

They couldn't have gone far with those items, and the lights were still on in the room, so these ghouls should be nearby.

Lynch, with a gun in one hand and his cane in the other, cautiously circled to the back of the farmhouse, discovering that its backyard contained a barn. Several faint gleams of light seeped through the cracks in the barn door.

At the same time, strange low moans also emanated from within.