45: Chapter 45 The Ghost of Time Lag (Part 2)

The pickup truck sped frantically down the highway.

Lin Wei gripped the steering wheel, her eyes fixed ahead, flooring the accelerator. The engine roared, and the speedometer pointed to 140 kilometers per hour—the limit on these bumpy Ghost Realm roads.

Chen Mo leaned against the passenger seat, his body shaking like a leaf.

Those golden lines emerged from under his skin, vanished, then reappeared. Every time they surfaced, his muscles would spasm, and his teeth would chatter.

But he didn't scream.

He just closed his eyes and endured it.

Lin Wei glanced at him but didn't speak.

She knew that saying anything would be useless.

All she could do was drive faster, even faster.

Get back to the Farmhouse sooner and let him lie down.

Ten minutes later, the silhouette of the Farmhouse appeared ahead.

Lin Wei slammed on the brakes, and the pickup truck stopped in the yard.

She jumped out, ran to the passenger side, and pulled the door open.

Chen Mo opened his eyes.

Those eyes were bloodshot, the pupils dilating and contracting, dilating and contracting, twitching unnaturally.

"Can you walk?" Lin Wei asked.

Chen Mo nodded.

He held onto the car door and slowly stood up.

His legs were shaking, his hands were shaking, his whole body was shaking.

But he remained standing.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Lin Wei supported him as they walked step by step toward the Basement.

The steps were steep; every step down felt like treading on knife edges.

But he made it down.

The moment he lay on the bed, his whole body felt like it was falling apart.

Lin Wei covered him with a quilt and sat beside him.

"How long until you're better?"

Chen Mo didn't speak.

He closed his eyes; those golden lines were still surging under his skin.

But they were slower than before.

Maybe a few minutes, maybe a few hours.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

Chen Mo felt someone pushing him.

He opened his eyes.

Lin Wei stood by the bed, her face tense.

"There's someone outside."

Chen Mo sat up.

The side effects on his body had disappeared. Although he was still a bit weak, he could move.

He gripped the cleaver and followed Lin Wei out of the Basement.

In the yard, three people were standing.

Two men and one woman.

All were unfamiliar faces.

Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing a filthy military overcoat with a scar on his face. When he saw Chen Mo come out, he grinned.

"Awake? I thought you were dead."

Chen Mo didn't speak.

The Pupil of the Sequence swept over them—Humans, F-rank, injured. Not Ghost Shadows, but ordinary Chosen Ones.

"Who are you?"

"Just passing through," the Scarface Man said. "Saw a vehicle here and wanted to borrow some things."

He pointed at the pickup truck.

"Fuel. And food."

Chen Mo looked at him.

"Borrow?"

"Yes, borrow." The Scarface Man smiled. "Of course, you could also say 'take'. Anyway, there's one of you and three of us, so you decide."

The other two took a step forward, both holding weapons—an iron pipe and a machete.

Chen Mo didn't move.

He just looked at them.

He looked for a long time.

So long that the Scarface Man began to feel uneasy.

"What are you looking at?"

Chen Mo spoke.

"Do you know who I am?"

The Scarface Man was taken aback.

"Who are you?"

Chen Mo didn't answer.

He just took a step forward.

The Scarface Man instinctively took a step back.

Then he saw Chen Mo's eyes clearly—

In those eyes, a faint golden light was flickering.

His expression changed.

"You... You're Chen Mo?"

Chen Mo didn't speak.

The Scarface Man's face turned even paler.

He turned and ran.

The other two were stunned for a moment, then followed him.

The three of them disappeared into the night.

Lin Wei stood aside, watching their retreating backs, then looked at Chen Mo.

"Why did they run?"

Chen Mo didn't answer.

He turned and walked back into the Basement.

Lin Wei followed him.

"You haven't answered me yet."

Chen Mo sat down on the bed.

"Because of my name," he said. "In the Regional Channel, the name 'Chen Mo' represents a certain person."

Lin Wei was silent for a few seconds.

Then she understood.

First Night Kill King.

E-rank Promotion Announcement.

The cross-level kill on the outskirts of the Source of the Sequence.

And that title—

Lone Wolf.

This name had long since spread throughout the entire region.

Those people weren't just running; they were afraid.

Afraid he would actually take action.

Lin Wei looked at him, an indefinable expression in her eyes.

"You're a celebrity now."

Chen Mo didn't speak.

He lay down and closed his eyes.

"Sleep," he said. "There's still work to do tomorrow."

Lin Wei nodded.

She lay down beside him and also closed her eyes.

Outside the window, the Ghost Night continued.

Wails drifted in from the distance, but the area around the Farmhouse was silent.

No one dared to approach.

Because a person lived here.

A person named Chen Mo.