Duàn Chén felt a sense of helplessness.
"Not returning is impossible. After all, there are still anomalous objects there. Wherever there are anomalous objects, we must contain them."
He knew very well that his two teammates had developed PTSD from that place, but there was no helping it.
He could only try to comfort them from a different angle.
"Look on the bright side, this formation hasn't completely taken shape yet. The other buildings in the village haven't been affected."
This was actually the truth.
If the formation here were to completely form, then this entire area, including some nearby places, would directly turn into a purgatory, beyond any hope of salvation. Now, there was still a chance to save it.
This was something Duàn Chén felt particularly fortunate about.
Although the difficulty of the mission here didn't match the description, he had arrived at this moment, before the formation took shape.
This alone was enough to prove his exceptional luck.
However, speaking of which, a look of confusion appeared on Duàn Chén's face.
"The only thing that confuses me is, why doesn't this elementary school exist?"
There should have been an elementary school here.
Yet, it existed, but it didn't.
Bái Yè didn't really want to ponder why the school wasn't there, as no amount of thought would yield an answer. He urged them on.
"Let's not worry about that for now. Let's destroy this formation first. Once it's destroyed, there will be plenty of time to think about these messy issues."
Bái Yè felt deeply uncomfortable.
He looked around and rubbed his arm, covered in goosebumps.
"I just feel incredibly uneasy staying here."
"I feel the same way," Wáng Zǐháo agreed wholeheartedly, nodding.
Seeing their reactions, Duàn Chén shrugged helplessly.
"In that case, you two stay here. I'll go to the church alone. With you by my side, my actions might be restricted."
He chose to have these two stay behind because he had certain trump cards he didn't want to fully reveal.
Even though these two were his teammates and they might work together on missions in the future, it was best to keep trump cards hidden for as long as possible.
Playing the underdog was a timeless strategy.
If all his trump cards were exposed, enemies might discover them at any time and devise countermeasures, leaving him truly helpless.
Although Duàn Chén explicitly said he didn't need help from Bái Yè and Wáng Zǐháo, their expressions turned hesitant when they heard him, and they couldn't help but look at him.
"You don't need us to stay by your side to help you distract those angel sculptures and scarecrows?"
Duàn Chén immediately refused.
He didn't need anyone to help distract the angel sculptures and scarecrows.
Because as soon as he went over, he would be directly facing all of them.
Whether others were present was completely unnecessary.
He had already decided to contain these anomalous objects if possible, and if not, to eliminate them all here.
After all, his "Death of Certainty" was not a mere pretense.
At most, it would consume some spiritual energy.
He felt he could manage it.
So, he decisively shook his head and negated their concern.
"No need. It's not a big deal. As long as you two stay here and protect yourselves."
"Alright, then we won't hold you back." Bái Yè hesitated before agreeing.
Both of them had very low spiritual energy levels at the moment, and they knew they were a burden.
Duàn Chén nodded and left their location, heading directly for the church.
He didn't hesitate at all; the houses by the roadside couldn't capture his attention.
On the way to the church, Duàn Chén's mind couldn't help but return to the matter of the elementary school.
The issue of that elementary school lingered in his mind, impossible to forget.
"It's really strange... I don't know why, but this place feels somewhat familiar. And the sudden disappearance of that elementary school is also very peculiar. Did it truly vanish, or was it moved, used for some other purpose?"
Duàn Chén found no answers and finally decided to put the matter aside for now.
"I won't think about it for now..."
"I won't think about it for now..." In a water mirror in a certain place, Duàn Chén's voice echoed, reflecting his face.
Within this mirror-like surface of water, Duàn Chén's every move was clearly depicted.
It was like a live camera feed.
A person with bright red lips and long, flowing hair like seaweed stirred slightly behind them. A smile played on their lips.
However, their chest was flat, and they had an Adam's apple.
Their voice was high-pitched, but it was perfectly clear they were not a true woman.
There was a hint of regret in their tone as they reached out and gently stroked Duàn Chén's face on the water mirror.
It gave off a particularly unsettling feeling.
"I didn't expect you to be able to perceive even a sliver of the secret."
"But it's a pity, even if you perceive it, nothing will change."
The man shook his head, his seaweed-like long hair swaying with the movement.
A trace of jealousy flickered in his eyes.
He was jealous of Duàn Chén in the mirror.
"That Great One has forbidden me from touching you, so of course I won't. What's the point of touching you? What I want to touch is the person you cherish the most."
In the darkness, the man smiled terrifyingly.
"Hehehehehe..."
He suddenly turned and asked someone nearby.
"Don't you agree, little girl?"
If Duàn Chén were present, he would be shocked to discover that the person next to the man was none other than Mǐ Xuě'ér.
Mǐ Xuě'ér was covered in dirt, but her clothes were neat.
Fear and anger flashed in Mǐ Xuě'ér's eyes.
"What do you want to do! If you're trying to threaten Brother Duàn with me, I advise you to abandon that idea immediately. Brother Duàn is not easy to deal with. He'll realize I'm missing sooner or later and come to rescue me!"
Her shouting was completely useless against the man.
He gently touched his red lips, his gaze falling on the girl beside him.
"Don't worry, don't be so tense. I will let you reunite with your Brother Duàn. Don't you agree, Xiào Xiào?"
Sūn Xiào Xiào, facing the enormous monster beside her, covered half her face with her hand and giggled.
"Hee hee hee hee hee... Yes."
The voices gradually faded, and all three pairs of eyes returned to the mirror.