Chapter 853: PAID

Childhood Friend of the ZenithWords: 2119

He passed through the undergrowth.

The forest at night was dark, but as always, his eyes could see clearly.

His body still ached, the result of his overflowing blood vessels. Perhaps it was because he’d overexerted his senses earlier—the pain was worse now.

"Tsk."

Clicking his tongue, he continued walking. Pain, as always, was something to endure. That wasn’t the priority right now.

[I sense presences nearby. Four of them.]

Shadow King’s telepathic message made him nod. He already knew.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘They’re far apart but encircling this area like a perimeter.’

By focusing his energy, he could sense it. This strange presence was centered here.

It was an odd sensation. To the naked eye, it was nothing but an empty field—not even particularly large. Trees spread around the edges, accompanied by scattered rocks and weeds. Yet, here, in this unassuming place, he felt something.

"Do you sense anything?"

As the question came, something dropped to the ground—a human head.

Four heads in total. Shadow King had killed them all, just as he had reported the number of presences moments earlier.

Did he traverse the distance in that brief moment? His speed was terrifying.

"I don’t sense anything," Shadow King replied.

"Hmm…"

The fact that even Shadow King couldn’t sense it made this all the more peculiar. How could Shadow King not detect it? Did that mean it wasn’t related to physical presence?

Or...

‘Could I be imagining this?’

It might have been a mistaken sensation, yet deep inside, he was certain.

There was something here.

‘But where?’

His eyes scanned the surroundings. He should be sensing it, but there was nothing concrete yet.

‘Where the hell is it?’

He tried to focus, but irritation gnawed at him. Was it impatience? Frustration? Or simply dissatisfaction with standing around in this place? It could have been any of those.

‘All I see are weeds and rocks. At best, there are some flowers… What could I possibly sense in—?’

He paused mid-thought, narrowing his eyes.

The two in front were ordinary, but the flowers behind them bothered him.