This is a deep pit, spacious and dark.
In the corner stands a high stone platform, the place where he lies, keeping him away from the damp ground.
The light is dim, coming from an unknown source that twists and turns before reaching here. The walls are relatively smooth, seemingly carved by human hands.
Aside from the blanket on the stone platform, there are no signs of life or habitation.
Yan Chuan feels a bit cautious.
He recalls that before he passed out, Dr. Navi was discussing how monsters mingled among the inmates at the confinement island.
Navi first made a poorly-timed joke before telling him about another possibility: “Replacing someone else’s identity.”
In that moment, Yan Chuan felt a sense of enlightenment.
Dr. Navi had just been carefully tending to his wounds, chatting casually, his tone and appearance unchanged.
However, when Yan Chuan secretly lifted the white sheet on the sickbed, he saw a blonde man stuffed beneath it.
In this small examination room, not only was there him, but also two “Dr. Navi” figures.
The man tucked under the sickbed lay with his eyes closed, breathing faintly, while the other “Dr. Navi” smiled cheerfully as he answered his questions.
Yan Chuan glanced around the dim cave where he currently resided.
So… this marks his third encounter with a monster in prison?
The first monster had borrowed the identity of “Leon,” possibly a fabrication of its own. It convinced him that it was also part of the prison, treating him as one of the few in the prison who showed goodwill.
The second instance occurred when Yan Chuan and Hesse took advantage of the guards letting the monsters out at night, encountering a cold, slippery touch in an abandoned, dim room.
And now, here is the last instance.
Yan Chuan looked at his knees, which had been well-protected, his sleeping position not contorted at all.
The pungent scent of the medicine still lingered on his skin.
He had not been injured again.
He couldn’t find the monster, but the monster had come looking for him.
This monster could perfectly mimic anyone’s appearance, voice, and even memories; those who were particularly familiar with someone might not even recognize it.
Being able to blend in among prisoners and guards without raising suspicion meant no one would know the real inmates had gone missing.
Yan Chuan took a deep breath to steady himself.
The current situation was that tensions escalated between the scripted prisoners and guards, and the monsters could openly roam free.
He, the weak and helpless contender, had become the poor soul captured by the monster.
Thinking about how many times he had been tossed around in this storyline, Yan Chuan felt a wave of frustration: …
He realized his knees hurt, but his head was starting to ache even more.
But now was not the time to panic.
Yan Chuan looked at the faintly illuminated dome above, but it was obscured—there was no exit up there.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he could not wait any longer.
Ariel must have already known he was taken by Hesse, but he wondered if Hesse had noticed he disappeared right under his nose again.
Yan Chuan pressed his lips together.
He was unsure whether Hesse would attribute his disappearance to the prison warden or realized that a monster was involved.
Yan Chuan felt that the former was more likely.
If Hesse and Ariel each thought the other took their person and went on a frenzied search in the prison… he might truly never escape.
Yan Chuan decided he needed to take action.
Since there was light in the cave, there had to be an exit. The “monster” had brought him here, even putting a blanket on the stone platform, clearly not intending to bury him alive.
Yan Chuan sat up, his bare toes predictably pressing against the cold ground.
The monster even knew to give him slippers.
Yan Chuan frowned slightly.
The ground was damp, with sharp stones scattered about. He stepped carefully, feeling he couldn’t just walk out like this, so he tried to tug at the bed sheet underneath him.
The bottom layer was a sheet, the same as in the confinement island’s prison. It was somewhat rough, and with some effort, Yan Chuan managed to tear off a few pieces with a sharp stone he picked up from the ground.
He planned to leave now, following the source of the water and light.
Otherwise, he couldn’t just sit here, waiting for an unknown monster to arrive.
Recalling his unpleasant encounter in the abandoned holidays, Yan Chuan’s brow furrowed tighter.
How was he to know what the monster wanted when it approached him? Did it intend to see him as food, or something else?
As he pondered this, Yan Chuan wrapped the torn fabric around his legs and feet in several layers, ensuring he wouldn’t be easily cut before stepping down from the stone platform.
He walked toward the direction of the light, but since the beam was so faint, it couldn’t illuminate the path beneath his feet. Yan Chuan had to lean against the wall, carefully pushing forward.
He walked slowly, not only because he couldn’t see well but also because he wasn’t wearing shoes.
The ground was rugged and uneven; those who initially repaired this place probably never imagined someone would walk out barefoot sometime in the future.
As Yan Chuan contemplated this, a bit of a smile escaped him.
He couldn’t quite figure out why the monster approached him; its first instinct was not to eliminate him but to take him to… this place.
He thought back to Leon and Navi, their faces flashing in his mind, yet he still couldn’t piece together the monster’s true face.
But then again, monsters are not human, so it’s normal not to recognize them.
“Leon” must be unaware of which unfortunate soul he replaced, while Navi was simply a doctor at the confinement island prison. The monster’s impersonation was indeed quite convincing.
At least when Yan Chuan first interacted with Leon, he truly saw nothing amiss.
The only distinct trait was that Leon took care of him and spoke about the prison.
Yan Chuan pursed his lips.
At that time, he genuinely considered Leon a good person, and he later even attempted to find out through Leo whether Leon was indeed a prisoner in the prison.