Chapter 97 My Territory

Red Moon and the monster were still fighting, the aura around them was surging, only the light red road was calm as usual. Conan and the other three were running on this road, they couldn't see what was ahead, but they didn't dare to slow down at all. They didn't know how they were going to meet the owner of this space, but they knew that as long as they stopped, they would probably never have another chance.

Suddenly, the battle stopped, and Conan keenly noticed that Hongyue and the monster turned their heads and looked at them. His heart was beating fast, and he almost thought it was a scam, but the next moment, he stepped on empty air, and the surrounding environment changed drastically. He fell to his knees on the ground in shock, gasping for breath.

There are no more chaotic air currents around that can suck people in. Instead, there is a quiet and peaceful forest. There are no birds singing and no wind. They just stand there quietly like a picture. If it weren't for these, Conan would almost have thought that this was the same woods where he first woke up.

Fūya Zero looked around cautiously and said calmly, "Be careful, there's something strange in this forest."

Dazai Osamu was leisurely. He smiled and said, "What's not weird about this place?" He looked around and took the lead to walk forward along the road under his feet.

Conan had a lot of questions he wanted to ask him, regarding what happened to Amano Tsuru, but thinking of the current situation, he forced himself to suppress them. He followed without saying a word, while Furuya Rei followed behind, observing the surroundings.

They didn't walk long before they came to an open area. The sun shines down gently, making everything warm and comfortable. A small house stands quietly here. It is not tall and does not have many delicate carvings, but it blends harmoniously with its surroundings. A gravel path separates a small garden and extends all the way to the door. The garden is full of colorful flowers, which are blooming brilliantly and vying with each other, like a grand party.

Conan, Dazai Osamu and the other two were in a very heavy mood. When they set foot here, it was like they had embarked on the final journey. This is not a land of endless blessings, but the residence of the owners of the entire strange world. No matter how light and dreamy it looks, it cannot eliminate the fear in their hearts. In other words, the more beautiful it is, the more it rings the alarm bells in their hearts.

Dazai Osamu took the opportunity to take a look inside from the window sill. The interior was also very cozy, the tables and chairs were clean and tidy, the walls were painted with warm-toned pictures, a wisteria vine climbed up along the corner of the wall, weaving a green carpet, and a brilliant wild chrysanthemum was inserted on the windowsill. Everything was normal.

But someone is looking at me from inside.

Dazai Osamu lowered his head slightly. When they arrived at the door, an old yellow dog was lying at the door. When it saw someone coming, it stood up vigilantly and looked straight at them with its big eyes. No one dared to conflict with it. They knew very well that every intelligent creature here was most likely a terrifying monster. When you violated its rules... no, when it broke free from the constraints of the rules, it would turn into a monster that devoured people's hearts.

"Oh, Bart," a strange voice came from the house, and it said, "Let them in, they are all guests of the host, we must treat them well."

The yellow dog sat back down again. The three men hesitated for a moment, then moved forward again. When passing by the dog, Conan looked into its eyes. For a moment, he almost thought that the person squatting there was a person. He shuddered, not daring to look again, and quickly walked forward.

The door of the cottage was made of walnut wood, with a wreath hanging on it and a string of wind chimes hanging on the side. When the door was opened, it would make a clear and pleasant bell sound, just like now -

"Ding-ling-ling!" The door opened by itself!

"Come in quickly!" The strange creature in the door spoke again. Its voice was sharp and without any turns, as if something was imitating a human. Although it was very similar, there were still many inadequacies.

Dazai Osamu smiled slightly and was the first to step into the house. Furuya Rei and Conan wanted to call him, but after looking at each other, they gritted their teeth and followed him in.

Unexpectedly, they soon saw the talking thing. In the warm setting, a colorful bird was standing on a perch, tilting its head and looking at them as they walked in.

Conan was startled. The bird fluttered its wings and said, "Welcome, welcome. Are you the guests? The host has already told us to treat you well with fruits and water. Eat and drink quickly. They are all very sweet!"

Dazai Osamu turned around and saw that these had already been prepared on the wooden table. There were three portions for each person. But two of them were stained with dew, while the other one was not. Dazai Osamu's eyes flickered.

Furiya Ling was not prepared to eat these unknown things, so he asked, "Where is your master?"

The bird looked at them quietly for a while, not knowing whether it was because they did not eat the food or because they had accidentally offended something. Furiya Rei's body was tense, as if he was waiting for a trial. Until Dazai Osamu chuckled, he sat at the table and ate the fruit and water. Then, he politely replied: "Very fresh fruit. I haven't eaten for a long time. I'm very hungry. Thank you for your hospitality."

The bird immediately became happy, and said loudly: "Of course, of course, the master has asked that the guests who are coming should be treated with the best hospitality!"

Dazai Osamu sighed, "What a hospitable host! I am flattered by your sincere treatment. I wonder if I could meet him and thank him for his hospitality?"

Conan looked at him and admired his ability to lie with open eyes.

The bird jumped, and it was no longer motionless like before. It said happily, "The master is out, and he asked me to take care of you."

"What, you said he's not here?" Conan was anxious.

Furuya Reiya asked, "When was he gone?"

The bird tilted its head: "Before you came here, of course."

"You mean," Dazai Osamu on the side narrowed his eyes: "He had already left before we arrived in this space, right?" He enunciated a few words very precisely.

"Yes!" the bird cried, "He went far away and never came back. I will entertain you, my guest..."

"When will he come back?" Conan clenched his fists. He was the most anxious one among them, because he didn't know if he could turn back again after Amano Tsuru completely turned into a monster.

The bird looked at him with a strange look in its eyes: "Of course you should come back when it's time to come back."

"You..." Conan hissed, thinking that it was talking nonsense.

But the next second, a gentle knock on the door sounded in their ears. Conan was almost frightened to jump up, Furiya Rei was facing a strong enemy, Dazai Osamu's hand trembled, and the water in the cup shook, and they all looked outside the door.

There was no barking of dogs outside, as if the yellow dog that had been very diligent before had died. For a moment, the house was eerily quiet.

As if sensing their fear, the person outside the door (or something else) chuckled. He spoke softly, like the spring breeze blowing across the lake, or like the warm sun shining through the woods. He said, "Hello, all the uninvited guests."

It was obvious that he was outside the house and they were inside, but everyone felt uncomfortable and at a loss, just like a thief who broke into an empty house but was blocked by the owner of the house.

"Squeak." As if the previous greeting was just a reminder, the person outside the door took the initiative to push the door open. The people in the house held their breath as they saw a figure appear before them. He stood in the sun, his long, slightly curled emerald hair cascading down like a waterfall, reminiscent of a vibrant forest. He was very tall, half a head taller than the tallest of them, Fūya Rei, and looked like a green bamboo, tough and powerful.

He was wearing a clean white robe, which gave him a sense of neatness and solemnity that only religious people have, but his expression was elegant and gentle, adding a unique touch of kindness. His face was impeccable, every inch of it was flawless, as if kissed by an elf, his emerald eyes were crystal clear and sparkling, containing wisdom and compassion. He took a step forward lightly, like the mythical god of the forest and nature coming to the world.

Dazai Osamu and the other three were also shocked, and it took them a while to react. They never expected that the owner of this space would be such a person. When he appeared, it was as if he was merged with the light. How could such a person be the one who created those monsters? !

The man seemed to have read their thoughts. He walked up to them and smiled, "Welcome to my space, my territory, and my...home."

"Ga ga ga ga!" An unpleasant bird call broke the stillness in the field, and the colorful bird said excitedly: "Welcome back, master! Did you have a smooth journey? Did you meet any evil people on the road? Did you make any good friends? Ga ga, you must have a good rest after coming back. This journey must have made you very tired!"

A few people took a look at this person whose clothes were not even stained with dust, and felt that the filter of this bird was a bit thick.

The man walked to a chair in the room and sat down. He looked at everyone with a smile and said, "I think you must have a lot of questions to ask me."

Conan ran over first: "I want to ask you, in your space, is it possible for those people who have turned into monsters to turn back into monsters?" He stared at him intently, afraid to hear a bad answer.

The host smiled happily: "You are asking about your friend, right?" He picked up the cup and gently soothed him: "Don't worry, they are not transformed from humans. Even if there are one or two, I took them in with their consent when they were about to die. Your friend is a very good person. I admire his talent and his character. I really want to keep him, but not in this way."

Conan stared at his expression closely, and only breathed a sigh of relief after getting an answer and finding that he didn't lie. After letting out this sigh, he felt extremely tired and almost couldn't stand steadily.

Dazai Osamu handed him a plate of fruit and motioned for him to eat.

Furuya Reiya asked: "Did you send that invitation to Akai Shuichi? Are you the one who invited him?"

The owner nodded, an apologetic look on his face. "I didn't expect to encounter an accident and cause this situation, but you don't have to worry. Those who were unfortunately involved were not injured. They have been sent back and should be back to their homes now."

Fūya Rei opened his mouth, and there was no need to ask any more questions. "Didn't you say that the town will expand in half a month, and new animals will come in at that time..." But he still insisted on asking questions.

The master blinked and said, "That's because my power has made great progress. Animals are created when two animals collide with each other. As the territory expands, new 'life' will naturally be born."

Fūya Rei pursed his lips and could only retreat. It was Dazai Osamu who came next. He put the fruit plate back and asked casually, "Can I know your name?"