NOTE: Sorry for not updating yesterday! My father has gotten COVID, and been a bit busy arranging things for that. Everyone, stay healthy!

XG 185 - Rather die here than somewhere unknown

Unlike Max and L.L. that could step in, Wong Xue Guo and Chen Yibo were repelled at the entrance. That strangeness had L.L. quickly retrace back his steps, and the barrier did not stop him.

"Max? It's Max!" A woman in the office wear recognized the intruder, which also saved Max from being hit by a shovel.

"What? He's alive? Why is he back here?" A man with asymmetrical eyes asked gruffly, but his eyes could not hide the delight over the young man's survival.

"Is he really Max or an imposter?"

Max hurriedly raised both his palm before he got attacked. "Wait! I can prove I'm myself, Max!"

Pressing her fingertips gently at the invisible barrier, Wong Xue Guo's expression was one of indifference as if doing so did not sting. The energy that formed the barrier gave her some familiar feeling. Although very vague, she was quite sure that this energy resembled the second energy she had felt from the space created by Mr Demon.

Having been around Mr Demon for three years, she was familiar with his energy, and from it, learned that there was another creator of the space, where the second energy was mixed around the space. From sight alone, it was obvious there was only her and Mr Demon in that space, but she had occasionally felt another pair of eyes on her, examining her uncomfortably. It does not feel threatening to her life, but it was still dangerous to feel as if the eyes wanted to crack her down to her core to study her.

This was the first time she felt that she had represented her name rather well.

Her bold guess was the second entity that chose to hide from view was a God, the polar opposite of a Devil. The evidence to support her assumption was that the energy gave her a nostalgic and warm feeling, unlike the dangerous and suffocating feeling from Mr Demon's energy.

But why did God refuse to meet her, only silently keeping an eye on her? She knew it was thanks to this holy being that Mr Demon treated her with good hospitality and kept it to an acceptable level of its attempt to corrupt her.

["Do you sense anything?"] Chen Yibo was confident that Wong Xue Guo would have found something.

["It will take at least two hours to take down the barrier. But we are here to rescue people."] If Wong Xue Guo had not wasted her energy tossing the truck away, it would be fifteen minutes earlier.

But the shaman must be very devoted to God to be able to have this level of strength, and that was not relying on any external factor at all. Mr Demon said she was the strongest human, but she was not confident she could defeat the shaman.

Unless Mr Demon does not take into account of humans that do not have the Alpha genes.

"Max, please quickly gather up everyone. We need to leave before they come back to attack again," Chen Yibo called out, interrupting the reunion.

"They are from Musihada? You really did it?" A young lady in a red sweater asked doubtfully, yet unable to conceal the hope in her voice.

"Of course! How can you doubt me!" Max cried in injustice.

"A person of your calibre usually dies halfway through your quest,'' a young man joked.

The office lady approached the gate and politely invited the trio, "Please, come in. Thank you for coming to help us."

"That will be rude of us. We shall wait outside."

Chung Cha wondered how that would be rude. "Shaman Ji is not in a good state to travel now."

Chen Yibo could not read the mind of Chung Cha, who was inside the temple's boundary. So he was not sure what had caused her hesitation other than being worried about Shaman Ji that was in bad health. Both Chen Yibo and Wong Xue Guo could not step in, and L.L. does not understand Korean, so they only have Max to talk to the shaman.

To their surprise, the shaman took down the barrier, which Wong Xue Guo had felt before Chung Cha came out to inform them they could now enter.

If the owner had already extended an invitation to them and even opened their doors wide, they as the invited guests should also do their part in accepting it.

Once inside, they were being gawked like exotic creatures that were rarely seen. None of the people in the temple have awakened their ability, so they were curious how the ability users would be even if they had seen the shaman's power.

In their eyes, none of them, other than the blonde foreigner, looked dangerous from their appearance alone. Especially the slim figure dressed in completely black, with a black hat and black mask to remain mysterious.

Chen Yibo could now use his ability, but it was limited. Their thoughts were the same as those that were standing far away from him, with frequent interruptions. It does not worry him, as he did not feel discomfort in his body from the restriction.

While the visitors took in the dim interior and the strong smell of incense, Max poked his head out from a room. "Shaman Ji wants to talk to you."

The room's only light was the running-out candle, placed beside the bedridden shaman. The winter had ended, but the place was still cold. Her exhaustion was visible on her face, but her eyes were as sharp as ever, and immediately eyed Wong Xue Guo when she stepped last into the room.

"Thank you for trusting us to let us in," Chen Yibo said. Wong Xue Guo held back the smirk threatening to emerge from the hidden insult that was not Chen Yibo's intention.

"Grandmother said maintaining the barrier is exhausting. With you here, we don't need to be afraid if we get attacked again." The granddaughter does not know who her grandmother was referring to, so the granddaughter naturally assumes that capable person to be L.L., who looked to be the strongest among them.

L.L. does not understand the conversation and stared back at the granddaughter until she looked away. She thought he was silently agreeing with what she said, and thus, a beautiful misunderstanding was created.

"How is the shaman?" Chen Yibo was unofficially their group's speaker, and with the shaman herself in a weak state, it was the granddaughter that answered his question.

"Lately, a guy took over in attacking the temple after they stopped sending zombies to attack us. He's likely to return again later. If the others want to escape, now is a good time."

"Bel Eum, we won't leave without you and Shaman Ji," Max said firmly.

"... My grandmother says she rather die here than somewhere unknown."

"That's foolish!" Max blurted out in the heat of the moment and immediately regretted his outburst. "I... I mean, that's crazy! Shaman Ji, you are not going to die soon! Are you going to keep fighting until you die? Bel Eum, you also don't want your grandmother to die, right?!"

How could Bel Eum want that? But it was unsure if their travelling would further agitate her grandmother's health. She does not even know how far was Musihada base!

"If we kill those people, my grandmother does not need to keep fighting! If those people die, my grandmother does not need to leave her home either!" Bel Eum's outburst silenced Max's protest.

The only way to solve this problem is to make Shaman Ji get better, right?

The candle flickered for a moment as Wong Xue Guo's shadow lengthen from her feet.

Shaman Ji suddenly glared at Wong Xue Guo, the gaze arrested her and the shadow from approaching. The movement of the shadow was seen by Chen Yibo, as well as hearing her thoughts about what she was planning to do. He squeezed Wong Xue Guo's hand and reached out to Shaman Ji.

["Can we talk? This is my ability, where I can communicate with people through thoughts."]

Not exactly true, but it was undeniable that his ability could work that way.

Shaman Ji eyed Chen Yibo for a moment before giving him a small nod.

With their hands still clasped, Wong Xue Guo, who did not mind and Chen Yibo, who had forgotten, pulled her along to enter Shaman Ji's mind.

Shaman Ji was too exhausted and weak to talk, and the only way to talk without exhausting her further was through their minds.

Wong Xue Guo quickly spoke first. ["I'm for surprising you, but I only want to share my energy so that you can get better."]

["Thank you for your kind offer, but I will not accept your energy. Your energy belongs to the demon and would harm my soul."]

Hearing that, Wong Xue Guo no longer bothered with helping the shaman, but also could not help but ponder if her soul was now damned according to her belief.