"Speaking of which, doesn't our Hifuu Club count as a paranormal organization?" Renko suddenly thought of a rather serious question while running and asked Mery.

"Mhm," Mery nodded, focused entirely on their run.

"If that's the case, then why are we running?" Renko continued, it sounding less like a question for Mery and more like one for herself. As members of a paranormal investigation group, they were naturally equipped to handle supernatural incidents, and that flying head right now was precisely such an incident.

Mery, however, didn't harbor such doubts and casually replied, "Then you go deal with it."

"..." Renko was instantly speechless.

As the only two members of the Hifuu Club, they knew each other's capabilities intimately. To ordinary people, they were immensely powerful entities. Incidents like the Seven Mysteries of the school, the serial murders on Sanban Street, the secret of the abandoned village... these kinds of affairs were resolved by them with extreme ease.

But in reality, very few of these so-called paranormal events were caused by truly malevolent spirits. Besides the small number involving genuinely unknown mysterious creatures, most were human-engineered incidents. Their abilities made them far superior to any master detective in cracking such cases. However... facing a genuine evil spirit? They truly had no experience with that.

To put it more extremely, contemporary society simply did not believe in the existence of demons, monsters, or ghosts.

Yet, they possessed special abilities; they knew that creatures like demons and ghosts, which had faded into legend, were real—they were just exceptionally well hidden, never showing themselves in human society.

The primary reason the two of them founded the Hifuu Club and went on these adventures was largely to seek out the demons and monsters of this world... Of course, their actions weren't aimed at proving anything to the world, nor were they seeking some halo of superiority. It was a simple, earnest desire to know the truth.

The truth that these beings forgotten by humanity were, in fact, real.

But the greater the hope, the deeper the disappointment. They had yet to find evidence that truly satisfied them. They felt as if they were hovering on the edge of a boundary line: on one side was the world they knew, and on the other, the unknown world they yearned for. The other world felt tantalizingly close, yet they could never quite breach that line.

So, when that head appeared, while they were panicked, their inner excitement was even greater, because they knew, at that moment, they had truly made contact. However, they didn't want this to be the endpoint; they hoped this contact with the other world was just the beginning. They wanted to know more, which is why they chose to flee... because they understood that the other world, teeming with demons and ghosts, was incredibly dangerous—a danger their current strength could not possibly resist.

But therein lay the interesting part.

Renko understood that Mery suggesting she handle the head was a joke, but she still considered it seriously. She genuinely wished she could confront these supernatural entities, but she was also painfully aware that while they could solve pseudo-paranormal incidents, they lacked the power to deal with real supernatural events.

Though they possessed abilities beyond those of ordinary people, they were, ultimately, still just ordinary people.

They understood this better than anyone.

"Damn, it's a dead end!" Renko’s mind had wandered slightly, but Mery remained diligently focused on finding an exit, and her abilities were suited for just such a task. But now, she realized they had run into a literal dead end. A stone wall blocked their path ahead, and behind them, in the pitch-black corridor, the lingering head was drawing nearer.

"How is this possible?" Renko finally snapped back to attention, shocked upon realizing the situation, seemingly unable to believe Mery had led them into a cul-de-sac.

Mery frowned, then stated seriously, "It is indeed a dead end. We only have the option to turn back."

"But that head..." Renko felt a chill creeping in. If the front was blocked, they certainly had to retreat; she knew that much. But what about the head chasing them from behind?

"This corridor is quite wide. If we time it right, we might be able to rush past it. After all, it's just a head; it can't completely block our path," Mery said calmly.

"...I guess that's the only way."

With those words spoken, they both knew they had only one chance. They dared not be careless, immediately assuming combat stances, watching the path they came from with focused caution.

As adventurers, they couldn't possibly lack self-defense capabilities; otherwise, forget solving incidents, fierce beasts alone would have eaten them hundreds of times over. In fact, compared to ordinary people, they were truly formidable.

Renko specialized in Ultra Unification Physics and was a top-tier student. She could fabricate various offensive tools based on her theoretical research—the explosion from before was her handiwork. In addition, she possessed a respectable level of close-quarters combat skill... in several cases involving serial murders, she single-handedly subdued vicious murderers.

As for Mery, there was even less need to elaborate, because she was a Magician.

If Renko's power could still be explained by science, Mery's power completely transcended the scope of science. This very fact was why they so firmly believed in the legendary demons and monsters.

"Be careful. Its power is immense."

Mery whispered. Her ability allowed her to see barriers, or more accurately, to see boundaries. She clearly perceived that the head's power far surpassed that of both of them. That was why she had fled instantly in the first place; otherwise, given their strength, how could they not even dare to fight?

Renko trusted Mery's perception and naturally had no doubts, becoming even more cautious upon hearing this.

"Well, looks like you've walked into a trap. That's truly unfortunate," a strange, singsong voice echoed from ahead. Even guessing with their heels, the two girls knew exactly who owned that voice, and they couldn't help grinding their teeth.

Renko was intensely annoyed by Lin Luo's taunts, but Mery was thinking deeper... Logically, her ability should never have led them astray. During their flight, she hadn't "seen" this dead end. Yet, the reality contradicted what she "saw." Could it be that she hadn't misread things, but that the other party had acted intentionally?

The thought brought a flicker of unease to Mery's heart.

In fact, she had guessed correctly. Lin Luo had observed everything he could while pursuing them. What remained could no longer be solved by mere sight; close contact was becoming necessary. Thus, he had made a small adjustment.

He had taught Yakumo Yukari the power of boundaries. Since Mery was essentially a 'sub account' of Yakumo Yukari, her boundary power naturally derived from her, and considering how immature hers was, misleading her was as simple as drinking water and eating rice for Lin Luo.

Huh?!

Here, Mery and Renko had already taken fighting stances, prepared for a decisive, three-hundred-round battle. But when the figure emerging from the darkness appeared, both froze... It wasn't the bobbing, large head from before, but a young man looking remarkably energetic and vibrant.

What was this situation?

The two girls exchanged bewildered glances.

"What, surprised?" Lin Luo acted quite familiar, walking forward while greeting them.

"Is he the head from before?" Renko ignored him and quietly asked Mery.

Mery shook her head. "He doesn't look like it. That head was semi-translucent and so pale it almost lacked features. This one... the difference is too vast, isn't it?"

Renko instinctively looked over. Indeed, the man approaching them looked like a bright, positive youth, completely devoid of any ghostly aura. Even she couldn't believe this was the head from moments ago. But if it wasn't, where did the head go?

The two were utterly lost.

"Hey, are you human or ghost?" Seeing Lin Luo getting closer, Renko finally couldn't hold back her question.

Lin Luo smiled. "Guess."

Renko nearly spat blood. If she could guess, why would she ask?

"Then when you came over just now, did you see a big head floating around?" Renko suppressed the urge to punch Lin Luo until he bled and asked again.

They had been running fast earlier and had created a significant distance from Lin Luo, so they hadn't noticed if he was keeping up. Therefore, with Lin Luo's true form appearing now, she couldn't be certain if he was the same entity as the earlier head... After all, this is how it always plays out in movies and on TV: when encountering a ghost, the ghost vanishes while you run, only for a stranger to suddenly appear. What was that called again? Coincidence.

Lin Luo gave her a look, the kind reserved for idiots. "That's such a low-level question. Do heads really float around? Are you malfunctioning, or are you watching too much television?"

That single taunt successfully drew 80% of Renko's aggression, making her ignite with fury. She seriously wanted to throw a bomb over and then declare, "It was a coincidence."

"Who exactly are you?" Just as Renko hesitated about whether to make it a 'coincidence,' Mery finally spoke up. Her question was clearly more insightful.

Lin Luo stopped walking, pondered for a moment, then looked back at Mery and stated very seriously, "I am your grandmaster."

"..."

"..."

The already heavy atmosphere grew even more oppressive, like the tense calm before a storm, leaving them filled with unease.

A moment later, Mery turned to Renko and said with equal seriousness, "Should we just kill this guy? Anyway, ordinary people can't get into this place, so no one will know we killed someone."

"Great idea. I think so too," Renko agreed without hesitation.

ps: There will be another chapter later, possibly after midnight.