I'm being held captive by a monster

Chapter 254 The Man in the Coffin

"Now that you're here, please help me pack up all the things she left behind!"

Uncle He leaned on his cane with his right hand and held onto the wall with his left, carefully making his way down the dark staircase.

"I've completely forgotten when I last saw Yu Yu..."

"I think we met once after she grew up."

"She seemed to have said something to me, but sigh, my memory is terrible, haha..."

Uncle He started talking to himself again.

He would occasionally tap his head.

Lin Xing'an followed silently behind him.

The walls beside him became increasingly rotten and decayed as they went down, as if he had been born in a ghost realm.

Moreover, the basement was much, much deeper than he had imagined.

The two of them went down what felt like seven or eight floors before finally reaching the bottom.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

Uncle He fumbled for the old-fashioned switch on the wall and pressed it twice.

The sound of electricity was clearly audible.

After a long while, a light bulb hanging alone from the ceiling reluctantly lit up.

Because the bulb had been unused for a long time, the tungsten filament inside had turned to lead.

The lights were dim and flickering, barely illuminating a few square meters.

But even in just a few square meters, Lin Xing'an gasped in shock!
This isn't a basement at all...

This is clearly like a... huge underground cavern.

The space is surprisingly large, comparable to a stadium that can hold 10,000 people!

because……

Lin Xing'an took two steps back and raised his head.

A sense of shock welled up in my heart.

Before him stood a giant three-story cruise ship!

Although the cruise ship had fallen to the ground like a stranded fish, covered in rust and dilapidated.

But even through the dim light, one could still see the former luxury of this three-story cruise ship.

Especially the decor on the deck; one can almost imagine people singing and dancing on it.

only……

Why would a cruise ship like this be lying in such a dilapidated basement?

How did it get in?
The cruise ship's enormous exhaust pipes alone were almost as thick as the passageway they came down from.

"Catch the child!"

After staring at it for a while, Lin Xing'an was about to step forward when Uncle He's voice came.

He threw a small glass bottle, about the size of a thumb, at Lin Xing'an.

Despite the cold and damp environment, Lin Xing'an felt a warmth in his hand.

This warmth is not like the intense heat of a central heating system designed to make you feel warm.

It's more like sunlight, the warmth you feel as soon as it shines on you.

Moreover, even in the darkness, a faint glow emanated from the small bottle.

"This is……"

Lin Xing'an was taken aback.

"Hehe, give this to your mom, she'll definitely laugh out loud."

"This is the weapon she chose for herself back then."

"Oh dear, we really don't know how Yu Yu managed to actually put sunlight into a bottle."

"It's like... it's like she used her power on the sunlight, commanding it to go inside."

Uncle He chuckled as he spoke, then continued hunching over and rummaging through several junk boxes in the corner.

Lin Xing'an also quickly stepped forward.

Upon descending to the basement, his attention was immediately drawn to the enormous cruise ship, and he failed to notice the several boxes of miscellaneous items tucked away in the corner.

"There are a few more little ones, they should be here..."

Uncle He simply put down his cane and sat on the ground to search.

Lin Xing'an also squatted down and looked at the junk box, reaching out to rummage through it.

The things inside are all quite old.

Most of them were old tools for repairing cars and boats, some old books with faded and blurred lettering, and various calcified seashells and crab shells.

Some of them even look bigger than Lin Xing'an.

"This is……"

In a book without a cover, Lin Xing'an saw a photograph with a missing corner, which must have been soaked in water many years ago.

"Isn't this Yu Yu and Xiao Jing?"

Uncle He leaned over and took a look, then said.

The photo shows two girls wearing children's one-piece swimsuits, playing on the beach.

One had long, loose hair, while the other had her hair tied in a ponytail.

Because the photos are so old, the children's faces are no longer clearly visible.

"This photo is probably thirty or forty years old."

"This was taken when I first came to Nancheng. Now... sigh, I don't even know how old I am."

A look of confusion returned to Uncle He's eyes.

Staring blankly into the darkness before him for a long time, he finally came back to his senses.

"I'm looking for... Oh!"

Uncle He tapped his head again.

"Uncle He, what is this? Is it a pearl?"

Among the pile of seashells that would crumble at the slightest touch, Lin Xing'an saw something flash by.

At first glance, it looks like a purple glass bead.

But when I picked it up, it didn't feel quite right.

"This is a large pearl from a clam, Xiao Jing's. Give it to Jiang Rong later."

"Xiao Jing was heartbroken for a long time when she lost this bead."

Uncle He got up and moved to the other side to search.

"Ah! Here I am!"

Finally, among a pile of tattered books, he picked up a photo album.

After blowing off the dust, Uncle He waved to Lin Xing'an and started flipping through the pages.

"This is Yu Yu when he was six or seven years old in Beicheng, from that group of introductory classes."

"I was an instructor at the time."

Uncle He squinted at a large group photo on the first page and said.

"When Yu Yu was six or seven years old..."

Lin Xing'an pursed his lips slightly.

If Yu Yu were still alive, he would be fifty-four years old this year.

This is something from almost fifty years ago...

“When Yu Yu was around, I always wanted this photo album, but I couldn’t find it no matter how hard I looked. Then I realized that I had just thrown it here.”

"Take it back and show it to your mother."

The lighting was dim, and the photos inside were barely visible.

Uncle He sighed and handed the photo album to Lin Xing'an.

Yu Yu wanted...

He Bo's words made Lin Xing'an frown.

If it were just a memory, Yu Yu wouldn't have imagined that even Uncle He remembered this...

This photo album might not be so simple...

Lin Xing'an silently put away the photo album, along with the photo of Yu Yu and Xiao Jing.

But seeing Uncle He's dejected expression, he felt a pang of pity.

"...Uncle He, why don't you keep a few as a memento?"

Lin Xing'an helped Uncle He up and said.

But the old man just smiled and waved his hand, "Child, you'll understand when you get as old as me; memories are painful."

"It only makes me feel the beauty of my past life."

"But after the brief feeling, it only makes me realize how terrible it is to be alive now."

He Bo said quietly.

But after saying that, he laughed self-deprecatingly.

"My child, there is one last thing for you."

"I've been waiting for this for far too long."

Uncle He, leaning on his cane, led Lin Xing'an to the foot of the huge cruise ship.

"...Have you been waiting for me too long?"

Lin Xing'an was taken aback. "Yes, child, you hid your time-related abilities very well, but you couldn't hide them from me."

Uncle He turned to look at Lin Xing'an, his murky eyes in the dim light like ripples on a muddy pond.

Lin Xing'an's heart skipped a beat.

His face remained expressionless, yet in that brief moment, a myriad of thoughts raced through his mind.

It doesn't matter if people know he's hiding his abilities.

The crucial question is whether Uncle He knows his human identity?
After all, the moment Uncle He saw him, he blurted out something in a daze...

Should we kill Uncle He now?
No, even if I could do it, Jiang Rong is still outside.

Should we revert to a previous save file?
Should we be stubborn?
He kept a safe distance from Uncle He with extreme caution, while his mind raced.

But Uncle He didn't seem to care.

"Child, don't be nervous. You know it's good to hide your strength."

"But some things cannot be hidden from professionals."

"Besides, Yu Yu mentioned you to me, and I remember that she came to see me decades ago."

"She told me I couldn't hurt you. Did she use her power to tell me that? I've forgotten..."

A look of confusion flashed across Uncle He's face again.

Lin Xing'an then took the opportunity to quietly spread gloom around them.

"I……"

After being stunned for half a minute, Uncle He blinked and looked up.

"...Who...who are you again?"

He looked at Lin Xing'an, his face full of confusion.

"Ah! Yes, yes, come with me, come with me."

Before Lin Xing'an could speak, Uncle He nodded to himself again.

"...Uncle He, what are you taking me to find?"

Lin Xing'an observed Uncle He's expression and tentatively asked.

"Looking for... what was I looking for? It's right here, it's been here for ages..."

Uncle He continued talking to himself.

His face showed a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.

As if she had completely forgotten what she had just said, she led Lin Xing'an to the hull of the overturned yacht.

They finally reached the overturned deck by climbing an old, broken ladder.

Then he climbed the ladder and went through the window into a room on the cruise ship.

Because the entire ship was capsized, the room was also upside down.

Moreover, in the darkness, the only source of light was the sunlight coming from the glass bottle in Lin Xing'an's hand.

Therefore, Uncle He walked very slowly and very carefully.

"...Uncle He, are you sure the item is on this ship?"

Lin Xing'an followed behind Uncle He and asked warily.

"Yes, yes, no one has touched it, no one can touch it."

Uncle He continued walking along the wall, deeper into the cruise ship.

Lin Xing'an's expression suddenly froze!
He suddenly felt a familiar presence.

Is it... time?
Lin Xing'an's heart started beating faster for no apparent reason.

He raised his hand.

There was nothing in the darkness.

But when Lin Xing'an closed his eyes, he could feel a sense of time.

It's as if a faint flow of time is emanating from the depths of this ship...

It's very mysterious and hard to describe.

However, due to the time and place, Lin Xing'an was very sensitive to this feeling.

"Uncle He, how did this ship get here?"

What is this ship for?

Lin Xing'an adjusted himself and then asked.

He, who was initially somewhat resistant and skeptical, can't help but feel curious now.

"This ship...this ship is..."

Uncle He froze on the spot, as if his computer had crashed.

After a long while, he shook his head and said, "I don't know, I forgot."

"But that thing is right ahead, something very important."

He shook his head and said.

Lin Xing'an's brows furrowed even deeper.

Because he can already see the timeline...

In the darkness, silver, hair-like timelines wandered aimlessly.

Like a mayfly in the water...

Although they appear rootless and without any ground, Lin Xing'an can still clearly sense that they come from ahead.

They originate from something.

"Uncle He, how long has this ship been here?"

As the timeline in the darkness became clearer, Lin Xing'an's sense of familiarity grew stronger.

He raised his hand, letting the sparse silver-gray timelines slip through his fingers.

Meanwhile, the timeline passes directly through Uncle He's body.

It was as if, in the eyes of these fine lines, only Lin Xing'an was a physical entity, while everything else was an illusion.

"Hehe, this ship must be at least forty or fifty years old."

Uncle He smiled as if he had thought of something, but didn't say anything more.

"Forty or fifty years..."

Lin Xing'an lowered his eyes, searching his memory.

Regardless of the explanation, this ship must be the property of the committee.

It must have gone through something to be placed here.

But upon reflection, Lin Xing'an didn't recall any major events related to this...

"It's just ahead, we're finally about to arrive."

Lin Xing'an, who was behind He Bochong, waved and then threw down his cumbersome cane, quickening his pace.

The timeline in front of Lin Xing'an was noticeably brighter.

It transformed from that grayish-white color into the silvery-white color that Lin Xing'an was familiar with, the color that appeared in the long river of time.

It made the surrounding environment appear brighter in Lin Xing'an's eyes.

"Child, come here, come here and push it away!"

Uncle He pointed to a door in front of him and said.

Lin Xing'an also quickly stepped forward and pushed the door open.

His pupils contracted as he bent down and squeezed through the door!
Inside was clearly the banquet hall at the very center of this large cruise ship.

Because the ship capsized, various tables, chairs, benches, tableware, and wine bottles were scattered all over the place, making the entire space look extremely messy.

but……

Lin Xing'an raised his head.

In the air, a pitch-black coffin floated as if it had lost its gravity.

This scene immediately reminded Lin Xing'an of his mother's summoning ritual.

Both are black coffins, and both are floating in the air.

But unlike the ceremony, this coffin was incredibly small!
It's not even half the size of Lin Xing'an.

Moreover, countless timelines are emerging from it.

As if sensing the same familiar aura emanating from Lin Xing'an, these timelines unknowingly began to surround him, enveloping him.

"..."

The coffin slowly descended, flying towards Lin Xing'an.

But it didn't land; it remained suspended in front of Lin Xing'an.

"This is……"

When Lin Xing'an saw the symbols on the coffin lid, his breath caught in his throat!
This was the same symbol he had seen on Shinshin's modified body; it was a symbol of the shrine.

In other words, this coffin belongs to the shrine.

but……

Before Lin Xing'an could think further, the coffin lid opened a crack as if something had pushed it open from the inside.

Then there was another tremor, and it opened completely.

"..."

Upon seeing the scene inside, Lin Xing'an's mind went blank.

Inside the coffin, there was a person curled up...

It's not a gluttonous ghost, but a human.

(End of this chapter)