The camp leader calmly nodded his head while bringing his hand to support his chin. "Seeing their extreme emotions, it shows that they visited those cursed ruins."
"What!" With a sudden sharp voice, they rose from their seat and asked, trembling, "Th... They went to that twisted..." They didn't complete their sentence, but all of their backs were drenched with sweat, and even beads of sweat formed on their heads, which was impossible given their high cultivation level.
The leader nodded and joked while wearing a faint smile on his face. "You guys even started to pant?"
But the middle-aged man didn't become embarrassed and just said helplessly, "Big brother, you're joking even in this situation," and glancing toward each other, he said helplessly, but there was still extreme fear on his face. "Big brother, I'm sorry that I hid one thing from you."
This time, everyone who resided in the building, their gazes fell on him along with the leader, and gasped, "Brother, you hid a secret from big brother?"
The middle-aged man heaved a sigh and replied, shaking his head, "This secret," and glancing outside of the windows, he added, "It's my biggest nightmare, which I wish to forget." Holding his breath, he continued, "But I dream about it almost every night."
Glancing toward his big brother and other brothers, he confessed, "It's like it's still chasing me, and only one word resounds in my dream: 'Waiting for you.'"
Everyone gasped, even the camp leader, and asked curiously, "Did you see their faces?" They even forgot to take a breath.
The middle-aged man gave a smile, which was worse than death, and only one voice resounded in the room, "That creepy, sinister, and ominous feeling. It's that twisted... of the abandoned ruins," and in the end, he slumped on the chair as he exhausted all his energy in just spitting the one sentence."
This time, it was their turn to exclaim, "Did you meet?" and even the camp leader's eyes were fixed on the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man gave a wry smile and nodded, "I knew that this day would come," and shaking his head, he added, "Let me narrate to you, my encounter."
Flashback...
In one of the semi-destroyed buildings, a cheerful voice resounded, "Brother, we've got a mission."
"Hmm. You did a good job."
"But what is the mission?"
"Exploration of the abandoned ruins."
"Just that?"
But then one of them suddenly shouted, "No, we can't take that mission."
"But brother, they are offering a huge chunk of money."
Shaking his head, he replied, "We will only enjoy it if we're alive."
At this statement, everyone who was sitting in the semi-destroyed building abruptly stood from their seats, exclaiming, "What?"
Finally, the middle-aged man couldn't bear it any longer and revealed, "In those abandoned ruins lies a big secret that no one knows." Seeing their silence and curious faces, he asked, "Any idea why?"
Everyone shook their heads, but the middle-aged man just smiled faintly and dropped a bomb, "Because no one ever returns after seeing the truth."
"Truth? What truth?"
"Big brother, please don't use riddles."
"Ok... ok, let me say," and after a silence, he replied helplessly, "Even I don't know what truth lies in those abandoned ruins."
"Eh!" Everyone was left speechless. "Big brother, please don't joke."
But the middle-aged man just shrugged his shoulders and finally revealed everything, "I just heard from a rumor that everyone who returns from the abandoned ruins describes it as filled with extreme fear. At that time, their brains shut down, and only their instincts were working, warning them to run and only run without ever turning back."
This statement left everyone curious, a little bit fearful, but still curious. Curiosity killed the rabbit, took the turn and said, "Big brother, why don't we take this mission?"
"Yeah, brother, kill two birds with one stone."
"Hmm, he is right. A huge chunk of money and also the secret of the abandoned ruins," and their eyes revealed a bit of greed.
But the middle-aged man still refrained himself and replied, "This mission isn't something we can take," shaking his head, he added, "It's better to not set foot there."
"Big brother, please."
"Please."
Finally, the middle-aged man couldn't bear their pleading and shrugged, "Ok, but we inspect during daytime."
"Thanks, brother."
....
The middle-aged man who was narrating the flashback showed guilt, remorse, hatred, fear, and numerous perplexed emotions on his face as he said, "This was the biggest mistake of my life, which I can never forget. This day still haunts me, reminding me of my helplessness. Here I am, the result of their sacrifice."
Seeing that the brother's situation was a bit wrong, the camp leader rose from his seat and came behind him, patting his shoulder, "Calm down, brother."
"Yes, brother, calm down," another person added.
With a heave of a sigh, the middle-aged man took a deep breath and replied, "I'm fine, brother. Please, take your seat."
"Okay," the camp leader replied, and took his seat.
The middle-aged man suddenly lifted his shirt from the bottom, revealing a deep scar on the left side of his chest to the abdomen. As he touched the scar, he spoke, "I survived because I was born with a right-sided heart." Lowering his head, his gaze fell upon the scar, and he added, "This scar was given by that horrible creature."
"Horrible creature?" someone asked, their confusion evident.
"I heard there lies a psychopathic painter," another chimed in.
The others in the group exchanged puzzled glances, including the camp leader, who remained silent, his attention focused on the man's brother.
The middle-aged man glanced toward the camp leader and asked, "Big brother, you would have already guessed?"
The camp leader just nodded and revealed his confusion, "You guys were the reason that we came to know the truth about that myth?"
The middle-aged man just gave a wry smile and replied, "If I were given the chance, I would never dare an inch inside my nightmare." Glancing toward his brother, he added, "As for the lucky guy who revealed the big secret, I pray to God to never give me this honor if the cost is my brother."
Shaking his head, he said helplessly, "Let me narrate my story so you can have a better guess to gauge about that horrible creature."