Li Mo explained calmly, though some in the crowd felt a sudden chill creep down their spines. Many of them were accustomed to sleeping with the lights on at night.
"Whether it's a phone's light, a desk lamp, or a ceiling light, it's fine in safe areas. But during anomalous events, sleeping with lights on is no different from courting death—unless under very specific circumstances," Li Mo said.
Kira asked curiously, "But doesn't the incense in your hand count as a light source?"
"It doesn't," Li Mo replied. "This incense isn't ordinary, and its flame doesn't belong to the living." He pointed out the evidence. "Have you ever seen incense that burns this long without diminishing? You can't apply scientific logic to anomalous events."
Li Mo continued, "Some of you must have fallen asleep earlier. Dreams serve as a medium, connecting ghosts to the waking world. However, due to special constraints, the ghost couldn't leave the funeral portrait and remained bound to it, unable to fully manifest. Its influence was suppressed and limited to the portrait."
"But then a second medium appeared—the light from someone's phone illuminated our location in the real world. The ghost on the portrait was drawn here, attempting to disrupt the auditorium's protective barrier and extinguish the incense flame. The black-and-red blood on the table and the strange incense must be the ghost's handiwork."
"Fortunately, the ghost is also restricted by the auditorium and the incense. As long as we don't actively awaken it by turning on the lights, it remains nothing more than a harmless photograph," Li Mo concluded, his calm demeanor unwavering.
Kira, snapping out of her stupor, admitted sheepishly, "That does sound dangerous… Sorry for doubting you earlier. I should've known you wouldn't act without reason."
The group collectively exhaled in relief. One of the Valkyries, the woman who had lost her phone, stepped forward, bowing deeply to Li Mo. "I'm sorry. I wasn't calm, and I caused trouble for everyone, including you. Please don't abandon my teammates because of me."
"If you're still angry, I'm willing to make amends. I'll leave if I have to—"
Before she could finish, Li Mo interrupted, as if already knowing she intended to sacrifice herself for her team. "If you could truly make me angry, I might just forgive you outright."
"Thank you!" The Valkyrie bowed again, her sincerity evident.
Kira let out a sigh of relief, thinking, This guy's more forgiving than he seems.
Earlier, she'd been stunned by Li Mo's decisiveness in drawing his weapon. No matter the situation, one should never aim a weapon at their teammate—yet his words now seemed to smooth everything over.
But only Li Mo knew the truth. He hadn't forgiven her, not because he was holding a grudge, but because he simply wasn't angry—or perhaps he was incapable of anger.
"I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?" Li Mo asked emotionlessly.
"Uh… let's hear the good news first," Kira replied, hoping to stabilize the tense atmosphere after the earlier argument.
"The good news: the ghost has temporarily lost its threat. Its plan failed, and the incense remains lit."
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is… the incense is about to go out," Li Mo stated indifferently, as if the matter had little to do with him.
The extinguishing of the incense would mean the auditorium was no longer safe. Everyone would be exposed to the countless head ghosts—and worse—waiting outside.
"You're joking, right?" Kira asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
"Apologies, but I'm not in a state to joke right now," Li Mo replied.
"…"
"…"
"…"
The Valkyrie who had been singled out earlier exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I deserve to die!"
Panic erupted among the group.
"We're doomed! What do we do now?"
"Those head ghosts will tear us apart!"
"Li Mo, you have a plan, right? Say something! You must have a way!"
The crowd descended into chaos, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of fear.
After a while, the noise subsided. They realized their panic solved nothing. Everyone turned their eyes to Li Mo, silently begging him for a solution.
Over time, the group had developed a reliance on him. No matter how bizarre or terrifying this anomalous event, Li Mo always managed to turn the situation around and emerge unscathed.
Even Kira, despite knowing this dependency was not a good thing, found herself waiting for his answer. Before their squad disbanded, Cecilia had repeatedly told them to think independently and make their own judgments.
But when it came to moments requiring absolute decisions, the gap between their capabilities became glaringly evident.
Fortunately, Li Mo was reliable. His presence brought hope.
As long as he was alive, there was a chance to turn the tide.
Breaking the silence, Li Mo said decisively, "Light the second incense." His gaze locked onto the unlit stick.
It was the only way—to borrow tomorrow's safety to salvage today's crisis.
This choice would attract even more terrifying entities, and some would undoubtedly die as a result. But there was no alternative.
When dealing with the anomaly, one must be prepared to pay the price for any misstep—even if that price was total annihilation.
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