-129- Ascending the Seven Crows Tower (Subscription requested!)

On the second floor of a café, Tongsi sat with a cup of coffee, his gaze fixed on the Seven-Raven Tower in the distance. He was only half-convinced by what the old man had said. However, there was one thing Tongsi was certain of: so-called demons simply could not exist. They were either Ghost-type Pokémon or Dark-type Pokémon. How could there be real demons or cursed lands in this world? Tongsi did not believe it for a second. As for the gruesome deaths the old man described, they were certainly not the work of demons. This was definitely man-made! Or rather, someone was using Pokémon to commit murder.

Thinking of this, Tongsi felt a chill run down his spine. To use Pokémon for such things—that was truly despicable.

"I have to think of a way. Maybe I should sneak into the Seven-Raven Tower tonight and take a look?"

Tongsi made up his mind. Since people were guarding the exterior during the day, he would sneak into the tower at night to investigate. A so-called demon... and a cursed tower? Plus, the habitat of a massive swarm of Murkrow in Linhu City.

"Interesting!"

After piecing it all together, a look of excitement appeared on Tongsi's face. Four hours had passed since the massive Murkrow attack on the city. People were returning to their daily lives. The anglers were back at their fishing. On the second floor of the café, Tongsi kept his eyes on the angler by the lake. The man had been sitting there all afternoon, and Tongsi had watched him for just as long.

"As expected, anglers are always empty-handed..." Tongsi couldn't help but mutter.

"You're not afraid of getting beaten up saying things like that?"

Just then, a man wearing a brown hat happened to pass by and overheard him.

"Apologies, I was just expressing my thoughts." Tongsi pointed toward the angler by the lake. The fishing rod hadn't moved once all afternoon.

"Actually, fishing is about the mood. That angler might not care about catching a fish at all; he just enjoys the process, doesn't he?" The man in the brown hat pointed to a sign by the lake: "No fish in this lake; please choose another."

"Pfft..." Tongsi couldn't help but laugh. Knowing there were no fish and still wasting an entire afternoon there—wasn't that just a bit foolish?

"May I sit here?" The man in the brown hat gestured to the seat opposite Tongsi.

"Please, go ahead." Tongsi was already planning to leave, so he didn't mind. Just as he was about to stand up, the man suddenly spoke: "You seem very interested in that high tower."

"Hmm?" Tongsi looked back at the man.

"I'm referring to the Seven-Raven Tower," the man added.

"What makes you say that?"

"You stand on the bridge looking at the scenery, and the person watching the scenery is looking at you from the building." The man in the brown hat took a sip of his coffee.

Tongsi sat back down on the sofa. Hearing this, he realized the man was no ordinary person. Was he being watched by this man the entire time? When did it start? Tongsi had no idea; his attention had been entirely focused on the tower and the angler.

"Don't be surprised. I just happened to be sitting a bit further away, and you were in my line of sight." The man pointed to a seat diagonally behind Tongsi. Tongsi turned to look; indeed, from that position, one could see his reflection in the window. After all, he was sitting right by the glass.

"So, interested in the Seven-Raven Tower?" the man continued.

"I'm more interested in who you are." Tongsi’s expression grew serious. His intuition told him this man was not simple.

"Sigh... I'm just someone watching the scenery." The man took another sip of his coffee, then stood up to leave. "I think we will meet again. Goodbye, boy who decorates the scenery."

After saying this, Tongsi watched him head down the stairs.

"What a strange guy." Tongsi felt speechless. After the man left, he looked out the window again, but the angler was gone. "Did he go home because he didn't catch anything?" A mental image of the angler returning home to be scolded by his wife flashed through his mind, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

At night, Tongsi headed toward the Seven-Raven Tower. There were few pedestrians, and the road, known as Seven-Raven Road, was rarely traveled at night because it led to the tower; local rumors claimed it brought misfortune. Upon reaching the tower, Tongsi did not see the old man from earlier. He leaped over the fence and entered the grounds.

"Seven-Raven Tower demon, let me reveal your true colors!"

Tongsi reached the entrance of the tower. The door was damaged, covered in tattered spiderwebs.

"?" Tattered spiderwebs? Surely a spider wouldn't just stop halfway through weaving?

"Did someone get into the tower before me?" Tongsi muttered to himself, his body tense. He remembered the old man’s words: everyone who entered the tower died, without exception. Tongsi didn't believe it. If it were truly that bizarre, the Pokémon Association would never have let the tower stand. People were even living in the vicinity, albeit mostly elderly hermits.

Tongsi sneaked inside. The air at the entrance carried an unpleasant odor. He instinctively pulled out a mask and put it on—a pack he had bought for the egg-gambling market, which now came in handy. He walked slowly toward the center of the tower. From the outside, the tower looked dilapidated, but the interior was much better than he had expected. However, the smell was strong, and the floor was littered with debris that looked like it had been there for years.

Tongsi reached the stairs, but they were broken; only half remained leading up to the second floor. "That’s a bit of a problem," he thought. He didn't have a Grass-type Pokémon to use a move like Vine Whip to hoist him up.

"Come out, Elekid." After a moment of hesitation, he decided to call upon Elekid.

"Bi..." "Shh..." Tongsi signaled for the Pokémon to be quiet. "Elekid, use your arm strength to throw me up there." He pointed at the stairs.

"Bi-bi?" Elekid sounded confused. Tongsi’s plan was bold and quite dangerous.

"It’s alright, Elekid, let’s give it a try!"

(To be continued)