Chapter 569 Look Out, Oliver!
"Stop it," Natalie said with a giggle when she felt something tickle her waist.
Oliver stopped, but remarked nonchalantly, "I'm not kidding around."
He paused, then shared his observation, "Natalie, it feels like your waist got even slimmer."
Is that a normal thing to say? Natalie wondered silently.
But indeed, her waist had slimmed down—not out of well-being but due to a lack of strength from recent recovery. It felt softer than it used to be.
The moment the cabinet door closed, Natalie caught Leonard's gaze on her.
Their eyes met; the warm smile of the elegant man grew larger, accompanied by a brief glimpse of an ominous shadow.
It was startling.
"What's wrong?" Oliver felt Natalie's discomfort.
"It's nothing," she shook her head.
Maybe she'd just imagined it.
Below them, the floor began to rotate.
They were greeted by another room, resembling a very convincing haunted house.
A narrow path was flanked by weeds a few feet high, hiding either graves or skeletal remains. The chill of the air, the cawing of crows, the howling—it all added to the atmosphere. Further ahead, they could even see a macabre display of hanging garments, resembling a forest of ghostly figures.
Natalie had to admire the dedication of the escape room's creator—startlingly realistic.
The speakers broadcast a story, urging the players to uncover the secret of this disordered graveyard.
"Afraid yet?" After a slight bump at the cabinet exit, Oliver lifted Natalie out.
She blinked, capable of stepping out on her own but said nothing.
"It's okay. I don't spook as easily as Susan." She had been initially unnerved, but soon her nerves eased.
"Miss Watson sure knows how to make an entrance," Oliver said with a smirk, taking Natalie's hand and leading her forward confidently.
"Why are you holding my hand?" Natalie asked, her curiosity piqued by his sudden change in demeanor—it was nothing like his usual aloofness.
Could it be... "Are you scared, Oliver?"
Oliver barely suppressed a laugh, wondering what had given Natalie that impression.
"Ah," he responded nonchalantly, awaiting her reaction. Feeling his casual affirmation lacked credibility, he added, "Maybe a little."
She was right; fear was the only reason for his unexpected hand-holding, his repeated inquiries about her own fear.
Suppressing a giggle, Natalie found it amusing that Oliver could be afraid of such things after all his previous bravado.
Thus, she temporarily allowed the hand-holding.
The narrow, winding path did not allow for side-by-side walking, so Natalie led the way, holding Oliver's hand while she scanned the graveyard layout— details that could be useful in the escape room.
"Have you gotten sillier, Natalie?" Oliver blurted out unexpectedly.
"What?" she responded, wondering if she'd heard him wrong.
Was he genuinely calling her daft?
And he had the gall to say it?
Oliver mused to himself: if she wasn't foolish, why would she believe so readily that he was scared?
"Oliver," Natalie said, her thoughts not lingering on his words. She paused abruptly, "Do you see that over there? Is that a person?"
Following her gaze, Oliver squinted into the dim light. Where Natalie looked was especially dark, only a faint, eerie glow highlighting the walls.
"There's no one there," Oliver stated, though his pupils contracted slightly.
He had good eyesight and had indeed spotted a figure.
"Is that so?" Natalie, trusting Oliver's superior night vision, conceded, "Maybe it was just a trick of the light, or perhaps an NPC."
But if her eyes weren't deceiving her, she had seen a completely dark figure, and NPCs didn't dress like that, did they?
Suddenly, Oliver pulled Natalie close and whispered urgently in her ear, "Get out."
Startled, Natalie looked up.
Oliver appeared normal on the surface, but Natalie read a clear message in his eyes: "Danger."
"Stay put."
In a flash, Natalie was certain; she had seen someone. And it was definitely not one of those programmed characters you find in a video game - this was no NPC!
The haunted escape room was a local sensation, drawing thrill-seekers from far and wide, especially for this event. It was supposed to be secure; how did an outsider get in?
The priority was to call for backup. To the outside world, Oliver might have seemed to come alone, but he was accustomed to having a bodyguard at his side. It made more sense to fetch the guard than to hang around and become a liability.
Natalie nodded and started for the exit.
That's when a shadow lunged from the bushes!
Her recent fitness regimen paid off. Natalie's reflexes kicked in, and she stumbled backward into Oliver, who caught her firmly.
"Natalie!"
"I'm fine," she assured, feeling Oliver's tension mount, his muscles coiling in readiness.
It was too dark to see anyone.
"Oliver, watch out!" she cried.
A hand shot from behind him, and Natalie's eyes fixed on the syringe it held.
Without a glance, Oliver's arm encircled her as his leg lashed out with a precise roundhouse kick. A groan followed the sound of a body hitting the ground.
"Oliver, he had a syringe!"
What for? A needle instead of a knife or a gun seemed impractical for kidnapping or assault.
A frown creased Oliver's brow, his ire rising at some unheard slight.
Another attacker emerged from the darkness, feigning a move towards Natalie then swiftly pulling out another syringe, aiming for Oliver!
With a quick grab, Oliver quickly grabbed a prop skeleton and threw it at the assailant, bending the needle on impact.
A clatter sounded as the syringe rolled into a pile of fake graves, out of sight.
Protecting Natalie, they moved toward the wardrobe that served as the exit, only to find it was a one-way entrance triggered by a specific clue.
"Stay safe." he said, positioning her near the wardrobe. He handed her a knife and cautioned, "Be careful with this."
Her hand trembled as she took it. "What about you?"
"I don't need this," Oliver said with a twist of his mouth, brimming with arrogance and disdain.
Whoever brought the syringe surely didn't carry a gun; there'd be no need for such a tool if they were armed.
Natalie gripped her knife, her body tensed and ready for action.
Suddenly, a figure lunged at Natalie!
Her brows furrowed as she rapidly assessed the situation—she had no choice but to attack!
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