Chapter 74: It's Difficult to Explain
Oh, the laziness of Japanese civil servants!
Uesugi Kiyoshi was not unprepared. He had also tried searching with "Black Vortex Town" as the keyword using the government's resources, but the search yielded no results.
He had thought that the town had vanished from history before he arrived, but it turned out to be hidden here all along!
As Uesugi Kiyoshi now realized he was in Black Vortex Town, the scenery around him felt very different.
The weeds on both sides of the road were lush, but upon closer inspection, most of the stems and leaves were twisted, resembling numerous green whirlpools.
Not far away, the babbling stream was flowing downhill without any obstacles, yet it always created swirling currents.
Plus, the sudden whirlwind just now really didn't convince him by chance.
"Is it really a vortex?"
Watching Uesugi Kiyoshi muttering to himself, the friendly Itsutsu Kishima continued, "Oh, I forgot to ask, where are you from and what's your name?"
"Vortex..."
"Ah?" Itsutsu Kishima glanced at her boyfriend and chuckled, "Vortex? What a rare surname, Vortex what?"
"Vortex Naruto!" Uesugi Kiyoshi casually gave a fake name, wiped his sweat, and asked Saito Shuichi, "Which way to the station?"
"Follow this road down, you'll reach Black Vortex Town, the station is in the southwest direction of the town, hurry and leave, Mr. Vortex!" Saito Shuichi's voice was urgent, with eager eyes, as if he couldn't wait to send him off.
Uesugi Kiyoshi also had no intention to stay.
If you want to break into the fortress, you need to get inside it. But if the target is a monster, going into its stomach is not a good idea.
Before the story gets too serious, it's best to quickly leave this uncertain place.
As long as he can get out, he has a hundred ways to deal with this strange situation. And if all else fails, he can at least rescue the person.
Uesugi Kiyoshi hurriedly ran towards the foot of the mountain. After a few steps, he turned back and shouted loudly to the couple still standing in place, "Wait for me, we will meet again soon!"
Watching his fading figure in the distance, Itsutsu Kishima covered her mouth, unable to help but chuckle.
"The Vortex Lord is really an interesting person... Let's not talk about him. Oh, by the way, I saw your dad just now..."
............
Uesugi Kiyoshi ran all the way and arrived at Black Vortex Town panting heavily.
Although there were vortexes all over the streets, the residents here seemed unaffected. Everyone had a smile on their face, and the housewives were only talking about the usual topic of whose husband was not good.
Leaving now should be fine.
He asked for directions to the train station, took a rest for a moment, and continued walking towards the target. Soon, he saw the sign for "Black Whirlway".
Next is to take the train and leave this place.
With that thought in mind, Uesugi Kiyoshi started walking.
Suddenly, a whirlwind rose up from the ground, carrying dust and leaves, darkening the sky. A nearby old road sign was blown away, and in the midst of the whirlwind, it flew towards him.
"Bang!"
A sharp iron rod stabbed straight into the cement ground in front of Uesugi Kiyoshi. In fact, if he hadn't stepped back in time, it would have struck him.
Is it a coincidence?
Uesugi Kiyoshi swallowed hard, hesitated to lift his foot, and the howling wind suddenly resounded. He quickly withdrew his foot, and the formed whirlwind disappeared in an instant.
Lift foot, put down foot, lift foot, put down foot...
Indeed, they are leaving a trail for us to follow!
It seems even if he successfully gets on the train, there might still be a traffic accident. If he tries to escape using his long hair, he won't be able to avoid the air currents up above.
"I'm relying on you!"
Uesugi Kiyoshi patted the back of his head, only to find that the strand of hair saving him was getting shorter.
It seems unreliable now.
He took a few steps towards the direction away from the train station, pondering his next move, and caught sight of an old man crouching in the alley ahead by chance.
The old man had a large ponytail, wore gold-rimmed glasses, looked polite, but was sitting on the ground in an ungraceful manner, staring intently at the wall.
More precisely, it was a snail on the wall.
The shell on the snail's back is oval-shaped, with a faint brown gloss, and has spiral patterns on it.
"Excuse me..."
The old man paid no attention to anyone else's greetings, he remained focused on the snail. If one looks closely, they would notice that his eyes moved very agilely, even able to turn in different directions.
If Uesugi Kiyoshi's guess was correct, he should be Saito Shuichi's father, the first mysterious victim of the vortex.
"Mr. Saito, is that right?"
Still no response.
Since the old man was so focused, Uesugi Kiyoshi decided not to disturb him further. Seeing nobody around, he checked the other person's pockets.
His wallet and phone were already lost during the fall, and even if they were still there, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be monitored by someone.
After finding the phone, Uesugi Kiyoshi dialed a number that had never been used before.
As soon as the call connected, Nakasone Kazuko's voice came through from the other end, mixed with crying and laughter.
"I knew it, you'll be fine, you definitely will!"
"Of course the club president will be fine!" Tomie Kawakami's voice also chimed in, "So, can you untie me now? I need to go buy something!"
Nakasone Kazuko firmly countered, "No, even if Kiyoshi is safe, we can't act recklessly. Let's follow his advice first."
Uesugi Kiyoshi's suggestion is very simple.
He will send a video to tell the world that he is still alive. The reason for the accident is a strange event, and he is conducting an independent investigation into the incident, so he can't show himself for now.
Since they can't leave the place, they decided not to leave for the moment. But if they expose their location and attract enemy agents, it will be troublesome.
People coming in can't leave, there's nowhere to hide. If more troublemakers show up, it would be a disaster.
So, Uesugi Kiyoshi is determined not to seek any financial or human resources. He has to deal with this strange situation on his own!
Thinking about it makes me feel passionate!
"What are you doing to my dad?"
The roar pulled Uesugi Kiyoshi out of his excited mood. He looked at his hands, feeling embarrassed as they were awkwardly stuck in the old man's pocket.
He was simply returning the phone, but to others, it looked like theft... no, more like robbery, because the old man was still kneeling.
"I can explain."
Uesugi Kiyoshi turned around and saw that the person scolding him was Saito Shuichi and Itsutsu Kishima.
"Why is it you?"
"... I told you, we would meet very soon!"
