Just as the three of them were feeling disappointed by their fruitless search, a faint tapping sound echoed through the room.
Adrian and Livia instinctively looked up, scanning their surroundings for the source of the noise. However, aside from themselves and the scattered debris on the floor, nothing in the room had changed.
"What was that?" Adrian asked, his brows furrowing in alertness.
Elise shrugged innocently, lifting her foot to lightly tap the pipe in the corner of the room. Tap.
"It was me," she said helplessly. "You two seemed lost in some kind of trance just now, and since I couldn't help, I was just kicking the pipe out of boredom."
As soon as she spoke, Livia's expression suddenly sharpened, as if she had realized something crucial.
Without hesitation, she crouched down and moved closer to the pipe Elise had kicked. She even pressed herself almost flat against the ground, as if trying to perceive something more clearly.
Sure enough, the mysterious calling sensation grew stronger—clearer, more intense, as if silently responding to her proximity.
"…It's here," Livia murmured, her voice carrying a hint of unconcealed excitement.
Seeing this, Adrian immediately crouched down as well, mimicking her movements to get closer to the pipe.
In an instant, his pupils slightly contracted—the force he had been sensing before surged into his perception more clearly than ever.
"We found it!" Both of them spoke in unison.
Elise blinked in confusion, staring at them blankly. "Wait… you're saying… it's this pipe?"
Livia chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course not."
She straightened up, her eyes flickering with deep thought. "But the source of this power must be at the end of this pipe—or somewhere along its path. If we trace the route of this pipe and find where it leads, we'll be one step closer to locating the object."
Adrian stroked his chin thoughtfully and said in a serious tone, "But this pipe's network probably extends far beyond this room… I suspect it's connected to the entire underground water system of the city outskirts. If that's the case, finding its exact origin will be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Livia nodded slightly and sighed. "True, but at least we have a lead now—unlike before, when we had no direction at all."
"Wait—" Adrian's eyes suddenly lit up as if he had thought of something. "My expansion project includes a complete urban plan of the outskirts, along with previous architectural blueprints. It should have detailed records of all underground pipelines and water networks!"
Livia's eyes brightened. "That's perfect!"
She looked at Adrian, her tone firm. "Find those documents first. We'll study them together and rule out the impossible locations… That way, we can get even closer to the source!"
Adrian took a deep breath and nodded resolutely. "Alright, I'll leave right now to retrieve them!"
Elise, seeing their determination, felt inspired as well. She clenched her fists with enthusiasm. "Then I'll help too!"
Livia glanced at her, the corners of her lips lifting slightly in encouragement. "Alright!"
At last, they had a direction. They were one step closer to the truth.
As the three prepared to leave the dilapidated "shelter," Elise suddenly stopped at the doorway, frowning. "Wait… I still don't get it. Why is it that sometimes you can sense that strange calling, but other times you can't feel anything at all?"
Livia also paused, thinking for a moment before speaking slowly, "Since we now know this sensation is transmitted through the pipes, that means it might not be constant. Instead, it could only be perceptible under certain conditions."
Her eyes gleamed slightly as if she had grasped a thread of understanding. "If the pipe is the key, then what if… the calling only happens when water flows through it? Like the water carries some kind of energy, and when it passes through, it triggers our perception…"
Elise's eyes widened. "So, we could only sense it just now because there was water flowing through the pipe? And before, when we couldn't feel it, the pipe was probably empty?"
Adrian pondered for a moment before nodding. "That's a reasonable assumption… The water supply system here doesn't run continuously; it likely only flows at specific times. If our perception is linked to the water movement, then we can pinpoint the timing and trace the source more accurately."
Livia's lips curled into a confident smile. "Then that makes things much easier. All we need to do is come back regularly and test at different times to see when we can sense the calling. Once we pinpoint when it happens, we'll track down which pipe carried the water at that moment. That will narrow down our search significantly!"
Her expression then turned slightly more serious. "But I can't stay here for long. Adrian, this task will fall on you. You'll need to stay here and observe, recording the timing and frequency of each sensation. The conditions here aren't great—will you be able to manage?"
Adrian let out a helpless yet determined chuckle, shrugging. "Since I'm already involved, I don't plan on backing out. Besides, staying here might be rough, but at least it's safe—no one will find us."
Elise glanced at the worn-out walls and the makeshift living arrangements. She sighed softly before reaching out to hold Adrian's hand. "If you're staying, then I'm staying too."
Adrian was momentarily stunned before turning to look at her, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes. "Alright, then we'll do this together."