Severed Arm

Did you find anything in the study just now?

Qin Rang said, "I looked through that computer. Although it wouldn't turn on, you could tell it was old; there was a lot of cigarette ash in the keyboard. There were also some repair-related books and documents in his drawer, so he seemed to work in repair; he should be a mid-level manager."

"I only found some photos of women in the study. Each one was different, but their clothes and poses were quite unusual. There were also phone numbers written down, which might indicate an affair," An Ying said.

Tao Yuan shook his head. "I didn't find anything on the bookshelf, it's just a decoration, and many of the books inside are new. Maybe there's something hidden inside, but there wasn't enough time to check them all."

Wang Ding adjusted his glasses. As the team's support staff, he was very good at gathering information, so everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak last.

"The time was too short, and I didn't see much."

Wang Ding squatted down, picked up a dry branch, and drew a simple spatial diagram of Lin Yi's house on the ground.

When the study was inspected, only Wang Ding didn't rummage through it. He walked around the room several times and even went to Lin Yi's bedroom and the Master Bedroom.

"Judging from the size and layout of this room, the rooms that should have the best natural light are the study and the Master Bedroom. Generally speaking, this room, which should have been a study, should be the Secondary Bedroom."

"The things in the study all belonged to men, and there weren't many things there, but on the wall behind the cabinet next to the bookshelf, there were some elementary school award certificates hanging, and the certificates were in Lin Yi's name."

Tao Yuan understood. "Lin Yi was someone they once cared about."

"Yes, those certificates were all from before the third grade. Some are well-preserved and look new, while others look worn and old, like they've been exposed to the elements for years, smelling of dirt."

"Lin Yi's grades remained excellent after the third grade, but all his subsequent award certificates were posted in his room," Wang Ding said. "I lifted up those certificates, and there were many brown bloodstains on the wall behind them, it must have been blood, and more than one layer."

"Time was too tight, I couldn't tear it all open to see, but there must be some important story hidden behind that blood."

As Wang Ding spoke, he picked up a twig and pointed at Lin Yi's room. "His room has relatively few things, and the walls are shared with the study, but there's one place that I find a bit strange."

He looked up at Qin Rang: "Don't you guys think Lin Yi's room is a bit too small?"

All three nodded in unison.

"You mean, the space?" Qin Rang glanced at the simplified diagram again, then suddenly realized, "The walls of Lin Yi's room and the study are a bit too thick. Even for soundproofing, they shouldn't be this wide."

An Ying said, "But at most it will only add a few dozen centimeters to the thickness. What can you do with that little bit of thickness? At most, you can hide something like a cabinet."

"If it's hidden so well, it must be very important information. We must find a way to see what's inside." Qin Rang stomped the dirt on the ground, stood up, and said, "You guys go find the Chainsaw. I'll keep an eye on Lin Yi and see if I can see his parents and get as much information as possible."

"Okay, then you need to be careful."

"You all need to be careful too. I heard that the group that Worship God has already taken the first step. Don't let them trick you."

Tao Yuan laughed, "We all know the capabilities of that Chainsaw; it's probably just a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

Qin Rang watched Tao Yuan and the others leave, feeling somewhat uneasy.

As Qin Rang turned to leave, An Ying suddenly stopped and looked back at Qin Rang departing figure.

Seeing her companion's questioning gaze, An Ying frowned. "I feel a little uneasy."

Little Dumpling was almost lunchtime when her Dad rushed back to pick her up. She practically fled home, and probably didn't want to see Lin Nieran again anytime soon.

After dinner, Lin Nieran lay on the bed listening to the system report on the exciting experiences of the Protagonist Group that morning.

Qin Rang been watching Lin Yi all morning but didn't seem to have found anything. He was just Actor Aberration in that building, but he was out of danger now.

Lin Nieran yawned. "As expected of the protagonist, even with Actor Aberration is S-Rank, he still managed to escape unscathed."

007 has also become more resilient under Lin Nieran's influence: [Yes, but the Actor remembers his face, so he might not be able to escape later.]

"You have to trust the Protagonist Group's abilities," Lin Nieran said casually.

[Too]

"You believed it again?" Lin Nieran asked incredulously. "System, that's an S-Class Aberration! You're too confident!"

007: [Huh?] Didn't you say you'd trust the protagonist?

Seeing the System Ball's bewildered expression, Lin Nieran chuckled and patted it, "Never mind, it's nothing, you can continue."

I'll have the Writer go see Qin Rang later and give him a solution, otherwise it would be troublesome if he were replaced by Actor.

The Protagonist Group can die anywhere, just not in this Instance. He guessed that Qin Rang had already been influenced by the Rules of the Actors, but he himself hadn't realized it yet.

Tao Yuan, Wang Ding, and An Ying went to Building Five to find the strangely transformed Chainsaw. When they arrived, Wen Keke to take down the Chainsaw, but they interrupted her.

[Wen Keke has bewitched many people into listening to her, and some are even willing to risk their lives to protect her. Tao Yuan and the others are unable to kill her, and Wen Keke escapes.]

Lin Nieran nodded, resting his hands behind his head and said leisurely, "In some ways, villains are even harder to kill than protagonists."

"Did Tao Yuan bring the Chainsaw back?"

[No, because Wen Keke had placed a catalytic energy-enhancing Weird Object on the Chainsaw beforehand, and some of the people she brought with her were killed by the Chainsaw. Shortly after she left, the Chainsaw became A-Class Weird Object.]

Lin Nieran stood up abruptly. "Huh?"

Wen Keke pretending perfectly well? Why did she suddenly make a move? This isn't right; this isn't something she would do.

The villains' strength is still unclear, and taking rash action would not benefit their organization. Wen Keke Wen Keke n't possibly be unaware of this.

007 continues reporting: [The three were nearly killed by Chainsaw; Wang Ding lost a hand protecting An Ying.]

[An Ying used her Weird Object Eye to save them, freezing the monster, but was then attacked by Weird Object, and now the Weird Object is about to revive.]

"Ah??"

Does the Protagonist Group ever lose a hand?

Fortunately, the Writer had given Tao Yuan a piece of paper that could change her fate, and she hadn't lost it. He sensed their crisis and saved them by remotely modifying the text.

[They are all currently at the Writer's home.]

Lin Nieran: "I didn't pay attention to these people for a whole morning, no, not even a whole morning, maybe two hours at most, but they're really something else."

His ability to court death was simply astounding.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

[Huh?] 007 was also a little confused, [Can't the host solve this?]

"That's not entirely true..."

It was the right thing to let Moonlit Night accompany them to find Lin Yi, but Moonlit Night's personality wouldn't allow her to follow them around all the time. The Writer was more reliable. He only gave her one piece of advice, and the Writer took note.

But if you think about it carefully, the strange thing Qin Rang encountered was [Actors ], then their experience is not surprising.