The Dark Forest

"There are so many, far too many..."

Ruan Ruan, responding to Xiao Xiao's curious questions, fiddled with his testing device, her little face showing a surprised expression. "This place is practically a museum of abnormal people! How did you manage to gather so many people with psychological problems together?"

"Is it really true that birds of a feather flock together?"

"..."

As if her eyes had been opened, Ruan Ruan began to carefully observe everyone in the bar.

Xiao Xiao was both surprised and nervous. The Eye of the Seer followed her gaze, rummaging through the bar and looking at the people around her. This time, she saw a person sitting in the corner of the bar. He was thin and frail, his face hidden in shadow. He held a glass of wine that he hadn't touched for a long time and silently watched the lively and crazy world in front of him.

Strangely enough, since he came here, he should have come to enjoy himself.

But he just stubbornly sat there, keeping his friends far away from him. When they tried to chat with him, he just avoided them.

A girl eager to improve her business deliberately came up to him and struck up a conversation, but he waved her hands repeatedly in fear.

With his ability to see clearly, Xiao Xiao could sense that whenever someone tried to talk to him, he was extremely nervous and unnatural, as if he would only feel comfortable when everyone forgot about him and left him to sit in a corner.

"The Lurking Instinct..."

Ruan Ruan explained Ruan Ruan to Xiao Xiao, "I'm afraid of everything in this world, and I just want to find a safe corner."

"Isn't this guy almost up to standard?"

"However, at least there are still people who are willing to call him out, and he will agree, so he can still live as a normal person."

"Hiding, yet yearning..."

"The materials needed for the Hunter' route are almost entirely harvested from these people."

"..."

"Hiding yet yearning?"

If it weren't for the Ruan Ruan reminder, even the most insightful person could easily overlook it based on just a moment's observation.

Xiao Xiao did indeed discover that the person hiding in the corner had a clear desire not to be discovered and only to hide in a quiet corner. However, the way he looked at the crowd also showed longing. Therefore, as the Pain Substance in his body increased, he was no longer just hiding, but might even develop into a kind of Hunter hiding in the shadows.

They live in seclusion, avoiding social interaction, but occasionally turn their attention to the real world.

With precision and cruelty, they instantly lock onto their prey, drag it back to their safe corner, and slowly devour it...

"The most interesting one was that table..."

Ruan Ruan spoke, her gaze fell upon a booth, and a knowing smile appeared on her face.

Xiao Xiao's gaze followed her and landed on a table with five or six people, men and women, in a pleasant atmosphere. However, his Eye of the Seer quickly locked onto three people at the table. One of them, a short, stocky man with a buzz cut, sat silently among the group, drinking quietly and occasionally glancing at a couple in the corner.

The woman's makeup was exquisite, but the man's makeup was even more exquisite.

The two sat not far from the short, stocky man, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing, snuggling together, and feeding each other fruit.

It looks like a scene of couples showing affection.

However, after a long silence, the short, stocky man suddenly couldn't help but reach out and pull the woman, pointing at the refined man and saying something.

The sophisticated woman suddenly became angry, stood up, raised her wine glass, and splashed it at him.

She loudly cursed, saying things like "petty," "my best friend," "we've always been like this," and "everything looks dirty to the heart."

The short, stocky man blushed with embarrassment, and his friend looked over in surprise, causing the atmosphere at the table to plummet to freezing point.

The angry, sophisticated woman pulled her innocent male best friend away.

The short, stocky man slowly covered his face with his hands, feeling lonely and remorseful, as if he were the sinner who had ruined the happy atmosphere.

"Extreme Sensitivity..."

Ruan Ruan chuckled Ruan Ruan, "Mingming we all finally managed to get together, Mingming his girlfriend had told him her male best friend was coming, and Mingming she had explained to him countless times that her relationship with her male best friend was purely platonic, this guy just couldn't stand it. He's suspicious and sensitive; every smile, every subtle movement they make causes him inner turmoil and unbearable pain..."

"So he ultimately forgot his promise to 'trust her' and questioned her in front of others."

"And so, a perfectly good gathering was ruined..."

"..."

"Is that so?"

Xiao Xiao listened to her explanation and couldn't help but feel that it was a bit strange, his eyes filled with doubt.

He suddenly stood up and followed the girl and her male best friend outside. Ruan Ruan knew what he was going to do, so she followed them out as well.

They weren't too close, remaining several dozen meters apart, but the three Eye of the Seer followed them.

The girlfriend and her male best friend walked out of the bar. The girl was very upset, wiping away tears and constantly saying bad things about her boyfriend. She seemed to deliberately slow down her pace, as if waiting for someone from the bar to chase after her, but no one did, not even for a dozen seconds. In addition, her male best friend was very nervous and gently comforted her, apologizing to her repeatedly.

So the two got into a taxi. Her male best friend wanted to take her home, as he was worried about her being out alone so late.

Compared to him, he really doesn't care about himself at all.

Furious, she turned off her phone and went to her male best friend's house to avoid being bothered by him again, as she needed to heal her wounds.

They drank a lot of alcohol, and in their hazy state, her male best friend kissed her on the lips, and his hand slipped inside her collar.

After an unknown amount of time, an angry knocking sounded at the door.

The short, stocky man burst in, kicking down the door, his eyes red with shock and disbelief.

She gripped the knife tightly in her hand and stabbed it into her male best friend's stomach.

"What exactly is going on here?"

Xiao Xiao and Ruan Ruan were sitting and standing in a slightly taller building, right across from their room.

"I only said that he was suspicious and sensitive, and that he ruined the atmosphere of the party."

She chuckled Ruan Ruan, "But I didn't say that his suspicions and sensitivity were wrong..."

"Don't we often blame others for being too suspicious and too sensitive? It's as if these suspicious people are the ones who ruin things, as if they always ignore the happiness of the present and insist on making things go to the worst possible outcome, as if living with them means constantly being questioned, causing too much pressure and making us never want to live with such people again."

"But how much of this sensitivity is unfounded, and how much of it actually reveals the truth?"

"..."

Listening to Ruan Ruan's explanation, Xiao Xiao felt a pang of sadness and could only lower his head to look at this profound and vibrant city.

The puppet I saw last night is no longer there.

Every single person is alive, crammed into this cement cradle, struggling to survive like maggots.

It's like a water droplet, pushed forward by the rushing river, unable to control its own destiny.

"Xiao-gege, Jiajia-jie asked you to find Enhancement Element, and this is all I can tell you."

As Xiao Xiao sighed, Ruan Ruan squatted down beside him and whispered, "Enhancement Element are the foundation for us outsiders to improve ourselves. Whether it's the Violence Factor and sensitive factors that help us advance step by step, or external special items, they are all forms of Enhancement Element. But these things weren't created for us out of thin air by this city."

"The Enhancement Element are located in this city."

"Every moment brings something new, and every moment sees something disappear."

"We simply used the power of the city to preserve these things and place them within us."

"..."

"Call..."

Listening to her explanation, Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

He let out a long sigh, stood up from the rooftop, and said, "In that case, I know how to find it..."

After parting ways with Ruan Ruan, Xiao Xiao walked alone into the city, which was still shrouded in the long night.

"Drive, drive towards the edge of the city..."

"Tears welled up in my eyes..."

"..."

Suddenly, soft music started playing in my ears, abrupt yet carried a hint of caution.

"Are you done with work at the bar?"

Xiao Xiao asked softly in the direction from which the Record Player Miss's voice came.

Judging by the time, it's about time for the bar to close, so she can't really be considered to have skipped work.

The Record Player Miss didn't answer, but she made her displeasure very clear.

"Just like Ruan Ruan said, how come our bar has gathered so many weirdos with Pain Substance?"

Xiao Xiao laughed and voiced his question, "Am I really that unlucky, or did you attract them here?"

"Sorry boss, I don't want to work."

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I'm going to spend all the money..."

"..."

The music changed again, now carrying a distinctly provocative and irritating tone.

But Xiao Xiao wasn't angry at this moment. Instead, he smiled silently and said, "Besides, they all have accumulated Pain Substance, but they haven't really become distorted. Isn't that because you influenced them to some extent and helped them vent?"

"Does this mean that you can obtain your own Pain Substance in this process?"

"..."

The music suddenly stopped, and the Record Player Miss seemed somewhat relieved.

"It doesn't matter what..."

Xiao Xiao chuckled softly, looked up at the deep city, and said, "Come with me for a walk!"

"I really want to learn more about this city."

"..."

Their steps slowed, as if walking through a vast, dark forest, searching for that strange fruit.

As he entered this deep city, at the end of the endless, dazzling lights, it seemed as if a pair of eyes slowly opened.

Like the awakening of a colossal creature.

I recommend a book called "Life is a Role-Playing Game".

The new book by Qingshan Quzui, the author of "Becoming the Richest Man by Losing Money Starting with Games," is another story about game development. Brothers who are interested, go and support it.