The Monster in the Dense Forest

Stiller didn't keep Lin Yu waiting for long.

He quickly came up with a way to spread rumors.

And just as Lin Yu had predicted, Stiller's idea was somewhat laughable.

He walked straight to the fireplace, like a student pretending to be a regular at a bar walking straight to the counter.

"Hey, hello, sprite."

Stiller's seemingly casual style actually appears deliberate because of its excessive casualness.

Lin Yu observed that Jue immediately frowned. "What is this guy up to? Judging from his previous behavior, I thought he was a decent person!"

"Why are you acting so suspiciously?"

Not to mention Fern, even the group of Player who were originally traveling with Stiller all turned their attention to her.

"What is he doing all of a sudden?"

The Bounty Hunter was the first to show his confusion, after all, he was the last to join this temporary team, and with the least established foundation among the others, he naturally cared the most about Stiller.

The first person to express their confusion at this point was not questioning Stiller, but rather expressing a simple concern and... a form of indirect defense.

Even the barbarians on the other side couldn't help but look at Stiller's defensive line.

And the Furnace Fire rose up.

"Is there something you need, Human Race?"

"You claim to be a very ancient being, so I just wanted to ask you a few questions," Stiller said, getting quite into the conversation. "I witnessed something beyond my comprehension during this Glory Festival."

The Furnace Fire seemed to take a liking to itself, showing a curious expression.

However, since Stiller had praised it, the Furnace Fire, though very curious, first put on airs and then praised itself in return.

"Ahem, that's right. I have indeed existed for a long time and have witnessed countless changes and evolutions in this Black Marsh World."

"While I cannot guarantee that I know everything, I believe that your questions are within the scope of my knowledge."

Upon hearing this, Stiller replied somewhat stiffly, "Is that so...? Yes, it is. What's beyond my comprehension is actually a life—or rather, a being."

As he spoke, everyone became interested and began to listen attentively.

Because of Stiller's somewhat awkward and obviously evasive performance, everyone was actually more interested in what he was trying to say.

"Life, existence? What pretentious and obscure terms!"

Fern stroked her chin and commented.

Lin Yu was quite satisfied as he watched the fern intently focused on Stiller.

This is the effect he wanted to achieve.

The more suspicious something is, the more likely it is to attract attention.

The greatest enemy of Fraud is not being exposed, but... no one looking.

The hardest people to be fooled by in any scam are those who don't even give you a chance to speak.

No matter how sophisticated the scam call, it won't fool someone who didn't answer the phone at all.

Whether it's suspicion or scrutiny, as long as their gaze falls on Stiller, that's the result Lin Yu wants to see.

Stiller continued to speak, somewhat deliberately.

"I encountered something that was neither a beast nor a sentient being. That terrifying thing possessed the ferocity and savagery of a wild animal, yet at the same time, it seemed like a humanoid being that could communicate."

This content immediately caught the attention of the Furnace Fire.

"That's a strange statement. Please elaborate."

The Furnace Fire blazed as he pressed for more details.

Stiller composed himself, feigning shock, and continued speaking.

"Shortly after I entered the Festival, I encountered a Blood Lord, a very combative and strong guy. After seeing me, he wanted to challenge me."

"He was tall, strong, and looked very fierce. I didn't want any trouble and just wanted to hunt my prey in peace, so I refused him. But I didn't expect him to keep chasing after me—which didn't surprise me, after all, 'challenge' was just a polite way of saying it."

"I wasn't entirely confident I could defeat that Blood Luo, so I began negotiating with him... To avoid him, I deliberately circled around that deep and complex dense forest, hoping his pursuit would be hindered under the cover of night... But I overlooked one thing: that this dense forest could also conceal other things."

"After the chase had gone on for a while, I was running out of energy, and just as I was about to change tactics—suddenly! I realized he seemed to have vanished!"

"My first reaction was to stay awake, but quickly, my relief turned into unease because I heard some unsettling sounds and smelled a strong stench of blood."

Hearing this, Lin Yu couldn't help but purse his lips.

That's terrible...

Stiller sounds like an old supporting character Village Head a third-rate horror movie, telling scary stories to children—and these are ghost stories that will Make It Real.

It is full of poor emotional manipulation and pointless environmental descriptions.

Lin Yu could guess why Stiller told the story that way.

"He's probably been watching too much Stephen King lately."

Since arriving in this world, Stiller seems to have developed a strong interest in reading various science fiction and suspense novels.

"By the way, that guy seems arrogant and rude, but based on personality color analysis, his behavior suggests he's definitely not the type to give up easily."

Upon hearing Stiller's next statement, Lin Yu's lips twitched again.

"So Old Zheng did it too."

Lin Yu, who already knew which part Stiller was going to compile next, unsurprisingly heard the "climax" of Stiller's impromptu story.

"After a fierce internal struggle, I made up my mind—I have to go back and find him, I have to find that bastard! I have to see what really happened to him!"

"No matter what hidden eeriness there is, it can't scare me—that's what I originally thought."

"But... when I turned around, I saw the most terrifying scene in the woods."

"A gigantic, blood-red monster with four thick arms and a hideous face, resembling a demon."

"And Blood Luo was held in its grasp, completely without any chance to resist—not even to utter a sound!"

"I and that Blood Demon have been searching this dense forest for a long time, but I haven't heard when such a huge thing arrived, nor have I seen any footprints or traces."

"It's like it appeared out of thin air—I don't even know if it's a contestant or Player!"

"Then, under my watchful eye, the red, four-armed monster grabbed Bloodlust's limbs, and then..."

Stiller's voice trembled.

"He tore that Blood Luo in two!"