Chapter 111
They come from all walks of life, young and old, and their enthusiasm is so irresistible that it's hard to refuse them; moreover, it's not just empty talk.
Some people would grab his hand and try to drag him home, while others would block his way, wanting to chat with him for a few words. But no matter how much Yuki ignored them or how impolite he was, they never got angry.
In the hospitable Yadu Town, everyone is well-mannered, well-dressed, and good-looking, making Yuki, the outsider, seem quite ill-mannered.
Wearing a gas mask meant he couldn't hear anything, like a deaf person. If his hand was grabbed, he would gently shake it off, and if someone blocked his way, he would dodge past them.
The method was found, but it was by no means easy to implement. Gradually, even the area under the gas mask began to sweat.
'Damn it, this town is packed with people; nowhere can you escape their enthusiastic gazes.'
Yuki was already jogging by the end, but there was no shortage of people blocking her way. Whether in alleys or main streets, there were residents of Yadu Town everywhere, and they all did the same thing.
Seeing someone greet you with a beaming smile and enthusiastically invite you to their home, after a while, can actually send chills down your spine.
'Isn't there a quiet place in this shitty Yadu Town?'
The town was disc-shaped and quite large, but he couldn't possibly leave. At that moment, he remembered a place that was currently deserted.
Except for the noon meeting time, the square is deserted and absolutely quiet.
"This should be a safe spot provided by the game, but if players with other identities can go there, wouldn't it be suicide for me to go to the plaza?"
My head is throbbing, and I don't dare stop, otherwise I'll definitely be surrounded by a bunch of people, but walking like this isn't a solution either.
Sunset is in two hours; continuing would contradict hint 3, and besides, walking around the town so casually would give away my identity.
Although the hints are unknown, players who draw the 'ordinary person' or 'cultist' card probably don't care about joining the game. As for the 'Undercover' card, it's hard to say; it depends on their intelligence and mental fortitude.
'The game has just begun; there's no need to use my special effects yet. I'll risk the penalty to secure a house. Let's hide first.'
Yuki a decisive decision: the Judge could not kill indiscriminately, but he was not bound by any rules either way; he chose the lesser of two evils.
As for whether someone would come to visit and cause further problems after the usurper has taken over, he couldn't care less.
That building.
Yuki glanced at a small house with a garden next door, not much different from the one he had visited before. A blonde girl was watering beautiful flowers with a watering can, and her eyes lit up when she saw him approaching.
"Sir, please come in and have a cup of tea. I just brewed some black tea."
Her voice was clear and melodious, and she was still as warm and hospitable as ever. She was also extremely beautiful, with amber eyes that seemed to be brimming with tears.
With her blonde hair slightly wavy, wearing a plaid dress, her full chest almost spilling out, and her sweet smile, she easily stirred up all sorts of fantasies.
The blonde girl, who already has a natural affinity for me, will first have some black tea, then we'll have dinner together, and as night falls, we'll achieve perfect harmony.
"Knock her unconscious as soon as you enter, then tie her up. Tell her you won't kill her, but how about you torture her to get the information out of her?"
Yuki's thinking was different from ordinary people. He walked over, a gentle smile on his face, and just as he opened his mouth, he heard a 'bang'.
Gunshots?
In the quiet town, the gunshot was particularly jarring, causing Yuki had just opened his mouth, to turn his head. A few seconds later, he heard a strange murmur.
[Player Sakurako has died; her identity was that of an ordinary person.]
Upon hearing the player's death announcement for the first time in the game, Yuki was visibly taken aback, as this had never happened in previous dungeons. However, he quickly realized that this time was different.
[Tip 6: Different prompts will be given depending on the player's role; player death will be reported.]
One of the three 'ordinary people' died, and their total survival time was seven hours.
Yuki to hold on this long is somewhat unexpected, considering that nearly half of the newcomers died during the first exploration of the Demon Hospital.
Sakurako? That must be a real player's name; she probably isn't a veteran player.
Yuki didn't know what would happen if he kept responding enthusiastically, but experienced players would resort to violence when in danger, and they weren't so easy to kill.
Is that one of the three newcomers?
While they were still speculating, Yuki noticed something strange happening: there were dozens of people in the alley, some strolling, some chatting.
But after the gunshots rang out, all other sounds vanished, and the alley became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The residents simply stared in the direction from which the gunshots came, like eerie sculptures.
The deathly silence lasted for a few seconds before the 'sculptures' finally moved, scattering like birds and beasts before Yuki's eyes, each returning home, like a pantomime under the setting sun.
What are these people trying to do?
Yuki was a little curious, so he looked around and found that the blonde girl who had just warmly invited him was gone, but he didn't have to wait long.
Clatter
The door opened, and the girl returned, but instead of a teacup, she held a heavy wood-chopping knife. The mirror-like blade reflected a blank face.
Pat, pat, pat.
The sound of doors opening echoed one after another, and figures emerged from the small house: young girls, strong men, and elderly people with gray hair.
They were all expressionless, some holding machetes, others carrying hunting rifles, and without needing any organization, they all headed in the direction from which the gunshot had come.
Yuki watched coldly, then caught a glimpse of the garden gate being pushed open, and a girl holding a wood-chopping knife gave him a bright smile:
"Sir, I've put the black tea on the table. Please help yourself."
If it weren't for the heavy machete in his hand, weighing over ten kilograms, that expression would truly inspire fantasies: becoming friends over tea and conversation, and then romantically rolling around in bed at night.
Yuki remained motionless, watching the girl walk past him, then glanced at the increasingly crowded alleyway and swallowed hard.
This Yadu Town is truly warm and hospitable.
Chapter Six: Burying the Afterglow (5K5)
Yuki now knows the answer.
When he approached the old man, if he resorted to violence, it would be discovered. Instead, the residents of Yadu Town would treat him with 'warm hospitality' in another way.
"Luckily, I held back until the other players couldn't take it anymore."
Since the senior students weren't around, Yuki didn't need to worry about the other players' lives at all. Sure enough, someone couldn't take it anymore and fired a shot, only to benefit himself for nothing.
Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn to the gunshot, he immediately activated the Demon Eye.
The town under the setting sun instantly turned a grayish color, and the residents holding various weapons were surrounded by twisted black substances, like stars in the night.
Its head was not visible; its body was covered by a layer of tadpole-like things, which trembled together when he looked at it, just like in the square.
It could sense my spying just as I was looking at it!
Yuki decisively shut down his vision before being discovered, which is why he didn't use the Demon Eye at the old man's house earlier.
He retreated directly into the garden, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he hadn't been discovered. Leaning against the wooden fence, the enchanting fragrance of several morning glories nearby made his mind even clearer.
First, if hostile behavior is discovered, it will trigger collective self-defense, and the residents of Yadu Town will bring their weapons to warmly welcome you.
Secondly, these residents are no ordinary people; they are possessed by substances invisible to the naked eye, similar to the dolls in the Demon Hospital.
Third, not all the residents went hunting. There were twenty people in the alley just now, but less than ten went out with weapons. Is this the difference between fanatics and ordinary believers?
Fourth, the entire town was permeated with the aura of an evil god, presenting a hazy, gray atmosphere, much like a hospital corridor.
Yuki quickly summarized four points. Luckily, he had good patience; otherwise, he should have been the one ringing the bell.
"In any case, the plot has finally started to move forward."
The worst thing you can do in Reincarnation Game is to stay stagnant and do nothing. Whether it's good or bad, as long as the plot keeps moving, you're bound to succeed. Now the problem is back in your hands.
What should I do? Should I use a special outfit?
Yuki narrowed his eyes. Because he had quickly verified the first hint, he now had many options. He could wait and see what happened and let other players make their move first, or he could take advantage of the chaos and make the town even more chaotic.
About three seconds later, he stood up, opened his hand, and grasped the Nameless Longsword.
"As the Judge, I absolutely cannot slack off until forty-eight hours later; otherwise, I would be the natural enemy of this Yadu Town."
His thinking was very clear. Although he couldn't kill people at will, he couldn't escape the word 'kill'. The clues he had were far from enough.
Now is the perfect opportunity; not only are the fanatics exposed, but they also have others drawing fire for them.
If we don't act now, when will we?
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
As dusk settled, the group ran frantically through the alleyways. Leading the way was Rick, a fully armed police officer, with Pinto, a teenager, beside him, glancing back every now and then.
A girl dressed in full motorcycle gear was just a few meters behind him, holding a metal longbow, running quickly while shooting arrows back at the same time.
Call out.
The arrow flew incredibly fast, hurtling towards an old man's chest, but the old man's reaction made Rick grimace.
He gripped the wood-chopping knife with his gleaming white teeth, leaped up, and pinned his hands—something he didn't know was made of—to the wall so that arrows would hit the ground. Then, using both hands and feet, he charged forward like a gecko.
His movements were rather Sadist, yet he was faster than a normal person could run. Rick gritted his teeth, raised his gun, and aimed.
"Don't shoot! Do you want to attract more monsters?"
The girl held his hand down, preventing Rick from pulling the trigger. He had fired several shots at the first monster before it hadn't died; the Chaos Item with its unlimited magazine was too weak.
Puff puff puff
With the sound of the wall cracking, the old man was rapidly approaching, while the girl stood motionless, holding a longbow, making him sweat profusely with anxiety.
Hurry up and shoot!
Call--
Just then, he heard a long exhale. As the old man landed back on the ground, holding his wood-chopping knife, and hopping back and forth, the girl finally nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring.
At a distance of less than ten meters, the target was bouncing back and forth like Sadist. Even an Olympic champion probably wouldn't be able to hit it, but the girl's eyes were slightly narrowed under her motorcycle helmet.
She forgot about the terrifying town, forgot that there were more monsters chasing after her, and only saw the Sadist old man.
Drawing the bow and nocking the arrow, releasing the fingers as easily as plucking a musical string.
Whoosh—plop.
It hit the bullseye perfectly. Despite being a long arrow, it bypassed the swinging machete and struck the old man precisely in the eye socket.
The inertia propelled it into the air, the splattered brain matter freezing in mid-air before landing silently on the ground with a 'thud'.
"We got it!" Rick clenched his fist, even more excited than if he had solved a major case.
As expected of a veteran player, his bow and arrow are several times more powerful than my Glock.
"Now is not the time to be happy, let's go."
The girl remained calm, stepped forward, pulled out the arrow, turned and ran, glancing at the boy as she did so.
"You shouldn't have brought him. You should have held back before. We're in great danger now."
"I'm sorry, I really couldn't help myself." Rick shook his head bitterly, his eyes filled with anger.
Like Yuki, the three of them were also invited by the enthusiastic villagers to stay at a family's home, and the process was almost identical.
They chatted, drank tea, and played with the children. Some were flattered and overwhelmed. If it weren't for the painful memory of the beginner's guide, they would have thought they were really here for tourism. Rick was even a little smug.
He used his professional expertise to extract a lot of information, such as the total number of people in the town.
The change occurred in the evening. Just like with Yuki, they were invited to dinner, and things were initially pleasant, but Rick sensed something was wrong as soon as they sat down at the table.
As a police officer, he noticed there was too much meat on the table, and its appearance seemed similar to that of a previous case.
"Damn it, they're eating people!"
Rick gritted his teeth and immediately vomited, refusing to eat another bite, but the townspeople's expressions changed instantly.
The line between being kind and approachable and being menacing is very thin, and the two sides started fighting. Rick couldn't help but fire his gun.
Who knew that the seemingly ordinary townspeople were monsters? The male head of the household survived being shot three times by himself, and then suddenly attacked, killing Hua Yin, also known as Sakurako, with a dining knife.
"This isn't your fault, we were acting in self-defense," Pinto retorted immediately, turning to the girl beside him, "What could we do in that situation? Would you obediently eat human flesh?"
"No, but I've been in similar situations before and handled them better."
The girl's cold reply left Pinto speechless; he knew why she didn't want to take him along.
The identities of these two individuals have been confirmed. The Undercover's clue contained a coded message: if the two individuals match, they are teammates. However, their own identities remain unknown, and even if they claim to be 'ordinary people,' there is no way to verify it.
"Hua Yin shouldn't have died. If she died, there would be no way for her to verify things with you." The girl struck again, revealing that she had only arrived after hearing the gunshot, and Rick, for the sake of team unity, had never allowed the two to confront each other.
He's somewhat clever, but not a good teammate.
Their strong Justice and excessive concern for unity, while trustworthy, can be fatal in this instance, yet they cannot be abandoned.