Chapter 116
Yuki, he could not be followed around the Yadu Town at night, and he also discovered some problems in the town.
This town isn't all about cookie-cutter, exquisite houses; some of the buildings stand out from the crowd.
Leaving aside the church in the square, there is a large, rectangular, three-story building in the east of town that looks like a factory.
Yuki had passed by during the day, but because the gate was closed and surrounded by barbed wire, he couldn't very well walk in under everyone's watchful eyes.
Zhenbei is a market. During the day, it didn't seem like much, but when Yuki a closer look and found that it was full of stalls, but the things they sold were quite strange.
The entire market was filled with statues of gods and decorations; there wasn't a single piece of clothing or a single grain of food.
The west side of the town is a small grove shrouded in mist. Residents say that it is a cemetery and that one should not enter it lightly, as it is easy to get lost.
In the south of the town, there is an abandoned building area that was said to have been destroyed by fire and is now being used as a landfill. However, Yuki did not smell any stench at all.
' Yadu Town appears peaceful on the surface, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny; something strange seems to be going on everywhere.'
With the 'guide' leading the way, Yuki's exploration of the dungeon went a step further. Just as he was thinking about whether to trouble Rick to explore the town first, he heard Rick's voice in his ear.
"Holy crap, is this some kind of pervert?"
Yuki and the girl stopped at the same time, seeing that the patrol team had entered a small building ahead, and could hear heavy breathing coming from the Walkie-talkie.
"This was done by outsiders, which is why we're on patrol."
Doesn't the church care?
"The priests have their own ideas, but as long as they don't stop us, that's fine."
Hearing the conversation, Yuki became curious. Even 'Undercover' can be exposed, Rick usually doesn't ask for information directly.
While the townspeople went inside the hut, he gestured with his lip, jumped onto the outer wall of the house in a few steps, reached out and pulled up the Moon Bow, then looked into the house through the window.
Grass!
Yuki almost cursed out loud. The room was dark, and by the light of the torch, he saw a horrifying scene.
Bloodstains were everywhere in the room—on the floor, walls, and ceiling. A huge mass of human remains lay in the center of the living room—men, women, old, and young—their skin peeled off, their bodies haphazardly pieced together, looking like a giant Bonsai of flesh and blood.
Even with Yuki's exceptional mental fortitude, he almost couldn't hold back, and then he saw the girl next to him convulse, nearly vomiting.
Feeling nauseous but too afraid to make a sound, the girl realized that Yuki wasn't dangerous at all, and that she had been too naive about the Reincarnation Game.
Mutual exploitation is the gentlest form of behavior. There are truly madmen in this game, madmen who push the Limit human imagination.
It was done by a player.
Having survived Corpse Mountain, Blood Sea Yuki, Yuuki had regained his composure while the girl was still silently retching.
Who is it?
The images of four players —the Phantom Thief, the rogue, the Black Sword, and the Clown —flashed through his mind in turn, but with too few clues, he couldn't be certain. He simply stared at the human Bonsai with a somewhat serious expression.
"Bonsai? Hmm, I think I've seen that on TV before."
Yuki remembered seeing news reports about psychopathic serial killers when he was working for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and immediately connected them to the scene before him.
It must be him.
A chilling killing intent emanated from him, unrelated to good or evil, but simply because this player was far too dangerous, more dangerous than Curly Hair.
Completely out of control; the only way to reason with a madman is with a knife.
He glanced at the girl who had pulled her mask open a crack to get some fresh air, then continued to intently observe the room.
Strangely enough, even Rick, a detective, was about to vomit, yet the townspeople holding torches remained unmoved, showing no anger or sadness, and certainly no intention of seeking revenge.
It's as if they're only responsible for completing their assigned tasks, but the phrase "It's fine as long as no one is stopping us" can be interpreted in more detail when combined with their facial expressions.
In other words, if the priest intervenes, is that all?
Yuki it increasingly strange. Logically, upon seeing such a scene, shouldn't he have lost control on the spot and ordered a town-wide search?
"Clean this place up, then we'll continue our patrol and look for any outsiders who dare to roam the town." The middle-aged man withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.
Several townspeople stepped forward and began collecting the body in snakeskin bags. Even the experienced forensic doctors couldn't help but be moved by the sight, but they remained expressionless as they stuffed the severed limbs into the bags.
Rick was stunned. "Are these even human? Who's the abnormal one here, me or them?"
He was questioning the meaning of life, with a million questions and complaints swirling in his mind, but he couldn't utter a single word when it came to it.
Don't ask too many questions; the more you ask, the easier it is to expose your identity.
But he couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Really not going to search?"
"We are only responsible for street patrols; the rest is decided by the priests." The middle-aged man turned around, his face showing obvious confusion, not understanding why this 'friend' was asking such a simple question.
"What if the murderer committed the crime right in front of you? Wouldn't you arrest him?"
"That's the priest's decision. We're only responsible for patrolling the streets and arresting outsiders who dare to go out at night," the middle-aged man said, repeating himself like a broken record.
Rick, somewhat confused, asked again, "Then where are they going to be sent?"
"Of course it's Garbage Mountain. Is it your home? Oh, your home? Where do you live again?" The middle-aged man joked at first, then frowned, as if there was a sense of unease.
His memory told him that this was a friend he had grown up with, but the fact that the other person kept asking "stupid questions" seemed a bit abnormal.
Rick's pupils contracted, feeling he shouldn't have asked so many questions, but out of professional habit, how could he possibly hold back in the face of such a gruesome murder scene?
Fortunately, at that moment, a 'thump' sounded from the street, and the middle-aged man's thoughtful expression immediately changed.
"They're outsiders! Seize them!"
A group of people rushed downstairs with torches in hand, not even bothering to collect the bodies. Rick was almost exposed, felt cold hands and feet, but a warmth in his heart. He didn't even hear the murmurs.
[Player Rick, Trait Unlocked]
They were indeed covering for me. Wait, my special ability has been unlocked?
Rick was still in a daze, while Yuki had already started running, having made the noise, and immediately headed back the way he came.
The hidden sentries along the road have all been eliminated, so there won't be anyone to fill in until at least sunrise. And how could those patrols with torches possibly catch him?
'So it turns out their job is only to catch players walking at night, and they don't take any further action if they discover anything.'
The residents of Yadu Town are of normal intelligence, but their behavior is overly mechanical and rigid.
In other words, as long as you don't walk alone at night, even if you're having a party indoors, these people won't do anything; they'll just keep an eye on you and wait for the priest to make the decision.
The night conceals secrets, and so do the secrets they guard. No wonder someone knocked on the door a few times and then left.
So the question is, if they didn't conduct a door-to-door search, how was the body discovered?
The smell of blood? The windows were closed, so they shouldn't have been able to smell it. Rick's guidance? No, there were already people inside when they went in.
Clatter.
Yuki abruptly stopped, nearly causing the girl behind him to bump into him. Before she could ask anything, Yuki shoved her into the small hut next to him.
Ignoring the girl's questioning gaze, Yuki poked half his head out. Just then, a patrol of townspeople walked by, and by the light of their torches, they saw a dark figure across the street.
"A dog?" Moon Bow saw it too; it was a Labrador Retriever sitting upright, its long tongue lolling out.
"Yes, it is indeed a dog. Recall what you've seen along the way."
The girl was initially puzzled, but when she saw Yuki slowly pulling the knife out, she suddenly came to her senses.
Inside the instance, apart from the white doves in the church square, she didn't see any animals. If the town had dogs, why didn't the townspeople patrol them on leashes?
She quickly drew her longbow and understood why Yuki had drawn his sword.
Someone's fishing!
Chapter Eleven: The Three-Dog God-Slaying Formation?
That's right, it's fishing.
Yuki drew his sword, and after figuring out the contents of [Hint 3], he basically understood.
The player is the one who leads the patrol away. This player has a certain characteristic or skill, so the player doesn't need to wander around the streets but uses other methods to explore the surroundings.
There's no such thing as fair or unfair. Just like Curly in Demon Hospital, players have all sorts of skills, and there will always be someone who's suited for a particular dungeon.
"Go upstairs, don't make any sudden moves. Knock out the people in the house, don't let them interfere with me."
"Good."
Moon Bow nodded, understanding Yuki's meaning. Now that Rick had been exposed, the two of them should hide their identities.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, Yuki leaned against the wall, glanced at the room whose decor was almost identical to the others, took off his gas mask, and wrapped his camouflage cloak tightly around himself.
[Character Costume: Assassin]
[Activation]
[Player Yuki, you will gain some of the character's abilities.]
He decisively used his special ability because he had found the 'Undercover' beforehand, Yuki had been holding back from using it, but now it was time to use it.
This character's costume temporarily grants him two skills: 'Conceal Presence' and 'Hawkeye'.
The former involves a sneak attack, while the latter involves tracking; this aptly reflects the current environment.
The longsword was sheathed inside the cloak, Yuki also disappeared into the shadows, yet he knew that he was now the brightest star of the night, and more than one player was watching him.
Alright, then you can watch to your heart's content.
When even breathing became barely perceptible, the soft, rapid footsteps reached their ears. The door was pushed open by a dog's head, and a yellow Labrador Retriever, its long tongue lolling out, was sniffing the floor.
Just then, the window was pushed open by a dog's head, and a Tibetan Mastiff, as big as a lion cub, jumped in, followed by a black Belgian Malinois.
Three dogs scattered around the house, sniffing everywhere, all falling into Yuki's eyes. Under the vision of the Demon Eye, their true nature was exposed.
'It doesn't seem like a simple summoned creature; it's more like one of the townspeople.'
It's a real dog, but it's covered in a strange energy, which explains its agility—it's as if a dog trainer is controlling it.
After activating the Mystic Code, Yuki's scent disappeared, but Moon Bow's remained. The three fierce dogs almost simultaneously turned their heads to look upstairs, but just then—
Call.
The night breeze stirred the curtains, Yuki suddenly leaped out, his body shrouded in a gray-red mist. He wielded a long sword and slashed fiercely at the yellow dog. He was incredibly fast, crossing the living room in the blink of an eye.
Swish--
The blade sliced through, cutting off a tuft of dog hair. The ferocious dog, with a reaction speed far exceeding that of a human, leaped backward and landed on the ground, baring its teeth alongside its companion.
Before the dog could even bark, a coffee table was kicked over.
Once the fight started, Yuki didn't waste any words. He hid behind the coffee table and charged forward. Just as he looked up, he saw another bizarre scene.
A gigantic dog head bulged out from behind the coffee table, probably five or six meters long, accompanied by a stench, its mouth wide open with sharp teeth, casting a shadow over Yuki.
Reinforcement Magecraft.
Click.
With a single bite, it actually held the two-meter square coffee table in its mouth. After the Reinforcement Magecraft, the coffee table was comparable to steel, and it was twisted by the bite.
That's a terrifying bite force.
Yuki never imagined that a veteran player would bring a few stupid dogs to court death. This thing must have Transcendental Grade power. He simply jumped into the air, ready to chop off the dog's head first, when he caught a glimpse of the Labrador Retriever already sticking its butt out.
Its hind legs began to swell, covered with strong muscles, and then it pushed off with a powerful leap.
Bang!
The floor cracked open, hurtling towards his chest at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and slammed hard into the mist emanating from Yuki.
It didn't penetrate, but the momentum was incredible; Yuki was sent flying several meters, landing crouching against the wall.
What a fast dog!
Yuki's eyes flickered as he watched the afterimage reflect off the ceiling and leap wildly around the room, his eyes following it relentlessly. But before it arrived, another black figure had already circled around from the side.
The Belgian Malinois had also swelled several times its original size, but its forelimbs had mutated, becoming thicker than an adult's thigh, and it pounced.
Behind it, the Tibetan Mastiff charged forward with its massive head, tearing apart sofas, lamps, floors—everything was smashed to pieces, turning the living room into a complete mess in the blink of an eye.
Three-Dog God-Slaying Formation???
Yuki dared not be careless and focused his Reinforcement Magecraft on both his eyes and hands.
Physical Enhancement. Dynamic vision.
Physical Enhancement. Slashing power.