Chapter 123

This was his trump card. Knowing that Yuki, Moon Bow, and Rick had formed an alliance, and who was behind it last night, Pinto was convinced that this was very important to them.

The other party may not believe what you say, but finding Rick will prove it.

"Oh ho, so you know how to wait for the highest bidder. By the way, why did you betray them?" The Hound spoke in human language, becoming even more terrifying.

"Of course I want to live. Can morality and friendship keep me alive?" The young man's face flushed with excitement, as if he were trying to convince himself.

"No! If I can't live as a human being, then I might as well abandon all morality and dignity!"

He had no choice; drawing the 'cultist' card blocked all his paths. Even hiding and surviving for 25 hours was just a lie to Rick; he simply couldn't do it.

Believers are required to please the gods in their own way every so often, or they will be punished, and their way of doing so is to struggle.

A relentless struggle, a struggle to abandon everything!

The Hound listened quietly, tilting its head, quite enjoying the newcomer's hysteria, because it felt the same way.

"You have the potential to join 'Day.' You're not only perceptive, but also quite clever." The Hound pawed at the television, tearing it apart like razor blades.

"We were supposed to meet at the cemetery, but you carefully used a decoy to distract the watchers and took the opportunity to run to the Garbage Mountain. Oh, you're still testing us, aren't you? If you didn't see through this little trick, were you planning to hide and eke out a living?"

The Hound launched into a lengthy praise, saying the young man was courageous, intelligent, and a promising talent. But as he spoke, he noticed the other man's expression growing increasingly strange.

"What's wrong? Do you have a deeper goal? Don't be too clever, or you'll die if you arouse suspicion."

His companions were nearby, so he wasn't afraid of the newcomer causing trouble. Moreover, judging from the gunshots earlier, the evil god wasn't watching the town.

"What are you talking about? When did I ever test you?" Pinto looked completely bewildered. How could he dare to test someone? Wouldn't that be courting death?

"Relax, you did a great job, you successfully distracted the monitors, I'm praising you." Pan Zi found it amusing; this newcomer was too nervous.

"But I decided from the beginning to meet at the Garbage Mountain."

After the words were spoken, both the man and the dog were somewhat bewildered.

Ah???

"If you want to live, you have to fight for it. My plan is as follows:"

"First, I left the Coke can. If Pinto had other ideas, he's observant enough to know that this was the only way to secretly contact the players."

"Secondly, I put a locator inside the Coke can. If it moves, I'll find it beforehand, then change the contents of the little note inside, and wait for them to come and pick it up."

"Third, the enemy isn't stupid; they're afraid of being baited. They'll definitely send strong fighters to ambush us all around. I'll change the meeting place to the Garbage Mountain to divide their forces."

"Fourth, the enemy will most likely guess that I am the swordsman from last night, possessing skills such as Conceal Presence, so they will not dare to approach, giving you ample time to hide."

Fifth, if Pinto is unable to escape, I will provide an opportunity.

Rick hid in a dilapidated freezer or something similar, the words Yuki had told him Yuki through his mind, and he even felt a little scared.

He had prepared for this from the very first meeting; I didn't even notice the Coke can he left behind, and he guessed everything correctly, planning every single step meticulously.

Simply put, this is a case of turning the tables on others, using Pinto to mislead other players.

Didn't you want to meet? I changed the meeting place in advance, split my forces into two groups, and Pinto and I were spotted as soon as we stepped out. Because I was afraid that the two of them were bait, I could only follow them from a distance until I was sure there was no threat.

Planning itself isn't difficult; the key is controlling the details.

The stench of the Garbage Mountain can mask the dogs' search, the fog of the cemetery can interfere with communications, and the enemy knows he has Conceal Presence, so they only dare to monitor him from a distance.

Furthermore, he exploited Pan Zi's vengeful nature and search skills, concluding that he would definitely find the Coke can.

No, that's not all. They even calculated that this guy was already terrified and wouldn't dare to act alone, so he would bring his teammates with him.

That's terrifying. They've planned everything perfectly. The worst-case scenario is that they'll find nothing at the cemetery, but it also proves that Pan Zi doesn't have many teammates, so they can adjust their plans in time.

'Highly intelligent criminals, thankfully not my enemies.'

Rick breathed a sigh of relief. There was nothing to be afraid of; Pinto was clearly going to sell him out, so he had no other choice.

With a mix of anger and sadness, he also guessed Yuki's ultimate goal:

Could we exploit a time gap to eliminate players waiting in the graveyard?

There was an element of gambling involved, but it tried its best to be comprehensive in every aspect, and Yuki had one quality that made him completely convinced:

While scheming, he didn't betray his teammates. He not only gave Miss Moon Bow an easy job, but also prepared the Garbage Mountain as the best hiding place for himself.

Ta-da-ta-da...

The sound of hurried running came from not far away. Rick held his breath, as if he wanted to bury himself at the bottom of a garbage dump.

Now there's only one question left:

With half an hour left in the gathering, can he eliminate the players still waiting in the graveyard before the town returns to normal?

On the empty street, Yuki walked forward at a leisurely pace.

When he saw Rick Pinto fleeing towards the cemetery, he wasn't in a hurry. Because he had been watching the whole thing live, Yuki was only slightly surprised by the characteristics, but he already knew Pinto's background.

The only purpose of this deception is to mislead the monitoring enemy. If they actually fall for it and think that the meeting place has been 'changed,' then they are complete idiots, and there is no need for us to be in a hurry.

As it turned out, the enemy wasn't stupid; they quickly saw through the disguise and chased after Pinto towards the Garbage Mountain. They were probably still praising Pinto's cleverness in using a decoy to lure them away before escaping.

"What a pity, I anticipated your predictions."

Bang--

Gunshots rang out in the distance, catching his ear and causing him to pause slightly. He turned around and activated his 'Demon Eye' for a fleeting moment.

In the center of the town, there was a terrifying black cloud, while the rest of the town was shrouded in a gray mist. He quickly shut it down before provoking the evil god, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

"With the final problem solved, it's time to get down to business."

Ahead was a low stone wall, with thick trees peeking out from behind it. It should have been a bright, sunny day, but a light mist lingered both inside and outside the wall.

There are special locations in the east, west, south, and north. What does this mean?

Yuki was unaware of this, and his main task at the moment was not to deduce the plot.

Let me see how many players are actually on the church's side.

The gap in combat power between the two sides must be bridged, and the best time to do so is now.

After climbing over the low wall, the Walkie-talkie started making a hissing sound; this was strong electromagnetic interference, and soon all sound disappeared.

The stone path has been replaced by soft soil, and there are withered branches everywhere. Large trees surround the area, making it very quiet.

This area is quite large; judging by the slope, it should be a small hill. The center of the cemetery is at the top of the hill, and the other side of the hill is the edge of Yadu Town. Players who go outside will be wiped out.

As I slowly climbed upwards, I measured the area with my footsteps. When I looked back, all I could see was a hazy fog.

It's a pity the fog is blocking the view; it would have been a great vantage point, but at night, the torchlight should have been visible.

Yuki bent down, picked up a clump of soil, and rubbed it between his fingers.

The humidity is very high, as if it had just rained.

This is very strange. For two consecutive days, there hasn't been a single cloud in Yadu Town, let alone rain. How can the humidity be so high?

But this is a good thing.

He saw footprints on the ground, extending deep into the cemetery, seemingly left by a person, each step deep into the ground.

This is for guidance, because the cemetery is shrouded in thick fog with visibility of less than five meters. Newlyweds like Pinto could easily get lost, which would waste a lot of time.

Yuki gently adjusted his top hat, slowly got up, and followed the footprints. Before long, a jumble of tombstones came into view.

The tombstones were leaning to one side, overgrown with weeds, and some were even cracked, clearly indicating that they had not been cleaned for a long time.

Because of his experience at the factory last night, Yuki was very cautious. The town was surrounded by special locations in all directions, where there might be guardians and monsters.

But as he walked through the cemetery, he stopped and saw something that was both familiar and strange.

A cross, a cross painted on a tombstone. He'd never seen one like it in the Yadu Town before, even though it was a religious symbol. The church had its own symbol, but those were indescribable monstrosities.

The South Town Ruins, used as a garbage dump? A cemetery painted with crosses, long abandoned by worshippers?

Yuki's eyes flickered, as if he had grasped something, but before he could think about it, a strange 'pattering' sound came from ahead.

The strange noises in the cemetery were chilling. Yuki resisted the urge to draw his sword and steeled himself to venture deeper into the thick fog.

Not long after, he saw a person sitting on a tombstone, seemingly making movements with their hands. As he got closer, he saw exaggerated clothing and a face covered in greasepaint.

It's the Clown.

Yuki's eyes narrowed as yet another answer was found: the Clown was building with blocks, and the materials were human skeletons that he had dug up from who-knows-where.

"Didn't you say there were two people? How come it's just you?" The Clown didn't even look up, and enthusiastically placed a skull on top of it.

He was clearly getting impatient, and his demeanor confirmed Yuki's guess.

That's a very powerful player. I knew they would send a strong person to wait, and he even has surveillance abilities. Otherwise, how could he be sure it was just me?

Yuki felt like he was being watched as soon as he entered the cemetery. If he convinced Pinto to be the bait and followed behind, he would definitely only be able to remain unscathed.

"Something went wrong on the way, Rick escaped," Yuki replied meekly, quickly adding, "But that's not important, I have all the information you need..."

"No, this is important." The Clown suddenly interrupted, raising his head, his eyes almost manic. "What I need is Undercover. I want to use his blood and flesh to sacrifice to the gods. The battles between players are nothing; only the favor of the gods matters!!"

The furious roar echoed through the cemetery, completely stunning Yuki. This time, he wasn't acting; he was genuinely bewildered.

How can player combat not be important? Even 'cultists' are just completing tasks given by the game; how have you become a fanatic?

Wait a minute, this madness... is he that crazy gamer?

Yuki lowered his head, skillfully concealing his murderous intent, and asked in a trembling voice, "Then... what do you suggest we do?"

"Tell me what you know: who are the two Undercover, and who is the suspected Judge? I'll dig them out right now!"

"But I said that the information must be revealed step by step." Yuki quickly shook his head. Throughout history, no informer has ever revealed everything at once.

Even though the timing wasn't ideal, he secretly prepared for battle, only to suddenly see the Clown had been quite agitated just moments before, quiet down and reveal a comical smile.

Are you a 'religious person'?

"Uh, yes, that's me." Yuki nodded stiffly.

This was Pinto's self-destruction, but it's not very relevant now. Yuki is completely unaware of the cultist's hints, and he'll be exposed with just a few questions.

"I am a believer too."

The Clown only said half a sentence before staring intently at Yuki, noticing the astonished expression on the latter's face.

What do you mean? So what if he's a religious person?

Yuki looked surprised, his brain working at full speed. This was clearly a test, waiting for his answer.

Natural affinity? Shared mission? No, it should be a guarantee of safety, ensuring that believers cannot kill each other?

"Then I'm relieved. You won't hurt me." Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, giving an ambiguous answer. Before the other person could think, he asked, "Do you want to know who caused trouble last night? Who's helping Rick and me?"

"Certainly."

"Unfortunately, I signed a contract with them, so I can't say it directly."

A perfectly reasonable explanation, but the Clown narrowed his eyes, releasing an extremely dangerous aura. "You're playing us?"

You signed a contract, why would you betray it? It's just a waste of everyone's time.

He tossed aside the skull and stepped forward, as if the barriers between believers had no effect, while Yuki retreated in terror, shouting:

"Please don't worry, I can't say for sure, but it was written down before the contract was signed, thus avoiding any restrictions in advance."

Hmm, he's got some cleverness to him.

The Clown stopped, glanced at Yuki, and then grinned comically. "You should have said so earlier! Show it to me now."

"Wait a moment." Yuki put his hand in his pocket, his knuckles twitching as if he were rummaging through something, and then slowly pulled it out.

The Clown kept his eyes fixed on him, noticing the white paper in his palm and how quickly he pulled his hand away, until it was moving faster than a normal person.

Swish--

His palm was covered in white paper, but in front of it was a dark gun handle. The moment he pulled his hand out and drew the gun was instantaneous.

"I'll show it to you right away."

Bang!!