Chapter 132

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Bloodlust (4K)

Daylight has fallen, and another 'peaceful' day has begun in Yadu Town.

Logically speaking, during this period, players who are outsiders should have nowhere to hide and should be discovered by enthusiastic residents no matter where they go.

Previously, you could simply ignore them, and after a few unsuccessful attempts to talk to them, the townspeople would lose interest and forget you existed. Now that the church has conveyed a clear message, it won't be so easy to slip away.

But just like in the battle of armor and bullets, the players who still dare to stay in the town now all have the ability to hide.

A dog ran wildly through the street, and even if it bumped into a passerby, there would only be a gasp of surprise. The townspeople could see it, but they did nothing more.

A stranger, a stranger—at least he must be a person, right? This dog may be strange, but isn't it still a dog?

The sheepdog ran into the alley in full view of everyone, came to a less crowded place, and stopped in front of a trash can.

"They split into two groups. One group is putting up a fight in the cemetery. The church is really serious now," the sheepdog said in human language.

Not long after, a transparent hand sprouted from the trash can and silently wrote on the ground, "Hmm, I smell a barrier, which concealed all the sounds of last night's battle."

"It really does resemble a barrier, which is why I didn't venture deep into the cemetery last night."

"That's because you're afraid of dying," Black Sword bluntly pointed out, then added, "What about the second group?"

"Back in my small town, I could smell Li Dan."

"It couldn't be him, otherwise how could he have escaped the townspeople this morning?" Black Sword didn't believe it at all, and hesitated, "He's most likely one of the 'Undercover,' trying to disrupt the church so they can't come out in full force."

Pan Zi nodded, agreeing with the view, but the two of them were also helpless and couldn't do much.

They were also targets of the church's manhunt. Pan Zi suffered heavy losses and could no longer cover the entire battlefield. Black Sword could only disguise himself as a trash can with props and dared not show his face.

To gain the church's trust, one must undergo baptism, but if one were willing to do so, it wouldn't be so complicated.

"It's alright. There are still six hours left in the story. You and I can both get through this safely, while they will have to face the retaliation from Yadu Town. Staying in the shadows is an advantage." Black Sword was very rational. The game had entered its final stage, and he was not at a disadvantage.

"There's no such thing as getting through a dungeon so easily. Just wait, they'll definitely launch a counterattack." Black Sword paused slightly as he wrote, then finished the last few words:

"At that point, we'll be the last straw."

In the cemetery, Yuki sat on a broken tombstone, leaning on his sword with both hands, surrounded by countless corpses.

The trench coat was already soaked in blood. Last night, the Phantom Thief opened the barrier, Yuki was lying in wait inside.

They killed one by one, and two by two; blood soaked the soil, and the core area of the mountaintop was littered with corpses.

He would let the search team in to kill them, and once he started, he would leave no survivors. The residents of Yadu Town were not ordinary people who could not even kill a chicken; the continuous battles left Yuki covered in wounds.

However, he was incredibly invigorated. The souls of nearly two hundred people had completely stabilized the Demon Heart at a 'normal' level, and he became even more enthusiastic in killing. In the end, only corpses were left scattered everywhere.

"As I expected, the church's hostility is directed at all players, and those two have also discovered this."

The crimson figure muttered to himself. Last night, Yuki was most afraid that the two players would suddenly make a move and disrupt the rhythm of the killing. However, apart from Moon Bow shooting down a ferocious dog while hiding on the outside, the players did not show themselves.

It's not that they're unwilling, but that they can't. If the two of them show up, they'll only help Yuki share the firepower. If he gets entangled, he'll probably have a hard time escaping and will only be able to fight to the death.

To put it bluntly, it's the deterrent effect of single-handedly killing the Clown that matters. Only strength can make the enemy calm down, think carefully, and choose a more prudent battle plan.

"Once you start thinking, you've already lost." Yuki wasn't afraid of the cunning old fox; he was a master planner. Could anyone be more cunning than him?

With a slight smile, Yuki looked up ahead. A similarly disheveled girl appeared at the edge of the cemetery, staring at the corpses scattered everywhere, unsure where to begin.

Moon Bow spent the whole night collecting kills, but he was exhausted. Besides having to move the corpses between rounds, he also occasionally made mistakes due to fatigue and had to rush down to fight.

The most dangerous time was when two townspeople rushed out of the barrier and their fingers were already on the trigger of their shotguns, but she still managed to stab them to death from behind.

This relentless attack didn't stop until dawn. The church discovered a major problem with the cemetery and quickly halted this piecemeal approach, giving the area a couple of hours to catch its breath.

I'm so tired I can barely draw the bow.

The girl tried to keep her breathing steady so as not to appear too tired, but her forearms were sore and swollen, making it difficult to even lift them.

"But he's like a demon." Moon Bow looked ahead, no longer feeling shocked, only numb.

Within an area of several hundred square meters, nearly two hundred corpses were piled up in layers, while the butcher sat in the center, beckoning to him.

Instinctively, I didn't want to go over there, but after a slight hesitation, I still took a step and, like a ballet dancer, found a gap between the corpses and walked through.

As you get closer through the thick fog, the view becomes clearer: a blood-red figure sits amidst Corpse Mountain, Blood Sea, a chilling smile on his face.

"You look..." Moon Bow looked him up and down, then said coldly, "Like a deranged serial killer."

"I admit to being a serial killer, but please don't label me a 'pervert.' I've always been calm and haven't derived any pleasure from killing; I've only pursued efficiency."

"That sounds even more perverted."

Yuki was taken aback, as if he sensed something perverse about it. He licked his lips and slowly got up.

"W-what are you going to do?" The girl was also taken aback. Was he getting angry out of embarrassment?

This was indeed quite frightening, and the sight of corpses scattered everywhere made it even more convincing; she instinctively backed away.

Are you afraid of me?

"No, I'm not afraid."

"Then why did you back away?"

"Uh, because you stink, you're covered in blood," the girl replied, rolling her eyes and sticking her head out.

Haha, you weren't afraid of the stench when you stepped into this mountain of corpses. Well, physiologically speaking, you're already a veteran player, managing to do that in just one dungeon.

Feeling disliked, Yuki stopped and took a good look at the other person.

Her face was obscured, and her figure was unremarkable, but the tight-fitting clothes were cut open, revealing skin as white as jade, which contrasted sharply with the black tight-fitting clothes.

Tsk, how did I really become a pervert?

Yuki immediately became alert, looked away, and chuckled softly.

"What are you laughing at?" the girl asked, still feeling uneasy from that gaze.

"I've told you so many times, relax, laugh when you should laugh, be afraid when you should be afraid. You're not as cold as you seem." Yuki his wrists; he had already figured it out.

Whether it was her agreement with Rick, her plea to save his life, or her charge into hand-to-hand combat just now, she was not a cold-hearted person.

Moon Bow was right; the night of fighting made Yuki recognize her value, and she completed the arduous task very well.

Are we very familiar? Well, we are quite familiar.

The girl pursed her lips. She acknowledged that Yuki was an expert and was grateful for his help in keeping her alive until now.

"In dangerous games, everyone has to wear a mask and can't show any weakness."

These words sounded somewhat familiar, Yuki shook his head in disagreement. "That's because you're not strong enough. The meaning of being strong lies in maintaining your true self."

"You're just as good at acting, you completely fool everyone."

"That's just using someone else's tools. If there's a more efficient way, I'm too lazy to act." Yuki slung his sword over his shoulder and remarked with feeling, "As you get stronger, the opportunities to act become fewer and fewer, just like that helmet of yours, you'll have to take it off sooner or later."

Moon Bow remained silent. If she were as strong as Yuki, she wouldn't need to hide her true strength, much less use coldness as a form of protection.

Those who need to be killed will be killed, and those who need to be resolved will be resolved.

She felt a sense of longing, just like right now, when the man could stand atop a mountain of corpses, smiling as he taught her how to do things.

"Been taught a lesson."

Very polite.

Yuki didn't know why she was saying these things. Maybe she was too free, or maybe her seniors weren't around, and she had no one to chat with.

Have you ever thought about what you're fighting for?

"I want to protect someone," Moon Bow answered without hesitation, surprising Yuki.

At her level, she should be struggling to survive, but humans are not animals after all, and beyond 'living,' there are many vague and unrealistic pursuits.

To absolute rationalists, this is a flaw, but it is also what sustains people as they move forward in the Abyss Grade despair.

"A very good reason, just like mine."

"You're protecting others too?" The girl was shocked. Li Dan looked like an executioner; did he really have someone to protect?

"What, is it not allowed?" Yuki asked sullenly, realizing what he meant.

Because the person he's protecting isn't in this instance, he appears even colder and more decisive; putting myself in his shoes, it doesn't seem quite right.

"I think it's not as scary as you think."

Moon Bow nodded instinctively; she had already sensed it. How could a real executioner chat with her casually? But she quickly shook her head, her voice becoming excited.

"Well, you just said you were going to show your true self, but you were just pretending."

"I wasn't pretending." Yuki hadn't expected the boomerang to return so quickly. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "They're not here. Perhaps this is my true self?"

The slippery drops of blood fell, the warmth dissipated, and they became icy cold. Yuki was momentarily bewildered.

Could that bloodlust really be a side effect of Demon Possession? Dealing with these grunts shouldn't have put me into a negative state.

This person is strange; could they really have schizophrenia?

Seeing that Yuki was silent again, the girl was full of questions and subconsciously took a step forward, but then suddenly froze.

I think I'm really not afraid of him anymore?

When faced with schizophrenia, a wise person would simply stay away, not offer help or concern, thus creating a dilemma.

Trust or fear, follow your instincts or play it safe?

Just then, the Phantom Thief arrived quickly and happened to see the two people a meter apart, both equally puzzled.

Are they playing "Statues"?

After a moment of hesitation, he coughed lightly, startling the two men awake, and said urgently, "The church members are gathering at the foot of the mountain. Hurry up and go up the mountain. The one leading them is the priest in purple robes."

The important thing is to get down to business.

Yuki quickly put his earlier doubts aside, glanced at the other person, who hadn't made a move all night, but also showed no sign of blaming him.

The Phantom Thief's goal was to survive the dungeon, more like an observer. This was also a test, and as it turned out, Yuki really did survive the night, and the carrot waving in front of him was gradually becoming a reality.

"I'm certain that the enemy will become weaker after killing the fanatics," Yuki replied directly, without mincing words.

"Yes, I am indeed weaker than before. Although it was a sneak attack, I still managed to take down several of them in melee combat." Moon Bow also returned to normal. Her close combat ability was very weak, but since she managed to do it, it indirectly verified Yuki's statement.

Upon hearing this, the Phantom Thief became somewhat interested. "The item has a one-hour cooldown period, are you still going to continue?"

"No, this 'weakness' hasn't reached a qualitative change yet. Even if you join the battle, and the church launches a full-scale attack, we can't withstand it." Yuki shook his head decisively, not blinded by the battle results. "Besides, there's no benefit to a bloody battle. Black Sword and Pan Zi will just jump out and take advantage of the situation."

Upon hearing this, the Phantom Thief's eyes were filled with admiration. There are many powerful people, but those who are both powerful and cautious are extremely rare.

"Still according to the original plan?"

"Yes, according to the original plan, the closer it gets to midnight, the greater our chances of winning. I got another surprise in last night's battle, which makes me even more confident." Yuki stood up and immediately began to take off his blood-stained clothes. Just as he unbuttoned the top of his shirt, his hand was pressed down.

"What's the rush? Change it after I leave."

That's so indecent! Who changes clothes in front of a girl? He's a pervert. It's better to stay away.

Seeing Moon Bow flee in disarray, Yuki couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at the departing figure. "Looks like she still retains a pathetic sense of shame."

"No matter how powerful or experienced they are, players are still human, just like you and I despise the Church." The Phantom Thief spoke a fair word, and also noticed some differences.

I didn't dare get close to him before this Moon Bow, but he actually pressed his hand just now. Something must have happened between them.

With a hint of curiosity, he caught the clothes thrown to him, removed the smiling mask, and ignored the intrigued gaze.

Players are best advised not to reveal their true identities, but since they need to disguise themselves as townspeople, they can't exactly keep wearing masks.

The boy was quite handsome, with dark brown curly hair and slightly lazy blue eyes, which fit the characteristics of a 'laid-back' person.

It was him after all, Oreki Houtarou.

The interest in Yuki's eyes was feigned; the boy was extremely clever, and if he discovered that he 'knew' him, things would get complicated.

This was the first "familiar" veteran player she encountered, Yuki's approach was different. For example, with Shiina Hiyori, she had to use the pressure of "knowing" her to make her obey.

As for Oreki Houtarou, he simply observed him silently, confirming that the other's personality was not too different from the one in his mind. He couldn't say he completely trusted him, but it was better than a complete stranger.

No wonder he dared to go against the grain and enter the church directly; no wonder he offered help but wasn't willing to go all out.

When the answer was revealed, Yuki remained calm, saying that no matter how Oreki Houtarou changed, he couldn't escape the concept of 'energy conservation,' and that by grasping this point, he could make use of it.

"Aren't you going to change?" Houtarou had just finished changing, and his expression became somewhat strange. "I have a feeling that you're hiding something from me."