Chapter 220

Chapter 220

Following the NPCs, Black Cat and the others kept a keen eye on their surroundings, easily noticing something peculiar about this place.

Firstly, the technological development here was highly primitive, akin to the medieval era. This starkly contrasted with the immense, seamless wall that had astonished them earlier. Most of the buildings were simple, makeshift structures made of rough stones and bricks, lacking electricity. Instead, kerosene lamps hung outside nearly every household. Strangely, the light they emitted was white, rather than the typical yellow glow, providing a decent amount of brightness, augmented by the relatively luminous moonlight.

Initially, Black Cat and the others assumed this was a city due to the grand-scale construction of the wall. However, judging by the population and layout, it seemed more like a small town at best.

According to Matcha Milk Green's observation, though many residents appeared fearful, even numb, with their mental states appearing disturbed, their well-fed faces and average height indicated an adequate supply of food.

So why were they so terrified? Was there something sinister lurking in this town?

"Something feels off here. Can anyone else sense it?"

"I agree. But considering we're in a world where evil deities exist, I wouldn't be surprised by any abnormalities."

"Oh, god, this is creepy. I hate this impending sense of something about to happen. Just get it over with!"

"Relax, hhh. Following the rules of our game, something will probably go wrong on the first night."

Soon, the Black Cat and the others were led to a secluded little cabin. The stiff NPC who brought them said, "This is it. You can rest here for the next few days. Remember to sleep before midnight and wake up before seven."

He repeated himself. Black Cat thought to herself and scanned the interior of the cabin. There were two large beds, a wooden basin, a bucket of water, and nothing else. She asked, "There are no time-telling tools here. How are we supposed to know when it's twelve or seven?"

"A person will remind you. There will be a bell rung near midnight and again in the morning. Just make sure you listen," Clement, the man with deep-set eyes, replied. "Also, if there's nothing urgent, don't step out. There are illuminating items inside. Light them up, but not too fiercely, or you might go blind."

With that, Clement demonstrated. He lit a blade of grass with a candle, and it soon emitted a faint glow. He then placed it in an oil lamp, where it continued to radiate light.

The group had a sudden realization. They had initially assumed the lamp was fueled by oil, but it turned out to be powered by grass—how magical!

The Druid said, "But we still need to replenish our supplies."

Clement replied, "I can help run errands for you tomorrow if I'm free. But do you have any currency for trading?"

Silence, silence.

The three players suddenly woke up to the fact that they didn't have any currency in the Dream World!

The Druid awkwardly said, "Uh, would those herbs do?"

Clement: "Those weeds?"

Indeed, the herbs they valued might just be common in this place.

As the trio pondered how to respond, Clement nonchalantly suggested, "Why don't you give me some of those leaves you used for cover? You won't need many, just one or two should do. Since you've wrapped them so securely, it shouldn't be a problem to part with a couple, right?"

The black cat's heart stirred, studying Clement's seemingly indifferent expression. It didn't immediately agree, "We'll need to discuss this."

"Alright then, perhaps when I come to see you tomorrow, you'll have an answer for me." Clement glanced at the sky outside and hurriedly left.

As soon as the NPC was out of sight, the players immediately huddled together to talk.

Druid: "He wasn't interested in the herbs or any of our items. He only wanted the leaves. There must be something suspicious about that."

Black Cat: "I agree. All we know is that the leaves can block the red moonlight. Maybe he wants to leave this place?"

Matcha Milk Green, puzzled, asked, "But why? It's not safe out there either. The moonlight here doesn't cause mutations."

"Unless there's something wrong with this village itself," the black cat mused. "So, do you want to explore or play it safe on the first night, following the rules?"

The Druid and Matcha Latte were also hesitant, so they decided to check out other players' live streams.

By now, other players had also left the forest, albeit at a slower pace. Some had discovered other settlements.

The caverns by the river led to different regions. Some players who chose the right path like them found themselves in a city on a plain. Others who took the middle path ended up in a canyon, while some ventured into deserts or forests.

This was actually a minor manipulation by Lane, designed to save players' travel time and allow them to explore more areas. Every three hours, the exits of the three caverns would shift, cycling through after 24 hours. Of course, to avoid drawing the attention of other Old or Evil Gods, Lane ensured that the cave exits were situated neither too close nor too far from their territories.

Currently, they were watching the Rebellious Squad's live stream. Their signature style was bravery; hence, without any hesitation, they dove right in.

The NPC who escorted them was not as amiable as the black cat they encountered previously. It was a sly-looking man with sharp features. Upon meeting, he cunningly snatched the leaves from them. As a result, Shu Shu Hao retaliated by stealthily following him and attempted to break into the man's house after he had put his belongings away.

Just as he successfully picked the lock and entered the man's hut, a flurry of system notifications suddenly bombarded him. Before Shu Shu Hao could react, his sanity meter depleted, and he uncontrollably slammed his head into the hard corner of a table.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The druids watched the live stream in silence, as did the other viewers. They were either stunned or horrified. Due to the camera angle, they could only see the back of Shu Shu Hao's head, but the sound of his skull cracking was unmistakable and impossible to ignore.

A pool of blood spread beneath Shu Shu Hao's body. With half of his skull crushed, his limp form finally collapsed onto the ground.

The live stream was plunged into silence.

"Uncle Hao: Damn, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Grass, you nearly killed me, Uncle Hao!"

"Just when I felt a chill, the deceased himself appeared in the stream to complain. Thanks, not scared anymore."

"I was laughing at the folks' antics and then got a scare. Scared the living daylights out of me, qwq."

"Not bad, it's getting quite creepy, but unnecessary."

"What's going on here? Did you sense anything, Uncle Hao?"

"Uncle Hao: No idea. Just as I entered this room, the system suddenly prompted a Sanity Check, and my sanity started plummeting. Then, I saw a mist."

"Mist?"

"Uncle Hao: Yeah, there seemed to be something else, but I can't recall specifics. In that instant, an overwhelming fear and despair struck me. I suddenly couldn't bear staying in this world, so I looked towards the corner of the desk..."

"Hey, you actually felt it back then? I thought it was like before, where players' senses were completely blocked."

"Hsu Huo: Yeah, I did, but I couldn't control myself. It's like being incredibly hungry and having a bowl of noodles placed in front of you; your mind is consumed by the desire to eat. That's how I was, with only the thought of hitting my head on the table corner."

"Well, this game is now heading down a path of no return when it comes to being marketable (sigh). Although it's great as a horror game, can it even have a public beta test anymore?"

In the Disobedient Citizen's live stream, they were still joking about the incident, while Black Cat, Druid, and Matcha Milk Green exchanged wary glances.

"Oh, I remember now. Didn't the man who led you guys say something like 'don't enter someone else's home without permission'? Could that be why Hsu Huo had an issue?"

"Hmm, that sounds strangely familiar."

Black Cat pondered if the instruction they received was different. Was it due to the different regions, or did the guide deliberately omit that information?

The Druid also caught on to this: "Seems like this world is indeed very dangerous. But it feels a bit like one of those paranormal theories online..."

"Oddity narratives," Black Cat whispered softly. "Do you recall Professor Alders' warning when he found out we were going to the Dream World?"

"There are certain areas with peculiar rules that we must adhere to," the Druid recalled, scratching his head. "Guess we've encountered it for real."

They were still eager to check on the state of other players' live streams, but right then, the chime of a bell echoed from outside.

It was time for bed.