Chapter 234

Chapter 234

The Blue-uniforms were tempted to simply open the gates and let them in, but, mindful of their duty, they held back their urgency and interrogated them to verify if they were members of the Crow Messengers.

Following the previous incident, the people of Blackrock Town had grown to hate the Crow Messengers with a passion. They had exposed the truth, leading the town's residents down a dark path. Using their remaining communication channels, Blackrock Town warned other settlements of the Perfects about the Crow Messengers, urging them to be on high alert against the organization.

Of course, this time, Black Cat and the others had brought propaganda posters with them. These intricately printed industrial paper flyers were a signature of the Investigators' organization. After inspecting them, the Blue-uniforms allowed them entry and even warmly recommended places for them to hold their speeches.

Black Cat, however, was not in a rush. Instead, he first inquired with the Blue-uniforms about the current situation in Blackrock Town. Many had died after their last escape, and with the revelation of the priest's truth, it was likely that more deadly rules had emerged.

The blue-uniformed ones were unaware that the Black Cats were the outsiders who had perished in the church earlier. Upon hearing their question, they all wore expressions of unease and concern, fearing that the investigators might be hesitant to include them due to the unresolved rules. Yet, they couldn't conceal the truth, so they could only speak honestly.

"The situation in the town... It's dire, to say the least. People are dying every day. Three days ago, the residents started staying indoors, but still, some lose their lives within their homes," the man in the blue uniform said with a grim expression. "No one knows why this is happening. The authorities are at their wits' end, yet they can't find a solution. There's no hope left here. Please, let us join you, let us go to this new world!"

The locals pleaded incessantly, and Matcha Latte also hadn't anticipated the situation to escalate so severely. The trio exchanged glances, and the Druid spoke, "The voyage to the New World isn't prepared yet; it will take at least a month."

Primarily, they had to visit every gathering place of the Perfects and persuade them to join the human camp. Even with Best and Lane's assistance, this wouldn't be an easy task. A timeframe of over a month was merely a preliminary estimate; it wouldn't be surprising if it took three months or even half a year.

According to the projections of the divine entity known as the Great One among mortals, while players' promotional tactics would be akin to a form of dimensional conquest in Dreamworld's backward society, there would come a threshold – roughly when 40% of the population has been absorbed – where the pace would begin to slow. This is because by then, the more astute among the Completes would likely catch on and demand tangible evidence, such as seeing the ship for themselves. The remaining 10% would prove to be the most challenging group to convince.

In short, persuading the majority of the Perfect Humans to stand on humanity's side was no easy task.

The blue-uniformed men's eyes dimmed upon hearing this. Over a month? They might not even last two weeks. Tomorrow could be their doomsday.

Matcha Milk Green hurriedly consoled, "But it doesn't matter. Our purpose in coming here is precisely this... If possible, please provide us with detailed information about the people who have died in the past few days."

...

"There have been six additional deaths recently, and all of them occurred at home."

In the meeting room, Bernie and Clement, along with the remaining short and plump man, were grim-faced as they discussed the casualties among the residents.

Integrating the rules had never been an easy feat, especially with Cornelia lying severely injured in bed. Their authority, combined with the incident involving the priest, had significantly undermined the residents' trust in the decision-makers. Now, few were willing to test the rules under their command.

Everyone knew that the town was teetering on the edge of a precipice. In this hopeless and futureless world, the old rhetoric about sacrificing for the town's future no longer held sway. Moreover, none of them possessed the intelligence of Cornelia. No one was willing to risk their lives unnecessarily.

"Guys... Is there any way out of this now?" Bernie managed to ask, looking earnestly at Clement and the short, plump man.

Neither of them replied. In truth, none of the three present were fools; they knew how to break the deadlock. The issue at hand was the residents' lack of trust in the decision-makers due to the priest's incident. If they could uncover new rules, the current awkward situation would naturally resolve itself.

But the issue lies precisely here...

In front of Bernie's gaze, the plump man and Clement shifted their eyes, instinctively lowering their heads.

Testing the rules required sacrificing lives. To discover new rules, one had to find one, two, or even multiple 'willing' residents to experiment with, and most often, their fate would be death.

But now, no one trusted them anymore, so no one was willing to test, resulting in no data being gathered.

Unless one of them was willing to step forward... Even if the outcome was only a vague understanding of the rule, the sacrifice might earn some sympathy points.

But they were not willing to truly risk their lives...

Clement didn't need any further mention; he had long been eyeing the leaves players used to cover their bodies, hoping to obtain them to leave this town and seek alternative means of survival. The plump man held similar thoughts. In short, they weren't willing to bet their lives on this sinking ship and had already started considering other options.

Seeing their reactions, disappointment flashed deeply in Bernie's eyes. Before he could say anything, a faint cough echoed from outside the door.

The door opened, and Cornelia was wheeled in.

"Mrs. Cornelia?"

"Bernie, how did you find me?" Bernie quickly stood up, looking at the woman in the wheelchair.

During the explosion triggered by the priest incident, Black Cat and the Druids had shielded Cornelia with their bodies. It wasn't because they particularly liked this NPC; rather, players couldn't die, and Cornelia had been of great help to them. It was just an instinctive act.

Although Cornelia survived the explosion, she was severely injured and bedridden, her life only barely preserved with the aid of various precious magical potions. Now, she was still wrapped in bandages all over.

"How is the situation now?" Cornelia asked in a hoarse voice.

The blast had also damaged her vocal cords, altering her once clear and melodious voice to sound as if it carried sand.

"It's... not good," Bernie admitted, unable to lie to Cornelia. He hung his head, saying, "I'm sorry. You entrusted me with the responsibility."

Cornelia sighed. "Tell me about the current state of affairs."

"Alright," Bernie hurriedly recited the number of deaths in the town over the past few days and the current atmosphere of fear. Cornelia's breathing quickened as she listened, and the person pushing her wheelchair whispered a gentle reminder, "You're not well. Please don't distress yourself too much."

"I'm fine," Cornelia panted, then persisted, "Continue."

Bernie found himself in a dilemma. He sifted through the latest information and chose a milder one to share. "By the way, the patrol just reported that a group called 'Investigators' have also sent people into our town. They're likely to propagate their message here too."

Cornelia was vaguely familiar with the Investigator organization and their "Ark" plan. However, unlike the excited residents, Cornelia immediately noticed the oddity in their approach. If this so-called "Ark Plan" were real and feasible, that would be one thing. But if it were false...

Well, it was merely purchasing hope at an exorbitant price.

Cornelia smiled bitterly. "Let them be."

In the past, Cornelia would never have allowed such a baffling organization to deceive the residents of Blackrock Town. But circumstances had changed.

Hope – perhaps it was the most precious and elusive commodity now. Even if it came at a cost, it was better than having no hope at all. For Blackrock Town, losing all hope was the most terrifying prospect.

Before Cornelia could delve further, the door to the meeting room suddenly knocked. Bernie allowed entry, and in came a patrol officer in a blue uniform.

"What's going on? Is there a problem in the town?" Bernie asked with concern.

The patrol officer shook his head strangely, only saying, "It's those three investigators who just arrived."

"What about them?" Cornelia looked over.

"Well, they claim they want to contribute to understanding the new rules and have requested information on the deceased who have fallen victim to these unknown rules thus far."

At this remark, Bernie and the others' expressions turned peculiar.

What did that mean? Summarizing the rules?

To be honest, while the common folk viewed the Investigators as their last hope, those in the decision-making circle didn't have a favorable opinion of the organization. After all, they were the most astute individuals, easily seeing through the players' manipulative rhetoric and the risks involved in their plan.

Traversing dimensions to an unknown new world was no simple task. If it were that easy, the vast Dream World wouldn't be filled with people sitting idly by, awaiting death.

However, they lacked the energy to manage these individuals, so they simply let them be.

...So, what were they up to now?

Another attempt to win over public support? Or did they have other intentions?

Bernie exchanged a glance with Cornelia, deciding to observe what these individuals intended to do.