Chapter 71: Werewolf Community 08

Chapter 71: Werewolf Community 08

The one who pushed the door open was Song Tian.

Feeling dozens of pairs of eyes staring at him, Song Tian froze in place the moment he stepped into the activity room, unsure what to do.

"What's... what's going on?" Song Tian asked cautiously.

All the players had the same thought:

Could it be him?

Only now did they realize that Song Tian hadn't returned to the Activity Center with them.

Upon seeing that Song Tian was alive and well, the girl with twin braids relaxed, her delicate face relieved.

Cui Ran, on the other hand, quickly approached Song Tian.

"You're okay! That's such a relief!" Cui Ran grabbed Song Tian's hand. "When you suddenly disappeared, we were all terrified!"

Song Tian tried to pull away, but his hand remained clasped, a hint of pink rising to his ears.

Twin Braids stood in the meeting room, watching the scene through the glass door with disdainful disdain.

She had been right all along. This Cui Ran was definitely no good.

Cui Ran's claim of "suddenly disappearing" might have sounded like concern for Song Tian at first, but it actually distanced himself completely from the matter of Song Tian's disappearance.

Putting aside the possibility that Song Tian's disappearance was entirely his own doing, Cui Ran's deliberate attempt to conceal the news was already suspicious enough.

Twin Braids pondered this, but she had no intention of warning Song Tian. Instead, she bent down to continue helping Xue Jiqing pack.

Outside the meeting room, players had surrounded Song Tian.

The Spiky-haired Man looked at Song Tian doubtfully, "Was it you who added those three points for Team Red just now?"

He found it hard to believe that this naive new recruit could possess such abilities.

Song Tian blinked, lost in confusion.

In the contest, there were no system notifications for identifying or eliminating ghosts; only when a player successfully completed their mission would their score silently increase on the attribute panel.

Therefore, Song Tian was still rather confused at the moment.

He had just entered the dungeon today and wasn't familiar with the attribute panel, so he hadn't thought to check it.

Upon hearing Rebellious Hair's remark, he finally realized what had happened: "Oh, I think... it should be me!"

Rebellious Hair's expression soured. "What do you mean 'should be'?"

It was either yes or no—there was nothing vague about it!

Song Tian explained, "It all happened so quickly, it feels like a dream."

It was hard for Song Tian to believe that encountering and capturing ghosts could be so effortless.

The players' eyes shone like bulbs, fixed intently on Song Tian's face.

Cui Ran's smile deepened as he patted Song Tian's hand. "Don't panic. Just tell everyone in detail what happened just now."

Song Tian nodded and recounted the events in detail.

"Back at the central square, didn't Sister Ran tell us to split up and search for clues separately?" Song Tian said.

At that time, he had noticed a few residents sitting under a pavilion in a corner of the square and intended to approach them for information. However, his leg was bumped by a child.

"Uncle, my ball fell inside, can you help me get it back?"

It was a plump, fair-skinned boy who appeared to be no more than four or five years old.

Although Song Tian had never entered a dungeon before, he had played games.

In role-playing games, NPCs that suddenly approached players like this usually had quests for them.

Song Tian promptly agreed and followed the direction the little boy pointed.

"That was a kindergarten," Song Tian recalled.

Immediately, another player chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! There's a kindergarten next to the square, I remember too!"

"But the kindergarten was locked. How did you get in?"

The kindergarten was a large structure, prominently situated within the community. More than one group of players had attempted to exploit it.

However, upon realizing that the kindergarten's doors were inaccessible, everyone had given up.

After all, this was a world governed by rules. Until those rules were clear, most players dared not engage in any reckless actions.

Song Tian blinked in confusion. "Was the kindergarten locked? I didn't notice."

In truth, Song Tian didn't fully comprehend what the rules entailed. Guided by the little boy to the kindergarten, he noticed the absence of spikes on top of the fence and simply vaulted over it.

All the players: "...."

They could only comment on his luck.

"After entering, I indeed saw a blue ball bouncing not far away."

Upon reflection, the situation at that time seemed rather peculiar.

From the moment he was pulled into the kindergarten by the child to the time he climbed over the fence, at least two or three minutes had passed.

Even if a super bouncy ball had been thrown into the kindergarten, it should have come to a stop by then.

But Song Tian's mind was muddled, as if he was under some kind of spell. Unconsciously, his entire focus was drawn to the ball.

"That ball kept rolling forward. By the time I finally picked it up, I found myself in the first-floor hall of the kindergarten."

The kindergarten was not illuminated, and while there was sunlight filtering in from outside, the indoor environment remained dim.

The little boy who had asked Song Tian to pick up the ball suddenly appeared a few meters in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Damn it!" Song Tian was startled by the child. "How are you like a ghost, walking without making a sound?"

It was this spontaneous complaint that landed Song Tian in the greatest crisis he had encountered since entering the instance.

"I heard a strange female voice speaking in my ear."

Song Tian Dao.

"She said, the identification was successful, and the ghost-hunting phase has begun."

"Mission this round: Find Little Sang's lost ball."

"Game location: Within the Werewolf Community Kindergarten."

The little boy still stood not far away, giving Song Tian a sinister smile.

Then, the ball in his hand vanished into thin air.

The kindergarten was still the same, yet it seemed transformed. The air suddenly turned chilly, the radiant golden sunlight losing its warmth. The windows on the walls were locked, yet the curtains moved without wind, casting eerie, twisting shadows on the floor.

Song Tian lifted his head, seeing a constantly changing digital countdown timer hovering above him in mid-air.

"Remaining time for the ghost-hunting phase: 15 minutes."

Ghost hunting.

Upon contemplating the rules of the instance dungeon, Song Tian finally realized that he had probably triggered a mission.

The system hadn't told him what would happen if he failed to catch the ghost, but relying on his instincts as a living person, Song Tian could already sense the consequences:

They were definitely not something he could bear.

He stepped forward to ask Xiaosang, but Xiaosang ignored him, merely staring at him with an eerie, silent smile. The expression frightened Song Tian half to death.

The countdown timer above his head reminded Song Tian that time was slipping away rapidly.

There was no more time to waste with Xiaosang. With no clues, Song Tian searched around like a headless chicken.

"I started by searching the main hall, then proceeded to check each room, starting from the nearest," Song Tian said.

He used the clumsiest method, but he believed it was the only way.

Actually, Song Tian hadn't noticed this detail.

That blue ball was not entirely an ordinary ball.

If his powers of observation were sharp enough, he would have discovered upon first picking it up that there was a thumb-sized pure white symbol printed on its surface.

The same symbol as the one drawn at the entrance of the kindergarten.

This ball didn't belong to Little Sang alone but to the kindergarten itself.

In a corner of the kindergarten's main hall, a flat evacuation map for fire and earthquake safety was posted, indicating the various zones and pathways within the facility.

If Qin Fei, Xue Jiqing, Butterfly, or any of the other remaining players had triggered this mission, they would have connected these two pieces of information almost instantly.

They would have rushed to the kindergarten's toy storage room, where the balls were kept, and easily located the blue ball that stood out from the sea of red ones.

Unfortunately, the person who stumbled upon the mission by chance was Song Tian.

Not a single detail escaped him.

From the beginning to the end of the game, he had been single-mindedly searching.

Fortunately, he was quick enough to locate the mission item before the countdown ended.

"And then?"

What happened after the mission was completed?

An impatient player couldn't resist asking.

Song Tian explained, "And then? There was nothing after that."

"Thirty seconds before the countdown ended, I found the ball in the playroom. Then, I rushed back to the hall at breakneck speed and stuffed it into Xiao Sang's hands."

Xiao Sang had touched the ball just moments ago.

But this time, when he took hold of the ball, it was as if he'd grabbed a piece of coal freshly withdrawn from a furnace, still smoldering but not yet extinguished.

Boy Xiao Sang let out a shrill and pained cry, his voice sharp and mournful.

Following that, under Song Tian's horrified gaze, his once vibrant body began to slowly flatten and thin, becoming as thin as a sheet of paper.

Then, it started vanishing from one corner, as if an invisible, raging fire was devouring his form.

"After that, I noticed the kindergarten seemed to have returned to normal, so I climbed back over the fence."

Upon returning to the square, Cui Ran and the others had already vanished without a trace.

He circled the area but didn't encounter any other players, so he made his way back to the activity center on his own.

Lin Ye, Ghost Fire, and San Tu stood at the edge of the crowd, silently listening to Song Tian finish his story before exchanging glances.

Now it seemed Qin Fei's earlier analysis had indeed been correct.

From what Song Tian had described, the truth aligned perfectly with Qin Fei's second hypothetical scenario:

Players couldn't simply identify a ghost, for doing so would immediately initiate the second phase of "killing the ghost."

Amidst the astonishment of everyone, Xue Jiqing exited the conference room while Song Tian was recounting his experiences. The players outside the room instinctively cleared a path for him, leading him to the middle row, closest to Song Tian.

"What happens after completing the mission?"

As an experienced player of B-rank, Xue Qijing's instance dungeon experience vastly surpassed Song Tian's, rendering their levels incomparable. What he focused on was precisely a crucial point.

"The system has clearly indicated in its rules that there is a hidden secret behind the werewolf community."

Xue Qijin explained to Song Tian.

"Such secrets can only be unraveled bit by bit as we carry out our ghost-hunting missions," he translated.

"So, after completing the mission, did you receive any hints from the system or the surrounding environment?"

Observing Song Tian's perplexed expression, Xue Jiqing remained calm and patient, guiding him further.

"Or, while on the mission at the kindergarten, did you notice anything unusual?"

Song Tian shook his head repeatedly.

As he rocked back and forth, something suddenly seemed to dawn on him.

"After I retrieved the ball and handed it over to Little Sang, he did seem to say something to me," Song Tian recalled with his mouth slightly ajar.

The temperature inside the Activity Center seemed to rise, and the players looked at Song Tian as if he were a prized pastry.

Unfortunately, this delectable pastry quickly spoiled on its own.

"But he vanished so quickly that I couldn't quite make out what he said," Song Tian admitted.

Xue Qijī was taken aback, a rare stiffness appearing on his usually genial face, in addition to his gentle smile.

"So... you can't remember anything at all, even after thinking carefully?" Xue Qijī asked.

"Even just half a sentence or a few words would do," he added.

Song Tian shook his head. "No, I really can't recall."

Xue Qijī found it hard to believe. Could this newcomer be deliberately hiding something?

He scrutinized the depths of Song Tian's eyes but found them increasingly genuine with each passing moment.

Xue Qijī let out a sigh.

"Alright then. When you were completing missions in the kindergarten, did you come across any rules or something similar?"

Song Tian shook his head again. "I'm not sure, I didn't pay attention."

Lin Ye opened the bullet screen panel, and the floating comments in the air perfectly expressed his thoughts:

"F*ck me, I'm speechless. Is this newbie an idiot or what? —"

Lin Ye also sighed.

The other players' expressions weren't much better. Some turned away in silence, while others secretly glared at Song Tian.

Song Tian finally understood.

He must have done something wrong that made those experienced players look at him with disappointment bordering on frustration.

...Was it that serious?

Would they now dislike him to the point of avoiding him for the next few weeks, or even sabotaging him?

Song Tian felt a little scared.

Fortunately, there were Xue Qijiu and Cui Ran. They both patted Song Tian's shoulders, one from the left and the other from the right, offering comforting gazes.

Only then did Song Tian feel slightly better.

Overall, despite some shortcomings, Song Tian had indeed provided the players with crucial information:

Players didn't need concrete evidence to accuse a ghost as such.

Upon making an accusation, players would immediately proceed to the ghost-catching stage. However, the method of ghost-catching likely wasn't fixed, probably depending on each ghost's personality and history.

The mission Song Tian encountered was exceptionally easy, and the vast majority of players could complete it without issue.

Ren Ping, who had died in the breakfast stall this morning, had a higher live streaming level than Song Tian by two ranks but still failed to survive, dying in such a miserable state. It seemed that the ghost-hunting task at the breakfast stall was much more challenging than expected.

Assuming no surprises, no player would dare to risk their lives and try their luck at the breakfast stall again before the end of the dungeon or when the score froze.

In the Activity Center's hall, players whispered among themselves.

After a brief discussion, Xue Qijie and Cui Ran made a joint decision. "We're planning to check out the kindergarten again. Anyone wants to come with us?"

Xue Qijie raised his voice to ask.

Song Tian had completed the kindergarten mission but neglected to bring back an important clue, which frustrated Xue Qijie, making him feel like he had missed a chance to uncover a hidden mission.

"Why are we going back to the kindergarten?" Song Tian asked naively.

He had accidentally completed the mission and helped the Red Team secure three points. When the system settled the dungeon scores after 15 days, he would undoubtedly reap considerable benefits from it.

Despite Song Tian having no clue about this, his combination of good luck and poor skills had already provoked jealousy from quite a few players.

Seeing this idiot speak was annoying.

Several players turned their heads away.

Only Xue Qijie remained consistently patient throughout.

"There are many children in the kindergarten, one of whom has a mission, and perhaps the others do too," Xue Qijie patiently explained to the newcomers without showing any signs of impatience.

"Also, Xiao Sang lives in this community, but we have no idea which family he belongs to or what has happened to him."

"If you want to find out more, you might gain some clues by searching for items like class registers in the kindergarten."

Song Tian finally understood.

Xue Qijie's words weren't just aimed at Song Tian. After he finished speaking, there was a brief moment of silence in the activity center.

Then...

"I want to go with you."

"I'll come too, count me in!"

More and more players decided on the kindergarten as their destination for the afternoon.

Humans have a tendency to follow the crowd; seeing others go, one can't help but feel a desire to join in.

After all, if something good happens and you're not there, how could you share in the benefits?

And if something bad occurs, with so many people together, it's less likely to become a major issue.

Moreover, based on Song Tian's explanation, the players believed that the tasks hidden within the kindergarten were likely of a similar level.

They shouldn't be too difficult to complete.

It would be foolish not to seize such an opportunity.

In the end, almost half of the players chose to accompany Xue Jiqing to the kindergarten, forming a sizeable group as they marched out of the activity center.

Xue Qimai's team had grown so large that it was almost bloated. This makeshift group lacked the necessary rapport and trust, yet they were bound together, advancing and retreating as one. Any experienced leader would recognize this as an unwise decision. A larger team isn't necessarily better. However, Xue Qimai seemed oblivious, strolling along with a cheerful smile on his face in the midst of the group. Song Tian and the girl with twin braids followed a bit behind. Gazing at Cui Ran's back from a distance, Song Tian sincerely exclaimed to the girl, "If not for Uncle Xue and Sister Ran, we'd be lost in this godforsaken place like headless flies, bound to run into trouble." He glanced at the other players. "They don't want to bother with us newbies." The girl with twin braids fell silent upon hearing this. "...” They're not ignoring all the newbies, just you. After all, they were all newbies, and out of kindness, the girl couldn't help but offer a word of caution. "I think it's best if you're more cautious."

Song Tian was puzzled. "What?"

The girl with twin braids nodded her chin at Cui Ran's departing figure.

Song Tian froze for a moment, seemingly not grasping the girl's intention.

After a brief moment, he finally caught on.

He didn't ask the girl with twin braids what she really meant.

Nor did he express gratitude for her reminder.

A flush of embarrassment and annoyance appeared on his square face, as if what the girl had said was some sort of blasphemy.

"How could you say that?" Song Tian seemed to want to scold her but wasn't quite skilled in doing so. After hesitating for a while, he managed to spit out a harmless retort, "You're such a pessimistic person!"

The girl with twin braids inwardly cursed her luck.

Fool, no wonder others would scheme against him.

And she was a fool too, for engaging in conversation with such a person.

Why bother talking to someone like him? It would be better to just let him be; she wasn't destined to be a savior.

The girl with twin braids didn't bother to say another word. She flicked her hair and refused to give Song Tian another glance.

...

It was two o'clock in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day.

Throughout their journey, the players had encountered barely any non-player characters (NPCs).

Presumably, the residents of the neighborhood had retreated to their homes to escape the scorching heat.

By the time they reached the kindergarten entrance, everyone was drenched in sweat.

A player offered a pack of tissues to Xia Jiqing, who took one to wipe her forehead before distributing the rest to her companions.

The kindergarten gate was a common, waist-high iron sliding fence, which separated the spacious outdoor play area from the outside world.

This fence blocked the entrance firmly.

It wouldn't be difficult to climb over, but for safety's sake, Xue Jiqing asked Song Tian, "Where did you climb the wall to get in at noon?"

Song Tian led the group around to the side of the kindergarten.

There was a small door here that Song Tian hadn't noticed at all during his noon visit.

Xue Jiqing tried pushing it and found it locked.

Xue Jiqing said, "Let's take a look inside."

After he spoke, there was no reaction from the crowd.

Although Song Tian had already demonstrated that climbing the wall was feasible, people were still hesitant.

Back then was then, now is now.

Amidst the varied thoughts, Cui Ran patted Song Tian on the shoulder. "That wall looks pretty high. How did you manage to climb over it during lunchtime?"

Cui Ran was very close to Song Tian, and the faint fragrance of soapberry lingered around him, wafting into Song Tian's nostrils.

Feeling the pressure on his shoulder, Song Tian's ears turned slightly red.

Without saying a word, he stepped forward. "I'll show you."

He happily scrambled up the wall.

From the way he skillfully mounted and smoothly landed, it seemed that scaling this wall wasn't particularly perilous.

However—

Something unexpected seemed to have occurred, as a puzzled grunt came from the other side of the wall.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, a woman shrieked, "Who the hell are you?!"

Then, Song Tian's voice followed, "Oh, sorry, sorry, I-I-I..."

The players outside the fence were startled.

What had happened?

Since Song Tian could still engage in conversation with those inside, it seemed that he hadn't encountered a life-threatening crisis.

Afraid that this lucky newbie might trigger another quest, the previously hesitant players suddenly swarmed forward.

Some had already climbed over the wall, while others pushed from behind.

Just then, the small door beside them creaked open.

Someone walked out from inside.

He was still wearing that familiar blue and white school uniform, but now had an apron on, rubber shoes on his feet, and carried a flower spade and bucket in gloved hands.

He looked every bit the part of a gardener.

Beside him was a young woman dressed in a colorful, eye-catching outfit with a name tag pinned to her chest:

"Werewolf Community Kindergarten - Teacher An An"

Somewhat farther behind them, Song Tian stood there with his head drooping.

Qin Fei's expression was stern, and upon seeing him, Xue Qimai rushed over immediately: "Student Wang Mingming..."

But Qin Fei ignored him.

He strode out the door, raised the flower spade in his hand, and fiercely knocked on the fence, the dull thud sending shivers down the spines of all the players.

"What are you doing?!"

Qin Fei's handsome face wore an unmasked displeasure, a stark contrast to his polite and amiable demeanor earlier that morning.

His slightly softer features seemed to be overlaid with a layer of frost, his amber eyes devoid of warmth as they swept across the crowd, causing an uncontrollable tremor in the hearts of those who met his gaze.

"No unauthorized wall-climbing within the community!" he admonished.

Upon hearing this, the players perched on the wall immediately wore expressions of sheer terror.

It's over!

Oh no, it's really over now!

Caught red-handed while stealing chickens and touching dogs by the NPCs.

The NPCs appear extremely enraged; they're surely bound to face severe punishment for this!!