Chapter 89: Werewolf Community 26

Chapter 89: Werewolf Community 26

A figure dashed out from behind the bushes.

The beam of light falling on her face drew closer and became increasingly blinding, leaving Grandma Yu's vision a stark white, unable to make out anything.

The footsteps stopped, as if the person had stood right in front of her.

Grandma Yu heard that voice again, asking closely, "Granny, did you see a thief?"

Grandma Yu: "..."

Not receiving an answer, the owner of the voice began to describe the person:

"A tall man with a nasty expression, wearing a robe, oh, there seems to be a butterfly pattern on it."

Qin Fei effortlessly threw the blame onto Butterfly, who was in another building far away.

After enduring for a moment, Grandma Yu barely managed to regain her voice:

"I didn't see anything, and besides."

"Can, can you please, move the flashlight away from my face??"

Her eyes were about to be blinded!

"Ahh! I'm sorry!" Qin Fei seemed to have just snapped out of his trance and apologetically shifted the flashlight away.

Granny Yu finally got a clear look at the person before her.

The sky was already turning dark, with the moon ascending to the center of the firmament.

A silver glow from the moon illuminated the path, casting a gentle halo around the young man's features.

His bright amber eyes were no less captivating than the scattered stars in the night sky. The moonlight and his beauty blended seamlessly, making him alluring from every angle.

—If this handsome man hadn't just dazzled her with the flashlight, Granny Yu would surely have taken a greater liking to him.

Feeling displeased, Granny Yu's wrinkled eyelids drooped, and she glared at Qin Fei with a dark expression. "What did you say about catching a thief?"

Qin Fei: "Earlier today, I received complaints from neighborhood residents that several households have had items stolen."

"As I was patrolling just now, I saw him crawl out of a window on the first floor of that building right there."

Qin Fei lied without blinking, his tone resolute and earnest as if he were giving a speech: "He was running hastily in this direction!"

Auntie Yu indeed turned pale with fright upon hearing this: "What?!"

Her garbage station's door was open. Could it be that the thief in the butterfly-print clothing had also stolen from there?

Where did this damn thief come from, to not even spare a garbage station?

Taking advantage of Auntie Yu's confusion, Qin Fei surreptitiously sized up the tricycle garbage cart behind her.

It was piled high with junk.

Plastic bottles, soda cans, cardboard, and plastic bags filled with household waste were stacked like a small mountain, attracting a few mosquitoes in the sweltering summer heat, buzzing around incessantly.

Qin Fei's gaze swept over the heap of trash, and when his eyes landed on a particular item, his pupils constricted abruptly.

The young man's expression remained unchanged, but the smile on his lips deepened slightly:

"What? Even the garbage station was robbed? What should we do now, Grandma? You'd better go and have a look."

Granny Yu rushed to the garbage station in a fluster.

Soon, an elderly voice echoed from within:

"My notebook!!!"

At the same time, Qin Fei moved with lightning speed and agility, taking two big strides forward. With a clear objective, he snatched an item from the tricycle cart and dashed off like a hare.

As he ran, he shouted loudly:

"Huh?? Hey, stop, you thief! What did you take from Grandma's garbage cart?"

"Don't run away!!!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Granny Yu hurriedly rushed out again.

By the time she returned to her tricycle, Qin Fei was long gone.

She soon discovered that the items on the tricycle were also missing.

"Damn butterfly thief!!!"

The old lady's furious howl echoed throughout the neighborhood.

She climbed back onto her tricycle and pedaled vigorously into the distance.

From the unmasked anger in her eyes, there was a high chance she was going after the butterfly thief.

The five people hiding behind a nearby building had just witnessed a spectacle for free, and they were collectively speechless.

Well, it was one thing to cry wolf, but quite another to steal while doing so, all while duping the other party completely.

Should they even present her with a banner of gratitude???

There were even butterflies.

He'd better pray for good luck and not be seen by Grandma Yu again.

After all, his features were too distinctive; it was impossible not to recognize him once spotted.

Watching as Lin Ye's lips twitched in what seemed like a lesson learned, Mi Yang couldn't help but kindly warn him:

"Don't try to mimic your princess's behavior. His approach to these instances..."

Mi Yang looked as if he had swallowed a fly, gritting his teeth, "Only he can pull it off."

Mi Yang hadn't figured out Qin Fei's innate ability just yet.

But he had noticed that Qin Fei had an entirely different aura when interacting with instance NPCs compared to other players.

Not everyone could convince NPCs like Qin Fei did.

If any other player were standing before Grandma Yu today, replicating Princess Feifei's actions would most likely result in being unceremoniously scooped away by her shovel.

As the old lady's figure vanished around a distant corner, Qin Fei, unexpectedly, reappeared behind the group after circling around.

"I've stolen something. Take a look."

The young man's smile was warm and amiable, yet the words that came out of his mouth were in stark contrast to his demeanor.

He placed a dark, mysterious object in the empty space among them.

"A jar!" Phantom Fire whispered in a startled squeak.

The half-missing jar from the South Gate landfill now stood before them.

Qin Fei sealed it tightly with its lid, fitting perfectly into place.

In the instant the jar was whole again, the system notification sounded once more.

"Congratulations, player, for successfully finding the mission item: Altar (1/6)."

"Congratulations, player, for triggering a sub-quest involving items - Destabilize the Altar."

"Mission Description: To the wicked altar, smash it without hesitation! May malevolent spirits no longer plague this world!"

(Ps. Be sure to gather the altar fragments; you wouldn't want to return here later to search for them, would you?)

This additional hint made it clear that the altar shards would play a role in future missions.

Tao Zheng began to grasp the situation: "The release of the evil deity on the 15th of July requires forty-four souls, six altars, and one copper mirror. The ghosts players have been capturing in the community were intended by Aunt Yu as offerings to the evil deity."

"Now, with insufficient souls, the ritual cannot proceed normally on the 15th. But even if it doesn't happen this time, there will be another chance."

As long as the source wasn't eliminated, the werewolf community could never find peace.

"The altars and the copper mirror are likely objects of a higher rank than the souls."

Especially the copper mirror – there was only one, and it clearly held great significance.

Tao Zheng suspected that after they found and destroyed all six altars, their next step would be to destroy the copper mirror.

The altar fragments might very well be crucial components for obtaining the "copper mirror" artifact.

Destruction of the altar and the bronze mirror would sever the connection between the evil deity and this world.

The evil deity would no longer be able to manifest itself in reality.

Tao Zheng said, intending to pick up the altar for a closer inspection.

But as he cupped it with both hands, he suddenly froze.

"What's going on?" Tao Zheng's eyes widened in surprise.

He tugged at it with all his might, but the object remained firmly rooted to the ground.

The altar was immovable.

"Holy shit?" Phantom Flame hurried forward and pushed a few times. "It really won't budge!"

Perhaps it was because the players had accepted the quest, or perhaps it was due to them closing the lid.

In any case, the altar was now fused tightly to the ground.

However, this wasn't a big deal since players were supposed to destroy it anyway.

Tao Zheng took out a large iron hammer from his personal space as if presenting a treasure, handing it to Qin Fei. "Use this."

Now, Lin Ye and the others looked at Tao Zheng like he was Doraemon, always expecting more treasures to come out of his space.

Qin Fei weighed the massive hammer in his hand, lifted it, and smashed it fiercely into the ground!

With a loud "crack," the jar on the ground shattered into countless pieces.

Lin Ye's face lit up with joy. "We did it!"

He had been worried that they might need some special item to break it, but it turned out to be unexpectedly easy.

Tao Zheng then produced another bag, and the group crouched down to gather the fragments of the altar.

Qin Fei, however, felt that something was amiss.

He looked up at the sky.

Sounds reverberated from all directions.

The sky darkened swiftly, with black clouds covering the heavens as if rumbling thunder was hidden behind them. An eerie chill suddenly permeated the air.

This vaguely familiar atmosphere caused Qin Fei's gaze to turn cold abruptly.

Mi Yang also wore an unfriendly expression, listening attentively with his ear tilted. His face grew increasingly grim. "Listen carefully, can you hear something…?"

Lin Ye and the others had already picked up all the fragments on the ground, their faces revealing a hint of confusion. "What sound… Holy sh*t!"

Lin Ye jumped up on the spot!

He didn't hear anything, but he saw it.

It was like a nightmare from the previous night being replicated.

Not far away, an endless horde of monsters was charging straight toward them!

...

In Building 12, on the fourth floor, in Room 404.

Butterfly stood at the entrance of the small black room on the second floor, his brows tightly knitted as the putrid smell assaulted his senses.

"Haven't you found it yet?"

Butterfly prompted with a cold voice.

Inside the house, several puppets were energetically rummaging through an endless pile of severed limbs and broken bodies.

They had discovered something amiss about this household half an hour ago.

The paint on the door was too bright, as if it had just been freshly applied.

A light touch revealed that it was still slightly damp.

With a firm scrape, the original dark red color beneath was revealed.

The puppet who discovered the issue was ecstatic!

It was a disguised, red door.

The room number was still eerily 404.

This matched the clue from the ghost-catching mission perfectly!

Fortunately, Qin Fei happened to be tired and stopped for a moment to rest at this house's entrance.

Otherwise, with their usual search pace, they might have overlooked this clue right under their noses.

The puppet hurried downstairs to report to Butterfly, who promptly gathered the other scattered puppets. Together, they brazenly entered the house.

Qin Fei had already removed the rules posted at the entrance of Room 404 and hidden them away the previous day.

When Butterfly and the others entered the house, they found no signs of anything unusual.

The house was deserted. Apart from the living room, dining area, kitchen, and bathrooms on the first floor, all the bedrooms and study rooms were locked.

"One cannot gain entry."

A puppet tried the locks and reported back, its expression devoid of emotion.

Butterfly nodded indifferently and proceeded upstairs.

The second floor was dimly lit.

Upon ascending the steps, a few seasoned puppets detected something amiss in the air. There was an elusive scent of blood that made them both tense and exhilarated.

When the small, dark room concealing the fragmented corpses came into view, the excitement in the players' eyes could no longer be concealed!

This must be it, right?

It had to be!

This place was eerily peculiar, with countless corpses that undoubtedly linked to the frequent ghostly incidents in the werewolf community!

However, everyone was perplexed.

They had clearly arrived at the designated spot, so why hadn't they received any prompts for hidden missions?

Butterfly stood outside the door, casting a downward glance as it instructed the puppets, "Go in and search thoroughly. Don't overlook even an inch of the area."

The nature of the hidden mission was unclear; perhaps they had yet to encounter the item that would officially trigger it.

Once the hidden mission was activated and completed, this R-rated contest would come to an end.

The puppets were brimming with energy!

With unwavering faith, they were convinced that within ten minutes, they would turn this tiny room upside down.

Yet, as time ticked by, the diligent puppets inside the room continued to find nothing.

At the entrance, impatience was etched on Butterfly's face.

Before he could issue his third reminder, the puppet guarding downstairs and keeping watch let out a startled cry.

"Aah! Y-you...!"

Butterfly abruptly turned and headed downstairs.

The front door on the first floor remained firmly shut, and the closed doors of several rooms were still untouched.

In the living room, the puppet player was staring in terror at the two NPCs who had suddenly appeared before him.

It was a middle-aged couple, dressed in identical loungewear, giving off the vibe of a married pair.

The two NPCs wore smiles on their faces, standing with their hands hanging by their sides, seemingly amiable at first glance.

Upon closer inspection, their smiles appeared unnaturally rigid. Their dark pupils were fixed intently on the player's face, and not a hint of chest or neck movement could be detected as they breathed.

...They seemed like two corpses.

A chill ran down the puppet player's spine, and he slowly wrapped himself up in defense.

He took a terrified step back, then another.

But the next moment, he found himself completely immobile.

"Bu... Bu-tterfly... Lord Butterfly..."

The puppet player's teeth chattered in fear.

With the only part of his body he could still control, his neck, he turned his head to look behind him.

Butterfly didn't spare him a glance. Instead, the lips moved slightly, as if whispering something.

Suddenly, the light in the player's eyes dimmed.

His gaze turned blank and dull, his expression as rigid as the two NPCs standing before him.

As if pushed from behind in mid-air, he stumbled forward a few steps zombie-like.

In a daze, he began to speak:

"Hello there!"

Butterfly, much like Yami Sheep, was also one of the star players in the Rule-bound World.

As a top-ranked control-style player, they had always enjoyed an immense fanbase.

Viewers in Butterfly's live stream were going wild over the slightest gestures and movements of their lord.

"Ahhhh, so cool! So very cool, oh my, has their control improved even more?!"

"To be able to manipulate even the lowest-tier puppets with such ease."

"Our lord is truly incredible!"

Throughout it all, Butterfly's live stream had consistently boasted the highest viewer count among all players.

However, this time was different.

In the A-level live broadcast hall, in front of Butterfly's screen.

Amidst the applause, a few cold snorts suddenly echoed.

"Laughable, just blindly praising, huh?"

Immediately, dozens of eyes sharply turned towards the direction where the sound came from.

"Take a closer look at them, then."

More and more spirits chimed in with their mocking remarks.

"Exactly."

"You can only say that confidence shouldn't be overly excessive in the instances."

...

In the live broadcast, Wang Mingming's parents were looking at the two figures in front of them with peculiar expressions.

They first cast a distant glance at the butterfly.

As the closer puppet player spoke, they redirected their gaze, focusing entirely on the puppet before them, ignoring the butterfly behind them as if it didn't exist.

"The butterfly whispers, 'Ask them what the rooms on the second floor are used for.'"

"May I ask... what is the purpose of the... rooms on the—second floor?" The puppet player spoke slowly, like a puppet on strings.

"In what way?" The two NPCs in front of the puppet stood rigidly, their emotions indiscernible.

Instead of immediately answering the puppet's question, they studied its attire for a moment.

After a long pause, one of them suddenly asked, "Are you a traveling group seeking lodging in the community?"

It was an unexpected question, leaving the puppet stunned in place.

Butterfly furrowed his brow.

There was a downside to controlling low-tier puppets—it lacked independent thought and required him to manipulate every move behind the scenes.

Butterfly's gaze darkened, and his thin lips pressed together even tighter. He raised his hand again.

The puppet suddenly lifted its head and replied, "Yes!"

"Oh..."

The NPC's smile widened, stretching almost to his ears. A hint of madness lurked beneath his expressionless wooden face.

"Do... you know Wang Ming?"

This question was indeed rather peculiar.

If the players had searched on the first floor of 404 and obtained any clues about this family, this would have been a straightforward question.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

They hadn't.

Butterfly pondered for a moment and gave a relatively neutral response:

"Tell him we know Wang Mingming, but not well."

When the two NPCs mentioned the name "Wang Mingming," no significant emotional fluctuations could be detected on their faces.

Butterfly found it challenging to discern their feelings towards Wang Mingming based on their expressions.

In light of this uncertainty, it was safer to choose the most cautious answer.

The puppet obediently repeated Butterfly's words verbatim.

As soon as the words were spoken, the middle-aged couple opposite them suddenly broke into wide smiles.

A row of neat white teeth were bared in the air as they squeezed out a sentence between their teeth:

"Really? That's fantastic!"

The NPCs' reaction eased the tension in Butterfly's brows.

It seemed that his answer was correct.

But.

If Qin Fei or Tao Zheng were here, they would instantly understand the hidden meaning behind Wang Mingming's parents' smiles.

- They were currently thinking:

Fantastic, not our precious son's friend; we can turn them into playthings without worrying about hurting our son's feelings.

Unaware of the trouble they were in, the puppet players descended from upstairs, forming an orderly line behind Butterfly like obedient soldiers.

The vanguard puppet in front asked again:

"May I ask the purpose of that room on the second floor?"

All the players held their breath in anticipation.

However, Wang Mingming's parents still didn't directly answer the question.

They stared intently at the players, silent as death.

The atmosphere grew tense. As the players observed the eerie smiles on the NPCs' faces, goosebumps involuntarily rose on their arms.

Until the butterfly lifted its hand again.

The already trembling players nearly collapsed on the spot but were forcefully held upright by an unseen force:

"Is there... anything we can assist you with?"

His voice trembled as he spoke.

Wang Mingming's parents, upon hearing this, suddenly seemed to recall something.

They nodded vigorously.

...

At the central square of Building 12.

Though it was not yet completely dark, the community's residents had seemingly vanished, leaving only a series of footsteps echoing on the deserted roads. In the distance, a group of figures could be seen dashing towards them from behind.

Six players were in the lead, followed by a swarm of bizarrely shaped ghosts, about one or two meters behind them.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!"

As Ghost Fire ran, he shrieked, "Why hasn't ten minutes passed yet? Ahhhhh—"

He was thoroughly fed up with the endless pursuit battles in every instance!

The mission prompt had stated that the chase target would lock onto them within ten minutes. Afterward, the horde of ghosts would disperse, wandering around the community and capturing their individual targets separately.

There were only two minutes left on the countdown above their heads, and the ghosts behind them were running faster and faster. The players were sprinting as if their lives depended on it.

Mi Yang fell behind slightly and almost had his pants ripped off by a ghost behind him.

The ghost infant had somehow reappeared, its tiny green-skinned zombie form clinging to Qin Fei's back, hanging upside down with its head down. Its thin arms waved, and whenever a ghost approached, it slapped at them fiercely!

It didn't seem to have much strength, but to the ghosts, it was like being hit with a severe blow.

The attacked ghosts dodged, their twisted faces clearly revealing their fear.

Gradually, fewer and fewer ghosts approached Qin Fei.

Mi Yang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "The hell are you so capable? You made me tank in Building 14???"

Qin Fei felt no embarrassment at all.

The ghost infant couldn't fully obey his commands within the dungeon, so its effectiveness this time was purely a pleasant surprise.

With the reasonable use of Mi Yang in the haunted building, Qin Fei felt justified and confident.

"Stop the nonsense, hurry up and run."

Her Royal Highness the Princess glanced casually over Mianyang's shoulder, leaving him with an icy sensation on his backside.

He quickly reached to check, reassured to find his pants still in place.

Phew, that's a relief!

Meanwhile,

In a corridor on one of the floors of Building 12,

Puppet Number One was peering down from a window frame with both hands.

The sight before him turned his face pale, but then a glimmer of joy sparked in his eyes. "Master!"

"There are suddenly so many ghosts and monsters in the neighborhood – it must be because of the mission we triggered just now!"

He said proudly, convinced of his deduction.

Butterfly stood behind the puppet, not commenting on the matter.

In Room 404 just now, those two NPCs had given the players a mission.

To aid them in finding suitable prey within the community.

Though no system notification had been triggered, it was quite common to have missions without such prompts within dungeons.

Thus, Butterfly didn't find it suspicious.

In his right hand, he tossed something upward. Upon closer inspection, it was a red, heart-shaped gemstone.

Snap!

The man's fingers moved gently.

His slender and strong hand crushed the gem into pieces.

"Alignment shift successful."

A system voice, audible only to him, whispered gently in his ear like a butterfly's wings.

"Player Butterfly, your current allegiance is: White Team!"