"Don't get too close." The scholar warned, but his feet stayed in place and did not follow the player.
According to the rules of Yanghua Town, as a town citizen, he must avoid the process of mourners carrying the deceased out of the town.
The only ones who can follow the paper man out of town and take a look are the players.
Four paper figures riding donkeys carried the old man's body, bumping up and down, like a boat on the sea, ups and downs along the street.
Most of the roads in Yanghua Town run east-west. The mansion where the players live is located in the west of the town. The funeral procession went all the way east, away from the mansion.
Everyone followed the team from a distance, leaving behind them the sound of people and the smoke of fireworks. Looking back, they could only see the shadows of houses.
The figures of the townspeople are like ants in the soil, hidden in the larger shadow, out of sight.
The paper man is always ten feet away in front, with a few shadowy dots of white floating in the dark streets and alleys. The buildings on both sides fade away like an ink painting, leaving only the paper man's silhouette as bright as a will-o'-the-wisp. .
Lin Chen walked between Qi Si and Tang Yu and asked in a low voice: "Brother Lin, Brother Tang, do we really have to follow them out of town? I always feel that there will be something wrong if we are unfamiliar with the place. Something happened..."
Tang Yu held a lantern in one hand and pressed it on the handle of the knife with the other. He said nonchalantly: "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. It's a death and a funeral. It's obviously an important plot. Click, there is a key clue, how can you miss it?
"And have you forgotten? The reason why we are still arguing with them in this town is because we can't find a way out of the town? If we can follow them out of the town, not to mention fundamentally solving the problem, at least we can help Luo Teacher, please advance the mission.”
After the players entered Yanghua Town, the road with the archway disappeared; the main mission of Luo Haihua and his wife was to find and leave Yanghua Town. The method is written on the system interface.
If you can really follow the paper man to find the exit of Yanghua Town, you will definitely make a lot of money.
"Will the game really let us leave so easily?" Lin Chen was not convinced, "Even if we really find a way out of the town, there must be a point of death in order to prevent us from passing the level easily. Are they coming out to stop us?"
"It's not a bad thing if you can't leave the town. It's daytime anyway." Qisi moved his left wrist holding the lantern, and the white paper lantern swayed back and forth on the pole.
"The ghosts only move at night, and the townspeople have an agreement with the mountain god. Generally speaking, it is relatively safe during the day. Even if something happens, Tang Yu and I have ways to deal with danger."
He raised his eyelids and looked. He looked at Tang Yu and said, "I am on the newcomer list. As for you, Tang Yu, if I remember correctly, you are a core member of the Jiuzhou Guild. I believe that someone who can have a place in a big guild like Jiuzhou will be able to deal with the second place in the copy." The death point of the sky is more than enough.”
The copy of the weird game is staged. Generally speaking, the first third of the time is relatively calm and is mainly used to help players adapt to the environment and substitute into the background of the instance.
In the middle third of the time, there will be some death points with a mortality rate of about 50%. On the one hand, it will begin to take away the lives of players, bringing the number of players closer to the guaranteed number of deaths; on the other hand, it will also Provide some more direct clues and hints to help the remaining players decipher the world view as quickly as possible.
In the last third of the time, players will die on a large scale. Players who encounter the death point have no room for change. Players who survive to the end may trigger the guaranteed death toll mechanism, or be in desperate situations. Complete the main mission and clear the copy.
Therefore, some players who have requirements for MVP or TE clearance records will try their best to act aggressively in the early stages of the dungeon in order to collect enough effective clues - even if they cannot crack the world view, at least they must ensure that they know more than other players and have a better chance of surviving. to the end.
Tang Yu turned his head to look at Qisi and narrowed his eyes: "Have you heard of me? Or... do you know me?"
"I have watched your live broadcast." Chiss said, "I happened to catch a glimpse of the copy of "Misty Town". I remember that you formed a team with a young girl and persuaded her to join your guild."
Jiuzhou Upholds The principles of mutually beneficial cooperation and openness and transparency have clear requirements for the frequency of live broadcasts for members. The more core members are, the higher the frequency of live broadcasts, which is euphemistically called "accepting supervision."
Qisi directly repeated what he saw from Liu Yuhan's soul blade from a different perspective, and said with a smile: "When you introduced yourself at the beginning, you didn't mention your identity as a member of the Kyushu Guild. I thought there was something wrong with it. I just pretended not to know you.
"But now it seems that you are not very obsessed with hiding your behavior pattern."
Tang Yu seemed to believe this, he relaxed and smiled bitterly: "Actually, there is no secret, it's just that I made a mistake It’s just something, I was expelled from the guild. It’s embarrassing to say it, so I didn’t tell you.”
Qisi raised his eyebrows: “Expelled from the guild? It's troublesome."
Tang Yu sighed and said, "Even if it's troublesome, you have to follow the rules. I accidentally injured a companion in the last copy."
" It seems that Kyushu is as strict as the rumors say." Qisi chuckled, and his tone could not tell whether it was ridicule or admiration.
Tang Yu had no intention of following his words.
Lin Chen listened to the conversation between the two and gained a new understanding of Kyushu.
In the copy of "Frog Hospital", he saw too many players criticizing and killing each other, and always felt that unity and cooperation were a false proposition, and Kyushu used this as its slogan to be hypocritical and unrealistic.
But judging from Tang Yu's experience, Jiuzhou has indeed set an example, consistent in words and deeds, even harsh to the point of being unkind - like a utopia built by a group of idealists, naive but beautiful.
Based on the zero-sum game of the weird game, such an existence is too fragmented. Although it is unreal, it is as desirable as the light in the dark night.
Similarly, there are many divisions in Tang Yu.
From the perspective of clue analysis and decision-making, it can be seen that he is a rational and calm person. He usually speaks in an orderly manner and is slow and unhurried.
But on the first day, he had a verbal conflict with the scholar because of his hatred, and even killed the old man who was in charge of the residence with a knife; on the second day, he still treated the scholar without pretense.
Do you hate evil as much as you hate it, and just look at what others are doing? Not really, it seems like a deliberate disguise.
But which side is true? Which side is false?
The players fell behind the funeral procession and unknowingly reached the boundary of the east of the town.
The crooked wooden buildings are lined up in front of you. They are dark and gloomy. The dilapidated windows and doors are windless and strange "creaking" sounds can be heard in the distance.
The progress of the paper people is silent, as if a gust of wind is blowing the paper gently and skillfully. Their presence was quickly buried by the sound of the wooden building, as if they were just a foil to the scene and guests passing by.
“This is the mansion we lived in.” Lin Chen was the first to notice something was wrong and whispered, “I have been sensitive to graphics since I was a child, so I can’t remember it wrong. The shapes of these wooden buildings are similar to ours. The appearance of the mansion is exactly the same.
“Look at the door in the middle and the pile of stones in the lower left corner. There are exactly three stones, two at the bottom and one at the top; the one on the right. A window, the hole on it happens to be a big hole and a small hole connected together, like a twisted gourd; and the left side..."
Lin Chenlu pointed out several similarities one after another. If it weren't for the paper people carrying the coffin through the door, he probably could have said more. He wanted to make the two people around him believe that the row of wooden buildings in front of him was The mansion that players are familiar with.
Qisi does not have as good a memory as Lin Chen, but with the soul contract skill, he can be sure that Lin Chen did not lie.
The cursed pendulum slipped out of the wide sleeves silently and wrapped a circle around the wrist, ready to deal with any eventuality.
Tang Yu seemed to have thought of something. He took a few steps forward and lowered his head to search the ground.
He suddenly pointed at a bunch of white objects in the grass beside the door, with a slightly stern expression: "I remember that thing. After the old man came back to life last night, the bunch of keys in my hand turned into white stones. I I just threw it in the corner...I didn’t expect it to be here.”
He paused for a moment and said decisively: "We are indeed back."
"That's not right." Lin Chen shook his head, "I remember that we have been walking straight east without changing direction. Dishe It is located directly in the west. Even if the human body's physiological structure will unconsciously deviate to one side when walking in a straight line, it is impossible to turn back unknowingly.
"Furthermore, those townspeople are gone, and the shops are gone. Also put it away. It was still broad daylight, so there was no reason for them to close the stall so early. And it's only been less than half an hour, so they can't move that fast. "
Qisi nodded slightly and said: "What Wood Crow said makes sense. I also think that we are not back to where we were. "
He looked at Lin Chen: "Lin Ya, if you have any speculations, you might as well tell them first, maybe it can be enlightening. Lin Chen swallowed and said hesitantly: "Brother Lin, Brother Tang, I didn't pay attention before, but now I remember."
“There were two identical houses on a stretch of road before. All the buildings I passed after that felt familiar to me, as if they were deliberately symmetrical with the buildings on the other side.
“But those buildings are all pavements, and because the stalls have been closed down, they don’t look like mansions. Haha, it wasn’t until I saw Di She that I was sure that the familiarity I felt before was not an illusion. "
"Mirror. " Tang Yu blurted out.
He paused and continued: "I suspect that the 'mirror' is a key point of this copy. The east and west halves of Yanghua Town are mirror images of each other.
"I don't know if you have had similar experiences. Anyway, when I first entered this dungeon, I saw a mirror with my image reflected in it. It only existed for a second and then disappeared. Now that I think about it, that should be a reminder."
"I saw it too." Lin Chen echoed, "I am also the dungeon. Just after the game started, a mirror flashed in front of my eyes twice and then disappeared..."
"Is it a mirror image? , just go upstairs and find out." Qisi interrupted the exchange between the two, "We left some paper and pens upstairs, didn't we?"
While the people were talking, they were carrying the paper with the body. The person has passed through the lobby of the residence and disappeared behind the wall opposite the door.
The players then discovered that there was a secret door at the bottom of the mansion, which was perfectly obscured by shadows and could not be noticed without looking carefully.
Tang Yu asked: "Then should we continue to follow those paper people out of town?"
"It doesn't matter." Qisi said lightly, "We are divided into two groups. You are stronger, take Lin Ya with you, and I Act alone.
"You choose first, go upstairs or leave the town? "
Hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly raised his eyes and thought silently in his heart: "Qi...Brother Qi, aren't we together? "
Qisi answered patiently: "I can't trust Tang Yu. The clues on both sides are very crucial, and I dare not bet that he will not hide anything. So, I need you to watch him for me, can you do it? ”
"But..."
"You don't have to worry too much. It's daytime now, and the ghost can't harm anyone. Even if he wants to harm you, I will do my best to help you survive."
"Oh!"
Tang Yu didn't know that Qisi had labeled him as suspicious in his private chat with Lin Chen.
He thought for a while and said: "Then Lin Ya and I will continue to follow the paper man. If we encounter danger on the way out of town, we can take care of each other."
Lin Chen was comforted and naturally had no objection.
Qi Si nodded slightly: "Okay, we will meet downstairs at the Dishe and we will exchange clues."
Tang Yu and Lin Chen followed one after another, following the paper man. , got into the secret door of the mansion.
Qisi held a lantern in one hand and the cursed pendulum in his right hand, and climbed the steps to the second floor of the mansion.
The "rustling" sound of the wooden boards under pressure is the same as the sound made by players when they go downstairs in the morning, and the smell of decay in the air is equally familiar.
Everything seems to indicate that the current building is the residence where the players lived.
Qisi stood in front of the door on the far left side of the second floor.
A heavy iron lock hangs on the wooden door, tightly tying the door leaf to the wall. It is expected that this is how the old man locked the players in last night.
Qisi took out the thin wire from the bracelet, put it into the keyhole and turned it twice.
With a click, the door opened.
On the two beds inside the door, there were two people covered with quilts, sleeping soundly and peacefully, breathing evenly.
Qisi held the cursed pendulum tightly, walked closer while suppressing the sound of footsteps, and finally saw the faces of the two people clearly.
It’s Luo Haihua and Luo Jianhua!
On the bedside table between the two beds, there was a pile of paper filled with writing. The handwriting clearly belonged to different people——
[Teacher Luo, I am Tang Yu, The Wood Crow and I are still in the dungeon...]
[Last night, we held the lantern and didn't dare to let it tip over. By the second half of the night, we realized something was wrong and it was too late...]
[We are trapped in the old days and may never get over it...]
...< br>
On the other side, Lin Chen and Tang Yu followed the paper man, bypassing the towering pile of corpses behind the mansion, stepping on the soil where the bones were strewn, and finally saw the shadow of the bamboo forest in the distance.
Countless high and low bamboo poles outline their outlines in the mist, standing upright, like ink marks splashed on white paper and then flowing down with gravity.
There was a damp and cold atmosphere in the air, and small cold water droplets clung to the players' bodies, soaking their clothes; the paper men and paper donkeys were also wet and soft, and swayed even more fiercely.
“Ah uh——” The paper donkey brayed suddenly, long and hoarse, and eerie in the silence.
As if being reminded of their place, the paper figures floated down from the donkey one after another, grabbed the hands and feet of the corpse, and stood it upright.
Two paper figures held the arms of the corpse, and the two paper figures lay on the ground, digging into the soil with their hands.
Lin Chen has good eyesight and can clearly see the outlines of paper people and corpses.
At first, he thought it was because the paper figures found it easier to hold the body upright. The paper figures, who didn't want to dig up the soil, stood up after a while and took the body, still holding it upright.
Has the hole been dug? How big a hole can be dug in such a short time?
Lin Chen watched intently, but saw the paper man directly inserting the body into the soil vertically.
The ankles of the corpse were submerged in the pit. Two paper figures were responsible for supporting and fixing them, and the two paper figures buried soil in the pit.
After a while, the paper man retreated, leaving the old man’s body standing alone in the bamboo forest, stiff and upright.
Like... a scarecrow in a wheat field. (End of this chapter)