Chapter 1014: Probing Through Words
"You make a valid point." Xu Huo didn't argue but immediately acknowledged his view.
The lip-ring player was somewhat surprised, looking as if he had more words ready to refute, but upon hearing this, he could only suppress his displeasure and hold back.
"I also think this guy's reasoning is more logical," another male player chimed in. "Ordinary players wouldn't use such brutal methods to kill someone, unless they're red players. But as you saw, the body isn't missing anything."
"Then it seems the instance's requirements for players are becoming clearer," Chi Minghong said. "The key point is that no one heard anything last night. Even with the help of items, it should be difficult to avoid alerting everyone. And since this might be a sacrificial instance, the instance grounds could impose restrictions on players."
"You mean the person who got the note might even be shielded by the instance's power?" Miss Ding disagreed. "It's rare for instances to have this kind of situation unless the game has faction divisions."
"It's hard to say whether the person who got the note isn't in an opposing faction to the others," Xu Huo added.
"Since we're all advanced players, having one or two powerful items isn't surprising," Teacher Fan said cautiously. "But we need to be careful."
Whether it was interference from the instance's power or the perpetrator having an item that shielded others, it was troublesome. The notes appeared randomly—who knew if the next recipient would still be the same person?
Xu Huo wrapped the dead player in a bedsheet and moved them to the first-floor lobby.
Miss Ding glanced at it with disgust. "Why did you bring her down here? Couldn't you just toss her into some random room?"
Xu Huo smiled. "Didn't you say the instance might involve sacrifice? Since other rooms also have similar circular patterns, putting the body inside would be playing into their hands. It's better to take it out—at least it won't do us any harm."
"This is what you call interrupting the ritual," Chi Minghong said cheerfully, coming over to help while pulling out a few religious artifacts and placing them on top. "Good and evil can't coexist. Let them clash."
She then high-fived Xu Huo.
"You're both nuts." Miss Ding turned and walked away.
Aside from searching the rooms, the players had nothing else to do. As for the broken lights, everyone had illumination items, so fixing them wasn't a priority. No one bothered to repair them. Wherever they went, they brought their items along, leaving unoccupied rooms to remain in darkness.
District 002 had no natural light to begin with, and Snow White's villa was surrounded by dense forest, unable to borrow even the distant glow of the city. Since the players were mostly moving around, shifting light and shadows made the villa seem even more eerie.
Xu Huo took a lap upstairs before suggesting they check the wiring.
Chi Minghong, having nothing better to do, agreed. "Alright, let's make some food too. It's not like we don't have the means—no need to choke down dry rations every meal."
The two quickly reached an agreement and first found the villa's power distribution room. They discovered the wiring was old, and with the sudden increase in electricity usage, the system couldn't handle the load.
"The old landlord passed away a long time ago, right? Snow City's technology is so advanced, yet they didn't even bother replacing a single wire here. If I inherited such a large property, I wouldn't just renovate—I'd at least get the plumbing and electricity sorted so it's comfortable to live in." Chi Minghong knew a bit about repairs and took the initiative. As she worked, she added, "That's some serious stinginess."
"The villa is close to the city, which is nice, but since it can't be renovated, the heir might not actually live here," Xu Huo said. "Besides, so many people died here afterward."
Chi Minghong quickly fixed the circuit. When she flipped the switch, the room's lights came back on. She whistled triumphantly. "Looks like I've still got it! Before becoming a player, I was a bona fide firefighter!"
Xu Huo gave her a thumbs-up.
The two left the power room and headed to the kitchen. Just as they opened the door, they unexpectedly ran into the long-haired female player coming out of a nearby room.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face when she saw them, but she quickly recovered and greeted them with a smile. "You fixed the electricity!"
Chi Minghong glanced behind her. "What's in there?"
"What could be in there?" The long-haired female player chuckled. "I was just looking around. Who knows, I might find some clues."
The door wasn't closed, and most of the room was visible—messy and indistinguishable from the others.
As they walked out, learning they were going to cook, the long-haired female player volunteered. "I'll join you. I happen to have some specialties from my hometown, preserved and ready to cook."
Chi Minghong wasn't one to refuse. "Are you a good cook?"
"Decent enough," the long-haired female player smiled. "Edible, at least."
"Great! I'm terrible at cooking, so I'll leave it to you."
The long-haired female player didn't decline and even brought out her own seasonings and cooking utensils.
"You came way too prepared." Chi Minghong pulled some vacuum-packed cooked food from her luggage compartment. "Let's stew this with your dishes. Your hometown isn't far from District 002, is it? The ingredients are still so fresh."
"No, I bought a specialized preservation item. I can store some things, but not much." The long-haired female player worked skillfully. "I used to be a full-time housewife. I signed up for a cooking class back home, but I only went for a while before quitting."
Chi Minghong glanced at Xu Huo, who was washing vegetables nearby, and chose not to crowd them but instead chatted with her.
They moved from trivial small talk to the instance, then from all kinds of bizarre instances to the strange players they'd encountered.
"That man with the lip ring is pretty weird," the female player said. "After everyone rested last night, I saw him come out. He was wearing a women's nightgown and knocked on the door of that tall, muscular guy... Are they a couple?"
Chi Minghong looked surprised, then said, "They probably don't know each other. I didn't see that muscle-bound guy when I arrived. I only saw him coming upstairs later."
"Then maybe they deliberately arrived separately," the female player smiled. "Many districts in the game don't approve of same-sex relationships. I once visited a district where, regardless of gender, if anyone in a family liked the same sex, the whole family was fined, and the biological parents were even imprisoned."
"That's absurd." Chi Minghong said. "If they can't tolerate homosexuality, fine, but why punish the parents and family?"
"It's a matter of genetic guilt," the female player shook her head. "As for siblings and other relatives, it's because they failed their duty to supervise."
"Speaking of which, District 002 isn't much better," she added. "That local player seems mentally unstable. He doesn't talk at all."
Chi Minghong nodded in agreement. "He's touched every single ornament in the lobby. I can't tell if he's here for archaeology or to clear the instance."
(Chapter End)