Chapter 2430: The Act Begins
Even though the locals couldn't hear the shouting, they still firmly believed in its existence. This meant that this situation had definitely occurred more than once. Therefore, even though they heard nothing, they chose to forcefully stop it rather than dismiss it as a child's prank or fantasy.
If this deduction held true, then distinguishing the real "Hidden Friend" from the impersonating players would be easy.
Another key point to note was the issue of the game's replacement impersonator qualification. They couldn't find the wrong person, nor could they fail to find someone. This meant they couldn't target locals or non-instance players. And since the "Hidden Friend" only needed one friend per day, it meant one player had to go missing each day—no more, no less. No matter how the impersonators rotated identities, only one player could disappear daily.
Today, the instance had lost two people.
The first to go missing was Deng Guang, who had come to call Xu Huo. According to Bubble Bean and the other person, he was indeed the first impersonator. The game had given a prompt, and his disappearance was indeed a bit strange...
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Xu Huo suddenly paused. When he entered, the instance player count was 39, but that didn't necessarily mean the total number in the entire instance was 39.
So it was highly possible that before he arrived, someone had already violated a hidden rule and been taken away by the real "Hidden Friend."
What hidden rule? Killing a local? Killing a player without impersonating? Or impersonating the "Hidden Friend"? Too many deaths?
"Young man," the old man said, carrying a basket of thin rattan vines and sitting down beside him. She worked as she spoke, "Are you going to leave with those two people?"
Xu Huo nodded, his mind heavy with worry. "It's safer with more people. I'm afraid of running into the Hidden Friend."
The old man's eyes were focused on her work. "Those two young people don't seem like good people. They've been asking questions all over the village, and I don't know what they're really trying to find out. These outsiders, many of them are unreasonable. If a few words don't go their way, they'll start a fight. We don't dare provoke them. Don't be fooled. The fog is so thick—if they want to rob and kill, they could bury you in the woods, and who would ever find you?"
"It shouldn't come to that," Xu Huo said. "They're instance players. They still need me to get out."
"That might not be true." The old man's rough hand patted the back of his hand. "When you're out in the world, keeping your wits about you is more important than anything."
Xu Huo thanked her, then said, "But I've already agreed to them. If I back out now..."
"Leave quietly," the old man said in a low voice. "When the time comes, I'll point you in a direction. They definitely won't dare to chase you."
"Those unreasonable young people, they're bold but also timid."
That wasn't necessarily true. The fog didn't completely block the players' senses. If he really walked out, they could still follow.
Lifting the rattan vines in the basket, Xu Huo asked, "Old one, what are you weaving?"
"Making a waterproof coat." The old man raised the item in her hands. "The leaves of this vine are waterproof. Made into a coat, no matter how thick the fog, it won't get you wet."
Xu Huo watched for a while, then volunteered to help.
After working for a bit, he said, "If my sister and I sneak away, I'm afraid they'll cause trouble for you."
The old man didn't seem too concerned. "I've lived this long. Am I afraid of death? If they kill someone today, they'll be killed tomorrow."
Xu Huo wanted to say more, but she interrupted him. "The coat is done. Try it on."
"For me?" Xu Huo was a bit surprised.
The old man lifted the coat and put it on him. "There's another one at home. You and your sister can each wear one when you leave. It's much more practical than your own clothes."
The old man genuinely wanted Xu Huo and the Painting Woman to leave early. The next day, just before dawn, she woke them up, told them to grab their belongings, and led them out from a different direction—not the path she had pointed out earlier.
"Take a detour." She handed him a small cloth bundle. "When you see this kind of grass in the bundle, follow the direction it grows, and you'll also get out of the woods."
She had thought it through thoroughly, eliminating any chance of someone eavesdropping or spying.
The small door at the back of the kitchen opened quietly. The old woman saw them out, then patted their shoulders. "Run, just run. After a while, it'll be fine!"
Xu Huo nodded solemnly. Stepping over the threshold, he grabbed the Painting Woman and sprinted deep into the woods.
The moment their figures disappeared, the two players from next door also came out. They shot the old woman a vicious glare and then gave chase.
The old woman's family stood at the door, unmoving for a long time, until the people next door opened their windows. Both families stared in the direction Xu Huo and the others had fled, their faces half-hidden in the fog.
Xu Huo and the Painting Woman hadn't run far before Bubble Bean and the other caught up. The two blocked them from front and back. Yin-Yang Master used a sealing prop to trap them, sneering coldly, "Run, why don't you run again? If you could get away, I'd take your last name!"
Xu Huo shielded the Painting Woman behind him, staring at the two. "What exactly do you want! The one who called me in the woods yesterday was your companion, right? I've already told you, I'm not a player in this instance. Killing me won't do you any good."
The two exchanged a brief, subtle glance, but hid it well. Bubble Bean said, "What companion? It's been just the two of us from the start. You must have seen the Hidden Friend!"
"Say whatever you want!" Xu Huo snorted coldly. "You just want to make a move on me!"
"Go ahead, then. Two against two—we might not lose!"
Yin-Yang Master was eager to "beat them into submission," but Bubble Bean signaled his companion to calm down. His fierce expression softened into a smile. "What my brother and I told you yesterday was the truth. This is a B-rank instance. You're a C-rank player—you must have wandered in by mistake. We have no reason to target you."
"On the contrary, we need your help. You can rest assured, we won't hurt you. There's no need for you to run. Besides, there aren't many people in these woods. Where could you possibly go?"
Xu Huo's expression shifted, but he didn't speak.
"Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit," Yin-Yang Master said. "If we didn't need you, we'd have killed you long ago and been done with it!"
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Xu Huo gritted his teeth. "Besides, you're so scared because you're worried about being found by the Hidden Friend. Don't think I don't know—sticking together doesn't completely avoid the Hidden Friend!"
Bubble Bean's patience ran out. "You don't have a choice. If you don't agree, you can die right now."
A flying ring shot out from behind him, circling around Xu Huo and the Painting Woman. The sharp, razor-like blades whistled through the air, ready to slit their throats at any moment!
The Painting Woman, weak and helpless, trembled and tugged at Xu Huo's sleeve.