Chapter 2755: Two Plans
There was no immediate consensus on who the murderous shadow actually was, but most players still identified him as Mr. Wen. However, the most pressing issue before them was clearly not that. As long as they killed the assassin, whether the instance was cleared successfully or failed, this instance would be considered finished. Even if they couldn't leave temporarily, they could join forces to avoid risks.
Of course, this was a problem for the manor instance players. The issues facing Xu Huo and his group were far more complicated.
First, they didn't know who the shadow was. How were they supposed to "uphold the hero's dignity"? Even if they restricted the clearance players, the shadow was still killing people frantically, making bloodshed completely unavoidable.
Second, if the shadow was indeed Mr. Wen, then what exactly counted as upholding his dignity? Things had already come to this point—clearly it wasn't about stopping other players from assassinating him or covering up his identity. There was no need for that.
Combining these two points, a dangerous conclusion could be derived: killing this "hero" who was killing without restraint, thereby preserving the dignity he once had.
To be called a hero meant he must have made significant contributions to District 022 in the past. He could even enter certain key government locations. In his old age, hiding away and slaughtering others wantonly like this also represented a potential risk.
"A side mission, this difficult?" The photographer felt it even exceeded the difficulty of the instance they were originally supposed to do.
The problem lay with Mr. Wen.
Judging from the attitudes of Lady Ti Hui and the butler, it was clear they both knew who the killer was. In fact, both had repeatedly warned players not to come out at night. This showed they were powerless to stop it. Whether subjectively or objectively, the two showed some reluctance while turning a blind eye to the tragedies occurring in the manor.
Whether sympathizing with the foreign players or sympathizing with the murderous shadow, it was evident they didn't want to see this happen.
In fact, their attitudes could, to some extent, represent Mr. Wen's attitude.
As a former hero, Mr. Wen, who had always appeared weak, would slaughter and feed in this manner at night. Had his psychological state changed?
Was he indulging in the pleasure of killing, or was he constantly torn between regret and instinct?
"Everyone should cherish life"... Was this said about the clearance players, or about himself?
Day soon broke. The butler showed no surprise at finding them crowded in the study, only coming to inform them of breakfast while telling them that the botanist had no family, so the manor would hold a funeral for him.
Xu Huo handed over the botanist's body. The butler accepted it solemnly, saying he would hire professionals to prepare the remains and preserve the deceased's final dignity.
After breakfast, a professional team entered the manor. Besides makeup artists, there were also members of the Enforcement Team, who came to confirm the cause of the botanist's death.
These people did a simple check and finished, then went upstairs to see Mr. Wen. They stayed for quite a while before coming downstairs and being seen off by the butler.
Xu Huo keenly noticed that one of the Enforcement Team members glanced in his direction—very brief, but with that glance, the number above his head changed, jumping from the original 3 to 9, and in a color leaning toward hostility.
This person recognized him.
Just one glance, and that Enforcement Team member left with his colleagues.
"They spent much longer seeing Mr. Wen than examining the body. They must have come to see Mr. Wen," the photographer said.
"After all, he's an important figure," the scholar said, then tentatively looked at the others. "How exactly do we do the side mission? Do you have any ideas?"
"I have a simple method," the photographer jumped in. "Just kill Mr. Wen directly. If the manor instance no longer exists, our side mission will naturally disappear."
If Mr. Wen was indeed the murderous shadow, they still had a certain chance of completing the side mission.
It was a plan, but even working together, they might not be a match for the murderous shadow. Were they supposed to hope someone else would just walk into their blades?
After thinking so much, they now seemed to have hit a bottleneck.
Mr. Wen didn't come downstairs all day. It wasn't until the funeral the next day that he attended, dressed simply.
He looked even weaker than the night before last, with dark circles under his eyes so deep. When he saw the botanist's body, he even shed tears on the spot.
This display didn't make the players think he was genuinely grieving the loss of life; instead, it gave people a chilling feeling from behind. Although Mr. Wen rarely held banquets, every time he did, quite a few players stayed behind. If he truly didn't want to see people die, he could have found a way to sabotage the instance, or simply refused to become the holder. Now, acting so heartbroken in front of outsiders only seemed hypocritical.
And this also made Xu Huo and the others understand that once a hero falls, they don't necessarily retain their humanity.
After the funeral, Xu Huo and his group were invited to the tea room for tea. Mr. Wen, accompanied by the butler, drank half a cup of tea and left. During that time, Xu Huo and the others tried several times to speak with him but were brushed off.
"The old man puts on a good act," the photographer said. "He can cry like that over a stranger's death."
"The grief might be real, but it doesn't outweigh satisfying himself," the scholar said. "Mr. Wen is most likely a cannibal player. I've heard cannibal players are more prone to psychological issues than other players. For Mr. Wen to have lived to such an old age, he's probably long been psychologically twisted. Emotional volatility is normal."
"I've been thinking all day. There might be two ways to pass the side mission. One is to cover for Mr. Wen, preventing news of his cannibalistic killings from spreading. The other is to kill him, letting him end his life under the title of hero," the gourmet said. "I suspect the Enforcement Team sent so many people to check on his condition. Keeping him confined to the manor is likely a form of restriction."
"Choosing the first method doesn't avoid danger. We could also become targets of the shadow's attacks. But the good news is that there are quite a few players in the manor instance, and they can hold out for another two days."
"Choosing the second method requires some clever thinking. Otherwise, we're no match. The best option would be to find a Non-Game Area Simulator to restrict him. Once his props become ineffective, we'll have a chance."
"What do you all think?"
This was asking for Xu Huo and the others' opinions.
The scholar and photographer turned their gazes to the only person who had fought the shadow and escaped unscathed.
Xu Huo didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Does District 022 have specific laws regarding cannibal players?"
"Of course it does," the scholar answered quickly. "In its early rise, District 022 once relied on cannibal players. At the time, the law stipulated that cannibal players had special supervisory authority in daily life. Meaning, as long as they were under government management, they could openly kill people."
"However, the victims had to be limited to criminals."
"Or the government would provide food," the gourmet added. "The reason District 022's Punishment City is so infamous is that it originally served as a place to provide necessary sustenance for cannibal players."