Chapter 257: Wraith (IV) All Say They Were Harmed by the Tiger

Qi Si stood by the window for a long time without saying a word.

Lin Chen moved closer, using the light from the lantern in Qi Si’s hand to look down at the massive pit outside the window.

This was a pit of a thousand people, perhaps even ten thousand.

Piles of white bones formed an ocean, stacked high until the end of the visible horizon, with pyramid-shaped grave mounds built in certain spots, all constructed from skulls used as bricks and stones.

The two corpses left behind by the old man who had died twice lay right on top of the grave mounds; it was unknown who had moved them there.

Identical faces and different wounds—it looked exactly like a bug that occurs when a third-rate online game refreshes an NPC, both bizarre and comical.

The pile of corpses was already very high. The players’ room was on the second floor, less than three meters above the ground, meaning the top of the corpse pile was within arm’s reach.

The stench of decay and the thick smell of blood poured into their nostrils through the small holes in the window, and the unblinking eyes of the dead seemed ready to press against the players’ faces at any moment.

The thin layer of paper window was useless, offering psychological comfort that was barely better than none.

“These… are all the corpses of the deceased townsfolk? How can there be so many?” Lin Chen stammered the question after struggling to open his mouth.

Although he had been struggling in the Eerie Game for a month and held a relatively high position on the rookie rank, his inherent aversion to corpses and Ghosts was hard to change.

Opening the window revealed a heap of terrifyingly dead bodies that could jump out at any moment. Even the bravest person would feel intimidated.

“It seems so. Of course, it’s possible that if people other than the townsfolk die, their bodies also respawn here,” Qi Si said with a smile, looking at the skull tower furthest away. “Perhaps once one of us dies, we’ll figure out this problem.”

Lin Chen indicated that he was not at all comforted by this dark joke; instead, he felt even more uneasy.

Fortunately, Qi Si did not intend to delve further into the topic of the corpses’ origins.

The young man half-closed his eyes and said plainly, “If we survive tomorrow, perhaps we can ask that so-called ‘Master Meng’ what the significance is of not burying the dead and instead leaving them in an open pit.”

Most cultures, ancient and modern, emphasize “resting in peace in the earth.” “Exposure to the wilderness” is a miserable fate, often used as a form of punishment, curse, or revenge.

In ancient Long County, only the bones of homeless vagrants or heinous criminals were usually dumped in mass graves.

But judging by the scale of the ten-thousand-person pit in Yanghua Town, it seems most deceased townsfolk ended up here—what could be the reason?

Lin Chen pondered, “Brother Qi, do you think these bodies might be specifically left for the tiger to eat? For example, the townsfolk intentionally throw bodies to the tiger to avoid being harmed themselves, establishing some kind of agreement or understanding?”

“If that were the case, then this tiger doesn’t seem to appreciate its food at all.”

Qi Si sat on the bed, a strange smile playing on his lips.

“I observed just now that the corpses on the outermost layer are entirely in a state of natural decay. Even if the skeletons are damaged, it falls within the scope of cartilage weathering and bone scattering.

“At least among the bodies I can see, there are no traces of being gnawed or torn by a tiger. Of course, they might be buried deeper, too far away to see clearly.”

Lin Chen pondered Qi Si’s implication and frowned, “When I was first trapped in the Bamboo Forest, I think I heard a sound similar to a tiger’s roar…”

“The tiger definitely exists, otherwise our main quest, side quest, and background narration wouldn’t make sense.”

Qi Si placed the lantern back on the nightstand and lay down on the bed: “The question is, what is the relationship between this tiger and the townsfolk? Do you remember something the townsfolk said?”

Lin Chen’s expression tightened, and he muttered, “When the townsfolk surrounded us, they said—’Go invite Master Meng and ask for the Mountain God’s will!'”

“Bang!”

A watchman’s drum sounded in the distance, heavily hammering the night sky and spreading in all directions.

“First watch of Xushi (7-9 PM), dry weather, beware of fire!”

The watchman’s shout was hoarse and muffled, making people inexplicably quiet, afraid to speak loudly.

It was as if, after night fell, the world no longer belonged to Humans but became a forbidden domain for beasts and Ghosts.

“Go to sleep early. We can talk about anything tomorrow.” Qi Si covered himself with the quilt, turned over, and closed his eyes, his back facing Lin Chen… In the room on the left side of the second floor, the couple Luo Haihua and Luo Jianhua struggled to push their bed to the door, away from the window, and then pushed a nightstand toward the window.

They worked together to lift the other nightstand and placed it on top of the first one, just enough to block the window.

The bloody smell outside the window was too noticeable. As soon as they entered the room, they rushed to the window and saw the corpse pile behind the wooden building.

The sheer shock brought by the massive number of corpses was incomparable to the dead people and Ghosts they had seen before. Fortunately, their mental fortitude was good, so they weren’t completely terrified.

The paper window, riddled with several small holes, looked highly unreliable. Heaven knew if the corpses outside would come alive during the night and break through the window.

Luo Haihua immediately decided to find something to block the window, and Luo Jianhua agreed.

Whether it could block the Ghosts or not was secondary; at least it provided peace of mind.

The two of them each chose a nightstand, pushed them to the window, and stacked one on top of the other, effectively blocking the large holes.

Having finished everything, they collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily.

In the dimness, only the lantern placed on the floor flickered on and off, pulsing like will-o’-the-wisps.

The couple, lying in unfamiliar surroundings, couldn’t fall asleep immediately, so they simply started chatting back and forth.

“Jianhua, this is such bad luck. We’re almost retired, we’ve made several travel plans, and suddenly this happens. Now it’s hard to say if we’ll even get our retirement benefits. We’re really saving the Federation money.”

“I told you long ago not to poke your nose into other people’s business, just teach quietly. That little brat got into trouble outside school and was beaten, but you insisted on protecting him. You really are…”

“He’s my student, of course I have to intervene. And what about you? He wasn’t your student, but you stepped in to break up the fight. When they realized you called the police, they beat you the hardest.”

“Wasn’t it because I was afraid you couldn’t handle it? You, I told you not to get involved…”

Luo Jianhua stopped talking.

He suddenly heard the sound of fingers scraping against the paper window, followed by a “pfft” sound of the paper being punctured.

“Dong, dong, dong.”

Three soft knocking sounds came from the direction of the window, like sharp fingernails lightly tapping wood.

Even without actually seeing it, the two people inside could still imagine the scene of a Ghost’s claw piercing the window and knocking on the nightstand.

The window was blocked by the nightstands, so neither of them could see what was happening outside.

Various chilling sounds that fueled the imagination were exceptionally clear in the silent night.

Someone downstairs seemed to be talking, jabbering away. They couldn’t understand the specific meaning, but they could sense the arrogant tone.

“Wuwuwu…”

Someone was crying mournfully. The emotion of fear permeated the air, infecting them and making them want to scream and run away.

“Bang—crash!” The sound of something being pushed over.

“Bibo, bibo…” It was the sound of fire burning.

The acrid smell of burnt, roasted meat wafted in through the window, lingering at the couple’s noses.

Luo Jianhua tightly embraced Luo Haihua, wrapping his arms protectively around her; Luo Haihua held her breath, staring intently at the stacked nightstands.

Neither of them dared to move. Sweat seeped from their pores, soaking their clothes and dripping onto the bedsheet.

“Swoosh—”

A subtle scraping sound occurred. The Ghost hand that reached through the window likely realized it couldn’t push the nightstands away and chose to retreat.

The strange noises and the burnt smell retreated without a trace, coming and going as quickly as river tides.

Had the death point passed? It seemed so.

Luo Haihua sighed in relief and gently patted the back of Luo Jianhua’s hand.

Luo Jianhua released the hand protecting her, his expression still grave.

Suddenly, the lantern on the floor beside the bed brightened astonishingly, and the flame inside shot up high.

A wind, from unknown origins, knocked over the lampshade. The candlelight burned through the paper in a few seconds and climbed up the bedsheet… In the middle room on the second floor, Lin Chen had been sleeping fitfully for a while when he was suddenly startled awake from a light dream, as if he had been physically touched. He abruptly opened his eyes, his consciousness clearing within seconds.

He turned his head and instinctively looked toward Qi Si, seeing a pair of open eyes in the hazy lantern light, bright like a beast’s pupils.

Qi Si was awake too? It seemed this nighttime awakening was a instance mechanism, and something big was probably about to happen… Lin Chen felt uneasy. He gripped his medical record book tightly and simultaneously retrieved the Umbrella Filled with Pain from his inventory, holding it close.

Qi Si seemed amused by his highly alert posture and chuckled, “Don’t be so nervous. If you can’t sleep, let’s chat for a while.”

Chat? Should I say he lives up to being a Big Boss? He actually has the leisure to chat?

Lin Chen felt solemn respect but also relaxed slightly. His gaze swept past the window and landed on the lantern sitting on the nightstand.

The orange-yellow flame danced vibrantly. After being diffused and scattered by the paper lampshade, it transmitted warm light and heat in all directions. In the silent, lonely night, one could even hear the faint crackling sound of the burning.

But it didn’t truly signify light and sound; rather, it was part of this dark and silent night.

It wasn’t as bright as an electric lamp, nor as lively as modern industry. It just burned hesitantly and weakly, unable to dispel the fear inherent in the darkness.

“Brother Qi, do you think players identified as a ‘Wraith,’ and those sharing a room with a ‘Wraith,’ are truly doomed to die?” Lin Chen asked softly.

“Wraith” and “Human” are the roles assigned by the instance. Before the killing starts, everyone is equally innocent.

Even if players truly kill each other, it’s due to the game’s coercion, and blame cannot be placed on specific individuals.

If a player had to die on the first day merely because they were assigned a certain role, or because they shared the same main quest as a ‘Wraith,’ then this game would be far too unfair.

But from beginning to end, no player had raised this point.

After realizing they couldn’t defy the rules set by the townsfolk, everyone readily accepted the arrangement that someone must die, and they followed Qi Si’s suggestion to choose the room division that minimized losses.

Lin Chen intuitively felt something was strange: “If the ‘Wraith’ is destined to die no matter what, wouldn’t this instance rely too much on luck?”

“Not necessarily.” Qi Si gently shook his head. “None of us are ‘Wraith’s. The information we have is limited to what ‘Humans’ know about ‘Wraith’s. Therefore, from our perspective, this Werewolf game is unfair.

“But how can you be sure the ‘Wraith’ faction doesn’t have other trump cards? Information asymmetry objectively exists, and the game wouldn’t set up an unwinnable situation, especially a puzzle-solving instance that tests intelligence—the ‘Wraith’ might not be without a way to break the deadlock.

“And whether we are ‘Humans’ or ‘Wraith’s, our enemies are the townsfolk. As Veteran Players, there should be no disagreement on this point.”

Lin Chen understood: “So, Brother Qi, when you said those words earlier, you were trying to confuse that old man, lest the townsfolk discover that our two factions might unite?”

“More or less.” Qi Si nodded with a smile. “It was also a test. If my observations are correct, Luo Haihua and her husband are likely in the same faction, while Qiu Xin and Tang Yu distrust each other…”

Before his eyes flashed the various words and actions of the players since entering the instance.

He had met Tang Yu before. In the images transmitted by Liu Yuhan’s Soul Leaf, the two had been teammates a few times, but later separated for unknown reasons.

Tang Yu can basically be confirmed to be from Jiuzhou and has a good relationship with Luo Haihua and her husband. He concealed these points during the self-introduction segment, for reasons unknown.

Qiu Xin’s identity and background are a mystery. Most of the time, he doesn’t talk much and has little presence, making it impossible to make a more accurate judgment.

But… Qi Si equally suspected everyone whose soul was not under his control, harboring maximum hostility and striving to find an opportunity to eliminate the threat.

“Bro… Brother Qi!” Lin Chen suddenly pointed to a corner beneath the nightstand, his eyes wide. “There seems to be a piece of paper here!”

Qi Si looked in the direction he indicated.

Beneath the base of the nightstand, a yellowed piece of paper was clearly pressed, seemingly inscribed with writing, but only a corner was exposed, making it indistinguishable in the room’s light.

Lin Chen bent down, picked up the paper, and held it up to the lantern light repeatedly, but still couldn’t make out what was written on it.

Qi Si sighed, took a flashlight out of his backpack, and pressed the switch.

The white light, which should have been dazzling, appeared dim and yellow, much like the faint light from the lantern, merging seamlessly with the darkness of the night.

The light intensity of this instance seemed to be controlled by some power, unable to be altered by the players’ means.

It was as if telling the players that nightfall was meant to be the end of the day, and they were forbidden from burning the midnight oil and encroaching upon the time reserved for Ghosts and Gods.

“Let’s look tomorrow.” Qi Si put away the flashlight and lay down again. “This instance seems very concerned about our health; it doesn’t intend to let us stay up late reading.”

Lin Chen didn’t respond.

He tucked the piece of paper back into the gap beneath the nightstand, frowning slightly: “Brother Qi, why do you think this instance is designed this way? I’ve read thousands of strategy posts on the Forum, and none mentioned a situation where the lighting was weakened.”

Qi Si praised him: “Good thinking. You’ve learned to consider problems from the perspective of the game designer. As for the reason…”

“Hmm?”

“Who knows? I certainly don’t.”

“Ah, well…”

Outside the door, the watchman’s drum sounded—

“Bang, bang!”

“Second watch of Haishi (9-11 PM), close doors and windows, guard against Humans and Ghosts!”