007 was extremely cautious. Instead of directly calling out to ask if anyone was inside, she cleverly pressed her ear against the door panel, trying to hear any movements within.

Indeed, she heard terrifying sounds.

A woman's bloodcurdling scream, the rising and falling shrieks of men, and... the sound of a chainsaw?

007 made an instant decision; before her legs could turn to jelly, she bolted in the opposite direction.

Fortunately, her luck was decent enough that she managed to sprint all the way into a town.

However, it was a bit strange. At the border between the forest and the village, she had seen a group of people. A group of people wasn't strange in itself, but this group all wore identical clothes. 007 didn't get a close look and ran straight here.

And before her was…

The Little Match Girl? No, that was wrong. She was selling lighters.

"Big Sister," the little girl by the shop window seemed to notice 007 beside her. She turned her head to look carefully at 007.

007 remembered that their mission was to escape Fairy Tale City. But as for how to escape or what they should do, she was utterly clueless.

Perhaps they were supposed to assist the game NPCs to get clues?

The little girl in front of me must be an important NPC, right?

Thinking this, 007 bent down slightly, offering a smile. "Do you need any help, Little Sister?"

The child barely reached 007's waist and looked to be only seven or eight years old. 007 seemed to quite like children; she even took the opportunity to reach out and gently ruffle the little girl's hair twice while speaking.

The little girl clearly hadn't expected her head to receive such treatment. She flushed red and then said softly, "Big Sister, would you like to buy a box of lighters? Perhaps in the light of the lighters, you'll see what you desire."

As she spoke, she diligently lifted the basket in her hands, apparently wanting her customer to see its contents clearly.

See what you desire... isn't that how one completes an instance mission?

Unfortunately, although 007 really wanted to complete this task, she was dirt poor—flat broke. Never mind the currency of this instance; she barely had any Game Coins. Her death rate in instances wasn't high, so she hadn't lost many items. However, Game Coins were just never enough; at least, she couldn't save them up in the short term.

Seemingly sensing her thoughts, the little girl tiptoed slightly and then whispered, "Big Sister, there's a forest nearby. You can go there to pick some deadwood to sell. If you're lucky, you might find other things…"

This must be a task assigned by an NPC, right?

007 straightened up. Even though there might be something terrifying in that forest, she still had to go. She couldn't abandon the mission just because something frightening was there.

She rubbed her temples, a slight headache forming, then turned to look back in the direction she had run from. She remembered seeing some deadwood at the border between the forest and the village.

Having to go gather deadwood to sell just to buy lighters... what a raw deal...

007 turned back and smiled at the little girl. "Wait here for a bit. I'll come back as soon as I've exchanged them for money."

Just then, the little girl suddenly took a step forward and tugged at the corner of 007's clothes. "Please wait."

As she spoke, she pulled out the cloth from under her basket.

Only then did 007 see clearly that it wasn't just a piece of cloth, but a tattered shirt.

"The villagers over there don't like outsiders picking things up on their land, and they all wear the same clothes. Big Sister, if you wear this, they won't recognize you as an outsider."

The little girl looked up at 007, smiling, her smile incredibly bright.

007 hesitated for a moment, then took the clothes and put them on. When she came from the forest, she had indeed seen many people wearing this type of clothing.

The little girl was right.

After putting on the clothes, 007 nodded at the girl with the basket, then headed off in the direction she had come from.

The little girl remained standing in the same spot, her bright smile fixed on her face, unchanging, until 007's back disappeared into the darkness.

「Not far away, in the cake shop.」

Chu Changge, dressed in a store uniform, was watching 007's retreating figure intently through the glass window.

The wall sconces cast a soft glow, illuminating the nostrils of the lady at the counter. The lady currently held her chin high, her mouth opening and closing as she spoke to Chu Changge, "Give me a donut."

This was the lady's third visit to the shop tonight.

Behind the counter were several people in identical uniforms; they were all employees of this cake shop. They were all bustling about, their hands never idle. Thanks to them, the cakes in the display case were all fully stocked.

Chu Changge glanced at the people around him but didn't move.

The lady before him was still looking down her nose at him. "Give me a donut."

Thanks to the wall sconces, the hairs in the lady's nostrils were clearly visible, a somewhat nauseating sight. Chu Changge paid no mind to these things.

He adjusted his glasses and, standing behind the counter, took off his uniform.

The few people nearby had no reaction.

Chu Changge paused again, then pushed open the counter gate and stepped out.

Still no reaction.

Only the nostril-flaring lady, head still high, repeated woodenly, "Give me a donut."

The lights in the cake shop were very bright, yet they inexplicably cast a chill.

Chu Changge didn't linger. He strode towards the entrance, pushed open the door, and walked further and further down the main street until he completely merged with the night, his figure disappearing from view.

Meanwhile, the customer inside the shop kept repeating her previous sentence.

「By this time, 007 had reached the border between the forest and the village.」

Although there was deadwood here, there wasn't much. She searched for a considerable time before gathering even a small amount.

"It's a bit cold…"

After gathering for a while, 007 rested in a nearby shelter. For some reason, this area had many shelters of various sizes. Some were very old, while others looked recently built. Though not as warm as a house, they could at least offer some protection from the biting wind.

Just as she had been resting in a shelter for a short while, she suddenly saw a white figure dart out from the woods and head in a specific direction.

Midnight, a white figure, the woods. These elements combined screamed horror movie. Since this was a horror instance, such things weren't surprising.

However, 007 soon realized this white figure wasn't some terrifying element, but a person. Someone who looked like a Doctor. His white coat fluttered slightly in the wind, and he carried a large guitar on his back. Like a Doctor unwilling to give up his hobby.

It had to be said, a Doctor in a white coat appearing in such a place in the middle of the night was genuinely creepy. However, 007 wasn't thinking about how creepy it was.

Such a strange outfit... could it be another player?

At the start of the instance, it was said there were eight players. But she hadn't encountered any yet. Naturally, she couldn't let this person, who was very likely another player, get away.

Thinking this, 007 quickly scrambled out of the shelter and stood up, intending to give chase.

Unfortunately, the white figure vanished too quickly, gone in an instant. If she hadn't gotten a clear look, she really would have thought a ghost had just drifted past her.

007 plopped back down on the spot she had warmed with her body. Forget it... He runs really fast...

「Meanwhile, a Doctor appeared on the bustling streets of Wangcheng City.」

Gu Mian adjusted the chainsaw on his back and surveyed the bustling street. Both sides of the street were lined with a dazzling array of shops: clothing stores, cake shops, drink shops, pastry shops, and restaurants.

Bright lights streamed from the glass shopfronts, illuminating the street teeming with people, making it as bright as day.

Of course, most numerous were the peddlers wandering the main street. Many peddlers had set up stalls on both sides of the sidewalk, but they all looked listless, not even bothering to look up when people passed by.

Gu Mian glanced at the items they were selling. Strange. Why is almost everyone selling the same things?

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