The four of them once again sprinted down the streets of the small town, trailed by a horde of monsters.
Hearing the commotion through the dense fog, nearby players quickly and instinctively avoided them. Hiding around corners, they watched the four race past with their monstrous entourage, secretly breathing sighs of relief.
The Western players, in particular, had grown wary after yesterday’s experience. They had a strong hunch that the same group of Eastern players might be involved again. Sure enough, it was them.
Someone asked curiously, “What on earth are these people doing? Why do they keep provoking so many monsters?”
Odinson stared in the direction where the monsters disappeared, recalling something Gu Jiu had said earlier, and began to gain some understanding.
Finally, just as they were about to collapse from exhaustion, the fog cleared.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze couldn’t keep up their image any longer and flopped onto the ground, sprawled out like corpses, too drained to even complain.
Today, they had been chased by monsters for an even longer time than yesterday. Naturally, the duration of their sprinting had also been extended. Even with the stamina and endurance of B-rank players, this level of exertion was hard to endure.
Under their accusing gazes, Gu Jiu remarked, “You two need to work on your training.”
The two of them stared in silence. Who else trains like you two maniacs?
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji sat nearby, patiently waiting for the two to recover.
Lu Ji took out a bottle of milk and handed it to his girlfriend to replenish her fluids. His eyes lingered on her rosy face, flushed from the exertion. The earlier sprint had left her breath a bit uneven, and beads of sweat slid down her forehead, dripping from her chin onto her clothes.
His gaze followed the trail of a sweat droplet, and his mind wandered to her appearance when she sweated in bed. Under the dim light, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.
“Ah Ji, what are you thinking?”
Gu Jiu looked at her boyfriend with a knowing smile, noticing the sudden blush spreading across his pale face. Anyone unaware might have thought it was due to the earlier sprint.
Flustered, Lu Ji hurriedly grabbed a tissue to wipe her sweat, avoiding her gaze.
After resting sufficiently, Gu Jiu instructed Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze to act independently before pulling Lu Ji away with her.
The two arrived at Lisle Street.
“Adventurer sister!”
Little Ella peeked out from the window, waving a thin hand through the narrow gap. When they approached, she opened the door and came out to greet them.
Little Ella beamed at them excitedly. “Adventurer sister, lunch is almost ready! Come in quickly.”
Invited by their host, Gu Jiu and Lu Ji stepped into the house.
Little Ella struggled to move a smaller table over. However, for a frail child of seven or eight, it was still quite heavy. Lu Ji reached out and took the table from her, placing it not far from the door. He then saw Little Ella bringing over four chairs.
Today’s lunch was set for four people.
“Adventurer sister, please sit down first. I’ll go fetch the lunch.” Little Ella warmly ushered them.
Gu Jiu responded with a smile, watching the little girl disappear into the kitchen before heading toward the innermost room.
Lu Ji strolled at a leisurely pace, his eyes scanning the dimly lit house.
The interior seemed chaotic yet had a certain order amidst the clutter. Many objects appeared to have been deliberately placed to obscure something. A peculiar smell lingered in the air, akin to the stale scent of a long-sealed space. Yet, upon closer inspection, there was an indistinct, almost elusive undertone to it.
The smell in the room was strikingly similar to the one that wafted from behind the counter at the Witch’s Tavern.
On a low cabinet against the wall sat a woven wicker basket containing a dark, unidentifiable object. It was identical to the magical artifact Old Joseph had carefully polished before.
Lu Ji’s gaze swept casually over the scene before following Gu Jiu into the room where little Ella’s grandmother resided.
The elderly woman was sitting by the bedside, her gaze distant and contemplative.
Her illness was gone, and she now appeared vibrant and full of life. She wore a pristinely laundered long dress, her hair neatly combed back into a bun, and her posture was impeccably straight—she looked every bit like a dignified and meticulous elder.
When she saw the two of them, there was no hint of surprise in her expression.
Gu Jiu lit the oil lamp and said softly, “Elder, while the darkness may not affect your vision, little Ella is still young. You should consider her needs.”
The elderly woman remained silent.
Gu Jiu smiled lightly, unaffected by the cold reception, and continued, “Or is it that Ella is just like you? Are you both witches?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” The elderly woman finally broke her silence, her tone sharp and scolding.
Gu Jiu looked at her calmly, her eyes, shadowed by her glasses, reflecting a sharp clarity. The elderly woman’s sternness quickly faltered. Her voice turned hoarse as she asked, “When did you figure it out?”
“From the very first day,” Gu Jiu replied softly. “The atmosphere in this house is very similar to the one in the Witch’s Tavern.”
After becoming a B-rank player, Gu Jiu’s senses had sharpened significantly. When she deliberately concentrated, she could detect unique auras imperceptible to ordinary people.
Both the Witch’s Tavern and this house shared the same distinct aura.
That’s why, when little Ella had peeked at them from behind the window, Gu Jiu had used food to lure her out and later employed medicine to coax Ella into inviting them into the house.
Houses in Ella Town were protected by magic. Without an invitation from the owner, outsiders couldn’t enter freely.
The Witch’s Tavern was undoubtedly the most peculiar place in Ella Town. After Odinson’s investigation last night confirmed the tavern’s true nature, any house with a similar aura naturally became a subject of suspicion.
From the moment Gu Jiu met little Ella, she had begun probing.
Whether it was her remark about Ella’s eyes resembling the fogweed, her deliberate act of lighting a lamp, or the two instances where they were invited into the house—it was all a series of calculated tests.
And the results did not disappoint.
In addition to the house’s aura being similar to the tavern’s, the house itself contained numerous magical items.
Gu Jiu, of course, wasn’t like the Magic Doll, who could instantly identify which items were imbued with magic. However, her awakened spiritual essence as a Celestial Demon gave her an extraordinary advantage. The bloodline of the Celestial Demon was domineering, and even though she didn’t understand magic, she recognized it as a form of power. The aura of magic resonated with her sensitivity.
Thus, she could sense the anomalies in these magical items to some extent.
The elderly woman was stunned. She hadn’t anticipated that her exposure would be due to something so inconceivable. Her face showed disbelief as she looked at Gu Jiu with the same expression one might reserve for a monster.
The explanation seemed far-fetched. How could a normal person differentiate through aura alone?
Gu Jiu didn’t offer further clarification. After all, players were fundamentally different from adventurers, and she was different even from other players.
She smiled politely. “Madam Ella, how should I address you?”
“I am the witch Ella you’ve been searching for,” the elderly woman said coldly.
Gu Jiu smiled. “Elder, we never mentioned that we were looking for the witch Ella. Why did you say so yourself?”
The only person who knew they were seeking the witch Ella was the tavern owner. Players probing him about the tavern had inadvertently revealed their intentions. If Old Joseph wasn’t completely clueless, he would have easily figured it out.
The elderly woman’s eyes filled with mockery, as if ridiculing Gu Jiu’s pretenses. Since you’ve already deduced the truth, why bother with the act?
At that moment, light footsteps approached. Little Ella’s adorable face appeared at the doorway, her voice cheerful. “Grandmother, adventurer sister, lunch is ready.”
Both Gu Jiu and the elder turned to look at her, their expressions softening.
The lunch Ella prepared consisted of only one dish: wild vegetable dumplings made by mixing finely chopped greens with starch ground from some kind of plant root. The dumplings weren’t even steamed.
They were hard, bitter, and far from palatable.
This was the best Ella could offer to entertain her guests. She nervously watched Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, worried they might find the food unappealing. She understood well that these adventurers had access to much better food. Compared to the steamed buns Gu Jiu had given her, these dumplings were practically inedible.
To her surprise, both of them ate without changing their expressions.
“Although it’s not very tasty, it’s something you prepared with care, so we can’t let it go to waste,” Gu Jiu said with a warm smile to the little girl.
Her voice was as gentle as flowing water, and her gaze carried a tenderness that seemed to envelop Ella. For a seven- or eight-year-old child, it was impossible to resist such warmth. Ella’s face quickly turned bright red with joy, leaving her at a loss for words.
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji politely finished one dumpling each. The young miss refused to eat a second no matter what.
Though Ella was slightly disappointed, she was still happy.
After lunch, Gu Jiu and Lu Ji stood up to leave.
Ella reluctantly asked, “Adventurer sister, will you come again tomorrow?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “No.”
Ella’s eyes widened, fear flashing across her face. She asked anxiously, “I-is it because of the monsters outside? Will they eat you?”
Still smiling, Gu Jiu replied confidently, “No.” Before Ella could rejoice, she added, “Ella, are you afraid of those monsters?”
Ella nodded, her expression filled with unease and fear. “The monsters are terrifying. They’ve eaten so many people.”
Gu Jiu nodded in agreement. “Yes, they are very scary!”
From her seat in the shadows, the elderly woman watched them with cold, heavy eyes. Unfortunately, little Ella, being so young, didn’t notice her grandmother’s change in mood. Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, who had sensed the elder’s displeasure, chose to ignore it.
After leaving Ella’s house, Gu Jiu had no interest in probing further. She and Lu Ji strolled leisurely around the town, admiring the exotic scenery.
When the time was right, they returned to the tavern.
The tavern owner, as usual, was sitting behind the counter, tending to magical items. However, his demeanor had changed. Unlike his usual nonchalance, he now appeared tense and wary as he watched the players.
It was clear he already knew that the players’ actions the previous night had likely uncovered the tavern’s secrets.
Odinson, Huo Ting, and the other informed players cast subtle glances at Old Joseph, their expressions calm. They tacitly chose to sit in the tavern’s first-floor area, chatting casually with their companions.
When the adventurers came downstairs, the players brought out drinks and food to entertain them.
By nightfall, the adventurers were once again drunk, slumped over the tables and muttering incoherently. Only the players remained sober, their eyes sharp and alert.
Old Joseph occasionally cast cold glances in their direction, his eyes chilly and unsettling.
The uninformed players sitting nearby couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bound to happen tonight. They chose to stay close, refraining from going upstairs to rest.
Though it was only a gut feeling, player instincts were often eerily accurate.
“I think that old man is up to something,” Chai Yingying whispered. “He’s not planning to kick us out of the tavern, is he?”
Jiang Ze replied firmly, “He wouldn’t. We haven’t done anything today.”
“You’re wrong, Little Zeze,” Chai Yingying corrected him. “We didn’t do anything, but they certainly did…” She gestured subtly with her chin toward the group of Western players. “I suspect the old man is well aware of it.”
Jiang Ze fell silent.
Last night, Odinson had investigated the tavern’s basement. While players’ methods were undoubtedly discreet, magic—this strange Western mysticism they barely understood—might have left traces detectable to someone sensitive, like the tavern owner. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had discovered something.
The night grew darker, and the cries of monsters outside felt closer, nearly pressing against the tavern’s walls.
Odinson and his group remained seated, calm and composed. At some point, the tavern owner slipped away unnoticed.
The other players couldn’t shake the growing sense that something was wrong. Yet, seeing that no one else seemed inclined to leave, they stayed put, despite the creeping unease. The feeling of impending danger grew heavier with each passing minute.
Finally, with a thunderous crash, the western wall of the tavern crumbled. A monster forced its way through the breach.
Someone screamed, “A monster—it’s coming in!”
Panic flashed across the players’ faces.
Odinson, Huo Ting, Gu Jiu, and the others reacted immediately. The moment the monster broke through, they bolted toward the counter.
“Head to the basement!” Odinson shouted, leading a group of Western players through the door near the counter.
The other players sprang into action, dragging the drunken adventurers along with them. No one wanted to leave them behind as fodder for the monster.