Gu Jiu asked curiously, “Mistgrass? What is it used for?”
Chai Yingying replied, “It’s said to be a kind of magical herb. Since this world already has witches and magic, having magical herbs isn’t surprising. The Mistgrass isn’t very versatile, but if it’s hung on the doors of the town’s residents, it prevents monsters from easily destroying the houses in the town.”
Given the destructive power of monsters, they could easily demolish the structures in Ella Town.
Although the houses in the town aren’t sturdy enough to withstand monsters, they still serve as shelters. Naturally, the residents hope their homes remain intact.
This is why the houses in Ella Town are generally well-preserved.
“Mistgrass emits a scent that instinctively repels monsters,” Jiang Ze added. “In places where Mistgrass is present, monsters won’t approach willingly. However, the herb only works on inanimate objects. Humans can’t use it to avoid monsters. If someone carries it, it might even provoke the monsters into a frenzy.”
Gu Jiu nodded in understanding. “So, if we want to gather Mistgrass, we need to isolate its scent?”
“Exactly,” Chai Yingying affirmed. “Moreover, the Mistgrass needs to be fresh. Once it shows signs of wilting, it becomes ineffective. A single Mistgrass plant lasts for two days before wilting.”
Gu Jiu asked, “Why don’t the town’s residents gather it themselves? Is it because…”
“You’re absolutely right!” Chai Yingying replied with a sly smile. “Mistgrass is a magical herb that appears in the forest east of the town when the town is shrouded in thick fog. It’s a companion plant to the fog, which is why it’s called Mistgrass. It only grows during the fog and wilts as soon as the fog dissipates.”
“To gather fresh, usable Mistgrass, one must harvest it while the fog is present. During the safe hours, like noon to three in the afternoon, when there’s no fog, the Mistgrass is already wilted and useless.”
After this explanation, Gu Jiu finally understood why the tavern was willing to exchange their scarce food supplies with adventurers for Mistgrass.
The Mistgrass protects the townspeople’s homes from monster attacks. However, the townsfolk are ordinary people. If they venture out while the thick fog covers the town, they risk being eaten by monsters.
Adventurers, on the other hand, are different. In this world, most adventurers are swordsmen or possess similar combat skills.
Gu Jiu mused, “I’ve heard that over the past year, many adventurers have entered the tavern, but now fewer than twenty remain. It seems most of them must have died while gathering Mistgrass.”
“Exactly,” Chai Yingying sighed. Though players view the NPCs in the game world as mere characters, they are, in essence, living beings.
When adventurers enter Ella Town, they typically carry some food. But if they are trapped in the town for too long, their supplies will eventually run out. To avoid starving, they have no choice but to seek help from the townsfolk. Of course, the adventurers could use their sword skills to rob the townspeople of their food.
But that’s where the twist lies—they cannot harm Ella Town’s residents.
If they attempt to harm the townspeople, the damage is reflected back on them.
Because of this, adventurers who enter Ella Town must obediently trade with the residents.
The four of them made their way to the tavern’s ground-floor hall.
At this moment, both adventurers and players were gathered there. The tavern owner was still lounging behind the counter, lazily wiping the tables or fiddling with odd things—stones, plant roots, or the corpses of certain insects…
All in all, these strange items made people feel extremely uncomfortable.
Gu Jiu scanned the players in the hall and suddenly frowned.
Chai Yingying, skilled at reading people, noticed Gu Jiu’s expression and quickly understood. She lowered her voice and said, “So far, twelve Western players and eleven Eastern players have successfully made it to the Witch’s Tavern. We don’t know how many players have entered this place, but if there are others out there, they’re likely in serious danger by now.”
Based on their experiences, the Witch’s Tavern was the only safe haven available to adventurers for rest. Although the town’s residents’ homes were protected by Mistgrass, if an adventurer tried to break in, it was said that the house itself would expel them.
“This town seems to have a will of its own,” Jiang Ze remarked solemnly. “While it brings the dense fog and monsters, it also protects the townspeople from harm caused by outsiders.”
As they explored Ella Town further, they discovered more peculiarities about it.
For adventurers, this place was fraught with peril, with obstacles everywhere and no apparent advantages.
However, for players, things were different.
Players didn’t need to trade Mistgrass for food with the townsfolk. Instead, they generously shared their provisions with the adventurers, eating together without concern.
Western players, led by Mina and Allen, had already bonded with the stranded adventurers in the tavern. Using food to gain goodwill, they easily extracted more information from the adventurers.
The tavern owner sat behind the counter, occasionally glancing at the players. When he noticed them sharing food freely, his expression remained indifferent, making it hard to tell if he cared.
Eastern players, whether acquaintances or strangers, also chose to sit together.
Although there was no open conflict between the Western and Eastern players, the clear division in seating arrangements hinted at underlying tension. Cooperation between the two sides seemed unlikely.
When Gu Jiu appeared, both Huo Ting and Chen Zhiru’s gazes landed on her. Their attention sharpened when they noticed her casually linking arms with Lu Ji in an intimate manner. Chen Zhiru’s expression twisted slightly.
While Chen Zhiru was relieved to confirm that Gu Jiu was a lesbian, watching her openly display affection with another woman still challenged her worldview.
“This woman seems like someone who can’t quite accept the idea of same-sex relationships,” Chai Yingying whispered with a mischievous smile.
Gu Jiu paid no attention to irrelevant people. She pulled Lu Ji to a seat and took out her food container to start their dinner.
The other players were either eating dinner or sipping drinks they’d brought out.
Since this was a tavern, drinking seemed natural. For players, as long as the drinks weren’t the potent kind of spiritual liquor, they could drink as much as they wanted without getting drunk.
Gu Jiu ate with refined elegance. Even as she lounged lazily, she exuded an innate charm and grace that was pleasing to the eye and naturally drew attention.
Many male players in the tavern, both Western and Eastern, found their eyes lingering on her.
Huo Ting looked at her, hesitant to speak.
Gu Jiu, however, focused entirely on her food and Lu Ji. She eyed the honey-glazed chicken wing in Lu Ji’s box, but before she could reach for it, Lu Ji had already picked it up and held it to her lips.
She smiled warmly and took a bite.
The sauce glistened on her petal-like lips, resembling honey-colored dew. The sight was soft and alluring.
Lu Ji stared at her, his peripheral vision catching Huo Ting’s gaze. Regret flickered through him, replacing the pride he’d felt moments earlier.
After dinner, Mina, along with Allen and Joey, approached them.
“Gu, are you planning to gather Mistgrass?” Mina asked. “I think it’s fascinating. It appears alongside the mist that engulfs the town and might be an important clue.”
Even though players didn’t need the Mistgrass for food, they were still eager to explore.
Gu Jiu smiled and replied, “Tomorrow. It’s too late today, and we should rest properly.”
Mina grinned. “You’re right. It’s already late, and rest is important.” She gave Gu Jiu a playful wink before glancing at Lu Ji. “Gu, is this your partner?”
Gu Jiu admitted openly, “Yes, her name is Lu Ji.”
Hearing her admission, Chen Zhiru’s face twisted once again, and Huo Ting pressed his lips tightly together.
Mina, Allen, and the others offered their congratulations to the couple, exchanged a few words about the latest news with Gu Jiu, and then left.
The other players looked a bit dazed. They hadn’t expected these Western players to be so warm and enthusiastic. Unable to hold back, one player asked Gu Jiu, “Did you know them before?”
“No.”
“Then why are they so friendly to you?”
“It’s because, as soon as we arrived in Ella Town, our young miss here saved them,” Chai Yingying said with a smile. “These Western players aren’t as skilled as we are with talismans and other supernatural tools, so at first, they didn’t think of using an exorcism talisman against the monsters.”
Hearing this, the crowd suddenly understood.
Eastern and Western players had different specialties in their tools, and if you weren’t familiar with them, it was easy to overlook their uses due to ingrained habits.
That was probably why the main system had thrown both groups of players together this time. After all, the exorcism talisman felt more like an Eastern player’s tool, but Ella Town’s customs and culture leaned toward a Western player’s understanding.
In any case, it didn’t matter how they were grouped. The system had decided to throw them together and let them figure out how to cooperate to clear the level.
B-rank players, who were well-acquainted with the quirks of the Multiverse Game World’s main system, weren’t the least bit surprised by this.
Night fell quickly.
The tavern lit its oil lamps.
The small town was shrouded in thick fog, pitch-black except for the faint, eerie glow of the lamps. Somewhere in the darkness, the growls of monsters could be heard, lending an ominous air to the otherwise quiet town.
The players stared out into the darkness beyond the doors, once again affirming that it was best not to venture out at night. Staying alive meant going back to their rooms and waiting for daylight to act.
Gu Jiu pulled Lu Ji along and went back to their room to rest.
Other players either stayed in the tavern’s main hall to drink and chat or decided to head back to their rooms to rest and conserve their energy.
Huo Ting and Chen Zhiru also headed up to the third floor.
Their rooms were on the third floor as well.
After watching Gu Jiu and Lu Ji disappear into their room, Huo Ting suddenly stopped and stared at their closed door.
Chen Zhiru, following him, also stopped. Her face was dark, and she reminded him, “Brother Ting, it’s late. Let’s go to bed.”
Huo Ting gave a distracted “mm” in response but showed no intention of moving. He just stood there, staring at that tightly shut door with a blank expression, lost in thought.
Chen Zhiru couldn’t stand his behavior anymore. She couldn’t help but say, “Brother Ting, stop looking. She really doesn’t like you. If she did, she wouldn’t have ignored your advances back then.”
“She was still young back then,” Huo Ting finally spoke. He was three years older than Gu Jiu and had been waiting for her to grow up.
Chen Zhiru almost lost it again.
“She was nearly eighteen at the time—how was that young?” she snapped, furious. “She’s always been strong-willed and knows exactly what she wants. Do you think she didn’t understand your intentions? She deliberately ignored them. Now she’s found a woman to be her partner. Can’t you see? Brother Ting, being gay is innate. You can’t change it.”
Huo Ting finally looked at her.
Chen Zhiru felt a spark of hope, thinking he’d finally come to his senses. But then she heard him say, “No one is born gay. Most are bisexual.”
Chen Zhiru: “.…” What the hell do you mean by that?
Author’s Note:
There aren’t any extremely malicious supporting characters in this story. Chen Zhiru is constantly outclassed by the young miss in every way, so there’s no room for her to be truly vicious. =-=