Chapter 95.1 Crimson Sunset Expedition
That octopus was too eye-catching. Even the group of people who were contemplating about the team battle quest couldn’t help but notice it.
Someone asked without thinking, “Where did this seafood come from?”
Fear wasn’t really there. What was truly frightening were the sudden death rules. An octopus resting on the doorframe posed little danger.
Particularly, the old-fashioned gentleman’s top hat on the head weakened the deep-sea fear brought by its eyeball.
“……”
Without much thought, one could figure out who this octopus really was. Wen Shi walked calmly ahead and casually explained, his voice drifting to the back, “My fighting pet.”
The fighting pet octopus silently took on this identity.
Wen Shi didn’t spot the old lady at the door. Like the scarecrow, she belonged to the wanted category, not able to appear directly. But she should have been close by.
A sensitive tentacle wrapped around his delicate wrist, trying to pull his attention back.
“Evolution… not bad.” Wen Shi couldn’t say more words that went against his conscience. “It’s clearly very much in line with the law of the jungle.”
He tried using the noun as an adjective. At least, the octopus was one of the more capable sea creatures.
The octopus accepted the praise calmly.
The tour guide led everyone back to the city area. While waiting for the bus, seizing the opportunity when the teenager was looking at the octopus with an indescribable gaze, Wen Shi walked up to the girl and softly reminded her, “Remember what happened in the House of Screams?”
Majority of the shadows had signed agreements with Wen Shi for a chance to refresh the quest. Even though there were many conditions and limitations, all restrictions were established to safeguard the personal safety of the shadows themselves.
“Back then, I mentioned that there was a third purpose,” Wen Shi raised an eyebrow and changed the topic, “Now it’s time to make a decision. You can persuade him.”
Simple-minded didn’t mean foolish. Sooner or later, the shadows and their original selves would face the choice of mutual slaughter, a fact the girl was well aware of.
Wen Shi’s repeated actions were enough to show that the teenager couldn’t outsmart him, especially considering Wen Shi’s ability to use other shadows to harm the teenager covertly. The third purpose was to make sure the girl understood this point: When it was time to control the teenager, do it mercilessly, without allowing him to walk into his own demise.
The girl didn’t immediately respond. She stood aside, lost in thought.
At the same time, the octopus presented a gift box to Wen Shi. He opened it and saw the body of the scarecrow inside.
The demon’s shell, which had lost its parasitic large eyeball, still emitted darkness from its deformed small wings on its back. At a glance, it was clearly not ordinary.
Wen Shi stared for a few seconds, then bent down as if whispering secrets. Although the octopus didn’t appear to have visible ears from the outside, and its hearing had greatly deteriorated, it wasn’t a problem for Big Eye that could speed-read any lip movements. It enjoyed the feeling of hushed conversations.
It wasn’t until it heard that Wen Shi wanted to sell its original body to help someone else’s illness that it happened.
“!” The tentacle instantly tensed.
Wen Shi sighed softly, making a promise, “I’ll explain the details once we get back, but I assure you, the ultimate goal is for your sake.”
As he spoke, he turned the gentleman’s hat a bit, adjusting it.
Having a brain still had some use, to some extent. If this had happened before, the scarecrow might have fainted with anger. Now, it retained a hint of rare rationality and didn’t make a scene.
It discreetly slid one of its tentacles into Wen Shi’s palm, indicating a desire to hold hands.
“……” If it made you happy, then that’s fine.
Wen Shi found the tour guide and handed her the box containing the scarecrow’s body. “Those two blind tourists, I want them to regain their sight. You can keep the rest.”
If this reward were claimed by Wen Shi himself, he’d have a hard time explaining. Making up a story wasn’t difficult, but it might arouse more suspicions.
Moreover, in Sunset Town, he was just an ordinary human. Dealing with a group of scheming beastkin would make things doubly complicated. The tour guide had been watching the octopus closely earlier, clearly becoming suspicious of the big-eyed creature’s identity. If she were to report it, considering that the hospital recently lost vials of Evolution Potion containing octopus properties, things could become quite troublesome.
“How about we all step back a bit?” Wen Shi asked.
The tour guide had lost her original intention and wouldn’t hold on too tightly.
Closing the box, she saw Wen Shi’s expression relax a bit. There’s nothing more practical than talking about money in this world.
The tour guide even quickly downplayed the pain of the past two days, feeling that receiving this compensation was still acceptable.
The bus arrived, but it wasn’t easy to get on with a huge octopus in tow.
The octopus’s size instantly shrank, taking on a palm-sized appearance, clinging to Wen Shi’s shoulder like a pendant.
Wen Shi caught the falling hat with one hand and blinked. “Looking at it this way, it’s not bad at all.”
Compared to the chubby worms’ swollen forms and the tour guide’s over two-meter-tall shadow, he oddly exhibited a high level of acceptance towards the octopus.
The mimetic octopus couldn’t withstand the praise. With a tiny “pop”, it slipped into his soft palm, its big eye blinking in response.
Wen Shi sighed inwardly. It truly became clever, even making a fuss about its cuteness.
Only tourists got on at this stop. The tour guide’s mind was fixed on the reward money. Before getting off midway, she quickly fulfilled her duty. “Afternoon is free time. Interested tourists can gather at the inn’s entrance at eleven tonight. I’ll lead everyone to experience Sunset Town’s most famous cosmetic procedure.
“…During the trip, you can also get a minor surgery for free. Do you think it’s quite a deal?”
Nobody answered, but from her words, they inferred one piece of information. Among the three options, those who chose to go to the hospital had an additional task related to undergoing cosmetic surgery. The question was whether it would generate a side quest or not.
The tour guide had the two blindfolded newbies follow her off the bus. Wen Shi sat in the front row and quickly said, “You don’t need to go to a very upscale hospital, but you must ensure the surgery’s safety.”
The tour guide sneered. “Please trust my professionalism.”
Her professionalism was that money got things done.
After the tour guide got off the bus, the atmosphere inside lightened a bit. Qian Laiye sat behind Wen Shi, still struggling with which option to choose.
“I envy you,” his voice drifted over, “You’ll definitely be able to get a good sleep at the inn.”
Based on Wen Shi’s current interaction with his shadow, Qian Laiye thought he wouldn’t hunt shadows. Plus, Wen Shi already had a transformation ability himself. He didn’t have a great need for more skills.
Wen Shi shook his head. “You’re mistaken. The inn isn’t safe either.”
Hunting should take place within the hospital’s range, a restriction players had to abide by, but not necessarily shadows. Furthermore, the game didn’t emphasize killing one’s own shadow as a must. The final outcome should fall within a fluctuation range. For example, the more powerful the shadow hunted, the higher the comprehensive improvement in qualities.
The specifics would only be known when the task was received. The only certain thing was that during this phase, no one was truly safe. Shadows probably didn’t have a fixed restriction to kill their original selves.
Qian Laiye perked up. “So, are you still going to the cosmetic surgery clinic?”
Wen Shi nodded. There wasn’t much point in hiding it at this point.
The bus happened to pass by a restaurant. Wen Shi quickly stood up and walked to the back, deciding to have a good lunch and skip dinner.
He beckoned at the teenager before getting off. “Let’s go, have a meal. My treat.”
While the bus was stopped by the side, Wen Shi continued speaking to the teenager. “Think about what task you want to do tonight while we eat. I’ll help you complete it.”
Of course, mutual slaughter was an exception. If the teenager chose to hunt his original self. he could only send him on his way.
Having money and looks and still being willing to help was important. Other shadows seeing this scene inexplicably thought: Choosing the right person is crucial.
Shadow Qian Laiye commented towards his original with a hint of sarcasm, “Both humans, yet someone had a head start from birth.”
If they weren’t on the bus, Qian Laiye would’ve acted directly. Was this blaming himself for not providing a favorable environment for growing up?
“……”
Wen Shi got off and walked back to the seafood barbecue restaurant he had seen earlier.
The teenager noticed a childish side to this person. Picking a seafood restaurant deliberately, it was obvious he was playing with the octopus.
One willing to tease and one willing to be teased, the mimetic octopus quite naturally wrapped its tentacle around Wen Shi’s finger, leaning its head against it, pretending to shiver.
“……”
He genuinely couldn’t grasp where the fun was in this mutual performance.
The extra money earned from the turtlekin hadn’t been spent yet, and the cash here couldn’t be used outside. Wen Shi requested a private room, ordered the most luxurious seafood buffet, and asked the waiter for five sets of utensils. When they poured water, they filled all the glasses.
The teenager was about to ask why they poured an extra glass of water when a section of the ceiling above them was lifted, and the old lady crawled down.
“Grandma, have some water.”
Wen Shi handed her the glass.
The corner of the teenager’s mouth twitched. He had to admit he indeed lacked the skills to deal with such a jerk.
The private room was spacious, and the old lady sat alone on the side with no one else.
“His shadow isn’t here,” the old lady said without preamble.
Wen Shi knew she referred to the scarecrow’s shadow, or rather, the mini octopus’.
The mini octopus could sense a faint, almost imperceptible connection with its shadow. However, this connection grew weaker each time it went out. After discussing with the old lady, they decided to first steal the Evolution Potion.
“Which hospital did you steal from?” That was what Wen Shi was interested in.
“Cosmetic Sunset Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.”
An unsurprising answer. Wen Shi’s eyes lit up. After all, one couldn’t spend hundreds of thousands to hunt down a petty thief if it was an ordinary hospital.
The old lady wasn’t much of a talker, so the detailed explanation came from the mini octopus. “I can sense the most contaminated area, where there’s a virus suitable for me.”
The male voice was deep, composed, and magnetic. In contrast to Jian Qingrong’s natural tone, it had a husky quality.
Almost bewitched by the voice, Wen Shi silently took a sip from his water glass.
“Is the hospital heavily guarded?” he asked when he put down the glass
The mini octopus shook its head. “I entered through a drainage pipe.”
That was a pipe specifically for wastewater disposal, containing various potent viruses. Ironically, Big Eye was least afraid of these.
Though the Evolution Potion it stole was expensive, compared to the purchasing power of wealthy people in the market, it wasn’t much. There were still dozens of crates of similar potion left there.
“The most contaminated area is underground. I didn’t go there.”
Just to be safe, it only visited the ordinary storage area. The old lady was responsible for receiving it in the lobby.
The mini octopus pondered for a moment. “But that place shouldn’t be simple.”
It had only taken one bottle of Evolution Potion and had also tampered with the surveillance. Being discovered could only mean that the inventory was rechecked every day.
“I originally thought of taking more things, but I had a vague feeling that something was coming towards me, so I stopped in time.”
The brain was what was important. Everything else was extraneous.
A waiter knocked on the door from outside, preparing to come in and serve the meal. The old lady hid temporarily.
While eating, Wen Shi’s throat felt a bit sore. He coughed a few times and suddenly remembered that his current condition wasn’t suitable for eating seafood. He ordered a few vegetables instead.
The mini octopus asked with concern, “Do you have a cold?”
The teenager retorted sarcastically from the side, “With so many enemies, wearing a bathrobe and being chased by the tour guide’s shadow in the middle of the night, who wouldn’t get sick?”
The fork slipped from the mini octopus’s hand.
What bathrobe? Whose bathrobe?
Wen Shi glared fiercely at the teenager and casually said, “I just got out of the bath and was attacked. But the assassin is already dead.”
The mini octopus instinctively recoiled its tentacles. It had only been gone for two nights!
Wen Shi promptly changed the topic, engaging in banter with the teenager. “Have you decided what task you’ll do tonight?”
The teenager didn’t respond immediately.
The desire to devour his original self constantly simmered in his blood, but he chose not to act on it. He had already exercised considerable restraint.
Wen Shi checked the time. “You don’t have much time left to make a decision.”
This statement was meant for the girl. After saying that, he stood up, tucked the mini octopus into his pocket, and walked out.
Shortly after leaving the private room, a waiter came over to inquire, “Hello, is there anything I can assist you with?”
He thought the customer wanted an extra meal or perhaps needed a plate.
Wen Shi shook his head.
The waiter had keen ears and caught some sobbing sounds from inside the private room, pausing slightly in response.
Wen Shi spoke quite calmly, “Just a small scene, an elder is going through the stages of crying, making a scene, and then attempting to hang herself.”
Inside the private room, the old lady was getting a headache from the commotion. She crawled back up to the ceiling, well aware of the kind of annoying person she used to be when she was young. Before going up, she even stuffed her ears with paper.
The effect wasn’t great, but it provided a bit of psychological comfort.
The teenager tried to reason, “This is a critically important decision.”
The girl interrupted, launching into her woeful childhood experiences and lamenting how having a relative now was not easy.
The teenager couldn’t help but snap at her, and the girl’s tears flowed like a burst dam.
After a while, it was still the teenager who surrendered first, “I didn’t say we must fight to the death.”
It was just that this choice, which seemed as if it was being dictated to him, made him feel somewhat unwilling.
At this moment, a voice faintly echoed from the ceiling, “In one’s lifetime, compromises are inevitable. Knowing there’s no hope and still engaging in actions that harm both oneself and others isn’t perseverance. It’s called foolishness.”
Pausing, the old lady gave an example that couldn’t be countered, “Look, my shadow is quite foolish.”
The teenager fell silent, unable to argue.
A quarter of an hour later, Wen Shi returned. The teenager’s expression fluctuated as soon as he saw him. He was about to curse, “Cunning and conniving, always scheming.” But to his surprise, Wen Shi spoke first, saying lightly, “I just went out to pay the bill.”
“……”
All the words reached the tip of his tongue, only to be swallowed back.
People who couldn’t pay the bill didn’t deserve to speak.
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