At this moment, not only the people in the room were scared to death, but the live broadcast viewers in front of the screen also screamed out.
The camera cuts directly from the exterior of the house to a close-up of the ice puppet full of malice. The weird big face fills the entire screen without warning, which is comparable to a ghost movie scene. Within a few seconds, the barrage pool was filled with angry protests from frightened people—and garbled characters typed in excessive panic.
Inside the house, the adventurer who bore the brunt moved quickly. The leader raised his hand and extinguished the candle without hesitation, and the dimly visible figure through the window immediately disappeared into the darkness.
At this moment, there was a commotion in the Elder's Mansion. The torch outside the window cast a flickering light into the room, making the ice puppet's creepy figure clearly visible. The Terashima siblings were so frightened that their legs were weak. They shivered and shrank behind their boss. It took all their willpower to control themselves from screaming on the spot.
Xiaoye was already prepared for a fight, but after a moment of stalemate, she noticed that the ice puppet's reaction was a little abnormal.
It had clearly bumped into the uninvited guests face to face, and was only a few dozen centimeters away from hugging them, but it still walked to the window as if nothing had happened, imitating human body postures and making visiting gestures, and it also made lifelike noises from time to time. The coughing sound - God knows how that smooth ice lump made the sound.
About half a minute later, the ice puppet staggered back to the bed and lay down motionless.
The siblings, who were prepared for the plot of a horror movie of the same level as last year, suddenly looked at each other.
Xiaoye still looked very calm, and quietly pushed the innermost window open a crack, allowing the dream demon to call back her companions. It wasn't until little Pichu was squeezed into the house by the ghost with his tail in his mouth and the window was closed again, with a look of despair on his face, that the two of them suddenly realized.
"Substitute!" Lijiu clapped her hands.
Since the ice puppet in front of you has no reaction to outsiders, its only function is to "make the illusion that there are always people living in the room."
"However, the appearance of the ice puppet is so different from that of a human being. You may not be able to see anything from the window, but it will be completely exposed as soon as you open the door, right?" Long Xing scratched his head.
"Did you forget? On the first day we came here, we heard that the second elder was very vigilant after falling ill and did not allow anyone to approach. Only the guards who delivered meals could enter the house every day." Lijiu replied.
The young man's eyes lit up, "I also heard that the third elder sometimes comes to the second elder to discuss official matters!"
The two siblings looked at each other, making smart, understanding expressions at the same time. While they were speculating about the truth of the matter, Xiaoye had already searched through the desk, wardrobe and other items in the room.
Although there were a few scattered books on the second elder's desk, the drawers were empty, as if they were brand-new furniture that had never been used. There was not a single piece of clothing in the closet, and there was even a layer of dust on the handles from being left there for so long.
After rummaging through this unpopular room, Xiaoye mentally dismissed the possibility that the second elder was just out tonight. There was no doubt that this was not a room where anyone had ever lived.
The two siblings looked at the boss who finally stopped rummaging through the boxes and said, "Isn't it true that the second elder has really..."
Xiaoye nodded.
Why is the second elder who was supposed to have died in the battle a year ago still "surviving" in Fengxue Villa? Who controlled the ice puppet, and how did he use the ice puppet to replace the second elder without anyone knowing? What did the people leading all this want to cover up, and what was the truth about the war a year ago?
All questions have answers.
"It's time for us to leave." Xiaoye looked at the sky through the window.
In summer, it gets bright very early in the mountains, and the sun rises at four or five o'clock. If he didn't escape from the second elder's house before then, there would be nowhere to hide after dawn.
"But how to leave?" Lijiu pointed awkwardly at the chaotic scene outside the window.
The appearance of the intruder raised the security of the Elder's Mansion to the highest level. Groups of guards were running around, unable to find any opportunities to take advantage of.
Xiaoye listened for a while, then sat down leisurely by the window, beckoning her sister and brother to rest together.
"Biding the moment."
She nodded at the white clothes on her body.
"——After all, we are not the only adventurers who have come here."
"Forwards retreat, keep your distance... now release the smoke! Okay, move with me!"
Hidechi Ikawa covered his mouth and nose and was the first to rush out of the area covered in black smoke. His teammates followed, moving silently and quickly to the next high ground. The guards who were caught in the smoke choked and coughed repeatedly, and their formation was in a mess. It was only because of their large number that they were not completely thrown away.
In the Snowy Villa at night, being discovered by the patrol means being out of the game - although the person who announced the rules said so, as the leader of the team, Xiuzhi has long discovered that as long as he is not caught by the guards, he will not be sentenced.
That is to say, this is only reasonable - if you are eliminated the moment you are seen, then only non-humans can pass the game.
They had already obtained the information they wanted in the library that prohibited foreigners from entering. However, due to the large number of people in the team, it would be cumbersome to move, and they were accidentally discovered by the guards when they left.
The library is located next to the Elder's Mansion and is one of the most heavily guarded areas in Fengxue Villa at night. Fortunately, Ikawa Hidechi was very skilled and commanded his teammates to fight and retreat, so he was not immediately sacked.
Because the guards on the observatory were too threatening, Hidechi directly ordered his companions to set a fire and ignite the wooden base of the observatory. Of course, he had no intention of causing a fire, so he burned out some black smoke as a token gesture and extinguished it. Fire, but it was enough to force the guards on the top down. The patrols, who lost their view of the commanding heights, had to engage in guerrilla warfare with the adventurers, and the fight lasted until dawn without a winner.
Xiuzhi looked up at the slightly bright sky and couldn't help but feel worried.
He didn't know what it would be like to seamlessly transition from a night dungeon to a day dungeon - maybe the night patrols would disperse at dawn, or maybe double the number of guards would surge out to attack them in a mixed doubles attack. To be on the safe side, we must escape before dawn.
He looked around and pointed at the rows of straw carts not far away. The younger brothers who received the order immediately understood, and a beam of destructive light hit them, blowing up straw fragments flying all over the sky, mixed with the smoke and dust generated by the explosion, and immediately hindered the sight of the pursuers.
——The figure originally hiding behind the straw cart was also exposed.
Night:"……"
Lijiu: "..."
Long Xing: "..."
Xiuzhi looked at the adventurers standing there and was dumbfounded.
However, the guards who had been smoked several times had gained experience and still ran fast with their mouths and noses covered, leaving no time for them to be in a daze. The adventurers had no choice but to continue running away in confusion.
——Forced to run away with the large army, the two siblings who were sneaking so well and were suddenly pulled into the battlefield were so angry that they almost breathed fire.
Ten minutes ago, when there was an explosion outside the window, the people hiding in the second elder's room knew that the opportunity had come.
The brawl attracted many guards, and the few remaining patrollers were no hindrance to Xiao Ye. She led her sister and brother forward silently, avoiding the sight of the guards, and was about to leave the area of the Elder's Mansion——
They never expected that the other team would suddenly change their direction of travel and accidentally blow up their hideout.
Yichuan Xiuzhi knew that he was in the wrong, so he hurriedly ran and said: "I'm sorry for causing trouble to you. It was our actions just now that were not considered carefully, so I am here to apologize to the three of you."
The three unlucky people who were implicated didn't say anything, they just ran away with their heads down.
The leader of the largest group of adventurers had an idea and suddenly felt that this was a good opportunity.
Through the well-connected intelligence network of his subordinates, he already knew that the only trainer who rejected him was named Beidou, and he was one of the players who had helped fight against terrorists in the Quartz Alliance. If they can bring this powerful contestant into the gang, it will be nothing more than a loss for them.
Thinking of this, he immediately changed to a sincere and worried tone, "I know that a verbal apology cannot make up for the losses of the three of you. How about we cooperate temporarily? With our strength, as long as we unite, we can escape safely before dawn. I can gather Use the entire team’s strength to help your teammates escape first——”
Before he finished speaking, Xiuzhi saw Beidou, who had been silent, suddenly making a gesture.
A few seconds ago, the guard chasing behind him had just fired a flaming arrow, which landed on the piles of dead leaves under the tree, igniting a burst of black smoke. At the moment when the dead leaves were burning most vigorously, the figures of two dream monsters suddenly appeared next to the trainer.
The black air flow stirred up by the strange wind merged with the smoke and dust, causing the originally conspicuous white clothes to disappear. But in the blink of an eye, the two little ghosts had used their mental strength to drag their trainer soaring into the sky, sinking into the branches and leaves of the cedar without any movement. All this happened in a corner shrouded in black wind and smoke, and no pursuers could notice it.
Beidou turned his head indifferently and gave the same answer as when they first met: "Like this?"
Xiuzhi: "..."
Xiuzhi: "Farewell."
Probably because the noise of the battle was too great, a steady stream of guards came from different directions, almost completely surrounding the Elder's Mansion. Yichuan Xiuzhi and his party could only circle around the Elder's Mansion. After fighting left and right for a long time, they could not escape the encirclement.
His mentality was quite good, with the idea of "I'll be eliminated if the worst happens", and he was looking around to look at the people next to him.
The two dream monsters have helped their trainers escape and will probably not be able to come back for a while. And the Pokémon Beidou chose - the Pichu that is lying on his shoulder, will also be difficult to come back in this situation. Make a difference. Perhaps because of this, he had to escape with the contestants who had implicated him instead of acting alone.
In other words... if I save him once, maybe I can restore my impression and even get him to agree to form a team?
Thinking of this, Hidechi Ikawa, who was keen on forming the strongest adventurer alliance, immediately made a decision.
He waved his hand, and the elf ball that had never been opened on his waist flew high, blooming with dazzling light in the night sky.
The dark blue giant beast appeared in the light, raising its head and letting out a high-pitched roar. The air flow oscillated in all directions along with the sound, causing the guards at the front to almost stumble and stop in fear.
Diya sea lion is Xiuzhi's strongest partner. Facing a group of people who only use cold weapons and ice attributes, he believed that even if there was a huge disparity in the numbers between the enemy and ourselves, the Diya Sea Lion could create a gap for the team.
Xiuzhi looked at his partner with trust, and was suddenly startled when he was about to give the order.
He saw that the Diya sea lion's eyes were red.
Before he could react, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him hard, taking him away from his position. At the same time, the Diya sea lion roared wildly, and as the violent storm roared, countless sharp boulders spewed out!
Xiuzhi saw the sharp ice edge landing in front of his eyes and suddenly came back to his senses.
As a veteran who has obtained a professional trainer's license, "how to deal with out-of-control Pokémon" is a required topic that has long been familiar to me. He didn't have time to think about why the Diya sea lion suddenly went crazy. He didn't even have time to thank Beidou for rescuing him. He yelled the "all retreat" command to the team members at the top of his lungs.
The blizzard caused by the Diya sea lion seriously affected the trainers' vision. Those who stood a little further away could not even see clearly what was happening. Seeing that Beidou had taken away the young people who were too close to the Diya sea lion one by one, Xiuzhi grabbed him, pointed at the Pichu on his shoulder and shouted: "Electromagnetic wave!"
Beidou made an "OK" gesture and suddenly disappeared into the snow. A few seconds later, the painful howl of the Diya sea lion was wrapped in lightning and came from the direction where the wind and snow were the strongest.
Whether it was due to the blizzard or because they sensed something was wrong, none of the guards on the outermost perimeter rushed in to arrest the contestants, and the two people on the front line of the fierce battle couldn't care less. Trainers dodge the icy rubble falling from the sky and fight with the crazy beast; but for Pichu, streets with dense buildings are the most suitable battlefield for it. Its small body allowed it to use the terrain to avoid most injuries. Soon, the irrational Diya sea lion was caught in a flaw.
The strong electric light pierced the beast's body, causing it to twitch and become unable to move for a moment. Naturally, Ikawa Hidechi would not miss this opportunity. The red light of the Poké Ball penetrated the wind and snow and accurately hit the Diya Sea Lion's body.
The strong wind and flying snow finally subsided. Just when Xiuzhi breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard a gurgling sound behind him.
At this moment, he was facing away from the observation tower. As soon as he turned around, he was startled by the familiar scorch marks on the wooden base.
The originally straight wooden pole was covered with mottled burnt black color - it was caused by their own hands in order to force the guards down. And in the deepest part of the scorch mark, there is a huge ice edge spitted out by the Diya sea lion.
Before he could realize that something was wrong, the wood that had been traumatized twice in a row completely broke like fragile glass. The entire observation tower lost its balance and fell heavily in the direction of the young man.
Xiuzhi instinctively reached for his hand to his waist, but found nothing - the Snowy Mountain Villa late at night only allowed players to bring one Pokémon, and all other Poké Balls were left at the residence.
Amidst the loud noise, the observation tower collapsed completely. The billowing smoke covered almost the entire Elder's Mansion, waking up everyone who was still sleeping.
Under the ruins, Yichuan Xiuzhi opened his eyes in shock.
In the disaster like a collapse of the sky, the dazzling golden thunder light and the clear crystal blue ripples lit up one after another, and then dimmed quickly. And when both barriers were shattered by the overwhelming heavy wood, what stood above him was a not-so-strong arm.
The originally spotless white sleeves and gloves were torn apart, and hot blood dripped onto the young man's cheek.
====================
[Adventurer Team·Big Dipper and his two younger brothers]
Day 3·Task progress:
·[Villa Camp] Main Mission 1 [For Survival, For Home]
Posted by: Third Elder Morton
Mission location: Icefield, Warcraft Forest
Mission goal: Destroy the monsters
Progress: Completed
Congratulations, brave adventurers. By hunting down monsters, you have proven your agility, strength, and tenacity.
According to the contract, you will receive a generous thank you gift.
——Of course, I know you want more, don’t you?
·[Mountain Villa Camp] Main Mission 2 [Troll hiding deep in the jungle]
Posted by: Third Elder Morton
Mission location: Warcraft Forest
Mission objective: Defeat the snowman
Progress: None yet
Brave adventurers, you must be accustomed to fighting in the Warcraft Forest and have explored every corner of it.
I believe that in the next four days, you will be able to find traces of the snowman - you must also know that this is a very important job for us, right?
·[Villa Camp] Main Mission Three [Key to Secret Treasure]
Posted by: Third Elder Morton
Mission location: Northern Wilderness of Snow Wind Mountain
Mission goal: Find the red crystal
Progress: None yet
Mighty adventurer, I am glad that you are willing to join me.
You have proven your strength and loyalty. Next, please help me find a red crystal - it is the "key" to unlock our family's secret treasure.
As long as you can bring the key, I will do my best to reward you.
whatever you want.
·【? ? Faction】Main mission one[? ? ? ]
announcer:? ? ?
Mission location:? ? ?
mission target:? ? ?
schedule:? ? ?
You shouldn't have come.
The riots of Warcraft, the rampage of ice puppets, and abandoned villages—none of this has anything to do with you. Becoming a weapon in the hands of others is not suitable for you; free adventurers should not be involved in dirty fights with strangers.
Fengxue Mountain is a place blessed by gods. Before you leave, I will always protect you - as a dependent of the ancient gods, as...
·Side mission 1 [The ancient song that once rang through the mountains and fields]
Posted by: Villa resident Lily
Mission location: Warcraft Forest
Mission goal: Collect the leaves of the "Holy Tree"
Progress: Completed
Grandpa's health has improved and he went out for a walk with me in the evening. This is all due to you, thank you, adventurers.
I wonder if you like the stories grandpa tells? Although I still don’t understand it, it must be a beautiful story, right?
I really hope... Snow Wind Villa can change back to what it used to be.
·Side Mission 2 [This is the time to work together]
Posted by: Adventurer Hidechi Ikawa
Mission location: Fengxue Mountain
Mission goal: Build the strongest adventurer alliance
Progress: Aborted (although the publisher tried several times to start over)
I have nothing to say. If you must say something...
When I see a straw cart in the future, I will definitely walk around it, at least a hundred meters away, QAQ!
·Side mission three [Want to return to that dreaming place]
Posted by: Mysterious Boy Oliver
Mission location: abandoned village
Mission objective: Find a photo in the lighthouse
Progress: None yet
I know this is a very arbitrary request. I shouldn't sneak in alone, as this will cause trouble to Master Silver and also bring trouble to the well-meaning adventurers.
But... please, please take me to the lighthouse to find a photo! I will give everything I have in return!
Even if time cannot be turned back, what is lost will not come back...but at least we are still qualified to remember, right?
====================
small theater:
Pichu, whose ear and tail were bitten: Am I the Pichu who is here to be ghost fodder? (angry to the point of discharge)
