After Lisa left, following her instructions, Shen Lin and the others sneaked out of the small house when Mrs. Anne, the landlady on the first floor, tremblingly walked her nearly bald parrot with a thin line, for a walk. At five in the morning, Bai’er utilized his stealth skills to leave Lisa’s house and rendezvous with Freud. Subsequently, he had a stroke of luck and found an abandoned house on Hassan Street to serve as a temporary shelter.
After leaving Lisa’s house, they gathered at this temporary shelter.
The house was not large but spacious enough for the five of them to stay temporarily. The floor was dirty, not cleaned for a long time, cobwebs covered the corners, and there were unexplained dark traces on the ground in a radial pattern, emitting a burnt smell from an unknown source.
The house was labeled “sinister” everywhere.
Freud said, “After we came here, we conducted reconnaissance and found nothing strange except for this bloodstain on the ground.” He added solemnly, “Well, it’s probably chicken blood, no big deal.”
Bai’er shivered. “Damn, no big deal!”
Freud smirked. “Considering our current situation, we don’t have the luxury of being picky. This town is strange; it has a large population, few empty houses, and quite a few vagrants on the streets, far exceeding the carrying capacity of a town. Instead of withering away and waiting to die here, wouldn’t they want to leave?”
“The girl who saved us insisted multiple times that we shouldn’t think of leaving this place. Previously, at the tavern, the bartender Luther also mentioned that people here can’t leave,” Shen Lin said. “He also said that the gods granted them faces that age more slowly, so this situation is not difficult to understand.”
He calmly analyzed, “The town’s resources are limited, but people have long lifespans, and reproduction is ongoing. More and more people compete for these limited resources, and there will always be someone eliminated. But, I think the reason for this contradiction to be exposed ten years ago is, I remember someone in the tavern said that the ritual failed ten years ago. Outsiders didn’t provide enough supplies, making the scarcity of resources more apparent. Besides, I think part of the reason lies with Benson.”
“Benson is the priest here, ranking just below the mayor,” Freud continued. “I gathered some information about him. He claims to be a chosen messenger of the gods, possessing a longer lifespan and more handsome appearance than ordinary people. He has privileges surpassing the mayor’s, including the authority to arbitrarily execute any townsperson.”
“Yes, Benson is responsible for trading supplies with outsiders and controls most of the resources. Thus, he holds the lives of the townspeople in his hands.”
Shen Lin had a natural aversion to Benson. He paused and continued.
“Conventional resources can be self-sufficient for the townspeople, but for things like medicine, coal, and cotton, which they cannot obtain locally, they have to get them from outsiders, especially medicine. I believe, based on this, that the supplies we brought on the cruise ship were probably intended for trading.”
“But the ship ran aground and sank,” Bai’er blinked. “Dorena lost the traded goods. So, maybe he hid somewhere? Wait, is there a possibility that he went back and got another shipload of supplies?”
“That ship is so large, carrying enough supplies to meet the daily needs of a small town for ten years. Even the Hano family, where Dorena is, doesn’t have the ability to gather so many supplies in a short time,” Nana denied. “He must be hiding on this island because he can’t explain to Benson. He doesn’t dare to show himself for a while.”
Shen Lin frowned and asked, “Why doesn’t he go to the ‘Messenger’? He is absolutely loyal to the Hano family.”
Everyone fell into silence. They couldn’t find an explanation for that.
“Unless…” After a while, almost simultaneously, Shen Lin and Yan Xiu Yi spoke, “There is someone he trusts more here.”
Thinking of this possibility, everyone widened their eyes in surprise.
“Who… could it be?” Nana slowly spoke.
Freud’s voice became solemn. “What about the lost sacrifice?”
Everyone fell into silence. This was something they needed to investigate. More than that, what worried them more was that there was still no clue about the ritual. They were particularly frustrated by this.
In simple terms, the development of the town and their situation had little to do with them. The sword hanging over their heads was the demand of the game—to find Dorena, figure out what the ritual was about, and find a way to leave this place. Only by doing so could they survive.
In their helpless dilemma, Shen Lin calmly spoke, “I want to go to the library.”
He looked at Freud with his emerald-like eyes. “Do you want to join me?”
Moonset Town’s library, located on Hibiscus Street, adjacent to the cathedral, was cleaner and tidier than the streets Shen Lin had passed through. Tall chestnut trees lined the street, emitting a faint floral fragrance.
Wearing luxurious attire, the rich strolled leisurely here, as if the disasters that befell other streets due to disease or hunger were non-existent.
The library was located at the end of this street.
Freud walked side by side with Shen Lin, his gaze under the glasses fixed on Shen Lin’s profile. KP had given this youth exceptionally striking features, but in Freud’s impression, Shen Lin’s appearance was equally impressive. He recalled Shen Lin’s performance in the game and always felt that many strange and unimaginable things had happened to this young man, allowing him to remain calm at all times and always believe that he could find a solution to any problem.
He opened his mouth and asked, “Why do you want to go to the library?”
“No matter where, no matter what era, the library carries the history of a town. I saw the deity they serve on the stained glass in the church; it is a strange creature born from an egg.” Shen Lin pondered and found a suitable term, “An alien. It looks very peculiar, with a body like a spider, eight legs are tentacles, and compound eyes are like a crocodile’s with upright pupils. I want to know about this town and its history. More importantly, I think the scrolls may contain the oldest writing of this town, the ritual book they inherited for worshiping the deity.”
“You’re too clever!” Freud exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of that! However, the culture here has already blended; people always spontaneously move toward more convenient directions. It’s hard to say whether these ancient characters can survive, and, moreover, how many unique scripts that belong to this remote town can exist?”
“It might be challenging,” Shen Lin said unwaveringly, “but as long as there’s a possibility of deciphering the parchment, it’s worth a try.”
Freud nodded, looking at Shen Lin with a smile. “I’m really lucky to have a companion like you this time.”
Shen Lin chuckled softly. “I feel fortunate to have met you too.”
The two stopped in front of the library door. In the hall, there was a beautiful woman in a long skirt sitting at the front desk, reading a familiar poetry collection—the “Fei Dao Ji” (Collection of Flying Islands).
The woman looked up at them, pulling out two cards from the side. “New faces, need to register.”
Shen Lin took the cards, but he was puzzled at the first line.
Town ID.
Obviously, they didn’t have this ID.
KP said, “You can’t register. What do you plan to do?”
Shen Lin didn’t respond to KP. He scanned the library hall and noticed a sign not far away that read:
【Moonset Town Library Entry Rules】
Library Opening Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Entry with a registration card.
A man in a gentleman’s suit approached from behind. He bumped Shen Lin’s shoulder from behind, pushed his glasses up, and arrogantly said, “This is not a place where the poor lower class should come. Knowledge is a privilege only the noble pure-bloods can enjoy. Leave quickly, plebeian!”
Freud said, “Damn, this guy needs a beating. Can I punch him?”
KP grinned, “Of course.”
Shen Lin said, “Use charm.”
KP asked, “Charm who?”
Shen Lin expressionlessly replied, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Freud said, “…”
The dice appeared in front of them. Shen Lin clicked to roll, and he scored 65 points.
Success.
Olok, having studied opera, had a good voice like a cello, pleasing to the ears. He recited softly to the woman behind the counter, “When I endured the fate and the disdain of people, mourned my own wandering birth in secret, and vainly called upon the deaf sky, looking forward to a figure, cursing my own existence…”
The beautiful woman at the front desk unexpectedly looked up, her brown eyes locking onto Shen Lin’s face, revealing an astonished expression.
Shen Lin continued, “Wishing to be as hopeful as another, resembling in appearance and making extensive connections like him, seeking the profound knowledge of this person… But when I was about to belittle myself in this way, I suddenly thought of you. So, my spirit, like a skylark rising from the dark earth, spread its wings and sang a hymn in the heavens: just the thought of your love makes me so rich, and I would disdain to yield even if I were to switch places with an emperor.”
“What a beautiful poem,” the lady exclaimed, looking at Shen Lin with soft eyes. “A song of destiny that is truly lamentable. You are an excellent poet.”
Shen Lin said, “These are not my own creations, but I love them just the same.” He looked up at the departing aristocrat without a trace of annoyance despite the recent insult. “He was wrong. Knowledge is a shared wealth, stemming from the spirit and consciousness, not from birth. I want to embrace knowledge.”
The lady looked at Shen Lin in a dilemma.
Shen Lin’s emerald pupils stared at her, pleading, “Please give me a chance.”
Her heart collapsed instantly. The woman sighed and looked at Shen Lin with soft eyebrows, “Your eyes are more enchanting than poetry. Okay, but I can only give you an hour.”
“That’s already enough. Thank you, beautiful lady.” Shen Lin smiled, making the woman blush instantly. He asked, “I want to check ancient texts. Where can I find information about the history and writing of the town?”
The lady hesitated. She showed a regretful expression, “Unfortunately, not only you, but even my authority cannot access those areas. Those books are too ancient and easily damaged. They can’t be taken out for casual borrowing.”
“They’re not stored here?”
“Yes, at the cathedral, Benson is responsible for overseeing those books.”
Shen Lin: “…”
Shen Lin said, “I want to have a stroke of luck.”
“… A stroke of luck?” the lady asked.
Shen Lin: “Yes, I want to see if I’m lucky enough to have someone offer me a private dictionary at this moment, which can help me translate these writings.”
“No.” KP replied emotionlessly.
“It’s possible.” Shen Lin was even more emotionless than KP.
KP: “…”
Shen Lin said, “I’m applying for a challenging stroke of luck.”
KP was taken aback, made a “hissing” sound, and said, “Well, you go first. After you’re done, I’ll figure out how to weave the plot.”
TN: The author uses both Yan Xiu Yi and Yan Xiu. I translated it as Yan Xiu generally but from now on I will leave it as is because I don’t know if the name change will affect the pilot or it is just typo on the authors end. Thank you for reading~~
