Chapter 21: The Thief
Chapter 21: The Thief
“Is it even possible for anyone to drink this water?”
When Chen Ye saw the water downstream of the West River, this thought immediately flashed through his mind.
Logically, any player with a normal mindset would know that water of such quality...
Should be undrinkable, right?
Could it be some strange preference?
However, upon closer inspection, Chen Ye noticed that the water quality downstream was becoming increasingly polluted.
Through the Eye of Fortune, a faint black mist surged more and more densely. The monstrous eye in the middle of the river radiated a fortune aura like an endless abyss, constantly descending...
“The situation is worsening.”
Chen Ye furrowed his brow slightly. The fortune aura before him bore many similarities to those ill-fated novices he had seen before.
It seemed to be sliding toward an abyss of no return...
Judging by the river scenery downstream, the water quality was likely deteriorating gradually.
If it had been last night, the situation might not have been so severe. At night, players couldn’t see clearly in the water and might accidentally drink it. Teammates nearby witnessing the tragic scene naturally turned it into forum gossip.
Along the riverbank path downstream, there were no more bustling main roads adorned with blooming flowers. Weeds grew wildly, the surroundings barren, with only iron railings about a meter high blocking the way. This showed that the downstream area was outside the jurisdiction of the Sea Prince’s heirs.
Just ten meters apart, yet the scenes were worlds apart!
“That monstrous eye in the lake’s center is somewhat similar to the aura that appeared over those three unlucky fools who entered the cake shop.”
“I wonder if there’s any connection between the West River and that cake shop...”
“If there is, the situation might be far more complicated than imagined.”
In the world of The Weird Era, some strange phenomena not only have fixed domains but also continuously spread, radiating into surrounding areas.
Soon, these regions become forbidden zones where ordinary players entering are almost certain to perish!
Forbidden zones can no longer be described as just high-level dungeons; they seem designed solely for the very top players.
They add a hellish level of challenge and playability for late-stage players.
But now that the game has descended into reality, such hellish dungeons are no longer fun.
They truly become hell!
Fortunately... the West River’s situation was not yet that dire.
Chen Ye kept a close watch on the fortune aura above his head and found its color remained unchanged.
This meant that as long as he didn’t recklessly court death by drinking the downstream water, he would be safe for the time being.
“Anyway, it’s still the newbie phase. It shouldn’t immediately throw us into such a high-difficulty dungeon.”
Chen Ye pondered for a moment, looked around, and saw no other figures nearby.
He pulled out a suona from his pocket, gazed at the river scene, and couldn’t help but play a tune.
The jarring, unpleasant melody strangely matched the eerie downstream scene!
[Weirdness +80!]
[Weirdness +80!]
Even the rate at which the weirdness value increased seemed to accelerate. Chen Ye wondered if it was because the melody perfectly suited the atmosphere!
Suddenly, the monstrous eye beside the pool swiftly sank into the water and vanished.
It seemed even the monster couldn’t stand the awful music...
“Is it really that bad?”
Chen Ye was speechless. His suona was powerful enough to scare off monsters; good thing he wasn’t playing it in the streets!
Otherwise... he might have been beaten up in no time!
Still,
Chen Ye realized practicing the suona by the downstream riverbank was a good choice.
The increase in weirdness points was much faster than in the alleys of Xining!
“I see now.”
“A fitting song is also a form of artistry for a musician.”
“For an excellent musician, mastering control over a piece, freely moving the audience’s emotions, naturally requires adapting to various situational images.”
“Uh... my suona playing somehow matches this scene quite well.”
Chen Ye figured out why playing here sped up the weirdness growth rate.
But this wasn’t the limit.
Adopting a more advanced stance, he wandered around with the steps of a Wanderer, playing the suona and practicing pieces.
Soon,
The weirdness value increase reached one hundred!
After half a day, relying on his dual-role approach, Chen Ye accumulated five hundred weirdness points!
By noon,
Feeling a bit thirsty and hungry...
Chen Ye took out a roasted chestnut from his pocket, chewing it slowly before swallowing. Immediately, a warm current flowed through his limbs, wiping away the fatigue.
He savored the roasted chestnut’s flavor slowly, as it was his only meal for the day.
In the early stages, Chen Ye adopted a frugal mindset, unwilling to squander resources.
In this dangerous world, to enjoy a safe and delicious meal was truly something to cherish.
By midday, several figures appeared nearby.
The flow of people along the West River had increased.
Even near the downstream area, signs of other presences showed.
Chen Ye stopped playing the suona, worried his gloomy tunes might attract strange beings or disturb some irritable old-timers enjoying the river view...
He retreated upstream, reached the lakeside, and used the bucket he bought at the grocery store to scoop a basin of water.
“No problem.”
Before drinking, Chen Ye used the Eye of Fortune to carefully observe the water’s quality and confirmed it was safe, then drank a mouthful.
The cool river water refreshed him instantly, dispelling the midday heat.
Carrying the full bucket, Chen Ye passed through the gate of West River Park, preparing to retrace his steps...
Just then, a dirt-smudged girl suddenly dashed out from the nearby greenery and stopped in front of him.
She looked about fourteen years old, slender and weak, wearing a thin, old-fashioned short-sleeved shirt. Her flaxen pants were slightly torn at the bottom, revealing a tiny ankle barely held by thumb and forefinger. She wore no shoes; her feet were covered in black mud, and a small red string tied around her left ankle.
Chen Ye was momentarily stunned. Using the Eye of Fortune, he saw a gray mist surrounding her, like a lost lamb without direction. Within the mist, a faint purple glow flickered, so weak it was almost invisible...
“This fortune aura doesn’t seem dangerous.”
Chen Ye judged quietly.
“Um... could you spare some water for me?”
The girl’s gaze fell on the bucket Chen Ye carried. Her black pupils revealed desperate longing, like a raven starved for seven days and nights yet unable to drink from a bottle.
Chen Ye looked her over. Seeing her shabby appearance, he thought silently:
“Probably another wanderer?”
After all, her attire was no better than a beggar’s, even worse than his own genuine Wanderer’s.
She didn’t even have shoes!
She looked pitiful.
As fellow Wanderers, they should help each other.
Chen Ye thought for a moment and then took a basin of water from the bucket, handing it to her: “I can share some with you.”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
The girl eagerly accepted the water ladle and drank it all at once.
“Alive again!”
She wiped the corner of her mouth contentedly and sighed longingly, as if Chen Ye’s water was the sweetest nectar in the world.
“My name is Shen Meng. You saved my life; I will repay you someday.”
“It’s just... I don’t have any money right now...”
“But if you ever need anything, I’ll do my best to help.”
Shen Meng spoke sincerely.
“No need to be so polite.”
Chen Ye smiled and walked away with the bucket, as if it were no trouble at all.
Watching Chen Ye’s departing figure, Shen Meng’s eyes filled with gratitude as she murmured:
“There are still good people in this world!”
“But why is my profession ‘Thief’?”
“Thieves aren’t supposed to be good people... yet I was saved by a good person... sigh... Mom always taught me not to be a bad person.”
“They say good people are rewarded, bad people punished.”
“Otherwise, the rules for ‘Thieves’ wouldn’t include a special clause forbidding us from accepting gifts casually.”
“But it seems there’s nothing wrong for now...”