Chapter 45: The Truth
After Gao Yang finished speaking, Officer Huang and Qingling fell into deep thought. Pang Jun shivered, looking both confused and frightened. As for Wang Zikai, he didn't understand at all. "What? What did you say? Say it again, slower."
"This, this is the Ancient Village from back then," Gao Yang repeated.
"Oh..." Wang Zikai slapped his head, saying nonchalantly, "I knew I wouldn't understand."
"If this is the Ancient Village, then what was the one we saw before?" Qingling asked.
"That was also the Ancient Village."
"Can you speak plainly?" Wang Zikai got angry, "Are we playing with nested dolls here?"
Gao Yang gathered his thoughts and said, "Thirty years ago, there was a massacre in Ancient Village. Not long after, the entire village disappeared, right?"
"That's how it's recorded in the case file," Officer Huang said.
"I believe," Gao Yang said firmly, "it wasn't the villagers who disappeared, but the entire Ancient Village."
Officer Huang paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "Continue."
"I don't know how this happened, but the whole Ancient Village was transferred to this domain. The one we visited earlier was a counterfeit… or more accurately, a replica."
"What's the basis for your conclusion?" Officer Huang asked.
"On the first night, we went to the ancestral hall, which had many memorial tablets. Wang Zikai even read out some names. Do you remember? One of them was named Gu Huawu..."
"Master Wu," Qingling realized.
"Yes, the village chief was named Gu Huawu," Gao Yang said. "He didn't die, so why would he be listed on the memorial tablet? There must be something wrong with that hall."
"Ah!" Pang Jun panicked. "They've already died! What we're seeing are ghosts..."
"Ghosts, my foot!" Wang Zikai slapped Pang Jun on the head. "Didn't you see that Master Gu was a lizard man? I bet the village chief was a lizard man too."
"Quiet, Gao Yang, keep talking," Officer Huang was starting to piece things together.
"When we arrived in this Ancient Village, I kept feeling something was wrong. For example, Huazi's home—despite the massacre happening less than half a month ago, it seemed like no one had lived there for years."
Gao Yang paused, then continued, "Also, the coffin buried today looked very old, like it had been used before. When I looked closely, there was dried soil at the bottom of the coffin. The soil around the grave pit also seemed strange, the color was light, as if it had been repeatedly dug up. And the white bones inside the coffin..."
"Bro, what exactly are you trying to say?" Wang Zikai grew more confused.
"I get it," Qingling looked at Gao Yang. "They're repeating."
"Exactly," Gao Yang nodded. "The conclusion is, we didn't travel back thirty years. The whole Ancient Village is trapped in this special domain, and the villagers here have been repeating the same events over and over for thirty years—repeating the massacre, repeating the funerals... They've been repeating for three decades. Take someone like Master Gu—his body should have decayed and died long ago, but because of some irresistible force, it keeps repeating. His involuntary beast transformation is also because of this. If his body were a machine, it would have broken down by now..."
After a brief silence, Officer Huang asked, "What is this irresistible force?"
"I don't know," Gao Yang shook his head. "It's probably something we need to solve. If we can find the starting point of the next repetition in the Ancient Village, maybe we can identify that force..."
"Woo—"
Before Gao Yang could finish, an air raid siren suddenly blared outside. The sound was low, muffled, and prolonged, causing immense discomfort.
"Woo—"
Officer Huang walked to the window, pulled back a curtain, and his expression darkened.
Gao Yang and Qingling approached. The whole Ancient Village had been enveloped in a faint mist. The villagers, no matter what they were doing, slowly stopped their actions.
Everyone stood frozen, looking up at the sky with blank, lifeless expressions. Even those who had been asleep walked out of their homes and into the yards, all looking at the sky.
"Woo—"
After the third siren, it abruptly stopped. The mist around the village slowly dissipated, and the entire process took less than a minute.
During this minute, the five people hiding in the house felt as though their hearts were gripped tightly.
"What, what are they doing?" Pang Jun's face turned pale, his words stammering.
"They're probably starting the repetition," Gao Yang guessed.
At first, one villager moved. They took slow, soulless steps. Then, other villagers began moving as well, walking slowly and silently, gathering in the same direction.
Qingling was the first to realize something was wrong. She was sensitive to directions. "They're surrounding us!"
—Oh no!
Gao Yang's heart sank: I should have thought of this earlier! Now it's too late!
In less than a minute, more than fifty villagers gathered at the front yard of Huazi's house. Under the moonlight, their faces were pale, their expressions stiff, exuding an eerie, filthy, and unhealthy appearance, like walking corpses. Their hollow eyes were all focused on the closed door of Huazi's house.
The air became still, like the calm before a storm at sea—silent yet full of hidden undercurrents. They were waiting for the first flash of lightning that would unleash the great wave.
"W-what, what do they... want to do?" Pang Jun stepped back in fear.
"How many people are in Huazi's family?" Gao Yang asked.
"Five people, four men and one woman," Officer Huang replied.
"Ah, I got it! This is exactly us five!" Wang Zikai proudly figured out this obvious conclusion.
"The repetition is starting, from tonight, the wedding night," Gao Yang gritted his teeth. "They... are coming to massacre us!"
He should have thought of this earlier. Huazi's family was killed by the village's beasts. Only this way could the bodies have been dismembered and scattered around. But why would these beasts suddenly beast out and attack Huazi's family? After attacking, why did they forget everything?
There were many unanswered questions, but they didn't matter now. What was important was surviving!
"Run! Let's get out of here!" Pang Jun's voice was filled with panic. "We can't beat them! We'll die... we're all going to die!"
"It's too late." Qingling drew her knife, already accepting the reality.
"Going out now will get us killed faster!" Officer Huang pulled out his gun, decisively. "Ever played a tower defense game? Protect the house, kill one as they come! Remember, aim for the head and heart! Gao Yang, Pang Jun, you guard the windows at the back! Qingling, Wang Zikai, we'll guard the front door!"
"No problem!"
Wang Zikai rushed to the door, ready to fight.
Qingling stood to Wang Zikai's left, holding a knife with both hands, crouching, poised to strike.
Officer Huang stood behind and to the right of Wang Zikai, covering them both with his gun. He turned and shouted to Gao Yang, "Turn on the lights! The fog doesn't obstruct them, but it's crucial for us!"
Gao Yang immediately turned on the lights, then quickly closed his eyes.
[Entering system]
[Reminder: You are facing danger, lucky point multiplier increased to 100 times]
[You currently have 72 lucky points]
— [Comprehending Talent]
[Talent comprehension costs 60 points, do you want to...]
— Hurry!
[Comprehending...]
[Comprehending...]
[Comprehension failed]
— Damn! Not once has it been useful!
— Add everything to agility now!
[Your agility permanently increases by 12 points]
[Stamina: 27 Endurance: 28]
[Strength: 17 Agility: 39]
[Mental: 137 Charisma: 47]
[Luck: 132]
Gao Yang opened his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was psychological, but he felt a little lighter.
Given his current situation, once he borrowed ten seconds of Qingling's Blade God talent, he would essentially be useless. The other attribute boosts didn't matter much, but if his agility was a little better, he could dodge more attacks, creating some opportunities. At the very least... he could die a little slower.
Outside the door, hurried footsteps approached. Officer Huang yelled, "They're coming!"