Chapter 174: Spreading Rumors

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Spreading Rumors

The room was dilapidated, but the door, windows, and walls were intact. Inside, aside from a pile of hay, there was only a mound of earth where a partition had once stood.

Shi Zhile dragged the hay into a corner, then moved a stone from the side to block the door.

Not long after she entered the room, a cry of alarm came from the distance.

But when Shi Zhile quieted down to listen, the sound had vanished completely.

The next second, a video call came in from Shi Zhiyi.

After accepting the call, the first thing she saw was the forest. A black fog was sweeping across the sky, and every tree it touched withered and turned black.

Soon, the fog spread into the village, and the sky turned completely dark. The perspective in the video shifted to inside the village. Peering through a crack in a door and the fog, she could vaguely make out a short figure running and shouting.

But he wasn’t fast enough to outrun the spreading fog, and in moments, he was enveloped by it.

There wasn’t the scream she expected. Once touched by the black fog, the person froze inexplicably for a moment before continuing to walk forward with stiff, jerky movements.

The fog grew thicker and thicker until the view went completely black, at which point the camera turned to show Shi Zhiyi’s face.

"Lele, food can go into our backpacks, but it can’t come out. Besides that, the only supplies we can freely retrieve are weapons."

Shi Zhile tried it herself. Sure enough, just as they had said, she couldn’t take out any food. She then tried to pull out her axe, and this time she succeeded.

’I can’t get food out of my backpack, but what about my Planting Space?’

’So far, I only know that people can’t enter the space. It was never said that I can’t take things out.’

Jiang Jing’s voice came from off-camera. "We’ve searched the entire village. There are no supplies. We’ll have to find our own food on the island for the next seven days.

"Tomorrow, we plan on exploring the island’s perimeter. Do you want to come with us?"

Her eyes flickered. "I won’t be going with you. We still don’t know when the black fog will clear. Just focus on keeping yourselves safe."

After ending the call, Shi Zhile checked the messages in the instance channel.

There were currently 29 players left in this island instance. To facilitate communication, the system would automatically translate any messages sent by the Japs into Chinese.

Likewise, any Chinese they sent would be translated on the other players’ panels.

She typed out a message announcing she would be exploring the center of the island tomorrow, successfully duping a group of players.

In the dim room, Shi Zhile looked over at Wen Yuchu, who was lying on the pile of hay.

He had a stalk of hay dangling from his mouth, one leg crossed over the other and swinging idly. He looked perfectly comfortable.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, he turned his head and smiled. "What’s wrong? Need me to give you some space? Fine, fine. I’ll close my eyes and go to sleep. I won’t bother you, and I swear I won’t peek."

Shi Zhile sat down behind the door. "You heard all that. Check and see if your backpack works."

Wen Yuchu replied, "If yours doesn’t work, of course mine doesn’t either. I already tried while I was listening to you talk."

Shi Zhile looked away and sent her consciousness into her Planting Space. The most recent crops had already sprouted, creating a patch of vibrant green that, seen from above, was brimming with life.

Another batch of vegetables in the garden ahead was ripe. She focused her consciousness, wrapped it around a tomato, and pulled.

The next moment, a bright red tomato materialized in her palm.

This wasn’t the first time she had used her consciousness to retrieve something, but it had never been this easy.

Now that she knew it worked, she slipped the tomato into her pocket and peered out through the crack in the door.

It was pitch-black outside, making it impossible to tell where the night ended and the fog began.

The sound of faint footsteps approached. Shi Zhile was instantly on alert. At the same time, Wen Yuchu had also moved to the other side of the door.

The footsteps drew closer and closer, accompanied by a faint clicking sound—the sound of shifting bones. As the steps neared, the sound grew louder.

The two of them stared outside intently. Just as they confirmed the fog couldn’t enter the room and began to relax, they were met by a pair of solid black eyes.

Shi Zhile jumped back, startled. Seeing that Wen Yuchu was still staring out, she quietly distanced herself from him and moved toward the window.

The window was waist-high, a square opening with no glass. A tattered woven sack nailed to the earthen wall served as a makeshift, drafty curtain.

Brittle and weathered with age, the sack was already riddled with small holes and would tear at the slightest touch.

She held her breath and peered through a small hole, only to see the short figure crouched outside the main door, staring intently inside.

His clothes were tidy. As he rose and started to walk away, the clicking sound started up again.

He passed by the window without a moment’s hesitation, continuing toward the center of the island with a stiff gait.

By the faint moonlight, she looked around. The night was as still as water; other than the sound of grinding bones, it was as if even the wind had vanished.

Pulling her gaze from the window, she looked at Wen Yuchu by the door. He was still in the same position, staring outside without even a blink.

Shi Zhile tightened her grip on her axe, picked up a clod of dirt from the floor, and threw it at him.

The clod hit Wen Yuchu, making him sway slightly. He turned his head stiffly, and as it moved, a CLICKING sound came from his body.

Shi Zhile carefully observed his every move. Other than the sound, he showed no outward change.

For a better look, she pulled a rope from her space, leaped over, and tied him up.

Afraid the rope wasn’t strong enough, she wound another ten or so lengths around him until his arms and legs were completely trussed up. Only when he was totally immobile did she clap the dust from her hands and stand.

She didn’t sleep all night. The next day, after the black fog completely receded at dawn, Wen Yuchu’s terrified voice broke the silence.

"Holy shit! How the hell am I tied up? What did you do to me?"

He craned his neck and his mouth twitched when he saw the thick layers of rope binding his hands and feet.

"Jeez, you really wrapped me up like a rice dumpling."

Shi Zhile, who had dark circles under her eyes, yawned and stood up.

"What did you see outside the door last night?"

"Last night... I remember now. When those eyes appeared, I looked for a second out of curiosity, then I got drowsy and lost consciousness.

"Did you tie me up because I did something? Or did something happen to me? Don’t tell me I’ve been cursed."

’His acting is really good,’ Shi Zhile thought. ’If I hadn’t noticed his smile from before, I never would have made the connection.’

’Still, she was a little curious. Why was he following her? Jiang Yu’s whereabouts were unknown, and Jiang Yuxing was possibly monitoring her at all times. By sticking with her, wasn’t he afraid of being discovered?’

’Or was he cooking up some new scheme to use against her?’

The image of that cunning, appraising half-smile surfaced in her mind again. Shi Zhile shuddered, suddenly finding his smile repulsive.

’But if he wanted to act, she’d play along. Worst-case scenario, she’d just take him and Jiang Yuxing down with her.’

"You really don’t remember what you said?"

Wen Yuchu shook his head. "I have no idea!"

"You said you like guys. The buff, dark-skinned jock type with big pecs and a nice ass. You also said you’re gay, a bottom, and you like..."

"Shut up! There’s no way I would’ve said that."