Though there was no breeze, Yan Jing inexplicably felt a chill.
He didn't let Old Liu's words drop, responding almost instantly, "How can you tell?"
He kept his tone as calm as possible.
Old Liu settled back into his sprawling posture. Oblivious to Yan Jing's unease, he chuckled.
"This is why you still have a lot to learn, kid."
"Most folks around here only know that humans show up wearing those glowing shields. They don't realize that some disguise themselves as us to sneak in."
"And it's actually very easy to spot that second kind."
"Their identities are usually fabricated. If you dig into their pasts, they can't withstand any real scrutiny."
Listening to Old Liu, Yan Jing slowly regained his composure.
It was true. There were cases on the player forums of people receiving role-playing tasks and ultimately being exposed.The reason they were caught was precisely because their identities fell apart under questioning.
Most of the identities they were assigned were college students on field trips, passengers on the Train, or foreign travelers.
These roles typically came with fake backgrounds covering the last few years, but if asked about anything further back, players usually had to bluff their way through.
But his situation was different. He couldn't afford to panic and give himself away.
"You're not just making this up, are you?"
With a plan forming in his mind, Yan Jing glanced at Old Liu and spoke slowly.
"Making it up?!"
Old Liu snatched off his sunglasses, revealing the pair of eyes beneath—one pure black, the other pure white. His voice rose an octave.
"Everyone in the neighborhood knows that I, Third Master Liu, never make things up!"
"I've been watching that girl for a long time. She just showed up half a month ago. Ask her where she's from, she doesn't answer. Ask her why she came here, she stays quiet."
"Most importantly, whenever I try to trick her into talking about our area, she just stammers and clams up. If she isn't a human in disguise, what is she?"
Hearing Old Liu's reasoning, Yan Jing realized the girl was highly likely to be human.
She had probably been assigned a role-playing beginner task.
Even unluckier than he was.
But that wasn't the point. He had deliberately questioned Old Liu in a tone the man couldn't stand, all to set up his next line.
"Then tell me, where did you learn all this? From your hometown?"
"Naturally, I—"
Old Liu deflated mid-sentence.
The words caught in his throat. He could neither swallow them down nor spit them out, and his face flushed a deep, liverish purple.
Finally, he shoved his sunglasses back on and squeezed out a reply.
"That's none of your business, kid! I'm the one who should be asking you—why did you bring the Garbage Lady over here?"
What a clumsy change of subject.
Yan Jing silently rolled his eyes, but this was exactly the outcome he had wanted.
He looked at Mantou beside him.
"I have things to do tomorrow. I can't come."
"That won't work. If you don't show up tomorrow, it'll be a full five days you've missed. Your stall will—"
The old man paused mid-sentence as it dawned on him.
"You're going to have her watch the stall for you?"
"I'm thinking about it, but I haven't asked if she's willing."
Turning his head, Yan Jing looked at Mantou, who had been giggling aimlessly this entire time.
"Mantou, could you watch my stall for a day tomorrow?"
"Y-yes... I... I can do it..."
She nodded frantically, terrified that Yan Jing might change his mind.
Only after answering did she realize what she had agreed to, and a troubled look crossed her face.
"But... but... I'm afraid... I won't do a good job... maybe you should find someone—"
"It's fine, I'll teach you."
Yan Jing gently patted her arm, which was trembling with excitement, reassuring her that it would be fine.
[Favorability +1]
"Mantou... so the Garbage Lady actually has a name? Why call her something like that..."
Old Master Liu frowned in thought, bewildered by how close the two had become. Finally, he said, "Don't blame me for not warning you. Letting this girl help out for a day is fine, but if you're thinking of having her sell for you long-term, you'd better drop the idea."
"You've run a stall for a while now, so you definitely know that when humans show up, we have to present an approachable image if we want to do any business. That's the only way to sell things."
"This girl can't control her emotions. If she scares someone off, those humans will spread the word fast, and pretty soon you won't have a single customer left."
"Our location is already bad, and the rent around here isn't cheap. Don't ruin your own livelihood just to be lazy for a day."
Faced with Old Master Liu's well-meaning advice, Yan Jing naturally accepted it graciously.
"You're right to warn me, Old Man. Don't worry, if anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."
"Of course it's on you. Do you think I'd take the blame for you? These days, even the Emperor himself..."
Catching those last few muttered words as Old Master Liu retreated to his own stall, Yan Jing almost forgot they were in an urban village.
His curiosity about Old Master Liu's true identity deepened a bit more.
But the matter at hand was more important. The market was about to close, so he hurried to give Mantou her instructions.
...
Once the market officially closed, Mantou and Yan Jing waved goodbye to each other.
She had been so worried about her "good friend" these past few days that she hadn't done her actual job, so she planned to make up for it tonight.
Yan Jing, on the other hand, wanted to walk around a bit more to recover more of his memories.
Yet not long after parting ways with Mantou, right after turning down an alley, he felt that something was wrong.
It was as if someone was watching him from the shadows.
He maintained his composure and kept walking, but the person behind him stuck to him, impossible to shake off.
And the distance between them was closing fast.
What should he do? He tried to leave the Inner World, only to be notified that he was in an immediate danger state and could not exit normally.
If he forced an exit, his soul would likely be damaged.
With the Dungeon opening tomorrow, taking soul damage was basically suicide.
Yan Jing's eyes darkened. He realized he had miscalculated.
Left with no choice, he shifted his direction, heading toward a more crowded area.
Tap, tap, tap...
The surrounding light seemed to dim with every step he took. He could sense the entity behind him tracking his every move.
The moment a clear opportunity presented itself, it would strike and take Yan Jing's life.
Tap, tap. Tap, tap. Tap, tap...
Threads of biting cold seeped in through the wind. Yan Jing quickened his pace, eventually breaking into a light jog.
The entity behind him sped up as well.
It had realized that the gathering spot where Rotten Vegetable Village residents chatted was just ahead, and it was preparing to make its move early.
It was much faster than Yan Jing, and the gap between them rapidly shrank.
Thump, thump...
Yan Jing could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his ears.
Although this wouldn't be a true death, the approaching doom felt exactly the same.
Damn it, what a one-track mind.
It already killed "me" once, yet it still hasn't run away. Or... is it actually a resident from around here?
Good thing I already hid the Key.
With no time to overthink, Yan Jing spotted light at the end of the alley. As long as he made it out, the crisis would naturally resolve itself.
But the entity behind him seemed dead set on killing him. A strange rustling noise echoed in Yan Jing's ears, like something scraping together.
Even without looking back, he could sense that the distance between them had closed to a mere three or four meters.
At that distance, for beings of their First Tier strength, it would take no more than a single stride or leap.
Patter, patter, patter...
Yan Jing was already sprinting with all his might, the mouth of the alley only a dozen meters away.
Faster, faster.
Yan Jing had a premonition that the fatal strike would come in the blink of an eye.
He was just about to break out of the alley, which meant the other party was definitely about to make its move!
Anticipating the imminent attack, in that hair's breadth of a moment, Yan Jing violently whipped his head around.
Click!
Freeze ability activated!
The photo snapped, but Yan Jing didn't pause for even a second. Without a chance to see what he had captured, he just kept fleeing for his life.
Finally, as he took one last step, sunlight poured back into his world, and the bustling crowd appeared before his eyes.
Having escaped danger, Yan Jing gasped heavily for air, not daring to relax.
He turned his head and peered back down the alley he had just sprinted through.
But it was pitch black inside. It seemed completely empty, yet at the same time, it felt as though countless figures were hiding within.
Unwilling to linger, he found a secluded corner and reviewed the photo he had snapped in his mind.
To his surprise, however, everything in the picture looked perfectly normal.
A muddy path, piled-up clutter, and scattered trash—it looked exactly like an ordinary alley in an urban village.
"What is this..."
Yan Jing let out a soft sound of surprise, his eyes drawn to the corner of the photo. Down a branching path, there was a faint blur of white.
...
After returning to the Surface World, Yan Jing wanted to look up some information on the forums but had no idea where to start.
Having just survived a life-or-death chase, his mind was chaotic and he couldn't calm down.
Ultimately, he forced himself to review his previous notes one more time before washing up and going to sleep.
Early the next morning, Yan Jing received a notification that he would enter the Inner World promptly at eleven o'clock.
Unsurprised, Yan Jing simply washed his face.
Looking at the unfamiliar, water-streaked face in the mirror, he knew that entering the Dungeon this time would be an entirely different experience.
Last time, he was an Inner World resident. This time, he was a human player.
Soon, eleven o'clock arrived.
A line of text immediately popped up before his eyes.
[This world is divided into two layers: the "Surface" and the "Inner".]
[Are you tired of life in the Surface World? Do you seek new thrills, or perhaps yearn for greater power and the chance to completely turn your life around?]
[Now, the Inner World will fulfill all your desires.]
[This is your beginner task. Mission Location: Old Sin City - Rotten Vegetable Village.]
[Specific task details will be issued shortly.]
[Welcome, Lord Player.]
[Have a pleasant game.]
A familiar wave of dizziness washed over him, and Yan Jing's vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on a loud, chaotic street, surrounded by shouting peddlers and other newly arrived players just like him.
He looked at his hands and patted his head, confirming there was no metallic texture.
Then he let out a long breath of relief.
He was really back in Rotten Vegetable Village.