As if sensing some danger, the Scarlet Witch, who was kneeling, suddenly raised her head. Her beautiful eyes were filled with nothing but pure hunger, and there was still some fresh blood on her lips, as red as his.
Without further hesitation, Saman's scorching flames were already close to the little monster's heart. Unexpectedly, the Scarlet Witch reacted even faster than he had anticipated.
The little monster jumped up from beside him and quickly retreated into the darkness, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Saman touched his neck; it was still damp and warm from being licked. The flesh at the wound was healing rapidly, but there was still a lot of blood on his shoulder, and other monsters in the darkness were stirring.
Without the Scarlet Witch's threat, the little monsters in the shadows finally couldn't resist the aroma and swarmed around.
With the item unlocked, a fire dragon dances, and these monsters don't even have a chance to get close; if they do, they're instantly annihilated.
Saman, who had lost a great deal of blood, stood in the alley, holding a flaming whip, his eyes fixed on the darkness: "The Scarlet Witch?"
The gray, cotton-like rain didn't stop until dawn; humanity suffered a crushing defeat that night.
Due to interference from various players, the hunting team not only failed to capture the Scarlet Witch but also lost a large amount of monster blood and even sacrificed three members. Similarly, five members of the Free Hunters also died.
No players.
Saman, who was acting alone, did not tell anyone that he had been attacked by the Scarlet Witch and that the two had been in close contact, so naturally no one else knew about it.
The wound on her neck had healed long ago; the Scarlet Witch might be carrying something that accelerates wound healing.
"At that moment, his fingernail had already touched the tendon in his wrist. Why did he suddenly change his mind and dislocate it?" Saman, who was eating to replenish his blood, was very concerned about this.
[Second Night: Offerings.]
No player deaths.
Information refreshed.
"We killed a few NPCs who looked like players, but that wasn't the case, was it?" The boy with the sweet, baby-faced appearance looked regretful. "Where is the ghost's true form hiding? Could it be among the monsters?"
The baby-faced player is a member of the official hunting team. During yesterday's melee, he attracted several monsters and killed several free hunter NPCs who were likely players.
Unfortunately, I missed every shot; they were all NPCs.
"There won't be such a good opportunity next time." The baby-faced player's companion, a middle-aged player, also felt it was a pity. The middle-aged man was also a member of the official hunting team, and he was responsible for the deaths of the three NPCs in the official hunting team yesterday.
Killing an NPC will incur hostility from the entire instance, unless it's done through a proxy.
Yesterday, they took advantage of the gray fog to kill someone else, so such opportunities are rare.
"There are two hard-to-find people in this game: one is the ghost, and the other is the black rabbit," the middle-aged man said. One has the advantage of environment and memory, and the other is a top-tier disguise expert.
They followed the black rabbit in, but the two men meant no harm; they just wanted to assess the man's abilities to determine their future attitude towards him.
"Hey, is that black rabbit really that powerful?" the baby-faced player retorted.
The middle-aged man familiarized himself with the crossbow in his hand and wiped the silver arrowheads: "It's said so. I've seen two of his videos, and he does seem to have some skill. I also suspect he has some special items or abilities that can help him get to know the character."
The baby-faced player scoffed, "What's so great about it? It's just a scam."
Players who didn't participate in the hunt yesterday only learned about it the next day. Several NPCs suspected in the official hunting team were eliminated after their deaths, and the independent hunters also suffered heavy casualties.
"They are subtracting, eliminating dubious options."
Two days passed with no progress, and the players seemed to be getting impatient, starting to eliminate suspects through deaths. If they still couldn't find it, it could only mean that the 'ghost' was among the monsters.
"Assuming the ghost's true form is a monster. Being both a night hunter and a sacrifice, it feels like a monster closely connected to humans. Do you think it could be the Scarlet Witch?" one player guessed.
"Impossible. I've read the information. The Scarlet Witch is even more monstrous. These kinds of creatures settle scores on the spot; they wouldn't have such deep-seated obsessions," other players analyzed.
Everyone agreed, nodding in agreement.
"Once she's startled, the Scarlet Witch won't reappear for at least two days." In the office, the base leader was furious. "What's wrong with you all? So many people, so much monster blood, and you still couldn't catch her? And she got away?"
"Chief, this... we didn't expect there to be a gray fog rain last night," the hunting team's vice-captain said with difficulty.
Who knew that, by sheer coincidence, nighttime is the monsters' domain, and the gray fog and rain were another buff.
"However, no one was injured yesterday, and none of the accidental deaths resulted in blood loss. According to our calculations, the Scarlet Witch is still starving," the vice-captain said.
"However, your actions yesterday have alerted her. The Scarlet Witch will not reappear, at least not in the short term." The base leader tugged at his collar and sighed. "Alright, you can go now. I have something to say to your captain."
The vice-captain left and closed the door for them.
"How long can number six on the altar hold out?" When there were only two people in the office, the hunting team captain asked the leader directly.
The base leader avoided his eyes, then turned back: "Last night, it turned to ashes."
"So, the transfer needs to be completed before tonight, on the 7th?"
The base leader nodded: "Number Seven can still be maintained for another two or three years, but Number Eight cannot be left out in the open any longer. In these two or three years, we need to increase our scientific research efforts. Even if we can't replicate it, we should at least learn something."
The hunting party leader sat in his chair, silent for a moment: "The Scarlet Witch is more cunning than ordinary monsters. If she hadn't escaped two years ago, we wouldn't have known she was so clever, and knew how to hide her intelligence. These past two years, letting her go free, she..."
"Enough, I don't want to bring up the past anymore." The base leader raised his voice, then lowered it again. "In short, catch him as soon as possible. You know a base in the south just disappeared, and I don't want our base to follow in its footsteps."
The hunting party leader sneered, "You don't need to be so sensitive. The Scarlet Witch's escape was the result of intervention from many parties. You made mistakes, and so did I. Ali risked her life to secure two years of freedom for him, and it's about time she came back."
"Just tell me when we can catch him?" The base leader didn't want to hear about these old stories.
The hunting team leader didn't want to talk about these things either. After all, they had all changed. Their identities, social status, and the power they held... They had things they cared about more now, and for these things they cared about more, they naturally needed to make certain sacrifices.
"I'll be able to catch him in the next few days, but I'll need your cooperation."
"How should we cooperate?" The base leader sat down, interlaced his fingers, and looked at the hunting team captain.
"Recently, some strange people have appeared at the base, exhibiting personalities and behaviors completely different from usual. I suspect that something has infiltrated our base through these guys."
The hunting team leader pressed the projector pen in his hand, and photos of about seven people appeared on the white wall.
The base leader also spotted a young man he had met just yesterday and greatly admired. However, he didn't ask any questions; the fact that the hunting team captain had brought this young man out meant there must be something wrong with him.
Recalling the nanny's words that her daughter seemed to like this young man, the base leader frowned: "So, capture these people?"
"No, they seem to be looking for the Scarlet Witch too. We can totally…use them."
There's an undercurrent of tension within the base; surveillance cameras have been activated everywhere, and some players have sensed it while others haven't yet.
But in either case, they did not act rashly.
It's a fact that the frightened Scarlet Witch won't appear anytime soon, so players are turning their attention to the second piece of information: the sacrifice.
Literally, it means a person or thing sacrificed for a certain benefit, which can be voluntary or involuntary.
Sacrifice, such a complex and convoluted act, is more likely to be performed by humans. And it's not for some very personal purpose, but for the benefit of a certain group or team; otherwise, the word 'sacrifice' wouldn't be appropriate.
This sacrificial activity may have been successful, so the sacrificial offering has now come to seek revenge.
"The most unique feature of the base is, of course, its 'shielding' ability. Similar to an odor-eliminating agent, monsters will automatically bypass this base unless someone lures them in with blood or something else, at which point they will discover its existence."
This ability is certainly not innate. Is it related to the source of the odor-eliminating agent and the 'sacrifice'?
It seems there are still many secrets hidden in the base, waiting for them to discover.
The players used their skills to delve deeper into the secrets of the base, while the former team member remained calm and drove off alone.
The special skill 'Mark' was designed for the Black Rabbit. The former player hadn't expected to use it on just by finding an NPC. But as long as the result is good, the process doesn't matter.
The situation was complicated last night, and the environment was unfavorable to humans, so he deliberately waited until today to make his move.
Monsters are afraid of light; daytime is the domain of humans.
The Scarlet Witch's exact location was in his mind; all he had to do was capture her.
His car drove into an abandoned industrial area on the outskirts of the city.
This place is far from the base, and the two sides are completely abandoned for decades. Everything is so dilapidated that it is unbearable to look at, and even the buildings are covered with green ivy.
Over the course of twenty years, the area of human activity has gradually shrunk from the entire city to the size of a university town, and the population has been decreasing.
If a way to deal with the monsters cannot be found soon, genocide will be imminent.
It's hard not to feel anxious when I think about this.
The player's former teammate did not understand or want to understand the NPC's despair and pain; he only wanted to capture the 'Scarlet Witch' to gain merit and improve his social status.
This time he was better prepared, with an ultraviolet spotlight, one of the weapons used to repel and kill light-phobic monsters.
There's another type of weapon, the special arrows from yesterday, made of silver, which need to be recycled after use. They were a special supply for the official hunting team, picked up by former team members.
The hunters at the base primarily use bows, crossbows, and other melee weapons, rarely using guns. There's no way around it; silver bullets are simply too expensive, a luxury reserved for a select few.
Finally, there were specially made flashbangs that former team members purchased privately.
The car stopped, and following the location, he found a square old factory. Under the green plants, he could vaguely see the factory's red and gray walls and transparent glass windows.
Above the dilapidated gate hangs a sign that reads "So-and-so Silk Weaving Factory".
The factory gate was ajar, and it was pitch black inside.
The former player looked at the sky; midday, when the sunlight was at its best, was favorable for humans.
The brick-red iron gate opened with a gentle push, the signboard fell off, and dust billowed up like a mist.
"Cough cough cough." The former teammate waved his hand, and after a while, the smoke and dust settled, revealing the true appearance inside.
It turns out the factory wasn't particularly dark. In the five-meter-high area, only two rows of old machines remained, with lots of chemical fabrics on the machines and on the ground.
There were several holes in the ceiling above, letting in a few thin beams of sunlight.
"Squeak squeak".
Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw a mouse scurrying nervously across the ground.
The dust kicked up by the iron gate settled, and he saw a trail of footprints on the ground, stretching from his eyes to the shadow of some large machine.
At his feet lay a fresh rabbit carcass, its blood drained.
Author's Note: "A Vis
it to the Vampire"