There were two players in the official hunting team, and they came out together as well.
"I wonder which guy killed the source of their odor neutralizer, forcing these people to search for the Scarlet Witch, even if it means a thorough search," the baby-faced player and the middle-aged player said as they walked together. "What was that player after?"
"No matter what our motives are, the Scarlet Witch is an important plot point. Finding her sooner will also benefit us." The middle-aged man held up his crossbow, but his expression was relaxed.
It's daytime, a time when monsters don't come out, and the light gives people a sense of security.
"Why didn't they search for the Scarlet Witch during the day?" the baby-faced player yawned, having just gotten out of bed. The hunting party was nocturnal, and he was practically a night owl himself.
The middle-aged man didn't answer, but it was obvious to anyone that he had used some particularly rare or even limited-edition prop.
The Scarlet Witch's existence was indeed quite special, forcing the hunting team's captain to be fully armed and use precious items during the day.
A special monster used to make odor-eliminating agents. This description easily evokes the word 'sacrifice'.
Assuming all other monsters are dead, the Scarlet Witch is the last and most likely survivor. Let's assume she possesses human emotions and could experience complex feelings like 'obsession'.
"If the Scarlet Witch is the 'ghost,' then this dungeon is easy." The Scarlet Witch shows no signs of being possessed by players, so her body and soul are a set, and she can be identified directly.
The baby-faced player felt things weren't so simple. "Nobody Knows" was a well-known high-level game; if it were that easy, it would have been cracked long ago. How could it have fallen into their hands?
"We'll know once we find it," the middle-aged man said.
The authorities actually went out in broad daylight to search for the Scarlet Witch? It seems they're determined to find her. Samantha couldn't help but frown at the thought.
He is now in a very special place in the underground city, within one of the largest anti-al-Qaeda organizations.
The top-secret documents and videos that Saman obtained served as his key to entry.
With the help of these people, he found the real culprit behind yesterday's lab massacre—it was indeed a player. He not only slaughtered the lab but also became a guest of honor among the powerful, completely manipulating the NPCs.
However, Saman couldn't figure out whether this person was trying to advance the plot or to force the authorities to find the Scarlet Witch.
It's perfectly normal to want to recruit an NPC you admire who resembles a 'ghost'.
Samantha could understand this feeling and wanted to turn it into a ghost card and take it away, raising it however he pleased.
Many players treat raising ghost cards like raising children. Saman had never thought of it this way before, but if someone told him that he could raise Song Bozhi, Crane Lord, Gu Xingye... cough.
However, this 'understanding' instantly turns into 'misunderstanding' once the other party's goal is known.
Saman felt a slight sense of apprehension.
He quickly won over the heart of the base's young lady, gained access, and discovered her fondness for creatures like the Scarlet Witch, even wanting to capture her. He then contacted the information he had previously obtained from Saman.
A name is about to emerge.
Restricting, controlling, and suppressing, then releasing a little kindness, constantly training and disciplining, like taming an animal to train the prey he has his eye on—that's what that person often does.
Samantha had heard that this man was coming in, but he never expected that he would target the Scarlet Witch.
Beautiful wild animals can only display the splendor of life when living in a natural environment undisturbed by humans. If the Scarlet Witch were captured and tamed, would she still be herself?
Moreover, the idea of keeping Scarlet Witches as pets...
He doesn't deserve it.
"Achoo!" Ren Yifei squatted down in the building he had been squatting in before, holding binoculars in his hand, watching the players below disperse. His head was resting on his arm, tilted to the side, like a big cat that had eaten and drunk its fill, looking lazy and relaxed.
It makes you feel listless during the day and you don't want to do anything.
Having just dealt with Saman a few days ago, and killing another one yesterday, and even taking a stroll around the human base last night, Ren Yifei felt it was best to keep a low profile for the next couple of days.
He was dragged into this high-level game by force, his only purpose being to get used to it; he had no ambition to find the 'ghost'. Although he probably already knew who the ghost was.
With only a few days left, finding that 'ghost' in the crowd was extremely difficult. Ren Yifei's "Potato Transformation" effect was also fading, making it too difficult to re-enter the base; he really didn't want to go through that ordeal anymore.
Whatever these humans and players do, it has little to do with him.
"Achoo!" He sneezed again. How strange, could a monster catch a cold?
Ren Yifei rubbed his nose and looked down again: "Huh? Why are these people surrounding us?"
With such a clear purpose, could it be that they came for him?
"It's in this building." The hunting team leader lowered his voice. In his hand was a special piece of paper with a drop of blood in the middle and a line of blood extending outwards.
The hunting team members surrounded the six-story building.
"Captain, this building is too tall, and there are too many rooms. We don't know if there's anything else hidden inside. It's going to be difficult to catch her. How do we get the Scarlet Witch out?"
The orders from above were to capture her alive, at any cost. Therefore, this time they couldn't even use crossbows; they had to rely entirely on specially made tranquilizer darts. These darts contained silver powder and a targeted drug, making them even more effective against the Scarlet Witch than silverware.
The hunting team leader glanced back at the group and spoke into his walkie-talkie: "Everyone, put on your gas masks and prepare your smoke grenades and tranquilizer guns. Once we're up there, have someone guard the entrances and exits on each floor. The rest of you, tear down the curtains and doors that block out the light, and check each room one by one, leaving no corner unchecked."
All the team members heard what he said.
"Groups one through six go up, the rest of you stay down here and be on high alert, in case the Scarlet Witch jumps out the window and makes a desperate attempt. Although monsters are afraid of light, don't overlook any possibility."
At the hunting team leader's command, two-thirds of the fully armed team members went inside.
Seeing the group enter the building, Ren Yifei pulled his head back: "So they really came for me? They've found a way to find me?"
He peered through the binoculars again, only to find that the people below were looking up.
What is that?
"It looks like a pigeon." The team member looked closely and saw a gray pigeon take off from the window.
The hunting party leader looked at the grayish pigeon and said, "It's really noisy during the day."
It wasn't like nighttime; the moonlight was as tranquil as a still night.
"That was close." Ren Yifei shrank back and left the room for the stairwell. He planned to slip away while the people were off guard. Disguising himself as a human was out of the question, but he didn't have any clothes, and it was daytime; the sun would expose him completely.
Fortunately, the building's underground pipes connect several places, so once we got to the basement, things were much easier to resolve.
That's how he got here before.
"Control all stairwells."
Hearing human voices from below, Ren Yifei, who had only reached the fifth floor, had no choice but to turn back and slip into the corridor.
There were simply too many humans, and under the tactic of overwhelming numbers, his range of movement was drastically compressed.
The hunting party started from the first floor, searching each room one by one, tearing down all the light-blocking materials, including the bathrooms. These were all standard hotel rooms, rectangular in shape, making the search quite simple.
They also unexpectedly found several skeletonized corpses.
"The target is at three o'clock," the hunting team leader reminded his subordinates, noticing the movement of the health bar.
A teammate standing next to him couldn't help but say, "Captain, this thing is so useful! If we had this earlier, we would have caught him much sooner. Where did you get it? It would be great if you could get a few more."
"Ha," the captain chuckled, "You have some nerve. I only have one of these. Besides, it has too many limitations, and it's a one-time use item. It's useless after two hours."
The hunting party's large entourage attracted many unsuspecting onlookers who stood on the outer edge, pointing and whispering. Players also mingled among them, eager to see what the hunting party was up to.
"Don't come any closer." A curious NPC tentatively approached the building, only to be shot directly at his feet, scaring him so much that he wet himself.
The onlookers were terrified: Was this for real?
"Cough cough cough."
These people conducted a thorough search of the upper floors, throwing special stun grenades into the stairwell, where the pungent, acidic fumes quickly dissipated.
The sour and spicy smell in the air on the fifth floor quickly became noticeable. Ren Yifei tried to control himself, but his cough was uncontrollable.
The coughing attracted the attention of the NPCs, and very low footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The hunting party was already being very careful, but Ren Yifei's ears were very sharp. He immediately knew that he had been discovered.
The stairwell was out of the question; someone would definitely be guarding it. Outside the window… he'd most likely be scorched by the sun. He even considered hiding inside. But judging from the other party's demeanor, they would never give him that chance.
Ren Yifei was looking for a suitable opportunity.
"The Scarlet Witch is here!" The humans had finally discovered her.
The humans who found him shouted, but because they were wearing gas masks, their voices weren't very loud. These people were exceptionally well-equipped today; they had come prepared.
"Whoosh!" Several tranquilizer darts shot over; he dodged two, but was hit in the arm by another.
The icy liquid was poured directly into his veins, causing his blood to boil. Ren Yifei's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to his knees. He reached out to pull out the anesthetic needle, but the medication had already been injected.
What the hell is this? Ren Yifei looked at his hands; the skin on them looked aged, with obvious dehydration and wrinkles.
This is?
Ren Yifei recalled the experimental video; wasn't this the same drug they injected into the Scarlet Witch back then?
The dehydration began to subside after a few seconds, but the hunger he had just escaped returned, and his stomach burned. Ren Yifei's trembling fingers gripped the doorknob, wanting to escape: outnumbered and outmatched, he was no match for them.
"Got you." Seeing him about to leave, a human rushed forward, grabbed his arm, and twisted it backward.
The Scarlet Witch was dragged along for a while.
"Ah—" The Scarlet Witch, who had been shot, reacted violently. Her eyes turned red, her teeth became sharp, and her body became very weak.
"It really is a special medicine," the vice-captain thought to himself.
This was specially prepared for the Scarlet Witch; it can dissolve the energy within her body. To replenish her energy, the Scarlet Witch becomes weak and hungry, and is controlled by her own appetite, losing her mind.
Taking advantage of Scarlet Witch's dazed state due to the drug's effects, the lieutenant struck her on the back of the neck. Scarlet Witch crashed heavily to the ground with a soft thud.
"Quickly, bring the cage over." The deputy captain held a tranquilizer gun in one hand, squatted down, and prepared to grab his clothes and lift him up.
Just as she lifted her clothes, the unconscious Scarlet Witch suddenly opened her eyes.
Now! Ren Yifei reached into the human's pocket and pulled out a dagger, stabbing it into the chest of the man twisting him. He quickly followed up with two more stabs, and the smell of blood immediately filled the air.
The NPC loosened his grip, took two steps back, and stared incredulously at his chest, where blood had soaked his combat uniform.
Ren Yifei also staggered a couple of steps, panting heavily.
It all happened so fast, catching everyone off guard. By the time the other two hunting team members reacted, their vice-captain was already clutching his chest and lying on the ground.
Ren Yifei, of course, wouldn't let them get away. He flung the knife in his hand, striking one of them squarely in the throat. The other had already raised his tranquilizer gun.
Ren Yifei rolled on the spot, reached out and grabbed the tranquilizer gun from the human whose heart he had previously stabbed, and fired a shot at the third human.
The human collapsed softly to the ground.
"Huff..." Ren Yifei leaned against the wa
ll and shook his dizzy head.