Polite Knocking

Thud! Thud! Thud!

With a frown, Yun Ze used a plank from the table as a makeshift hammer. He and the Poet of the Myriad Springs Division worked together, nailing the three bloody figures back to the ceiling with the very same spikes as before.

As he hammered, Yun Ze grew more and more shocked.

These fucking nails are way too long!

No wonder they could hold something as heavy as a person to the ceiling.

But when Wu Wang had pulled them out earlier, he hadn't used any tools at all.

Just what was this guy's physical strength? Was his level really sealed?

He looked so unhinged. Was he just acting dumb, or was he plotting something?

No one should be fooled by their apparent cooperation. They advanced and retreated together, following each other's simple instructions without complaint.

In reality, not a single one of them had forgotten their true purpose for entering this Instance. It wasn't just about their individual goals, but also about their factions.

During their earlier discussion, everyone had claimed to be a Rogue Player. Even the Poet of the Myriad Springs Division and Poet Mei Yige had stubbornly insisted they were Rogues.

What a joke. Since when did so many Rogue Players enter a single Instance?

Their two IDs were so similar they were obviously from the same organization. Their denial was as stiff as a three-day-old corpse.

Right now, the six of them were a group bound by ulterior motives.

Their main goal was to leave this house as quickly as possible, find their own people, and then truly begin the search for the 【Relic】.

"Done nailing. Let's go."

After dealing with the bloody figures, the group pushed open the door and headed out into the darkness.

As for Wu Wang, he once again had the group "protect" him by taking the lead, while he himself fell to the very back of the formation.

He paused just as he was about to leave the house. He called out softly to the others, who were already a short distance ahead.

"It's too dark. Wait for me to get the candle."

With that, he turned back and reached for the faintly glowing candle on the table.

The moment he picked it up, the smiles on the faces of the three bloody figures on the ceiling slowly faded. They had just been renewing their enjoyment of Suffering.

They looked down at Wu Wang with icy eyes.

But he didn't even raise his head as he spoke.

"If you're going to enjoy Suffering, you don't need to prove anything to others. Isn't it better to do it alone, in the dark?"

With that, he left the house.

He left the bloody figures behind, plunging them into total darkness to ponder his words.

He was right. The purpose of the candle wasn't to see the path, since the three of them didn't need to walk anyway.

The dim light was only for them to see each other's expressions, to ensure that the other two were also enjoying the Suffering. That was why they had been constantly smiling, to let their companions know they were enjoying it.

Now, they couldn't see each other.

The three bloody figures hanging from the ceiling...

Not a single one still wore a smile.

Their faces showed only the savage, twisted expressions of pain.

Pain… It was really too painful…

Who could actually smile through this?

【Nuclear Candle (Common): A magical candle that won't go out in harsh environments and can even light the way underwater. Burn Time: 37,331 days】

【Note: I have a buddy called the Nuclear Lighter. Ever seen him in a game?】

Wu Wang stared blankly at the item description from his position at the rear of the group.

This really was a 【Relic Scramble】.

Even a randomly picked-up candle was an item. Although it was of the most useless 【Common】 quality, it at least proved that this place was littered with items and equipment.

He had felt something was off from the very beginning. The Instance description had clearly stated that the great war was a hundred years ago.

So why was the candle still burning? Why were there living bloody figures on the ceiling?

He had suspected this might be a time-travel Instance, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

The candle was clearly marked as having burned for over thirty-seven thousand days. Converted, that was about a hundred and two years.

Holy crap, it really is nuclear-powered!

Wu Wang had to complete the Main Quest, which meant he also had to uncover the secrets of this town.

Although the Abyss God had given him the ability to see through others' thoughts and find special clues, It had also twisted his quests, as always.

Therefore, Wu Wang reviewed his quests for this trip.

【Main Quest: Seize the Mysterious Power】

【Side Quest 1: Kill the High Priest of Suffering】

【Side Quest 2: Complete the Last Wish of the Townsfolk】

【Side Quest 3: Have an Audience with the Divine Envoy of Suffering】

This was the first time all of his quests had been twisted.

The reason Wu Wang was so certain was because a normal player's side quest would never include having an "Audience with a Divine Envoy."

That had to be the Abyss God's idea.

"Is that the church up ahead?" Yun Ze asked with a frown. "Should we go straight in?"

Following Wu Wang's "translation" from earlier, it didn't take long for them to spot a church bathed in holy light.

That's right. Literal holy light.

The town itself was pitch-black and heartless. It had no streetlights, showing no concern for an elderly person falling while taking out the trash, nor did it care how sad a thief might feel after robbing the wrong house. It was a place that couldn't comprehend the simple romance of a couple kissing under a streetlight in winter.

Yet the entire church was as bright as day.

It wasn't just a matter of the light source within. As they got closer, the group discovered that the very walls of the church were emitting a soft, holy white light. It was a Divine Miracle that inspired an immediate urge to enter and kneel in worship.

"I think we should be polite," Wu Wang said after a two-second pause.

Then he walked to the church entrance, gently raised his hand, and slammed it against the door with a speed and force that defied imagination.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"FBI! Open the door!"

As the others stared with dumbfounded expressions, Wu Wang even began to kick the door.

Bang!

His fierce kick knocked the large door open. He then put on a shy, embarrassed expression.

"Wow, the host is so enthusiastic," he said. "They opened the door right away."

No, dude! You call that polite?

If I were the person inside the church, I'd have already caught you and chopped you into mincemeat!

And what the hell are you acting all shy for?!

Seeing this, the others approached from the side to peer inside. The door was open anyway, so there was no point in standing outside. They might as well check the situation.

Intricate arched ceilings and complex crystal chandeliers came into view. Splendid stained-glass rose windows complemented the radiant light, making the interior look as fantastical as a fairy tale.

The surrounding stone pillars and walls were covered in ancient murals and carvings. The murals mostly depicted themes of Suffering.

They generally showed a person or a group of people engaged in acts of self-mutilation. One mural even depicted a magnificently dressed priest cutting off his own head and placing it on a platter as a sacrifice, a scene as bizarre as the Headless Horseman.

These murals were vibrant and lifelike. They stood there silently, as if narrating ancient stories to all who looked upon them.

The group's expressions went slack.

"What... what are these?"

"Townsfolk? Or... players?"

The source of their shock wasn't the church's holiness. It was the scene that lay beneath that sanctity.

A nun was kneeling, her head bowed as she chanted toward a stone statue under the rose window.

But all around her, bodies were strewn everywhere.

Ten corpses surrounded the nun in a circle, all in twisted poses. Some were dressed in simple clothes, while others wore modern attire, no different from the group.

Without exception, all had lost their lives.

They too were kneeling, looking incomparably devout.

Beyond them, numerous shattered bodies and severed limbs were scattered throughout the church. The overwhelming stench of blood created a stark visual contrast with the holy light.

As if hearing the sound of someone knocking, if you could even call it that, the nun stopped chanting and slowly turned her head.

Facing the group, she spoke softly.

"O lost Outlanders, what brings you to this holy place? Have you come to confess to My Lord?"

The group exchanged glances. They didn't know how to answer this nun, who was most likely the culprit behind the bloody scene before them.

Just as the air seemed to freeze, a voice began to echo through the church. No, to be more precise, it was a song.

"Because love~ won't easily be sad~"

"So everything looks like happiness~"

The group's eyes gradually filled with terror as they stared in disbelief at the gentleman who had started singing.

Unsurprisingly, it was Wu Wang again.

Bro! Don't sing! We're on your side!

Kaka...

An even stranger sound rang out, and this time, it came from the nun.

The others turned to look.

The sight that greeted them sent a chill straight to their hearts.

"We're screwed!"