Chapter 44: Pack Instincts

“Hey, you must be worried about the Werewolves! You stay busy, we’re heading back. We’ll be back tomorrow morning!”

“Keep it up! I kneaded the dough for those flatbreads and buns myself. I guarantee they’re delicious!”

Yi Mo saw the NPC about to leave and couldn’t let him go.

He grabbed the man’s arm before he could step out, pulling him close.

“Wait, don’t go! There’s something important!”

“It’s a matter of life and death!”

The middle-aged NPC froze, stunned.

He looked at the excitement in Yi Mo’s eyes, and his weathered face turned slightly red.

“Oh, Village Chief… your village is truly a mess. I didn’t expect even you to be…”

“But…”

“Did you see through me?”

“My, you’ve got a sharp eye for people!”

Yi Mo had been gripping the NPC’s arm tightly, fearing he might run away.

However, hearing the man’s words and seeing that blushing, aged face, his heart skipped a beat in horror.

He immediately retreated several steps to put some distance between them.

But then he reconsidered.

If he actually let this guy leave, wouldn’t he miss an opportunity to obtain a special item?

Forcing down the urge to gag, he softened his tone.

He glanced at the confused young NPC nearby and then turned to the older one.

“I have something I want to say to you in private.”

The middle-aged NPC took the hint and dismissed the younger man.

As soon as they were alone, he reached out, attempting to grab Yi Mo’s backside.

Although Yi Mo’s physical stats were poor, his eyes were sharp.

He instantly realized this old creep was trying to make a move on him and dodged away.

“Stop, stop, stop! Let’s talk business first.”

“There are Werewolves in our village right now.”

“One Hunter probably won’t be enough to handle three Werewolves.”

“So… that hunting rifle on your back, could you lend it to me?”

Since he hadn’t gotten what he wanted, the middle-aged NPC frowned.

“This… if the Village Chief finds out… it might be bad…”

“After all, our village needs weapons to guard against the Werewolves too…”

“However…”

Yi Mo observed him carefully.

This old creep had really taken a liking to him—he wouldn’t let the hawk fly until he saw the rabbit!

He cursed the System Loli dozens of times in his head.

Then, his expression grew solemn.

He walked up to the middle-aged NPC and patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t you understand my heart yet?”

“But the village is in turmoil right now. As the Village Chief, I can’t find peace!”

“How could I have the heart to worry about these romantic feelings?”

As he spoke, Yi Mo unstrapped the electronic watch from his wrist.

He stared at it with lingering affection for a few moments before adopting an expression of total sacrifice.

He placed it into the middle-aged man’s hand.

“This is my family’s heirloom watch. I’m giving it to you to keep safe!”

“Find me the moment all the Werewolves are captured and killed.”

“Then, bring this back to me!”

“If I am unfortunately killed by a Werewolf, keep it as a memento of me!”

Yi Mo’s acting was flawless, filled with deep emotion.

If his audience had been a beautiful young girl, it might have been a scene worth watching.

But right now…

Performing this act for a middle-aged man was…

Disgusting…

But it didn’t matter.

Fortunately, no one else was around except for that young NPC.

The middle-aged NPC took the electronic watch, looking at it and then back at Yi Mo.

After a few turns, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Village Chief, your ancestors had such advanced technology?”

‘Wait…’

Yi Mo almost broke character and laughed.

However, thanks to his facial paralysis, he held it together.

He countered, “You don’t believe in feudal superstitions, yet you believe in Werewolves?”

This soul-piercing question silenced the middle-aged NPC immediately.

Then, as if nothing strange had happened, the two shook hands and reconciled.

The middle-aged NPC handed the hunting rifle to Yi Mo.

“Here. Protect yourself. It’s getting late. I’ll come see you again tomorrow!”

His gaze was, to put it mildly, full of longing.

Yi Mo’s stomach churned as he forced himself to speak.

“I’ve decided to completely seal off the village. Brother, don’t come back for the next seven days!”

“I must lead the villagers in a fight to the death against the Werewolves. We have enough food.”

“In seven days, you’ll either be collecting my body…”

“Or we’ll be together forever!”

The middle-aged NPC looked resolute.

He uttered a final “Take care,” locked the iron gate, and left with the younger NPC.

As soon as they were gone, the lingering affection in Yi Mo’s eyes vanished, replaced by a dark, brooding expression.

Truthfully…

He had truly had enough of these System NPCs.

He really wanted to punch someone!

Why was there a setting for an “old creep” like that?

Was it impossible to get special items without sacrificing his dignity?

Despite the emotional trauma, Yi Mo’s worries vanished the moment he looked at the hunting rifle in his hands.

The rifle was clearly real.

The middle-aged NPC had given him three bullets.

Yi Mo had only managed to grind those out by throwing away his pride.

He hadn’t received any system notifications about it, though.

There was a high probability it couldn’t be used to attack other Players.

But it was worth it.

It was incredibly worth it!

Moreover, if that middle-aged NPC didn’t have some sort of daily reset setting, then no other Player would even know NPCs existed in this game, let alone ask for a rifle.

This meant Yi Mo could easily solidify his identity as the Hunter!

‘With this, no one can force me out during the day!’

Once he confirmed this, Yi Mo relaxed significantly.

He decided that if he had the chance today, he would definitely go to the Back Hill and check the Ancestral Hall to see if any secrets were hidden there.

This game really did have many hidden events that could be triggered!

While talking to the NPC, Yi Mo had been carefully watching to see if any Players noticed them.

Now that he had the hunting rifle, he was even more cautious, planning to find a place to hide it first.

***

The Second Late Night

At the Judgment Meeting the next day, Yi Mo used the hunting rifle he’d swindled from the NPC to fool everyone, successfully cementing his role as the Hunter.

The Village was truly small.

Even though Yi Mo had returned to his thatched hut, he could still hear Conan’s scream before he died.

He hadn’t lit a lamp, leaving the room in total darkness.

His eyes grew dim.

‘Will the Witch… save him?’

‘Probably… not…’

‘Because the Witch card…’

He had warned Great Emperor Zhenwu not to tell anyone about his identity card.

Unfortunately, the man hadn’t listened.

Yi Mo didn’t know how Great Emperor Zhenwu was feeling right now.

He walked to the wardrobe in the darkness, stepped inside, and closed the door.

He clutched the hunting rifle to his chest.

Even though the curfew hadn’t started yet, he was already preparing for bed.

If a Werewolf really came looking for him, he would retaliate with the rifle even if he risked being erased for breaking the rules!

The only thing that gave him a sense of security was the gun in his arms!

He no longer had his electronic watch.

He had given it to the NPC.

He had to sleep early tonight.

Because tomorrow morning, he had something very important to do.

Tonight was destined to be another sleepless night for most people.

***

12:00 AM.

The Werewolves began their move.

Just like the night before, there were two werewolves.

Except this time, it was the deep blue-furred Werewolf A and the Wolf King, who stood over 2 meters tall with snow-white fur.

Werewolf A leaned against a tree trunk outside the Wolf King’s thatched hut.

He watched the Wolf King dawdle as she crawled out of the hut and said with a sneer, “Heh, isn’t this our Wolf King?”

“So you actually came out?”

“You put on quite a show during the day, acting all pitiful. I thought you wouldn’t dare show your face today.”

The Wolf King seemed terrified.

She walked to Werewolf A’s side like a schoolchild who had made a mistake, speaking cautiously.

“I’m sorry… I… I’m really scared…”

Werewolf A clicked his tongue, his face darkening.

“We don’t know who the Witch is, but they sure were accurate with that poison. They killed Old Six Du.”

“I thought he was keeping a low profile, but I guess he talked too much during the day after all.”

“Who are we killing tonight?”

“Dieyu, Baiduren, or Shiba Daye.”

“Heh, you pick one.”

Werewolf A looked at the Wolf King mockingly.

“By the way, Old Six Du picked Qian Laoban yesterday, and look where he ended up.”

“Hahaha… I wonder if you’ll die too after you make your pick?”

The Wolf King lowered her hands, trembling with fear.

She didn’t want to kill any of those three, nor did she dare to.

She stuttered for a long time without saying a word, finally whispering, “Can we… not kill anyone…”

Thud—!

The moment she finished speaking, Werewolf A slammed a fist into the Wolf King’s stomach.

The Wolf King let out a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach with a tortured expression.

Werewolf A, however, looked ecstatic.

He kicked her several more times.

“Don’t kill anyone? Should we kill you instead, Wolf King?”

“Tell me, are you part of the Lovers!”

“Are you one of the Lovers!”

“Who exactly is your partner!”

“Dieyu, Baiduren, or Shiba Daye!”

“Damn it, there’s definitely something wrong with you!”

“Don’t think I’m stupid!”

The Wolf King held her head, enduring Werewolf A’s one-sided beating.

She had no power to fight back and could only beg for mercy.

“No… I’m not a Lover… I’m really not…”

“Please, stop hitting me…”

“It hurts… it really hurts…”

Werewolf A finally stopped his assault.

He said contemptuously, “Werewolves have incredible recovery speeds at night, let alone someone who drew the Wolf King card. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Since you won’t talk, I’ll just pick one of those three to kill. You don’t have an objection, do you?”

The Wolf King remained silent on the ground for a moment.

Finally, under Werewolf A’s intimidation, she spoke.

“I have… no objections…”