Time froze once more, and Bai Nian found herself standing upon a desolate wilderness.
Not far ahead loomed a stretch of pitch-black ancient trees, their eerie aura devouring all light.
She looked up, only to see a sky the color of ash—dim and gloomy all around, with the air thick with decay.
Turning around, Bai Nian also spotted her teammates’ figures nearby.
At that moment, the other three were also carefully observing their surroundings.
Behind the four of them stood a dilapidated village, the houses collapsed, the scene filled with broken walls and ruined remnants.
On the dirt and stone-paved street, shards of clay jars and decayed wooden furniture lay scattered everywhere, as if a war had just swept through this place.
“Looks like this village is our mission,” Zhang Kun spoke.
“We need to find the Document.”
The other three, having worked as Hunters for years, were naturally much more experienced than Bai Nian.
The four of them turned and entered the village.
Bai Nian looked around, surprised to find that the village wasn’t abandoned—there were still villagers inside.
Their hair was disheveled, clothes in tatters, bodies caked with mud.
These villagers hid in the corners of ruined houses, some fearful, some trembling, all staring intently at these outsiders.
“They’re all just NPCs, basically no different from a string of code. No need to feel pity for them,” Li Qian explained quietly beside her.
She was speaking to Bai Nian, of course, but the only reason she looked twice was out of curiosity.
“How come some of the villagers aren’t even covered by clothes, it’s almost like…”
She trailed off, words unsaid.
Could NPCs actually behave like this?
“It’s just like you think. Some professionals, even if they contribute a lot to the Alliance, aren’t necessarily good people. In here, these emotionless NPCs often become tools for those wretched men to vent their desires.”
As she spoke, a trace of disgust flashed across Li Qian’s face.
“Not everyone’s like that. Take your Team Leader, me, for example—I’m a good man.”
Zhang Kun, walking ahead, suddenly flexed his muscles and interrupted.
It’s only because you’re gay, Bai Nian silently mocked him in her heart.
Li Qian covered her mouth, snickering quietly, while Shi Gao also subtly distanced himself from Zhang Kun.
This broken village was not large; by a rough estimate, there were only about a hundred or so villagers.
The group quickly arrived at the center of the village.
There, an ancient well stood, and along the edge of the Wellstone, lines of regular script were carved.
Seeing this, everyone was delighted.
“We finally found it!”
This was the ‘Document’ inside the second-tier Copy.
The four of them immediately moved in to read.
“Your identities are a Hero Squad dispatched by the Kingdom to eliminate Magical Beasts. Near a village that was attacked, you have found traces of the Magical Beasts hiding.”
“You survey the scene and find that only one hundred villagers remain. You decide to protect them, ensuring that no more innocent people are sacrificed, until all the Magical Beasts are eradicated.”
“The Magical Beasts hiding in the forest seem to be nearly satiated. When that time comes, all will be razed to the ground…”
The moment they found and read the Document, it meant the mission had begun.
The words carved into the Wellstone were growing fainter, as if giving them one last chance to discuss.
“The mission’s simple. Protect the villagers and wipe out all the monsters, and we’ll clear the stage,” Shi Gao quickly summarized.
If all the villagers died, their mission would fail, and what awaited them then would be endless waves of Maniacal Magical Beasts—until death.
“Time’s short, so I’ll keep it brief. Li Qian, you guard the east; I’ll guard the west. Bai Nian and Shi Gao, you two don’t have combat ability, so your job is to gather the villagers together, then meet up with me and Li Qian respectively!”
Zhang Kun’s expression was stern as he swept his gaze over the trio.
“Move out!”
Everyone nodded and immediately dispersed.
By now, the words on the Wellstone had faded to near nothing, about to vanish.
The terrain inside the village was complex, so they had to do their best to keep the monsters outside in the open.
“We’ll split up,” Shi Gao said, looking at Bai Nian.
She nodded in response.
To the villagers, these four were saviors, so naturally they listened to their instructions without question.
“All villagers who hear my voice, gather at the dried-up well in the center!”
A clear, melodious female voice echoed in all directions.
The villagers who heard it seemed to sense an invisible force, all walking out of their houses one after another, heading for the well.
Bai Nian used her old trick again, and soon, over half the villagers were gathered at the center.
On the other side, Shi Gao had only managed to gather about half so far and was still searching when he saw Bai Nian easily shout and have all those stiff villagers come out on their own.
“How did you do that?” he asked in astonishment.
“Why do these villagers act like they can’t even understand what I’m saying?”
Could it be because Bai Nian was too pretty?
There’s appearance discrimination inside the Copy?!
“Pfft.”
Bai Nian couldn’t help but laugh. “
Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Shi Gao nodded.
“Shi-ge, go help Sister Qian. The two of you work better together. I’ll go help the Team Leader.”
Bai Nian’s suggestion matched Shi Gao’s own thoughts, and the two split off in opposite directions.
Soon, she reached the edge of the village and spotted Zhang Kun.
Right now, Zhang Kun was wielding a broadsword, locked in battle with a group of Magical Beasts.
This was Bai Nian’s first time seeing so-called Magical Beasts—the monsters inside the Copy—but they didn’t quite qualify as true aberrant beasts.
They were a pack of black baboons, walking upright, with no difference from humans in posture.
Their eyes burned crimson, their fangs were sharp, and in their hands were long knives—astonishingly, they were mimicking human fighting techniques.
They were small, only about a meter and a half tall, but extremely agile.
Fortunately, the battlefield was open ground; otherwise, fighting them in the woods or village would be far more troublesome.
These baboons surrounded Zhang Kun tightly.
Even more were pouring in from the south and north, all with the clear goal of attacking the nearest living being.
So as long as no one in the squad died, the villagers at the center would remain very safe.
Zhang Kun swung his weapon, the heavy broadsword moving with surprising agility in his hands.
He swept in all directions, making sure not to leave any opening, constantly forcing the baboons back.
Any baboon that failed to dodge would be cleaved in half on the spot.
Even armed, the baboons were helpless against Zhang Kun’s sheer force—none dared to take his blows head-on.
All they could do was circle, wearing down his stamina and seeking an opening.
“Don’t come over! If you get injured, you’ll be infected!”
Catching sight of Bai Nian from the corner of his eye, Zhang Kun quickly called out a warning.
But his shout also alerted the baboons circling the perimeter.
Spotting Bai Nian, they immediately raised their blades and charged toward her.