Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
There were no further incidents during the meal. None of the players touched the drugged red wine, but the Black Robe Woman raised no objections. After all, eating just one item was sufficient, and perhaps these people simply didn’t like wine.
Since they were all women, more than half of those present didn’t touch the drinks.
The Black Robe Woman felt it was necessary to switch the red wine to fruit juice in the future, as that would likely increase acceptance.
Ms. M, while wiping her mouth, observed the young girls nearby. She noticed that after eating the contaminated food, the girls’ expressions became even more vacant and lifeless. She quickly sent a message in the team channel.
[Everyone act dazed, or you’ll be discovered.]
For the role-playing players, acting dazed was effortless, but not everyone was an actor. Many players were at a loss when faced with Ms. M’s request.
[How do I act dazed?]
[Cross-eyed? I can do cross-eyed!]
[Cross-eyed just looks idiotic!]
After a flurry of activity, a system prompt appeared.
[To enhance player disguise, would you like to solidify your expression to “Bewildered” and “Muddled”?]
This was Xi Wei, who couldn’t stand it anymore and had the system forcibly add a temporary function for the female players.
“Holy crap? There’s such a good thing?”
“System dad, you rock!”
“I wish this function existed in reality, then I could cheat on my husband and video call him with a blank expression~”
Ms. M was the first to solidify her expression. She instantly felt her facial muscles tighten and stiffen, unable to change no matter what. Although the feeling was strange, like her face was glued with superglue, it at least eliminated the risk of her expression suddenly breaking, making it less likely to be discovered.
[Mission Objective (2) refreshed: The Kalun royal family appears to be planning to summon the Old Ones through a ritual. For the safety of this world, you must do your best to disrupt this ritual!]
Ms. M contemplated as she looked at the refreshed mission.
The mission required them to disrupt the ritual. The male players likely had similar objectives. This was probably a backup plan: the male players would focus on destroying the altar, while they would focus on disrupting the ritual dance. In this way, the ritual to summon the Old Ones would likely fail at the hands of the players.
But how should they disrupt the ritual dance?
She scanned her surroundings, feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. The main issue was that the young girls had already been mentally manipulated, and she had no way to stop them from becoming engrossed in the truth.
They, the players, didn’t even know how long they could operate under the Black Robe Woman’s watchful eye.
[Detected as player representative, you have received a gift from the Goddess of Life!]
Another system notification popped up.
Then Ms. M felt a sensation in her player backpack, as if something had been placed inside.
She glanced up at the Black Robe Woman. Seeing that the woman wasn’t paying attention to her, she immediately checked her backpack.
[Seed of Purification]
This was what the system had just given her.
[The Goddess of Life has condensed the purification rules into a seed as a blessing. Find a way to make the surrounding girls swallow the Seed of Purification. The Seed of Purification will evolve the girls’ contamination at a critical moment!]
Ms. M’s eyes widened as she read the description of the Seed of Purification.
This was the solution!
Speaking of the Goddess of Life, wasn’t that Lori!
Could Lori influence matters in Kalun from Winter City?
Damn, Lori is awesome!
The players’ thoughts were transmitted word-for-word to Xi Wei’s mind through the system.
He twitched his mouth.
If he wasn’t unsure if there were unknown dangers in Kalun, he would have brought Lori and Ruo Yi to charge in long ago. Everything he was doing now was using players to test the waters.
If the players could solve the problem of the Old Ones descending, that would be for the best.
If they couldn’t, they could at least draw out the Kalun royal family’s trump cards.
Then, with that knowledge, it would be easier for him, Lori, and Ruo Yi to take a series of targeted measures.
…
“Has everyone finished eating?”
When the last girl put down her cutlery, the Black Robe Woman spoke with the precision of a machine, right on schedule:
“Don’t worry about clearing the plates; the palace attendants will take care of them. Now, follow me. Although we are still short of 150 people, you can now begin to get a preliminary introduction to the ritual dance.”
The young girls silently followed the Black Robe Woman, with the players mixed among them.
Ms. M fell to the end of the line.
She poked the waist of the girl in front of her.
The girl turned her head expressionlessly, a hint of slow confusion in her eyes.
“I saw you eat the strawberries on your cake just now, so I guessed you must like strawberries. This is a super big strawberry from my hometown, would you like to try it?”
Ms. M spoke very softly, barely audible to only the two of them and the surrounding girls. Any further and it would be lost in the babble of footsteps.
The girl glanced at the strawberry in Ms. M’s hand, which was as large as an adult’s fist.
A voice in her mind urged her to ignore it and focus on learning the ritual dance.
But instinctively, she picked up the tempting strawberry and popped it into her mouth.
Her father often brought her strawberries.
She had loved strawberries since childhood.
But this was the first time she had eaten a strawberry so sweet.
This made her already confused mind momentarily clear. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, and she said, “Thank you” to Ms. M.
“You’re welcome, hehe~”
Ms. M watched as a [Seed of Purification (Implanted)] buff appeared below the girl’s HP bar. She felt incredibly satisfied. Now, it was highly likely that this girl wouldn’t be contaminated by the Old Ones.
As the saying goes.
Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.
At this moment, the sense of peace and accomplishment was unparalleled for Ms. M.
Taking advantage of the long line formed in the corridor, Ms. M began to promote her hometown’s strawberries to the other girls around her. She was too slow working alone, so she distributed the Seeds of Purification to other female players, letting them operate together when they wouldn’t be noticed.
But not everyone liked strawberries.
Quite a few girls politely refused.
Some who had arrived earlier and were already deeply contaminated ignored the strawberries altogether, even staring coldly at the players offering them.
“You really don’t want to eat it? My strawberries are very sweet!”
Bai Yuekui offered the strawberry she had just received from Ms. M, smiling.
Unexpectedly, the girl glared at her, her red lips parting, and coldly said, “Get lost!”
Bai Yuekui’s expression stiffened.
As a young lady from a prominent family, this was the first time anyone had spoken to her in such a manner.
She let out a cold laugh and said nothing.
She quietly put the strawberry away.
But in her heart, she had made up her mind.
Wouldn’t this girl have to sleep or go to the toilet at some point?
At that time, when she was caught off guard, even if she had to shove it up her rear, she would make sure to get the Seed of Purification into her!
