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Chapter 32: Grinding Honor
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“Look at the position of that bloodstain—it’s so fake. Even if they’re trying to hype it up, couldn’t they at least be more convincing?”
“True. That spot is practically near the ceiling—how could blood possibly splatter there?”
“Have either of you ever killed someone? Stop talking nonsense!”
As two tourists laughed and chatted, the painter nearby holding his sketchpad suddenly grew agitated. He started ranting about some headache-inducing theories, explaining how high blood could actually spray, only to be met with strange looks from the surrounding crowd.
Such scenes played out almost daily here.
Viya silently observed the group debating with differing opinions, her heart filled with a mix of emotions.
Who would have thought that the real culprit was right there among them, blending in seamlessly without a trace of awkwardness?
And she even bought a ticket to get in.
“What happened to my huge base?”
Lin Qi scanned the area and, upon realizing no one had health bars above their heads, felt a sudden sense of aimlessness akin to drawing his sword but finding no enemies to fight.
Where did all the cultists go?
Shouldn’t they respawn like wheat, growing back after being cut down?
Lin Qi was utterly shocked. He had assumed this location was the kind that could be repeatedly revisited, even planning to return later to test new skills.
But soon, he shrugged it off and began exploring.
Since the scene had changed, it meant there were new interactive storylines to discover.
He started wandering around the first floor. There wasn’t much of interest here—scattered shell casings and dried bloodstains everywhere. These details made up for Lin Qi’s lack of knowledge about the aftermath of the earlier tutorial battle.
After all, moderate gore could enhance the impact of combat, but overly realistic violence would only make players queasy. The game intentionally blurred this aspect, which is why Lin Qi hadn’t realized just how brutal his character’s actions had been during the fight.
Suddenly, two figures conversing caught his eye.
“Sorry for putting you through all this, Officer Henry.” Eve held her water cup with both hands, her voice subdued. “I’m sorry… truly sorry. It was too dark back then—I couldn’t see anything.”
“It’s fine,” Henry said dismissively. “Remember, you’re the victim here. Technically, we owe you an apology for letting gangs like that run rampant for so long.”
He added half-consoling, half-casually: “But I think the person you saw was most likely a fabrication—a hallucination. There’s no trace of mana at the crime scene, and even Ascenders who rely on physical enhancement leave behind traces of mana when they move.”
Eve didn’t respond, feeling the warmth of the cup in her palms as she kept her head down and walked forward.
Bump. She felt a slight pain in her left shoulder, having collided with something.
“Sorry,” Eve muttered absentmindedly, raising her head to apologize.
At that moment, the person she bumped into turned her head slightly. Her long, light blond hair was partially tied up, giving her an elegant appearance.
And then—
Her icy blue eyes came into view.
Eve’s heart clenched violently. The face before her overlapped with the nightmare etched in her memory, filling in previously vague details with chilling clarity.
It was this woman!
The murderer behind that massacre!
She’s back!
Eve’s breathing became labored, her chest a chaotic storm of negative emotions. Waves of nausea washed over her, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of physical discomfort.
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The NPC’s rich emotional shifts didn’t confuse Lin Qi; instead, they brought him a sense of pleasant surprise.
When he bumped into the girl, he noticed a new option appeared under the interaction button: [Siren’s Requiem].
Curious, he tentatively pressed it.
“It doesn’t force combat—this is great!” Lin Qi could already imagine the creative possibilities this skill offered.
Have I met her before?... Viya studied Eve’s unfamiliar face, aware that the laureate she had just activated amplified fear in its target.
But amplification required the target to already harbor fear, meaning this girl must have been afraid of her from the start.
“Hmm?” Henry paused, turning his head to see the complex expression on Eve’s face.
Drawing from years of office experience, he instantly read the situation.
“Do you two need some time to talk? I just remembered I left something upstairs.”
Clearly, he mistook Viya for another victim like Eve and generously gave them enough private space.
No, don’t leave!
Eve screamed internally, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could only watch helplessly as the officer—the only source of security in her mind—walked further away until he disappeared completely.
Soon, the small area was left with just the two of them. Even the nearby tourists seemed to have dispersed for some reason.
“Hey, can you give me some money?”
After a moment’s thought, Lin Qi decided to extort this NPC.
It was mostly habit from other games—intimidation, extortion, threats to witnesses… the full package was second nature to him.
What’s going on? Is she not here to finish us off? What does she want money for?... Eve was stunned. In a panic, she hastily pulled out her wallet and handed it over.
The entire process was swift, with no hesitation or attachment to the money—only a desperate desire to survive.
After Viya took the wallet, Lin Qi saw the number 26 silver coins appear in the upper-right corner of the screen.
“What?!” Lin Qi exclaimed in shock.
Twenty-six silver coins—what did that mean?
Before, he had spent over ten minutes clearing cultists in the base, looting bodies for a few copper coins at best—and sometimes finding nothing at all.
The exchange rate between copper and silver was 100:1…
In an instant, he found this NPC far more likable.
“What’s your name?” Lin Qi’s mood lightened considerably, leaving him in the mood for idle chat.
There was another reason—he figured anyone who could casually hand over such a large sum of money wasn’t an ordinary NPC. There was bound to be related plot developments later.
“…Eve.”
Eve’s mind was spinning.
Just moments ago, the atmosphere had been oppressive, as if she were about to be slaughtered on the spot. Now, she was being asked her name in a tone so friendly it bordered on camaraderie.
‘Mr. Yog, your attitude sure changes quickly.’
Viya had already pieced together the situation and sighed inwardly, unable to muster the energy to complain.
Eve’s earlier excessive fear, coupled with the presence of the officer beside her, strongly suggested she was one of the victims kidnapped by Old Fire Gang.
“Don’t move from this spot.”
“I have something for you.”
Wanting to return the favor, Lin Qi decided to give the girl a small surprise — and boost his stats while he was at it.
Watching Viya walk away, Eve stood rooted to the spot.
Right now, she desperately wanted to run—to escape this dangerous place and call the police.
But what if saying anything about her would trigger an explosion? Or what if she’d already been marked somehow? No matter where she ran, she wouldn’t escape… Hundreds of possibilities swirled in Eve’s mind.
She understood that the powerful Ascender who dared to leave her behind must have already prepared countermeasures.
The sun slowly climbed to its zenith. Eve stared at her toes, watching the light shift bit by bit, each passing moment feeling like an eternity.
About twenty minutes passed.
“Here.”
Hearing the cold voice in her ear, Eve took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Perhaps the “thing” the other mentioned was a bomb, or maybe it was a miniature sacrificial ritual already underway… or perhaps…
Eve hated this feeling. It was like a cat playing with a mouse, roasting her over coals. The anticipation of death was far more agonizing than death itself.
Summoning her courage, she opened her eyes.
What greeted her was—
Balloons.
Blue ones, red ones, purple ones… Brightly colored and numerous, at least a dozen by rough count.
“Huh?”
Eve blinked.
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