Chapter 3: The Town's People, Each Possessing Unique Skills

The woman at the door, dressed in a maid's uniform, pushed the door open with a smile, holding a tray of exquisite dinner.

"Esteemed guest, this is your dinner. You must be very hungry."

The moment Su Qi opened the door, he had already put the wooden board down and stood up calmly to greet her.

He politely said, "Thank you."

Then he looked at the dinner and frowned, "Wait, where's the cilantro? I love cilantro."

The maid's smiling face froze. Usually, the outsiders she encountered would sincerely thank her, take the tray with gentlemanly manners, and then praise the delicious food.

Who would ask why there was no cilantro?

"I can't eat without cilantro."

She paused for a moment and then compromised:

"I'm sorry, if you really need it, I'll remake it."

Su Qi waved his hand, "Forget it, I'm starving. Just give it to me."

The maid, clenching her fists, handed it over.

Su Qi took the tray and said, "By the way, after I finish eating, I want to go around the town to see if there's a place to fix a flat tire. Can you show me around?"

"Of course, sir." The maid bowed, "I'll wait for you outside. I won't disturb your meal now."

As she was about to turn and leave,

"By the way," Su Qi called her back, "What's your name?"

"Ma—"

"Forget it, I'm not interested."

Su Qi slammed the door shut.

The maid's eyes were bloodshot, and her fingers were trembling with veins popping out.

Damn, if you're not interested, why ask?

You have no manners!

When the time comes, I'll tear you apart!

"Whoosh—"

Su Qi directly poured the dinner into the hollow space under the wooden board.

This dinner might be problematic, but it's best not to eat it.

He leaned on the bed, thinking carefully, "It seems my guess was right. As long as it's not prayer time at the church, I'm still safe."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that I can't run away or show any signs of suspicion. I need to appear harmless."

While pretending to eat,

Su Qi opened his character panel.

[ID: Su Buxian]

[Level: 1]

[Health: 100%]

[Stamina: 100 (Moving, fighting, and using skills will consume stamina, which increases proportionally with stamina attribute)]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 10]

[Stamina: 10]

[Willpower: 10]

[Inventory: Not Unlocked]

[Skills: Not Unlocked]

[Note: Non-fatal injuries will first deduct stamina. Fatal injuries will directly reduce health. When health drops to 30, a severe injury buff will be applied, and stamina will continue to be deducted until health reaches zero, resulting in death]

[Note: Mental skills are not included in the above. When willpower reaches zero, death occurs]

After scanning through, the most notable point was the damage calculation.

A term popped into his mind: high attack, low defense.

Even with the highest attack, if it doesn't cause a fatal injury, it will first deduct stamina.

And even with the highest stamina, if a fatal injury is caused, it could result in instant death.

"Encouraging players to fight and find the enemy's weaknesses?"

After roughly understanding, the panel slowly disappeared.

He estimated the time was about right, so he pushed the door open and walked out. Mary almost simultaneously emerged from the neighboring house.

Not only that, but many pairs of eyes glanced at him.

See, they're watching me closely.

On the way,

He also noticed some [?] from some of the town's residents.

[The lumberjack is practicing chopping with an axe]

[The hunter is loading bullets into his rifle]

[The butcher has been sharpening his cleaver for twenty minutes]

Good grief, each one of them is a master of their craft.

And upon closer inspection, each person had their own panel, with strength attributes around 15.

After a round, Su Qi finally saw the church.

As mentioned in the recording, the central pillar of the church had strange patterns. Upon closer inspection, countless winged evil spirits were entwined around it, with a goat-headed demon sitting on the pillar.

This is the god the town worships.

"Welcome, our guest."

At this moment, a warm, low voice sounded.

An old man in a priest's robe was standing at the corner of the street, staring at Su Qi with his round, pale eyes, smiling.

"I am the priest of the church and the mayor of this town."

Su Qi smiled in response, "Mayor, my car has a flat tire and can't move. Does your town have tools to fix a flat? It would be even better if there's gasoline."

The old priest, with a smile on his pale face, said, "Of course, but they are all in the warehouse. The key holder will return tomorrow."

This was a lie.

Su Qi said helplessly, "It seems I'll have to stay here for the night."

The old priest smiled, "I hope you have a pleasant evening here."

Although he smiled, his eyes were looking at prey.

Yes.

Prey.

Su Qi had already noticed that everyone in the town seemed to view him as prey, sharpening their knives and preparing to harvest.

At this moment,

Su Qi also saw the [?] above the old priest's head.

It read:

[Enjoys the struggle and despair of prey]

Old Biden.

Su Qi politely replied, "Thank you. I hope you all have a pleasant evening as well."

The old priest gently stroked the object of his faith, a goat-headed ring, and said meaningfully, "Yes, we will have a very pleasant evening."

He looked towards the distant mountains.

"It's getting late, the sun is about to set. We are about to start the church prayer. Mary, please escort the guest back to the wooden house."

"Sure." The maid nodded.

Su Qi did not object.

Led by Mary, he headed back to the wooden house.

He also saw all the town's residents opening their doors and walking out, their eyes fixed on him. In the dim twilight, they looked excited and eerie.

Su Qi seemed unaware as he returned to the wooden house.

"All the residents of this town are killers. One small mistake, and it's an instant death."

However, there is a chance.

"Next, everyone will enter the church for a twenty-minute prayer. When the bell rings, it signals the start of their hunt."

"In other words, within these twenty minutes, I have to choose whether to run like mad or hide."

The task completion conditions are to escape the town or survive for three hours.

Running like mad seems to be the best choice. Even if he can't escape, he can hide in the forest.

But in reality, running is a nightmare difficulty.

It was already dark, and the forest was filled with various iron spikes and traps, which were vaguely visible in the CG scenes. Someone unfamiliar with the area would likely die a terrible death.

Moreover, at the town's exit, someone was guarding the forest. Although well-hidden, Su Qi saw the question mark floating outside.

"Whichever choice I make, it's an extremely dangerous situation."

And time was tight, as all the killers in the town would start their hunt the moment the bell rang.

"But—"

Su Qi looked at the deep, eerie town outside the wooden house, where the streets were filled with a terrifying atmosphere.

"Perhaps I can try a third option."

In the next moment,

Without any hesitation, Su Qi pushed open the door of the wooden house and walked onto the empty street.

(End of Chapter)