Sent off by the oden from the shop near home

The Alpha Wolf would announce the task of [Kill the Hunter] at dusk.

By then, Zhu Yan, unable to hide the "Hunter Mark," would directly become the target of everyone.

However, this involved a very interesting question.

If the next time announcement was "dusk" instead of "dark," then if other players wandered around looking for the [Hunter], the little tricks of these terrifying creatures "driving players into the shop" would be almost in vain.

This would not be in their interests!

Zhu Yan looked at the staff busy shaking milk tea behind the counter.

It was skillfully pushing over a cup of hot bubble milk tea, and seeing Zhu Yan cut in line, it hurriedly showed a smile.

It wore a mask and a hat, and the eyes under the hat squinted into bright crescents.

Zhu Yan calculated rapidly, and a conclusion hit his heart.

The Alpha Wolf would not waste "dusk."

After announcing the [Kill the Hunter] task, it would directly be dark—

Letting the players know there was a traitor first, and then immediately facing the gore.

All the hatred would pour onto him.

In that situation, could he really still stand out and risk being noticed by everyone to announce the time?

He had to be fast.

Faster!

"Wow, you don't seem to have come to get milk tea!"

The clerk simulated a happy and enthusiastic tone. Under the mask, a huge, vague shadow was opening and closing like a mouth.

Ha, it was a new breed of the sad frog style.

"Those who haven't gotten it can get it first. Students behind, please wait a moment."

A sigh of disappointment sounded behind Zhu Yan.

The clerk pushed the prepared milk tea towards him again, but Zhu Yan didn't take it, just looking around the store.

"I don't want these flavors," he said. "I want to order something else."

All the menus here had been removed, and only a signboard standing by the counter listed the five types of milk tea that could be given away today.

These types of milk tea were all basic versions without milk caps, only with different toppings. Zhu Yan needed to buy two types of milk tea with milk caps and cloud tops, plus a red balloon.

The clerk looked at the "Officer" next to it. The "Officer's" face was as stiff as a piece of rotten wood.

"Only this much can be given," it said sternly. "In the instance, what right do you have to be picky?"

This sentence ignited the hidden anger in the line.

"This guy is selfish, doesn't he know his place?"

"If you don't want to drink, get out, don't hold up the others in line!"

"Exactly, it's been almost two minutes..."

Zhu Yan's actions stirred up a hornet's nest, and the clamor suddenly erupted.

He quickly moved behind the counter and repeated his old trick of pressing a dagger against the clerk's lower back.

"I'm paying, I'm not asking you to give it away. Make it for me right now, please."

Zhu Yan saw it.

Under the warm white light, in the gap between the clerk's mask and hair, a crack similar to a mouth was slowly closing, covering the faintly visible cold teeth in the crevice.

The clerk raised a hand to adjust its hair, covering the huge mouth tightly.

Amidst the students' curses, its tone was no longer pleasant.

"Okay. Pay the Officer, tell me what flavor you want, and I'll make it for you."

Five minutes later.

Zhu Yan had two packed cups of milk tea in his hand, along with a red balloon.

The balloon was not filled with hydrogen; it sank heavily, firmly held by Zhu Yan at the tail end.

Through the translucent red plastic skin, Zhu Yan could clearly see the fragments inside.

He warily glanced at the sparse crowd around him and quickly untied the tail of the balloon.

A more effortless method would be to pop the balloon directly, but the noise would be too conspicuous.

The sweet scent of cream suddenly wafted from the balloon, quickly dissipating into the surrounding air.

A sudden surge of pleasure rose, and Zhu Yan felt a tingling sensation in his bones.

The muscles all over his body were relaxing—

His brain was enveloped in a white mist in an extremely short time. Zhu Yan immediately covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve and quickly jogged into the cramped narrow alley nearby.

The alley was shrouded in the shadows of the houses on both sides. Zhu Yan leaned against the wall and slowly regained his senses, turning back to look with a lingering palpitation of fear.

Several students were struggling to tilt their heads up and sniff the air, their necks elongating at bizarre angles as they stumbled toward the source of the sickeningly sweet air.

Zhu Yan didn't look at them again.

Time was running out—the countdown on the note had ticked down to 00:34:03.

He didn't know when dusk would arrive.

He used the dagger to cut open the rubber skin of the balloon, pulled out the new fragment, and pieced it together.

The five fragments formed three corners of this small "ticket."

The rest could only be left to Yang Zhanbai's small team!

With a thought, Zhu Yan activated the ability [Roleplay].

A few seconds later, the "Captain" dressed in black walked out of the thick shadows of the alley, striding toward the area Yang Zhanbai was responsible for.

The hardware store area Yang Zhanbai was in charge of was in front of the relay station.

Because there was no food in the store, there were no students.

As Zhu Yan approached, he didn't see an "Officer," but heard a rather pathetic sound of begging for mercy.

"I, I've given everything I should..."

The voice was not loud, its tone coldly distorted, clearly not belonging to a human.

"I really only have one fragment here, I, I..."

"You speak," Yang Zhanbai's smiling voice came over, followed by the soft sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.

"What should be bought in other stores? You wouldn't want your head to fall to the ground like your arms, right?"

Zhu Yan was startled.

What did it mean, the head falling to the ground like the arms...?

What had Yang Zhanbai done?!

Zhu Yan strode into the slightly cramped shop, bypassed the shelves filled with alloy materials at the entrance, and turned into the slightly more open interior.

Yang Zhanbai had taken off his hood, and a head of casually styled red hair reflected under the pale light.

The begging came from the "Officer" on the ground.

Its two arms had been cut off and were slowly turning black at Yang Zhanbai's feet, looking like they were going to completely necrotize.

"I... I really don't know, my brain isn't good, I can't remember... Captain!!"

The "Officer" turned its head and saw Zhu Yan.

Its stiff face twitched, and it crawled toward Zhu Yan like a worm.

"Captain, kill him! This thing wants to know our—"

He couldn't let it continue!

A cold light flashed in Yang Zhanbai's eyes, and he gently moved his knuckles.

Crack.

A soft, crisp sound interrupted its words.

Zhu Yan looked down and found that the "Officer's" head had been severed at the base.

It still maintained the posture of looking up at Zhu Yan. The muscles under that facial skin rapidly atrophied, causing the entire skin to wrinkle and separate from the flesh and blood.

...Its aggressiveness was indeed strong.

What exactly was Yang Zhanbai's ability?

"Hello, Captain," Yang Zhanbai said.

He gave Zhu Yan a provocative, cheerful smile and leaned back against the table nonchalantly.

There were three items on the table: a glass pot, a metal tube, and a roach clip.

It seemed he had succeeded.

In fact, from the "Officer's" sentence "only one fragment," it could be inferred that Yang Zhanbai had already obtained a piece of the key.

Zhu Yan's gaze shifted, and he keenly noticed those slightly trembling hands.

"Congratulations." Too lazy to waste words, he imitated the Captain, stiffly twisting his head.

Yang Zhanbai felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

This "congratulations" probably meant he was here to deliver clues again.

The oppressive aura of this Captain was still too strong.

If the other party really didn't follow the rules, he wouldn't be a match for him.

Zhu Yan stepped over the still-twitching headless body on the ground, his muscles stiff as he forced a mirthless smile.

"You have successfully purchased three items and obtained the first fragment."

Having put on this act so many times, Zhu Yan's lies came effortlessly.

He took out four fragments and placed them in Yang Zhanbai's hand, deliberately keeping one for himself.

"This is your reward. Furthermore—"

Zhu Yan looked at Yang Zhanbai's face, his twisted smile widening.

He shoved the black envelope into Yang Zhanbai's palm. "A new task. You must complete it."

After speaking, Zhu Yan didn't bother looking at Yang Zhanbai's expression again.

He turned and walked into the light and shadow of the Floating Clock, hurrying toward the alley.

The countdown to nightfall had about 30 minutes left.

This time, Zhu Yan didn't know if the situation would still allow him to jump out and announce the time.

If it didn't, in 30 minutes, darkness would fall!

He had to be fully prepared and collect as many of the remaining fragments as possible.

Counting on Yang Zhanbai alone...

Zhu Yan retreated into the alley and sighed softly.