"Oh, I understand now. You're also from Joy Garden… But why should I help you two?"
The succubus neighbor sat cross-legged in the bushes, her eyes occasionally glancing in the direction of the gathering monsters, appearing quite nervous.
She wore a standard white old man's shirt with a loose coat over it and large, coarse shorts, evidently modified from a cloak. This neighbor had long hair that was roughly cut, hanging tousled and frayed at the back of her head. Her tail swished irritably against the ground, making her movements quite crude.
After listening to Nol explain the situation, the neighbor showed no sign of movement. Whether hearing "this is a game-like real world" or "there are many Earth compatriots here", she displayed a face of indifference as if the end of the world didn't concern her.
"Don't you want to go home?"
Nol was somewhat surprised at this person's attitude, suspecting that even if he said, "The ground under your feet is all made of chocolate crumbs and cheese," this neighbor's expression wouldn't change.
The skeleton-like succubus sneered, "I am Ma Zhigang. You've heard of me, living in Joy Garden, right? All you people babble all day. You think I don't know."
Nol's expression suddenly stiffened.
Teest curiously looked at the succubus, then at Nol. [You know her?]
Nol was a bit at a loss for how to explain. He calmed his emotions for a few seconds before accepting the fact that "the young female succubus in front of him is actually the neighborhood gatekeeper".
Most of Joy Garden's gatekeepers worked in shifts and were external staff hired by the property management. Only Uncle Ma was both a gatekeeper and a homeowner. He was notorious for his bad temper, maintaining a stern face every day, and wasn't easy to talk to.
However, no owner had openly complained, mainly because Uncle Ma's life experience was too… extraordinary.
Ma Zhigang, in his fifties, was born in a northern rural area. He lost his parents in his teenage years and grew up under the care of others. He didn't do well in school, and right after graduating from junior high, he became an apprentice tailor. It was said he had some underground experiences.
But he was smart, hardworking, and lucky. After years of struggle, he went from being an apprentice to a clothing factory manager, accumulating assets well over eight figures.
His wife passed away due to postpartum complications, leaving behind a daughter. Ma Zhigang never remarried and raised his daughter by himself. She excelled academically and professionally, marrying a well-matched elite.
Uncle Ma, having a house, money, no illness, no disasters, and an accomplished daughter and son-in-law, was once the envy of many middle-aged and elderly people in Joy Garden.
However, last year, Ma Zhigang's daughter jumped off the roof. She died on the spot, leaving a one-month-old baby.
…Thus, the legend of Uncle Ma came to an end.
No one knew what happened. Everyone heard that Uncle Ma sold his retirement house and the clothing factory. He moved into his daughter's house and became the gatekeeper of Joy Garden.
Uncle Ma was a decent person—diligent and responsible—but had a temper like a stone in a pit. Out of a feeling nearly akin to pity, the owners tolerated Uncle Ma's stinky and tough attitude.
However, people still mentioned him from time to time, and even Nol knew about these things, proving his fame.
[I guess he has nothing to miss over there.] Nol summarized after recalling for a moment.
[It seemed he's a pitiful person,] Teest thought silently.
Whether Ma Zhigang was pitiable, Nol really didn't dare to confirm. After his daughter's death, Uncle Ma's spirit was still as energetic as before. No one knew what he was thinking.
Even now, Nol couldn't figure out this man's thoughts. He never interacted with Uncle Ma.
"Enough, don't bother explaining. I don't feel like going back, nor do I want to go with you two. You either kill me or let me go," Malvina… No, Uncle Ma said, grinding his teeth, his hand gripping his modified crowbar.
Nol saw the black bloodstains of the "Thousand-Hand Nightmare" above.
"This succubus tribe will be annihilated. Do you know that?" Nol cautiously said.
Uncle Ma grunted. "I can't do anything about the rain or my mother getting married. What can I do? I am already in this mess!"
"You will also die," Teest, the onlooker, helpfully added.
"Then let it be!" Uncle Ma agreed readily.
Nol, Teest: "..." Well, this was their first encounter with a neighbor with such a unique attitude.
"But you're still resisting." Teest pointed to his crowbar.
Uncle Ma: "What are you talking about? I don't care about dying or living. But one has to choose the way to die, right? Are you going to eat shit if I give it to you?"
Teest's smile twitched, and Nol proactively touched his forearm, preparing for any possibility.
"You also saved us," Nol said.
"Then I regret it. If I had known you two would talk so much nonsense, I would have let that thing chat with you two." Uncle Ma's neck stiffened, and his face was full of disdain.
"We plan to look around for other neighbors, and we are trying to save this succubus tribe now," Nol continued patiently. "I won't force you to assist us. Of course, if you are willing—"
"Unwilling. Just leave," Uncle Ma replied instantly.
Nol: "..."
He rubbed his temples and cleared his throat. "Alright, at least allow me to ask you one question. How did you become the 'Succubus Malvina'? This information can help others. Please be sure to tell me."
Uncle Ma might be grumpy, but he wasn't a sinister person. He could at least meet this minimum requirement.
Nol was truly curious about the size difference between Uncle Ma and the other succubi—he didn't look like the type keen on survival, and the possibility of him stealing food was indeed slim.
Uncle Ma was silent for a while. "Alright, alright. That day I was sleeping at home, and suddenly I felt a chill on my back and woke up. When I woke up, it wasn't my room, and lo and behold, I thought I had become a mummy somewhere."
"Just like that?"
"Exactly. Those long-tailed foreigners are all baffling. I didn't bother with them and just tried to leave here—then I started encountering those things with hands all over their heads, just like that."
Nol paused for a while and asked a few more questions. His attitude was always good. Uncle Ma didn't flare up again and answered straightforwardly.
Ma Zhigang didn't inherit Malvina's memories or abilities. He seemed to have woken up in the body of Malvina, who was dying—or had just died. When Uncle Ma woke up, this body naturally gained a lot more vitality, like a richly endowed seed. Since he woke up, this vitality had been consuming, never being replenished.
Nol fell into thought.
Currently, it seemed that the Players were using their original bodies, getting their appearance from the system.
The neighbors were more like possessing monsters that were about to die, taking over control of the monster's body. To ensure they could wake up normally, they received a gift package of vitality when possessing.
This could explain a lot.
Like in the Dragon's Lair. The dragons were famously low in birth rate. It was almost impossible for twin black dragon cubs from the same egg to exist. But those two dragon cubs both survived and became his neighbors.
Like Night of the Hunt. In such a harsh environment, the Luo Zhu couple, who knew nothing about the environment, successfully made it through the initial period of confusion, and this wasn't something that could be achieved solely by experience.
The bodies used by the neighbors were most likely in a state of near-death beforehand.
…It was like some existence deliberately designed this to ensure the neighbors survive.
"Thank you. I have gained very useful information." Nol bowed his head to Uncle Ma.
Uncle Ma waved his hand impatiently. "Go, go."
"Um…I have been thinking. It still doesn't seem quite right."
Teest sat cross-legged opposite to Uncle Ma, casually playing with the small hunting knife in his right hand. "Sir, you know so much about the 'Demon King's minions'… You must have communicated with the Queen, right?"
Ma Zhigang's breath stopped for a moment, and Teest's mouth curled up satisfyingly.
"Malvina and the current queen have known each other since childhood. You can't deceive her. She knows you are an impostor and is still willing to tell you this. This means you two have a good relationship."
Teest's action of playing with the knife slowed down. "You know where she is, right? Are you rushing us away because you are afraid that we will kill her?"
"Teest." Nol couldn't help but speak up.
"Shh, Mr. Lich. You are just too soft-hearted."
Teest stared into Uncle Ma's eyes. "Those succubi don't know what happened here. The 'Demon King's minions' could only have been told by the queen."
"He's thinking, if we know the existence of the queen, maybe we would kill her—we could easily escape from here as long as we kill the queen sheltering this place."
Indeed.
Nol had thought of this too—
Kill the succubus queen, and this dream would return to reality. The succubus lair would be fully exposed. By then, he could summon the undead to protect himself, and they could leave the Black Forest with all their strength. If they do this, the quest of "Life or Death" could achieve ordinary conditions, and they wouldn't have to endure the severe penalty of failure.
However, as a price, those succubi would lose their way to survive.
On the Dream Edge, they would only be surrounded by Thousand-Hand Nightmares.
Outside, even the cats and dogs of the Eternal Church could come up together. They two alone couldn't protect so many succubi.
Speaking of which, once the tribe of the Black Forest was defeated, the contract of the heir selection would surely be voided, and Teest wouldn't suffer from this.
…Although "aiding in genocide" was evil, it was theoretically a solution.
Uncle Ma stared at Teest tightly. The crowbar in his hand moved a bit.
"All you do is talk all day." He said angrily, "Bastards, you two will never find her!"
Before the words fell, that crowbar directly hit Teest's head. Teest blocked it casually with the hunting knife, and Uncle Ma's force was immediately diverted, awkwardly hitting the fallen leaves.
"So what is your choice, honey?" Teest said with a smile, grabbing Uncle Ma's wrist backhandedly. "Life or death may not necessarily refer to you and me."
...
"I am with Solo at the 'Dream Edge', and there are no other Players around." Anakin's wand was hovering in midair. The milky light intertwined, forming a perfect circle.
Inside the circle was another picture, in the center of which was the face of Knight Eugene. "Do the two of you need assistance? If possible, please also tell us how to enter Dream Edge."
Just as Rogue Solo was about to reply, Anakin quietly stepped on his foot.
"Let me talk." She spoke in a steady tone, mixed with the right amount of fatigue. "We took a quest here to assist two target individuals. The quest difficulty is okay."
"If you enter now, it might affect our quest. If help is needed, we will contact you first."
Anakin didn't mention the need to help the succubi.
"Understood, Lady Saint. We will station at the edge of the Black Forest, and the Fifth Brigade is at your disposal at any time." Eugene bowed his head obediently, his green eyes smiling.
Anakin nodded. "There's one more thing. Did you mention before that monsters who are proficient in all languages have appeared recently?"
"Indeed, have you encountered one too?"
"No. I just met a succubus who speaks the common language and thought of this."
"Succubi are very sociable creatures. Probably one-third of them have learned the common language, so you don't need to be nervous," Eugene said gently.
"However, if you do encounter a creature behaving strangely and knowing a lot of languages, please stay away and leave it to us."
The circle of milky light stretched between the two, seemingly adding a halo to the handsome knight. Eugene's expression was warm, and his eyes were clear and sincere, without any trace of malice.
Being stared at by such a person could easily make one feel "loved".
Although there was no fluctuation in spiritual magic, Anakin firmly believed that this wasn't far off from spiritual magic. If she really was a native of Tahe, she might have been unconsciously persuaded by this man.
Unfortunately, she wasn't.
Through the magic screen, Anakin looked straight into the eyes of this Knight Commander. "Why can't we deal with monsters?"
"The Eternal Church excels at desecrating the dead. You know their methods." Eugene's words flowed like warm water. "We have verified that they have been extracting memories and knowledge from 'Player' corpses lately, bestowing them to monsters to shake your spirits."
Rogue Solo subtly relaxed, letting out a silent sigh. Anakin remained expressionlessly silent.
"Please forgive my late explanation, Lady Saint. After all, at first, there were only one or two cases, and we thought it unnecessary to inform you." Apparently, Eugene read some emotion from that expressionless face.
"Unfortunately, they have had more and more success recently… After you complete your quest, we will inform all the Saints."
"So that's how it is," Solo said.
"What if the environment has restrictions and it's inconvenient to hand over to you?" Anakin asked calmly.
"Then I suggest you kill on the spot. Otherwise, it is easy to be deceived." Eugene smiled.
"Okay, thank you for informing," Anakin said slowly. "You've worked hard, Mr. Eugene."
She terminated the contact magic.
Different from Solo, who looked relaxed, her expression gradually became gloomy.
"We must find that female knight," she said. "Sun Luo, don't talk to anyone about Malvina first. Also, don't mention it to Hermitage."
"…Ah? Why?" Hearing his cousin call out his real name, Solo stopped texting.
Anakin grabbed her hair fiercely. "Just don't say anything for now. It won't kill anyone to speak after things are clear."
"Okay, okay." Solo canceled the messaging spell.
...
"What fucking bullshit. His whole family is made of corpses!" Officer Luo couldn't help but curse in anger.
After Eugene smashed Witch Lynn's surveillance puppet, Lynn swiftly switched to a more concealed one—just in case, she had placed multiple dolls of different attributes at every key monitoring point.
Thus, the conversation between Eugene and Anakin was overheard by the neighbors.
"They, they are just like that!" The Banshee cried out in pain. "Those people from the Temple of Life have always wanted to kill all monsters… especially us. Nothing we say matters! They don't want to communicate at all!"
"This means those 'Players' don't know about us. The Temple is deliberately deceiving them."
Lynn frowned. "The natives and the Temple are hostile, so it may not be safe to contact Players in the future… Our situation is getting worse."
Even if Xu Yue managed to protect a few of them and did her best to search for their neighbors, their efforts were like a drop in the bucket.
Joy Garden Community had a total of ten buildings. Each building had ten floors and three units that could hold two households in each unit. That worked out to a total of six hundred households.
However, Joy Garden Community was a high-end residential area. There was basically no situation where several generations squeezed into one house, and there were also many vacant or rented units. In Lynn's impression, the resident population of the community was probably around 1,400 to 1,500.
The idea of finding more than a thousand people in such a vast world was despairing.
She could only rely on Xu Yue's identity as a producer, Lynn thought sadly. Although that guy wasn't sophisticated in dealing with people, he was very smart and kind, and he should be able to come up with some special solutions.
At the same time, the Dream Edge.
"Regarding 'Life or Death', I do have a solution," Nol said. "You reminded me—such a simple solution. Why didn't I think of it?"
Teest, curious, leaned closer, his hand still clamped like pincers around Uncle Ma. "Oh, what's the solution?"
"To successfully escape, we need to find a way to break through those monsters. To save the succubus tribe, we also need to lead them all out of the monsters' encirclement… Hmm, it does sound quite difficult to accomplish." Nol's tone was solemn.
"Indeed," Teest responded cheerfully. "And then? And then?"
What peculiar method would his beloved husband think of this time?
Would he be able to entirely transfer the dream world, or would he use Kando to manipulate space? Or was he going to invent some kind of deceiving concealment magic, hiding everything from the outside world?
He was somewhat excited. His fingers unconsciously tightened, causing Uncle Ma to let out a "fuck".
Nol continued to narrate seriously, "Then I thought, the solution is actually quite simple. If we want to perfectly avoid the attacks of those monsters…"
He paused slightly and showed Teest a bright smile.
"…We just need to kill them all."
The author has something to say:
This time I really fell in love with the gatekeeper old man (not really)
Teest: Steadily and maturely going crazy.
Nol: Intermittently raging crazily.
…Who would look at this and not say they are a match made in heaven.