The Scarlet Witch wasn't always called the Scarlet Witch; it's unclear how that nickname came about. However, in the past, when she lived in a laboratory, everyone called her 'Monster Boy'.
Some say these monster offspring are hybrids of humans and monsters because they don't resemble monsters; they grow up. But they also don't resemble humans; they possess special abilities.
When the NPC first saw the Scarlet Witch, he didn't know what kind of monster she was. The Scarlet Witch lived in a glass room, only one square meter in size, where she could only stand or sit with her knees drawn up, unable to lie down.
He also had no clothes, and his hair, which was longer than his calves, covered the vital parts of his body.
They thought he didn't need to wear clothes, since monsters don't have a sense of shame.
Because the little monster looked ordinary, the NPC, for some unknown reason, threw in a piece of moldy bread, hoping to see it grab it and devour it.
But those eyes merely swept over him indifferently, without any emotion whatsoever.
He later learned that this was one of the raw materials for odor-eliminating agents, a very special kind of monster.
There are eight of these special monsters in total.
These monster offspring look no different from humans. They are very intelligent, have a strong learning ability, and never repeat the same mistake twice. They have even learned human language and writing.
Scarlet Witch was actually the quietest and most inconspicuous one among them.
Later, a small monster misled a researcher into believing that monsters also possessed human emotions, and they almost escaped.
After that, these monster offspring were no longer allowed to come into contact with any products of human civilization—language, writing, and culture.
The monster cub that has learned about human culture is so much like a human.
But they are indeed monsters, possessing the ferocity and special abilities of monsters.
This similarity and difference instills a sense of unease in humans.
Each of these monsters has different abilities, and some possess several. The Scarlet Witch's outward ability is self-healing, and she may have others, but this NPC is unclear about them.
The NPC who arrived three years ago only knew bits and pieces of information; he knew nothing of the truly important news because he was not a core member but an untrusted outsider.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked coming out with his former teammates today.
One thing is certain, however: the Scarlet Witch is a monster raised by humans. He remained in the laboratory until he escaped. No one knows how he escaped—so many obstacles, so many challenges—but he just got away.
The other seven were not so lucky; many of them died in the past two years, and now only one remains.
"A monster that can grow?"
His resume only listed two years of experience; the rest was blank. Were those blank spaces filled with his past as a prisoner of humans? Ren Yifei pondered this question, longing to enter the human base to see if he could find the clues he sought.
How am I supposed to sneak in? I'm the kind of person who's doomed in the light.
"How did I escape?" Ren Yifei was very concerned about this question. The human base was like an impregnable fortress; there must have been many guards from the laboratory to the entrance. How did he escape?
"I...I don't know. But a lot of people died that day. It's said that there were anti-human forces involved."
The NPC tried hard to recall, but could only remember the massacre of the following day.
"They want to capture you. The entire base has put a bounty on your head. I can help you." The NPC abandoned his human pride and knelt down before the monster he despised, begging for mercy. He wanted to live.
Who doesn't want to live? Lions must hunt to survive, sheep must eat grass to survive, everyone is desperately trying to live.
Ren Yifei also wanted to live.
The NPC kept adding to his stakes, but as an unofficial member, he kept repeating the same old tricks; he knew too little. In truth, knowing a lot wouldn't have mattered; it would only prolong his life by a few minutes, or even a dozen minutes.
Ren Yifei left this place.
Let's leave this time to the native inhabitants and monsters of this world.
"Scarlet Witch, let me go, please."
Behind Ren Yifei, NPCs were weeping bitterly, but the monsters, now free from illusionary control, had already caught the scent of humans—a scent that drove them mad.
"No, please don't eat me!"
A two-headed monster, like an earthworm, devoured him. It started with his head, then his upper body, his legs… It was unclear whether he died from suffocation or poisoning.
Humans kill monsters, and monsters kill humans, just like animals fighting for survival. Given Ren Yifei's current inhuman position, it's really not appropriate for him to interfere.
After all, he's a monster cub.
Meanwhile, some of the human players went out to work at the base.
Outside lies an abandoned human city, inhabited by many unattended animals. The roads are riddled with countless cracks from the vegetation, making it a paradise for other life forms—life other than humans.
This wasn't the first time the player had been to an environment where humans and other races coexisted, nor was it the first time they had seen such an abandoned city, so they weren't particularly surprised.
Like all other instances, players continue with their characters' tasks, some of whom will be involved in planting or operating machinery. However, high-level players don't follow the rules completely; some simply take leave or pay someone to cover their shifts.
There is another reason why players chose to let loose: there were no player casualties last night.
There's a jinx who's already been exposed, but he's completely unscathed.
Doesn't that prove anything?
Not all bosses are bloodthirsty. For example, in Ren Yifei's previous dungeon, 'Lonely Island,' the 'Ghost' was the type to stand by and watch. Of course, there are also bosses like 'Neighborhood,' who like to sacrifice players.
Which one you encounter depends entirely on your luck.
They were clearly lucky this time; the boss didn't seem to have any particular malice or hostility towards the players.
Therefore, in the end, only a small number of players persisted in their jobs because those jobs happened to overlap with their plans, such as city explorers.
They had two large trucks, which were slowly driving past one side of the square.
"Monsters are so sensitive to human scent, how do human bases exist? Even if they're underground, aren't there monsters that are good at burrowing?" The three players on the truck were exchanging ideas.
They are twin ponytails, naturally curly hair, and feather clippers. The three hit it off immediately and have been working together for the past two days.
Not only was the girl with twin ponytails puzzled, but the girl with naturally curly hair also found it strange: "Yeah, it's like there's a transparent dome covering the base. As long as you enter this dome, the monsters won't follow you. It's really strange. Could it be something like a scent-eliminating agent?"
"Maybe." The girl with twin tails wandered around with binoculars in her hand.
Looking at the receding scenery, Natural Curly asked, "I wonder what the rest of this world is like? Are there bases there too?... What are you looking at with those binoculars?"
The girl with twin ponytails looked as if she had discovered a new continent, her expression excited: "Look at the mandarin ducks!"
In the clean square, the base leader's daughter and a strange painter sat on a bench.
They seemed embarrassed, turning their backs to each other and not speaking. Only the experienced nanny noticed something amiss in their awkwardness.
"Can I buy this painting?" the girl asked somewhat shyly. It was clear she really liked the painting. Perhaps she also liked the person who painted it.
"Of course." The handsome painter was a little embarrassed. He quickly wrote his name down. "Please accept this. It was painted for you."
The drawing was written with "Allen" on it. The girl carefully put the drawing away: "Mr. Allen?"
"Just call me Allen."
The girl's face flushed even more. She coughed softly and turned to the side, saying, "I've never seen you here before." After saying that, she glanced at him furtively again.
"I just arrived and will be leaving in a few days."
The girl, disregarding her shyness, asked in surprise, "Why? Isn't this base good?"
"Please don't misunderstand, this place is very nice. It's just that," the handsome painter looked up at the sky, "I can't stay in one place for long. A square sky, familiar people coming and going, an unchanging life and work—that kind of life would be too boring."
They had just met, and now they had to part. Driven by regret, the girl moved closer to the handsome painter, saying with a hint of remorse, "You must be very capable to be able to travel alone."
The handsome man smiled but remained silent.
When hunting mature women who are tired of playing around and want to settle down, show them your integrity, warmth, and tolerance so that they feel the warmth of home.
If the target is a well-behaved girl, then show off your free-spiritedness and mystery to make her want to explore further.
Humans are easily drawn to areas they are curious about but have never explored before.
The leader's daughter, who had always been well protected, was kept like a canary in a cage, living a life of strict rules. In her eyes, there was a longing for the world outside the cage, and a longing for freedom.
"When is Mr. Allen leaving?" The girl was unaware of how reluctant she was to part. Her true feelings were laid bare, revealing her tender and genuine self without reservation.
"Poor little bird," the handsome player sighed. "She was so cute and beautiful, and so plump and delicious."
"Maybe in a day or two, maybe in three or four days." The man slowly lowered his eyes, not looking at the girl, his face filled with longing.
The girl sighed softly, "I want to hear more from Mr. Allen about the outside world."
The handsome painter looked up: "If that's what you hope for... I'm sorry, but assuming this isn't just wishful thinking on my part, I mean..."
He patted his forehead, his face full of frustration at his clumsiness.
"Can I stay for two more days?" As if she couldn't bear to see the handsome painter going through all this trouble, the girl mustered her courage and asked softly.
The handsome painter's eyes lit up: "Of course! Well, of course, that's exactly what I was planning to do."
The hunter guides the victim, making it seem as if she made the decision to demand something herself. Then the hunter feigns 'sacrifice,' appearing to give a great deal, to lure the prey into lowering her guard and becoming emotionally involved.
People who lack mental fortitude are easily manipulated by words, gradually succumbing to their influence and becoming willing slaves.
The girl blushed deeply, and the nanny next to her frowned, but remembering that this person would only stay for a few days before leaving, she kept quiet so as not to spoil her young mistress's mood.
The handsome player sensed the nanny's wariness, but his smile only grew more charming.
She was indeed a lovely and beautiful little girl. But the more beautiful she was, the more likely she was to attract the attention of hunters.
For example, a person like him, upon seeing something beautiful, wants to hide it away, put it in a cage, break its wings, put leg bands on it, and let this beautiful bird cry blood to death in his prison.
"I bet this guy has some kind of passive charm skill that targets a certain group." The girl with twin tails, who had been watching the commotion in the square from afar, stared at the scene through binoculars.
She saw the little girl's shyness and longing, and she also saw the man's feigned indifference.
It's all a routine, a routine, a routine.
Seeing that the girl with twin ponytails was engrossed in watching, the girl with naturally curly hair reminded her, "Be careful not to get caught."
"No, I don't," the girl with twin tails said, knowing that the naturally curly hair wasn't interested, and asked the feather shears player, "Do you want to take a look?"
Feather Clipper sat in the sunniest spot, smiling and shaking his head.
"You guys are really boring."
The girl with twin tails picked up the binoculars again, watching with great interest, and interpreting the lip movements as she did so: "How could she deceive an NPC's feelings? What a pervert."
The poor, naive young lady seems to have been easily won over.
"It's truly enviable. If we win over the young lady, we can utilize the resources of the base's higher-ups," the girl with twin tails continued, filled with emotion.
At this moment, the handsome player in the telescope turned his head slightly and smiled as he looked in the direction of the telescope.
"Have you seen enough?" the handsome player asked, his words a silent threat.
Author's note: How do you identify players from the Wasteland Corner?
A: 1. Someone who wanders around doing nothing productive. 2. Someone who likes to find solutions in criminal law. 3. Someone who looks like a scumbag.