MMPS Ch. 47

Chapter 47: Walking into the Trap

Yu An’s shocking statement jolted the grieving couple kneeling beneath the copper plate. The wife, desperate, raised her hands to snatch her child back from the shamaness’s arms, while the husband, tears streaming down his face, turned to look in the direction of the voice.

The villagers buzzed with discussion, convinced that this outsider had disrupted the sacrificial ritual and should be beaten to death on the spot. In the chaos, Yu An’s hood was torn off. He raised his head, his left eye that was embedded with the silver Picture Within the Painting core lacked a pupil, its sclera glowing with a pale light.

Yu An had always worn a cold, unapproachable expression, and now, paired with his left eye’s eerie appearance, he looked like a demon to the superstitious, isolated villagers, sparking a wave of panic.

Several strong young men, egged on by the crowd, lunged at Yu An. They gagged him, tied his hands behind his back, and threw him into a cellar, sealing the entrance with a heavy rock. They then gathered to discuss how to deal with this outsider.

The cellar was about three meters deep. Yu An landed hard on the brick floor, dazed for a few seconds before the pain from his bones registered. The darkness was absolute, and the air reeked of salted meat. Precious vegetables were stored on wooden shelves.

Yu An curled his body tightly, pulling his knees to his chest, then tried to twist his bound hands from behind to the front. His joints cracked painfully as he strained, and he gritted his teeth, using his mouth to loosen the rope around his wrists.

It was warmer here than above ground. The thick soil shielded against the wind and snow, and its poor thermal conductivity helped maintain a stable temperature. But it was only relative. The cold was still slowly breaking through the defenses of his pure black hoodie. Yu An’s limbs were icy, and even his blood felt like it was freezing.

If this continued, he’d freeze to death long before the villagers decided on his execution.

If only the interviewer were here right now, Yu An thought hazily. Maybe then he wouldn’t cut off his hands.

Looking back, he hadn’t known the interviewer for long. Perhaps it was because they’d met in the dead of winter, when Yu An hated the cold the most, but Zhao Ran’s skin was always warm. No matter when or where, pressing close to him always brought a comforting heat that seeped through his clothes.

The ignorant, isolated town was infuriating. Yu An began to weigh which fate was worse: dying silently alongside frozen meat, or having his hands taken by the interviewer and being trapped by his side forever.

Then again, what was so bad about becoming a pair of hands? Those little hands had thoughts and could move on their own. He wouldn’t have to do any work, and if he caused trouble, he could just blame it on the interviewer. When he was in the mood, he could even stick close and touch him as much as he wanted. What could Zhao Ran do about it?

It didn’t seem so bad. In fact, it might even be better.

Thinking this, Yu An regretted not grabbing Zhao Ran’s hand when he fell off the cliff. He shouldn’t have ventured into danger alone, but he was too stubborn to admit it.

The pixelated baby poked its head out of Yu An’s jacket pocket, looking around cluelessly.

Yu An finally bit through the rope binding his hands and shoved the troublesome little thing back into his pocket, gritting his teeth. “Still alive, huh, you unlucky brat.”

He wanted to throw the noisy pixelated creature into the pile of frozen meat out of spite. But the cellar was sealed with a rock, and now his only hope of escape rested on the pixelated baby.

He jogged in place, rubbing his skin to keep his body temperature from dropping too quickly, when he heard a faint sound of flowing water.

Yu An pressed his ear to the ground. Between the cracks in the cellar’s brick floor, he could hear the sound of a small stream flowing underground. There must be a river near the town. His fingertips touched the bricks, which weren’t icy but instead faintly warm.

“Vegetables…” Yu An examined the wilted, yellowed leaves stored on the wooden shelves. In this isolated, freezing town that saw no sunlight for half the year, where did they get vegetables?

From the diary he’d read earlier, he knew that deep within Riyu Town lay a lake, or according to Zhao Ran, a sea. In the game, the exit from the Lost Town scenario was near a body of water. Players had two options: defeat the Parasite of the Dead Lake or navigate a treacherous path with precise controls to escape.

But Yu An was physically linked to the scene now, relying on his own movements. There was no such thing as precise controls here. In the game, falling into the icy lake would just cost him some health and a restart, but here, he couldn’t rely on brute force or trial and error. If he fell into the freezing water, he’d likely die of hypothermia before he could climb out.

It seemed the exit from Riyu Town was likely near the dwelling of the “deity” the villagers worshipped. No matter what, he had to find a way to get there.

As Yu An pondered this, the rock sealing the cellar shifted and slowly moved aside.

Yu An tensed, retreating into the shadows and using the darkness as cover. He looked up, observing the situation.

A man cautiously peeked into the cellar, lowering a tallow lantern to search for the outsider trapped inside.

By the lantern’s light, Yu An recognized him. It was the father of the infant chosen by the shamaness. The cautious man climbed down the wooden ladder step by step, holding the lantern as he searched.

The light swept across the wooden shelves, illuminating a face in the limited glow.

Yu An sat cross-legged on the vegetable rack, his expression cold and unyielding as he propped his chin on his hand. His left eye, glowing faintly in the darkness, lacked a pupil.

The man took a step back, startled, but forced himself to stay calm. He pointed at the pixelated baby in Yu An’s pocket and whispered, “Are you really willing to trade with us?”

His accent was thick, and Yu An could only understand a few words that resembled English. Communication was difficult, but Yu An didn’t feel like talking much anyway.

The man’s eyes were sunken, his irises pale, and tears filled his sockets. His breath came out in white puffs as he bowed deeply, holding out the Armor-Piercing Awl that had been lost in the snow during the scuffle. He murmured reverently: “We are all sinners being punished.”

“Give me the lantern and your coat too.” Yu An said, taking the Armor-Piercing Awl from the man’s hands and snatching the tallow lantern. He pulled the bear fur coat off the man and draped it over himself. The warmth of the flames slowly brought feeling back to his numb hands.

Once his body had regained some heat, Yu An began to seriously consider the man’s words: “Why do you say that?”

“Our ancestors committed cruel mistakes, so we are cursed to live in this town for generations. This is our punishment.” the man said solemnly.

“Why not leave? There’s a train station not far outside the town.”

“A train…?” The man’s eyes lit up with longing. He seemed to understand what it was. “So close, just outside…”

“Everyone who left the town died the moment they stepped outside. We had to use long hooks to drag their bodies back and bury them far away. Some ran too far, dying where the hooks couldn’t reach, and their bodies were buried in the snow outside the town.”

“What mistake did your ancestors make?”

The man hesitated, then shook his head. “I don’t know. My grandfather never told me.”

“Are you from Rihuan Town?” the man asked. “I’ve heard it’s prosperous and rich in resources.”

Rihuan Town was the next stop after Riyu Town, so it couldn’t be too far away. It was probably another poor, struggling town, not much different from this one.

In any case, Yu An needed to get out of here.

*

At the town’s dock, a small fishing boat was moored by the shore. Several men, their heads covered with black cloth, busily loaded the carefully selected offerings onto the boat. The shamaness, holding the chosen infant, stood on the shore, murmuring incantations to bless the boat carrying the offerings.

A faint gust of wind brushed past her ear. The shamaness, alert, turned her aged, sagging neck. In the darkness behind her, a pale eye suddenly opened.

Yu An sprang out of the shadows, his left hand grabbing the shamaness’s arm while the Armor-Piercing Awl pressed against her throat. Using her as a hostage, he pushed her step by step toward the shore.

No one knew who had let him out. The shamaness trembled in fear but stubbornly continued her incantations.

“Let me on the boat. I’ll go listen to the divine oracle for you.” Yu An whispered threateningly in her ear.

The shamaness had no choice but to comply. She nodded to the boatman, allowing Yu An to board the small boat filled with offerings.

The foolish outsider would die anyway once he met the deity. The shamaness stood on the dock, her eyes filled with resentment as she watched the boat drift away.

*

The water was calm, without a single ripple, more like a lake. The boatman, his head covered with black cloth, remained silent, focused solely on rowing.

Yu An sat on the boat with his knees drawn up, the pixelated baby and the chosen infant lying side by side beside him, sucking their fingers as they slept peacefully.

The small boat cut through the tranquil water, passing through a narrow inlet. The water’s movement became more noticeable, and the boatman stopped rowing. He gazed into the distance, then silently jumped onto a smaller backup boat, untied the ropes, and began rowing back toward the town without a word.

The silent boatman’s figure gradually disappeared into the night. Yu An picked up the chosen infant and placed it on the rock as agreed with the man. Then he lay back among the offerings, his head resting on his hands, covered by the thick, warm bear fur, listening to the sound of the boat drifting with the current.

After some time, the thick clouds that had covered the sky dispersed. The swirling nebulae at the edge of the universe seemed close enough to touch, and the glowing galaxies slowly rotated above.

The night grew brighter. Curving blue auroras spread across the sky, their dazzling bands reflected in Yu An’s eyes.

He sat up and looked around. The boat seemed to float in midair, navigating between icebergs and reefs. The water was crystal clear, and glowing plankton drifted leisurely. Yu An, enduring the cold, dipped his hand into the water. The shimmering creatures slipped through his fingers, leaving behind fleeting specks of light.

The water, as if alive, gently pushed the boat forward, guiding it into the hollow of an iceberg. Above, the translucent ice layer supported the clear water, and the glowing plankton swam overhead. Inside the hollow, irregular ice fragments refracted the dazzling light.

It was warm inside. Yu An crawled out from under the fur, reaching out to feel the warmth in the air. He leaned over the side of the boat, dipping his hand into the warm water.

If only the interviewer were here. This place would be perfect for a date. Yu An played with the water, completely forgetting that he had unilaterally broken up with Zhao Ran.

Tap. A soft sound came from the side of the boat.

The boat inexplicably stopped. Though the water still flowed, the boat remained motionless in the center.

Yu An, puzzled, searched for what was holding the boat back. When he turned around, he suddenly saw a hand resting on the edge of the boat.

The fingers were long and pale, droplets of water still clinging to the tips.

“…?” Yu An rubbed his eyes hard and looked again, but there was nothing there.