Edited by Jules
Xiao Lan travelled through the burning forest with difficulty.
Discerning the wind direction, he ran against it toward where the fire was smaller.
The flames were very hot; even with his current physical strength, he could feel the pain on his skin.
This sort of situation didn’t really make sense.
Because it was very hard for normal flames to hurt players who had reached the advanced level.
The only explanation was that this fire might not be an ordinary one. This was fire which the Advent World had specially customised for advanced players so that it was enough to burn them.
“Cough cough…” The thick smoke from the fire choked Xiao Lan and made his throat a little uncomfortable.
Suddenly, he noticed a change nearby.
The fire was still raging not far behind him, but the further he advanced, the smaller the fire clearly got, and the temperature also dropped.
Xiao Lan swiftly headed in that direction.
There was no separate area up ahead, nor was there a water source of some sort. However, the further he went in that direction, the harder it seemed for the fire to expand.
It was as if some unknown force was suppressing the burning fire, slowing it down until it died out.
As the fire grew smaller, he was able to see that this forest was pitch-black in colour.
Not only was the tree bark very dark and withered, even the leaves were a colour similar to black.
Xiao Lan had never seen this tree species before, and was unable to discern whether it was hard to burn to begin with or if it truly had some sort of mysterious ability.
As Xiao Lan continued forward, the fire could no longer spread.
But the sky was tinted red by the blaze, making it look similar to twilight.
There was still the smell of burning in the air, and ashes still drifted on the breeze, lending a slight air of death to the pitch-black forest.
Xiao Lan found a place to sit and then flipped through the notebook, which was the only thing he had.
According to convention, since it was something related to his identity in this game, it would definitely hold important clues.
When he flipped the notebook open, there were lots of paper scraps on the very top.
Xiao Lan picked them up for a look:
Supermarket discount voucher, free coffee voucher, fast food restaurant special price voucher, and even a payment reminder from the bank.
Even the car which had just exploded was a rental. No wonder it was completely empty inside; it turned out that it didn’t belong to this identity at all.
He smelled the familiar whiff of poverty from these things.
Xiao Lan looked at the content of this notebook.
His current identity was that of a private detective.
He had accepted a commission to investigate a missing person case which happened 30 years ago.
At that time, his client, Mr. B, had commissioned many people to investigate rumours in Mona Town.
In the end, most of them never returned, and the few who were lucky enough to do so went crazy and later committed suicide in brutal and bloody ways.
In the end, not a single person who had gone to investigate survived.
Later, other private investigators heard of the dangers of Mona Town, so naturally, there weren’t many who were willing to accept this commission anymore.
However, the client, Mr. B, didn’t give up. He was still full of curiosity about everything to do with Mona City.
Over 30 years, he had released commissions with lavish rewards for investigating Mona Town; even just being able to bring back a bit of information was enough to earn a reward.
Naturally, there would be some who weren’t afraid of death and who were willing to take a shot. However, from beginning to end, no one was able to complete the commission, and the death toll remained high.
This also became one of the most dangerous assignments within the private investigator circle.
This happened not long ago.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ktlr qbbg qglnjaf lcnfralujabg mbeivc’a fnfc joobgv tlr gfca, jcv kjr mbcrajcais tbecvfv ab gfqjs ibjcr. Pc bgvfg ab jnblv yflcu yfjafc ab vfjat ys tlr mgfvlabgr, tf tjv cb mtblmf yea ab ajxf j glrx jcv jmmfqa Zg. D’r mbwwlrrlbc.
Pc rtbga, tf kjr rb qbbg tf mbeiv bcis rfii tlr ilof.
Xiao Lan: “…”
Why did this character’s setting match him so well?
Could it be that this was the tacit connection between poor people?
The pile of gaudy discount vouchers abruptly fell out of the notebook.
Xiao Lan initially wasn’t going to bother with them, but after thinking about it, he decided he should pick them up.
By some chance, they might be useful, although the possibility wasn’t high. They didn’t take up space, anyway.
Right at that moment, a hand reached out to help him pick up the scattered paper slips on the ground.
The hand looked slender and powerful, and was wearing a black glove as usual. Even with just picking something up, it was elegant and nimble.
Xiao Lan raised his head and was unsurprised to see Luo’s familiar, handsome face.
He was already used to the way the other came and went unpredictably, and had adapted pretty well to it.
Luo gathered up the scattered things in a skilled manner before passing them to Xiao Lan with a smile. “Here.”
Xiao Lan took them and asked, “Did your identity also accept a commission, and came to investigate?”
Luo shook his head. “My identity is that of an adventurous entrepreneur who heard some related news and drove over to explore Mona Town.”
As he spoke, he took out a tablet which contained a lot of information on Mona Town.
Xiao Lan: “…”
Why was Luo a death-seeking entrepreneur while he was a death-seeking broke detective?
Although they both courted death, there was an underlying disparity in social class.
Just like the difference between the newest, top-range tablet model and the ratty notebook with discount vouchers clipped inside.
Luo sat next to him and the two read the information they had on hand.
There was a lot of matters related to Mona Town in Xiao Lan’s notebook.
Inside was a photograph which looked like it had been taken in a hurry as the image was a little blurry.
Nevertheless, he could still make out two blood-soaked corpses.
The notebook said that these two had killed each other. However, the strange part was that they were both investigators who had been hired by Mr. B, and they had no personal grudges against each other; they could even be considered friends.
Why would these two attack each other ruthlessly enough to kill each other?
Xiao Lan continued flipping through the notebook. Like what Wang Taidi had revealed previously, the notebook also mentioned the singing voice in the town.
But comments about this ‘singing voice’ were in complete contrast. Some thought that it was the most beautiful singing in the world, while some felt that it was simply noise which made one feel gross.
In addition, the residents of the small town all showed signs of physical mutations.
There was a quote in the notebook from previous detectives — “They all look like monsters, but all of them feel that this is a symbol of devout faith.”
The notebook also mentioned that the small town’s residents believed in Sara.
What was this Sara? No one knew Their appearance, nor did They do any preaching. However, They were fanatically worshipped by the residents for some reason.
The notebook also mentioned in particular that Sara seemed to be the source of the singing.
For Xiao Lan, there was no doubt about this. That was because the game was called ‘Sara’s Song’, not ‘The Village Dog’s Song’ or ‘The Iron Egg’s Song’; hence, the source of the singing was naturally Sara.
Right at that moment, the system notification rang out:
“Ding dong —”
What appeared after was a voice that was hard to describe.
It had a strange pitch, and there was no way to tell the age and gender, nor whether the sound was good or bad. However, it had an unusual cadence.
But frankly speaking, it seriously sounded awful.
Even a neighbour’s child practising the zither at home with a dog as accompaniment, and with his parents arguing as well, would sound better than this.
The instant he heard the voice, Xiao Lan felt dizzy for a moment.
The world before his eyes blurred, and his vision broke into overlapping fragments before it slowly came back together.
It was only after the voice disappeared that he returned to normal.
“Sir.” Luo reached out and supported Xiao Lan by the shoulder, looking at him in concern.
Xiao Lan shook his head, dismissing the bizarre feeling earlier. “I’m okay. You?”
Luo studied Xiao Lan’s complexion, and sighed in relief when he saw it was still normal. He said, “I’m fine. This type of voice has no effect on me.”
Xiao Lan: “Could this be Sara’s Song?”
Luo: “I believe so. If it affects the spirit, it may be very dangerous to players.”
Xiao Lan thought deeply before he said seriously, “This level of art is worrying ah… Are you sure the two of you aren’t related by blood?”
Luo said in a deadpan manner, “No, sir. Regarding my drawings, they are works of art which transcend skill. I believe this so-called Sara and I are not of the same class.”
Xiao Lan thought for a moment. “That’s true… At least your art doesn’t have the effect of attacking the spirit.”
Despite its ugliness, at least it didn’t take lives ah.
Luo: “…”
At a time like this, it was best to just keep smiling.
After all, a lone artist was never understood by the populace.
After looking through the information, the two put away their things and continued forward.
After moving through the forest for a while, a small town finally appeared up ahead.
At the entrance of the small town was the word — “Mona”.
This was the source of all the recorded information, as well as the important stage, Sara’s Song.
Mona was a small town which looked somewhat rundown.
The houses in the small town looked rather old, and there wasn’t a single new building.
There wasn’t a speck of greenery around them; even the weeds were a dry yellow. Trash covered the ground, and there was a sense of something emerging and perishing on its own.
Because of the forest fire, the small town looked extremely dry and hot. The sky here was also red.
There was a suffocating smell in the air, as well as drifting ash from the fire.
There was no need to monitor the air quality here to know that it definitely wasn’t up to standard.
When Xiao Lan and Luo stepped into the town, the residents looked at them.
It was a beast-like gaze; they stared fixedly at the two outsiders as if they would pounce and besiege their prey in the next moment.
Like what was written in the information, these people did look very bizarre.
They all had varying levels of disabilities; some were missing eyes or ears, some were missing an arm, and some were even missing both legs.
In addition to this, their bodies were different from that of normal people.
Some people had parts where the body tissue was stuck together, like a scar from being scalded and not treated properly.
Others had exposed arms that were so dry that the people didn’t seem alive, and some didn’t even look like they still had muscles or blood.
Seeing these residents, Xiao Lan instantly understood what the notebook meant by ‘They all look like monsters’.
These people certainly didn’t look very human anymore.
It wasn’t just their appearances; their behaviour was also extremely odd.
As Xiao Lan and Luo moved forward, Xiao Lan saw more than one person demonstrate self-harming behaviour.
The people who were less seriously affected just knocked themselves against the wall or flogged themselves with sticks, while the severely affected ones went so far as to cut off a finger.
And in the process of cutting off their own finger, that person would stare at Xiao Lan with a crazy but delighted smile on their face, as if they were actually cutting off the flesh of these outsiders.
The two slowly walked through the small town.
On the way, regardless of where they went, all the residents present would look at them with that cautious and beastly gaze. Being stared at by eyes like that would make anyone’s hair stand on end.
They also heard the whispers of the residents every now and then.
Xiao Lan heard several things like ‘strangers’, ‘get lost’, ‘kill them’, and ‘don’t think about vying for Sara’s attention’.
Outside Mona Town was a raging fire, while the inside was a desolate scene.
The town also contained a lot of bizarre residents, and was practically overflowing with malice.
This place was like a cage formed by the fire and specially created for the players who stepped inside.
“Xiao Lan, Fei Luo —”
Suddenly, Xiao Lan heard someone calling them.
He looked in the direction of the voice and noticed Wang Taidi and Qi Ning. Wang Taidi was standing in front of a dilapidated building and waving at them.
They had finally gathered together.
Only then did Xiao Lan learn that Qi Ning and Wang Taidi had appeared in the town’s only hotel once they entered the game. As such, they conveniently booked rooms for Xiao Lan and Luo as well.
Xiao Lan couldn’t help but feel sorrow bubble up in his heart.
As it turned out, the identity he was given was once again the trashiest one.
Not only was he poor, he also had to experience a car accident and escape from fire. It was extremely unfriendly, so much so that if there hadn’t been someone else to help him pay for the room, he may have had no choice but to live on the streets.
Of course, Luo wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.
Qi Ning looked at the residents around them, his tone filled with interest. “They all look truly wonderful. If there’s time, I really do want to dissect them.”
Xiao Lan: “Dr. Qi, this statement of yours is very dangerous…”
Wang Taidi: “It really sounds like a perverted scientist… The kind that’ll drag all the townspeople out to become barbecue.”
“Hehehe, it was just a thought; don’t worry,” said Qi Ning calmly.
But the mask hid his expression; with the plague doctor outfit on top of that, he already had a fairly sinister appearance.
Now, he seemed very much like a pervert who was obsessed with dissecting the human body.
Wang Taidi changed the subject. “You guys also heard Sara’s Song when you received the system notification ba? How did you guys feel? I felt like throwing up.”
Xiao Lan said, “I felt dizzy, and my vision turned hazy.”
Luo simply copied his answer. “Xiao Lan and I were about the same.”
Qi Ning said, “It felt like I heard Cen Wei’s voice.”
Xiao Lan frowned and asked, “An illusion?”
If it truly was able to create hallucinations, the threat level of Sara’s Song might be even higher.
Qi Ning thought for a moment. “It only appeared for a moment, but that was probably it.”
He looked at Xiao Lan’s somewhat worried expression and added, “Don’t worry, I know very well that he’s already gone; I won’t have any unrealistic expectations.”
At that moment, Wang Taidi jumped into their conversation. “Um… If I may ask, who’s Cen Wei?”
Xiao Lan was a little surprised he didn’t know about Cen Wei. “He’s Qi Ning’s boyfriend.”
Wang Taidi: “Why do you all look like you know?”
Qi Ning said, “I was the one who took the initiative to tell Xiao Lan. I hope Cen Wei can live on in more people’s memories. Wang Ke also knows about him.”
Every strand of Wang Taidi’s curly hair was full of suspicion. “When was that? Why didn’t I know?”
Qi Ning’s voice was flat. “Apologies. You were too weak at that time and looked like you wouldn’t be able to live for very long; I felt that telling you would be pointless.”
Wang Taidi: “…”
Ex-veteran-weakling Wang felt offended.
Xiao Luo: There are two things constant in life: Luo and poverty
My name is Sara so this arc will feel soo weird. At least I don’t sing as bad as that Sara, I suppose?
Thanks for the chapter!!!
Finally caught up to the lastest chapter
Thanks for the chapter
Luo live to be Xiao Lan’s walking wallet
Thanks for the chapter ~
And I already forgot Cen Wei :’D Sry xD
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)
Me too. If anyone remembers, can you post the chapter where Qi Ning tells the story about his boyfriend?
95
Same here Sis/Bro!!
95 (sry for the mass-reply)
Chapter 94… wait no.. 95 was where Qi Ning “introduced” his deceased boyfriend…
thanks for the chapter <3
Thank you for the chapter!
Well… He make a point. Lol 😆
I’m glad Wang Taidi can still be his old self in front of them.
thank you
Lmao poor Xiao Lan, but if he can get Luo as his walking wallet i think he’s more than lucky 👁👄👁👌 hope nothing bad happend to them and wang brothers tho
Good luck to all of them (but mostly to Xiao Lanlan he needs it more ahah)
Thank you for translating this novel it’s awesome ♡(｡- ω -)
Wang Taidi after buff: Anti-ti-ti-ti fragile~
Xiao Lan be like : Poverty in health or sickness, life or death..
XD glad all the ml’s I have picked so far are the-wife-is-first and they are walking wallets for their wife…