Nakano Asaka and Takagawa Ayaka supported the unconscious Chishima Kei as they made their way back to the "village chief’s house."
At this time, Haizhu Village was deserted. The village remained as dilapidated as it had been when they first arrived.
The distant sea was calm and expansive, showing no signs of the earlier events.
On the way, Nakano Asaka asked, “The place we went to earlier... could it have been Haizhu Village from many years ago? You guys said you saw a tsunami? Could that be how Haizhu Village disappeared?”
Miyamoto Satoshi replied, “It’s unlikely. Natural disasters can destroy a village, but they can’t kill everyone. Even if only a few people survived, the village would’ve been rebuilt.”
Gu Zhan added, “The current state of the village doesn’t look like it’s been struck by a tsunami.”
Gu Zhan walked on Nakano Asaka’s left, his expression calm, while Miyamoto Satoshi walked on the right, confident.
With the two of them on either side, Nakano Asaka sighed, “You both must already know something... whatever, you two are the smart ones. I’ll leave the thinking to you.”
They soon arrived at the village chief’s house. Gu Zhan went to open the door.
However, after opening it, he stood at the entrance, neither stepping inside nor retreating.
Nakano Asaka, still holding the unconscious Chishima Kei, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Gu Zhan’s expression grew serious. He stepped back from the door and signaled for them to take a look themselves.
Miyamoto Satoshi walked over to take a glance, and his expression mirrored Gu Zhan’s.
The house was large, but from the entrance, one could easily see the dining table inside.
The remnants of the instant food they had eaten during their previous visit were still on the table.
However, something new was now in the middle of the table.
That jar.
“……”
Everyone fell silent.
It seemed like they just couldn’t shake this thing off.
Gu Zhan opened the door wider, allowing the others to enter.
He then walked over to the table to examine the jar.
It was the same as before, even down to the tiny crack on its surface.
A faint smell of blood emanated from the mouth of the jar.
Nakano Asaka and Takagawa Ayaka went to settle Chishima Kei, while Miyamoto Satoshi walked up to Gu Zhan and asked, “How is it?”
Before he could finish, Gu Zhan reached out to grab the jar, startling Miyamoto Satoshi.
Seeing that Gu Zhan was simply examining it closely, Miyamoto Satoshi sighed in exasperation, “You really are... Aren’t you afraid that this jar might be cursed? Just like before...”
Gu Zhan replied calmly, “The jar seems more like a symbol. Rather than saying touching it will trigger a curse, it’s more accurate to say its presence here indicates that we are already cursed. It’s just that the curse’s effects haven’t fully manifested.”
No, perhaps they already had. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have returned to Haizhu Village from so many years ago.
Gu Zhan looked into the jar and saw that it still contained some liquid. He found an open space and poured it out.
This time, it wasn’t clear water that came out of the jar but a translucent red liquid.
It had a faint smell of blood, though it wasn’t as thick as actual blood.
Miyamoto Satoshi said, “...What does this mean?”
At that moment, Nakano Asaka returned from the room, and seeing the two of them squatting down, inspecting the jar, he exclaimed, “That came out of the jar? What is that? Blood?!”
“It’s strange,” Gu Zhan said.
Miyamoto Satoshi added, “What’s strange? It’s like a death omen. Who knows, maybe the blood in the jar will get thicker and thicker, and when it’s fully turned to blood, we’ll all be dead.”
Nakano Asaka remained speechless.
This guy... Could you not say such terrifying things with a straight face?
Gu Zhan continued, “I mentioned before that the Sea God demands blood sacrifices. This is strange.”
Miyamoto Satoshi replied, “What’s so strange about it? These kinds of evil gods are like gamblers. They promise benefits at first, but in the end, they always harm those who worship them.”
Gu Zhan shook his head, “The entire situation seems strange. Even for an evil god that requires sacrifices, they should understand the difference between a feast and regular meals. This Sea God gives me the impression that it’s desperate to see Haizhu Village destroyed as soon as possible.”
“Exactly!” Nakano Asaka agreed. “You guys mentioned there was a tsunami before we left, right? Maybe that wasn’t a natural tsunami but a punishment from the evil god? The villagers disappeared overnight, but the buildings and household items are still here. Other than the Sea God’s wrath, there doesn’t seem to be any other explanation!”
Miyamoto Satoshi raised an eyebrow, wondering if this fool had actually stumbled upon the truth.
Gu Zhan nodded, “That’s reasonable.”
Miyamoto Satoshi tried to refute the theory, “Maybe it’s because we ran away and didn’t complete the ritual in time?”
Gu Zhan shook his head, “That’s unlikely. Even if we and Masaki Taro escaped, there were still others in the village. He could have easily grabbed a couple more people to complete the ritual.”
“That’s true,” Miyamoto Satoshi agreed. “So, after we left, the ritual proceeded as planned, but after the sacrifice, the Sea God suddenly turned against them and destroyed the village.”
Nakano Asaka said, “I think the Sea God did it on purpose. It couldn’t be that it got upset because the taste of the sacrifices wasn’t to its liking, right?”
“What nonsense...” Miyamoto Satoshi couldn’t believe the ridiculous things Nakano Asaka was saying. How could he compare people to potato chips and claim they had different flavors?
As the discussion stalled and everyone fell silent, a sudden ringtone echoed in the room.
Takagawa Ayaka ran out, clutching her phone in a panic. “It’s the client... the client is calling!”
Only then did everyone remember they had a client!
Takagawa Ayaka placed the phone on the table and turned on the speakerphone.
From the phone came a processed, genderless electronic voice: “Why haven’t you replied to my messages? Are you planning to abandon the task halfway?”
“I’m warning you, since you accepted the commission, you must carry it out to the end. Your first attempt at the spirit-summoning ritual failed. I demand that you upload a second video tonight. Don’t even think about escaping!”
“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to.” Miyamoto Satoshi tried to communicate with the client, “We ran into some unexpected circumstances, which is why we haven’t responded right away...”
But the person on the other end wasn’t listening and kept ranting, “Remember, tonight... I want to see your spirit-summoning video. You don’t want to find out what will happen if you fail to comply!”
With that, the call abruptly ended.
Miyamoto Satoshi looked up and sighed, “So, what do we do now?”
Takagawa Ayaka curled up into a ball. “Do we... really have to perform the spirit-summoning ritual again? But... but Chishima Kei is still...”
Their upcoming ritual required four participants, and Chishima Kei was still unconscious. Were they going to ask Gu Zhan to take part again?
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled kindly but with a hint of menace. “She wasn’t affected by the Sea God’s influence and has been resting in the village chief’s house all this time. After so long, she hasn’t recovered yet? Is she really still unconscious, or is she faking it?”
Takagawa Ayaka, under Miyamoto Satoshi’s questioning, whispered, “I... I don’t know.”
Miyamoto Satoshi said, “Let’s go check. We can’t afford to be deceived or dragged down by someone. That would make us look really foolish.”
They entered the girls’ bedroom and found Chishima Kei lying in bed, her eyes closed, seemingly still unconscious.
Miyamoto Satoshi said, “Looking at her like this, it seems she’s not going to make it. I know another way to summon the spirit. As long as we offer her to the Sea God, it’s guaranteed to work... You see, our earlier attempt was like child’s play, which didn’t satisfy the client. All we have to do is place her in front of the shrine and bleed her out, and it’ll definitely...”
“You can’t do that!” Sure enough, before Miyamoto Satoshi could finish, Chishima Kei couldn’t lie still any longer. She sat up in bed and began berating him.
Miyamoto Satoshi stared at her blankly, “What can’t we do?”
Chishima Kei fell silent.
Finally, she said, “Fine, I’ll join you in the spirit-summoning ritual. Happy now?”
Miyamoto Satoshi raised an eyebrow but said nothing in response. Then he turned to the other two and asked, “Do either of you have any other thoughts?”
Nakano Asaka quickly shook his head, “No, no.”
Were they really going to sacrifice someone to the Sea God?
Takagawa Ayaka dared not say anything either.
Miyamoto Satoshi said, “Alright then, let’s get some rest and prepare for the ritual tonight.”
They had stayed up all night in the previous Haizhu Village and were utterly exhausted.
After saying this, Miyamoto Satoshi dismissed everyone to rest.
At midnight, they woke up to prepare for the new spirit-summoning ritual.
“According to the diary, we need to prepare a wooden tray, sprinkle fine sand on it, then place a pen upright in the sand. Two people will hold the pen, while the other two stand beside them, silently reciting the words of the ritual... Ah, it also says one person is needed to record everything.”
Takagawa Ayaka lifted her head from the tablet as she explained.
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "Let the phone handle the recording. When Akiyama conducted the ritual last time, we were also watching. This time, let him help us with the video."
"Alright," Takagawa Ayaka nodded. "So... are we going back to the previous room?"
"Yes," Miyamoto Satoshi agreed.
They moved all the equipment to the small room. Since there was no electricity, they had to light candles for illumination.
The room had no windows and was already dark and stuffy. Despite the stillness, the candle flames flickered, making the room feel even more eerie and unsettling.
Once everything was ready, Takagawa Ayaka asked, "Who's going to hold the pen, and who will chant the incantation?"
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "Nakano Asaka and I will chant. You two hold the pen."
Chishima Kei looked dissatisfied, but having delivered the jar earlier and then pretended to faint, she felt guilty and didn't dare argue.
Takagawa Ayaka, however, was less fortunate, having been dragged into the mess without much choice.
But she hadn't tried to stop it when the jar was delivered, so she wasn't exactly innocent either.
Chishima Kei and Takagawa Ayaka stood beside the sand tray. Miyamoto Satoshi handed the incantation, printed in duplicate, to Nakano Asaka.
After a quick glance, Nakano Asaka sighed, "Who wrote this incantation?"
Gu Zhan replied, "I found it online."
"..."
Nakano Asaka, feeling resigned, began reciting the words from the paper.
Miyamoto Satoshi followed suit, his voice joining in.
Their alternating voices echoed through the room.
Suddenly, Takagawa Ayaka screamed, "The pen moved!"
Miyamoto Satoshi paused and looked down... it wasn't the pen moving, but Chishima Kei trembling, causing the pen to shake along with him.
Miyamoto Satoshi glared at the two, warning Takagawa Ayaka to stop making a fuss.
Though scared, Takagawa Ayaka stifled her reaction after being glared at.
The chanting resumed.
People are strange. When a room is entirely silent, they don’t mind it. But when there’s only one sound, it makes the room feel even quieter... and behind that silence, it seems like something is lurking.
A "shuffling" noise, as if something soft was crawling across the wooden floor, could be heard... occasionally accompanied by a "gurgling" sound, like someone squeezing moisture from their body.
The sound, faint at first, grew louder, eventually filling the entire room... the walls, the ceiling... it felt as if the noise was surrounding them all.
Nakano Ayaka's face turned pale, while Takagawa Ayaka and Chishima Kei looked like they could collapse at any moment.
Especially Chishima Kei, whose sanity was already fragile. In this situation, she could hardly hold on!
And the incantation still had a long way to go!
Just then, Gu Zhan strode to the door and flung it open. A refreshing, slightly salty sea breeze blew in.
The shuffling noise disappeared instantly, and everything seemed to return to normal.
Nakano Asaka barely managed to finish the incantation, and when Gu Zhan stopped the recording, he collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.
"What... what was that just now?"
No one could answer him. Gu Zhan walked straight to the phone and sent the video to the client.
Oddly enough, their phones lost signal after arriving here. But whenever they contacted the client, the signal would mysteriously reappear.
Once they left the client’s chat, the signal would vanish again.
As expected, the client was waiting for them, though this time, they seemed more excited.
"Great!!!! That's exactly it!!"
"Continue tomorrow!!"
Nakano Asaka, barely standing after getting up from the floor, frowned at the response. "What exactly does this person want? Didn't they see we almost got into serious trouble just now?"
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "Maybe this is the result they want. After all, it's us who are stuck in this cursed village, not them."
"..." Nakano Asaka was at a loss for words. He had a point—after all, their decision to take on this job was reckless. It wouldn’t be surprising if something disastrous came out of it.
Chishima Kei looked completely done after the ritual.
Since they now had enough participants, Miyamoto Satoshi didn’t bother with Chishima Kei anymore. Instead, he turned to Gu Zhan and said, "I plan to visit the shrine again tomorrow."
"Yeah," Gu Zhan nodded. He had the same thought.
Nakano Asaka, sitting to the side, couldn’t help but ask, "Do you guys already know what's going on in this instance?"
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled warmly, "Not really. We're just guessing."
Nakano Asaka said, "I don’t know anything, but I’m coming with you!"
Miyamoto Satoshi shrugged, indicating it was up to him.
Takagawa Ayaka also chimed in, "Me too—"
But before she could finish, Miyamoto Satoshi cut her off, "You and Chishima Kei will stay here."
Takagawa Ayaka shouted, "Why!"
Miyamoto Satoshi smiled, "Do we really need to explain? Chishima Kei is in no condition to move, and if you come with us, you’ll only slow us down."
"But... I’m still fine! Why can’t I go with you?!" It was clear the key to unlocking the scenario was on the other side. Leaving her and Chishima Kei behind—who knew what could happen?
She had heard the strange shuffling noise during the ritual too!
Miyamoto Satoshi said, "It doesn't matter what you say. We need to know what happens to those who stay behind."
Takagawa Ayaka looked towards Gu Zhan. She remembered he had helped them before. Maybe this time, he could speak up for her too!
However, this time, Gu Zhan remained silent.
It was clear he agreed with Miyamoto Satoshi's decision.
"You... you’re trying to isolate us!"
Miyamoto Satoshi raised an eyebrow. He didn’t intend to say anything more to Takagawa Ayaka and simply waved his hand, indicating that he was going to rest.
【This Takagawa Ayaka is really bold. After causing trouble for Gu Zhan, she still wants him to help her.】
【My wife is just kind-hearted, not dumb.】
The screen was flooded with comments mocking Takagawa Ayaka and Chishima Kei.
Takagawa Ayaka realized that Chishima Kei placing jars in other people’s rooms had completely destroyed the trust between them.
Perhaps it wasn’t obvious in the early stages of the game, but the deeper they ventured into the dungeon, the more guarded the others became towards them.
Combined with Chishima Kei’s deteriorating mental state, they were now completely on the defensive.
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