Chapter 2578: Joyous Night of Frights
Sometimes, what truly frightens people isn’t the object of fear itself, but the atmosphere and the reactions of those around you. In many situations, a person’s instinct might be to fight, but if you have a few timid companions who scream and then pull you away, well, by the end of it, escaping is all you can do.
The terrifying scene had no impact on the Girl in the painting. The You sisters, being locals and having been "shocked" numerous times, gradually adapted, and Xu Huo remained expressionless.
The four of them silently gazed at the flowing "human head."
The water on the "human head" grew heavier, seemingly a bit awkward. After a few seconds of stalemate, it was about to float away, but just then, a few tourists from the Outer District happened to enter through the door, looked up and saw a shriveled "human head," and immediately screamed in terror. They tried to flee but were blocked by staff waiting to act, scrambling into the Cultural Street in panic.
A series of screams gradually faded away. Xu Huo looked at the street filled with "demons and ghosts" and turned to ask the Girl in the painting, "Who are you planning to scare later?"
The staff were generally fully dressed, while the tourists mostly wore symbolic masks or headgear, but the atmosphere was great. The staff wouldn’t chase tourists constantly, and now and then, a patrolling parade would pass through the streets, with laughter in the midst of the rampant dance of demons.
Until a human head was lifted and placed above the parade.
Dripping blood, accompanied by a heavy stench, splashed onto the ground, some even landed on a few tourists, frightening many. But when the parade demons cut open the human head and green pulp burst out, tourists’ fear turned into laughter.
Such horrifying performances occurred occasionally, like when a staff member disguised as a tourist suddenly had their head chopped off by a ghost, and then the "headless" staff walked around continuing to perform.
The blood used in the performance was real, so occasionally, a heavy smell would rise on the streets. This was tolerable for ordinary people, but for players with an overly developed sense of smell, it was tough, prompting some to change masks.
The Girl in the painting and her companions vanished while running. However, when Xu Huo released his Psychic Power to look for them, he felt a sense of oppression coming from different directions. He quickly turned to look but only managed to glimpse a performer doing a bizarre dance. The parade passed by, and they too passed in front of Xu Huo, among them, a person dressed as a female ghost intentionally leaned forward, shaking their head, and handed him a finger.
It was a real finger, not a prop.
The spot where Xu Huo was standing quickly got crowded with tourists, and the parade was also being moved forward by the crowd. He calmly watched the figure walk away, then exited the crowd, heading toward a nearby alley.
The alley was decorated for the celebration, but with few tourists, it was mostly used for storage. Today, the cleaning robots temporarily withdrew, stacking garbage cans here.
Xu Huo opened one, revealing a sealed transparent bag filled with bloody body parts. It was hard to tell which part of the body they belonged to.
These were not props either.
Some psychopathic individuals might take advantage of the chaotic celebration to vent emotions. But when Xu Huo realized that several players were heading this way, he realized it was likely an open instance location.
(To be revised later)
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"Very impressive, many from the Outer Zone come here attracted by his fame, trying their utmost to become his apprentices and learn."
Xu Huo chuckled, "This sounds more like an Artifact Maker."
"His teacher wasn’t an Artifact Maker; he was a true watch master," Jing Shi said. "Players admire him because some of the clocks he made once contained Time-related Items."
Xu Huo showed timely surprise, "He’s not an Artifact Maker, yet can create Time-related Items? How can other Artifact Makers measure up to this?"
Jing Shi shook her head, "Many naturally born props are related to the craft and the environment where the items were made. Plants and animals are evolving; perhaps these items are evolving, too. Such evolution is unfathomable and beyond human capability."
After finishing, she instructed Xiao Chuan to wash up and prepare to eat, as there were other courses in the afternoon.
Not evading, Xu Huo naturally overheard their conversation, chuckling, "You’re a famous writer. Have you never considered guiding the next generation into the field?"
"Everyone has different talents. Forcing someone to learn what they’re not interested in will never be successful. Without genuine affection, it’s hard to excel continuously in a field. After a lifetime of effort, what awaits might only be the ordinary," Jing Shi said with great openness.
After lunch, Xu Huo stayed for another three hours before leaving. Before leaving, Jing Shi invited him to come back the next day to continue the discussion. Not only would Xu Huo benefit, but she also found inspiration through the conversation.
Xu Huo promised to return.
When he returned to the hotel, the Girl in the painting and the You sisters were back, and the room floor was scattered with their loot. The Girl in the painting bought him a horror mask—honestly, it was eerily realistic, almost like a real human head, even slightly swollen.
She had one herself and was discussing with the You sisters their plan to go out and scare people after dark.
The Girl in the painting seemed to have been planning this for quite a while, confidently telling the You sisters that they had to scare those thieves into never daring to steal again... Indeed, she was being targeted by thieves again.
Wealthy people who came to District 001 to spend money were certainly many; if not players, they surely had hired bodyguards. Although the Girl in the painting had people following her, she appeared too easy a target, and since the You sisters were locals, they wouldn’t be too hard on petty theft.
The Girl in the painting was furious; if not for the You sisters holding her back, she might have killed someone on the street.
Not sure how the You sisters persuaded her, she happily changed her idea of "killing thieves" into "scaring thieves to death."
Teacher Jing Shi’s hometown, Light City, is much larger than the station city, with a larger population. Although it wasn’t as developed as the station city, it had all the basic infrastructure, and the scenery was nice, making it highly popular for tourism. The city had dedicated play streets, and occasionally there were performances.
The abundance of horror masks was due to some performances having a ghostly theme.
Xu Huo only got a mask, but the Girl in the painting and the You sisters had full costume sets with gear from head to toe. They wore the gear inside their outer clothes, put the masks on their heads and covered them with hats, just waiting for the night to go out and scare people.
"Could it be that today is a horror-themed event, and by then, the street will be full of demons and ghosts, so you might not scare anyone?"
There certainly was that risk, but the Girl in the painting didn’t care, pretending not to hear him, and urged the You sisters to hurry out.
But Xu Huo really guessed it right. They went toward Cultural Street, and just past the gate, a bloated face suddenly appeared, with swollen skin oozing water, it grinned menacingly, eerily saying, "Welcome to tonight’s Joyful Fright Night!"