Deep in the Living

Chapter 685 Fishermen
Roddy knew one thing very well: there were no "animals" in the corner.

The concept of biodiversity in the human world does not apply here; the corner is a selection area where only individuals with pituitary budding are allowed entry.

The dead fish in the basket most likely came from some kind of special monster.

Moreover, the fleshy fibers crawling all over the dead fish made him feel very uncomfortable, and he instinctively rejected them.

And just as Gustav said, these fish had a strong, fishy stench, several times stronger than that of ordinary dead fish, as if a drunken fish had been drowned in a pirate's boot that hadn't been washed for hundreds of days.

Just as Luo Di was about to refuse, Wu Wen suddenly leaned over and asked, "How much is it?"

The other person's face, which looked swollen as if it had been soaked in water, was oozing seawater as they said, "Ten corner coins per fish, all of which I caught this morning."

"It's a bit pricey! But if I buy it all and pay you double the price, could you spare a day to show us around the fishing village?"

The fisherman's waterlogged eyes, which were almost bulging out of their sockets, began to move, revealing the pupils hidden inside, as he carefully observed the visitor in front of him.

"Oh! So you're not here to live in the fishing village, but to conduct an investigation? This price needs to be calculated separately. I've lived in the fishing village for six years, and few people know it better than me."

Five hundred corner coins, and I can be your guide.

Wu Wen took out a bag of coins and said, "This is half... I'll give you the other half after your guiding job is over."

"Thank you."

Just as the fisherman took the coin, Wu Wen grabbed his swollen hand, and a strange feeling spread through his body, instantly making him lose control of his physical body.

Wu Wen's face slowly moved closer, trying to touch him again.

That girl's friendly smile turned into a terrified, malicious stare.

"Wayne Hellus, who escaped from the slave market in the City of Sin ten years ago and disappeared without a trace, so this is where he was..."

The fisherman who was identified wasn't too surprised; life in the fishing village seemed to have worn him down. "You can clearly control the slaves directly, so why do you still pay them?"

Wu Wen's face moved back to its normal smile. "We're not here to cause trouble, we're just here to find someone."

If you can provide additional valuable information during the guide's visit, I'm willing to give you a larger tip.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Pan Yang."

"Pan Yang... I've never heard of that name before. Most of the monsters that come here hide their identities. Do you have any other information?"

"He would disguise himself as a turtleneck sweater and would often attach himself to a monster or human through parasitism. Also, he probably hasn't been here long, no more than ten days."

The fisherman rolled his eyes and quickly realized something. "A turtleneck sweater! Now that you mention it, I remember. A few days ago, I was carrying live fish up to sell, just like today, when I saw a monster wearing a red sweater on the way."

The other person needs to keep their hands on their head at all times, as if their head would fall off if they let go.

However, I haven't seen this person much in the following days. I don't know if he stayed indoors or 'disappeared'.

"Missing?"

The fisherman gave a sinister smile. "That's right. Of the outsiders who come to the fishing village, five out of ten will disappear. However, the total population here won't be lower than a certain value."

Moreover, "fishermen" like myself, covered in the stench of fish, were basically excluded from the missing persons list.

"Could you tell me more about the disappearance?"

"I'll take you to the area where the turtleneck sweater might live first, and we can talk as we go. Staying here is a bit of a waste of time."

Please don't call me by my former name, Miss. The sea has given me a completely new name. Just call me "Chou Jiu".

"I wonder if you'd be interested in becoming a fisherman, miss. I could feel the fish scales in your body during our brief contact. If you'd like, you can soon become one of us."

"No need."

"What a pity~ what a pity."

Led by Chou Jiu, they gradually arrived at the edge of the cliff.

A foul-smelling elevator was suspended here. Notably, the elevator's chain was made of a large amount of fish intestines, emitting a strong odor.

"Don't be put off by this smell... It's this seafood flavor that ensures people riding the elevator won't be affected by the 'disappearance'."

Disappearances are a characteristic of the fishing village, and any monster that comes here must bear this risk.

If you want to live in a fishing village for a long time and avoid being disappeared, there is only one way: become a "fisherman" like me.

Of course, you should leave after finding your person. Given your kindness, I will do my best to protect you from the consequences of your disappearance.

Wu Wen had already guessed what was going on. "The fish you sell have this effect, right?"

"Miss, you are indeed clever~ Just by eating these freshly caught fish, you can temporarily gain the sea's approval and make your skin smell bad."

This stench can effectively prevent someone from going missing, giving you enough time to search for them.

Do you want some? Do not roast it over a fire, do not process it in any way; you must eat it directly for it to be effective.

"Please rest assured, simply eating fish won't cause the physical transformation I've experienced. With your abilities, a few days of metabolism outside the fishing village will be enough to eliminate the impurities from your bodies." He continued...

Chou Jiu turned around again and showed his basket.

Wu Wen looked at the team members. She was certain that they were not lying. Now she just needed to decide whether or not to eat it.

Besides Miss Song

Everyone's opinion was completely unanimous - [We won't eat it].

Not to mention its extremely fishy and foul odor, the fleshy fibers on its surface are also too bizarre. Although it can be eliminated after leaving the fishing village, it will have some impact during the exploration of the fishing village.

"No need. If we go missing, that's our own problem."

"Alright then, try to leave before nightfall to minimize the chances of you going missing. Besides, coming with me will also reduce the probability of you going missing to some extent."

What caused the disappearance?

"I don't know, nobody knows... or rather, everyone who knows has disappeared. Anyway, as long as you become a fisherman, you can basically avoid the effects of disappearance and stay in the fishing village for a long time."

"So how does one become a fisherman?"

"It's very simple. Living in the damp houses at the bottom of the fishing village, you need to eat raw fish every day, and you also need to go out to sea to fish."

If you can persevere, your body will gradually change. When the relevant physical signs appear, and when you no longer feel any odor, then you'll be a fisherman.

Just then, the elevator stopped.

The cliffside fishing village, shrouded in mist, came into view.

The area was damp and dark with continuous rain, and the sunlight was almost completely blocked by the cliff itself.

The massive wooden buildings cover the entire cliff face, and the mist, like a white veil, adds an absolute sense of mystery to this special fishing village.

The wooden planks embedded in the rock face serve as village passageways, with the shortest width being less than half a meter; one could easily fall through if not careful.

Various types of wooden houses are built against the rock walls, expanding the living space inside by carving out caves in the rock.

A string of stinking dead fish hung in front of some of the wooden houses. Like the fish sold by Chou Jiu, they still had a lot of blood and flesh fibers on their surface.

Chou Jiu also briefly explained the living situation here, "Those monsters that come to take temporary refuge and don't stay for long will live in the upper part of the room... The last time I saw the red sweater was on this floor to the left."

We should be able to find it soon, since most of this area is uninhabited.

Wu Wen asked again, "What conditions need to be met to stay in a log cabin, or to whom do I pay rent?"

"No need... Any wooden house without fish hanging at the door is considered 'unclaimed,' and anyone can live there. The fishing village never excludes outsiders and welcomes them very much."

"Can I borrow a few fish from you?"

"Oh? Are you planning to stay here? Or have you decided to eat here?" Chou Jiu rubbed his hands together with a hint of anticipation.

"It has other uses."

Wu Wen grabbed a dead fish and crushed it in her palm.

Strangely, the shattered flesh did not slide down, but instead crushed the dead fish along with its flesh fibers into a paste.

She was then to undergo a special makeup procedure.

Under her guidance, all the team members exuded a scent similar to that of fishermen, which not only avoided the risk of disappearing but also allowed them to disguise themselves as local fishermen to avoid alerting the enemy.

"here."

Yu Ze stopped in front of an ordinary wooden house, his compass pointing inwards.

Although there were fish hanging at the entrance, they hadn't been changed for several days, and the stench they emitted was no longer strong enough to achieve the desired effect.

Chou Jiu was just a guide, so naturally he waited outside.

The four-person team carefully infiltrated the area.

The interior space has been significantly expanded and recently completed, creating a two-bedroom, one-living room structure.

The compass points to the innermost bedroom.

Luo Di and Yu Ze exchanged a glance, then simultaneously kicked the door open.

The messy bedroom was empty except for a few wriggling flesh fibers on the bed.

at this time,

Chou Jiu, who should have been waiting outside, walked in, looked at the things on the bed, and smiled:

"Looks like you've made a wasted trip; the woman in the red sweater has already 'disappeared'."

(End of this chapter)