She is not an investigator.

If it's something that needs to be done, then you'll definitely remember it later, and it's not too late to worry about it then.

Now she just needs to hide well. As long as she hides deep enough that those guys can never find her and mistakenly believe that there is no one alive in this town, she will be safe and sound.

Although the wilderness may be dangerous, she will surely survive.

click -

"...?"

A crisp snapping sound suddenly rang out behind her.

She picked up her backpack and looked behind her.

Sometime during the day, fog had descended upon the town, a red fog.

She was certainly familiar with the fog, for she had seen with her own eyes the demon that emerged from the red fog.

Perhaps that guy has come again, to examine the bodies? Or to look for survivors?

Of course, it's also possible that it's both.

The fog was thick, and the source of the cracking sound was now revealed to her.

He was a man, an ordinary cowboy, his hat pulled low, walking unsteadily, seemingly oblivious to her.

He snapped a tree branch, which was probably the source of the sound, but he didn't stop and quickly closed the distance between them.

Little Red Riding Hood didn't hesitate and quickly ran in the opposite direction, trying to escape, but her vision was indeed somewhat affected by the red mist.

Perhaps the red mist itself obscured her vision, or perhaps it had seeped into her body and begun to affect her sanity.

Her sense of direction was much worse, but it wasn't enough to be considered a problem, since the town wasn't very big to begin with.

Unexpectedly, before she could run more than a few steps, even more people gathered around her.

Just like the person she had encountered before, he staggered, head bowed, holding his gun in his hand, but his posture was so awkward it was inhuman.

Perhaps they once had some sense of reason, but time always erodes everything.

Why did they come here? How did they know she was here? And what were they planning to do?

They simply stopped her, preventing her from escaping, but did nothing else.

What are you waiting for?

"—"

Heavier footsteps came from behind her—no, not footsteps, but the sound of being dragged along.

Deep within the crimson mist, a tall shadow slowly emerged. Compared to ordinary people, it did indeed appear much taller, largely due to its peculiar shape.

A gigantic monster almost entirely pieced together from armor and humans.

It looks a lot like the legendary headless horseman, only its body structure is more complex than that of the headless horseman.

First, there's the torso, based on the knight's body. He wears heavy armor, which, though tattered, is filled with red patterns and flesh, making it appear wider.

On top of that body was a red humanoid form. She was very familiar with that thing; it was the culprit that had turned this place into this state.

Compared to when we first met, his body was much thinner, and his most prominent head had disappeared without a trace.

Even though its appearance had changed, the dangerous aura emanating from it remained the same. Without even thinking, she already knew what her fate would be.

Perhaps her luck won't be so good this time.

"—You're still alive? That's unbelievable. Your injuries are enough to kill a grown man three or four times over. Looks like you're lucky?"

It was speaking, using an incomprehensible vocal technique; at least it didn't look like something that possessed vocal organs.

Perhaps she should say something to try and buy some time, to try and prolong her life?

It didn't seem necessary; at this moment, she even found it difficult to muster any desire to fight.

It's like the sense of complacency that arises when facing an enemy you know you can't defeat no matter how hard you try.

“Alright, but your luck has run out. This time I will kill you… bury your head in the ground, throw your body into the fire, soak your heart in alcohol, and let poisonous insects gnaw at your brain…”

Is this considered the pre-match trash talk phase? It seems much more active now than when they first met. Back then, it was like a real monster, taciturn yet violent and manic.

But now it looks more like a monster, and it talks more.

That's really strange.

The Bizarre Stage Play - The Book of Secrets: Chapter Forty-Eight, A Strange Request

Inside the city of Byanka, Igris's office welcomed its first unfamiliar guest.

Strangers often come here, but it's quite rare to see someone who is a guest.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"of course."

The man who pushed open the door was dressed in white, looking like he was wearing a hospital uniform, and he always had a smiling expression.

Perhaps due to prejudice, Iglesias always felt that these people were not good people, and seemed to be scheming against someone every day.

Of course, even so, Igris would not kick her guests out.

"You can sit here and talk to me or my assistant and discuss the issue of compensation."

It was rare for Igris to sit at the same table as Momokawa, because she really rarely worked.

"Well—it's not really a big deal. I just wanted to come here to gather some information."

"intelligence?"

"You've left the city, haven't you?"

"...?"

Igris paused for a moment, leaned back slightly, and unconsciously raised her eyebrows.

She didn't answer immediately, but instead sized up the other person, seemingly lost in thought.

Of course, Momokawa's approach was much simpler; she simply stood up from her seat and locked the office door.

Although she didn't leave the city, she didn't know what Igris did when she did leave, or whether she did anything immoral or heinous.

But since someone has come knocking on her door, she doesn't mind taking extra precautions.

"Don't be too nervous, I'm a good person, I can show you my ID."

The man pushed up his glasses, and although he said that, the smile on his face did not disappear, and he looked fearless.

Igris frowned, leaned forward again, and almost lay on the table.

"Perfect, you really should show me your identification."

"Okay, okay..."

The man reluctantly reached into his pocket and, under the watchful eyes of Igris and Momokawa, placed it on the table.

"Perhaps this proves that I am indeed a good person."

“Special Investigations Department operative, I know your people, but your identification doesn’t prove anything more… I won’t ask where you got this information from, I’m just curious why you came to me and want me to ask you about this?”

Igris tapped her knuckles lightly on the table, indicating that she was thinking.

“Your intelligence system is very sophisticated. Since you’ve already confirmed it, you won’t bother coming here to gather information. If you were planning to arrest me on some charge, you wouldn’t be the only one standing in front of me now. So the question comes back to this… why are you asking me about this?”

"Um--"

The man put away the documents, put his hands together, and smiled as he spoke.

"This identification only represents that my stance is not evil, but I do not intend to use it to represent my identity. I am here not in the name of the Special Investigations Division, but in my personal capacity to make a request to you... People often do this, don't they? So, my questioning is just a normal exchange, nothing more."

Igris did not answer immediately, but looked at Momokawa first.

Momokawa nodded to Igris, indicating that she had indeed not found any potential dangers lurking nearby.

So what he said was true; he really did come to try and ask Igris for something.

"...Alright, tell me, what kind of help do you need? If you're asking me to deal with that threat outside the city, I probably can't do it."

"No, of course you can, you just don't know it."

"..."

Igris was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

“I won’t try. You haven’t seen its methods. The way those guys died was so gruesome it gave me nightmares. If I fail, the consequences will be unimaginable. Besides, I have no reason to risk my life for a commission.”

"Of course, you don't need to, but we can offer you a reward you can't refuse."

The man appeared confident, but Igris seemed unimpressed.

She is no longer the poor girl who would fight the Deep Sea Church head-on for twenty silver dollars. Now she lives a stable life, has some savings, and even has her own small shop and employees. What kind of fool would be so stupid as to risk her life for a reward?

"Moreover, you don't need to participate in this battle personally... It's like a dream. Even if you die in the dream, you won't be harmed in reality."

"Ha...you make it sound so easy. So what? I'd like to see how much more you can say."

Igris chuckled and crossed her arms, ready to listen carefully to what other conditions he might offer.

Anyway, Igris never intended to agree, nor did she believe what he was saying about dreaming.

That sounds very unreliable.

"Actually, this mission was a personal request on my part. Although it was a unanimous decision made by everyone in Corey, it's still difficult for me to offer any particularly lucrative reward, but..."

The man adjusted his glasses, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"I heard there's another survivor out there, is that right?"

"...?"

"Due to some special reasons, she cannot integrate into human society, and naturally cannot enter the sealed-off city. She needs a legitimate identity, an identity that allows her to return to human society... Guess who has that right?"

"..."

“We’ve always been short-staffed because of casualty rates, retirement rates, and all sorts of other factors, so we’re happy to take on some special individuals as special operators… Of course, we don’t take just anyone, but I’m happy to vouch for her in my name… Alex rejected you, but I won’t.”

"If that's all..."

"Of course it's not just that. I know it's inappropriate to trade someone else's fate for your safety, but as I said at the beginning, you won't encounter any danger. It's just... a simple dream."

Well, Igris is almost convinced by him.