I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"……Yes."

Zheng Li suddenly felt ashamed. He should have changed to a more normal forum ID. The account he registered at such a cringeworthy age now sounded like a public execution.

"I am [Azure Crimson Lotus]. Everyone else has arrived except for [zin] and [Grilled Salt and Pepper Seal]."

The man said this and led Zheng Li into the villa.

Unlike the outside, the villa's interior was quite modern, suggesting that it had been inhabited for at least the last few years. Several people, men and women, were sitting in the living room. Some were wearing the "Morning Star" and seemed to be traversing the "Summoning Night." Others were watching TV, which was broadcasting news about why there were so few foreigners. Still others were eating potato chips and playing on their phones.

"This is Lao Hei, the kind-hearted citizen. We were able to get the villa thanks to him."

He pointed to the person who was immersed in the [Morning Star].

This is supposedly the house of the uncle of "Old Hei, a kind-hearted citizen". His uncle usually works abroad and doesn't live here, so he lets Old Hei stay here when he's on vacation. Usually, a housekeeper comes to clean and cook, and today is no exception.

"Seriously speaking, these villas left behind by uncles abroad in remote areas have a lot of problems."

Zheng Li said with certainty.

He had seen countless similar scenarios before, and if a sudden downpour occurred and a flash flood or mudslide trapped them again, that would be truly delightful.

If a murder were to occur at this point, with the killer being one of us, tsk tsk.

The group got to know each other for a while, and by afternoon, as dusk fell in the mountains, one person still hadn't arrived.

"Is the [Charcoal Grilled Salt and Pepper Seal] really grilled? Why hasn't it arrived yet? There's no sound in the group chat either."

"That's what the guy called 'zin' muttered."

"Come help me skewer the meat."

Zheng Li said that they planned to have a barbecue in the villa's yard that night. The ingredients had already been put in the freezer and were enough for several people to eat for several days. Zheng Li was holding a knife and cutting the ingredients.

"Your knife skills are impressive, [Dark Executioner]. Are you a chef?"

Those watching watched as Zheng Li skillfully separated the bone from the meat, removing the fascia and fat from the muscle, just like a professional chef.

"Just call me by my name. I'm not a chef, I just come into contact with these kinds of things a lot."

Zheng Li turned his face away out of shame, he said.

"What do you do?"

Everyone was puzzled. What other profession could have such a deep understanding of the structure of ingredients as a chef?

"I studied forensic medicine."

Zheng Li replied.

"..."

The scene was a bit embarrassing.

Indeed, chicken legs and steaks are also animal remains, and forensic doctors deal with corpses.

No problem.

While everyone was busy preparing for the barbecue, suddenly, a clap of thunder was heard.

In the blink of an eye, the sky, which had been on the verge of tears, began to fall in a flurry of snowflakes.

The snowflakes quickly turned into heavy snow, and together with the cold winds of Yannan at the end of January, they rapidly formed a storm.

The roads were visibly covered in snow, and the parking lots below had disappeared into the snowstorm.

"Holy crap, what's going on? Why is it snowing so heavily all of a sudden?"

Some people hurriedly changed the TV channel and saw that the weather forecast was issuing an emergency blizzard warning. For the next 72 hours, Yannan would be shrouded in snow and wind.

"The mobile network is terrible. I hope the wired network doesn't go down and there won't be a power outage."

[Old Hei, a kind-hearted citizen] picked up his phone to check the situation and, together with others, quickly brought back all the barbecue grills that had been set up in the yard.

He received a phone call and looked troubled.

“Oh no, I contacted the driver who brought me up here, and he said that the roads are blocked by heavy snow and the car can’t get up. At least we have to wait for the snow to stop and the roads to be cleared before we can go up the mountain.”

Are we trapped here?

"Holy crap, no way, this isn't a perfect remake of the game."

"Uh, let me make this clear beforehand: I may have done some minor misdeeds, but I've never committed any major crimes. So please don't mess with me."

"How many days can we eat like this? Won't we starve to death?"

"Quiet down, everyone."

At this moment, Zheng Li was the calmest. He called out, and the others looked at each other, all staring at him.

Did you hear a knock on the door?

The person who initially greeted Zheng Li suddenly spoke.

Everyone listened attentively.

dong dong dong-

A knock sounded at the door, and everyone looked towards the entrance, not daring to make a move.

Only Zheng Li, holding a kitchen knife, came to the door.

"Who?"

Zheng Li mustered his courage and asked.

"I am [Charcoal Grilled Salt and Pepper Seal]".

The person outside the door replied that the voice sounded like a woman.

Zheng Li immediately opened the door.

"Why did you take so long to come? It's snowing heavily, you shouldn't have come!"

He saw a slender girl standing at the door, carrying a small suitcase. Surprisingly, the girl's appearance was almost identical to the woman Zheng Li had seen in his dream a while ago, the one who covered her face with a fan.

In an instant, Zheng Li felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He watched as the other person carried the suitcase in and a sweet smile appeared on their face.

Zheng Li felt his heart and lungs stop.

Chapter 685 [Grilled Salt and Pepper Seal]

"There's a big problem."

At night, Zheng Li looked out at the swirling snow and felt that something was wrong with the house.

Especially the last woman to arrive.

Her ID is 【Charcoal Grilled Salt and Pepper Seal】, and she didn't say her real name, only that she could be called Leopard.

Ever since that woman arrived, everyone else has been behaving strangely.

They seemed to be trying their best to please this woman, both men and women showering her with concern and care, like eunuchs fawning over an emperor.

This kind of flattery has gone beyond the realm of normal concern, as if the woman possesses endless charm.

That would be great if it were true.

But Zheng Li only felt that this woman was dangerous.

Zheng Li has never forgotten the dream he had that day. Although he only made eye contact with that woman, he still felt a sense of panic.

Now, facing the woman surrounded by a crowd, Zheng Li felt as helpless as a rabbit facing a vicious wolf.

After dinner, everyone got down to business.

Since there's no way to leave now, I have to stay here. Otherwise, I'll work even harder to clear the [Summoning Night] stage.

Their strategy was simple: some people would enter the game to complete the walkthrough, while others would stay outside, constantly monitoring online news and recording the new discoveries of those who were completing the walkthrough.

With the game already released a month ago, skilled players have long since figured out some key points in the early stages. If they are proficient, starting from the beginning, it shouldn't be a problem to reach the furthest point in the current storyline in over thirty hours.

Moreover, these devices contain various archives, which can effectively reduce the cost of trial and error.

Of course, they didn't actually intend to beat the game in just two or three days; it was essentially just a gathering of online friends.

Zheng Li looked at the woman opposite him and broke out in a cold sweat.

The others were all wearing helmets and suffering in the game.

Meanwhile, Zheng Lihe and the grilled salt and pepper seal sat facing each other.

The two of them were facing the computer, but Zheng Li was absent-minded, just like the boy in junior high school who was always daydreaming about his female classmate sitting next to him.

He glanced at the girl's screen next to him every now and then and noticed that she was looking at news on social media.

If that's all, then so be it.

But she reads the news very quickly, almost switching to the next page after only a glance, and that page is filled with dense text that a normal person could never finish reading.

In the dimly lit room, a group of people wearing virtual reality headsets remained silent, while the girl kept clicking the mouse. The scene was not exactly warm and happy, but it could at least be described as eerie and terrifying.

Zheng Li's heart was in his throat. He had no idea who this woman was. He felt like a rabbit cornered against a wall—pitiful, weak, and helpless.

Suddenly, Zheng Li heard the noise from next door stop.

He couldn't resist his curiosity and looked over, only to find that the other person was looking at him.

That look in his eyes was like that of a hungry lion seeing a lame buffalo.

What do you think of Lu Ban?

When the girl suddenly spoke, Zheng Li instinctively shivered, but when he heard her question, he was filled with new doubt.

I don't know how to do it for Zheng Li.

"He... is a very good director, no, he's an excellent director. He always brings unexpected experiences and feelings to people. I think he will definitely be recorded in history. He's really amazing..."

Zheng Li praised Lu Ban hesitantly.

"Oh."

The girl responded with a sound, like a cat wagging its tail to indicate that it understood.

Seeing the girl fall silent again, Zheng Li, not knowing where he got the courage, suddenly had an idea and asked a question as well.

"So what do you think of Lu Ban?"