Chapter 136: Each Harboring Secret Agendas (Part 1-2 Combined)

According to the gravekeeper's requirements, Wu Chang needed to first store the delivered corpses in the church surrounding Grave Plot 44, waiting until daytime the next day to bury them.

Using a flatbed cart to transport the body bags to the small church, he and Han Er unpacked them one by one, confirming that the corpses' hands and feet were bound before they could leave the church.

Wu Chang deliberately saved the problematic corpse for last; after confirming the first six bodies were correct, he had just opened the seventh body bag and was about to say that this corpse felt somewhat strange when Han Er let out a cry of surprise before him.

"What's wrong?" Wu Chang asked, following the cue.

Han Er pointed at the dead corpse and said, "He is Evan, the carpenter from the Serina District; I often asked him for repairs when my tools broke. If I remember correctly, he had an accident last month, was selected by the Resurrection Ritual, and should have just been resurrected."

Following Han Er's identification, Wu Chang proceeded to inspect Evan's corpse, discovering the mark of a Hunguang Sect believer on his body, as well as traces of treatment by Suihuo.

This thoroughly confirmed Ailin's earlier speculation.

Those who participated in the Resurrection Ritual lay upon the holy table, the focus of everyone's attention as the blessed ones; yet once they stepped down from the holy table, no one cared whether they later died in some corner of the city.

Beyond the possibility of fabricated miracles, what made Wu Chang even more suspicious was whether the Tranquil Church was deliberately sending these processed, resurrected believers into the Great Cemetery?

What exactly was the Tranquil Church plotting?

Wu Chang took out the Soul-Cleansing Banner, casually performed a requiem for Evan, and while Han Er wasn't paying attention, allowed his true self, afflicted with social anxiety, to devour the vitality.

Consumed 0.5 Will, gained 0.5 Strength.

Wu Chang shook his head; eating minor mobs to stack Strength was far too slow; to get a substantial boost, one still had to eat elite monsters.

While Wu Chang was being picky about his gains, the atmosphere around Lei Hu was far from pleasant.

At Grave Plot 39, in front of the gravekeeper's hut where Lei Hu was stationed, six players had gathered, the atmosphere somewhat solemn, as if waiting for something.

A few minutes later, a player dressed as a ninja leaped down from a tree, landing in the center of the crowd.

The ninja's name was Oda, a native of Sakura Island specializing in Agility, skilled in reconnaissance, tracking, and assassination; he was one of the three individuals, including Wu Chang, who had not had time to introduce themselves earlier.

Oda bowed to Lei Hu and then said, "I inspected Grave Plot 43; the cannon is not in the gravekeeper's hut, nor are the gravekeeper's oil lamp or the previous gravekeeper's notebook inside; he likely entered the cemetery last night and never returned."

There was one sentence Oda did not speak aloud: unless something unexpected had happened to the cannon, he had undoubtedly met with an accident.

Encountering a Blood Moon on the very first night of entering the dungeon, among the seven people present, four had given up on night patrol, using one margin for error to dodge the dungeon's initial kill.

Clearly, Cannon had chosen to face the challenge directly, but unfortunately, he had failed.

Lei Hu looked at the Ronin beside him and said to the group, "I am not skilled in dungeon conquest; the Ghost-Slaying Brother beside me is an expert from the Iron Armor Guild specializing in dungeon conquests, and after last night's deliberation, he has already formulated a plan to conquer this dungeon."

The Ronin stepped out from beside Lei Hu, nodded to everyone, and then said:

"Presumably, after signing the Gravekeeper Agreement, you all received a notebook from the previous gravekeeper; the notebook contains numerous taboos regarding the Great Cemetery; since the dungeon we are in is a Grade B dungeon on the verge of losing control, I believe we should maintain a conservative stance and not actively violate any taboos until we have fully identified the causes of these taboos and found countermeasures."

"Cannon is the best example."

Regarding the Ronin's words, several players expressed agreement.

The Ronin then shifted his tone, saying, "However, in a dungeon on the verge of losing control, the situation inside can deteriorate at any moment; completing the main quest by surviving for thirty days will be extremely difficult; we cannot sit idle and wait for death; we must actively gather intelligence."

"With so many taboos in exploring the Great Cemetery, let us first lock our target on Serina City."

"During the day today, I took a look around Serina City and discovered an organization there called the Hunguang Sect Sect, which independently triggered three miracles; since miracles are the core setting of this dungeon, I infer that the Hunguang Sect Sect must have a crucial relationship with clearing the dungeon."

After finishing his speech, the Ronin looked toward Oda.

"During the day, the Hunguang Sect Sect not only has numerous believers but also guards dispatched by various nobles to maintain order, making investigation extremely difficult; only at night, when defenses are lax, do we have a chance."

"Oda, you completed your night patrol before the Blood Moon last night, so your margin for error is still sufficient; to achieve clearance, we need you to make another trip to probe the true strength of the Hunguang Sect Sect."

Oda frowned, the word 'Baka' nearly slipping from his lips, but meeting Lei Hu's gaze forced him to swallow the words back down.

"Then I will make the trip, but I cannot guarantee there will be any gains."

The Ronin smiled and continued assigning tasks: "While the Blood Moon has not yet appeared, several of us should participate in night patrols as much as possible to search for intelligence within the Great Cemetery; however, in a dungeon on the verge of losing control, acting alone is a major taboo; we should form pairs and act together during night patrols."

As the Ronin finished the grouping, Oda headed to Serina City while the other players returned to their respective grave plots, leaving only Lei Hu and the Ronin in the area.

The Ronin looked at Lei Hu, his tone somewhat hesitant, "Are we really going to let the dungeon fall into loss of control?"

Lei Hu said indifferently, "This is the other party's request; we just need to follow orders; don't worry, he has already delivered the item to end the dungeon early, so the dungeon's loss of control won't affect us."

"But once the dungeon erodes reality, then..."

"So what?" Lei Hu's reply was somewhat impatient.

"A new era is imminent; only players like us who can seize this opportunity will be the masters of the future; ordinary people are merely ants; what does it matter if countless more die? Without strength, one is merely a larger ant; rather than worrying about them, you should worry about yourself first."

The Iron Armor Guild was inherently a PvP cancerous gang, worshipping strength above all and viewing life as worthless grass; attacking players was a common occurrence for them to achieve their goals, so how could they possibly care about the life and death of ordinary people?

Recalling Baldy and Han Shi who had died in the dungeon, the Ronin sighed; Lei Hu was right; it was precisely because he realized this point that he had chosen to join Lei Hu and the others.

However, as a player focused on dungeon conquest, the Ronin always thought a bit more: "I am just puzzled about who commissioned us to do this and what their ultimate purpose is."

Lei Hu snorted, "You only need to know that we are not qualified to refuse, and the other party can offer sufficient reward; that is enough."

The Ronin did not stop there, "I cannot help but overthink; in case the matter is exposed, what shall we do about the Administration Bureau?"

"Why would it be exposed?" Lei Hu revealed a cruel smile, "As long as we kill everyone else before making our move, won't no one know that this was done by the Iron Armor Guild?"

"Because of the incident in the last dungeon, haven't you always hated the Administration Bureau? That kid from the Bureau will be yours to deal with when the time comes, so you can vent your anger; before killing him, don't forget to squeeze every drop of oil and water from him; that kid looks like a reckless youth, yet he has survived until now, so the Administration Bureau must have invested a lot of effort in him; don't waste it."

Inside the Hunguangda Cathedral, Oda, having entered an Advanced Stealth state, moved like the wind, swiftly weaving between the patrolling church guards, with no one detecting his arrival.

His Scout Specialization granted him powerful observational abilities; after entering the inner section of the cathedral, he dodged three magical traps and silently deciphered two hidden door mechanisms, arriving at the deepest room of the cathedral.

And then he...

Knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Oda pushed the door open and entered the room; inside was a secret altar, enshrining not the Light of Souls, but a crescent-moon-shaped eye.

If Wu Chang had been here, he would certainly have recognized this as the symbol of the Tranquil Sect.

Hearing Zhanghuo was kneeling before the secret altar, praying devoutly; Oda dared not disturb him, so he stood at the doorway and quietly joined in the prayer.

After some time, Hearing Zhanghuo finished his prayer and slowly rose from the cushion; wiping the secret altar, he asked casually:

"On your way here, you weren't discovered, were you?"

"No, please rest assured, Your Highness the Holy Son," Oda bowed deeply, bending his body into a standard right angle.

Hearing Zhanghuo frowned and said, "I am merely one of the Holy Son candidates, not yet the Holy Son."

Oda said solemnly: "As long as you complete the Great Miracle, you will become the Holy Son; compared to you, all other candidates have no chance of competition."

Hearing Zhanghuo's face showed a faint smile; the Hunguang Sect Sect was the focus of all his efforts, the bargaining chip for his bid to become the Holy Son. If the Sect's great matter succeeded, the Holy Son's position was all but assured. Unfortunately, due to his earlier overconfidence, a dog thief stole the crucial Four Seasons Fire Lamp—otherwise, he could have closed the net days ago, and wouldn't have had to wait for this batch of players to arrive.

Just thinking about it made him furious: dog thief, don't let me catch you!

Hearing Zhanghuo calmed himself and asked: "How are the players doing?"

Oda lowered his head, his voice slightly shaky: "I suspect they've realized something's wrong with me—they're testing me."

"Why? You've always been cautious; you shouldn't have been exposed."

Oda said: "Perhaps it was because I performed night patrol under the red moon last night and revealed my hand. Today, during their discussion, they deliberately sent me away under the pretense of searching for missing players. Especially that player named Zhan Gui—he claimed it was dangerous to act alone, yet assigned me to probe the Hunguangda Cathedral. Clearly, he's setting a trap for me."

Hearing Zhanghuo's expression turned solemn. The Iron Armor Group truly deserved their reputation for excelling in player combat—their insight was razor-sharp.

One misstep led to endless errors. If not for the delay caused by the Four Seasons Fire Lamp, he wouldn't have encountered these troublesome individuals.

"What are you planning to do?"

Oda fell silent for a moment, then said: "I'll play along. I'll feed them some unimportant intelligence, and you create some commotion—spread rumors that someone has infiltrated the cathedral, attempting to steal sacred relics."

"As long as they have no excuse to move against me, when the next blood moon comes, I'll strike and assassinate Zhan Gui. He's a master at dungeon strategies; Lei Hu is simple-minded and relies entirely on him for strategy. Holy Son, rest assured—I'd rather die than let them break the dungeon!"

!

Hearing Zhanghuo nodded, his eyes filled with approval. He pulled out a piece of equipment and handed it to Oda:

"Go ahead and do it. The Master will protect you."

"Yes!"

The other players each harbored hidden agendas, scheming and plotting against one another; Wu Chang's side, however, was far more relaxed.

Wu Chang, Ailin, and Han'er sat together in the Gravekeeper's Hut, playing Landlord, waiting for night patrol to begin.

"Three with one. Han'er, will the blood moon appear again tonight?"

"Pass. There's a gap between blood moons—usually only once a month, rarely twice."

Wu Chang threw down a bomb and asked: "What happens if I don't do night patrol?"

Han'er also threw down a bomb: "The Gravekeeper's role isn't just to guard the graveyard—it's to isolate the inside from the outside: prevent outsiders from entering freely, and stop things inside from escaping."

Wu Chang frowned: "Pass."

"Night patrol isn't just observing conditions inside the graveyard—it's also using the Gravekeeper's identity to soothe the souls within. If you skip patrol too often in a short time, restless souls will stir. New souls are manageable, but if you wake up an old one like yesterday's tree monster, it'll be dangerous."

Han'er threw down a pair of threes.

Ailin followed by throwing her last pair of sixes and won.

Wu Chang stared blankly at the table, then turned to Han'er: "Are you insane? We're on the same team."

Han'er scratched his head: "I was so busy answering your question, I didn't notice who was on whose team. If you knew, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Wu Chang shrugged: "I thought you were doubling the stakes."

Ailin sat aside, shuffling the cards, watching the two argue.

When she was still the Holy Maiden, she had never even conceived of entertainment. Learning knowledge, helping others, spreading the Master's glory—these were her entire life.

Those around her also deliberately avoided topics unrelated to the Church.

After her soul was restored, under Wu Chang's guidance, she discovered that life held so many things she had never seen before.

Wu Chang often told her that becoming human isn't easy—it's not enough to think or feel emotions; you must live with flesh and blood, and choose your own path by your own will, only then can you truly be human.

She understood this sentence, but later, when Wu Chang spoke of "cattle and horses" and "tools," she found them too profound—she couldn't yet grasp them.

Half an hour remained before night patrol. The three prepared for another round, when suddenly, a knock came at the door.

Knock-knock-knock.

Wu Chang, still holding his cards, said casually: "Leave the delivery at the door, thanks."

After a brief pause, he realized something was wrong and asked again: "This is Grave 44. What do you want?"

A gentle, magnetic voice came from outside: "I have urgent business requiring entry into Grave 44. Please open the grave gate for me."

Han'er whispered: "Invitation letter."

Wu Chang nodded and called out: "Do you have the invitation letter?"

The voice outside replied: "Are you the new Gravekeeper?"

"Yes, I just took over last night."

"My apologies—I thought it was still the previous Gravekeeper. He was an old friend; I never needed an invitation to enter. I'm in a hurry now, and I didn't bring the letter with me. Could you make an exception? Let me follow you in when you do your patrol."

Wu Chang winked at Han'er: "Your acquaintance?"

Han'er shook his head: "I don't have friends like that who'd get me killed. Remember what I told you yesterday?"

Wu Chang shrugged, signaling Han'er to hide inside. "Of course I remember—but in my country, there's a saying: 'A friend comes from afar—isn't that delightful?'"

The Deep Abyss Game had translated this phrase into the language of the Mikkel Kingdom. Han'er frowned: "But the man outside isn't my friend."

Wu Chang wagged a finger: "The meaning is: if a friend comes from afar to challenge me, how could I not fight him to my heart's content?"

Han'er: "Huh?"

Wu Chang shoved Han'er into the inner room, then opened the Gravekeeper's Hut door.

Outside stood a young man in a formal suit, its craftsmanship exquisite—clearly from a noble family.

The man, seeing Wu Chang had not responded for a while, assumed he wouldn't open the door without the invitation letter. His hand, raised to knock again, froze mid-air as Wu Chang opened the door—now useless, he could only stiffly wave it.

Are Gravekeepers this careless now?

He had prepared seven or eight lines of excuses, forged several tokens, even rehearsed threats—yet the door opened after just one knock?

"You're an old friend of Han'er's, right? It's cold outside—come in, sit down." Wu Chang grabbed the man and pulled him inside.

The man sat on the chair, while Wu Chang, Ailin, and the true self suffering from social anxiety formed a triangular formation around him.

Wu Chang flashed a brilliant smile and asked: "What brings you into the graveyard at this hour?"

(End of Chapter)