Vol. 2 Chapter 12: The Black Tide Beach
Chapter 12: The Black Tide Beach
Morning arrived, casting a faint light as the old lady emerged from her inner room. She tossed a coarse cloth outfit at Lu Li with a look of disdain. "A grown man wearing a dress, hurry up and change, and then get out."
"Thank you, grandma," Lu Li replied with a smile, taking the clothes. Although the mermaid princess's dress was gorgeous, it wasn't suitable for combat; any significant movement risked tripping him.
"Grandma, do you know where this place is?" Gao Xiaowen asked, holding the map given by the mermaid princess. This old lady had lived here for a long time and might know something useful for their mission.
"I advise you not to go there to die," the old lady said dismissively, barely glancing at the map. "That place is Black Tide Beach, home to black devils that will devour your flesh and leave only your bones. Your souls will be trapped, endlessly wailing."
"Of course, if you want to die, go ahead. Just head west out of the village, and you'll reach Black Tide Beach..." Seeing the unchanging expressions of the game players, the old lady knew her words had no effect. She coldly drove them out, "Leave quickly. You're not welcome here!"
As they left, some villagers had already risen and were tidying up. They eyed the four players warily. As the old lady said, most of them were young men, rarely older than forty. Some even brandished fish spears, ready to attack if the players made any aggressive moves.
Even as the players left the village, villagers watched them from the outskirts until they were far away. Once they were gone, a few angry young men stormed into the old lady's house, kicking the door open violently.
"You lowly human, if not for your son's sake, we would have sacrificed you long ago. And you dare shelter outsiders?" one villager yelled, dragging the old lady out and throwing her to the ground. "Did you reveal anything about us?"
"You monsters..." the old lady responded coldly, without panic. Ever since her son turned into one of these creatures, she knew the village's true nature. She had lived long enough and had no fear of death. "You're like pitiful parasites, forever hiding in the filthy sewers..."
A dull thud interrupted her. The old lady's head slumped to the side, a deep dent on her face. The young man who dragged her out, his face contorted with rage, retracted his foot covered in scales. His face twisted strangely, eyes bulging out, and as he scratched his head, clumps of hair fell out.
"I'm going to chase down those outsiders. We need more sacrifices for the next ritual..." Before he could finish, another villager in his thirties grabbed him. "Has your brain started deteriorating along with your evolution? We're at a crucial stage of our plan. Those humans smell like mermaids. Do you want to alert them?"
"But if this old hag spilled our secrets..." the mutant insisted violently. "Besides, once our plan succeeds, the mermaids will be too busy to care. We should be more wary of humans."
"And, now that my bloodline is awakening, purging the filthy human blood, you can't control me like before!" The mutant slapped away the hand of the other man, named Green, grinning bloodthirstily as he headed after the players. Green coldly called after him, "Hager, I'll inform the elders. You'll face punishment."
They didn't notice a strange insect on the old lady's body, which died, dried up, and turned to powder. Meanwhile, Xu Haoran, leading the group to Black Tide Beach, smiled briefly.
The beach wasn't far from the village. Though they struggled rowing, their pace on foot was faster. They walked along the coastline, sometimes on rocks, sometimes on sand, for about half an hour before reaching their destination.
Here, black rocks lined the shore, with particularly rough waves. Bones were washed up by the waves, hitting the rocks before being dragged back into the sea, grinding into white sand that piled up on the gentle slopes, forming a frightening white beach.
"So this is Black Tide Beach? The mysterious witch must be over there?" Gao Xiaowen said, looking towards the nearby forest, which appeared ominously quiet and oppressive.
"If the map is correct, yes," Xu Haoran replied, putting away the map and leading the way into the forest. Gao Xiaowen followed, biting her lip. Lu Li and Hu Wenxu brought up the rear. Hu Wenxu, with a strange smile, whispered to Lu Li, "Xu Haoran left some tricks behind to trigger a side quest in the village. Stay close to me to avoid getting caught up in it."
"And don't go into the water no matter what. There's something dangerous hidden beneath the surface," Hu Wenxu warned, casually dropping some crystal-like objects as they proceeded. Though he seemed like a mad scientist, Hu Wenxu was exceptionally clever and always cautious, even with Lu Li.
As soon as they entered the forest, Lu Li felt an unsettling sense of being watched. The forest was eerily silent, devoid of even insects. Suddenly, Xu Haoran stopped, looking serious. "Something big is coming this way..."
Before he finished, a massive, grotesque creature crashed through the trees, charging at them. Its black fur waved, and yellow-green mucus dripped, causing trees and soil to sizzle and emit a nauseating smell.
(End of the chapter)