Chapter 12

After over six hours of traveling, the time had reached dusk. When Yi Chen stepped off the carriage with a sense of excitement, he didn’t see any organizational emblems or grand buildings. Instead, a small town lay before him. About two hundred meters back along the road stood a large billboard: "Welcome to Green Lake Town (Green-Lake)" This town, preserved in a medieval style, had a lively and vibrant feel. Most of the buildings were constructed with slightly yellowed white bricks, complemented by brown and red rooftops. Perhaps because there were no factories in town, the air was fresh, and the sunlight more abundant, allowing one to feel the last warmth of the setting sun. With its spacious streets, neatly lined trees, wide expanses of grassy lawns, and the large lake nearby, Green Lake Town exuded a peaceful, natural charm. It was a place removed from industrial cities—a spot where one could return to nature. Seeing such a lively town, Yi Chen felt a slight stirring within, as if his body resonated with the surrounding plant life, and his physiological needs suddenly surged. “Just a moment…” Quickly, he ducked into a small wooded area by the road. As he unfastened his belt, a flood of relief swept through his lower body. After relieving himself, he realized he hadn’t eaten in a while. His gaze was drawn to the lush greenery around him, and he began to salivate. Finally, unable to resist, he confirmed there was no contamination, then bit into the tree bark, tearing off some leaves and grass to eat. The plants quickly converted to nourishment within his body, revitalizing him. The entire process took less than five minutes, and Yi Chen was fully refreshed as he rejoined the carriage. In his field of vision, he saw various carriages arriving in town, each carrying people who appeared to be under thirty, well-dressed and elegant, each with their own distinct style. Yi Chen turned to the driver. “Are all these people here to join the organization?” “Every month, people come from various places to take the organization’s assessment. Some are from notable families with past members in the organization, some are from specialized training groups created to supply talent, and a rare few, like you, are common folk scouted by external members and brought here for evaluation.” “Alright.” “This town is just a temporary stopover. 'In three days', members from the organization will arrive to escort you all to the 'headquarters'. You’ll have to stay here until then.” The driver shared this information before promptly departing with the carriage. “So, I need to wait here for three days? Maybe they’re gathering enough candidates to take us all at once?” Yi Chen felt the silver coins in his pocket as he strode toward Green Lake Town. As he neared the first building in town, he caught sight of three young people walking toward him. The blond youth leading the group removed his hat, placing it against his chest. “Hi, friend! I’m Edmund from the Mariano family. Would you like to join our team? We can look out for each other during the upcoming assessment, and I even have some secret information on the assessment that I’d be willing to share.” Behind Edmund stood a tall, elegant woman with a feathered hat and a burly Nordic man, nearly two meters tall, carrying a large sword. Yi Chen noticed their main focus was on the “Little Grape” on his shoulder rather than him. For Yi Chen, who had recently arrived here, joining a team would indeed provide access to useful information, but he was also aware of the potential risks. As he hesitated, he heard a voice from “Little Grape” in his mind: "I'm not too fond of teaming up with strangers. The two of us are enough... no need to mix with them." This suggestion led Yi Chen to make his decision immediately. With a slight bow, he turned and walked away, not even giving his name. As Yi Chen’s silhouette faded into the town, Edmund looked embarrassed. “Uh? Was I not gentlemanly enough? Or did I say something wrong? He just walked away without even looking back… Or maybe he’s so skilled that he has no need for us.” The woman behind Edmund brushed her finger, with its black-painted nail, lightly over her nose and said softly: “He carries a lingering scent of ‘the deceased’ that’s hard to remove and dresses in a style leaning toward the dark side... This young man likely hails from the organization’s 'Cemetery' division. What’s on his shoulder is likely a product of the Cemetery as well. It could even be a rare type of undead, so it’s only natural he wouldn’t accept the invitation. In fact, staying near him could risk ending up as corpses ourselves.” Edmund spread his hands, “Ah, what a shame~ Still, since we’re in the same assessment, we might run into him again later. I’d love to see the Cemetery’s capabilities.” … In Green Lake Town, Yi Chen walked along the spacious main street, noticing that the town residents, though wearing masks, didn’t seem lifeless. Many of the residents were outside, greeting each other warmly, and they even gave Yi Chen, the newcomer, a slight nod of friendliness. However, despite this pleasant town, Yi Chen couldn’t find a sense of peace. As he walked further into the town, an increasing restlessness welled up within him. When that unease reached a peak, Yi Chen abruptly turned his head. Before his eyes was a two-story building that exuded a sense of age, retaining a medieval style. The wooden sign hanging by metal brackets at the front door was heavily weathered by rain, but the words on it were barely legible: “Green Shade Inn” Intuition told him this inn was important. Perhaps there was something here, perhaps something related to the town’s secrets. “Green Lake Town feels nothing like it looks from the outside… The longer I walk the streets, the more unsettling it becomes. I’d even prefer patrolling in a cemetery. This town doesn’t seem right, and this inn stands out even more. Could it be… that the test has already begun? Little Grape, can you hide yourself for now?” At Yi Chen’s request, Little Grape rolled down his collar, burrowing into his clothes until most of his small, round body was hidden beneath his skin. Resolutely, he stepped into the inn. The door chime sounded as he pushed it open. A strong incense scent wafted over him. His black leather shoes creaked on the wooden floorboards of the inn. The windows along the hallway were all boarded up with signs reading “Under Repair.” Uneven white candles burned weakly in the hall, taking the place of sunlight. A man nearing thirty stood behind the counter, examining a stuffed fish specimen. His puffy, sagging eye bags squeezed his dull, small eyes as he glanced briefly at the young man entering, then quickly looked away. He held a nearly empty brown bottle of alcohol, and only when Yi Chen approached the counter did he turn slowly. From a mouth full of yellowed teeth, he forced out some slurred words in the local dialect: “Need a room?” Accompanied by a unique stench— like a mouse had crawled into a stomach, drank itself drunk, and drowned inside. “Are there any rooms left?” “There are rooms everywhere, just many haven’t been cleaned… One silver coin a night. If you’re staying, pick a key yourself.” The innkeeper put down his bottle, tossing a rusty key ring onto the counter. [Room 0206] Yi Chen set down a silver coin and deliberately chose a key to a second-floor guest room. This allowed him access to the inn’s second floor to investigate further, and also granted a decent high-up view to observe the town’s conditions during the day. He climbed the loose stairs to the second floor, passing by a stack of moldy mattresses in the stairway’s corner, forcing him to squeeze sideways to get by. The hallway’s wallpaper was peeling in large patches, damp and moldy. Naturally, such an inn was devoid of guests. Yi Chen was likely the only guest this month. Creak, creak… As he stepped on the groaning floorboards and arrived at the room door, a sense of unease drew Yi Chen’s gaze toward the far end of the second-floor hallway. “What is that…?” At the far end to the right, a wooden door labeled [Room 0213] had a total of seven different locks hanging from it. Several black mold spots, each the size of a pancake, dotted the wooden door, as if it were diseased. As Yi Chen stared intently, a faint flicker of light caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head, a pale face suddenly appeared right in front of him. Startled, Yi Chen instinctively reached toward his waist, prepared to draw his cemetery silver axe. However, the figure turned out to be the innkeeper. The candlelight made his already gaunt face appear even paler. “Oh, right… I forgot to tell you.” “I have a gravely ill sister staying in the room at the end. Don’t go near her; she’s afraid of strangers.” With that, the innkeeper turned, hunched over, and made his way downstairs. His frail body moved so lightly that he didn’t make a sound on the floor. Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.