Working Records in a Weird World - 08

 

| WRIAWW | Weird Domain | 08

The silence was shattered by a scream.

"Ahhh, it's a weird—"

Sun Ming's features twisted in terror as he struggled to get up, only to make things worse by tumbling down the stairs.

Even so, ignoring the pain that felt like his body was falling apart, he crawled away, limping and sobbing, his face a mess of snot and tears. He looked utterly pitiful.

Earlier, with the butcher and the weird child, Sun Ming could still deceive himself, thinking it might just be a stroke of luck for a reckless guy to encounter two friendly NPCs in this place where a weirdness could appear.

But facing Liu Rouya, with her black hair covering her face and her white dress trailing on the ground, Sun Ming couldn't fool himself anymore. Whether it was the chilling aura or the way her hair had strangle him... even if the heavens themselves came down, this was undeniably a weird!!!

Listening to Sun Ming's panicked, distant wails, Zong Le felt a pang of unease.

"Sister Liu, please don't take what he said to heart!"

He knew that Liu Rouya had grown her hair long to cover her face, which had been disfigured by burns from domestic violence.

The last time he had saved her on the rooftop, Zong Le had accidentally caught a glimpse of the face hidden behind her hair. Even with the horrific burns, he could still see traces of her former beauty in her melted facial features.

Putting himself in her shoes, it was understandable that such a traumatic experience would lead to thoughts of suicide.

"Sister, you look really great now, and elegant!"

Zong Le quickly added, afraid that Sun Ming's words might have reopened old wounds. He scrambled to think of a suitable topic to shift her attention: "Actually, I didn't come here just to chat with you. There's something important I wanted to discuss."

"I have a community happiness index survey that I'd like you to fill out, please—"

Before Zong Le could finish, a pale, almost bluish hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and snatched the survey from his grasp.

Behind the thick curtain of black hair, a pair of bloodshot red eyes glared fiercely at the paper. Despite her long, ten-centimeter nails that should have made writing difficult, Liu Rouya held the pen as if guided by divine intervention, swiftly filling out the form.

"Sister, your new black manicure looks really nice, very stylish."

Zong Le was still trying to keep the conversation going when the survey and pen were thrown back at him, hitting him in the face.

Bang—

The sound of the door slamming shut was accompanied by a system notification.

【Side quest completed (3/4)】

Looking at the doorframe that had been twisted and then forcibly pulled back, it was now hanging precariously after the second round of damage, Zong Le couldn't help but sigh.

This obvious gesture of dismissal made it clear that he was still disliked.

Ever since he started checking in on her daily, Sister Liu had never given him a warm response.

"Sister, I'm really sorry about this. I'll call a repair company right away to fix your door."

Fortunately, he had earned some money recently, or else he wouldn't even have enough to cover the repair costs.

"Now, the only one left to fill out the survey is me."

Holding the three completed surveys, Zong Le felt a sense of satisfaction.

Without further delay, he headed straight home and began filling out his own survey.

On the other side, Sun Ming, who had narrowly survived a bizarre attack, stumbled through the neighborhood. Before he could take more than a few steps, he was bombarded with a series of system notifications.

【Side Quest Completed (3/4)】

【Side Quest Completed (4/4)】

【Side Quest: Have All Residents of Building 4 Fill Out the Happiness Index Survey (Completed)】

“Holy crap, that D-level kid actually pulled it off?” He gasped for breath, utterly stunned.

If the quest was completed, the guy must still be alive. But how could he possibly still be alive?

After experiencing so many strange things in Building 4, Sun Ming’s head was spinning. He couldn’t help but be swayed by Zong Le’s way of thinking and started doubting himself.

“How the hell did he manage to get those weird’s to fill out the survey?”

For this B-rank mission, the hardest part wasn’t the main quest but the side quests. The main quest only required killing, but the side quests needed cooperation from these—whether they were weirds or NPCs—to be completed.

“Could it be that the killing rules of that weird were too strict, and that rookie just happened to avoid them?”

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why Zong Le was still alive.

Sun Ming couldn’t figure it out, but he wasn’t planning to turn back like last time.

The Soul Lantern was his only lifeline, and now that it was shattered, the cowardly Sun Ming had no intention of going back. Instead, he decided to take the valuable intel he’d gathered from Building 4 and hug onto the real powerhouse in this mission.

This powerhouse was the real deal. If he could just get a foothold with them, he’d be set for life and would not have to worry about food or drinks.

“I remember Young Master Qin led his team directly to Building 1...”

Sun Ming, trembling with fear, made his way through the darkness.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway of Building 1, he was hit by the thick stench of blood. Before he could even speak, a cold blade flashed in the darkness.

Zuo Wenxuan emerged from the shadows, the tip of his knife pointed directly at Sun Ming’s throat.

He spoke coldly, “What are you doing here?”

Sun Ming raised his hands without a word, his eyes scanning ahead.

Although Zuo Wenxuan appeared to be an A-rank survivor, higher in rank, everyone knew that Qin Man, a B-rank, was the real decision-maker. Whether in terms of connections or status, Qin Man far surpassed Zuo Wenxuan.

Inside the building, the door on the left was wide open. A dim yellow light seeped out from the room, casting a shadow in the hallway.

Through the faint light, Sun Ming saw an old woman with withered skin sitting on the sofa. Her body, clearly subjected to inhuman torture, she wasn’t completely stiff yet, indicating she had died recently. Her pitch-black eyes were wide open, filled with malice as they stared at the intruder.

【Main Quest: Improve the Overall Happiness Index of Residents in Building 1 of Ankang Community (Completed)】

【Side Quest: (0/4) (Failed)】

“This building only has one weird entity, and the rest are just NPCs. It was not a challenge at all.”

Hearing the quest completion notification, Qin Man boredly extinguished his cigarette and kicked the sofa hard. “Stupid old hag, if you’d just obediently filled out the form, I’d have given you a quick death. Seriously, I can’t stand these NPCs who don’t understand human language.”

The others didn’t even bat an eye.

Among the survivors, nine out of ten don’t treat the NPCs in the dungeons as human beings. They often use NPCs as human shields during missions. Some even go as far as killing all one hundred NPCs just to find the hidden weird among them.

Coupled with the immense pressure of surviving in the infinite space, most survivors develop various eccentric habits, and slaughtering NPCs is one of them. In their eyes, Qin Man’s level of cruelty is nothing noteworthy.

Among the group, only Yu Anlian stood frowning, keeping her distance.

"Alright, let’s check on how the other buildings’ missions are going."

Just as Qin Man turned around, he saw Sun Ming being coerced by Zuo Wenxuan.

"Brother Qin!" Sun Ming, well-versed in the etiquette, immediately knelt down in the standard posture. "There seems to be something off with Building 4."

"Huh? What’s the problem?"

"There are a few strangely friendly NPCs in Building Four, and there’s even a weird that doesn’t kill!"

He explained the scene he had just witnessed, recounting it in detail.

As expected, Qin Man raised an eyebrow with interest after hearing Sun Ming’s description.

He had long known that a weird lurking in Building 4 was at least a B-level.

A B-level weird killing a D-level survivor is as easy as slicing vegetables. Yet, not only did the two survive, but they also completed a side mission under it’s watch. 

This was indeed unusual.

Not to mention the other two NPCs Sun Ming mentioned. According to the information on the forums, NPCs in the ultimate dungeon are no pushovers, and there’s no possibility of them having a peaceful conversation.

Seeing Qin Man’s attitude soften, Sun Ming seized the opportunity. "Young Master Qin, I’ve never met that fool before. I had no idea he’d dare to defy you. I know I’ve displeased you, and I was filled with fear. That’s why I wanted to redeem myself by bringing you this news as soon as I got it. I hope Master Qin will be magnanimous and spare me this time."

"Forgive you? Sure, but I want all the earnings from your mission this time."

Hearing this, Sun Ming cursed inwardly.

Taking 90% of their earnings from a B-level mission as D-level survivors was bad enough, but now he wanted everything?!

Yet, he had no one to rely on.

Even with a hundred times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to reveal his thoughts, and he even had to pretend to be grateful.

"Haha, Young Master Qin, you’re too kind. This is the least I should do."

"Hmph, at least you know your place."

Finally satisfied, Qin Man asked, "Is that D-level still in Building 4?"

"Of course! You wouldn’t believe it, but he seriously told me he wants to improve the overall happiness index of the residents in Building 4. I bet that fool hasn’t even read the novice’s guide on the forums. He’ll probably be torn to shreds by that weird soon."

"Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way!"

Being publicly humiliated by a D-level survivor in front of the three major guilds of the infinite space would definitely make for a hot topic on the survivor forums. Qin Man had no intention of letting that D-level walk out of this dungeon alive.

...

After carefully filling out his happiness index survey, Zong Le received the notification that his side mission was complete.

"Now, only the main mission remains. How can I improve the happiness index of the neighbors?"

The black-haired young man rested his chin on his hand, his face filled with frustration.

Among the four tables, his happiness index was the highest. He ate well, slept soundly, and usually didn’t worry about anything, scoring a perfect mark. The other three, however, each had their own struggles and dissatisfactions, and when all the categories were tallied, they ended up owing ten points.

Zong Le was deeply troubled.

Unable to figure out a solution, he decided to head straight to the security guard’s office.

Old Wang, the security guard, was as usual, lounging with his feet up while watching TV.

“What? You want to ask me about the residents in your building?”

Zong Le was quick to catch on and pulled out some money from his pocket. “Yes, I’d appreciate it if you could give me some inside information.”

Old Wang, who had initially looked extremely impatient, suddenly perked up when he caught sight of the bills. He snatched the money, licked his thumb, and quickly counted it.

“Ah, this is easy. Let me think, Building 4, right? Those residents...”

“No need to rush, take your time. I’m listening.”

What Zong Le didn’t know was that because he went out temporarily, he happened to miss Qin Man and his group.

The latter, leading his subordinates and followers marched from Building 1 to Building 4..

Staring at the old building hidden among the shadows of the trees, Zuo Wenxuan frowned.

“Young Master Qin, something seems off inside.”

As a survivor specialist on strength, his perception wasn’t as sharp as those from the Spirit Medium Guild, but years of experience on missions had honed his intuition for danger. 

Just standing at the entrance of the building, Zuo Wenxuan could feel that the aura emanating from Building 4 was drastically different from when they had last scouted it.

The weird, cold energy fluctuations had intensified several times over, and the entire structure seemed restless. It was as if... the weirdness lurking in the shadows had been thoroughly provoked and was no longer hiding their presence, instead it wildly expanded their malevolent energy.

“What could possibly be off?”

Qin Man rolled his eyes. “Even a D-level managed to complete a side mission here without a scratch. How can you, an A-level be scared?”

“...No, not at all.”

The idea of an A-level survivor fearing a B-rank mission was absurd. To be honest, even if this mission were assigned to him alone, Zuo Wenxuan could have easily made it out unscathed. After all, high-level survivors were no pushovers.

But his task wasn’t just to complete the mission; he also had to ensure Qin Man’s safety.

Although Qin Man was a B-rank, he had been carried through every mission, and everyone knew he was just a pretty face with boosted stats.

Zuo Wenxuan, well aware of Qin Man’s stubbornness, could only bury his unease deep down.

At that moment, Yu Anlian, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. “I won’t be going in.”

Facing everyone’s gaze, she waved her notebook. “I’m a non-combatant, and I’ve already collected the data I needed. Thanks for your help, Young Master Qin.”

“Haha, it was nothing, just a small favor.”

Qin Man exchanged a few polite words, but as soon as he led his men into the building, his expression turned sinister.

Throughout the mission, he had tried every possible way to strike up a conversation with Yu Anlian. However, her attitude remained neither too distant nor too close, and she was completely unresponsive, which infuriated him.

At this moment, the existence of a scapegoat became absolutely necessary.

“Today, that D-rank will have to pay for what he said.”

Seeing this, Sun Ming, who had been nodding and bowing behind him, couldn’t help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.

Although he was the one who tipped them off, it was absolutely not his fault. Who could have expected that reckless fool to blurt out whatever came to mind and offend Young Master Qin of the Watchtower Guild? 

Even if he hadn’t intervened, Young Master Qin would have come to deal with him eventually.

99% of those who entered the Infinite Space were ordinary people, and most of them were low levels. Sun Ming was one of them.

How easy was it to survive in such a terrifying and infinite space? 

Unless you were one of those exceptionally talented or incredibly lucky individuals, most people would gradually lose their humanity and forget their original intentions the longer they lived.

After all, if you don’t look out for yourself, heaven and earth will conspire against you. His soul lamp was already gone—there was no way he was going to follow that reckless fool to his death. He just wanted to survive—what was so wrong about that?

After a round of mental gymnastics, Sun Ming had thoroughly comforted himself and regained his composure. “Young Master Qin, the house on the left side of the first floor is the butcher’s place I mentioned earlier.”

“Let’s go. Search it as quickly as possible!”

“Yes, sir!” The subordinates immediately obeyed and rushed in.

Strangely enough, the building had been bustling with activity just moments ago. But after going out and coming back, the sounds of chopping meat and bouncing balls had completely disappeared. 

However, seeing the others charging ahead, Sun Ming, afraid of being left behind, didn’t have time to think too much and hurried to catch up.

The group, armed with flashlights, kicked open the butcher’s door with a menacing air.

This time, with ample light, Sun Ming finally got a clear view of the interior.

The small, dim room was hung with strings of meat, some of which had already rotted and were crawling with squirming white maggots, emitting a nauseating stench of decay. 

The floor was covered in years of accumulated grease and grime, black and shiny like a thick layer of lacquer, sticking to the soles of their shoes with every step.

In the center of the room, a massive iron pot sat on a crude stove, the aroma of meat wafting from it. A knife rack was scattered with pieces of blue cloth, and next to it was a rusted chopping block, on which lay a bloody human thigh bone.

Clearly, this was the butcher’s workstation for processing his “ingredients.”

“Ugh—” Faced with such a shocking scene, Sun Ming’s stomach churned violently.

 Although he had suspected the origin of those meat chunks, seeing the human leg in person was still too much for him to handle.

“It’s a weird,” Zuo Wenxuan concluded without hesitation after just one glance.

In this dungeon, while ordinary NPCs might have extreme personalities, they would never take pleasure in slaughter. Anyone who harmed humans was undoubtedly a weird.

Oddly, the survivors searched the small house thoroughly but found no trace of anyone.

“The firewood hasn’t been out for long. The weird must still be nearby. We’ll have to keep searching upstairs.”

This outcome left Qin Man quite displeased. “Didn’t you say this butcher was a friendly NPC? How is it a weird?”

“Young Master Qin, I didn’t expect this either!”

 Sun Ming felt wronged. “When I came here earlier with that reckless fool, the butcher was actually quite friendly.”

 More than friendly, it was almost like flattery.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Sun Ming wouldn’t have believed that a weird entity could show such gentleness toward humans.

Next, the survivors broke into the next door in the same manner.

This time, the room was still empty, except for a shriveled human head lying in the center of the floor.

Zuo Wenxuan drew his knife and swiftly severed the head.

Looking at the head that had turned into black smoke and disappeared under his blade, he frowned, "The residents here are also a weirdness."

After searching two houses in a row, all the NPCs that Sun Ming had confidently claimed were not weird turned out to be weird. Even Zuo Wenxuan couldn't help but cast a suspicious glance at him.

"No, this is a misunderstanding! I’m really innocent!" Sun Ming was dumbfounded, unable to defend himself.

At this point, pondering why the two weird entities had obediently filled out the forms was no longer the most pressing matter. The most important thing was that he had to quickly find Zong Le's whereabouts, or else he would be the one in trouble.

Qin Man said meaningfully, "You'd better pray there’s something in the remaining houses. Whether it’s a weird or a person."

They continued climbing up.

Sun Ming, walking at the back, felt both anxious and panicked, along with a growing sense of unease.

Ever since they returned to Building 4, he had been feeling a strange sensation. Especially after they entered two rooms in a row without encountering any weirdness, this feeling became even stronger.

"Mr. Qin, do you think it’s possible that the D-level has already been killed by the weird?"

"Yeah, that’s not impossible."

Listening to the survivors' incessant chatter, they arrived at the final door.

Staring at the intact wall, Sun Ming suddenly had an epiphany and realized the most crucial point.

"Wait! The butcher is on first floor, the weird female is on the third floor, and the child is on the fifth floor!"

According to this order, the second place they should have reached was the female weird entity’s floor.

But in reality, the third-floor had been unknowingly replaced with the weird child’s floor.

Sun Ming’s back turned cold, and his hands and feet trembled.

Any survivor who had read the beginner’s guide knew one thing: if they encountered space folding, commonly known as a "ghost wall," in a dungeon, it only meant one thing—

From the moment they entered this hallway, they had already been trapped in a weird domain!

 

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