Free Web NovelThe light in the bamboo slips had no distinction between day and night, as if forever trapped on the boundary between light and darkness.
In the stretching black mountains, in that deathly silent jungle that resembled a black and white photograph, a simple shed built against the mountain stood quietly, as if waiting for its Master to return.
Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps sounded from the other side of the mountain slope. Soon, a graceful figure leaped out from the waist-high bushes, landing steadily in front of the shed, dropping to one knee.
After steadying herself, Gu Qianqian adjusted the red scarf around her neck, pushed open the small door of the shed, ducked inside, and threw herself onto the simple bed made of dry grass.
After resting for a moment, her hurried breathing gradually calmed. In the darkness, her slightly tired voice sounded.
"System..."
After waiting for a moment, a mechanical voice sounded in her mind.
"I am here. Confirming task 【Investigate the Secret of the Nameless Barren Village】 progress... Confirmation complete. Completion progress 66%..."
"Only that much completion?" Gu Qianqian complained mournfully. "Sigh, doing tasks is much harder than working a part-time job."
Gu Qianqian had been here for several days, and she had already thoroughly understood the surrounding situation.
In the low-lying area she had previously visited, three small villages of similar size were scattered, surrounding a slightly larger village like stars surrounding the moon. In each village, the visible, active humans numbered no more than ten.
A large portion of them had similar attire to those Hui婆. Calculated this way, the number of truly living people was definitely even smaller.
And these few humans had been particularly active recently, as if tireless, secretly preparing some kind of ritual.
Gu Qianqian felt that besides not knowing the location of the mysterious ancestral hall, she had gathered enough information over the past few days and would find it difficult to make further progress for a while. The task completion being only around two-thirds made her feel somewhat disheartened.
"System, what do you think the villagers mean by preparing a grand ritual to welcome the gift from the heavens?"
"That's hard to say..." the system mused for a few seconds. "For them, it should be some kind of special festival, right?"
Places like this, isolated from the world, can only be created by very powerful urban legend with relevant special abilities. In a sense, they can even be considered independent worlds.
However, this world is definitely incomplete. Even the most powerful urban legend cannot create a real world; resources will quickly be depleted.
This is evident from the patches of jungle that look like they have died and the large areas of barren fields in front of those villages. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
The villagers who have lived here for generations might survive because of the upcoming special festival. That might be the key, the system thought.
"System, do you think this festival might be the kind... you know, the kind ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) where delicious food falls from the sky?" Gu Qianqian said, swallowing hard, seemingly recalling something.
System, "..."
This child has been eating grass roots and tree bark and is so hungry that her mind is starting to become abnormal, already having such unrealistic thoughts.
Alas, there's nothing that can be done! Even the landlord's family doesn't have surplus grain!
This damned place can't replenish supplies, so there's no way to issue her tasks with grand meal rewards.
"System, System, it looks like there are meteors outside! Quick, make a wish, make a wish!" Gu Qianqian suddenly cried out excitedly, interrupting the system's thoughts.
"I'm not making a wish," the system said flatly.
"Why not?"
"No reason, I just don't believe in that..." the system said impatiently.
Although so many people have wished upon meteors that meteors are almost becoming urban legend, and some wishes made upon meteors can indeed come true.
But if I say my wish out loud, I worry they might fly back the other way, the system thought.
Seemingly not taking the system's discouraging answer to heart, Gu Qianqian got up, waving her arms, pushed open the shed door, and rushed out.
She stood in the open space in front of the shed, raised her head, and her gaze, passing through the branches of the dense canopy, followed the streaks of colorful light, like meteors, quickly crossing the sky until they disappeared from view.
One fiery red streak of light passed overhead and fell near the village closest to this location.
Gu Qianqian stared in the direction of the valley, thought for a moment, and said, "System, should we go take a look?"
"You can look, but you'd better not have any expectations. Even if such an anomaly occurs, it's impossible to find any food," the system reminded her coldly.
Walking through the mountain forest, Gu Qianqian heard the system's words and seemed a bit unwilling, frowning as she pressed, "Why not?"
"..." After two seconds of silence, the system said earnestly, "Gu Qianqian, this is a special space created by a high-level urban legend, not a fairy tale world!"
"Use your brain and think, how could there be such a thing as pie falling from the sky..."
"System..."
"Don't interrupt me, I'm not finished yet!"
"System, I found two grilled fish."
System, "???"
At that moment, an invisible large hand slapped its face, the sound crisp and loud.
At the same time, it was as if a voice was mocking it, "Didn't expect that, did you? Of course, pie won't fall from the sky, but grilled fish will!"
Thinking of the streaks of light flying all over the sky possibly being grilled fish, grilled meat, hot pot, malatang, hamburgers, roujiamo, and the like, the system felt like cursing.
Could it be that Gu Qianqian actually guessed correctly?
The villagers here survive by relying on food that falls from the sky every so often?
What kind of utterly perverse setting is this?! Can't it respect the terrifying and eerie atmosphere here?!
...
The scene before her gradually cleared. Lu Yibei, in a semi-conscious state, woke up from a dizzy spell with a splitting headache. As soon as she opened her eyes, a pair of feet entered her line of sight.
Someone? Lu Yibei was startled for a moment, sat up, and said, "Friend, you... Holy crap!?"
She stopped halfway through her sentence, suddenly seeing a bloody and horrifying scene, and couldn't help but let out a gasp.
Following the pair of feet upwards, the view was cut off at the knees, revealing a bloody mess.
Looking around, she found that torn limbs, both human and animal, were scattered in several places, shredded by some unknown force. She even saw a section of a tentacle covered in Eyeballs, still slightly wriggling.
Seeing the scene before her, Lu Yibei's stomach churned. She dry-heaved twice, spitting out a wisp of flame from her mouth. As the flame extinguished, she coughed violently again, expelling some thick smoke.
"Cough, cough, cough—Gulp—!"
This place is too damn weird, I need to leave quickly.
The current situation is like just having parachuted in that game called'Survival in Despair'. It's wise to quickly find a place to hide, observe the surroundings, and search for a gun.
What's more...
Lu Yibei glanced expressionlessly at the limbs that looked like they had been put through a meat grinder, her face turning pale. She quickly sped up, running towards the dense black forest ahead.
What made her feel even more fearful was that as she looked at those limbs, a sudden impulse to eat a couple of bites rose in her heart.
...
Not long after Lu Yibei left.
A rustling sound came from behind the bushes where the scattered limbs lay.
Soon, figures dressed in rough cloth shirts emerged from behind the bushes in that eerie posture.
They carried baskets woven from black rattan on their backs, one hand gripping a rusty steel fork, the other holding a blood-colored lantern. Their pairs of vertical pupils, like those of cold-blooded animals, scanned the limbs scattered on the ground, flickering with excited and greedy light.
They observed the limbs for a while, and soon, like a pack of beasts whose bloodthirsty nature had been awakened by fresh blood, they swarmed forward, collected the limbs, and then headed towards the next place where a streak of light had fallen.
Their long-awaited, annual feast had begun...
