Vol. 2 Chapter 24.1 – Deep Sea Sacrificial Town. (3)

The lantern bearer had passed out from drinking, and they couldn’t get anything more out of him. With no other choice, Yin Liuming and the other two had to look elsewhere.

It was around ten in the morning—normally a time when the sun should be shining bright. But in Solari Town, the sky was always overcast and gloomy. The sun was faint, hidden behind thick clouds, dimmer than the moon on a cloudy night. No wonder it was always so cold here.

“So, Madame Solari practiced some kind of dark arts to gain immortality by draining the blood of young boys and girls, and for that reason, the Sunfish God abandoned the Solari Town?”

Mi Anpei repeated the summary with a puzzled look. “We likely only need to take down the Madame, right?”

Chi Xi said, “This sounds more like Bloody Mary or that vampire Countess Carmilla? Using girls’ blood to bathe and stay young forever or something.”

Yin Liuming shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Our main mission right now is to survive. That means the enemy in this dream is much stronger than we are, and trying to fully clear the level would be insanely difficult.”

Mi Anpei paused. “Brother Yin, are you trying to clear it?”

There was a big difference between passing a level and fully clearing it. Carefully navigating through might keep you alive, but aiming for a full clear… that was practically gambling with your life.

Chi Xi finally got his chance to brag. “In the last dream level, Brother Yin actually cleared it!”

Mi Anpei looked at Yin Liuming in shock and gasped, “So you’re an experienced player! Got any leads yet? Do you know who the dreamer is?”

Yin Liuming rubbed his chin. “There’s not enough information.”

Chi Xi finally saw his opening and grumbled to Mi Anpei, “Why are you following us around? Trying to dig up clearance information? Don’t your own teammates care?”

Mi Anpei looked genuinely surprised. “Aren’t you guys my teammates?”

Chi Xi: “……”

Mi Anpei chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not that into clearing the level. I just think hanging out with you guys is more fun. It’s definitely going to be interesting.”

Chi Xi gave him a wary look. After what happened with Yang Jiao, he’d started viewing everyone as a potential backstabber.

They chatted as they walked, spending half the day wandering around the small fishing town. Aside from the lantern bearer, not a single townsperson was willing to speak with them.

When they passed by the manor again, the same violin music that had been playing that morning was still echoing through the air.

Yin Liuming suddenly asked, “Have you heard Madame Solari play this violin piece before?”

“Nope.”

“Sounds familiar…”

Yin Liuming said, “This piece is called Violin Sonata in G Minor. It was composed in a dream by an Italian violinist named Tartini. It’s extremely difficult to play and Madame Solari can actually perform it so beautifully.”

Chi Xi looked a little confused. “Brother Yin, you really know a lot…”

“This piece has another name too,” Yin Liuming continued. “The story goes that Tartini dreamed he made a deal with the devil. On a whim, he handed the violin to the devil, who then played this exact piece. That’s why it’s also called The Devil’s Trill Sonata.”

“In a dream? A devil?” Chi Xi immediately latched onto the key detail. “Wait—could the madame be the ‘devil’ in this dream?”

Mi Anpei followed up smoothly, “If that’s the case, then the person who made a deal with her is probably the dreamer! This whole dream could be the dreamer’s fear of being haunted by a devil!”

Excitement lit up in both of their eyes.

Yin Liuming smiled but said nothing. The theory sounded plausible, but it felt a little too convenient.

“Maybe the ‘devil’ doesn’t refer to Madame Solari,” Yin Liuming said. “Perhaps it’s the players.”

The players were outsiders in this dream, and it was Madame Solari who had invited them into the manor—to complete the sacrificial ritual…

And in his heart, Yin Liuming quietly added, if he were being honest, his relationship with Shen Lou actually fit the backstory of The Devil’s Trill Sonata a little too well.

……..

Around noon, when the sun reached its highest point, the sky remained no brighter than an overcast day elsewhere. That was when the townspeople finally began to appear.

Just like the lantern bearer had said, most of the residents in Solari Town were elderly. The few who seemed younger were at most in their forties or fifties.

They wore ragged, threadbare clothing. A few of the fisherman-looking types were even shirtless, their bony chests and sunken stomachs fully exposed.

Mi Anpei scratched his head. “Looks like life in Solari Town isn’t going so well.”

Chi Xi hesitated. “But the manor looks really wealthy.”

They were handing out honey and wine to all the players without hesitation.

Mi Anpei said, “Maybe all of that came from the townspeople.”

Chi Xi muttered, “I don’t think Madame Solari is a bad person.”

“Why not?”

“She seems really gentle, and isn’t she always playing the violin? The Solari Manor doesn’t seem to have much contact with the townspeople either.”

Mi Anpei gave Chi Xi a long look before asking, “You’re not into her body, are you?”

Chi Xi: “……”

Flustered, he snapped, “I have a girlfriend!”

Mi Anpei looked genuinely shocked. “Someone like you has a girlfriend? Quick, show me a photo!”

“Get lost!”

While the two bickered, Yin Liuming’s gaze landed on the dock.

A few fishermen had pushed their small boats into the water and were rowing out to sea.

When the boats set off, two players tried to approach and talk to the fishermen, but the fishermen swung their paddles to drive them off, clearly hostile toward the players.

After being rejected several times, the two players walked back in frustration.

As they passed by Yin Liuming’s group, one of them complained, “So annoying. I told you no one here would talk to us, but you still insisted on wasting time. We should’ve gone to the forest instead.”

“How would you know if we didn’t try? The forest is dangerous; we can’t go there blindly…”

Yin Liuming stood at the edge of the dock, frowning slightly as he looked out at the sea.

Then, he crouched down to examine the water.

Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight, or possibly it was the weather, but the sea gave off a faint fishy smell, looking as murky and gray as the sky, almost like polluted industrial runoff.

On a wooden post beside the dock, there was a carving of a fish with its tail raised, similar to the ornaments seen outside the houses in town.

Yin Liuming paused to think for a moment, then turned around and made his way back to the manor.

……..

Back at the manor, Yin Liuming sought out the butler and asked to meet Madame Solari.

The butler kept a polite expression, but his gaze drifted toward the sky. “Madame is busy and does not have time to meet with you.”

“If she won’t meet us, how are we supposed to help her complete the ritual?”

“When Madame needs something, she’ll let you know.” The butler glanced at him with a touch of disdain. “Too many people want to get close to Madame. You might as well fetch a basin of water and take a good look at yourself.”

Chi Xi turned red with anger at the butler’s arrogance, but Mi Anpei cut in right on cue with a jab of his own. “Even Brother Yin has to look in a mirror? Honestly, Madame might not even be better looking than him!”

The butler: “……”

Seeing the butler’s strained smile nearly twist his face, Yin Liuming asked, “Then could I have a few pairs of gloves?”

This was a much simpler request, and the butler’s expression relaxed a little. “What does sir need gloves for?”

“Fishing,” Yin Liuming replied calmly. “But I’m worried the seawater will damage my skin.”

The butler stared silently at his hands; for what it was worth, they indeed did look pale and delicate, not like the hands of someone who’d go fishing.

Yin Liuming took the stack of plastic gloves the butler brought from the kitchen and turned back toward his room.

Chi Xi asked curiously, “Brother Yin, what do you need the gloves for?”

“To avoid touching anything dirty.” Yin Liuming handed a pair to both Chi Xi and Mi Anpei. “You two take one as well.”

Chi Xi and Mi Anpei exchanged a look. They didn’t quite understand but still accepted the gloves. “So… are we going fishing now?”

“I lied to the butler,” Yin Liuming said calmly. “We’ll take a nap first. Tonight, we’re doing something interesting.”

Mi Anpei’s eyes lit up immediately. “Oh, oh, oh!”

Chi Xi quietly watched Yin Liuming, secretly thinking—knowing Brother Yin, he probably just wanted to take a nap…

…….

At dinner that evening, Madame Solari once again appeared in the dining hall.

This time, she wore a long purple gown, her jewelry sparkling brightly, like a noblewoman on her way to a grand parliamentary ball.

Though Madame Solari still spoke warmly to the players, many had already been coldly dismissed by the butler. And since a servant’s attitude often reflected the master’s true thoughts, her real opinion of them was gradually becoming clear.

Seeing the lavish jewelry on Madame Solari and thinking about the shabby homes and emaciated townspeople outside made the contrast even harder to accept.

Even as Madame Solari cheerfully shared a few lighthearted travel stories, the atmosphere in the dining hall remained heavy.

On the contrary, the tension only grew. With unknown dangers looming after dinner, every player’s expression was shadowed with dread.

Madame Solari, however, remained unfazed, smiling as always. Once everyone had finished eating, she raised a glass filled with some unknown red liquid, took a graceful sip, and prepared to leave.

“Madame Solari, I have a question.” A voice suddenly called out.

Madame Solari turned, looking slightly surprised. “Yes, lovely young lady, what is it?”

The female player clenched her fists and lifted her gaze to meet Madame Solari’s. “My friend disappeared in your manor. Don’t you think we deserve an explanation? I demand you return him!”

In that instant, every eye in the room turned toward her, filled with shock and disbelief.

Madame Solari’s smile slowly faded. Her emerald eyes fixed coldly on the girl, and a chilling tension began to spread through the room.

The serving maids, usually calm, now wore expressions tinged with fear.

In the suffocating silence, it was the butler who spoke first, glaring at the girl with clear displeasure. “Such insolence! What does the disappearance of a gentleman have to do with Madame?”

The girl sharply turned her gaze toward the butler. “How did you know my missing friend is a gentleman?”

The butler instantly froze.

When he was about to open his mouth to defend himself, Madame Solari raised a hand to stop him.

She showed just the right amount of astonishment. “A gentleman went missing in my manor? That sort of thing should have been reported to me much earlier!”

She turned to the butler. “Send the servants to search the manor immediately. We must find out where he went.”

The butler glanced between Madame Solari and the players for a long moment, then finally replied, clearly reluctant, “Understood.”

Madame Solari looked at the girl with a warm smile. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll make sure to find your friend.”

Watching this scene, one phrase popped into everyone’s mind: putting on an act.

The girl clearly thought the same. Her face turned red, and when she was about to speak, Madame Solari continued, “For everyone’s safety, starting tonight, please return to your rooms immediately after dinner. Try not to go out again until morning.”

All the players froze.

They were being restrained this early?!