Cao Qian stood on the roof and looked out, feeling the strangeness of this world and the familiarity deep in her heart.
I have had this experience countless times... Cao Qian thought secretly as she looked at her small but powerful hands.
Guan Ling, who was sitting below the house, looked up at Cao Qian. Lu Mingze quickly covered his eyes with his hands and said sternly, "Don't look around!"
"No," Guan Ling said, pulling Lu Mingze's hand down. "Don't you think it's strange? I couldn't see anything. I didn't mean to look. I just saw Sister Cao jump two stories high, so I instinctively looked up. But there was a mysterious shadow under her miniskirt, so I couldn't see anything. That's why I couldn't help but stare."
What he said made Lu Mingze unable to help but look up. Sure enough, there was a mysterious shielding, and no matter which angle he looked at, he would not be exposed.
The two men looked at each other in silence for a moment. Lu Mingze sighed and said, "It's like the cartoons we watched when we were kids."
At this moment, Cao Qian, who had been exploring the area from a high altitude, jumped down from the second floor and said expressionlessly, "This ability is called 'Transformation Girl'. It's probably based on the anime we watched as children."
"Oh, no wonder you can jump so high." Lu Mingze nodded repeatedly, remembering the content of the anime. "In anime, it's not unusual for people to do anything after transforming."
Guan Ling, born in the 1970s, felt that he could not follow the conversation between the two people, so he stood quietly aside and just smiled.
Cao Qian said, "I checked the locations indicated on the map. There are many dark shadows moving around in the town. I wonder if there's any danger. However, there are no dark shadows in the City Lord's Mansion, the square, or the church."
"The statue didn't mention these shadows..." Lu Mingze asked doubtfully, "I don't think he kept silent on purpose. Since Cao Qian said there were no shadows near the square, it means the statue doesn't know about it. After all, it can't move."
Cao Qian and Guan Ling had already adapted to Lu Mingze's tendency to assume the best of everything. Cao Qian followed his lead and asked, "Why are there only three areas without shadows?"
Lu Mingze thought for a while but had no idea. However, if he had a question, he should ask it actively, so he turned the page and asked, "Why do you think there are no shadows in these three places?"
Cao Qian and Guan Ling thought it was very strange that Lu Mingze asked Shu. Even if Shu knew a lot of things and had strong analytical skills, he shouldn't be clear about something like this.
Unexpectedly, Lu Mingze looked at the book in surprise and said, "You said a lot this time."
Cao Qian and Guan Ling gathered around to take a look. This time, a whole page of text appeared densely packed on the book. It read, "There are two possibilities for the existence of the black shadow. First, it is a monster that only appears at night, just like the items in the City Lord's Mansion. Second, it is a resident of the town who only dares to venture out at night.
"If the first point is true, then it's normal that there are no shadows in these three places. There's a holy sword in the church, which is the sword of the statue. The statue should also have abilities. There are monsters in the City Lord's Mansion, and that's their territory. The monsters each have their own territory. Of course, another possibility is that the monsters in the City Lord's Mansion are more powerful than the other shadows, so they dare not enter. If this is the possibility, it means that there are secrets in the City Lord's Mansion. Otherwise, why are the monsters in the City Lord's Mansion the strongest in the entire city?
"If it's the second point, it's even more worthy of reflection. Why do the residents only dare to travel at night? Isn't nighttime when monsters breed? Why are they afraid of the relative safety of daytime? Why don't the residents work hard to rebuild their homes? What exactly happened on the day of disaster? Why do both the monsters and the statues refuse to reveal the truth about that day?
"It's normal that residents wouldn't dare enter the City Lord's Mansion, given the presence of monsters. It's also normal that residents wouldn't come to the square, given that statues can harm people with mirrors. But the church houses holy relics that clearly protect the city, so why wouldn't residents dare enter?
"To summarize, if the residents are the black shadows, then they are most likely also affected by the demonic energy, but they are not as severely affected as the bandits and still retain their human hearts. After a disaster in a town, all the residents are transformed into monsters. What exactly is the disaster? Is it man-made or natural?
"If it's a natural disaster, it means there's a powerful demon in town, and we might have to endure a brutal battle. If it's a calamity, it means the town's residents have made a grave mistake, bringing about the disaster.
"Of course, the above is just speculation and will be updated as more clues are provided."
Lu Mingze, Cao Qian, Guan Ling: "..."
Guan Ling wiped his face and said, "I recall the fear I felt when I was in high school and was dominated by test papers."
Cao Qian carefully studied the book's analysis and frowned. "Why do I feel that this book thinks the black shadow is more likely to be a resident? It describes the residents in more detail."
Lu Mingze didn't say anything. He felt as if he had heard this kind of clear and logical analysis before, as if it was right next to his ear and very familiar.
But he couldn't recall the person's appearance, only... a bunch of... breasts? Strange, he had thought the book was Xing Ye, and Xing Ye couldn't be a woman.
"Are you a woman?" Lu Mingze searched through his hazy memories, "and... are you ugly?"
The pages of the book snapped shut, leaving Lu Mingze with a dark, dark cover.
"She seems angry." Lu Mingze looked at Cao Qian helplessly while holding the book. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have called a girl ugly."
But... I have the impression that he often says the word "ugly" to this person, and this person doesn't get angry.
Lu Mingze closed his eyes and thought. He had thought the book belonged to Xing Ye, but his memory was confusing him. A pair of black eyes stared back at him, identical to the Xing Ye he had seen at the airport.
Although he was confused by the breasts, Lu Mingze still hesitantly said to the book cover: "Are you... Xing Ye?"
The book, which seemed to be sulking, immediately opened, and a huge "yes" appeared on the snow-white page, followed by an exclamation mark.
"It really is you..." Lu Mingze touched the page and said, "You said you love me..."
His face flushed slightly. Lu Mingze wouldn't feel embarrassed about a book confessing its love for him. But once he connected the book with Xing Ye, Lu Mingze felt a little uncomfortable.
When he put the phone case in his hand, Xing Ye's eyes seemed to contain many words.
Lu Mingze quickly closed the book and said seriously under the curious and gossipy gazes of Cao Qian and Guan Ling, "Let's complete the mission as soon as possible."
After completing the task, he will be able to recover his lost memories, understand the meaning of Xing Ye's deep eyes, and understand his own messy heart.
Cao Qian and Guan Ling were very curious about the love-hate relationship between Captain Lu Mingze and a book, but they knew the situation well and didn't ask any questions. After all, Lu Mingze's face was so red that even the night couldn't cover it up, and if they asked him any more, he might explode on the spot.
Guan Ling was in deep thought all the way. This girl named "Xing Ye" was very smart. Xiao Lu might be taken advantage of by her in the future.
Lu Mingze put the book into the small bag on his waist, touched the hilt of his sword and said, "I think we can't avoid the shadows. Whether they are monsters or residents, avoiding the shadows means missing a lot of clues. But doing so will be dangerous. What do you think?"
"I agree." Cao Qian clenched her fist.
Guan Ling clicked on his bracelet and said, "It's a bit strange to say, there are several props in my bracelet. Although they are all disposable, they are very powerful."
Cao Qian and Lu Mingze also have props, but they're obviously players, so they only exist as props. But Guan Ling is different. Things like the "Otherworldly Biological Cells" that transform people into powerful giant octopuses, the "Fish Tank" that can be hidden from view, and the "Thunder Strike Talisman" that has the power to strike lightning all look very powerful.
"It seems we have many ways to protect ourselves," Lu Mingze nodded. "It's decided. No need to avoid the shadows. Let's communicate head-on."
"What about your ability to protect yourself?" Cao Qian couldn't help but ask. Lu Mingze looked silly and sweet, which made people very worried.
Lu Mingze told the two about the skill "Alluring Beauty". After a moment of silence, Guan Ling said, "I don't know why, but I feel like those shadows are definitely residents."
"Why do you think so?" Lu Mingze asked puzzledly.
Cao Qian understood Guan Ling's meaning and explained, "If it were a monster, its aesthetics might not be the same as humans', and you would be in danger if you encountered a monster. But a human resident would most likely like your face, triggering the 'Turning Beauty' skill. Your luck value is 100%, so how could you possibly be in danger? Therefore, the black shadow must be a resident."
It's a really crude analysis method, but it's inexplicably convincing.
After the three of them sorted out their props, QR codes, and abilities, they walked out of the square.
The formation had Lu Mingze walking in the front. He was lucky because the route he led must have key clues or the safest section. In addition, with his "all-encompassing beauty" skill, of course he had to put his face in the front.
Cao Qian was the rear guard. She was fast and strong, and could withstand the secret attack from behind.
Guan Ling is in the middle. As a nurse + assistant with repair and defense capabilities, the protected position in the middle is the most suitable for him.
After the three of them walked for a while, they heard a constant "whoosh whoosh" sound around them, as if many dark shadows were following them.
These dark shadows were hidden in the darkness. Cao Qian could observe them when she stood on a high place, but after entering the city, they had cover and could no longer be seen.
However, the three people were not afraid. Guan Ling also covered his hand on the bracelet, ready to turn into a big octopus to protect everyone at any time.
Just as Cao Qian and Guan Ling were on guard, Lu Mingze stood down and said, "Come out, we won't hurt you. We are going to the church to find the Holy Sword and magic to exorcise demons in order to protect the city."
"Exorcist?" A sinister voice came from the darkness. "We are all monsters. It turns out the prince is here to exterminate us."
"It's better to kill them first than to be eliminated by the prince," said a shrill voice.
"We are hopeless anyway..." This was a depressed voice.
"No, no, no, that's not the case!" Lu Mingze said quickly, "We're taking the holy sword and magic to eliminate the bandits outside the town. Also, after eliminating the bandits, we'll go to the gold shop to find gold and craftsmen to repair the statue in front of the square."
"Statue?" The voice in the darkness suddenly sounded desperate. "Impossible! The statue will never be restored. Even if we recover the Holy Sword, the Golden Armor, the Ocean Blue Eye, and the Black Scale Boots, we can't replace the Diamond Heart that was devoured. This is our sin, and there's no redemption."
As he spoke, a familiar "beep" sounded in the ears of the three people, and the narrator said: "Mission Four, find the Ocean Blue Eye; Mission Five, find the Black Scale Boots; Mission Six, find the Diamond Heart that was eaten. The current mission progress is 0.66, and the progress of each mission is 0.11."