Chapter Four: Pinocchio (Please Vote, Your Support Is Appreciated)

After the four introduced themselves to one another, there was little more to say due to their unfamiliarity, so each went off to wander separately through the town.

The people around them were typical Westerners—fair-skinned, with various eye and hair colors.

Moreover, the town’s architecture was unlike any style any of them knew.

This was understandable, of course, since this was a dungeon world, not their own, and every world had its unique style.

As they wandered the town, their automatic mastery of the local language and common script made communication effortless.

No one paid special attention to their differing skin tones or appearances, likely because the Magic Tower had concealed their true looks to some extent.

Walking through this unfamiliar place, Mu Rongxun sensed something odd—the town was excessively desolate, utterly devoid of vitality. The few pedestrians they encountered hurried past with numb expressions.

The town was small, and it didn’t take long to explore it fully. It was peculiar that in broad daylight, so few people were out and about.

Many houses along the way were dilapidated, some collapsed and unrepaired, as if uninhabited for a long time.

“Let go of me! Let go!” came a child’s cry nearby.

Mu Rongxun turned toward the voice and saw Ye Cangyi had sheathed his spear and was holding a small child.

But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a child at all—it was a puppet shaped like a child.

A thought struck him, reminding him of a certain task.

“You know, kids who lie get their noses longer,” Ye Cangyi said, casually shaking the little figure, causing the puppet to nervously grasp his strong arm.

“That’s nonsense! Pinocchio never lies!” the puppet insisted, still worriedly touching his nose. When he noticed no change, he secretly sighed with relief.

“Hehe,” Ye Cangyi chuckled.

“Hey, young chef, how’s it going? Any luck?” he called to Mu Rongxun, noticing he hadn’t left but instead was striding over.

This town was very strange; Ye Cangyi felt handling it alone was impossible and preferred to team up.

“Nothing,” Mu Rongxun shook his head. “The people here are too numb; there’s no vitality. I couldn’t get anything out of them.”

“Tell me about it!” Ye Cangyi agreed wholeheartedly. He had run through the entire town at top speed but found nothing—until he saw this little fellow, who looked different from the others. That’s why he chased after him and grabbed him.

“Let me go!” Pinocchio struggled restlessly in his grasp.

But Ye Cangyi’s strength was overwhelming; there was no escape.

“Little one, I’ll let you go, but you have to answer my questions honestly. If you lie, your nose will grow longer,” Ye Cangyi warned seriously.

“Pinocchio doesn’t lie!” The puppet covered his nose and vowed firmly.

“I’ll answer your questions, but then you have to let me go!” Pinocchio pleaded.

“Alright!” Ye Cangyi laughed heartily and set him down. With his strength on display, he wasn’t worried about the puppet running away.

Once his feet were on the ground, Pinocchio retreated a few cautious steps, keeping his distance.

“Tell me, what is this place?” Ye Cangyi asked, eyeing the desolate buildings around.

“This is Fairy Tale Town!” Pinocchio answered, casting him a strange look as if puzzled by the question.

“Why are the townsfolk all in such a hurry? And what’s with the fog outside the town?” Ye Cangyi pressed on, asking about the main quest.

“The fog appeared after the Blood Moon. I don’t really know the details,” Pinocchio’s eyes flickered.

“As for the people in the town, it’s because of one person.”

“Trying to hide something? Look at your nose!” Ye Cangyi teased, pointing at Pinocchio’s now noticeably longer nose.

“Ah!” Pinocchio hurriedly touched it and found it had indeed grown, his face falling.

“So be honest and tell us what’s going on with the fog,” Mu Rongxun urged.

“Alright!” Pinocchio slumped down in defeat.

“It happened once, when the moon was full—a big stone fell from the sky, turning the moon blood red. Since then, a fog has surrounded the town. Only when the Blood Moon appears does the fog briefly lift.”

“That’s it?” Ye Cangyi frowned. This was no different from the quest background.

“That’s all I know,” Pinocchio said sorrowfully, rubbing his nose, which looked comically long now.

Ye Cangyi exchanged a glance with Mu Rongxun. Pinocchio’s nose hadn’t grown further, indicating he was telling the truth.

But it meant that if they wanted more information, they’d have to explore on their own.

“You said the townsfolk’s situation is because of one person. What do you mean?” Mu Rongxun asked, fixing his gaze on Pinocchio.

“It’s because of Little Red Riding Hood,” Pinocchio replied angrily.

“Little Red Riding Hood?” Ye Cangyi looked puzzled. He certainly knew the classic character, but why mention her now—it seemed unrelated.

“Yes, Little Red Riding Hood,” Pinocchio continued, assuming they didn’t know her story. At that moment, Mu Rongxun and Ye Cangyi realized there were things they truly didn’t know.

Little Red Riding Hood was the town’s sole hunter. Before the fog appeared, wolves often attacked passing caravans, tormenting the townsfolk.

Back then, Little Red Riding Hood hunted those creatures and kept the town safe.

But since the fog appeared, everything changed.

The fog prevented her from hunting, and monsters began to emerge in the forest. Anyone who entered the fog never returned.

Once, Little Red Riding Hood ventured into the fog to visit her grandmother and never came back.

“Then why do you say it’s all because of Little Red Riding Hood?” Ye Cangyi frowned. If she never returned, and the fog covered everything, it seemed dire. Why was Pinocchio so certain it was her doing?

Yet, since his nose hadn’t grown, he must be telling the truth.

“Because the one who returned wasn’t Little Red Riding Hood!” Pinocchio shuddered as he said this.

“I can’t say more. I mustn’t,” he added, trembling.

Ye Cangyi looked at him, then exchanged a glance with Mu Rongxun. They didn’t press further, having gleaned the information they wanted.

[Investigate the reason for Little Red Riding Hood’s return.]

[Quest type: Side quest.]

[Reward: Unknown.]

Now that the quest was triggered, the most important thing was to start investigating.

But with so little known, they had no idea where to begin, and Pinocchio showed no sign of revealing more.

“What do you say—team up?” Ye Cangyi asked, feeling the situation was tricky. He wasn’t afraid of combat but dreaded situations without any leads.

“Alright!” Mu Rongxun nodded.

He was weaker and welcomed the alliance. This wasn’t the time to be prideful. They were all above the entry-level stage, and the task’s difficulty was rising sharply. Though confident, blind self-assurance was unwise.

“Let’s find those other two,” Ye Cangyi suggested.

Ding Xiang was a banner spirit master with excellent support skills and decent combat ability, plus a sharp mind.

Zhong Ye was also at the entry stage and not weak.

“Agreed!” Mu Rongxun nodded and began searching the town for the others.

Seeing no one watching him, Pinocchio finally darted away on his short legs, heedless.

The two only glanced briefly but paid little attention.

Compared to Pinocchio himself, the real concern was the carpenter who made him, though at this moment, they didn’t know if he was still around.

Due to time constraints, they decided to focus on the main quest first; side quests would have to wait.

Little Red Riding Hood’s side quest clearly tied into the main quest, so they could handle them together.

Meanwhile, Zhong Ye and Ding Xiang were not without gains in the town, though they lacked Ye Cangyi’s luck and lost the target.

“How is that guy so fast?” Zhong Ye scowled, having just been kicked in the face by the puppet. The damage was minor but deeply insulting.

“I don’t know. I even activated the Wind Tiger’s power to boost speed and still couldn’t catch it!” Ding Xiang’s face was grave.

As a banner spirit master with five banner spirits, he could enhance his states, including speed.

But despite this, he failed to catch the one-eared rabbit—it was clearly unusual.

Unfortunately, the rabbit had vanished without a trace; there was no way to find it again.

“Ugh, bad luck!” Zhong Ye kicked a nearby stone in frustration, to no avail.

Unbeknownst to them, in a loft of a nearby house, a figure watched their backs with smug delight, standing upright with front paws resting on his waist, an expression of indescribable pride.

Only a rabbit displaying such human-like pride looked rather strange.