Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

It's like a piece of paper covered in random numbers, with only certain areas having meaning. While everyone else is completely baffled, a bracelet accidentally slips off while the puzzle solver is deep in thought, revealing the meaningful string of numbers and allowing the solver to crack the puzzle—Saito Hajime's runes serve a similar purpose.

[A few hours ago, while I was still inside the villa, I observed Saito Hajime reading a newspaper through the surveillance system.]

Therefore, he must have released this message when the villa was attacked and the convoy was driving through the city in a downpour. Because my attention was most distracted at that time, he was able to leave this newspaper fragment without my noticing.

Alice closed her eyes, and the events of several hours earlier formed a smooth picture in her mind. She 'saw' three cars weaving through the streets in the pouring rain, dodging the army and avoiding the rioters, their invisible barrier blocking the view from the outside. But just before the artillery fire subsided and the convoy was about to enter the city, a tall, thin man standing on the roof of one of the cars seemed to 'casually' wave his hand. A thin piece of paper then slipped from his hand and disappeared into the wind and rain.

[This piece of paper was recovered by US soldiers... It couldn't be because of the 'Apocalypse's' prediction, because the Apocalypse couldn't have predicted a disaster we ourselves caused. This piece of paper also couldn't possibly have a significant impact on the future of this world; otherwise, 'Death' would have personally erased it.]

[Yes... this piece of paper must contain clues to our team's future whereabouts. That's why 'Death' didn't destroy it after discovering it, but instead guided the US military to access it. Those rune strings are probably just ordinary preservation spells.]

It seems... Saito Hajime and the 'Grim Reaper' have reached a certain understanding...

Alice raised an eyebrow.

No, not at all. This was intentional on Saito's part, and also on the 'Grim Reaper's' part. It wasn't by chance that I found this piece of paper, nor that the mechanical dog survived the rubble. That mysterious 'Grim Reaper' wanted me to see this newspaper and deduce from the rune clues that there was a traitor within the group. Saito had guessed the 'Grim Reaper's' strategy, which is why he deliberately left this flaw, allowing the 'Grim Reaper' to indirectly pass this hidden message to me.

Massachusetts, MIT... Why this place? Why this covert communication? If they had told me directly from the beginning, I should be here by now, investigating. Is it the wrong time? Or is there some external interference?

My head hurts a little.

Alice rubbed her head, sat down cross-legged, and casually took the calming medicine that Shanghai had prepared at some point. She drank it down in one gulp, her breathing gradually slowing down before speeding up a little. After a while, she felt her head was slightly better.

Saito Hajime fooled the Grim Reaper, using the Grim Reaper to deliver the right message to him at the right time. Therefore, the message "Massachusetts, MIT," deliberately highlighted by the grammar of the rune string, must be useless to the Grim Reaper. In other words, this is a packaged, secondhand message; the specific answer requires his own deciphering.

Besides, it's also true that Saito Hajime recognized the true nature of the 'Grim Reaper' and made some kind of deal with him. As for why he was able to do this, why he wouldn't say, and what kind of deal he made… Alice didn't intend to delve into that. Because she already had a vague guess, knowing that these questions must be related to the memory she had previously erased.

Since I chose to distance myself from that mess in the past, there's no need for me to delve too deeply into it now. Knowing too much makes you age faster, and aging faster also means dying faster.

I don't care when I die, but I can't die in such a pointless way.

She gently tapped her temples, her mind racing. Her brain, which had just felt slightly better thanks to the medication, started churning again, and the discomfort returned.

This is a horror movie with a difficulty level of 17 people, and the time limit is 12 days, but only one day has passed. The situation to be dealt with from now on will undoubtedly be even more difficult. Hopefully, the remaining plans will proceed smoothly.

Alice was lost in thought as the faces of the newlyweds flashed before her eyes.

[There are eight new recruits in total, five men and three women. Pay special attention to Wang Renjia and Zhu Wen. Of the remaining recruits, Zheng Xue is the lawyer, Li Laoshi is the salaried worker, Yang Le is the delinquent youth, Lu Chichuan is the rebellious girl, and Huang Lilin is the office worker. There's also the dead guy, so we don't need to worry about him…]

Alice stopped tapping her temples with her fingers.

"Am I... overlooking something?" Her brows furrowed deeply, and she repeated the thoughts that had just surfaced in her mind once again.

"There are eight new recruits in total, five men and three women. We need to pay special attention to Wang Renjia and Zhu Wen. Among the remaining people, Zheng Xue is the lawyer, Li Laoshi is the salaried worker, Yang Le is the delinquent youth, Lu Chichuan is the rebellious girl, and Huang Lilin is the office worker. There is also a dead guy who we don't need to worry about."

“…No, something’s not right.” Alice shook her head vigorously.

"Wang Renjia, Zhu Wen, Zheng Xue, Li Laoshi, Yang Le, Lu Chichuan, Huang Lilin, ███." She quickly repeated these names. She gently tapped her head and then repeated them again.

She could sense that something was wrong, but she didn't know what the problem was.

"Shanghai, please repeat the couple's names for me."

The little doll beside her looked at her with a puzzled expression, but still quickly answered: "Wang Renjia, Zhu Wen, Zheng Xue, Li Laoshi, Yang Le, Lu Chichuan, Huang Lilin, ███."

"Strange... There are eight people. I haven't forgotten anyone, nor have I overlooked anyone... Oh well, am I overthinking things?" She covered her face and rubbed it vigorously to try and clear her head. In the end, she still couldn't find anything wrong, so she just sighed softly, temporarily shifting her focus away from the matter to think about other things.

“First…” She snapped her fingers, and a screen connected directly to MIT’s database opened before her. Let me see what’s worth my attention at this university.

She reached out and stopped the hurricane caused by the wind serpent to prevent a greater disaster. The clouds covering a third of the North American continent trembled as the hurricane broke apart, and soon, several huge cracks spread out from the clouds, and the cold moonlight shone down, dyeing the earth a frosty white.

......................................................

Zhang Heng suddenly opened his eyes; he had just had a terrible nightmare. In his dream, he encountered Ming Yanwei again… not the ambiguous Ming Yanwei from the Ju-on illusion, but the one who only existed deep in his memory, the childhood sweetheart he owed so much to.

He took a few heavy breaths. His fists were clenched so tightly that the sharp tips of his nails almost drew blood from his hands, which had now transformed into an elf's body.

"Wei...I must..."

His clenched fist trembled, and it took a while before he slowly loosened it, his pale knuckles gradually regaining their color. But the man's face became even paler.

He was filled with fear and self-blame.

He was afraid because he feared that Ming Yanwei would abandon him after her resurrection, and he blamed himself for knowing that he could have resurrected Ming Yanwei before the horror movie even started using the Sun Scripture and some reward points, but he was too cowardly to do it.

Because of the debt, there is guilt; because of the guilt, there is fear.

He sighed deeply.

"Are the others... asleep?" He looked around, but didn't see Saito Hajime in the room on the second floor. He tilted his ear slightly, and only heard a continuous, long breathing coming from the first floor.

The newcomers and main characters are probably asleep, and as for the other veterans... he can't sense them yet.

There's no need to go down and disturb them now.

Zhang Heng thought to himself, and looked out the window. The torrential rain had thinned out, and several gaps had appeared in the clouds, letting in the cool moonlight.

—Moonlight shone through the window onto the ground on the second floor.

I'm feeling a bit restless... Oh well, I'll go for a walk somewhere else. The new recruits are resting on the first floor, so I'll go upstairs. Lingdian definitely isn't asleep yet.

He stretched his neck and then went up the stairs. When he reached the third floor, he saw Zero as expected—the bald sniper was sitting cross-legged in the third-floor lobby. Beside him was his beloved Gauss sniper rifle, and in his hands he was methodically loading sniper bullets of various colors.

"Sorry to bother you." Zhang Heng raised his hand in greeting. "Aren't you going to sleep tonight?"

He noticed that the place where Zero was sitting was very empty, with no sofas, chairs, lamps or other furniture within three meters. Above him was a flat ceiling, and the church's distinctive candlesticks and chandeliers were hanging several meters away.

They're really cautious...

Zero didn't answer. He silently and slowly finished assembling the bullet in his hand, then neatly placed it in the ammunition magazine beside him. He put away the necessary assembly tools before turning his gaze to Zhang Heng.

A look of doubt appeared in his eyes.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came to check on things,” Zhang Heng replied. The archer scratched his head, a slight embarrassment in his voice. “Would it be convenient to chat for a bit? I’m just killing time anyway.”

Zero extended one hand, the tips of his fingers pointing to the sofa beside him. He silently picked up his Gauss sniper rifle and sat down on a stool without an armrest opposite the sofa.

"You really like quiet, huh?" Zhang Heng said with a wry smile. But he himself sat down on the sofa without much ceremony, looked at the sparse rain outside the window, and let out a soft sigh. "This rain should stop soon."

“It will stop before dawn,” Zero replied. He sat quietly opposite Zhang Heng, his body seemingly in a semi-tense state, as if he could unleash unparalleled power like a bullet at any moment.

Zhang Heng glanced at his slightly hunched back.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk,” Zhang Heng said with a smile. “However, Zero, you don’t seem to have much confidence in this barrier.”

"Better safe than sorry," came the midnight reply.

“Yes, that’s what I think too.” Zhang Heng nodded. “I don’t really trust those two witches’ tricks. Although they are indeed very good at fighting, I always have a feeling that they are unreliable. Two trees and a snake, even a fool can see that it is imitating the Garden of Eden, but I doubt that it will work.”

"At least it's still useful for now."

“Perhaps it just hasn’t fully erupted yet.” Zhang Heng reached out, touching the sliver of moonlight slanting down from the window. “This world is called Final Destination, and I’ve seen that series of movies. I felt the situation would get worse and worse, but those two witches disappeared at this crucial moment. I even suspect they…”

“Not a witch,” Zero suddenly interrupted him. “She’s a companion.”

Zhang Heng was taken aback, then shook his head and laughed out loud, "Sorry, sorry, I got too emotional. To be honest, I've had a feeling of unease, as if some powerful enemy has already targeted us and is ready to attack at any moment. So I think we should prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard."

He spread his hands and looked at midnight.

"I have a plan."

Section 40, Day Two

The long night finally ended, and when the next morning arrived, there was no death in the entire church—everyone was alive, no one died, no one was injured; it was as if death had forgotten the people in the church. Not even the slightest incident was discovered; both those keeping watch and those enjoying the darkness passed peacefully through those few hours of restful sleep.

The first day was finally over, but on the morning of the second day, the people in the town did not see the sunrise of the new day.

Because the clouds that shrouded the sky remained. Although the rain had stopped, the clouds were almost solidified, like taffy stuck to the sky. They completely blocked out the sun's rays, even though it was already seven o'clock in the morning in October. The sky was still as gloomy as a winter dawn.

It was a cloudy day, a cool, pleasant, and convenient cloudy day for going out.

As time passed, the townspeople began to stir again. The elderly's morning exercises, the children's studies, the daily work and lives of ordinary citizens—all of these ceased. The town was already remote and sparsely populated. And after the torrential rain, although the floodwaters hadn't inundated the area, the roads were damaged, making the townspeople even less inclined to travel. They might only come out onto the streets around midday or when the sun was stronger—naturally, no one would be heading to church at those times.

This is a good thing.

News of the destruction of the previous city didn't seem to have reached them. Perhaps yesterday's torrential rain and thunder had obscured too much; even though the city burned amidst the artillery fire, the flames weren't enough to illuminate the night sky. The town's inhabitants were probably completely unaware of the event, which was clearly quite advantageous for the people of Central Plains who were resting in the church.

"This is because Alice blocked civilian communication networks, and most cities across North America are currently cut off from communication. The government will not use other channels to release information that they personally destroyed a city. As for the church, that was probably just a simple psychological suggestion."

Zhao Yingkong sat on a bench in the preaching hall with a tablet computer in her hand. While tapping and swiping on the screen, she explained to Xiao Honglu, who had just woken up, that as an assassin, she could control her sleep at will. Now that she had acquired many enhancements, it was even possible for her to alternate between different areas of her brain to maintain a near-permanent state of alertness, just like a dolphin.

Of course, her own unwillingness to go to sleep was also a significant reason. As for why she didn't want to sleep... there's no need to delve too deeply into that reason.

At least a smart person like Xiao Honglu wouldn't delve into it.

He glanced at the twin trees and the snakes on them in the center of the preaching hall, his gaze then casually sweeping over the newlyweds. Last night, before falling asleep, he had set up some trigger-based alert devices on them. Apart from the woman named Zhu Wen waking up once, nothing unexpected had happened. Even with that woman, Zhao Yingkong had kept a close eye on her, preventing her from doing anything unpredictable.

He looked at the tightly closed curtains.

[Moonlight... There's currently no evidence linking Moonlight to 'Death'. Besides...]

"Hasn't Alice returned yet?" Xiao Honglu asked, frowning. "She left in a hurry after creating this 'Garden of Eden.' She didn't even say what she was going to do... This is really a headache. We can't stay in this church forever."

"The Americans will find us soon, and by then we'll definitely have to leave again. I even suspect our whereabouts have already been exposed. A nuclear bomb might fall at any time... You know, this isn't the city center, and they've even bombed cities."

“Then you don’t need to worry,” Zhao Yingkong interrupted, waving the tablet in her hand. “I used the key Alice gave me to hack into a part of the military network and learned some incredible information.”

"About six hours ago, a Category 2 hurricane formed temporarily in New England—a large area of ​​the states where we are now. It wasn't very strong, but it destroyed a lot of U.S. military equipment. At least fifteen divisions are now in need of repairs due to the hurricane. The damage to aircraft and helicopters is countless, and there have been about thirty missile accidents in the last few hours... I think there must be a reason for all of this."

“Sister Alice…” Xiao Honglu gently bit his lower lip. “Hmm, since she’s already made preparations, we don’t need to worry too much about the Americans. But we still need to make some preparations. Only one day has passed, and there are still eleven days to go. We can’t just stay in the house and wait to die in this horror movie. We have to take the initiative and seize control of the situation…”

He lowered his eyes, his mind racing.

The Grim Reaper... its true form is becoming increasingly elusive. What exactly is it...?

Alice must have discovered something, which is why she created this 'Garden of Eden'... According to the movie's plot, Death doesn't strike in long intervals. Even if someone escapes, it will launch a second attack within days... or even sooner that day. We have over twenty people here, including all the main characters; logically, it should act immediately. Is it because it hasn't found a way to deal with us?

"...It's still too early; it's only the first day. But if nothing unexpected happens by the end of today, then it means Alice's prediction is correct. Death is some kind of living being, and something connected to Eden and the Church."

[...An angel?]

Xiao Honglu subconsciously pulled out several strands of hair. His scalp no longer itched after the Three-Eyed Clan bloodline was strengthened, but his habit of pulling his hair while thinking remained. Accompanied by a slight stinging pain, his thoughts gradually became clearer from chaos.

Alice is very likely right, but I might not be entirely wrong either.

However, I would never intentionally sabotage Alice's plans based on my own assumptions; that would be a foolish act... But patching up any gaps is necessary. Even Alice, with her immense power, cannot plan without flaws, and my task is to identify the loopholes in her plan and then fill them in.

He looked up at the tablet computer in Zhao Yingkong's hand.

I think I've found a way to approach this.

"What are your plans, Xiao Honglu?" Zhao Yingkong clearly felt Xiao Honglu's gaze, but she remained calm and asked in a very indifferent tone, "Alice's arrangements have been effective so far. If you intend to touch this tree or leave the church, I will not agree."

"How could that be?" Xiao Honglu was taken aback at first, then chuckled. "I wouldn't do something so stupid. I'm just doing other things. Like trying to smooth things over with the US government or something..."

He pointed to the tablet computer in Zhao Ying's empty hand and said, "I remember when we were still in the villa, Sister Alice gave us a USB drive containing network keys and a lot of advanced scientific research data through Brother Zheng Zha. Originally, we planned to use it to improve relations with the local government, or at least delay the offensive... Now, although it's unlikely that we can reach an agreement, I think that knowledge should still be of some use."