This Text Adventure Game is definitely poisonous
Chapter 668 - 355: The Unfitting Shadow_1

Chapter 668: Chapter 355: The Unfitting Shadow_1

"[You paid a 30-year lifespan to ask the beggar, why do people here have no shadows under their feet?]

[The beggar, buoyed by your generosity, excitedly tells you: "Our shadows, many years ago, were all bought by a big shot. I heard it was done to make it easier to distinguish between us. We, who have never seen someone with a shadow, view them as outsiders!"]

"Rewind."

Distinguishing outsiders...

Although the concept is not entirely insensible. There are many ways to have a local’s appearance, such as using the transformation technique or players wearing skins. Still, no matter how one changes their appearance, their aura can be masked by the relics, but the shadow cannot be hidden away.

So, distinguishing friends from foes through the shadow is indeed an effective method.

However, to distinguish whether someone is a local or not by harvesting everyone’s shadows here seems rather extreme...

After pondering, Mu You made another choice.

[You chose to ask another question.]

[You ask the beggar: who is this ’big shot’ that took your shadows?]

[The beggar looks at you in surprise, then hastily shakes his head and says, "I don’t know, I don’t know..." His eyes dart around, and he seems both panic-stricken and suspicious, as though wondering how you knew about the term ’big shot’.]

"Rewind."

...

[You ask the beggar: is this ’big shot’ who took your shadows someone from the Undead Society?]

[The beggar looks at you with even greater fear, but no longer replies to your inquiries, instead quickly walking away...]

"Rewind."

It seems that the people here are particularly wary of the Undead Society. Even the Gu Removal Man exhibited strange behavior when the Undead Society was mentioned.

It seems that direct inquiry won’t yield any more answers.

Mu You chose to continue asking.

[You paid a 15-year lifespan to ask the beggar why there are no children here?]

[The children in the village have all been sold! About five years ago, an old witch came to the village, called ’Granny Tang’. Granny Tang forcibly took away all the children under ten on the island, claiming she would let them learn under the ’big shot’. She even paid us per child.]

[From then on, there were no more children on the island. Each year’s newly born children are either sold to Granny Tang voluntarily or she comes to take them herself...]

"Rewind..."

Mu You frowned at the new information.

All the children under ten were taken away five years ago. So, the youngest person in this place must be at least 15 years old.

The assertion about ’learning under the big shot’ is questionable. If those children really ended up with the Undead Society, they likely won’t meet a good end.

Though there’s no mention of the Undead Society here, we finally have a concrete character: Granny Tang.

This place’s witch is probably just an old woman.

Mu You continued to ask.

[You paid a 100-year lifespan to ask the beggar about a permanent solution against the Gu parasites.]

[The beggar tells you that every so often, a ’Golden Silkworm’ naturally appears in the village. This species of silkworm feeds on Gu by nature. If captured and contracted, it will automatically devour the Gu parasites in your body, no matter how powerful those parasites are.]

[However, this kind of silkworm only has a chance of appearing in areas where Gu parasites gather. Furthermore, once a contract is made with a master, it cannot be changed. Wild Golden Silkworms are extremely rare, and one can fetch a sky-high price!]

"Rewind..."

So, the method to counter the Gu parasite is by raising a silkworm to eat it. However, by the looks of it, finding such a thing will be difficult.

After asking three questions, Mu You thought for a moment before typing again.

[You paid a 10-year lifespan to ask the beggar, what happens to people who lose their shadow?]

[The beggar tells you that those who lose their shadow cannot expose themselves to sunlight. If they do, they’ll feel a searing pain that makes death seem preferable.]

"Rewind."

They can’t be exposed to sunlight, this weakness looks similar to vampires. Due to this weakness, these people can only stay in the sunless Cook Islands for their entire lives.

[You paid a 5-year lifespan to ask the beggar for Granny Tang’s address.]

[The beggar tells you that Granny Tang lives at the far west of Zhenyu Village, the village next door. If you have a child under ten, you can take the child to her. She wouldn’t refuse even an outsider’s child and would offer you a generous reward.]

"Rewind."

He’s likely gathered all the information he can here. Regarding the Undead Society, this beggar seems too scared to give away anything, and wouldn’t have much to reveal as a mere beggar anyway.

[The beggar gazes at you expectantly, asking if you have any more questions?]

[You placed a freshly baked magical loaf of bread into his begging bowl, instruct him to eat well and then leave.]

[The beggar numbly looks at the bread in his hand, somewhat at a loss, but in adherence to his professional instincts, he yells a distant ’thank you’ to you.]

[You’ve moved away from the beggar. Now that you’ve obtained Granny Tang’s address, do you wish to go directly there?]

"Yes."

The only lead he has so far is Granny Tang. Since she likely has a connection with the Undead Society, Mu You plans to assess the situation first before making a decision.

[You’re riding a Chocobo, en route. You’re expected to reach your destination in about ten minutes...]

With the address in hand, he can now travel straight to the destination instead of advancing by foot.

While on the road, Mu You completely ignored every peddler who tried to swindle him, making quick work of the journey and arriving at his destination in no time.