I Will Teach You How to Hunt Gods

In the legends of Nest City, there is a world of fantasy known as "Utopia," or it can also be referred to as "Peach Blossom Spring."

It is said that there is no pain or cruelty, no disputes or hatred, no hostility between one another.

What exists... is just endless happiness.

Perfect and natural happiness.

Yangshan Town gives people a sense of utopia.

It stands isolated without warning, everyone living in harmony, almost identical to the legendary ideal land.

But deep in her heart, Yun You always felt a sense of "unreality."

To ask why this feeling arises... well, Yun You could only give this answer.

"Performance."

"The feeling of performance."

As if performing a play, the people of Yangshan Town behave too "standard" in their daily actions and words.

They never use foul language, even with the closest people, maintaining a polite attitude, with formal terms of address.

For example, a child calling their father will always say "Dad" or "Father," and never words like "Old Deng," "Old Dad," or "Old Man."

Conversely, parents calling their child often use their "full name."

This is not normal.

Because usually, parents only call their child by their full name for one reason.

That is when the child has caused trouble... and is about to be punished.

The residents of Yangshan Town are too rigid, their actions unusually standard, more like machines than people.

Even though Yun You knew these people should all be living "humans," rather than machines, the sense of discord lingered, echoing in her heart.

"Mayor Kong..."

After a moment of silence, the little girl slowly opened her mouth, tentatively asking: "Why must all facilities close by 10 o'clock? Is there a rule for a curfew at 10 PM in the town?"

"That's right."

Mayor Kong nodded and then lowered his voice, saying mysteriously: "At 10 o'clock, all lights must go out, and everyone except the sentinels must return to their homes."

"Because after 10:30, darkness will completely enshroud the town; aside from the torches lit at the sentry towers, all indoor and outdoor light sources will disappear..."

"After that, 'it' will emerge from the forest, stroll the streets of the town, looking for any targets outside, then... dismember and crush them."

When he said this, Mayor Kong instinctively shivered, a hint of fear in his eyes.

It seemed the old man was genuinely afraid of "its" existence.

"All who dare to break the rules and wander the streets after 10:30, leaving their doors unlocked... have become 'its' trophies."

"The miserable cries will continue through the night, accompanied by the sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bones, echoing throughout the town."

"The next morning, those of us sleepless all night will see the victims' shattered bodies in the council square, or rather, human remains arranged in bizarre postures."

"It's precisely because such things happen so often that we established the rule to be home by 10 o'clock, no matter how important the matter at hand, even if it's crucial for the future, it must be interrupted, and you must go home, lie down, and secure the doors and windows."

"Afterward, no matter what sounds you hear, or things you see, you must not open the door... absolutely not!"

"This is a lesson written in blood, remember it, remember it..."

"Oh, right."

As he spoke, Mayor Kong dug into his pocket and pulled out three black stones the size of eggs, carved a few lines with his nail, and threw them to Yun You and her companions.

"Hold onto these."

The little girl lifted the stone to look, noticing the black stone's surface bearing two large red characters, scrawled in a way almost illegible by the naked eye, but luckily the Analysis Chip deciphered its meaning in the end.

[Intelligence Analysis Complete]

[This object is corundum, chemically known as silicon dioxide, it is very hard in its original mineral form, usually crafted into ornaments or industrial machineries' spindles]

[The words on the stone mean "Pardon Order," with no official explanation available, but some urban legends hypothesize it means to issue a certain strict command]

[Meanwhile, this AI search found, in some quite ancient myths, a possibly fictitious method called "Exorcism Method," said to turn misfortune into fortune, protecting the user, while cursing others, bringing them misfortune and disaster]

"Exorcism... Witchcraft..."

Yun You slightly frowned.

She hadn't heard this term before, it was too ancient, even amidst urban legends, it is the oldest and most neglected kind.

However, Yun You believed, since the chip said it could ensure safety, the stone was probably used to ward off "it."

And Mayor Kong's words soon confirmed her suspicion.

"This is our Protective Stone, able to ward off 'it' and other monsters at night."

The old man pointed to the hooks behind every household's door and explained: "When securing the doors at night, hang this stone on them, and no matter what happens, do not take it down."

"Doing so ensures it won't enter your house."

"But if for any reason you take it down, damage it accidentally, or if your residence has noticeable holes without being promptly repaired, then it will target you first..."

"So, be very cautious about the Protective Stone and the safety of your house, as it's a matter of life and death!"

Seeing Mayor Kong's serious tone, Yun You and her companions nodded in agreement and accepted the stones.

At the same time, the mayor led them to their destination—a small house to the right of the ancestral hall.

The house wasn't large, including the attic, it had only three floors.

Its main structure was built of gray bricks, looking dusty, somewhat crude... but in this primitive town full of wooden houses, it was considered quite a good villa.

"I'll send the three of you off here."

Mayor Kong pointed to the stone house, quietly saying: "This house was just built last year, and so far, only Aurora has lived here."

"She stays in room 201 on the second floor, but the whole villa belongs to her."

"If you're staying here, feel free to use the rooms, but remember the three rules I mentioned, and the tasks to do after nightfall..."

"If circumstances allow, I suggest you sleep separately at night, take turns to guard, always protect the house and Protective Stone, because when night falls, it's the only thing you can trust."

"Lastly, I wish you a pleasant journey and a joyful, warm life in the town~ See you tomorrow."

With that, Mayor Kong wisely left, leaving the house and space to the three.

This meant that Yun You and her companions' life in the town had just begun.

What awaited them?

Surprises? Accidents? Death? Or rewards...

Everything waits for them to discover.