This Text Adventure Game is definitely poisonous

At midnight, the outside world was deep in darkness. Only the periodic dimness and brightness of the roadside lamps provided a faint source of light.

Mu You, with his pale face and red clothes, was strolling aimlessly on the deserted streets, carrying a jack-o-lantern.

Truth be told, his current appearance was quite intimidating. If by chance, a patrolling security guard or police officer spotted him, they would definitely arrest him on the spot, mistaking him for a criminal.

That's why Mu You constantly opted for less crowded paths, finally ending up in a park near a residential complex.

After wandering around the park with his lantern for a bit, Mu You, bored out of his mind, found a quiet bench and sat down.

He was on a patrol, but he had no clue what he was supposed to do exactly.

According to the mission, he only needed to 'leave home and patrol for an hour'. Beyond that, there were no specifications.

"I guess I could slack off…"

Mu You glanced around to confirm his solitude, put out his lantern, and took out his cell phone.

It was past midnight, and his game stamina should have refreshed by now.

"Whatever, let's try it. If playing on my phone isn't considered working, then I can just patrol for another hour later."

Mu You opened the 'Fool' icon on his phone.

When he logged in, he was still in the little cabin.

Mu You first tried to control the game character to 'exit'.

Luckily, the anticipated scenario of being killed by a werewolf right after stepping outside didn't occur. It seemed the werewolf had left.

But considering he was attacked by a werewolf just a few hours ago, odds were it was still around. Going out for a stroll could risk another encounter with it.

"Let's explore the map first!"

After making his character leave the house, among the three route options, Mu You chose the one leading to the village entrance.

He planned to find the Scarecrow at the entrance and inquire about the werewolf, as it's always best to know one's enemy.

[After a long walk on the small westbound path, you arrived at the village entrance once again.]

[Besides the familiar Scarecrow, another old friend came into your sight — the old cat store owner from the Owl Shop, who seems to have relocated his cabin to the village. From now on, you can shop here conveniently.]

[Both the Scarecrow and the Old Cat Store Owner noticed your presence and greeted you. Where will you go first? The Scarecrow or the Owl Shop?]

The Owl Shop relocated to the village entrance too?

Mu You perked up. The guard's journal he received in the afternoon mentioned that he needed to buy a dictionary from the Old Cat Store Owner to learn a foreign language. He was concerned about the stamina it would take to leave the village and find the shop. But now that the shop had moved in, there was cause to celebrate!

Given the choices, Mu You decidedly visited the Owl Shop first.

[You entered the Owl Shop. The Old Cat Store Owner was delighted at the arrival of the first customer of the night and enthusiastically showed you the three products on sale today.]

[Steel Bone: A low-level defensive spell, makes your bones and skin as hard as iron. Value: 100 years of life.]

[Vampire Sword: A magical sword forged with mercury and the flesh and blood of a vampire. It can inflict heavy damage on blood-sucking creatures. Value: 110 years of life.]

[Poisonous Apple: This was originally a normal apple, but a witch accidentally spilled werewolf poison on it, making it a poisonous apple. Its fragrance has a fatal temptation for werewolves. Eating it reduces your lifespan by 5 years, the werewolf's by 10 years. Value: 1 year of life.]

"Hmm?"

Mu You raised an eyebrow. He noticed that the Owl Shop seemed to display a spell and two items every day.

After obtaining three spells from the old hunter previously, he knew that spells could be exploited through time reversal.

Unfortunately, the spells sold in this shop cost at least 100 years of life. To exploit them, he would have to amass at least 100 years of life first. All he could do now was pine for them.

"Steel Bone, Vampire Sword...well, just skip whatever I can't afford."

Mu You turned his attention to the last item, the witch's poisoned apple.

This appeared to be a lose-lose item, meant for sabotaging others. Normally, Mu You wouldn't even look at such an item, but he had just recently been killed by a werewolf…

Knowing that a werewolf does exist in the village, this apple could be used as a deterrent. If he encounters a werewolf again, at least he would have a means of resistance.

"It's just a tiny bit of lifespan. Plus, it's not expensive. Let's buy it!"

[You bought the Poisonous Apple. Your life span decreased by 1, leaving 53 years left.]

Mu You received the new item and took a quick glance, then put it right back into the game.

Good heavens, how long has this rotten apple been kept for?

Based on the horrifying smell alone, it must have been left sitting for half a year at least!

Absolutely disgusting! Even without the poison, its innate potency could easily rival a bio-weapon.

Wonder how a werewolf can be tempted by such a thing…

Mu You hastily took deep breaths of fresh air to clear his senses before checking back on his game.

After buying his item, instead of rushing to leave, Mu You tried clicking on the 'Old Cat Store Owner' text.

Since this shop owner was also an NPC, there should be potential for interaction.

Sure enough, when he clicked the text, a prompt immediately popped up at the bottom of the screen.

[The Old Cat Store Owner seems to sense that you are looking for something else. You can write down the item you need in the input box. After paying a deposit, he can help you procure it from other shops and dispatch an owl to deliver it to you.]

"There's online shopping too?"

Mu You was dumbstruck. This one-click delivery, professional owl courier delivery to your hands, was far superior to JD's service attitude!

An input box popped up, and Mu You typed in 'Star Spirit Dictionary' and hit send.

[Star Spirit Dictionary: A dictionary that includes all the symbols and letters of the Star Spirit World. It can automatically translate Star Spirit Language into the language required by the reader. Value: 5 years of life, pre-order price: 6 years of life (Pre-order goods require an additional 20% shipping fee)]

[Do you want to spend 6 years of life to pre-order a 'Star Spirit Dictionary'?]

"Pre-order!"

Mu You immediately confirmed.

The cost for pre-ordering was slightly higher, but his lifespan was enough. He wasn't concerned about spending a bit here and there. Time was what mattered most.

Other than translating the diary, Mu You had a feeling that as his exploration of the Star Spirit World deepened, places where a translation was needed would only increase.

Language was something that need to be learned sooner or later. The sooner he bought the dictionary, the sooner it could be useful.

[You pre-ordered a 'Star Spirit Dictionary'. Six years were deducted from your lifespan. You have 47 years of life left.]

[Your delivery owl has taken off. It is estimated to arrive within 24 hours. Please check for its arrival.]

"24 hours for delivery, this speed is quite reasonable."

Mu You nodded in approval, clicked 'leave the shop' and headed straight to the Scarecrow.