Starting the Game with Godlike Vision-Chapter 48 - The Grinning Facade

Zuo Chengan had already analyzed the situation. The torches held by the villagers were nothing more than ordinary wooden sticks coated with pine resin. The smoke they emitted was unremarkable—nothing out of the ordinary.

Soon, everyone had been thoroughly immersed in the smoky haze.

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

Zheng Ren, who had been burned once before, leaned close to Li Yueqiu's ear and warned in a low voice, "Don't be naive. These people are anything but normal. Look at their eyes, their expressions.

"Do you know any village where over 200 people can pull off identical smiles in perfect unison?"

Li Yueqiu wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but she wasn't a fool.

Once Zheng Ren pointed it out, she dropped her rose-tinted glasses and noticed the oddities too.

A village of this size, without the crowing of roosters or the barking of dogs, was already unsettling.

But what truly sent a chill down her spine was the eerie uniformity of their smiles—cut-and-paste expressions plastered across their faces.

And then there were their clothes—spotless, without a single wrinkle—as if they were dolls displayed behind the glass of a toy shop.

Even if they had dressed up to welcome visitors, this was overkill.

Under the collective gaze of the players, the village chief attempted a puzzled expression.

However, it was clear he hadn't mastered the muscles of his face.

The result was an unnerving, stiff look, as if the skin and muscles were detached from one another.

In front of the players, he put on a display of the most superficial smile.

A human face has 44 muscles capable of producing over 5,000 expressions.

The slightest misalignment of these muscles can trigger the uncanny valley effect.

Despite the growing horror that screamed within her, urging Li Yueqiu to hurl the Flying Pebble and smash their heads, she knew better.

The villagers were integral NPCs in this dungeon, and completing their quest required dealing with them.

There was no way out but forward.

Before Zuo Chengan could speak, a sharp crackling cry erupted from Zhang Zhuang's group.

Yang Ye suddenly pointed at one of the villagers and exclaimed, "Old Wang!? Damn it! I thought you'd run off with the team leader's mistress! What the hell are you doing in this dungeon?"

The villager addressed as "Old Wang" didn't respond. He didn't even spare Yang Ye a glance.

The village chief, ever the courteous host, stroked his perfectly smooth, blemish-free hand over his beard and asked, "Wang Cheng, do you know this esteemed guest?"

Only then did Wang Cheng turn his head to look at Yang Ye.

After a long pause, he finally responded, "I don't know him."

"Bullshit!" Yang Ye roared. "Last month, you said you couldn't make rent and borrowed 30 credits from me! And now you're saying you don't know me?!"

Enraged, Yang Ye lunged forward to grab Wang Cheng by the collar. "Give me back my savings!"

Wang Cheng didn't resist, letting Yang Ye clutch at him.

But then something caught Yang Ye's eye—a piercing red gleam.

His fury evaporated in an instant, and the hot blood coursing through him turned cold.

Rationality reclaimed its hold.

How could he have forgotten? The game recycled the corpses of deceased players, repurposing them as NPCs!

There were only seven players in this dungeon—all standing right here.

Everyone else was an NPC—even if they had once been his friends!

With a jolt, Yang Ye released his grip and stumbled back to his true companions.

It wasn't until he felt a droplet of sweat slide down his face that he realized he was drenched in cold sweat.

[A rare occurrence indeed! Out of countless dungeons, two players who knew each other in life have reunited. Too bad one is no longer human.]

[Hilarious! Long-lost friends reunite, only for one to realize the other's already dead. I live for this kind of drama.]

[Same here! I already have that iconic scene saved!]

[Are you talking about that couple who sacrificed themselves for each other, only to meet again in another dungeon, and the guy killed himself to become an NPC to stay with his wife? I've seen that clip so many times. It's nauseating. Why throw your life away after surviving? What an idiot!]

[Exactly! If you're alive, just move on and find someone else. This kind of melodrama gives me a headache.]

…

Yang Ye and Wang Cheng had been ordinary friends—no closer than any others. Otherwise, Yang Ye wouldn't have lent him 30 credits.

But their bond wasn't strong enough for Yang Ye to seek revenge upon seeing Wang Cheng's lifeless NPC form.

Once he calmed down, Yang Ye could only sigh at his friend's misfortune.

This minor incident seemed to go unnoticed by the village chief, who cheerfully ushered the players into the village. "Since you're all project testers, but also our first group of tourists, we'll make sure you have the best experience in Sunlit Village."

As he spoke, the villagers parted to the sides of the road, creating a narrow path for the players.

Under the villagers' unblinking stares, the group made their way into the village.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, especially with those identical, cut-and-paste smiles.

Zheng Ren muttered to Zuo Chengan and Li Yueqiu, "Look at that kid in the open-crotch pants. He hasn't blinked once. Don't his eyes get dry?"

"The dead don't need to blink," Zuo Chengan replied flatly. "Stop staring at them."

Zheng Ren nodded but couldn't resist a final glance. What he saw nearly made him faint.

The child with the open-crotch pants suddenly rubbed his eye, then, without hesitation, plucked it out. He popped it into his mouth, swirled it with his tongue for moisture, and neatly replaced it in its socket.

Now, he was once again an innocent child with bright, watery eyes.

Zheng Ren quickly averted his gaze, feeling a chill run down his spine and the soles of his feet.

He quickened his pace to catch up with Zuo Chengan and Li Yueqiu, not daring to look around anymore.

This incident finally answered a question that had been nagging him: why the chef, an NPC who had chased him in the last dungeon, wore clothes from a real-world brand. It turned out that the chef had once been a player too.

If only he had noticed earlier, he could have saved those 40 credits.

…

As the group followed the chief deeper into the village, he enthusiastically introduced the various tourist attractions, from local customs to architectural features.

His mouth never stopped moving, but few were actually listening.

Most were too busy scrutinizing the layout of the buildings around them.

Hello~ Third chapter of the week. Enjoy xD

Ongoing event:

1. Every 10 vote on novelbuddy unlock 1 extra chapter! Currently at 30 votes, 10 more for 1 extra chapter!

2. Every 3 Patreon subscriptions unlock 1 extra chapter!

3. Pick the 👁‍🗨 role on Discord. Current Goal 17/50 for 1 extra chapter.

Feel free to leave any of your comments in Discord now that the comment section is unavailable.