Following yesterday's exploration, the town revealed itself to be laid out with geometric precision, shaped like a neat rectangle. There were four horizontal streets and seventeen vertical alleys. The inn sat squarely at the heart of it all.
As she walked, Elric encountered several townsfolk. They went about their daily routines, occasionally casting a curious glance at the outsider. Thus far, there appeared to be no trace of menace. Though thoughts churned in her mind, her expression remained composed. After a half-hour's walk, she arrived at the town's only bookstore.
Others were already there—several players scattered among the shelves. Upon hearing her approach, they looked up briefly before resuming their search.
A flicker of guilt passed through Elric. She had slept in with uncharacteristic ease, while the others had long since risen to hunt for clues.
She wasted no further time and began combing the shelves.
Philosophy, fairy tales, classics, educational texts…
Worried that hidden clues might be tucked inside or that contents may not match the covers, she flipped through each book, page by page.
By noon, she had found nothing related to the town.
Other players arrived in the meantime—among them Brian and William—but none fared better. They searched and reshelved book after book. The bookstore's proprietor, perched behind the counter with a pair of smudged reading glasses, seemed wholly unconcerned.
Elric shifted tactics and approached him. "Do you have any newspapers?"
The shopkeeper didn't look up.
"Excuse me, sir—are there any newspapers available?" she asked, raising her voice.
A player nearby murmured, "Don't bother. He doesn't respond to anyone."
"Thanks." Elric crouched slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of what the man was reading.
Before she could discern the cover, she saw an eye.
It peered out from a gap between books on the shelf behind the shopkeeper—unblinking, watchful.
A chill clutched her chest, her breath caught mid-thought.
Instinctively, she averted her gaze. Her heart pounded wildly, her limbs turned to ice.
The shopkeeper continued flipping pages, unmoved.
Behind her, the rustle of pages being turned by the other players went on unabated.
Drawing a slow breath, Elric replayed the moment. The eye had fixed on her—but there had been no overt malice.
The thought eased her panic somewhat.
She looked again.
Nothing. The eye was gone.
But she trusted her sight—this was no hallucination. There *had* been an eye, watching from between the books.
"What are you looking at?" came a voice above her. Startled, Elric lifted her gaze—it was the shopkeeper, squinting down at her through his dirty glasses. His eyes had become little more than slits, unreadable.
She smiled naturally. "Hello. I'd like to purchase those two books behind you—would you mind stepping aside?"
He adjusted his glasses. "Which books? The ones for sale are over there."
"I meant the ones on the shelf behind you—sorry for the trouble."
Surprisingly, he didn't argue. He actually stepped aside.
Elric watched him shuffle slowly away, hunched and gripping the shelves for balance. The rocking chair he had occupied still swayed gently. She reached past it with a steady but wary hand and pulled out the two books where the eye had appeared.
She checked the shelf—nothing.
Flipping through the books quickly but thoroughly, she found no anomalies.
No eye.
Relief mingled with anxiety. It had been her only lead.
Once again, she scanned the shelf with care, eyes trained on every shadow under the dim lighting.
A cough echoed from deeper within the shop.
*Thud.*
Something hit the ground.
"Ow—my glasses." The shopkeeper fumbled about, knocking things over as he searched.
Elric stood and walked toward him, hoping to offer help—and perhaps earn goodwill that might coax out information.
She had only taken a few steps when she sensed something moving rapidly along the left-hand shelf.
Reflex overrode thought—Elric reached out—
*Catch it!*
That single impulse consumed her. Her hand shot toward the shelf, snatching a book free. As the empty space widened, a shadow darted forward—aiming for another shelf.
She threw a canvas bag into its path.
The thing hit the bag with a soft thump.
Her heart raced, her throat tight, but she cinched the bag shut and tossed it toward the grocery aisle without hesitation.
"What the hell? You tearing the place down?" A player appeared from behind a shelf, eyeing her curiously.
Books lay strewn across the floor. Elric steadied her voice. "I slipped—sorry." She knelt to gather them, her hands still trembling.
The player eyed her warily. "Let me help."
As he crouched, he cast sidelong glances at her clothing, checking her pockets—but found nothing.
Was it really just a fall?
Brian emerged as well. He glanced around and headed straight to the shopkeeper, cheerfully retrieving the man's glasses.
"Thank you, thank you," the old man muttered, slipping them on again.
"Sir, how come there's no information about the parade festival here? I was hoping to read up in advance."
Now that the man had finally stirred, Brian seized the chance to ask again.
But the old man—though no longer glued to his rocking chair—offered little of use.
"Oh, our parade's a grand affair! Every year, such joy! You'll see for yourself when the day comes. It'll be wonderful!"
He rambled on with nothing but fluff. When Brian pressed further, the man grew impatient.
"I told you already, didn't I? Be patient, boy. You'll know soon enough. Hey, young lady, have you found the books you want?"
Elric nodded toward the two books in her hand. "Just these—could you total them for me?"
The man smiled. Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed to slits. "Sure, twenty bucks'll do."
Not wishing to linger, Elric prepared to leave. Brian considered joining her, but the player who had helped earlier was already following.
"I'm Kenneth. What's your name?"
Elric opened her umbrella. "Elric."
Kenneth did the same, walking alongside her. "Miss Elric, did you find something? Maybe we can share leads."
"Did *you* find something? Share it with me first, and I'll return the favor when I learn more." Elric leaned in with sudden enthusiasm.
Kenneth looked sheepish. "I've been searching all morning and found nothing."
Elric's face fell. "So… we might have to go to the ancestral hall? I have a bad feeling about that place. By the way—did those four players who went missing last night ever return?"
"No idea. I *hope* they come back. Maybe they'll bring new leads."
When Brian caught up, the three returned to the inn—only to discover the four missing players already there.
Seated around a table, they devoured their meal ravenously. An entire pot of rice had already been emptied.
Other players stood around, watching with a mix of suspicion and unease. The atmosphere in the room was tense, strange.
It remained so until Elric and the others entered. Kenneth broke the silence with a boisterous grin. "Hey, lunchtime already? What's on the menu?"
Elric's eyes fell on the four players. They looked unfamiliar—not surprising, given that this dungeon held thirty-two participants. No one could remember every face. Still, the expressions of the surrounding players, and the precise number—four—set off alarm bells.
Could it be them?
That empty pot, their voracious eating—Elric felt her chest tighten.
She sat down quietly at a nearby table. William joined her, giving her a small nod.
Kenneth, unbothered, approached the four with a grin and patted one on the back. "Dudes, starving much—"
Was he being foolish—or playing dumb?
If he were truly na?ve, he wouldn't have thought to search the bookstore.
But if he were acting... had he overplayed his hand?
The player he touched froze mid-motion, then turned—slowly—toward Kenneth.
"I *am* hungry," he said.
Kenneth paled. Around the room, players stiffened. One even gasped audibly.
Elric held her breath.
The player's head had turned a full 180 degrees, while his body remained perfectly still.
No living human could manage that.
A *click* came from his neck as it twisted.
Kenneth, now visibly shaken, backed away with a forced chuckle. "Y-you go ahead. Don't let me interrupt."
The man gave a hollow "Mm" of acknowledgment. His head hadn't turned back yet—but his hand reached behind to shove more food into his mouth.
He chewed robotically, then his neck cracked again—not reversing, but continuing another 180°, completing a full circle back to face the table.
The room was locked in eerie silence. No one moved. No one dared breathe.
*Clatter!*
Someone's chopsticks hit the floor.
It shattered the tension like glass. The owner stooped to retrieve them, then quietly exited the hall.
His footsteps quickened as he ascended the stairs.
Others followed.
Elric rose as well—she hadn't planned to eat here anyway.
On the second floor, she saw one player bursting out of room 203, suitcase in hand.
He must have been sharing that room with one of the ghostly four.
Yesterday, he'd assumed his roommate was dead. Today, the man had returned—but not as a man. Who would dare share a room now?
She felt a flicker of relief. At least *her* roommate was still human.