Daybreak arrived...
Caleb got out of bed, opened the curtains, and looked outside.
The heavy fog surrounding the castle had mostly dissipated, but the sky above remained overcast and gloomy.
Wang walked in from outside and said to Caleb and Dmitri in the room, "No. 1 is calling us to gather downstairs. Are you going?"
Dmitri used his hand to block the light coming through the window. Perhaps because he wasn't fully awake yet, there was a trace of irritation in his voice as he asked, "What's the matter?"
Wang replied, "Probably to have everyone split up and explore the castle to find the locations of the electrical switches."
Dmitri's eyes snapped open as he realized that the person speaking just now wasn't his roommate and that he wasn't at school anymore.
This was an Instance in the Infinite World. He was already dead.
Thinking of this, he became completely sober. He rubbed his face and said gloomily, "I'm going, wait for me!"
"Okay." Wang paused, then turned to look at Caleb.
Holding the Caterpie-version Mimikyu, Caleb stepped over the sofa and walked outside.
"We'll wait for you outside the door." He said.
Turning his head, he noticed that Dmitri's eyes were somewhat red, his gaze fixed on a single point, lost in thought.
Wang saw it too. He followed Caleb outside and asked, "What's wrong with him? Did you bully him?"
Caleb twitched the corner of his mouth and pointed out, "I can't beat him."
Wang's gaze slowly shifted, silently meeting the eyes of the Caterpie on Caleb's shoulder.
'Right...' He thought.
Caleb stretched lazily and said casually, "Maybe he's homesick."
Dmitri wasn't particularly old, looking no more than nineteen. Back on Earth, he'd just be a freshman in university.
Suddenly arriving here and learning that he might never see his family again, it was a testament to his strong resilience that he hadn't lost it immediately.
"Oh," Wang nodded, and then asked, "So will we have a chance to see our families again in the future?"
"You can." Caleb nodded, "As long as you can accumulate enough points, you can either resurrect in your world of origin, or start a new life in the Pokémon-verse."
Hearing this, Wang's expression seemed to relax, and he murmured softly, "That's good."
"Let's go downstairs." Caleb saw that Dmitri in the room had adjusted his emotions and turned to walk downstairs.
He had no parents, having grown up in an orphanage. After seeing off the director who took care of him, he had no more attachments left in that world.
Therefore, he couldn't relate to Dmitri's feelings.
Wang looked at his back, and for a moment, felt as if a deep sense of loneliness radiated from Caleb. But it was only for a moment. The next second, that aura disappeared.
Mimikyu watched its trainer's profile with its pitch-black pupils, then gently pressed its face against his and kissed him.
Caleb raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "What's up?"
Mimikyu shook its head and continued to stand obediently on his shoulder...
...
~Downstairs~
By the time Caleb and the other two arrived, the remaining six players were already seated in their places...
No. 1, the old man, looked at the three of them and showed a kind smile, asking, "Have you had breakfast?"
Dmitri nodded, "We have. What's on the agenda today?"
After Caleb and the others sat down, the old man said, "We need to find the location of the electrical switches. Darkness is the werewolves' natural hunting ground. If we don't have light by nightfall, our situation will become extremely passive."
He added, "Moreover, without electricity, the water heater won't work; we can't shower. The underground water pump won't operate either. So no water supply, and the toilets won't flush."
As the old man spoke, he swept his gaze over everyone. Although he didn't continue, everyone understood what he meant.
No water, no showers, and the sh*t and piss in the toilets couldn't be flushed...
He continued, "Of course, I don't think anyone would mind if you just found an empty room to take a dump in, but the lighting issue must be resolved."
No. 4 nodded and asked, "How should we group up? Or should we act individually? The werewolves probably won't kill during the day, right?"
The Old Man replied, "Who knows? Maybe their 'killing' cooldown has already reset."
He then looked at everyone and asked, "There are only nine of us left now. How about we split into groups of three? Any objections?"
No. 7 glanced at No. 11 and No. 12, raised her hand, and said, "Then the three of us will form a group, responsible for the East Wing."
The castle hall had interior doors leading to three directions: East, North, and West. The layout was somewhat similar to a certain police station in Resident Evil.
Dmitri looked at Caleb and Wang, then said, "The three of us will take the West Wing!"
The old man naturally had no objections. He glanced at No. 4 and No. 10, saying, "Then we'll take the North Wing."
After the discussion, everyone split up to act...
Caleb took Wang and Dmitri and entered the corridor leading to the West Wing.
No. 7, No. 11, and No. 12 pushed open the interior door to the East Wing.
The remaining three entered the North Wing. At a corner, Clara's figure melted into the darkness. A moment later, she followed them, as if nothing had happened.
This insignificant incident naturally escaped the attention of the old man and the muscular man. Therefore, they didn't realize that the girl behind them had become somewhat different.
Zoroark, which evolved from Zorua, possessed the special ability to create illusions and transform into other Pokémon and humans.
Clara stood in the shadows, watching the three figures gradually recede into the distance, then turned and entered the corridor leading to the West Wing.
She took out a pale purple sphere from her hand.
- Butterfree's Eye (S-grade item): a special item capable of tracking target individuals and Pokémon...
...
The corridors in the West Wing had very few windows, making them quite dark. The air was filled with a musty smell...
"A wine cellar & storage room... Do you think there might be wine here?" Dmitri carefully identified the smell in the air, then his eyes lit up, "I smell it! There's the scent of wine here!"
Wang reminded him somewhat speechlessly, "Don't forget we're here to repair the electrical switches."
Dmitri: "What's there to fear? It's still morning, we have the whole day. It's not too late to look for them in the afternoon. What do you think, Yasuo?"
Caleb couldn't be more happier if these two noobs got drunk. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's go take a look. We've been eating bread for two meals now. Maybe the cellar has some cured ham hanging."
Dmitri nodded eagerly, thinking of delicious ham, and said, "Yes! Let's go check it out! It's on the way, so it won't waste time either!"
Hearing both of them say this, Wang's heart couldn't help but waver a little.
He hesitated and said, "Then... let's go take a look?"
Dmitri immediately pulled his arm with vigor, saying, "Let's go, let's go! By the way, buddy, what did you do back on Earth? This suit looks so formal."
Wang replied, "I was just a graphic designer at an ordinary company."
"Graphic designer? And you were required to wear a suit to work?" Dmitri asked.
Wang looked somewhat embarrassed, "No... this suit was bought by my mom for me to go on blind dates."
It's just that he had an accident on the way to the blind date and ended up here...