The radio crackled throughout the silent streets of Verne Town, its cold voice echoing in every corner of the settlement:
"Dear villagers, intruders may be hiding anywhere…"
"An intruder symbolizes danger and misfortune…"
"If you find anything suspicious, report it immediately through the internal phone line to the town office…"
"The staff will continue to investigate thoroughly. Remember—if anyone is found harboring an intruder, not only the harborer but also the villagers living on the left and right of their house will be punished…"
"We ask that all villagers supervise each other and work together to help Verne Town survive this crisis…"
The broadcast repeated itself in cycles. Apart from that cold announcement, the town was eerily quiet. Not a single bird sang. Not a single child played in the street. Doors were shut, windows sealed, curtains drawn. Fear had seeped into every brick of Verne Town.
Lucas walked calmly through the dim streets toward the small house he had chosen as his temporary shelter. His expression was unreadable, but in his heart he muttered, "So even sitting neighbors are punished here… this town really knows how to breed paranoia."
Behind him, patrols of prison-like guards moved from house to house, searching. Lucas knew they hadn't found him yet. He also knew they would never stop looking.
Fortunately, the houses to his left and right were abandoned. "It was a smart decision to hide here," he whispered, his gaze cold as he glanced at the tightly sealed houses further down the street.
As he turned, he noticed movement. From the neighboring window, the curtain shifted ever so slightly, opening a thin crack. A pair of eyes peeked through—nervous, fleeting—and when they met Lucas's, the gap closed instantly, almost as if the moment itself were a hallucination.
[Villager Edward: Intermediate Danger] flashed across his vision as the system evaluated the man inside. Lucas narrowed his eyes but didn't linger.
When he reached his house, the iron door's lock clicked softly, already unlocked as though inviting him in. He glanced once at the mechanism, then pushed it open without hesitation. Entering the yard, he deliberately left the door ajar.
Inside, the house was small, bare, but functional.
[Modeling…]
[Risk assessment is being generated based on host's own strength…]
Slippers: No danger
Coffee table: No danger
Chandelier: No danger
The assessment went on as Lucas slowly changed his shoes and swept his gaze across the dimly lit living room.
Moving into the kitchen, the system continued:
Iron pot: No danger
Cabinet: No danger
Pouring himself a glass of water, Lucas proceeded to the bedroom.
Bed: No danger
Quilt: No danger
At last, the system highlighted something unusual:
[Villager of Alice Town: Low-Level Danger]
Lucas's gaze snapped to the bed. A young woman sat there. No—she was more a girl than a woman.
The room had been designed so there was no place to hide. The bed's base was solid, the wardrobe too shallow to conceal anyone. She had tried to bury herself beneath the quilt, but it was useless.
Sweat-soaked hair clung to her pale cheeks and neck. Her black eyes shimmered with tears, wide with fear as she stared at Lucas.
Silence filled the room. Her lips trembled, voice breaking as she whispered:
"You… can you take me in?"
The system responded immediately:
[System prompt: Player Lucas triggers a hidden mission.]
[Hidden Mission: Help the Villager of Alice Town.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
The livestream audience exploded with noise.
"Pure! Cute! Brothers, help me come up with more adjectives—I'm moved!"
"This NPC is way too beautiful—her face alone is worth millions!"
"Help her! You can't refuse her!"
"Wake up! This is Lucas we're talking about!"
"Don't tell me our beloved female NPC is going to be destroyed by him already! Damn it!"
While the players argued, Lucas stood in silence. Finally, his voice came through the speakers.
"Good."
The world froze.
"What… what did he just say? Did I hear wrong?"
"He said yes?! Lucas actually agreed?!"
"You've changed! You're not the ruthless devil we knew!"
"The cost of keeping her is too high—has he gone mad?"
"Or maybe it's part of a hidden mission he doesn't want to reveal!"
Lucas ignored their panic. Calmly, he held out the glass of water in his hand to the trembling girl. His tone softened.
"You can hide here for now."
The audience gaped. The girl herself was stunned, staring at the cup offered to her as if it were a miracle. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she covered her mouth, crying silently.
"Th…thank you… thank you so much…"
Her hands shook as she accepted the water, choking on sobs as she tried to form more words.
But then—
Crash! Something fell in the living room.
Her body stiffened, fear flooding her eyes. "Outside…" she whispered.
Lucas pressed a finger to his lips, motioning her to stay quiet. Silently, he walked to the door and pulled it open.
[Villager Edward: Intermediate Danger]
There stood Edward, the man from next door, back turned, clearly trying to slip away unnoticed. The sound of the door had betrayed him. His first instinct was immediate: run.
"It's over… I've been caught," Edward gasped.
Lucas's voice was calm. "I thought so."
He closed the bedroom door behind him and stepped out. Edward bolted toward his own house, desperation lending him speed.
"The internal call—I need to report! I'll report him to the authorities!" Edward screamed, stumbling as he ran.
He tripped, crashing hard onto the cobblestone street, skin tearing on his knees. Ignoring the pain, he crawled toward his house, fingers clawing at the ground until he reached the door. Inside, the intercom phone waited, bolted to the wall.
He staggered up, leaning on the wall, one hand reaching for the receiver—
A second hand landed on his shoulder.
Edward froze.
"Let me go! Let me go!!!" His screams pierced the empty street.
Curtains twitched open slightly on both sides of the road. Hidden eyes peeked out, watching in horror as Lucas seized Edward by the collar, dragging him into the middle of the street.
"I'll report you! I'll report you to the town!" Edward shrieked, thrashing.
Lucas didn't respond. He simply looked around at the closing curtains, then smiled faintly.
From his belt, he pulled out a kitchen knife.
"Let's show everyone what happens to an informer."
Gasps came from the livestream. Viewers shouted, begged, cursed, but Lucas didn't hesitate.
With his free hand, he yanked Edward's hair, forcing him to kneel, head tilted upward in terror. The knife gleamed under the pale light as it neared his throat.
"Please, no—!"
Shhk— The blade slashed.
Edward's scream was cut short. His body collapsed, head severed cleanly, rolling across the stones.
For a long moment, silence reigned. Lucas stood there, the severed head dangling from his grip, expression calm as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
No guards appeared. No alarms blared. The streets of Verne Town remained dead silent.
And in that silence, Lucas whispered to himself, almost amused:
"So that's how it is. In this town… the iron tree really does bloom."
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