"What else do you call them if not weirdos?" Big Braids Girl asked in confusion.

Xu Huo wasn’t really trying to get an answer from them; it’s just that the whole situation lacked authenticity.

According to the locals and the information gathered Beneath the Dimension, the entity known as the "Hidden Friend" has been around for quite some time. Perhaps due to the mutant plants, people who enter the safety zone abandon the undeveloped areas and remain silent about it. So what about the ordinary people who have lived here for such a long time?

They fear the "Hidden Friend," yet they don’t seem all that afraid.

The story of the "Hidden Friend" doesn’t seem to have many details, and the fate of those who disappeared is barely mentioned, blurring the horror of this strange tale as much as possible. But in fact, for average people, it is an uncontrollable horror story. Imagine if something hidden in your living place could take you away at any moment without you knowing what would happen afterward—how could it not be terrifying?

But in reality, the people here have an attitude of resignation. They haven’t even gathered to collectively defend against the "Hidden Friend." According to their sayings, as long as someone interrupts and prevents it, the "Hidden Friend" can’t successfully take away a "friend." In terms of avoiding harm and seeking benefits, it’s normal for people to live together.

Faced with an ethereal existence, people’s fear tends to spawn countless imaginings. If the "Hidden Friend" is gentle enough and doesn’t take away villagers every time, over time, people might develop positive feedback, imagining it as some symbol, pursuing, offering sacrifices, or even worshipping it. After all, this forest, due to the mutant plants, is much more stable than other undeveloped areas, and only here does the "Hidden Friend" exist. It’s hard not to see them as cause and effect. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

But if fear, dread, or the compulsion of having nowhere else to go forces them to live here, then the "Hidden Friend" is likely to become demonized, and its tales of taking away people would likely extend into numerous versions. There were already many imaginations about this when the "Hidden Friend" first appeared Beneath the Dimension. Moreover, the people living here must pass down this story to the next generations to protect their families to the maximum extent, emphasizing its seriousness. How could there be situations like with these young girls, whose fear and dread seem to mix with a bit of yearning?

Would those who have truly experienced the "Hidden Friend" event allow such thoughts?

It hasn’t become a symbol of solace, nor has it been demonized. Even the term "Hidden Friend" gets replaced by the less negative and emotional term "weirdo"—all this inevitably gives the impression of the local residents peacefully coexisting with the "Hidden Friend."

When dungeon players enter here, they need to play the role of the "Hidden Friend." So, does the "Hidden Friend" really exist or not?

"We’re here." The group leisurely reached a house in the middle of the village adorned with a garland on the wall, and Big Braids Girl said, "That’s Grandpa He’s house. If you need a place to stay, go to him."

Xu Huo bid farewell to them and walked with the Girl in the painting in that direction.

This village was much larger than the previous one and had more young and middle-aged people. Unlike the quiet emergence at Granny Yi’s place, this time many villagers came out after their arrival, keeping a respectful distance while following them.

The door of the garland-adorned house opened, and a man who looked only fifty or sixty years old came out and asked, "Where are you coming from?"

Xu Huo recounted the story he had told before, and Grandpa He nodded kindly and said, "Let me take you over there. Those two houses have been vacant for a long time, but they’ve been kept clean, with furniture ready for you to move in directly."

As he nodded, the young and middle-aged people around dispersed and returned to their homes. But unlike Granny Yi’s place, where daily lives behind closed doors were the norm, here, most people went about their activities with doors wide open during the day, and they were more curious about outsiders. Some children even followed to see them.

The Girl in the painting, like a Money Scatterer, gave away all the candies and snacks in her bag, thus attracting a group of children offering her flowers or pretty stones in return.

They reached the other end of the village, near the outskirts, where there were two empty houses. Grandpa He opened one of them, saying, "Here it is, not lacking anything. If you plan to eat, let me know in advance, and I’ll have someone prepare it together."

Xu Huo expressed his gratitude and was about to take out money.

"We don’t have much use for money here. But if you have food from outside, you can give me some." Grandpa He smiled and said, "Many in the village haven’t tasted things from elsewhere; let them try it."

Xu Huo handed out some canned meat, dehydrated vegetables, sugar for energy replenishment, and some spices.

"That’s quite a lot." Grandpa He thanked him while instructing the children surrounding the Girl in the painting to tell the adults at home to make a large pot of food for the evening.

The children quickly ran off, and Xu Huo chatted with Grandpa He for a moment, and they talked about Granny Yi. The old man carefully inquired about her current situation.

"Did Granny Yi live here before?" Xu Huo asked.

"She moved away years ago." Grandpa He waved his hand. "Those are all old stories, let’s not dwell on them. Rest for a while and wait for dinner."

The old man left, and Xu Huo put down his backpack to inspect the things inside the house. Many items were newly replaced, but they still bore human-made marks, seemingly not made by ordinary tools, indicating many players had stayed here.

The Girl in the painting had already placed the flowers given by the children in a bowl. She lay on the table, examining everything with satisfaction, nodding approvingly, and informed Xu Huo she was going to the neighbor’s house to fetch some water for nurturing the flowers.

"I’ll go with you," Xu Huo said as he stood up.

Though a few families lived around the empty house, they weren’t very friendly towards outsiders. After knocking at two houses, they were told there was no water without even opening the door.

"Why don’t we go fetch some ourselves," Xu Huo suggested. "Didn’t we see a small stream when we came over just now?"

At that moment, a distant door opened, and a young, energetic man came out with a bucket full of water. He kindly said, "You can use this first. There’s a big jar in that house’s yard. I’ll clean it and bring you a few more buckets of water."

Xu Huo politely thanked him and suggested they could go fetch water themselves and just needed him to point out the direction.

"Outsiders can easily lose their way; I’ll take you," the young man said warmly and generously, borrowing two more buckets from the neighbor.