"What the hell, Silas? Why did you tie me up?"
Once he grasped the situation, Weston erupted. "This is all your fault! You told me it would be fine to give it a try!"
"How is this my fault? I only said *try one bite*! I even tried it too, didn't I? Nothing happened to me! You were the one who ate too much—and you even ate the meat!" Silas shouted back, indignant.
On the surface, Silas appeared full of confidence, but inwardly, he was deeply unsettled.
Of course, he hadn't touched the soup at all. As soon as Weston took a sip, his eyes glazed over, and he became completely absorbed, gulping it down without realizing that Silas, who had promised to test it together, hadn't eaten a drop.
Clutching his stomach, Weston whimpered, "What's happening to me… Am I really possessed?"
"It's possible. You truly don't remember anything?"
"All I know is that I fell asleep!"
The two stared at each other helplessly, completely at a loss.
With nothing else to do, Silas and Weston simply sat and waited. As time passed, Weston's eyelids began to droop, and he soon dozed off. Silas, too afraid to be alone, kept nudging him, but Weston remained fast asleep.
Suddenly, Silas noticed something odd—Weston's belly began to twitch.
Weston was a large man with a rotund, firm belly that jiggled slightly when he walked. But now, right before Silas's eyes, a small bulge pushed up beneath his shirt, shifting from one side to the other, swelling and moving beneath the fabric.
The sight was horrifying. Steeling himself, Silas reached out to touch it.
There *was* something there.
He took a deep breath and lifted the hem of Weston's loose shirt. What he saw made his blood run cold—he screamed, tumbling backward in terror.
He scrambled to the door in panic, heart pounding in his throat. Without a second thought, he bolted from the room—he *had* to get out.
---
At that same moment, Erik caught sight of the boatman's figure vanishing into the curtain of rain. She hurried downstairs and silently followed him.
Clad in a rain cloak, the boatman moved swiftly toward the ferry dock. Several fishing boats were moored there, and Erik recognized a few of the villagers as the same fishermen who had returned late last night.
So early in the morning—and the boats were already setting out again?
The same four women from yesterday were there. After sorting out a batch of human-headed fish, they each carried a bucket and left again.
Today, Erik had made up her mind—she would follow them and acquire one of those grotesque fish.
It wouldn't be easy. With daylight fully risen, there was nowhere to hide.
So Erik walked over with open confidence, greeting them with a smile. "Sisters, where are you off to this morning?"
All four women were caught off guard. One of them, known as Third Sister, forced a smile. "My husband caught a few fish, so we're just bringing them home."
As she spoke, she examined Erik's face. *Such a pretty girl,* she thought—dark eyes, a round face tapering into a fine chin. *What a pity…*
"What kind of fish is it?" Erik asked casually. "The fish here are truly delicious. That mute uncle brought us two servings of fish soup—it was the best I've ever had. Shame he can't talk—I wanted to ask what kind of fish he uses. Do you happen to know?"
Of course, the women denied knowing anything.
Erik noticed their expressions growing stiffer. "Would you mind sparing one for us? We'd love to try grilling one ourselves."
Someone actually asking to eat a human-headed fish?
Third Sister was momentarily stunned—but then quickly realized what must be going on. Her sympathy for Erik deepened. *Poor thing… they've all been kept in the dark.*
Still, pity wouldn't sway her. She *couldn't* risk letting Erik see the truth of the fish.
What if they were frightened and stopped eating altogether?
And besides, except for the old woman—the boy's grandmother—no one could cook these fish well. Anyone else's attempt, no matter the seasoning, would reek of that inescapable stench. Otherwise, wouldn't it be easier to just chop off the heads and give the players the fish bodies?
"Of course!" Third Sister steadied her voice and invited Erik to come along. "We've got all kinds of fish at home. You can pick whichever you like." She then signaled the other women with her eyes to quietly take the buckets to the boy's grandmother.
"I know that boy," Erik added sweetly. "So polite and well-behaved. I'll come too!"
There was no stopping her.
"I'll help carry one!" Erik offered warmly, and since the buckets were tightly secured, Third Sister allowed it.
They hadn't gone far when Erik, feigning a slip on the slick, rain-soaked road, fell—sending the bucket tumbling. As she "accidentally" loosened the lid, her fingers brushed against a fish tail. In one smooth motion, she snatched a fish and hid it.
Moments later, Third Sister rushed over and threw herself on the bucket. Seeing no fish had spilled out, she sighed in relief.
"Sorry, Sister—I didn't see where I was going. I'm really sorry," Erik said with an apologetic smile.
"No harm done," Third Sister replied, forcing a grin. "It wasn't your fault."
Once they arrived at the boy's house, the women took the buckets directly into the kitchen. Erik approached the boy. "No school today?"
"I don't go to school," he replied, shaking his head.
"There's no school nearby?"
"Grandma says the nearest one is really, really far away."
"Do your friends go?"
"Nope. Sister, what's school like? Is it fun?"
Erik's interest was piqued. Why would a village so backward and isolated send seven of its own out to study at a university? There had to be more to that backstory.
"Erik, how's this one?" Third Sister called from the kitchen, holding up a fat grass carp. "Nice and fresh!"
"Looks great. How much is it?"
"No need for money—take it," the grandmother said.
Erik insisted on paying, but the boy interjected, "We don't use money here. We trade."
"In that case, I'll trade this," Erik said, pulling a small folding mirror and comb from her pocket. She noticed the way the NPCs' eyes locked onto the trinket, fascinated—as if such things were rare and precious here.
Her suspicions only deepened. Still, she smiled innocently. "Is that okay?"
"Of course! No need to be so polite," Third Sister answered for the old woman, eagerly accepting.
As Erik walked away, carrying the grass carp tied with a straw rope and an umbrella in hand, she greeted each NPC she passed with a cheerful smile, paying no heed to the subtle, probing stares she received.
---
Back at the stilt house, Brooks had returned first. Seeing Erik with the fish, he raised a curious brow.
"What's Weston's condition?" Erik asked as she hung the fish in the kitchen.
"He's awake," Brooks replied. "But he remembers nothing about last night. Thinks we're lying to him."
"And Silas?"
"Haven't seen him since I got back. Weston says he was alone when he woke up."
Frowning, Erik said, "That's odd. He didn't seem the type to act on his own. He'd already given himself the task of watching Weston—why would he suddenly change course?"
"He may already be in trouble. Weston's in his room. Still groggy—fell back asleep after a short chat."
Erik knocked, receiving no reply.
Brooks opened the door for her. Erik approached the bed—Weston was fast asleep, snoring loudly, appearing completely normal.
In the dim rainy light, Erik crouched to check more closely but found nothing amiss.
"Weston? Weston?"
He grumbled something unintelligible and kept snoring.
Returning to her room with Emery, Erik ate a few pieces of bread and half a bottle of juice for lunch. Only then did she take out the human-headed fish she had smuggled away.
She placed it into a white plastic bucket and secured the lid with heavy cutting boards.
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
The moment the bucket was disturbed, it began rattling violently. Erik feared the plastic might break.
Then came a *crack*.
She immediately lifted the lid—just in time to see the fish leap skyward.
With a swift, practiced motion, she brought down a cleaver—
**Thwack!**
The blade struck the fish square on the head. Dazed, it dropped to the floor.
Without hesitation, Erik bound it tightly at the junction between head and body—the "neck."
Suspending it for inspection, she was both horrified and intrigued.
The head and body were clearly mismatched—the body was that of an ordinary grass carp, while the head was unmistakably human, flattened to fit proportionally. Its skin wasn't fish scales, but smooth and fleshy, like human skin. It had distinct facial features, even hair. Using chopsticks, Erik pried open its tiny mouth, revealing human-like teeth and gums.
The closer she looked, the more nauseated she became.
Why would the NPCs feed players this monstrosity?
---
"Erik? They're back," Brooks called, knocking at the door.
When she returned to the living room, she saw Delilah, Josephine, and Emery had returned—everyone except Silas.
After changing their clothes, they gathered to talk.
The moment they stepped inside, their eyes fell on the human-headed fish.
Emery shrieked in disgust.
"That's *so* gross!"
"Erik, you're amazing. I can't believe you actually got one," Delilah exclaimed, circling the creature with fascination. "It's even creepier up close. Look—it's really like a human head stuck on a fish body. They had to flatten the skull, otherwise the proportions would be way off."
Without that, it'd be like a tadpole—massive head on a skinny body.
"Even flattened, it still looks wrong. I'm going to have nightmares tonight," Emery muttered, turning away quickly after just one look.