Chapter 109
Odalys didn't believe in coincidences, but the smell was remarkably similar. Inhaling the scent, she subconsciously glanced toward the village.
"Odalys, why are you in a daze? Are you feeling unwell? You don't look well," Freya said, quickly approaching to touch her forehead. Odalys's thoughts snapped back. She shook her head.
"It's nothing. I was thinking about something else and got distracted," Odalys said, forcing a smile. She was afraid others would notice something was wrong, so she said nothing more.
The live chat erupted with comments:
- Person 1: What does Odalys's bad expression mean? Is it because Sophia got the better house?
- Person 2: Am I the only one who thinks Odalys's expression is off? Is something wrong in the village?
- Person 3: Heavens, this village looks depressing! It looks like a village full of ghosts!
- Person 4: Are there any locals in the chat? Have you heard of this village? Is the production crew going to cause trouble here?
Viewers watched the live broadcast, some feeling a little scared even through the screen. Odalys's earlier expression made netizens suspicious, and Sophia's fans immediately began to defame her.
Then, a comment appeared:
- Person 5: I'm a local. This is Dead Mary's Village! They say many people see ghosts there at night, so we call it Dead Man's Village. Many people don't dare go there. I've heard the villagers don't intermarry with outsiders; they only interact among themselves. It's very mysterious.
Viewers' hearts pounded. They stared at the village, sensing something was wrong. Their curiosity peaked; they glued their eyes to the live broadcast, afraid to miss anything.
Everyone moved their belongings inside. Although Group A's house was nice, it was empty. Sophia's face darkened, but she didn't dare say anything.
"Let's all pick a room. We can sleep on the floor," Sophia said, forcing a smile and choosing the largest room.
The others chose rooms as well, but Finnian felt uneasy. The place felt gloomy, and he shivered. In a low voice, he said, "Why is it so cold here?"
"It's probably cold because we're in the mountains. The temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. We should wear coats," Atlas said quickly.
Finnian went into a room with his luggage, vaguely feeling someone watching him.
After Group B moved in, they realized the house was old and had only two rooms. Stellan chose the smaller room, leaving the larger bedroom for the three women.
They quickly made their beds, but stared at the roof in a daze, worried about a leak if it rained.
"Let's go outside and see if we can find some hay to plug the hole in the roof," Odalys said. With that, she pulled magic dust from her backpack.
"Odalys, are you going to draw talismans?" Freya asked, immediately approaching.
Selah and Stellan also came closer. Odalys drew several talismans and placed them in corners of the house. "This house hasn't been lived in for a long time. I'm just being cautious," she explained.
"Put one on my forehead," Freya said, leaning closer.
Odalys tapped her forehead with a brush. Freya, delighted, ran out, saying, "Selah, let's go find some hay!"
"Okay," Selah replied, hurrying after her.
Odalys was silent for a moment. After drawing more talismans, she went outside. She gave some to Kenny, saying, "Put these on the car and where you'll be staying for safety."
Kenny's hands trembled as he took the talismans. He seemed to understand Odalys: if she didn't say anything, it was probably fine, but if she acted, something was definitely wrong. The talismans confirmed his worries.
"Okay," Kenny said, quickly putting them away. He gave one to each group's photographers, kept one for himself, and even placed one on the cars.
Odalys took the remaining two and went next door. "Do you need these?" she asked Sophia.
Sophia, immediately wary, saw the talisman and scoffed, "I'm an independent woman. I only believe in science."
"Alright," Odalys said, smiling and putting the talismans away.
Sophia was embarrassed but reached out her hand, surprised when Odalys actually put the talismans away. Her hand froze as Odalys turned and left. She'd expected Odalys to try and convince her, not leave so decisively. She wondered if Odalys had offered them as a show.
"You..." Sophia fumed. As Odalys took back the talismans, Sophia felt a chill and sneezed.
Finnian, seeing her sneeze, approached with his coat. "Here, put this on," he said.
"Thank you," Sophia replied quietly. As she took the coat, she noticed Finnian staring at her.
"Why are you looking at me?" Sophia asked in a low voice. After drugging Finnian the previous night, she felt uneasy, especially noticing something off about him today. He kept wanting to touch her thigh, which disgusted her.
"Nothing," Finnian said, turning and going inside.
Sophia looked around, noticing a serious problem. She hurried into the living room. "It's six o'clock. It'll be dark soon. We haven't had lunch or dinner. What are we going to do?"
Francis tossed his backpack aside, removed his sunglasses, and clipped them to his collar. "I'm on a diet. I don't need to eat."
"If we don't eat today, we need to prepare for tomorrow, or we'll starve," Sophia said quietly, remembering everyone's food poisoning and diarrhea on the deserted island. They needed to do something.
"Then what do you suggest?" Francis asked.
After a pause, Sophia said, "Aren't we in the mountains? Let's see if we can find any pheasants or other game. We can catch one and eat it."
"Alright, let's go," Atlas agreed. He'd follow Sophia no matter what.
Finnian followed suit. The group walked majestically up the mountain behind the village, but the further they went, the more remote it became. The villagers seemed reluctant to go out at night.
"This village is strange. Why isn't anyone outside?" Atlas said, confused. As he spoke, he saw Group B cutting grass.
"Looks like Group B is having grass for dinner," Atlas said, whistling at them. "Eating grass today?"
Group B ignored them. After finishing with the talismans, Odalys walked over, looking into the village and saying, "Why did that smell disappear? I clearly smelled it when I arrived."