Was this really something Li Ling or Zhihao would do...?
If so, then why would they do it? What benefits would they gain from terrorizing a few NPCs like this?
It wasn't a question that Wang GuiYing could recklessly answer on his own.
"The fire is moving from person to person but not spreading through contact," Xin added, with his eyes constantly fixed on the fire.
Wang GuiYing nodded his head with a frown. He had also noticed this. No matter whom the burning person touched, the fire would not spread over. It would burn but it would not spread from person to person. Hence, at a time, only a single person would be burning.
"Once the person is dead, the fire would move on to the next random victim," Just as Xin had said this, the person who was burning dropped dead to the ground, and another one from the crowd started burning.
"The victims are not completely random," Wang GuiYing spoke as he also noticed something odd, "Only NPCs are being burned and that too without any warning signs...!"
Even if the next victim did not come close to the previous victim, they would still not be able to avoid their fate.
"It looks like the fire is choosing its victims," Wang GuiYing commented as he thought about it, "But on what basis?"
Even with serious inspection, he was able to find no connections between the victims. It looked random just as Xin had said but Wang GuiYing couldn't help but want to disagree. It looked random and that was exactly why he felt that it wasn't random.
The first victim was a young mother who had been happily strolling in this fair with her daughter. The second victim was a man who looked a little older than thirty and came here alone to enjoy a few drinks and games. The third victim was a girl wearing a high school uniform and it looked like she had come here with her boyfriend who was currently terrified to see her burning.
Wang GuiYing gulped as he felt his head ache. There was nothing common except for the fact that they all looked completely innocent...!
"I don't think the gamemaster is behind this..." Xin muttered as he felt that the puzzle just didn't fit.
Wang GuiYing nodded his head slowly. He clearly felt the same.
"The first one was a mother, the second was a man who enjoyed drinks and games while the third was a teenage girl on a date..." Wang GuiYing muttered as he tried to find a connection. He felt as if he almost had it. There was certainly a connection but it was either too obvious to notice or too hidden to see.
For a minute, Wang GuiYing closed his eyes and thought about it deeply.
At the same time, the teenage girl also dropped dead and the fire moved on to its next victim.
This time, it was a young man who had been helping out in one of the stalls, selling steamed dumplings.
The steamed dumpling stall was quite famous in the fair and since they were already all sold out, the young man was already packing everything up and getting ready to go home early today.
"I think I got it...!" Wang GuiYing exclaimed, clapping his hand.
"Hmm?" Xin side-glanced at the man as he waited for him to speak.
"It's happiness..." Wang GuiYing muttered and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that his guess was right but instead of being glad about it, he could only be shocked, "The mother was happy for getting the time to take her daughter to the fair. The second victim was happy to drink and play. The teenage girl was happy to be spending time with her boyfriend. The young man made good sales and was happy to return home early."
Xin gulped and now that this was pointed out, he couldn't help but nod his head as he agreed to it being a possibility.
"If happiness is really the trigger then it isn't the gamemaster and Zhihao. It can't be any other player either."
Xin nodded his head once again.
"It's the fire," Xin spoke as he completed what Wang GuiYing wanted to say.
Wang GuiYing gulped as he heard this and with a nod, he spoke, "It's alive...!"
Xin moved first as he approached the burning person and Wang GuiYing also wasted no time as he followed after the man.
Wang GuiYing wasn't the type to help people but he was certainly the type to go digging into mysteries.
This red fire was quite mysterious and he was sure the story behind it was also going to be just as interesting so there was no way he would be satisfied with just standing outside and observing the situation.
However, in this fourth stage, everyone was equal and everyone was normal. Xin as a mage could do nothing and Wang GuiYing as a healer was also quite useless since their powers didn't work here.
The only way to put out the fire would be by using the traditional method of throwing water over it.
Luckily enough, the burning young man had been helping out in the steamed dumpling stall and that stall also provided cold water for its customers. Xin and Wang GuiYing grabbed a few cups of the cold water and rushed over to pour it over the burning body, hoping that the fire would be put off.
However, contrary to their expectations, as soon as the water was poured over the burning body, the fire became even more lively and fierce, almost looking as if it had conjured up a spirit that had now been angered.
Wang GuiYing gulped as he moved a few steps backward, immediately realizing that the water was not helping at all.
He gulped as he looked around in search of something else that could perhaps put out the fire.
In the end, he could only grab a handful of salt from the popcorn stall and throw it towards the fire, not even knowing what that would do.
The young man's body fell down onto the floor and it almost looked as if the salt was the reason behind his death, but in reality, his body had just not been able to take it anymore and had given up.
Wang GuiYing and Xin looked at each other and nodded before they turned and started checking around for another burning person.
This time nobody caught fire immediately and it almost fooled everyone into thinking that the whole ordeal was already over.
However, Wang GuiYing and Xin knew better. They stayed on their guards and didn't stop looking around.
That fire was alive and it wasn't being commanded by anyone, on the contrary, it was commanding itself and choosing its own victims.
Normally, they wouldn't have been too worried about such a fire, but the current situation was clearly different.
They were on the fourth stage and this stage was supposed to be a safe haven for the players. A tempting world that was supposed to be peaceful and fun. It was certainly fun but after hearing about the serial killer and the burning red fire, nobody would be able to claim it as a peaceful place.
The existence of the living fire in this stage only meant one thing but although Wang GuiYing had guessed it, he didn't dare voice it out.
But Xin wasn't so afraid to speak, "There is an error in the game."
Wang GuiYing was reminded of the time when he and Zhou Xinyi had been trapped inside T.I.A.D.
"Then the reason why Li Ling and Zhihao came to this fourth stage wasn't because of you, but instead, they were here to fix this issue?" Wang GuiYing gulped as he asked but the question need not be answered as the answer was already pretty clear.
"The two weren't the ones who burned down those thirty-eight people," Xin sighed as he spoke, "They were the ones who had tried to save the burning people."
Wang GuiYing nodded his head as he agreed.
"In that case, it shouldn't be long before they arrive here. Let's wait for now," Wang GuiYing spoke and Xin shared the same thoughts as him.
They had already tried to put out the fire with the help of water and when that didn't work, Wang GuiYing had even thrown a handful of salt at the fire in an attempt to stop it. However, at the end of the day, the red fire still burned ever so brightly with its flames looking as if they were reaching for the sky.
They couldn't stop the fire and since the first thirty-eight people had died in the presence of Li Ling and Zhihao, they could safely assume that the fire was not something easy to deal with.
If even the gamemaster had trouble saving people, it was only natural that Wang GuiYing would also not be that successful in dealing with this situation.
The best thing they could do was stand aside and wait.