The Only Player in 'Child of Stardust'

[March 27, 101.

I haven't gotten any sleep these past few days. I feel afraid every moment, constantly thinking the police will break down my door any second. I'm becoming delirious; I feel like I'm going insane.

Maybe I should turn myself in, but if I do, my life is over.

Wait a bit longer, just a bit longer... Wang Jian Wei is not a local. His parents died early, he doesn't have a wife, and he recently lost his job. He even borrowed a large sum of money from friends. His disappearance looks more like he ran away, which probably won't attract much police attention.

May the heavens bless me...]

[April 25, 101.

A month has passed, and the police haven't shown up. A few days ago, I went to Wang Jian Wei's rented house pretending to look for him. A stranger opened the door, saying he was the new tenant.

It seems the landlord assumed Wang Jian Wei couldn't pay the rent and ran off, so he rented the place out again.

I contacted a few friends who lent money to Wang Jian Wei. They all said he must have skipped town with the money. Someone called the police, but since the amount involved is small and Wang Jian Wei is from out of town, it probably won't amount to much.

Every year in Xinhu, many people go missing. Since Wang Jian Wei is an outsider, his disappearance won't make much of a splash.

Maybe... this is the end of it?]

[May 1, 101.

I finally slept well last night. I think I've dodged this bullet.]

[June 13, 101.

Last night, I dreamed of the murder scene again. I can't forget that accelerated heartbeat...

Why is this happening? Am I inherently a killer?]

[June 20, 101.

That feeling has turned into a desire, spreading endlessly within me. It tortures me, keeps me from sleeping. I can't endure it, I simply can't. This desire is a hundred, a thousand times stronger than sexual desire, like ants crawling in my veins, muscles, even my soul, causing unbearable tingling and pain.

I tossed and turned, trying to find a way to alleviate this torment, but it was futile. Those ants had deeply rooted in my heart.

I'm wavering...

I want to do it again.]

[July 16, 101.

After a long search, I captured a homeless man. This time, I decided not to be so brutal. I wanted to be as meticulous as cooking a dish.

I'm truly mad, planning to kill another person. This time, my luck might not be as good as last time. The police might find me, but I can't hold it in anymore. I'm about to go crazy.

This is the last time. After this, I'll stop.]

[July 18, 101.

I really did turn him into a dish.

I could feel every cell in my body trembling. It was an unprecedented sensation. I don't know how to describe it... Pleasure? Excitement? A sense of control? Guilt?

This feeling was wonderful, like floating in heaven, endlessly relishing it.

I'm not going to stop. I want to keep chasing this feeling until I die!]

After that, Li Xu Tian committed a crime every one or two months, detailing the crime's time, methods, the victim's appearance and reaction, the cooking process. He even wrote reviews at the end.

Rather than a diary, it looked more like a private cookbook.

When only a third of the diary remained, Zhou Yuan finally reached the part related to the ritual magic circle.

[March 13, 106.

The pig I caught this time was different. He seemed to know his fate, so he was unusually talkative, telling me some secrets... He was a killer just like me.

No wonder he looked familiar at first glance, maybe some common trait between our kind: insanity? Cruelty? Indifference? Or something else... But his level was lower than mine. He only knew how to stab people to death brutally, without any sense of ritual or aesthetics. Trash.

He also said he had a document on his phone, recording a ritual that could strengthen the body and make someone immensely powerful. He killed people all over to prepare for the ritual.

I found the document, which mentioned an organization called "Flesh Workshop." Its members worshiped the body, advocated indulgence, and performed various ancient, bloody, primal rituals.

This was clearly a scam. I suspected the man had a problem, believing such a trick wholeheartedly. Eating him wouldn't make me stupid, right?]

"Flesh Workshop... Would any organization really name themselves something that sounds so much like a cult?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but comment. "Wouldn't that scare people away?"

He continued reading:

[March 16, 106.

I've been bored these past few days, so I thoroughly researched the only ritual recorded in the document. It's a strengthening ritual that can transfer the strength of others' flesh to oneself, enhancing physical strength.

What nonsense...

But there were still some supplies in the cellar. If I capture a few more people, I can meet the ritual conditions. Since I'm idle anyway, why not give it a try?]

[May 2, 106.

I performed the strengthening ritual. Half an hour passed with no response.

After eating that man, I did become stupid. How could I have been so bewitched to believe such a thing? I even spent over ten thousand on ritual materials. Damn.]

"So, this Flesh Workshop might be a scam group, but did Li Xu Tian make a mistake in some steps, causing the ritual to fail?"

Zhou Yuan continued to read, hoping to find more useful information. Unfortunately, Li Xu Tian didn't try the ritual again, and the diary soon came to an end.

[Task "Good Chef Teaches You How to Be a Person" has been completed]

[Task evaluation: A (Experience Points and Star Coins rewards raised to 130%)]

[Comment: You were cautious enough, leaving few traces behind. Exposure in reality would have led to a very tragic end—a fact you are well aware of, hence your desire for quick resolution.

However, caution has its drawbacks. You believe you've uncovered the entire truth of the task, but in fact, you have only scratched the surface.]

[Task Reward 1: Experience Points *130]

[Task Reward 2: Star Coins *1300]

[LV5→LV6!]

[Experience: 40/350]

[Star Coins: 5400]

[Assignable Attribute Points: 4]

"Just the tip of the iceberg... So there's more I haven't uncovered. Is it the Flesh Workshop?

If I hadn't killed Li Xu Tian but tortured and interrogated him instead, I might have gotten to the truth and secured an S-grade rating... still too inexperienced." Zhou Yuan scratched his head, understanding the scoring mechanism.

"To achieve an S-grade rating, not only must one perform excellently during the task, but one must also uncover the truth behind the event.

Indeed, high rewards come with high risks."

The task ended, and it was already four in the morning.

Zhou Yuan put the diary in his backpack, yawned, turned off the light, and went to bed.

Outside the window.

As the room lights went out, the red-eyed crow on the branch also closed its eyes.

The wind began to blow, making the leaves rustle. The colors of the night sky grew deeper and more intense. The clouds gathered like a giant shroud, blocking the moonlight and stars. An indescribable sense of oppression spread silently.

This was the prelude to a storm.