007 hid behind a tree, watching the other side intently. The two people there seemed unaware of her presence.

In the dim forest, a woman resembling a witch extended a withered hand, her fingers almost as thin as the thinnest dry twig 007 might hold. They looked dry and stiff, as if they would SNAP if bent even slightly. At this moment, this skeletal hand was tightly gripping a soft, tender one, its fingertips still tinged with pink. The contrast made the witch's hand look even more emaciated. The other tender hand belonged to the woman standing opposite the witch.

Since the woman's profile was turned to her, 007 couldn't get a clear look, only a vague outline.

With just one look, 007 was filled with admiration.

Is she a princess from a fairy tale? She's so beautiful! Even a glimpse is enough to perceive her striking beauty.

007 knew that "striking" wasn't the best adjective to describe beauty, but she couldn't think of a better one for the moment.

However, she looks somewhat familiar? And judging by her outfit, she doesn't look like an NPC. She seems more like a player. Her clothes are a mess; she clearly has no clue how to match outfits. A green vest over a pink sweater, and black sweatpants... The pants are ordinary enough, I guess. There isn't much one can mess up with a pair of pants...

Usually, beautiful people also have pleasant voices.

007 listened intently to their conversation.

"Beautiful girl," the witch said, gripping the lovely woman's hand tightly, "I am an old woman passing through this forest. I've been forced to rest here due to an injury. Could you do me a favor?"

Indeed, this witch seemed incapable of significant movement. Even the act of reaching out and grasping the other's hand appeared to exhaust her.

007 knitted her brows.

For some reason, these words sound oddly familiar. Come to think of it, the little girl selling lighters said something similar to me. Although the words were different on the surface, the meaning was pretty much the same. They were all asking for help.

Is this how all the NPCs in this instance give out tasks?

As these thoughts crossed 007's mind, she shifted her feet slightly to change her position. Just then, she felt her foot kick something. Luckily, the two over there didn't seem to notice.

She looked down and saw a shovel lying there. It looked as if it had been there for a very long time; it was almost completely rusted through.

The conversation between the two figures ahead continued, and this time, it was the beautiful woman who spoke.

"If there's anything I can assist you with, I'll do my best to help."

The beauty's voice is indeed pleasant, gentle, and kind. Even though this NPC looks so sinister, clearly not a good sort, that woman still agreed to help without hesitation.

007 squatted, examining the shovel at her feet while stealthily eavesdropping on their conversation. Half of the shovel was buried in the earth. She carefully dug it out, only to discover something else underneath.

"Actually, it's not a difficult task," came the elderly voice. "Help me dig up ten medicinal herbs. You might not have seen this herb before; it grows underground. It's red, slender, and long, with many roots around it, like a centipede."

At that moment, 007 had just picked up what the shovel had unearthed. But before she had a chance to inspect it closely, the elderly voice spoke again, "Here, take this, it'll make your task easier..."

007 paused, then suddenly looked up.

Sure enough, a shovel—neither too big nor too small—had appeared in the witch's hand. She was now passing it to the woman opposite her.

007's pupils constricted sharply.

A shovel...

There's an identical one under my foot! Although it's rusty, its size and style are still clear. They're practically identical.

This means someone else, with an identical shovel, dug something in this spot before... But given how rusty this shovel is, it must have been a long time ago.

A long time ago... Could a player who entered this instance much earlier have left it after doing this task?

So, this instance's data doesn't reset? How can items left by previous players still be here?!

007 was somewhat bewildered.

Then, she discovered something even more terrifying—the item in her hand had triggered some changes. It was a small, pendant-like object. But whether because it had been buried for too long or for some other reason, it was as corroded as the shovel, its original appearance almost unrecognizable.

Not long after 007 picked it up, her panel appeared.

[Item Name: Sunny Day Charm (Corrupted)]

[System Message: Data analysis failed. Data structure abnormal.]

[Analysis: Failed.]

Is this... a special item? The panel only shows up to give a description when you acquire a special item in an instance. But what do these garbled characters mean...? Is the special item's data corrupted? Melted?

Melted!

At this thought, 007 froze.

Melted! Connecting this to what I've seen and heard before, and that Doctor disguised as a little girl... I think I suddenly understand something!

007 quickly raised her head to look at the two people ahead again. The woman opposite the witch had already agreed to her request.

"Rest assured, I will definitely help you find those herbs."

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