Since Xu Lin was present, Alexander felt there was no need to pay much attention to Jin Jianshu. Fortunately, after Alexander took the lead, the remaining three people introduced themselves.

The middle-aged woman, surnamed Sun, worked as a nurse at a private clinic. The elderly man with a cane asked to be called Old Cheng and claimed to be a retired government official with heart problems who had spent a long time in the hospital. The middle school student scratched his head and introduced himself as Eric.

“Alright, here are four cards for each of you to take. These are 'Omnilingual Spell Cards.' Using these cards, you can understand any language,” Xu Lin explained as he handed out the cards. “Each card is worth 10 survival points. When we return to Necrospace, you will need to reimburse me. This isn’t a gift; it’s a loan.”

“Wait a minute, aren’t we all companions? Can’t you just provide the cards for free?” Jin Jianshu protested. As someone who calculated every detail meticulously, he forced a smile and said, “You see, we’re all rookies here, and you’re the veteran. Providing us with some conveniences shouldn’t be a problem, right? I mean, 10 survival points are quite precious to us, but it shouldn’t be much for experienced people like you…”

“Yes, yes, please help us out. This is our first time here, and we’re not familiar with this place,” the middle-aged woman, Sun, chimed in, her words reflecting a typical small-town mindset as she tried to bargain.

Alexander remained silent, observing the situation. The old man beside him said nothing, and the middle school student, being straightforward and honest, didn’t understand what was happening.

Xu Lin’s expression suddenly changed, “Why should I give out benefits for free to you worthless rookies?”

“If I weren’t protecting you, do you think you’d survive this audition? Don’t you know if you die, these cards become useless? Why should I waste my resources on something dumb like this?”

“Even in a rookie mission, your mortality rate is ridiculously high. Whether you survive is uncertain, and you still try to pull this stunt on me? Listen carefully, these are loans. Once we return to Necrospace, you'll pay me back, and you’ll all return the cards. This isn’t a negotiation; it’s an order…”

“What right do you have to do this?” Jin Jianshu’s expression soured, his face flushing with anger.

“What right? The fact that you’re even in this room is thanks to me. If you’re unhappy, you can leave. You can tackle the main quest alone, solve it on your own. If you think you can, go now. If not, shut your mouth.”

Xu Lin sneered, “Do I need to teach you something so basic?”

Jin Jianshu was fuming, ready to retaliate, but he glanced around, realizing that Carmen, who was silently standing by, definitely sided with Xu Lin. The middle-aged woman, Sun, was flushed and stood there helplessly.

Meanwhile, Alexander and the old man remained silent, and the middle school student wasn’t even a consideration. After much contemplation, Jin Jianshu had no choice but to suppress his anger, pretending as if he hadn’t said anything, internalizing his frustration.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“Next, I’ll assign tasks. Carmen, Alexander, and Jin Jianshu, you will engage with the protagonist team to handle the main storyline's direct challenges. I’ll handle the information gathering on Madanla of the Vite family solo, and the rest will be on standby.”

This time, there was hardly any opposition because Xu Lin’s arrangement was sensible. Moreover, no one else had the courage to object.

Xu Lin’s logic was sound. The three tasked with the main storyline were all adult men, better suited to handle danger than the elderly, children, or women. Moreover, the mayor’s mansion was clearly a safe spot in the early stages of the plot.

“There are no absolutely safe places in the script world, so be cautious!”

Xu Lin's remark was clearly directed at Carmen, but only the two of them truly understood it among the group.

...

“My god, Roland, did you see that? Anantan, Anantan must have been taken by those creatures.”

Janet and her group had retrieved the video and returned to the hostel. They inserted the damaged DV’s memory card into a laptop and soon saw the footage Anantan had recorded.

Watching the footage left them pale and bewildered, unsure of how to react.

It wasn’t their fault. Any sane person, upon seeing such things, would question if they were experiencing delusions or if the video was fake.

“Do you think Anantan might be playing a prank on us? The things filmed here, could they all be fake?” The African American guy’s face was ashen, indicating how terrifying the video was.

“Those skinned corpses and the half-human, half-frog monsters—do you think those can be created with special effects?” Janet was the only one who remained relatively calm.

“This DV is the latest model, and I gave it to Anantan. He wouldn’t use it to deceive us, and what would be the point?”

Just as they were discussing this, there was a rapid knock on the door.

Everyone was startled until a voice from outside said, “It’s me, the Asian guy from yesterday. I told you I’d come to find you.”

The voice belonged to Alexander, who entered the room with Carmen and the others.

“Who are they?” Janet and the others looked on guard.

“These two are also investigators from our organization. We’re actually working for the federal government, but due to confidentiality laws, we can’t disclose certain information…” Alexander lied smoothly.

“No wonder you weren’t in trouble for assaulting an officer…” Roland looked at Alexander with admiration.

“I won’t dwell on the situation. Judging by your expressions, it seems you’ve watched the video!”

Alexander continued, “Let me guess, you must have seen some fascinating things, enough to change your perception of the world.”

“What exactly do you know…” Linda asked, surprised by his confidence.

Alexander didn’t elaborate and instead proposed watching the video first.

The African American man brought over the laptop and showed Anantan’s video to the three newcomers.

Halfway through, Jin Jianshu couldn’t take it anymore and bolted for the bathroom, soon followed by the sound of a flushing toilet.

Having been through several script worlds, Carmen was more seasoned, but the video still disturbed him, causing him to take a drag from his cigarette with a frown.

Although Alexander was mentally prepared and had a background as a forensic scientist, he didn’t look comfortable.

But he understood that this was the Cthulhu Mythos world, where encountering such things easily built pressure and caused mental strain.

“First, I’ll explain some things about Innsmouth so you four can have some sense of what’s going on.”

Alexander exchanged glances with Carmen, who nodded for him to continue. Grateful for Carmen’s silent approval, Alexander appreciated that the veteran recognized his abilities. Unlike Jin Jianshu, he didn’t underestimate Carmen, thinking he was easy to deal with.

Carmen wasn’t just a veteran but a seasoned one who had survived four script missions, even more than Xu Lin, the leader. Such a person was certainly not easy to handle…