After the thick fog dissipated, all the roads became clear.
The morning sunlight shone brightly but not harshly, warming the grass and making its colors even more vibrant.
Zhong Nian narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the grassland before him as he looked toward the Small Town in the distance.
The town wasn’t large—just twenty or thirty houses clustered together, with a few more scattered farther out.
What stood out was the church towering in the Small Town center. Though not grand in scale, its conical spire was particularly prominent among the standalone cottages. Built of gray bricks with stained glass windows and carved reliefs, it exuded a solemn aura even from afar.
“The Confessional should be there,” Jie Jialiang said, standing beside Zhong Nian.
Zhong Nian pursed his lips and headed toward the Small Town first.
It could be roughly confirmed that the Devil had appeared along with the fog. Now that the fog had completely lifted, there shouldn’t be any danger.
The Instance wouldn’t force the Players into a dead end either—this was a perfect opportunity to explore.
The other Players didn’t waste any more time and quickened their pace.
However, things didn’t go so smoothly.
Upon entering the Small Town to inquire, they discovered that despite its peaceful appearance—with men and women tending to farm work or housework, and children chasing and playing outside—every resident was extremely wary of outsiders. The moment they spotted the Players approaching, they shut their doors and windows without a word, and even the children fled home as if evading ferocious beasts.
In no time, the Small Town that had seemed lively moments ago turned eerily deserted.
Little Yu, the Girl Player, said in bewilderment, “We’ve encountered uncooperative NPCs before, but they never ran this fast, right?”
The Bald Man clicked his tongue in annoyance and jerked his chin at the Skinny Man. “Go knock on some doors.”
The Skinny Man shrank back timidly but went anyway, knocking on several houses with no response.
The one door that opened dumped a basin of dirty water right on his head.
Drenched like a drowned rat, the Skinny Man slunk back.
The Bald Man shot him a disdainful glance. “Useless. What good are you?”
With that, he prepared to use some force on one of the houses, but Jie Jialiang raised a hand to stop him.
“Don’t act rashly.”
The Bald Man grew impatient but said nothing, switching to a fawning smile. “Then what’s Big Bro Jie’s plan?”
Jie Jialiang was about to reply when his gaze swept around and he noticed something off. “Where’s Zhong Nian?”
The Bald Man’s group paused, scanning left and right.
The youth who should have been following behind had vanished without a sound.
–
Outside the church.
The strikingly handsome youth tilted his head back, appraising the building before him. Strands of hair fell away, revealing his full, lustrous forehead and exquisite brows and eyes.
The children clinging to his fingers or the hem of his clothes pressed close to him, their little faces flushed with excitement and shyness.
“Pretty Brother, we’re not going in with you. The Priest doesn’t like us playing inside—he’s really scary.”
“Yeah, and if Mom finds out, she’ll hit me too.”
“We’ll wait for you outside, okay?”
“Be careful, Pretty Brother. If the Priest hits you, run fast or yell loud. Even if I’m scared, I’ll rush in to save you.”
They whispered conspiratorially like a band of scheming little mice, afraid of being overheard from inside the church.
Zhong Nian curved his lips and crouched down to meet their eyes. “Thank you for telling me.”
“N-No problem…” The children’s tender faces turned as red as ripe tomatoes, clutching their clothes and too shy to look up.
Finding them adorable, Zhong Nian couldn’t resist ruffling one child’s head.
That was a mistake—one touch, and they all wanted it, eagerly shoving their heads under his hand.
【These little ones don’t act like this with other Players.】
【Wife’s God’s Favor level must be pretty high—such strong affinity with the NPCs.】
【Not necessarily. Wife’s just that charming—who wouldn’t like him?】
【The neighboring Live Stream Room is just getting shut out.】
After petting them all in turn, Zhong Nian finally extricated himself and entered the church under the reluctant gazes of the little radish heads.
According to the children, aside from a Priest of unknown origin, there were no other believers in the church, and thus no religious ceremonies resembling worship.
From the exterior alone, the church had clearly been abandoned for a long time.
Dead leaves and weeds grew unchecked, the reliefs were caked in dust obscuring their original forms, many pillars had cracks, and the stained glass was hazy.
Once a place of faith fell into ruin, it lost all sense of sanctity and solemnity, instead emanating a persistent chill and gloom.
Crack.
Zhong Nian accidentally stepped on a dry leaf, and an inexplicable unease stirred in his heart, urging him to retreat.
Maybe he should wait for the others…
He turned around—and his eyes widened in shock.
In the mere two minutes since he’d stepped inside, thick fog had enveloped the church entrance, and the children waiting outside had vanished.
Zhong Nian called out, receiving no reply. He approached the door and stared at the stark contrast just a step away, hesitating.
Perhaps due to the church’s uniqueness, the fog seemed blocked by an invisible wall at the open iron gates.
Everything had happened too suddenly, leaving Zhong Nian unsure what to do.
Standing at the boundary, he called out softly again.
“Are you still there?”
A little boy’s voice responded from the fog: “We’re here! Come on over!”
Zhong Nian instinctively took a step forward, only to feel a chill creep up from his feet.
He looked at the fog coiling around his ankle, his mind snapping alert. He quickly retracted his foot across the boundary and retreated to the safe zone untouched by the mist.
【Wife’s got sharp instincts.】
【Something feels off—better not go.】
【How’s Baby gonna get back now?】
【Someone’s behind the Streamer.】
【Baby, someone’s watching you.】
Baa—
A sudden bleat sounded behind him. Zhong Nian’s scalp prickled, and he whipped around to see a tall, slender figure standing in the church.
The man wore a black robe adorned with silver ornaments on his chest, his hair slicked back impeccably. His features were sharp and stern, giving an impression as desolate and solemn as the church behind him.
![Bunny is Delicate, But He’s Everyone’s Crush! [Infinite]](https://i3.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/bunn.jpg?resize=151,215 "Bunny is Delicate, But He’s Everyone’s Crush! [Infinite]")
