The "corpse" before him appeared frozen solid, clearly dead for some time.
Considering the fact that the 'Vendor' information was obtained right at the game's start, there was no doubt this corpse had died before Lin Yu ever met that burly man.
This realization sparked new thoughts in Lin Yu's mind.
"So what exactly was that NPC I encountered earlier?"
A chilling sense of retrospective fear crept over him.
Simultaneously, he developed deep suspicions about whether that NPC had been benevolent at all.
That thing might not even have been human. Even if most of its information was helpful, it could have mixed in one or two deadly lies.
Connecting these dots, even the second "Promotion" task now seemed like a hint.
"The 'Fraudster' might not be a player at all... but rather 'something' within this game itself..."
The fear quickly dissipated, replaced by a sense of helplessness.
"'Competition', 'Puzzle', 'Survival'... I've encountered three of the four dungeon types now, and in every single one I'm locked in mental combat with the game itself! Even the rules require verification!"
Without the forum it might be different, but Lin Yu had seen the guides there.
He knew most players encountered NPCs or in-game rules that rarely contained deception.
'Puzzle' dungeons might have slightly more misleading elements, but not every single time.
Yet in his case...
"Apparently everything except the initial game introduction requires suspicion," Lin Yu sighed.
But he quickly adjusted his mindset.
Regardless of what mysteries this dungeon held...
Whether he'd initially encountered a disguised monster, wandering spirit, doppelganger or clone...
His immediate plan remained unchanged.
Overanalyzing wouldn't help now.
Raising his torch, Lin Yu turned and disappeared into the snowstorm, leaving the frozen corpse behind.
The night was long - no time to waste.
"Just wait until I collect all twelve professions... whether you're Chate or Buffett..." Lin Yu muttered as he trudged forward through the darkness.
Though visibility decreased in the snowstorm, Lin Yu wouldn't get lost.
Years of theater performance had given him precise spatial awareness, and the map showed safe houses weren't too far apart...
He could constantly adjust his direction based on distance traveled and whether he encountered shelters.
At least based on what he'd seen so far, that mysterious burly NPC's map appeared untampered with.
Soon, Lin Yu reached another "sector."
But this time...
He found no signs of human activity near the sector's central safe house.
Instead, right at the sector's edge, he spotted a wooden cabin with lit windows.
Torch in hand, Lin Yu quickly approached the door.
"Knock knock!"
He rapped on the door.
A muscular man soon cracked the door open slightly.
"Who's there?"
Through the gap, Lin Yu saw the man gripping an iron rod while eyeing him warily.
Seeing the man's caution, Lin Yu quickly reassured him.
"Relax, I'm a player - a player!"
"And why should that make me relax?" the man said coldly. "Didn't you get the NPC warning? Wandering at night and partnering up are dangerous!"
The dark eyes behind the door remained vigilant.
"I got it - don't worry, I just have some information to share!"
"Regardless of your profession, I'm a 'Teacher' - in real life I teach English too!"
"What possible harm could a 'Teacher' profession do?"
"I've obtained crucial information that benefits all players - information you really should know!"
Lin Yu spoke calmly.
But given the late hour, the man remained skeptical.
"'Teacher'?"
"Yes, 'Teacher' - my forum ID is 'Old Xu,' you can call me Xiao Xu!"
The man scrutinized Lin Yu.
"You look too young, and your demeanor doesn't match!"
Lin Yu hastily explained: "I'm not a regular schoolteacher - I work at a tutoring center specializing in spoken English!"
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
He quoted a famous line from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
It was an extremely classic quote, one Lin Yu had recently reviewed before entering this dungeon.
Delivered with perfect pronunciation and emotional cadence, it instantly convinced the man.
"Excellent Cockney accent... and that was from William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' right? Your tutoring center must have high standards."
As he spoke, the door opened wider, revealing the slender face of a man in his early thirties.
He wore professional snow goggles and an expensive down jacket from a premium brand.
Lin Yu had glimpsed these details earlier and deliberately played the English teacher angle.
The clearly affluent man continued:
"Xiao Xu, right? You can call me 'Karen.' I'm with the 'Player Mutual Aid Association,' profession 'Lawyer.'"
"What information did you want to share?"
Lin Yu smiled.
Now that the 'Teacher' profession was confirmed, game information appeared in his mind:
"'Chate' is not 'alive.' Being alone only reduces chances of 'Chate' detection."
Though shocked internally, Lin Yu showed no reaction.
He addressed Karen:
"Brother Karen, did you encounter a scruffy-bearded NPC at the start claiming to be 'treasure hunting'?"
Karen nodded slightly.
"Yes... what about it?"
He looked puzzled.
From Karen's response, Lin Yu confirmed something:
They'd all likely encountered the same NPC.
So Lin Yu explained:
"That's the thing, Brother Karen - we all met similar NPCs, and their initial information contained falsehoods!"