Chapter 167: Knock a Maximum of Three Times (1/2)

”Man, this place is really strange. I've been in a lot of missions related to the supernatural, but this would be my first time being in such a creepy village that seems to reek of the supernatural...” Ricardo commented.

Calvin bitterly smiled, ”You do know that this is the Village of Tulog, right? The influence of supernatural forces must exist here. How else can we explain the curse?”

Heisenberg scoffed, ”The curse might be a load of bullshit! I heard some rumors that the Quads were surveying the area around this village...”

”So are you saying that the Quads might have some involvement regarding this curse of sleeplessness? Then, how do you explain Old Zhong's story? Was he lying? Or was the cult just a front for the Quads to do whatever the fuck are they doing out here in the wilderness?” Ricardo sneered.

”Heisenberg's claims aren't entirely false. The Quads might've given these villagers some hallucinogens and drugs, and that could explain why they are unable to sleep at night.” Calvin commented.

Ricardo stared at Calvin, ”Then explain to me why they have so many taboos? And if they are under the influence of drugs, surely these changes are so drastic, aren't they?”

Calvin nodded and Heisenberg seemed to agree.

Drugs might change the personality and attitude of a person, but would it really influence their way of living for the long term?

It could.

But the three of them doubted that it would be to this extent...

At this moment, the three of them couldn't even find any livestock in the village.

What's more, there were several scarecrows lining up the road leading to the village from the cave entrance.

The scarecrows didn't look too different from the average scarecrows, but there was something fundamentally different about them.

It was their eyes.

For some reason, the eyes of the scarecrow looked as if they were the eyes of a real and living human being.

'The scarecrows have eyes...'

Calvin thought to himself.

'I have no idea what will happen if we just use the road like this with these scarecrows beside us...' Calvin made a sidelong glance at Heisenberg and asked, ”Heisenberg, can you check the notebook and see if there's something in there about the scarecrows?”

He obliged and after a few moments of checking, he shook his head and replied, ”I don't see any entry about these scarecrows. They must be not that important since they weren't mentioned in the entry. It should be safe for us to pass through this path.” Heisenberg said with a smile.

Ricardo was staring at Heisenberg with doubt, ”Dude... Is your sense of danger not working, or what? Can't you see their eyes?”

”What eyes?” Heisenberg's eyebrows scrunched up.

”Look!” Ricardo was about to point his finger at the scarecrows when Calvin suddenly moved and stopped his arm from pointing.

”Wait, wha-”

”Don't move...” Calvin mumbled.

”What is it? Is there an enemy?” Heisenberg tensed up.

”No... Pointing at something with a finger is a common taboo. Heisenberg, can you check if pointing is a taboo or not?” Calvin asked.

Heisenberg was quick to react and he flipped the pages of the notebook open, ”There! I see it... It's considered taboo to point at anything with a finger. If you must point, you should point at the object with an opened palm...”

”There we go...” Calvin released Ricardo's arm and there was a pale look on Ricardo's face.

As a member of the three Judiciaries, he knew what the word, 'taboo', meant.

Calvin saw the pale look on Ricardo's face and he couldn't help but chuckle, ”It's fine... You haven't violated any taboos, yet so you should not be worried about any punishments. Just be careful next time. Remember the common taboos.”

”The common taboos? Are you talking about the taboos associated with Mystical Artifacts?” Ricardo asked.

”Yeah, just keep those things in mind.” Calvin gently smiled.

Heisenberg didn't say anything, but there was this nervous and pained expression on his face.

”I suggest we circle the perimeter for now before we enter the village.”

”I agree...” Heisenberg was quick to respond, but there was a strange tone in his voice.

”Are you okay, old man?” Ricardo asked.

”I'm fine, I'm all right... Let's go.” Heisenberg avoided the question and started walking away of his own volition.

It was at this moment that Calvin suddenly exclaimed, ”Stop!”

Heisenberg stiffened with his right leg frozen in mid-air.

”W-W-What is it?!” Heisenberg slowly turned his head towards Ricardo and Calvin.

”Heisenberg, why must you act like this? If you are ignorant about the common taboos, then you should've set aside your pride and told us. If this happened while we are already in the village, then what you've done might've cost us our lives...” Calvin let out a sigh of disappointment.

Heisenberg's expression changed. But he then soon sighed in shame as he replied. This time, he was being honest.

”It's my fault, all right? I was being full of myself, okay? Yeah, I have no idea what the common taboos are! Am I supposed to be ashamed of my ignorance in that particular subject?”

”Pfft!” Ricardo laughed out loud, ”Old man, are you dumb, or what? Not knowing the common taboos is normal for Priests like you! After all, you old men in the cathedral have no idea what it's like to directly deal with the supernatural. It's not out of the ordinary for you to not have any knowledge regarding the common taboos! You're overreacting!”

Heisenberg awkwardly rubbed his nose out of shame.