"Lin, isn't that the little mouse from last round?"
Lu Xiao's gaze likewise landed on Ye Shu, who was inside the wall. His tone was lazy, but a trace of unease flickered in his eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen this woman somewhere before.
...
Lin Qingyue said nothing, casting only a cold, sidelong glance in response.
Goosebumps prickled along Lu Xiao's arms. He laughed awkwardly, "Hey now... still angry, huh? Fine, Lin, I'll shut up."
Staring at Fu Jingchuan's face, Lu Xiao was once again struck by an uncanny sense of familiarity, a niggling feeling that this person appeared somewhere in his memory.
Was it a dream?
He never dreamt. How could it be a dream?
It must be an illusion!
Maybe it was just that the stares from the other side of the wall were burning right through her—Ye Shu felt prickles of unease under her skin. She whispered, "Xiao Bai, do you guys feel it... like someone's watching us?"
"It sure feels that way!"
Su Bai nodded emphatically. Having already lived through this once before, all her senses were sharper than the average person's. Of course she could feel it.
Last time, in the previous game, that person... had never appeared.
But now, in this life, they'd shown up early.
If it really was him, then change was only natural.
Thankfully, her dear Shushu hadn't yet met that accursed, wretched bastard.
"I feel it too," Fu Jingchuan said, his voice weighty as he stared at the transparent wall. He could sense malevolent eyes tracking their every move.
Just like... last time on the survival game at sea!
As the three were transfixed by their thoughts, several small, round vents appeared above the transparent wall. Thick white smoke began to quickly seep into the resting room.
"What's going on?"
"Weren't we supposed to play hide-and-seek? Is this hunter trying to start things early...?"
"Help—"
"My head... It feels so dizzy..."
"Are we gonna die? This is just the first round of the survival game!"
Players hurriedly clamped hands over their mouths and noses, but the fog's effects were unstoppable. One by one, they collapsed, overcome, unconscious on the cold ground.
"Put them on! Cover your mouth and nose!"
Ye Shu, spotting the encroaching mist, whipped out her gas mask and hastily strapped it on, making sure to hand out masks to Su Bai and Fu Jingchuan beside her.
Their hands worked nimbly, but the fog moved faster.
Whatever was in that white mist, it slipped through the filters and into their lungs. The gas mask offered no protection at all.
Su Bai was the first to fall.
Ye Shu and Fu Jingchuan exchanged a wordless look, understanding instantly as they scrambled to block the holes in the wall.
"Don’t talk…"
Fu Jingchuan nodded, flashing her an 'okay' sign.
Ye Shu's head throbbed, splitting with pain. Driven only by raw survival instinct, she managed to plug one of the vents.
Fu Jingchuan just barely blocked another.
Six more to go…
Ye Shu, body heavy and reeling, searched desperately for something—anything—to help. But more holes appeared in the ceiling, unleashing even more smoke.
Though the two were stronger than most, neither one could hold out.
Fu Jingchuan dropped where he stood.
“Nngh…”
What were these people trying to do?
In the previous round, they had never pulled a stunt like this...
Ye Shu's vision swam. She unsheathed the wooden sword, dragged the blade across her palm, watching droplets of blood fall like crimson petals to the floor.
The searing pain kept her awake—barely.
But only for a heartbeat.
Twice as many smoke vents appeared, drowning the world behind the wall in an ocean of white. Ye Shu doubled over, clutching her head, collapsing just as a blurry silhouette flickered at the edge of her vision.
"Lin, this is the first time District A-101 has activated... the hunting feature,"
Lu Xiao remarked in surprise.
So they're breaking the rules now.
Lu Xiao might not like the so-called handler sent by those over him, but he had the decency to keep it to himself.
A century spent in this mirrored world, growing sick of it all.
Endless prey, never enough to hunt...
He admitted, once upon a time, he'd relished the thrill of pursuit and the kill—the fear in their eyes. He'd soaked in it.
The player who called herself 'Clucking Chicken' was one of the rare few who turned the tables, piquing his interest for the first time in ages.
...But clearly, the one beside him was far more invested.
Inside a sealed space, rows upon rows of silvery-gray capsules lined every wall.
Within each capsule, a player lay asleep; outside, their hunters tracked them with greedy eyes.
Lin Qingyue stared at the sleepers within the capsules. A cold crimson flickered in his gaze.
[The third round of the game will begin soon!]
[All players will be randomly teleported in three minutes. Prey, prepare yourselves!]
[New map updating… Location: Abandoned Hospital.]
The moment Ye Shu dropped into the new map, she was still dazed.
Had she not already passed out from the gas?
She was alive, somehow!
She looked around and found herself in a derelict bathroom. The tiles were smeared with black-brown grime and the locks had long since vanished from the stall doors.
A cold mechanical voice rang out:
[Please draw your form for this game round. You have 13 seconds—if you do not choose in time, the system will assign one at random.]
A screen appeared in front of her, cycling fast through potential disguises.
A sparrow, a fly, a tree, a mosquito, a watering can, a fire engine, a fan… a cargo ship, a satellite, a refrigerator…
It had to be deliberate: the later the options, the less inconspicuous they became.
Which meant, by the time the timer ran out, she hadn’t picked anything.
[Ding! No selection made. System will now randomly assign your form.]
[Form selection complete. You are now: Bouncy Bunny Balloon.]
Ye Shu: “…”
A death sentence.
There was no way she could survive this round. A balloon was even more conspicuous than a fire truck. An easy target.
She'd turned into a pastel-pink balloon, adorned with little bunny prints. Sure, she could float now, but any NPC who looked up would spot her instantly.
[The game will begin in two minutes. Hunters are in position. Prey, choose your hiding spots. Once you've picked, the screen will display a 360-degree, 20-meter radius around you; you may continue moving during this time but must stay within a 1-kilometer range. If you go beyond it, an alarm will sound. The chat remains open. Two hits from a hunter, and you’re out. Game duration: two hours.]
Unbelievable.
Restricted movement? That just makes it easier for the hunters!
Being a balloon inside a building was hopeless.
Ye Shu maneuvered her gently bobbing body, squeezing out the window until she floated up to cling to the hospital’s flagpole.
The view was better from up high—she could even see hunters circling below, prowling the hospital perimeter.
The countdown clicked down to thirty seconds.
From above, she watched as trees, bushes, patches of grass, light poles, even pots and pans and random appliances scurried about the grounds. She looked up just in time to see a kitchen knife fly overhead, slicing through the sky.
She snapped a photo and posted it to the group chat.
[Bouncy Bunny Balloon: The hunters are about to start their sweep!]
[Beetle: Bro, you're dangling that high up, and you're a *balloon*—aren’t you worried you’ll get spotted?!]
[Golden Shovel: Okay, I admit I used to love gold, but you’re standing out too much… You’re just asking for trouble!]
[Refrigerator: Mamma mia, I’m a fridge. They might as well eject me from the game right now. And you can’t even run around this round! Are you kidding me?]
[Broken Spoon: Are they really going to keep ramping up the difficulty?]
[Ding! Survival Game has received a request from player: Broken Spoon. Your feedback will be considered!]
[Spoon: I didn’t request anything! Don’t put words in my mouth. I take it back—didn’t say a thing!]
Spoon panicked.
This game was hard enough!
If his careless remark made things harder, other players would tear him apart.
Hovering above the abandoned hospital, a pink balloon emblazoned with bunny prints clung to the flagpole—trailing a kitchen knife in the wind.
Ye Shu frowned at the gleaming blade swinging right behind her.
Was this person for real? Did he have a death wish?
She sent a private message at close range.
[Bouncy Bunny Balloon: Hey, Knife Comrade, do us both a favor and float somewhere else. Otherwise, neither of us is making it out alive.]