Ye Shu’s eyes snapped open; a flash of crimson flared and vanished, replaced by utter disbelief.
She’d been killed by Lin Qingyue—again! That bastard!
He’s completely insane!
She thought maybe, just maybe, they could reach some kind of understanding... but there’s no reasoning with a madman. She never should’ve tried to propose a truce to Lin Qingyue, that rabid dog.
“Shushu?”
“What’s wrong?!”
Su Bai had just taken down a hunter, only to turn and see Ye Shu standing there in a daze, staring blankly at the ground. The sight made her heart ache.
“I’m... I’m fine.”
The smile Ye Shu forced looked painfully strained.
There was no way she could confess that Lin Qingyue had killed her just moments ago.
It seemed the last two rounds gave her a false sense of security—she thought the bastard had even begun to like her, that perhaps she could use it to her advantage. But no; it was all in her head. Of course, an NPC, a damn game dog, wouldn’t have emotions like a person. Last time, Lin Qingyue just couldn’t be bothered to kill her!
“Shu! You’re acting weird!”
Su Bai tried to play it off, even giving Ye Shu’s nose a teasing pinch.
Did Ye Shu think she was blind? She’d seen that look—Ye Shu had been shocked. There was definitely more going on...
The two of them bickered and horsed around, but didn’t cower by hiding underwater this time.
Ye Shu found a nearby branch, propped herself against it, and waited for Fu Jingchuan to arrive.
Pity that her checkpoint only rewound her half an hour; otherwise, she could have helped Old Fu out. Now, Lin Qingyue, the crazy one, must be chasing after Old Fu. Let the vulture and the clam fight; she’d benefit as the fisherman. All she needed to do was wait for her chance.
Since Lin Qingyue clearly wasn’t interested in talking, from now on... once he shows his head, she’ll take him out on sight!
She’d kill him enough times to make him afraid, to the point he’d go out of his way to avoid her.
“Shubao, who are you waiting for?”
Su Bai quickly sensed something was off.
Ye Shu’s expression was murderous, yet there was a strange smile on her lips—a chilling sight.
“You’ll know soon enough—get out of the way.”
Back before the reset, Su Bai had been shot right out of the game by that lunatic, and Ye Shu remembered she had no revive cards left. This was tantamount to ending her life!
“Alright, alright, Shushu—I’m listening to you.”
Fragments of memory flickered through Su Bai’s mind—she remembered being shot, her body shattered.
She startled, clutching her water-repelling orb.
Was that just an illusion, or... had she awakened a new ability?
No, the screen still showed her only fire powers; no sign of a new ability.
And last time, in the desert, that had been strange too. She’d felt like Shushu had experienced something terrible, but in reality, Ye Shu had casually sliced down the old scorpion.
It was as if, in this moment, Shushu shouldn’t actually be here at all.
She should have been hiding underwater with her.
Su Bai hid at a distance, but refused to submerge herself.
If it came down to it, she’d rather fight than drag everyone down—and she could at least take a few hunters with her.
***
“Maniac!”
What the hell was wrong with this hunter?
With so many prey in the game, why was he so set on chasing him? He’d even let another easy target go just to keep up pursuit.
Fu Jingchuan cursed inwardly. It wasn’t the first time he’d met this hunter—ever since the first game, every round of hide and seek, no matter what form he took, the man would unfailingly find him, as if he could see through all disguises.
In a panic, Fu Jingchuan fled east, moving faster than ever.
Lin Qingyue’s consciousness snapped into focus, his eyes narrowing as he realized he’d been thrown back to the moment he was chasing Fu Jingchuan. For the first time in a long while, the stagnant waters of his mind rippled.
He’d just killed Ye Xiaoshu. Again.
Time... had rewound by half an hour.
This time, she remembered everything. She’d never again waste words on a pointless truce.
【Ding, ding, ding~ Executor, if you like her, why kill her?】
The system’s flat mechanical voice echoed in Lin Qingyue’s mind.
Lin Qingyue halted, wanting to argue, but no words came.
How could he say he had no interest in an ant of a player like her? And yet, how would he explain... the fact that he’d imprisoned the survival system in his own sea of consciousness?
“Noisy.”
“I’m under no obligation to answer you.”
【Tsk, tsk, I didn’t say anything. Soon enough, the higher-ups will notice—why not just deal with No. 10096 now? When that player dies, she respawns half an hour before her death. If you already know that... oh, so you killed her precisely because you knew, didn’t you?】
“Say one more word and see what happens. System failures are normal, aren’t they?”
Lin Qingyue lost all interest in chasing Fu Jingchuan.
Compared to that man, the system was the only real threat now.
“Keep talking...”
【.........】
The system went completely silent.
Fu Jingchuan glanced back at the dumbfounded man, then swiftly slipped away.
Even with his precognition, he couldn’t see through this hunter; space itself was sealed, leaving him with no options.
Once Lin Qingyue confirmed the system would keep quiet, he moved toward the low building to the east.
He suspected Ye Xiaoshu was already preparing to kill him.
Very well—he would oblige her.
After all, he’d killed her more than once. Consider this payback.
Better to have no ties at all; still, he’d always liked the chase, even if she only ever looked at him with murder in her eyes.
“Fu Jingchuan?”
Su Bai scanned their surroundings warily, catching sight of a man fleeing in distress.
Fu Jingchuan wasn’t weak, and seeing him look so wretched was a rare thing indeed.
“Su Bai?”
“Ye Shu?”
“Why are you two here?”
No time to savor his relief, Fu Jingchuan’s face darkened. He hadn’t checked the player channel, hadn’t realized Ye Shu was in the eastern district—if he had known, he never would have come.
“We’ve been here the whole time. But you... need a pistol?”
Su Bai could barely hide her glee.
Back in Jing City, Third Master Fu had seemed like a figure out of reach, a moon in the sky.
“No need.”
Su Bai was nearly bursting from excitement.
Of course Fu Jingchuan could tell what was making her so excitable.
Ye Shu’s dark tea-colored eyes were locked on the path behind Fu Jingchuan, but Lin Qingyue never appeared.
This time, that maniac... didn’t come?
He really didn’t come?
He had the nerve to run off after killing her?
Damn! She should’ve stabbed him a few more times!
“Ye Xiaoshu, what are you watching?”
Fu Jingchuan followed her gaze, seeing no one behind him. His relentless pursuer—miraculously—had given up the chase.
“No one. Just waiting for someone who doesn’t know when to quit.”
Ye Shu gritted her teeth, rage smoldering in her eyes as she continued to stare at the distant forest.
“Who?”
Su Bai looked entirely innocent, popping another candy in her mouth.
Staying alive to the end of the game was the only thing that mattered now!
She didn’t have a single revive card left—just about any hunter stronger than a rookie could send her packing.
She didn’t want to die!
After finally coming back and reuniting with Shushu, she wanted to survive to the very end of this death game.
Perched in the trees near the pond, Lin Qingyue watched Ye Shu—and the twisted iron bar she held—with contentment.
After all, only like this... would he be remembered by her.