5. "Dead" Person

The mine tunnel was dim, and the road was uneven, making it impossible to pick up speed. For Yimo, a true shut-in, it wasn't long before he was panting heavily.

In contrast, Lone Supporter and the high school student had the best stamina. The young married woman's stamina was a bit worse, but ultimately better than Yimo's.

That's why Yimo was angry!

He knew his shortcomings. He had found a way to compensate, but he was screwed over by the damn system.

If he had Kirito's name and Schwarzenegger's physique, wouldn't he just take off like a rocket?

The mine tunnel seemed designed for escape, with many branching paths and rooms appearing intermittently on either side.

At first, the group had opened a few rooms, and the contents were beyond anything they expected – storerooms, storage closets, even rooms that looked like ordinary residences.

Aside from the consistently dim environment, there were no flaws, making it impossible to imagine these rooms were connected to the mine tunnel.

However, there was one commonality: even if there were windows, they were the kind that couldn't be opened, creating completely sealed spaces.

If they went inside and were cornered by the Murderer, there would be no escape.

"Geez, are we just going to keep hiding?"

"Look at Horse Hunter's physique. Without enhancement, no one can outrun him, let alone double their stamina."

"This game is really down to luck. Let's run further away and find a room to hide in."

As Lone Supporter ran, his clothes flapped around because he was quite plump. He wiped the sweat from his brow, clearly feeling the pressure.

The other three agreed. After running for seven minutes, just as the Murderer was about to regain unrestricted movement, they finally found a slightly larger room – a factory-like building, relatively spacious, and they hid inside.

Amidst the piles of steel, in a dim corner towards the back, the group sat on the ground, gasping for breath.

Lone Supporter was even more out of breath, his condition more exaggerated than Yimo's. He quickly spoke up, "Everyone, the Murderer will be fully mobile in less than two minutes."

"Has anyone obtained that Exorcism Talisman?"

The Exorcism Talisman was the only item that could deal with the Murderer, randomly assigned by the system.

The young married woman and the high school student both shook their heads, indicating they hadn't.

Finally, Lone Supporter looked at Yimo, but Yimo was just panting heavily, shrugging helplessly, "I haven't received any special notifications or items."

Upon hearing this, Lone Supporter frowned slightly and repeated, "Everyone, if anyone has obtained it, please don't hide it."

"We've been running for a total of seven minutes. Estimating the Murderer's physical capabilities, it would take them three minutes to reach our current location."

Of course, we can't be too pessimistic. There are several crossroads, and with so many rooms, it's unlikely they'll charge directly towards us.

"But... if we don't have the Exorcism Talisman, we can only wait to die."

Lone Supporter's expression was serious, yet he looked like he was about to cry, his tone bordering on pleading.

However, including Yimo, everyone else shook their heads again.

Slap—!

Lone Supporter slapped his thigh in exasperation, his face crestfallen. "We're doomed!"

"I noticed the method to defeat the Murderer, which is why I wanted to rally everyone together."

"If we all hide together, the Murderer won't know who has the Exorcism Talisman."

"If we're united enough, when it attacks someone, the one holding the Exorcism Talisman can rush forward and take a hit, and then we can all easily and smoothly end this game."

Slap, slap, slap—!

As Lone Supporter spoke, he repeatedly slapped his own thigh, clearly angry and complaining about being manipulated by the system, blaming these people for their terrible luck.

Indeed, excluding the Murderer, there were only seven survivors. His group accounted for four of them, more than half, and yet not a single person had obtained the Exorcism Talisman. It was truly bad luck!

"Brother Lone Supporter, don't worry too much. Let's wait and see for now," the high school student said, trying to comfort him.

"If we hide here, it won't be easy for them to find us!"

The young married woman hid behind the high school student and remained silent.

Yimo had been observing quietly for a while. After thinking, he said, "That's right, don't be so pessimistic. Lone Supporter, don't you have an SR Card?"

"Maybe that can help us win!"

Yimo hadn't asked what kind of card it was before, so he didn't press the issue now.

Lone Supporter nodded with a wry smile.

As the game was about to begin, at Yimo's suggestion, everyone introduced themselves.

The high school student was participating in the game for the second time. He was a real student, currently in his second year of high school, and the youngest.

The young married woman didn't say much, seeming only interested in the high school student. This was her third time participating in the game; she was a full-time housewife, and her husband was a high-level executive at a listed company.

Lone Supporter said, "I'm 25 years old, an office worker. My only hobby is anime and manga. This is my third game."

"Sorry, I lied about the number of games played earlier to gather everyone. Let's work hard together from now on."

His words were sincere.

Yimo also briefly introduced himself, but he lied about the number of games played, not mentioning that this was his first time participating.

Finally, as the countdown ended.

The Murderer... action restrictions have been lifted.

As the Murderer's action restrictions were lifted, everyone else consciously shut their mouths, minimizing their noise.

In the dim factory, within a corner piled high with steel, time ticked by, and everyone's expressions were grave.

A day felt like a year; it couldn't be more accurate.

The young woman seemed to dislike the Lone Supporter and pulled the high schooler to hide in a crevice between steel beams, concealing themselves well.

The Lone Supporter, with a wry smile, squatted with Yimo at the corner of the corridor they were in previously.

Yimo leaned against the steel, feeling its coldness, which seeped through his short sleeves into his skin and chilled him to the bone.

He was certain that all of this was absolutely real. He continuously thought about what had happened before, his expression growing more serious.

Yimo felt like he had hit a dead end, unable to understand the meaning of his participation in this game.

Will people really die?

Even if he didn't understand, how could he verify such a thing?

He couldn't possibly use his own life to test it!

Yimo admitted he didn't want to die, so he couldn't do it.

"Hey, bro, first game, right?"

"Don't be nervous, just relax."

"Life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor by heaven!"

Just then, the Lone Supporter, leaning beside him, patted Yimo's shoulder.

Yimo turned his head and saw the Lone Supporter's forced smile, which looked even worse than crying.

The Lone Supporter told him to relax, but it seemed he couldn't do so himself.

"You... how did you figure it out?" Yimo asked, lowering his voice with a hint of surprise.

The Lone Supporter smiled at his words and pointed to Yimo's feet. "Where else would you find someone wearing slippers entering a death game?"

"So you're either a hidden master or a newbie with decent psychological fortitude."

"Bro, am I right?"

Yimo was astonished by the Lone Supporter's observation skills. After all, the environment they were in was quite dim, and Yimo had intentionally stood in a darker spot. How would an ordinary person bother to observe what shoes he was wearing?

The Lone Supporter explained, "Hey, as a shut-in otaku, I rarely talk to people, so my observation skills are naturally a bit stronger."

"It can't be helped. I almost died in the last two games. Surviving was purely due to luck. I've been trying to make myself stronger."

Yimo glanced at the Lone Supporter and smiled, saying, "It's a good thing I ran into you."

The Lone Supporter patted his chest. "Heh, what are you saying? We're fellow fans of anime, after all!"

"If you want to thank me, just join me in exclusively supporting Mizuhoshi!"

"Haha, if we really get out of here, be sure to subscribe to Mizuhoshi first!"

What the Lone Supporter was referring to was the virtual streamer on his vest, a two-tailed-ponytail loli.

Yimo looked at the pattern on his own shirt and gave an awkward, wry smile. "Definitely..."

Before Yimo could even finish his sentence, the system's prompt voice made the Lone Supporter unable to help but laugh.

The Murderer has struck a player holding an Exorcism Talisman, the Murderer has died.

The system loli's cute voice echoed in Yimo's mind, leaving him unsure whether he should join the Lone Supporter in a hearty laugh.

After all, he didn't feel the reality of this game, which they had won so inexplicably at the start.

He also couldn't comprehend the desire for victory that players who had participated in the game felt.

"Hahahaha! Bro, remember to subscribe to Mizuhoshi when we get out, live on the kaki website!"

"Alright, alright, we won, we won! This time's points are so satisfying!!!"

"It's practically free..."

However, just as the Lone Supporter was shouting in his joy, his laughter ceased as the system voice sounded again...

Resentment cannot be purified by a mere Exorcism Talisman.

Scapegoat, all deaths are the Scapegoat.

He was once just a survivor...

A new Murderer is born...

If one were to open the game rules template at this moment, they would discover that the previously undisclosed fifth rule had now appeared.

5. When the Murderer dies, the survivor who caused the Murderer's death becomes the new Murderer. Each time a player dies, the Exorcism Talisman is automatically reassigned to a surviving player.

While the Lone Supporter was questioning who exactly had killed the Murderer, Yimo had quietly opened the game rules interface and seen the newly appeared fifth rule.

Then, looking at the Lone Supporter beside him, a chill ran down his spine.

Such game rules... it was simply a "raising the gu" (a metaphor for a brutal competition where only the strongest survive)...

He remembered the four words written under the game type.

This was truly a survival game, a survival game where only one could live