"Dead"

The dim mine tunnel was uneven and impossible to run through at full speed. For someone like Yimo, a hardcore shut-in through and through, he was already "huffing and puffing" after only a few steps.

Lone Supporter and the high school student had the best stamina. The young married woman was a little weaker, but she was still better than Yimo.

That was why Yimo was furious!

He knew his weakness. He had clearly found a way to make up for it, but the damn system had screwed him over.

If he had been wearing Kirito's name and had Schwarzenegger's physique, wouldn't he have taken off right where he stood?

The mine tunnel seemed designed to facilitate escape. There were many forks, and rooms appeared from time to time on either side.

At first, they had opened several rooms. The interiors had completely exceeded common sense: there were storerooms, storage rooms, and even rooms from an ordinary residence.

Aside from being somewhat dark, they were flawless in every way. It was impossible to imagine that these rooms were connected to mine tunnels.

There was only one thing they had in common. Even when they had windows, they could not be opened. They were completely enclosed spaces.

Once inside, if the murderer blocked the door, they could forget about getting out.

"Hey, are we really only able to hide?"

"Look at Horse Hunter's build. Unless we get enhanced, none of us can outrun him, let alone someone with double the physical ability."

"This game really comes down to luck. Let's run farther first and find a room to hide in."

When Lone Supporter ran, it was obvious that he was rather fat. His clothes flapped loosely, and he wiped away his sweat. He was clearly under pressure as well.

The other three agreed. After running for seven minutes, just before the murderer's movement restriction was lifted, they finally found a somewhat larger room. It was a factory building, relatively spacious, and they hid inside.

In a dim corner toward the back, surrounded by piles of steel, they finally sat on the ground, panting continuously.

Lone Supporter was especially out of breath, looking even worse than Yimo. He hurriedly said, "Everyone, there are less than two minutes before the murderer can move freely."

"Did any of you get that Exorcism Talisman?"

The Exorcism Talisman was the only item capable of dealing with the murderer, and the system distributed it at random.

The young married woman and the high school student both shook their heads, indicating that they had not.

Finally, Lone Supporter looked at Yimo. Yimo was also panting heavily. He spread his hands helplessly and said, "There were no special prompts, and I didn't get any item either."

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

"We ran for seven minutes in total. Judging by the murderer's physical ability, he could probably reach this room in three minutes."

"Of course, we can't be that pessimistic. There are several forks, and with so many rooms, he can't come straight for us."

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

Lone Supporter had a solemn expression, but he looked as if he were about to cry. His tone had already become almost pleading.

Yet everyone, including Yimo, shook their heads again.

Smack!

Lone Supporter slapped his thigh, venting his frustration. With a mournful expression, he said, "We're done for!"

"I noticed the way to defeat the murderer, so I tried to bring everyone together."

"As long as we hid together, the murderer wouldn't know who had the Exorcism Talisman."

"If we were united enough, then when he attacked someone, the person holding the Exorcism Talisman could rush up and block the knife. Everyone could then end the game safely and easily."

Smack, smack, smack!

As Lone Supporter spoke, he kept slapping his thigh. He was clearly angry, complaining about how the system had played them and blaming their terrible luck.

Indeed, aside from the murderer, there were only seven survivors in total, and four of them were here. That was more than half of the survivors, yet not one of them had received the Exorcism Talisman. Their luck really was awful!

"Brother Lone Supporter, don't panic. Let's wait and see."

"We're hiding here. It won't be easy for him to find us!" the high school student advised.

The young married woman hid behind the high school student and said nothing.

Yimo observed silently for a long while before saying, "That's right. Don't be so pessimistic, Lone Supporter. Don't you still have an SR Card?"

"Maybe it can carry us to victory!"

Earlier, when asked what kind of card it was, Lone Supporter had not said. So Yimo did not ask again now.

Lone Supporter gave a bitter smile and nodded.

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

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

The young married woman said little. She seemed interested only in the high school student. This was her third game, and she was a full-time housewife. Her husband was an executive at a listed company.

Lone Supporter said, "I'm twenty-five, just an office drone. My only hobby is anime and related stuff. This is my third game."

"Sorry, I lied about the number of games earlier so I could gather everyone together. Let's work hard together from here on out."

He sounded quite sincere.

Yimo also briefly introduced himself, but he still lied about the number of games. He did not say that this was his first time participating.

Finally, the countdown ended.

The murderer... was no longer restricted from moving.

As soon as the murderer's movement restriction was lifted, everyone consciously fell silent, doing their best to minimize the noise.

In the dim factory, tucked into a corner piled with steel, time passed bit by bit. Everyone wore extremely grave expressions.

Each day felt like a year. Nothing could describe it better.

The young married woman seemed somewhat hostile toward Lone Supporter. She pulled the high school student into the gap between two piles of steel, hiding herself well.

Lone Supporter merely gave a bitter smile and crouched with Yimo at the corner of the passageway from earlier.

Yimo leaned against the steel. Its coldness passed through his short sleeves into his skin and seeped into his heart.

He could be certain that all of this was absolutely real. As he continuously thought about what had happened before, his expression grew increasingly solemn.

Yimo was somewhat trapped in a dead end, unable to understand the meaning behind his participation in this game.

Would someone really die?

Although he did not understand, how could he prove something like that?

He couldn't exactly verify it with his own life!

Yimo admitted that he did not want to die, so he could not do it.

"Hey, brother. This is your first game, right?"

"Don't be nervous. Keep a level head."

"Life and death are up to fate, while wealth and honor are in the heavens' hands!"

Just then, Lone Supporter, who was leaning beside him, patted Yimo on the shoulder.

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

Lone Supporter told him to keep calm, but it seemed that he himself could not do it.

"How... did you figure that out?" Yimo asked in a lowered voice, slightly surprised.

Lone Supporter smiled when he heard that. He pointed at Yimo's feet and said, "Who enters a Death Game wearing slippers?"

"So you're either a hidden expert, or a rookie with a slightly stronger mentality."

"Am I right, brother?"

Yimo was surprised by Lone Supporter's observational skills. After all, their surroundings were quite dim, and Yimo had deliberately stood in a darker area. How would an ordinary person deliberately notice what kind of shoes he was wearing?

Lone Supporter explained, "Hey, as a fat shut-in, I rarely talk or interact with people. Naturally, my observation skills got a little sharper."

"I had nearly died in the previous two games. The only reason I survived was because I was a little luckier. I'm working hard to make myself stronger."

Yimo looked at Lone Supporter and said with a smile, "Luckily, I met you."

Lone Supporter thumped his chest and said, "Hey, what are you saying? We're fellow anime comrades, at least!"

"If you want to thank me, then follow me in giving my sole support to Mizuhoshi!"

"Haha, if we really get out, I'll definitely subscribe to Mizuhoshi first!"

The Mizuhoshi Lone Supporter mentioned was the virtual streamer depicted on his tank top, a two-dimensional twin-tailed loli.

Yimo looked at the design on his shirt and gave an awkward smile. "Definitely..."

Yimo had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the system's prompt made Lone Supporter burst out laughing.

The murderer struck the player holding the Exorcism Talisman. The murderer died.

The system loli's cute voice echoed through Yimo's mind. He did not know whether he should laugh happily along with Lone Supporter.

After all, he had no sense of reality about this game, which had somehow been won right at the start.

He also could not understand the longing for victory felt by players who had participated in games before.

"Hey, hey, hey! Brother, remember to subscribe to Mizuhoshi when you get out. She streams on the Kaki website!"

"Great, great, great! We won! The points we earned this time are amazing!!!"

"It's practically free..."

However, just as Lone Supporter was shouting happily, the system spoke again, and his laughter abruptly stopped...

A grudge cannot be purified by a single Exorcism Talisman.

A scapegoat. Every death is the work of a scapegoat.

He, too, was once merely a survivor...

A new murderer has been born...

If they opened the game rules panel at that moment, they would discover that the previously undisclosed fifth rule had appeared.

5. When the murderer dies, the survivor who caused the murderer's death becomes the new murderer. Whenever a player dies, the Exorcism Talisman is automatically redistributed at random to a surviving player.

While Lone Supporter was wondering who exactly had killed the murderer, Yimo had already quietly opened the game-rules interface and seen the newly appeared fifth rule.

Then he looked at Lone Supporter beside him, feeling a chill in his heart.

These game rules... were nothing more than raising venomous insects to devour one another...

He remembered the four words written under the game type.

This really was a survival game—a survival game in which only one ghost could remain alive...