The Fifth Chapter: Heads Are So Cute!

Zhao Yijiu suddenly had a terrifying thought.

From his perspective, he couldn't rule out Yu Xing as a suspect.

To put it bluntly, he and Yu Xing had only met twice. They didn't know each other, let alone trust each other.

After just two brief encounters, Zhao Yijiu had decided that Yu Xing might really be the kind of person who could kill someone and then join a game as if nothing had happened. What if he really was the murderer...

"Don't overthink it. I'm accompanying an acquaintance to the school anniversary celebration today. When the incident happened, I was drinking milk tea at a shop."

Yu Xing chuckled. He felt the seat tremble and knew the ride was about to start.

Yu Xing had hit the nail on the head. Zhao Yijiu fell silent and gripped the handrail.

The next moment—

The seats suddenly rose, the wind whooshing past their faces as they climbed to the middle of the ride.

Yu Xing could even see a young couple by the entrance to the Ferris wheel not far away.

But along with the wind, Yu Xing keenly picked up another sound.

A faint noise, like an eggshell cracking as a small animal hatched—

Whoosh!

A thick branch as wide as an arm suddenly scraped past his arm and shot forward. It moved as fast as a blade thrusting at him, making Yu Xing narrow his eyes.

"Look out!" he warned at once. There wasn't just one branch. The first seemed to be a signal, and countless others immediately burst out in a violent flurry. Zhao Yijiu's side was no safer.

"Whoosh—"

The drop tower plunged downward. The weightlessness felt pretty exhilarating to Yu Xing, but this wasn't the time to enjoy it.

He glanced to the side. He couldn't see what was behind him, but he could see the back of the empty seat beside him.

The view was perfectly clear—and grotesque. What had split open were the eyes embedded in the drop tower.

Tender-bud-like bulges swelled in the eyeballs. They paused for a moment, then shot out at tremendous speed. If Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu were just a little less lucky, they'd be impaled the next instant.

The scene was indescribable, unspeakable, and carried a strange kind of mental contamination. An ordinary person would probably have their Sanity wiped out on the spot.

"Don't move. I observed them—all the eyes are between the seats. As long as you sit properly, they won't hurt you." Zhao Yijiu answered at top speed. Yu Xing obediently sat still, muttering to himself:

His observation skills are pretty good. Seems like he's improved since the last deduction.

However, the ride had no intention of letting them off so easily.

The seats descended to the bottom. Just two seconds later, they rose again, this time climbing much higher until they reached the very top.

Twisted, tangled branches swept past Yu Xing's head. More and more eyeballs split open and sent branches shooting out. Yu Xing stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what came next.

Alice's stiff, hollow voice came from inside the ride. "There is a slip of paper at the tip of every branch. They all have the same message. That's the clue."

The clue was at the tips of the branches?

Yu Xing leaned forward to look. Sure enough, every pointed branch that had emerged had a small white slip of paper stuck to its tip.

In other words, to get the clue, they had to touch the tip of a branch. But the branches were so long that once they had fully extended, they were too far away from the seats to reach.

It seemed their only option was to snatch the slips off the tips the moment the branches emerged. But judging by their speed, they might as well resign themselves to having their palms pierced clean through.

"Knew it wouldn't be that easy," Yu Xing muttered.

Zhao Yijiu stared at the branches, a small knife appearing in his hand.

A surge of energy washed over them, making Yu Xing's body stiffen. He glanced at the knife in Zhao Yijiu's hand. The beautiful little blade, with a dark stone set in its handle, looked different from before. The stone had grown clearer, and the patterns spreading out from it looked more like veins.

It seemed that the offering he'd made back then had been activated after Zhao Yijiu became a full-fledged deduction player.

Fortunately, other people's offerings didn't affect Yu Xing much. He felt a brief chill, then was comfortable again.

The sharp blade sliced through the branch that was easiest to reach. It snapped and fell to the ground.

"Any clues on fallen branches will disappear automatically." Alice's voice sounded again. Yu Xing thought he detected a hint of delight in it.

"Then we have to get hurt, don't we?" Cutting the branches wouldn't work. Zhao Yijiu frowned.

"Seems normal. This deduction looks a little unusual. Injuries that aren't life-threatening would make it easier for certain role cards to cause trouble." Yu Xing didn't care at all; he'd already expected this result.

The drop tower kept rising and falling. Yu Xing reached out into the wind. Zhao Yijiu didn't even have time to react before Yu Xing grabbed a newly emerged branch and calmly snatched the white slip of paper from it.

The sharp tip of the branch pierced straight through Yu Xing's hand.

Somehow, he quickly pulled his hand back, avoiding further injury from the ride's movement. All that remained was a bloodied hole the size of a bowl in his hand.

It was a rather gruesome sight. Yu Xing's bone had been pierced through, and his little finger dangled limply.

"You!" Zhao Yijiu's eyes widened. He stared in disbelief at the calm-faced young man beside him, who looked as if he'd done nothing more than a trivial chore.

"Don't panic. It doesn't hurt." Yu Xing glanced at his hand, particularly at the slip of paper pinched between his thumb and index finger.

"The victim wasn't one of the couple."

He'd traded a grievous hand injury for a mere eight words.

"We got the clue. The victim's role card isn't with Ling Heng or Chen Jiu." Yu Xing casually tossed the slip away. It turned to ash in midair, leaving not a trace behind.

"Got it. Your hand—" Zhao Yijiu tried to find the words, then realized he had nothing to say.

To get the clue, one of them might indeed have had to get hurt. But Yu Xing's complete lack of hesitation had still shocked him.

And that expression of his was far too calm. He hadn't even furrowed his brow, let alone blinked.

Yu Xing said, "Heh, it's nothing."

Zhao Yijiu didn't reply this time. The drop tower had begun to slow, and a few seconds later it stopped.

He unfastened his own safety belt first and pushed the U-shaped bar up, then immediately did the same for Yu Xing.

"Ah-ha~" Seeing Zhao Yijiu's actions, Yu Xing knew the cool-faced, warm-hearted guy was feeling a little upset.

He hopped off the seat, holding his injured hand out in front of him to keep the blood from soaking his clothes. "Don't get too emotional. It really doesn't hurt. I'm just used to it."

As he spoke, the huge wound on his hand visibly healed.

"...What kind of offering is that?" Zhao Yijiu's usually cool voice stuttered for once.

"Hmm... Regrowing severed limbs? Something like that. I can only use it..." Yu Xing thought for a moment. "Three times per deduction, I guess."

Zhao Yijiu's temple twitched.

That uncertainty in his voice was obvious. Did he think Zhao Yijiu was deaf?

In just a few seconds, Yu Xing's hand had healed completely, without even a scar. Zhao Yijiu's heart tightened. He thought that Yu Xing had far too many secrets.

"All right, look. It healed quickly. Don't dwell on it." Yu Xing flexed his wrist and fingers, then smiled with satisfaction. "Let's go to the next ride."

The next ride was near the drop tower.

From the drop tower, the two of them had gotten a good look at most of the amusement park. They now knew where the rides were and where there weren't any.

As they left the drop tower, the sign changed. It said the clue for this ride had been obtained and the ride was temporarily closed.

They headed left, crossed a small bridge, and reached the attraction on the other side.

It was probably the smallest attraction in the park—and one you could find in places other than amusement parks: claw machines.

Several claw machines stood in a row. Oversized dolls matching Alice's design sat atop them, little red-and-black flags bobbing beside them. Cheerful music played from somewhere.

Yu Xing listened. It seemed to be a cheerful instrumental remix of the English song "Hide and Seek," but there was something strangely sharp and dangerous about it, making the empty space especially creepy.

He wasn't creeped out, but he still narrowed his eyes a little. "Are you sure you want to play this?"

"What, do you have some idea that you can only play claw machines with your girlfriend?" Zhao Yijiu had simply picked this attraction because it was nearby and there was no sign that anyone else had played it. He'd recovered from his earlier shock and was back to his usual cool self.

That was what the sign said.

[This attraction requires two players to start, with a maximum of three. Visitors who are irritable and quick to anger are asked to experience this attraction with a calm and peaceful mind.]

[Rules: Visitors will receive ten free tokens. Each token allows one game. Get a prize in at least three of your ten attempts to receive the clue.]

A mechanical gear-shaped cup sat beneath the sign, holding ten tokens.

"Of course I don't have any strange ideas like that. I don't even meet the prerequisite—I'd need to have a girlfriend first." Yu Xing looked a little awkward. "Do you know how to play claw machines?"

Zhao Yijiu didn't answer. Instead, he picked up the cup, pushed through the railing, and walked over to a claw machine.

The music grew louder. Inside the machines, lumps of black shapes sat in neat rows.

Yu Xing followed and glanced inside. He sucked in a breath. "Oh my god, that's horrifying. They're heads!"

That was right. Neatly arranged inside the claw machines were human heads, all with different faces and expressions.

Half of each head was flesh and blood, half machinery. Gears, rings, and pipes crisscrossed through them, combining terror and artistry in a bizarrely perfect way.

It was just a little too gruesome.

"Human heads are so cute! How can we grab human heads? Maybe we should pick another ride..." Yu Xing plucked one of the little flags off the machine and waved it around.

"..." Zhao Yijiu found him utterly exasperating.

Had this guy's acting bug really flared up all of a sudden?

He couldn't be bothered to entertain him. He dropped in a token and tried operating the metal claw inside the machine.

It was his first time using a claw machine. The metal claw moved above a short-haired head. He pressed the button, and the claw slowly descended, picking up the head.

The moment it reached midair, the head fell.

"Hard, isn't it?" Yu Xing gloated from the side.

"I've never played before," Zhao Yijiu said seriously. "I think I've got the hang of it now."

"Oh, Brother Jiu, I want to discuss something with you." Yu Xing leaned against the claw machine. After Zhao Yijiu inserted another token, he neatly grabbed a long-haired human head, half mechanical and half rotten, and carried it steadily toward the prize chute—

With a smack, the head fell. Its bloodshot eyes stared at them, while the torn flesh and white bone at its neck faced upward.

"..." Zhao Yijiu rubbed his temples in frustration and dropped in another token. "There are only two of us here. Don't call me Brother Jiu. Who are you trying to annoy?"

"Is that annoying?" Yu Xing asked in surprise. "I thought an aloof big shot like you would prefer a respectful title."

"Am I even a big shot compared to you?" Zhao Yijiu asked sarcastically. Then he bent down and stared intently at the head he'd grabbed on his last attempt, operating the mechanical claw with a serious expression—

Smack!

"..."

The head was slammed against the bottom of the machine again. Maybe it was just Yu Xing's imagination, but the head seemed to look even more vicious now.

"You do it. I... can't get it." Zhao Yijiu gave up decisively and looked at Yu Xing.

"Hmph, claw machines..." Yu Xing didn't move. His expression was full of the superiority of someone speaking from experience. "You know, if you're trying to impress a girl, taking her to play a claw machine is really effective. Practicing first makes you look impressive in her eyes."

"Stop wasting time. I'm not trying to impress a girl. So put your claw-machine skills to use and get the clue as soon as possible," Zhao Yijiu said coolly.

"Enmmm..." Yu Xing looked away. "I was just saying. I can't do it either."

If you couldn't do it, where was all that superiority coming from?

Wait a minute. Was the reason you kept insisting on changing rides that you couldn't play claw machines?

Zhao Yijiu felt that knowing someone like this had made his inner monologue far more active than before. What terrible luck to have met him.

Well, they might not even be friends.

Yu Xing rubbed the tip of his nose and looked at the claw machine with disdain.

He'd known for a long time that he had no talent for claw machines. A few years earlier, he'd taken Zhu Yan to the mall after she'd just finished middle school. Zhu Yan had taken a liking to a plush toy in a claw machine, and trying to get it had nearly pushed him over the edge.

The mall had almost ceased to exist—almost. The person in charge should be grateful that little Zhu Yan had stopped him with all her might.

Claw machines really were inhuman. Well, maybe Yu Xing was the inhuman one. Either way, he could guarantee that Zhao Yijiu's first attempt at a claw machine had been many times better than his.

"Ugh. Claw machines are in the top three of my worst skills." Yu Xing refused to accept the tokens Zhao Yijiu tried to hand him. "Hey, stop playing for now. I interrupted you earlier and never got to finish what I was saying. I want to discuss something with you!"

When Wang Jue came running over to the claw machines, he saw Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu staring at him with the terrifying looks of hunters who'd spotted their prey.

He stopped in his tracks, almost turning around and going back the way he'd come.

Good grief, had the murderer stopped trying to hide?

No, that couldn't be right. There were two of them. They couldn't both be murderers.

After thinking it over, Wang Jue stopped himself from turning back and cautiously approached. "Hello. Um, what's with those looks...?"

"Our savior," Yu Xing sighed.

"Yeah," Zhao Yijiu said with a nod.

Wang Jue stared at them in confusion.

"Here, it's up to you. We can't get them." Yu Xing shoved the gear-shaped cup with its five remaining tokens into his hands and pushed him toward the claw machine. "Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon you, so first you must grab a human-head doll."