Head Chopper Demon

Head Chopper Demon

"What'll happen?" The two men's teeth chattered at his words, but they couldn't help asking.

Some people had survived the Preliminary Train through strength, others through luck. But no Player who'd made it out alive dared treat missing a Dungeon as no big deal.

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Huo flicked ash from his cigarette and grinned. "I don't know either."

The two Players pretending to be Station Staff finally realized they'd been played. Enraged, they lunged at him. "We were going to let you live, but you brought this on yourself!"

"Ding!"

Keeping the Brass Lighter lit, Xu Huo quickly retreated several steps, raised his hand, and shouted, "Burn!" twice.

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, blue flames sprang up on the two Players' clothes. Their ordinary fabric was covered in flames in the blink of an eye, like paper. The two men, who had been baring their fangs just a moment ago, immediately screamed and tore at their clothes!

The other three Players, who'd been waiting for an opportunity to act, were frightened by the display and stepped back in unison!

"He's using a game item!" The tall, thin man tossed off his clothes and glared at Xu Huo, both furious and afraid. When he saw the Lighter in Xu Huo's hand, greed glimmered in his eyes. He shouted at the other three, "You idiots, hurry up and help! He's definitely got more than one Ticket on him. You need Tickets to get to the next Dungeon, or you'll starve to death here!"

But before the three Players could react, a string of "Burn!"s rang out across the lobby. Their clothes caught fire one after another, including those of the fake Station Staff duo, who'd just taken off their shirts.

The group rolled around on the ground, wailing. Xu Huo stood to one side, watching their desperate attempts to save themselves by stripping, his expressionless gaze revealing little. He had more or less figured out which objects Arsonist's Tool could ignite, as well as the size, strength, and speed of the flames.

It could only ignite clothes worn on a person. Clothes tossed on the ground wouldn't catch fire. The flames burned with the same intensity as an ordinary fire; they couldn't be extinguished by nothing, nor could they melt metal.

There were also two conditions for something to catch fire. First, there could be no obstacles between the Lighter and its target—in simple terms, there had to be a straight line between them, so holding the Lighter behind his back wouldn't work. Second, the target had to be able to hear him shout "Burn!" Mouthing the word silently wouldn't work.

Of course, an Evolver's enhanced hearing meant the distance he could control was much greater.

Nodding in satisfaction, he checked the time on his phone. Then he disappeared from the station lobby.

The train sped through a forest shrouded in thick fog. The light outside visibly dimmed. Xu Huo checked the time on his phone again and realized that after the scenery had changed three times in a row, the timeline had become completely jumbled. It looked like night now, but in reality, he'd only been on the train for two hours.

There was no fixed time difference between the game and the outside world.

He had just set down his phone when the game screen suddenly displayed:

[Player Passerby A has entered the territory of Hot Spring Mountain and is automatically participating in the E-class instance "Head Chopper Demon." Please note: this instance is low-level. Players cannot bring in non-game items.]

[Background: Hot Spring Villa, famous for its natural hot springs, was once popular with both Players and non-Players. However, over the past three years, guests who came here to relax had mysteriously lost their heads, with no trace of the culprit left at the scene. After several private detectives and police officers mysteriously disappeared, the owner of Hot Spring Villa had no choice but to offer a hefty reward to solve the strange deaths. Unfortunately, there have been no results to date.]

[Today, Hot Spring Villa has become a gathering place for detectives, reporters, and horror story enthusiasts. Before midnight tonight, another group of guests will arrive at the villa...]

[Instance mission: Protect our heads. (Note: Keep an eye on your head, or it might run off on its own!)]

[Instance duration: five days.]

[Players must check in at Hot Spring Villa before midnight in game time and complete the instance mission. Those who fail to clear the instance will not receive a return Ticket.]

[Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7...]

When the countdown ended, Xu Huo found himself standing on a narrow path hidden beneath a thick blanket of fog.

Dense woods were swallowed by the heavy mist. Anything more than five meters away was practically invisible. Beneath a dim yellow streetlight stood a sign that read "Hot Spring Mountain Station" and "Hot Spring Villa, 500 meters straight ahead."

He took a few steps to the side, but his view didn't open up as it would in an ordinary fog. The mist blocked his vision, and he couldn't see anything beyond the color black.

It seemed that outside the areas required for the instance, the game didn't unlock anything for Players. If they failed to clear it and had no spare Tickets, they could very well end up trapped here.

"Miss... Wait!" Just as he was about to move on, someone suddenly called out behind him.

Xu Huo turned around with one hand on his waist. A thin man wearing glasses was climbing out of the bushes. Once he got to his feet, he seemed more startled by Xu Huo than anything else.

It couldn't be helped. Who would have expected that the figure with hair down to its waist would turn around to reveal a six-foot-tall man?

"Hello... You're a Player too, right?" The glasses man awkwardly scratched his head. "It was too dark earlier. I couldn't get a good look at you."

Xu Huo touched the hair at the back of his head. He'd already cut it off once on the way here, and it had grown back.

It would all fall out on its own in a week anyway, so he wasn't too concerned.

"Going to Hot Spring Villa?" He offered the man a cigarette.

The glasses man hurriedly took it. "Yes, yes. What should I call you, bro? Why don't we go together?"

Xu Huo nodded, and the two of them set off toward the villa, maintaining a certain distance as they walked one behind the other.

On the way, the glasses man briefly introduced himself. His name was Yuan Yao, and he was a programmer. By a twist of fate, he'd survived the preliminary round and managed to scrape by until the final day. With no other choice, he'd boarded the train.

He'd arrived here that morning and had been hiding in the roadside bushes. Eight Players had already passed by. With the deadline approaching, he figured Xu Huo must be the last one, so he'd hurried out to keep him company.

After listening to him, Xu Huo asked thoughtfully, "Does every Player arrive at a different time?"

Yuan Yao patted his chest. "Don't worry, Xu. I know how these games work. They said midnight, so the instance definitely won't open until after then. The people who went ahead might not even have gotten through the door yet!"

That wasn't what Xu Huo had been thinking, but he didn't say so.

Yuan Yao had been hiding just three meters away, yet Xu Huo hadn't noticed him at all. He hadn't noticed any of the eight Players who'd passed him earlier, either.

He looked at the other man, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Hey, we're here!" Yuan Yao pointed ahead.