Carnivore (2) Village

"There are exactly eleven people on the bus, so all the players should be here. Let's all introduce ourselves first."

A woman with a square face stepped forward first, smiling as she introduced herself: "My name is Zhu Ling. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but this is my third instance. In reality, I'm a Taoist priest, and I know a few ways to deal with the Eerie..."

She carried herself with poise, appearing to be the type who was accustomed to the Eerie and didn't take the game too seriously.

Her relaxed attitude effectively dissipated the stagnant atmosphere and eased the players' tension.

A few people showed clear signs of relief on their faces. In a team instance, having a teammate skilled in dealing with the Eerie could indeed effectively increase everyone's survival probability.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid. I've looked into it, and many players fall in their third instance. I don't know what kind of difficulty I'll face next," Zhu Ling said in a heart-to-heart tone. "However, I believe that as long as we are willing to unite, we will definitely be able to handle whatever comes our way and clear this instance."

The players chimed in one after another, not mentioning a word about the "minimum death toll."

The introductions proceeded in order from front to back, left to right.

Like Zhu Ling, the man in the military overcoat was also entering his third instance. His name was Yang Yundong, a retired soldier who held a nominal position at the Public Security Bureau.

The white youth who had just entered the game and was only now grasping the situation was named Allen. He was an outdoor streamer who specialized in extreme sports, and at this moment, his excitement outweighed his fear.

The girl who was also a newcomer was named Zhou Yilin, a freshman at Blue Whale University, who was shivering like a quail caught in the rain.

The remaining players were all in their second instance; on average, their surface-level skills were about the same as those of the players in the first instance.

When it was Qi Si's turn, he didn't change his expression. "Chang Xu, specimen maker, second instance."

Using his real name in the first instance had been a sign of inexperience, born from the fear that the game might backstab him later and cause unnecessary suspicion.

But after browsing the forums and understanding the various mechanics, Qi Si no longer had such concerns, so naturally, he wouldn't use his real name again.

--He didn't want to be the subject of a "Beware of Qi Si" post on the forums after he finished sabotaging his teammates.

Choosing to impersonate "Chang Xu" was born out of a certain dark sense of humor. In Qi Si's view, linking a victim's name to the perpetrator's misdeeds was absolutely an interesting thing.

Zhu Ling looked around at everyone, smiling brightly: "Everyone saw the pre-instance prompt, right? This instance might involve a large amount of text-based puzzle-solving. Is there anyone among us who is good at this?"

Zhou Yilin sniffled and spoke timidly: "I'm in the reasoning club at my university, and I often play murder mystery games and lateral thinking puzzles. I don't know if I can be of any help?"

Her words, paired with her tear-stained face, were truly somewhat comical, and a few players let out a scoff of disdain.

Zhu Ling, however, looked at her earnestly: "Then Yilin, the puzzle-solving will be up to you from here on out. If we put our heads together, we will definitely be able to survive this instance."

The bus braked without warning, interrupting the heartwarming scene. Amidst a harsh screech of tires, all the players were thrown forward by inertia.

Zhou Yilin was tossed back into her seat by sheer coincidence, her back hitting the soft cushion; Zhu Ling didn't have time to react, her shoulder slamming into the plastic seatback with a "bang."

Qi Si used his arms to protect his face with quick reflexes, narrowly avoiding injury; the fat man beside him wasn't so lucky, his chubby face slamming into the seat in front, leaving a faint white mark.

Once the shaking subsided, the players steadied themselves in a disheveled state and peered toward the front.

A dilapidated village appeared outside the windshield.

It was likely dusk; the sky was a gray, sunless expanse. The village, built from crooked bricks and stones, was shrouded in gloom, exuding the lifelessness of a dying elder amidst the dust kicked up by the wind.

Beside the dusty dirt road at the entrance of the village stood a stone tablet, with the words "Su Village" written neatly in calligraphy.

This was the place where everyone would have to survive for five days.

"Destination reached. Please disembark immediately."

The bus door opened with a "click," and a hoarse, neutral recorded voice came from the driver's seat, accompanied by the "static" of electromagnetic interference, its tone filled with urgency.

The players didn't dare to dawdle, quickly standing up as fast as they could and jumping off the bus one by one.

Qi Si remained in his seat, and after everyone else had disembarked, he pretended to be casual as he leaned over to look at the driver's seat.

A small tape recorder lay quietly on the driver's seat; there was nothing else.

Qi Si picked up the recorder and stuffed it into his jacket, then walked off the bus with a slight sense of disappointment.

Behind him, the bus automatically closed its doors and sped away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A passionate male narrator's voice rang out from the depths of his mind, reciting a background introduction similar to a tour guide's script:

[Su Village was once a poor little village. With poor harvests year after year, everyone was starving, often taking their families to neighboring villages to beg for food.]

[During the years of famine, disasters struck everywhere, yet a deity took pity on Su Village and bestowed God Meat to help them overcome their hardships.]

[Many years have passed, and the elders of the village have died off one after another, but the legend of the God Meat has been told over and over, attracting tourists from all over.]

[You eleven are tourists who have come for the reputation, and you will live in the village for five days, taste the God Meat, and experience the local customs.]

[I wish you a pleasant stay.]

Qi Si raised an eyebrow at the mention of "deity."

It was known that the Eerie Game had a Main God, and the Rose Manor instance had a deity pulling strings behind the scenes, but he didn't know what kind of thing the god in this instance was.

"Took pity on Su Village and bestowed God Meat, huh?" Qi Si silently chewed on the information from the narration, and a sentence surfaced in his mind for no reason—

"God does not love the world."

Was this instance a different setting from the last, or was it just the same filth wearing a mask of peace?

Zhu Ling raised her hand to tidy her hair, which had been messed up during the braking, and offered her opinion at the right moment: "Regarding the so-called 'God Meat,' I actually thought of a story. It is said that Gautama Buddha once encountered a vulture chasing a dove on the road. The dove sought His protection, but the vulture would starve to death if it had no meat to eat, so the Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed the vulture as compensation."

"If that's the case, this god is actually quite kind," the fat man with the white mark still on his face rubbed his bald head and said cheerfully, "I wonder if I can pray to him and have him bless me so I can make a fortune."

Qi Si remembered this person was named Zhang Licai, a crosstalk performer. The wish he made after entering the Eerie Game was to pay off his high-interest debts and own a house of his own.

A young man with glasses standing nearby heard Zhang Licai's words and interjected, "I've spent the last three days reading thousands of posts on the forums, and the most important conclusion I've reached is never to trust the goodwill of the Eerie Game. Whenever you encounter settings like gods or deities, it's always safe to assume they are the villains."

He shifted his tone, "By the way, did any of you prepare any walkthroughs related to this instance? I have absolutely no impression of this dungeon."

Everyone shook their heads, and Qi Si remained impassive.

He had only read the walkthroughs that explored the nature and laws of the game; as for those analyzing specific instances, he hadn't read a single word.

There was no other reason than the fact that the time cost far outweighed the potential gains. In Qi Si's view, not making a profit was a loss—and he hated losing deals more than anything in his life.

At the front of the crowd, Yang Yundong, who had been wearing a look that made him seem like someone not to be trifled with, looked like he wanted to say something. He reached into the pocket of his military overcoat out of habit.

Realizing he felt nothing, he sheepishly lowered his hand, his face darkening with further irritation. "This is a new instance. In the novice pool, there were originally four hundred and twenty-nine instances starting with the letter 'S'; this is the four hundred and thirtieth."

Yang Yundong's tone was adamant, and combined with his status as a veteran player and a retired soldier, the conclusion he stated immediately gained the trust of the others.

The players' expressions were all grim, and a few had already begun to curse under their breath.

Information and precautions for each instance were things that generations of players had paved the way for with their lives. The first wave of players to enter a newly opened instance were undoubtedly cannon fodder sent to clear the mines; being completely in the dark, how well they fared depended entirely on their luck.

Zhou Yilin had already been shaking like a leaf, and feeling the shift in the atmosphere, she began to sob again. "I don't want to die, wuwuwu... I really didn't know that clicking 'Yes' would bring me here..."

"What are you crying for? Crying is fucking useless!" The disheveled man standing behind her couldn't take it anymore and roared, "If you keep crying, get the hell away from here and stop getting in my way!"

Zhou Yilin flinched in terror, but she immediately fell silent, her shoulders heaving with suppressed sobs. Zhu Ling quickly went over to wrap an arm around her shoulders, patting her gently and whispering words of comfort.

Qi Si stood to the side, looking listless. Just a moment ago, he had realized that although the players in this instance were, on average, also on their second dungeon, their quality was nowhere near that of the previous group.

—At least Lin Chen hadn't cried for half an hour straight, Chang Xu hadn't berated the newcomers, and Shen Ming and Ye Zi certainly hadn't worn their emotions on their sleeves.

"Stop arguing. What kind of skill is it to bully a young girl? If you have something to say, wait until we get into the village." Yang Yundong intervened in time to cut off the useless bickering, then gave the disheveled man a warning look.

The disheveled man looked left and right, and seeing that no one supported him, he had no choice but to shut his mouth in resentment.

Following this, Yang Yundong looked at Zhou Yilin. "He's right about one thing: you're already here, so what's the point of crying? If you want to cry, wait until you survive and get out."

Zhou Yilin wiped away her tears and stopped making a sound. The first dispute was resolved by reprimanding both sides equally.

The sky had long since darkened. Not far outside the village, mist swirled, and clusters of shadows could be vaguely seen swaying, easily triggering unpleasant associations. The mist formed a ring, slowly and steadily shrinking its perimeter, rolling toward the players.

Remaining outside the village was undoubtedly dangerous.

Yang Yundong took the lead and walked straight into the village without a word. The others didn't hesitate long and followed one after another.

Qi Si trailed at the back of the group, silently reviewing everyone's reactions since the start of the instance in his mind.

Eleven people—it was too many, too chaotic. Standing in the center of the crowd too early would only expose his hand and make him a target for everyone.

When one's abilities were insufficient, placing oneself in the spotlight was merely digging one's own grave.

He was clearly aware of this, and he was more than happy to point a gun at the "good guys" to help them dig their graves and bury themselves.

There were some small bugs in the previous chapter; thanks to the readers for pointing them out, the trash author has corrected them one by one. After eighteen consecutive days of military training, writing while undergoing grueling exercise has left the author's brain fried (yes, I am making excuses)... I won't say more, I'm going to sleep, I feel terrible...