Carnivore (2) Village

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

A round-faced woman stepped forward first and introduced herself with a smile. "I'm Zhu Ling. Don't laugh, but this is my third instance. I'm a Taoist master in real life, and I know a few ways to deal with the supernatural..."

She carried herself with easy confidence. She seemed like the type who was used to the supernatural and didn't take the game seriously.

Her relaxed attitude effectively broke the tension and eased the players' nerves.

Several people visibly brightened. In a team instance, having a teammate who was good at dealing with the supernatural really could improve everyone's chances of survival.

"It'd be a lie to say I'm not scared. I've looked into it, and a lot of players fail in their third instance. I don't know what kind of difficulty I'll face next." Zhu Ling spoke earnestly. "But I believe that as long as we're willing to work together, we can handle whatever comes our way and clear this instance."

The players chimed in one after another, not mentioning the "Minimum Death Quota" at all.

The introductions continued from front to back and from left to right.

Like Zhu Ling, the man in the military overcoat was on his third instance. His name was Yang Yundong. He was a veteran with a desk job at the Public Security Bureau.

The white young man who had only just entered the game and figured out what was going on was named Allen. He was an outdoor streamer who did extreme sports, and right now his excitement outweighed his fear.

The other newcomer was a girl named Zhou Yilin, a freshman at Blue Whale University. She was trembling like a drenched quail.

The rest of the players were on their second instance. On average, they seemed about as capable as the players in the first instance.

When it was Qi Si's turn, he said without changing expression, "Chang Xu, specimen maker. Second instance."

Using his real name in the first instance had been a beginner's mistake. He'd worried that the game might stab him in the back later, bringing unnecessary suspicion down on him.

But after browsing the forums and learning most of the game's mechanics, Qi Si no longer had that concern. Naturally, he wasn't going to use his real name again.

He had no desire to have someone post "Watch out for Qi Si" on the forums after he'd finished screwing over his teammates.

He chose to use the alias Chang Xu out of a certain kind of perverse amusement. In Qi Si's view, linking a victim's name to the perpetrator's misdeeds was bound to be entertaining.

Zhu Ling looked around at everyone, smiling brightly. "You've all seen the prompt, right? This instance might involve a lot of text-based puzzles. Is anyone good at that sort of thing?"

Sniffling, Zhou Yilin spoke timidly. "I'm in the mystery club at university, and I often play murder-mystery games and sea-turtle soup puzzles. I don't know if I can help, though."

With her tear-streaked face, the remark was rather comical. A few players let out scornful snorts.

Zhu Ling, however, looked at her seriously. "Then, Yilin, we'll count on you to handle the puzzles. We'll put our heads together, and we'll make it through this instance."

Without warning, the bus slammed on its brakes, interrupting the heartwarming scene. With a piercing squeal, all the players lurched forward under the force of inertia.

By sheer luck, Zhou Yilin was thrown back into her seat, her back hitting the cushion. Zhu Ling had no time to react; her shoulder struck the plastic seat in front of her with a thud.

Qi Si reacted quickly and shielded his face with both arms, narrowly avoiding injury. The fat man beside him wasn't so lucky. His chubby face hit the seat in front, leaving a faint white mark.

When the bus finally stopped shaking, the players awkwardly righted themselves and looked toward the front.

A dilapidated village came into view through the windshield.

It was probably evening. The sky was overcast, with no sun in sight. The village, built from crooked bricks and stones, lay shrouded in gloom. Amid the sand and dust blown by the wind, it seemed as lifeless as an old man nearing the end of his days.

Beside the dusty dirt road at the village entrance stood a stone stele. Three characters had been neatly written on it in brushstrokes: "Su Village."

This was where they would have to survive for five days.

"You have arrived at your destination. Please get off immediately."

With a click, the door opened. A hoarse, gender-neutral recording came from the driver's seat, its crackling static accompanied by an unmistakable note of urgency.

The players didn't dare dawdle any longer. They scrambled to their feet as quickly as they could and jumped off one after another.

Qi Si stayed curled up in his seat until everyone else had gotten off, then pretended to be casually checking the driver's seat.

A small tape recorder lay there, and there was nothing else.

Qi Si picked up the tape recorder and slipped it into his coat. Then he climbed off the bus, a little disappointed.

Behind him, the bus doors shut automatically, and it drove off in a cloud of dust.

An enthusiastic male narrator's voice rang out from the depths of their minds, reciting what sounded like a tour guide's introduction:

[Su Village was once a poor little village. The harvests were bad year after year, and no one had enough to eat. Families often went begging for food in the neighboring villages.]

[During years of famine, disaster struck across the land. But a god took pity on Su Village and sent down God Meat to help them through the hard times.]

[Many years passed. The village's elderly died, one group after another, but the legend of the God Meat was told again and again, drawing visitors from all over.]

[The eleven of you are tourists who have come because of the village's reputation. You will stay here for five days, taste the God Meat, and experience the local customs.]

[Have a pleasant stay.]

At the word "god," Qi Si raised an eyebrow.

He knew that the Eerie Game had a main god. The Rose Manor instance had also featured a god who'd been pulling strings behind the scenes. He just didn't know what kind of thing the god in this instance would be.

Take pity on Su Village and send down God Meat? Qi Si silently chewed over the narrator's words. For some reason, a sentence came to mind:

God does not love humanity.

Was this instance set in a different world from the last one, or did the same filth simply wear a peaceful mask?

Zhu Ling raised a hand to fix her hair, which had been mussed up by the sudden stop. Then she offered her opinion. "This so-called 'God Meat' reminds me of a story. They say that Sakyamuni Buddha once came across a hawk chasing a dove. The dove begged Him for protection, but the hawk would starve to death without meat to eat. So Buddha cut off some of His own flesh to feed the hawk as compensation."

"If that's how it is, then this god sounds pretty nice." The fat man, still sporting a white mark on his face, rubbed his bald head and chuckled. "I wonder if I can pray to him and ask him to bless me with a fortune."

Qi Si remembered that the man's name was Zhang Licai. He was a crosstalk performer whose wish after entering the Eerie Game was to pay off his loan sharks and own a home of his own.

A bespectacled young man nearby chimed in. "I've read over a thousand posts on the forums in the past three days. The most important thing I've learned is never to trust the Eerie Game's kindness. If there's a god or something in the setup, it's always safest to assume they're the Villain."

He changed the subject. "By the way, did any of you read any walkthroughs for this instance? I don't remember seeing anything about it."

Everyone shook their heads, and Qi Si did the same without giving anything away.

He'd only read the posts that explored the game's fundamental principles and rules. He hadn't read a single word of the guides analyzing specific instances.

There was no other reason: the time it took far outweighed what he stood to gain. In Qi Si's eyes, not making a profit was the same as taking a loss—and he hated a losing deal more than anything.

At the front of the group, Yang Yundong, who'd been wearing an intimidating expression from the start, seemed about to say something. Out of habit, he reached into the pocket of his military overcoat to feel around.

When he realized there was nothing there, he awkwardly lowered his hand. His expression grew even more irritated. "This is a new instance. In the Novice Pool, there used to be four hundred and twenty-nine instances beginning with the letter 'S.' This is number four hundred and thirty."

Yang Yundong spoke with absolute certainty. Combined with his status as an experienced player and a veteran, his conclusion immediately won the others' trust.

The players all looked grim, and several started cursing under their breath.

The information and precautions for each instance had been learned by generations of players at the cost of their lives. The first group of players sent into a newly opened instance were, without a doubt, cannon fodder sent to scout it out. They were going in blind, and how far they got depended entirely on luck.

Zhou Yilin had already been trembling like a leaf. Sensing the tense atmosphere, she started crying again. "I don't want to die, sob... I really didn't know that clicking 'Yes' would bring me here..."

"Why the hell are you crying? What good is that going to do?" The unkempt man standing behind her couldn't take it anymore. He shouted, "If you don't shut the hell up, get lost. You're in my way!"

Zhou Yilin jumped in fright, but immediately fell silent. Her shoulders shook as she stifled her sobs. Zhu Ling hurried over, put an arm around her shoulders, and gently patted her as she murmured words of comfort.

Qi Si stood off to the side, looking listless. He'd already realized that, though the players in this instance were on their second instance on average, they were nowhere near as capable as the last group.

At least Lin Chen hadn't cried for half an hour straight, Chang Xu hadn't cursed out a newcomer, and Shen Ming and Ye Zi hadn't worn their feelings on their faces.

"Enough. Picking on a young girl doesn't prove anything. We can talk once we're in the village." Yang Yundong cut off the pointless argument in time, then gave the unkempt man a warning look.

The unkempt man glanced around. When he saw that nobody was backing him, he could only shut his mouth with a scowl.

Then Yang Yundong turned to Zhou Yilin. "He's not wrong, either. You're already here. What good is crying going to do? Wait until you survive and get out, then you can cry."

Zhou Yilin wiped her tears and said nothing more. The first argument had been settled with both sides equally reprimanded.

The sky had already grown dark. Not far outside the village, mist billowed upward, and clusters of black shadows could just barely be seen, swaying back and forth. They easily invited ominous thoughts. The mist formed a ring and steadily narrowed, rolling toward the players.

Staying outside the village any longer clearly meant danger.

Yang Yundong strode ahead without a word and walked straight into the village. The others didn't hesitate for long before following after him one by one.

Qi Si brought up the rear, silently reviewing everyone's reactions since the instance had begun.

Eleven people—that was too many, and too chaotic. Standing in the middle of the group too early would only reveal his hand and make him a target.

When you didn't have enough ability, putting yourself in the spotlight was just digging your own grave.

He knew that perfectly well, and was more than happy to point a gun at good people and help them dig.

There were a few minor errors in the previous chapter. Thanks to the reader who pointed them out; this lousy author has fixed them all. I've been doing military training for eighteen days straight, writing updates while going through grueling drills, and my brain has gotten completely fried (yes, I'm making excuses)... Anyway, I'm going to bed. I feel awful...