The Weird's Game, An Xiaoran's Smile!

"Everyone, stay calm. When you encounter a Rule-Type Weird, brains matter more than strength."

"Although you can only kill it within its rules, the same principle applies to the Weird: it can only kill people within its own rules."

"So when we don't know what its rules are, the most important thing is to say less and do less," Luo Fan reminded Niu Dagang and Rose.

As for An Xiaoran? She definitely wasn't someone who would say or do too much, so Luo Fan had complete confidence in her.

Whoosh, whoosh!

At Luo Fan's words, Niu Dagang and Rose both turned their eyes toward him.

"Wait, what are you looking at me for?" Luo Fan asked, somewhat bewildered by their synchronized stares.

"Brains? Figuring out its rules, then using those rules to turn the tables and kill it? I definitely can't do that," Niu Dagang said, making his position clear.

"Brother Luo, you're the smartest one here," Rose said to Luo Fan as well.

Luo Fan opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but had nothing to say.

Indeed, could he count on Niu Dagang to figure out the Weird's rules? Or An Xiaoran?

Rose wasn't stupid either, but when it came to attentiveness and intelligence, he had seen through everything she had done back at the Oil Refinery.

Clearly, he really was the team's number one when it came to brains?

Although he felt a little pleased with himself, his heart sank at the thought that this was his first time facing a rule-based Weird.

Not a single Rule-Type Weird was easy to deal with.

"Hee-hee, play a game with me~"

Holding a balloon, the Weird came up to Luo Fan and the others and spoke with a giggle, looking very happy.

If it really were as cute as An Xiaoran, perhaps someone would have willingly played with it.

But the Weird looked sinister and terrifying, so its words felt chilling too.

"Play a game with me. Don't any of you want to play with me?"

After calling out several times and seeing no response from Luo Fan and the others, the little Weird looked visibly impatient. At the same time, a terrifying aura spread from its body, making them feel as though they had plunged into an ice cellar.

"We'll play. How do you want to play?"

It looked as though refusing to play would trigger the Weird's killing rules, so Luo Fan hurriedly called out.

Only after hearing Luo Fan agree did the Weird's aura settle down.

"Everyone, form a circle, then take turns passing this bomb balloon in my hands."

"Hee-hee-hee, once you start passing it, the balloon will keep getting bigger."

"Then whoever's unlucky will get blown up."

"I'll eat whoever gets blown up. Hee-hee~"

"The game ends when there's only one left."

The Weird raised the balloon in its hands and explained the rules to Luo Fan and the others.

Gasp...

At these words, Luo Fan and the others all sucked in a breath. This game felt like playing Russian roulette.

You loaded a single bullet into a revolver, then took turns firing it at your own head. If you were unlucky, you blew your own brains out.

But this Weird's game was even more ruthless. It actually only ended after everyone but one had died?

In other words, all four of them would most likely die, and the only one left would be the Weird itself?

After all, it knew the rules of this game best. Without a high degree of confidence, it wouldn't dare play a game like this, would it?

But wasn't this game purely down to luck? How could it guarantee that it would be the last one alive?

"All right, now stand in a circle."

Without giving Luo Fan and the others much time to think, the Weird had everyone form a circle after explaining the rules.

The Weird held the bomb-shaped balloon. Rose stood immediately to its right, Niu Dagang stood to Rose's right, An Xiaoran stood to Niu Dagang's right, and Luo Fan stood to An Xiaoran's right, with the Weird to Luo Fan's right again.

Thus, the four humans and one Weird formed a circle.

"Luo Fan, do you have any ideas?" Once they were in position, Niu Dagang couldn't help asking when Luo Fan still offered no guidance.

"Yes, Brother Luo, all four of our lives are in your hands." Rose's face was also filled with fear.

The feeling that their strength was of little use, no matter how powerful they were, was deeply uncomfortable.

"This game looks like it's entirely down to luck. Either that's really all there is to it, or it's hiding some information."

Luo Fan shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought, his mind racing as he tried to grasp a clue.

But there didn't seem to be any clues to this game at all.

Had he missed something? Or had the Weird deliberately concealed something?

"The game begins!"

As before, the Weird gave Luo Fan no time to think further. It announced the start, and the balloon in its hands immediately began to expand rapidly.

Then the Weird passed the balloon straight to Rose beside it.

After taking the balloon, Rose didn't dare delay even a second and immediately passed it to Niu Dagang beside her.

Niu Dagang held the balloon, watching it continue to expand in his hands.

Then Niu Dagang glanced at An Xiaoran beside him, his expression hesitant.

"Hee-hee-hee~" Seeing that the balloon in Niu Dagang's hands had already grown enormous, the Weird grinned and stretched out its long tongue to lick the corner of its mouth.

Beside him, An Xiaoran held out both hands to Niu Dagang of her own accord.

Niu Dagang froze for a moment at the sight, then handed the balloon over.

Bzz, bzz, bzz~

Once the balloon was in An Xiaoran's little hands, it swelled even larger. At the same time, a scarlet light flashed, creating a sense of urgency.

But holding the balloon, An Xiaoran glanced at Luo Fan beside her without showing any intention of passing it on.

"Xiao Ran, give it to me."

Seeing An Xiaoran holding the balloon without any intention of handing it to him, Luo Fan grew anxious and called out.

Despite Luo Fan's urgency, An Xiaoran still didn't move or even say a word. She held the balloon, which had swollen to its limit, in her hands.

Facing life and death, An Xiaoran was as calm as ever. The sight reminded Luo Fan of how calmly she had reacted when Luo Xiaohai had threatened her life.

"Xiao Ran, give it to me..." Luo Fan called urgently.

But An Xiaoran gazed steadily at Luo Fan, and finally, a smile appeared on her face.

It was the first time Luo Fan had seen a smile on An Xiaoran's face since he had met her.

Bang!!!

Almost simultaneously, the balloon in An Xiaoran's hands exploded...