Great Emperor Zhenwu was truly in a tragic state.
Even though he had been dead for several hours, blood still soaked through the quilt and mixed with the rainwater.
“Let’s go. On to the next Thatched Hut.”
And so, Yi Mo and Pikachu went from one Thatched Hut to another, finding the bodies, wrapping them in quilts, and moving them onto the cart together.
Even for Old Six Du, who had died of poisoning, Yi Mo simply wrapped him in a few extra layers of quilts without showing any sign of disgust.
By the time they placed Conan’s body on the cart, Yi Mo was too exhausted to stand, and his head felt faint.
Looking at the several bodies wrapped in quilts on the cart and the torrential rain before him, he finally sat down on the edge of the Judgment Stage.
“Let’s… rest for a moment.”
Pikachu nodded at his words.
“Of all the smart people I’ve seen in a Death Game, you’re the most humane.”
“You are far beyond what those well-dressed beasts could ever hope to be!”
Pikachu’s second sentence was loud, as if she wanted everyone left alive in the village to hear her.
Splaaaash!
However, the sound of the rain hitting the puddles was far from quiet.
It easily drowned out her voice.
It was as if they were utterly insignificant.
Hearing this, Yi Mo lowered his head and looked at the corpses on the cart.
In a low, raspy voice, he said, “I’m not as good as you say.”
“I am merely one of those well-dressed beasts.”
***
In the pouring rain, a man and a woman walked along the potholed, waterlogged village path.
The clothes on their bodies were already a mess, clinging tightly to their skin.
Yi Mo pushed the two-wheeled cart from behind, while Pikachu pulled the two handles in front with both hands.
To be honest…
Even a “tough girl” like Pikachu, who was strong enough to take down four tough guys, was starting to question her life choices under this heavy rain.
‘Am I crazy? Baiduren was right; this kind of thing is truly meaningless. Maybe I’ll be the next one to die. With a frame like mine, will anyone even collect my body?’
Pikachu turned her head.
Her vision was blurred by the rain, but she could still see Yi Mo with his head down, gritting his teeth as he pushed the cart.
She couldn’t help but let out a relieved smile.
‘He wouldn’t be able to carry me. Aside from me, no one else would help this fool bury the dead. Just focus on how to live while you’re still breathing and work hard to survive! As for what happens after death… if there really are souls or whatever, I’ll deal with it then!’
At that thought, Pikachu suddenly didn’t feel as tired.
Her mood became exceptionally clear, and she let out a loud shout.
“Ah!!!”
“Charge!!!”
Yi Mo, who was busy thinking while pushing the cart from behind, was startled by Pikachu’s sudden shout.
He shuddered, lost his footing, and stepped into a puddle.
He was about to fall face-first into the mud.
“Crap!” he cried out instinctively.
Pikachu happened to turn around and see this.
With lightning-fast reflexes, she grabbed Yi Mo’s arm, preventing the tragedy of him being disfigured by the fall.
“Brother Shiba Daye, are you okay?”
Pikachu asked with concern.
“You’re being too careless.”
“With that small frame of yours, you really need to work out if you manage to get out of here alive. Not all games are about wit. There are shooting games and even fighting games. With your build, wouldn’t you be K.O.’d in a second?”
“Hahaha, but it’s fine. Maybe you can persuade others to fight each other so you can just pick up the spoils at the end.”
Yi Mo nodded awkwardly.
“Well, I’m just lazy…”
“Since you’re a shut-in otaku, I understand. Uh… you can let go now…”
Looking closely, one would notice that Yi Mo’s feet were currently off the ground.
Pikachu had actually lifted Yi Mo up with one hand while the other hand held the cart steady.
It was truly impressive.
Only then did Pikachu realize what she was doing.
She quickly set Yi Mo down and said apologetically, “Hahaha… sorry, sorry… I didn’t notice…”
Yi Mo shook his head to indicate it was fine, but he thought to himself:
‘Is Pikachu’s strength a bit absurd? She could lift me with one hand while ensuring the cart carrying four bodies didn’t tip over… Is that something a sturdy “tough girl” who owns a small restaurant can really do? Has she… modified her body? She isn’t as simple as she appeared to be before!’
Doubts filled Yi Mo’s mind, and he felt he had misjudged her earlier.
However, his expression didn’t change as he urged Pikachu to continue their journey.
Around 12:00 PM, the rain lightened slightly.
The two of them finally followed the small path north of the village, bypassed the Small Hill, and reached the so-called Graveyard.
There were no grand buildings, only a large patch of grass enclosed by a fence.
Mounds of earth and tombstones stood here and there.
It looked desolate and lifeless.
However…
Yi Mo felt a deep sense of malice.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had fallen from the sky and struck his crown.
Every cell in his body trembled, and he felt ice-cold.
Because…
At the far end of the Graveyard, there were exactly twelve holes, each with a wooden sign placed beside it…
Yi Mo let go of the cart and walked over to check the wooden signs one by one.
The nicknames of every player had already been carved onto them.
It was as if not a single one of them was meant to walk out of this game alive.
Only that unknown demon reigned over everything here, peeping at their mutual slaughter and watching their schemes against one another.
Truly, it was just a game.
Pikachu found a place to park the cart and walked over.
When she saw the words “Great Emperor Zhenwu” on the wooden sign in Yi Mo’s hand, she couldn’t help but curse.
“Damn it, what the hell is this!”
“Shiba Daye, will no one survive this game? Then what have we been working so hard for until now? This is… this is too freaking much!”
Pushing four bodies here in the torrential rain was exhausting enough.
Seeing this scene made Pikachu’s body shake with rage.
In contrast, Yi Mo said calmly, “No… someone will definitely make it out alive.”
Yi Mo suddenly remembered what the Ordinary Girl Village Chief had once said to him at the stone statue.
‘Hehe… don’t trust those things too much. In a Death Game, the vast majority of information is intentionally provided by the System to mislead players.’
Did these pre-dug pits really mean anything?
Were they a hint, or just the game System’s sick sense of humor?
Yi Mo didn’t know.
He only knew that he didn’t want to die; he wanted to get out alive!
Living a good life was something he had once promised his younger sister!
Under Yi Mo’s comfort, Pikachu’s foul mood eased a bit.
Since there were already pits dug here, it saved the two of them from having to dig in the heavy rain.
Even so, it took a significant amount of effort.
By the time they finished everything, it was already 3:00 PM.
The rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast.
After finishing the work, Pikachu sat on the two-wheeled cart and looked at the four small mounds of earth.
Because the rain had been heavy, the soil was packed tight.
However, she felt something was off.
She couldn’t help but scratch her head and ask Yi Mo, “Brother Shiba Daye, did you put the tombstones in the wrong spots? I seem to remember that when we were burying them… the order wasn’t like this…”
Yi Mo looked closely and shook his head.
“No, the tombstones were right next to the pits. I placed them myself. The rain was heavy just now; you probably remembered it wrong.”
Pikachu frowned but didn’t think too much of it.
She said apologetically, “Maybe. The rain really was too heavy today; it made my head feel all fuzzy. By the way, how many Death Games have you played?”
“You’re too kindhearted. You’re not suited for this kind of game at all.”
“Actually, Baiduren was right. Coming here to bury them just drains our stamina. It has no practical meaning. But I was annoyed by Baiduren, and I really did want to bury Great Emperor Zhenwu. He was too foolish; he wasn’t suited for survival here. Also, seeing that silly look of yours… I just couldn’t leave you be…”
Pikachu paused, lowered her head, and sank into thought.
“Actually, during my first game, I met a very smart kid. He was a lot like you, liked to stay by himself and think things through. I only survived my first game because of him. However, while I lived, he died. He died to save some bitch!”
Pikachu looked as if she were blaming herself for not being able to save him back then.
“My condolences,” was all Yi Mo could say.
Pikachu looked up.
Although she was quite stout, her smile was sincere — a sincerity Yi Mo lacked.
Pikachu stared straight at Yi Mo’s delicate face and said, “Hey, Shiba Daye. Tell me the truth.”
“You have the Couple Hunter identity, don’t you?”
Yi Mo shook his head and said, “I’m not part of the Lovers.”
“Did you believe Baiduren’s words? I only survived my first game and this second one because of pure luck.”
Pikachu stared into Yi Mo’s eyes, which had grown a bit brighter, and thought for a moment.
“Actually, what he said makes sense.”
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