Idol Fan was even more out of breath, looking even worse than Yi Mo.
He quickly said, “Everyone, the Killer will be able to move in less than two minutes.”
“Did any of you get that Exorcism Talisman?”
The Exorcism Talisman was the only item that could deal with the Killer, randomly distributed by the system.
The Young Woman and the High Schooler both shook their heads, indicating they didn’t have it.
Finally, Idol Fan looked at Yi Mo, but Yi Mo was just panting heavily.
He held out his hands helplessly and said, “There were no special prompts, and I don’t have any items.”
Hearing this, Idol Fan frowned slightly and repeated, “Everyone, if someone got it, please don’t hide it.”
“We’ve been running for seven minutes. Based on the Killer’s physical condition, I estimate he can reach this room’s location in three minutes.”
“Of course, we shouldn’t be too pessimistic. After all, there are several forks in the road and many rooms. He might not come straight for us.”
“But… if we don’t have the Exorcism Talisman, we can only wait for death.”
Idol Fan’s expression was serious, but he looked like he was about to cry.
His tone was now pleading.
However, everyone, including Yi Mo, shook their heads again.
Slap!
Idol Fan smacked his thigh, dejected.
“It’s over!” he said with a mournful face.
“I noticed the way to defeat the Killer, which is why I tried so hard to gather everyone together.”
“As long as we hide together, the Killer won’t know who is holding the Exorcism Talisman.”
“If we were united enough, when he attacks someone, the person with the Exorcism Talisman could rush forward and block one strike. Then we could all easily and smoothly end this game.”
Slap, slap, slap!
As Idol Fan spoke, he kept hitting his thigh.
He was clearly angry and complaining about being played by the system, blaming their poor luck.
Indeed, excluding the Killer, there were seven Survivors in total.
There were four of them here — more than half — yet not a single person had received the Exorcism Talisman.
It really was terrible luck!
“Big Brother Idol Fan, don’t worry yet. Let’s wait and see,” the High Schooler advised.
“Since we’re hiding here, it won’t be easy for him to find us!”
The Young Woman stayed hidden behind the High Schooler and didn’t speak.
Yi Mo observed silently for a while before thinking and saying, “True, don’t be so pessimistic. Idol Fan, don’t you still have an SR Card?”
“Maybe you can lead us to victory!”
When asked about the card earlier, Idol Fan hadn’t answered, so Yi Mo didn’t press the matter now.
Hearing this, Idol Fan nodded with a bitter smile.
As the game was about to start, everyone introduced themselves at Yi Mo’s suggestion.
The High Schooler was participating for the second time.
He really was a student, currently a sophomore in high school, and the youngest among them.
The Young Woman didn’t say much.
She seemed only interested in the High Schooler.
This was her third game.
She was a full-time housewife, and her husband was an executive at a listed company.
Idol Fan said, “I’m twenty-five years old, just another corporate slave. My only hobby is the 2D world. This is my third game.”
“Sorry, I lied about the number of games I’ve played to get everyone to gather. Let’s work hard together from here on.”
He spoke sincerely.
Yi Mo also gave a brief introduction, but he still lied about his game count.
He didn’t mention that this was his first game.
Finally, the countdown ended.
The Killer’s movement restriction was lifted.
As the restriction was removed, everyone instinctively shut their mouths, trying to minimize any noise.
In the dim factory, tucked into a corner filled with stacked steel, time ticked away.
Everyone’s expressions were incredibly grim.
A day felt like a year — there was no better way to describe it.
The Young Woman seemed to have an aversion to Idol Fan.
She pulled the High Schooler along to hide in a gap between a pile of steel, concealing themselves well.
Idol Fan, meanwhile, squatted with Yi Mo at the corner of the aisle they had just passed, wearing a bitter smile.
Yi Mo leaned against the steel, feeling its icy chill seep through his short-sleeved shirt, into his skin, and down to the depths of his heart.
He could be absolutely certain that all of this was real.
As he thought back on everything that had happened, his expression grew more and more serious.
Yi Mo felt like he had hit a dead end.
He didn’t understand the purpose of his participation in this game.
‘Will people really die?’
Although he didn’t understand, how could something like this be verified?
He couldn’t exactly use his own life to prove it!
Yi Mo admitted he didn’t want to die, so he couldn’t bring himself to do that.
“Hey, brother, this is your first game, isn’t it?”
“Don’t be nervous. Keep a level head.”
“Life and death are fated, and wealth is in the hands of heaven!”
Just then, Idol Fan, who was leaning next to him, patted Yi Mo’s shoulder.
Yi Mo turned his head and saw Idol Fan’s forced smile, which looked even worse than crying.
Idol Fan talked about keeping a level head, but he didn’t seem able to do it himself.
“How… how did you tell?”
Yi Mo asked in a low, slightly surprised voice.
Idol Fan smiled and pointed at Yi Mo’s feet.
“Who wears slippers into a Death Game?”
“So, you’re either a hidden powerhouse or a newbie with decent psychological fiber.”
“Right, brother?”
Hearing this, Yi Mo was surprised by Idol Fan’s powers of observation.
After all, their environment was quite dim, and Yi Mo had intentionally stood in the shadows.
How could an ordinary person have specifically noticed what kind of shoes he was wearing?
Idol Fan explained, “Hey, as a shut-in otaku, I rarely talk or communicate with people, so my observation skills are naturally a bit stronger.”
“Can’t help it. I almost died in the first two games. Surviving was pure luck, so I’m trying to make myself stronger.”
Hearing this, Yi Mo glanced at Idol Fan and said with a smile, “I’m glad the person I met was you.”
Idol Fan puffed out his chest and said, “Hey, what are you saying? We’re fellow fans of the 2D world!”
“If you want to thank me, then join me in supporting Mizua Akahoshi!”
“Haha, if we really make it out, you must subscribe to Mizua Akahoshi’s channel first!”
The one Idol Fan was talking about was the twin-tailed loli virtual streamer pictured on his tank top.
Yi Mo looked at the pattern on the shirt and gave an awkward, bitter smile.
“I will…”
Yi Mo was only halfway through his sentence when a system notification made Idol Fan burst into laughter.
[THE KILLER HAS STRUCK THE PLAYER HOLDING THE EXORCISM TALISMAN. THE KILLER IS DEAD.]
The system’s cute, loli-like voice echoed in Yi Mo’s mind, making him unsure whether he should join Idol Fan in laughing joyfully.
After all, he still had no sense of reality regarding this game that had been won so inexplicably right at the start.
He couldn’t empathize with the desire for victory felt by players who had experienced these games before.
“Hey, hey, hey! Brother, remember to subscribe to Mizua Akahoshi when you get out! She streams on the Kaki Website!”
“Yes, yes, yes! We won! We won! The points from this round are going to be amazing!!!”
“It’s practically a free —”
However, just as Idol Fan was shouting with joy, another system voice rang out, and his smile vanished…
[A GRUDGE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PURIFIED BY A SINGLE EXORCISM TALISMAN.]
[THE SUBSTITUTE GHOST. ALL DEATHS ARE BUT SUBSTITUTE GHOSTS.]
[HE, TOO, WAS ONCE MERELY A SURVIVOR…]
[A NEW KILLER HAS BEEN BORN…]
If one were to open the game rule template at this moment, they would find that the previously undisclosed fifth rule had appeared.
[5. WHEN A KILLER DIES, THE SURVIVOR WHO CAUSED THEIR DEATH BECOMES THE NEW KILLER. EVERY TIME A PLAYER DIES, THE EXORCISM TALISMAN IS AUTOMATICALLY REDISTRIBUTED TO A SURVIVING PLAYER.]
While Idol Fan was questioning who had killed the Killer, Yi Mo had already quietly opened the game rules interface and saw the newly appeared fifth rule.
He then looked at Idol Fan beside him, feeling a chill in his heart.
A game rule like this… was simply “raising Gu”…
He recalled the four words written under the game type.
This really was a survival game — a survival game where only one “Ghost” could live…
***
The change had come too quickly, leaving everyone completely blindsided.
Following Idol Fan’s “mask of pain” expression, he suddenly became excited again, acting like a madman.
It must be said that even Yi Mo was stunned.
He couldn’t help but pull on him and say, “Lower your voice. What’s wrong?”
Idol Fan also realized he was losing his composure.
He quickly squatted down, glanced toward where the High Schooler and the Young Woman were, and then whispered to Yi Mo.
“The Exorcism Talisman… I have it!”
Excitedly, he pulled an object out of his pocket.
It was a small, golden wooden plaque with complex red characters drawn on it.
Although it looked like some ghostly scrawl, it brought an unexpected sense of comfort and peace.
“I guess it’s a blessing in disguise. This round is much more stable now!”
Idol Fan didn’t keep any secrets and told Yi Mo directly.
The two of them looked at the Exorcism Talisman, intending to study it carefully.
Well, study it carefully to see how they could survive until the end!
But… before they could even begin their study, a system notification sounded, and that life-saving straw of an Exorcism Talisman actually disappeared from Idol Fan’s hand.
Ding-ling.
[NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 8]
[NUMBER OF DEATHS: 2]
[SURVIVOR CAMP DEATH TOLL: +1]
The system loli’s voice was like a devil’s whisper, echoing in the minds of the two dumbfounded men.
It had been less than one minute since the Killer’s death and the birth of the new Killer.
On the Survivors’ side, another person had already been killed!
The Exorcism Talisman that had just been randomly assigned to Idol Fan’s hand hadn’t even been warmed up before the system redistributed it to someone else again.
***
The perspective returned to the starting room.
After Horse Hunter was assigned as the Killer, he looked at the countdown in the upper-right corner of his vision and then at the pair of “little lambs” before him.
He couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
Hahaha…
This is basically a giveaway!
Horse Hunter had already played four rounds of the Death Game.
In every round, there would be newbies entering the game for the first time, just like the man and woman before him.
They didn’t understand the situation, shouted and made annoying noises, or just sat on the ground and started crying.
If they were in the same Survivor camp, Horse Hunter might have cursed at them a few times and then ignored them.
But now the situation was clear — he was the Killer, and these two idiots were “free points” being handed to him.
“Hey, newbies.”
“It’s normal that you don’t understand the situation, but it’s fine. You’ve met a veteran like me who has been through four games.”
“The two of you are actually to my liking, so I’ll explain exactly what’s going on!”
Smiling, Horse Hunter prepared to sit down on a cardboard box filled with items.