Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 175
In real life, the rules of the King’s Game are very simple—
A dozen or so people form a circle and draw playing cards. Whoever draws the highest number becomes that round’s king, who can then call out two numbers and command those two people to do something. The two chosen must obey.
But this special version of the King’s Game was clearly very different.
According to the system, the king must select one murderer and one player. Its phrase “complete a one-on-one killing task” most likely referred to the murderer murdering the player.
It seemed probable that murderers and players would each be issued numbered cards: murderers numbered “1” through “55”, and players “1” through “81”.
As king, one would presumably select a number from each range.
But in that case… how would the king be chosen?
Moreover, if the murderers truly would kill players, how could the clues the players had gathered possibly help them survive this slaughter game?
After thinking the entire game through, Zhou Qian felt something didn’t add up.
He recalled Ruan Mei’s unusual reaction during his earlier probing and thought of the hidden lore buried in the Murder Exhibition Hall…
He had a vague sense of something but couldn’t fully pin it down yet.
Once the system finished reading part of the rules for the King’s Game, it urged the yellow faction to pick a representative who could receive extra, crucial information.
Unsurprisingly, Zhou Qian became the representative and, guided by the system, walked to a corner of the board.
Several iron pillars retracted into the ground, and a gate opened in the cage. Only Zhou Qian was allowed to step out.
Behind him were the hopeful gazes of his teammates and the hateful stares of Xu Yang, Ke Yuxiao, and others.
Ahead of him, separated by a barred gate, were murderers staring at him like a prized delicacy.
As soon as Zhou Qian stepped out, the murderers advanced several steps, nearly encircling him. They only refrained from rushing him because of some rule that barely restrained them from tearing him apart.
Even so, their hungry gazes were enough to unsettle anyone. Zhou Qian felt like prey surrounded by wolves.
“Zhou Qian—”
He heard Bai Zhou’s voice behind him.
Turning back, Zhou Qian met Bai Zhou’s focused, serious gaze, worry hidden deep in his eyes.
Zhou Qian smiled, waved lightly, then turned without hesitation and stepped fully into the encirclement of predators.
An unseen force parted the murderers just enough to form a path.
As Zhou Qian walked down it, he noticed a man with an axe.
Whether the man truly had a habit of butchering and eating human flesh was unclear, but after Zhou Qian passed him, the man dropped onto all fours like a dog, crawling and staring intently at Zhou Qian’s back, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Bound by some rule, he couldn’t pounce forward to bite into Zhou Qian’s flesh.
Inside the cage, He Xiaowei shuddered with cold sweat.
He’d always been afraid of ghosts, but now he realized, these murderers were far more terrifying.
Zhou Qian strode forward unfazed, but He Xiaowei thought if it were him, he’d collapse halfway.
Ignoring their ravenous stares, Zhou Qian followed the system’s guidance and reached the end of the path.
To his surprise, he found a door. It was transparent, its material somewhere between glass and crystal, etched with intricate patterns that obscured what lay beyond.
On both sides of the door swirled dense miasma that hid the surrounding wilderness. The system warned: “Entering the misted region is forbidden. You will lose your way and die.”
Zhou Qian ignored the fog and approached the door.
Peering through the translucent surface, he eventually discerned what lay beyond: a massive set of scales.
At first glance, the scales were empty, but they were clearly tilted to one side.
If the scales tipped the other way, what would happen?
What actions could influence it?
What purpose did it serve?
Just then, a voice spoke.
To Zhou Qian’s surprise, it came directly from the translucent door.
“Hello, Zhou Qian.”
It was surprisingly a youthful voice.
“What are you? A door spirit?” Zhou Qian asked bluntly.
“I am this world’s spirit. I chose to appear as a door, so you’d understand better. I guard the boundary of this world.”
Zhou Qian asked, “World spirit? Did you make the world like this?”
The world spirit sighed. “Look, we just want to escape. Soon, our plan will succeed… and we’ll all get out.”
“Out? Out to where?” Zhou Qian pressed.
“To the real world, of course. Who wants to live as a shadow or cling to others to survive? We want to leave and become true masters of the world,” the youthful voice said innocently.
Zhou Qian asked, “What kind of game will we play with the murderers? Will they kill us?”
The door reflected a pair of sly eyes that winked mischievously. “They won’t kill clever ones. They won’t kill those who know too much. And they won’t kill… useless ones! Hahaha. Otherwise… the plan won’t work.”
“The plan won’t work? You mean… about ‘escaping’?”
“Haha, you’re sharp. You won the Chinese Checkers game. You get it immediately! Don’t worry. The murderers dislike overly clever people. You and your team should be safe. They’ll pick someone else to kill!”
Then it grinned and said, “That’s all!”
“Wait. I have more questions.” Zhou Qian pointed at the mysterious scales. “You’ve been there before, haven’t you? How do you activate it?”
“The scales require life sacrifices to move,” it replied casually. “To proceed, a sacrifice is needed. To stop it, a new sacrifice is needed.”
Zhou Qian frowned. “But I can’t cross?”
“I told you, I guard this boundary,” the world spirit said.
“When will you lead everyone to the other world you want?”
“Five hours from now, at midnight.”
“If I cross into that fog, can I reach the scales?”
“You’d be lost in dimensional rifts.”
As a theory formed in his mind, Zhou Qian asked, “Where do those who are killed go?”
This time, the world spirit stayed silent.
“What about survivors? Do they leave with you?” Zhou Qian pressed.
The spirit’s expression turned cryptic. “You don’t belong here, do you? You weren’t part of my plan. But thanks to someone’s ‘gift’, you were sent here.
“I think you’ll return where you belong… after five hours.”
This was key.
He had practically revealed the real condition for clearing the dungeon—survive the King’s Game for five hours.
At that point, the world spirit would lead the murderers away, while the players would clear the dungeon and return to reality.
But Zhou Qian suspected this wasn’t everything.
In Apple Paradise, there were standard clears, hidden clears, and ultimate clears.
From the world spirit’s words, this was likely only a basic hidden clear.
To achieve the ultimate clear, Zhou Qian would need to unravel the door, the world spirit, the Murder Exhibition, and the scales.
He stared at the door, about to ask more, but the world spirit vanished; its voice gone, its reflected eyes disappearing completely.
Zhou Qian examined the door closely, even touching it. It felt ordinary, like plain glass.
The system’s message chimed, urging him to return to the cage.
Before leaving, he glanced back one last time—the scales had tilted even further.
……
Back in the cage, the iron bars fell again.
This time, they stayed down, and a single door stood open between the cage and grass.
Seeing this, everyone knew—the King’s Game was about to begin.
Though the gate stood open, none dared leave under the game’s binding rules.
Entering, Zhou Qian met his teammates’ eager looks and Ke Yuxiao’s shadowed glare.
Xu Yang sidled up to Ke Yuxiao. “W-What’s going on? Why did Priest leave? Did he know we were doomed and abandon us?”
To Peach Blossom’s uninformed players, Priest’s exit seemed ominous. Did he lose the match and escape to avoid death?
Ke Yuxiao’s eyes briefly flickered with madness, but he hid it quickly. “Nonsense. You know how much Peach Blossom invested in me.”
“You?” Xu Yang sneered. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have lost! Why would they invest in you?”
“Of course, for my unique skill.”
“I don’t see it.”
Ke Yuxiao ignored him, glancing at Zhou Qian before retreating to a corner. “Exactly. If you can’t see it, it means it’s working. My skill is unmatched.”
…..
Ten minutes remained before the King’s Game began.
Inside the cage, 81 players found electronic cards in their hands.
Outside, each murderer held one too.
The cards would display numbers digitally each round, saving the hassle of physical decks.
The system added more rules:
Players were numbered “1” to “81”, murderers “82” to “136”. Each king would pick one number from each range.
Most importantly was the selection of the king—
A mechanical die would roll automatically, assigning the king by random number.
[Note: Round one’s king will be a player. Round two, a murderer. Due to the murderers being fewer, round three’s king will also be a murderer, then alternating from there…]
“What the hell? Doesn’t this system know math? That’s unfair!” He Xiaowei complained.
Then, quieter, he asked Zhou Qian, “Qian’er, what did you find over there?”
Through private chat, Zhou Qian told him: “Three hints for this game. First, the murderers may not kill clever people, especially those who have won the Chinese Checkers game. Second, the murderers won’t kill those who know too much. Third, the murderers won’t kill those utterly useless.”
He Xiaowei: “Uh, what kind of riddle is that?”
Zhou Qian: “I get it. I’ll explain soon. First, did you and Hidden Blade’s group gather everyone’s exploration info? Any leads on the Saiya Hotel?”
He Xiaowei: “The Saiya Hotel? The one tied to Exhibit C’s swastika murderer and the man-woman crime duo? Are you looking for those murderers?”
Zhou Qian shook his head. “Neither.”
“What?” He Xiaowei asked.
Zhou Qian explained, “Exhibit C had two sets of corpses. The swastika-linked murderer was easy. It was a hotel staff. We saw him in the hotel simulation.
“But the other corpses—their smashed heads, bound bodies—those didn’t match anything from the manuscript world, where all victims and murderers were just characters in novelist Luo Yu’s drafts. They weren’t real crimes.
“So who killed those bound, brutalized victims? Did we ever meet that murderer?”
Exhibit A’s infant corpses were tied to Ruan Mei.
Exhibit C’s swastika murderer was tied to the hotel employee.
But the other C Exhibit victims had no corresponding encounter.
Where was the real murderer hiding?
He Xiaowei: “We didn’t see anyone else. Except… the tour guide? But he was frail. Or… or Luo Yu? But he’s a writer! He just stayed there for inspiration, didn’t he? Would he really kill someone?”
Zhou Qian said, “Exactly. The Saiya Hotel info is crucial. Early on, the new recruits may’ve hidden details because they don’t trust me. Ask again. Get me everything.”
At this point, Zhou Qian thought for a moment and simply unliked the private chat tool and raised his voice.
“I’ll ask again. Has anyone here explored the Saiya Hotel in this dungeon?”
After a pause, someone finally replied…
It was Meng Bie.
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