The Hunt

Translator: Cinder Translations

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The theory that Jiang Cheng shared sounded reasonable, and for the players involved in this game, it was an exhilarating news.

However, Fatty didn't react with excitement. Instead, his face turned pale, as if he had fallen into an ice-cold abyss.

Since he had encountered the nightmare, a question had been lingering in his mind, one he couldn't shake off: Who, or what, created the nightmare and its mechanisms?

It clearly looked like a deliberate structure.

It continuously explored the boundary between human and strange creatures, searching for a line to follow, and eventually, it found a more reasonable red line.

And this red line... was the rules!

The rules ensured that the disadvantaged group of players, who were selected into the game, could compete against the strange forces under relatively fair conditions. They wouldn't immediately be wiped out because of an overwhelming difference in abilities, stamina, or mental strength.

From this perspective, the rules were likely created by humans. After all, compared to the strange creatures, they were more lenient and showed more goodwill towards the human side.

But if it was humans who created the rules, how did they do it? What was their purpose? What was the goal of this harsh selection system?

Wait!

A light flashed in Fatty's eyes.

Selection.

That word... Why did it come so naturally out of his mouth? This wasn't the first time.

He looked at his hands and suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity, as though even his body had changed. It was as if the code of his body had been tampered with—his skin remained the same, but something deep within had been altered.

Was it his soul?

Fatty was startled by the sudden thought.

Earlier, he and Jiang Cheng had discussed that the rewards offered by the nightmare were often disproportionate to the danger involved. Whether it was the life-saving paper or the clue newspaper, obtaining them was extremely difficult.

But even after acquiring these rewards, it often only provided a slight advantage within the nightmare itself.

So why did so many people continue to dive into this nightmarish swamp, even using the clue papers to enter the game ahead of time?

Were they insane?

Of course not. The only explanation was that they had reaped enough benefits from the nightmare, and these benefits drove them to return for more.

Chen Xiaomeng, Yu Wen, and even the current one, Chen Ran, were all in the same situation.

Fatty didn't know exactly what it was, but he had a strong premonition that the day the truth would be revealed wasn't far off.

It was very close.

So close that it felt as it was separated from him by only a paper-thin layer.

When he suddenly came to his senses, he found Jiang Cheng standing beside him, wedged between him and the wall. This made Fatty feel a bit touched.

Despite Jiang Cheng's seemingly erratic personality and his abundant sarcastic remarks, Fatty knew deep down that Jiang Cheng was a good person, the kind who had a sharp tongue but a kind heart.

"Doctor," Fatty slowly nodded. "Thank you."

Jiang Cheng suddenly widened his eyes, then switched to his usual natural tone, saying, "Chen Ran, what are you spacing out for?"

Chen Ran?!

Fatty froze. How could Chen Ran still be alive? He had been torn apart and chewed to bits, leaving nothing behind. How could he be here now?

Seeing Fatty's confused expression, Jiang Cheng sighed deeply, then lowered his foot that had been raised.

"What are you spacing out for?" Jiang Cheng complained. "I almost kicked you off the edge just now, did you know?"

Only then did Fatty realize that Jiang Cheng had deliberately positioned himself between him (fatty) and the wall. If Fatty hadn't answered quickly, or had been too slow to react, Jiang Cheng would have actually kicked him off.

"Doctor, I've thought of many things, please listen…"

"Does it have anything to do with our current situation?"

"It might be, but it's not that important."

"Then don't say it," Jiang Cheng interrupted, looking down into the darkness below the stairs. "We'll talk when we're back to safety."

"Understood, doctor."

After answering the question, Fatty obediently followed Jiang Cheng, and the two of them slowly made their way down.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and exited the first stone gate, Fatty's heart jumped into his throat.

Jiang Cheng suddenly stopped.

Fatty, who wasn't able to avoid in time, bumped into him. "Doctor," he looked around, his voice a whisper, "It's so quiet here…"

The area was empty. The large building's doors and windows were silent and cold. The expected scene of torch-bearing "townsfolk" or the monsters filling the area didn't appear.

Fatty, who had already prepared himself to run back, was a little surprised.

According to the time passed, those "townsfolk" should have arrived by now.

Seeing Jiang Cheng standing there like an idiot, Fatty instinctively reached out to grab him, but as soon as he touched Jiang Cheng's body, he froze.

Then, he began to tremble violently.

Because Jiang Cheng was trembling too.

In Jiang Cheng's eyes, Fatty saw something akin to despair.

Fatty crouched down, scanning the surroundings, but it was empty, nothing was there.

"D-Doctor…" Fatty's voice shook. "Don't scare me, I…"

Jiang Cheng suddenly reached out and grabbed Fatty's arm. Then, with mechanical steps, they began walking forward, following the usual route they always took.

Fatty, stunned, kept quiet, biting his lips and walking quietly behind Jiang Cheng.

Halfway through, he suddenly realized something: the hall wasn't just silent, it was eerily empty. The stone statues that had been scattered around were now gone.

As they got within about ten meters of the exit, Jiang Cheng suddenly stopped.

Fatty, now on edge, trembled. His lips quivered, but he didn't dare to speak. Standing there, he could see through the broken window to the sea and the black stone town on the horizon.

But there were no "townsfolk" in sight.

Where had they gone?

Had they run off to the stone platform in the forest?

Fatty wondered, and it wasn't an impossible theory.

But as he looked at Jiang Cheng, he realized Jiang Cheng was staring at a small patch of empty ground in front of them. Unlike the past few days, today, the moon was visible.

A full moon.

The faint moonlight cast a shadow on the ground, as if someone or something was standing there.

The upper half was thick and cylindrical, and at the bottom, there was a smaller circular shape, resembling a head, almost like it was inverted.

Then, to Fatty's horror, he saw the shadow tremble slightly, and with a "whoosh," wings unfolded behind it.

"Run!"

Jiang Cheng grabbed Fatty and started sprinting toward the forest. Below them, the sound of sharp claws scraping against the ground while the flapping of broken wings echoed above them, gradually inching closer.

They were being pursued.

(End of the Chapter)

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