Jiang Yan was awakened by the mechanical broadcast of the main system.
In the desolate mountain forest blanketed by thick snow, a mechanical voice echoed:
[Dungeon: "Sheep's Forest," Progress: 20%]
[Player: Li Xue, Escape Progress: 50%]
The distant sky was a heavy gray, surrounded by gnarled black branches resembling the haunting spirits of a graveyard. Amid the howling wind, there seemed to be the growls of wild beasts.
At this moment, Jiang Yan was asleep in the loft of a small wooden cabin deep in the forest, covered with a duck down comforter and lying on a soft velvet blanket. The fireplace in the room was burning brightly, filling the air with the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts, while the raging wind and snow outside were of no concern to him.
"Why has the dungeon progress still only been 20% after five days? How many are left alive now?" Jiang Yan nestled deeper into the comforter, lazily asking.
"Oh, Ancestor, you’re awake?" the system 663 teased.
This was a horror survival game, known to the world as "Jian."
Players participating in the game needed to successfully navigate through the dungeon to earn game points.
In the game, points served as currency to trade with the divine; as long as a player had enough points, the game could fulfill any of their wishes.
This was also the reason countless people, knowing that entering "Jian" meant stepping into hell, still threw themselves in recklessly.
However, Jiang Yan was not a player in the game but a very special existence within it—a real NPC.
Not all "applicants" met the requirements to be players.
The main system of "Jian" screened the applicants, and those who did not qualify would participate in the game in another way—by becoming real NPCs.
Real NPCs had to play their respective roles according to the requirements of the main system and the dungeon and could also earn points.
Jiang Yan was one of the few real NPCs.
But he hadn’t voluntarily applied to enter the game; he had been inexplicably pulled into it by the main game system while sleeping at home.
Jiang Yan’s sentiment about this was—
Since I’m here, I might as well enjoy it! I get free food and accommodation, so being an NPC isn’t so bad!
663 was the personal system assigned to Jiang Yan by the game.
After evaluating him, the game likely decided to let him express himself, as it would impact the players' gaming experience, as well as the game's reputation and image. So, it assigned him a chatty system to urge him on.
"There are currently six players still alive," 663 explained the players' survival status.
As soon as he finished speaking, the main system broadcasted again:
[Player: Li Xue, Escape Progress: Failed, Contaminated.]
"Great, now there are only five left," 663 said. "Though 'Sheep's Dense Forest' is just a B-level dungeon, unfortunately this group of players consists of newcomers, and they’ll probably all perish here."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan sighed, "It's been five days! Five left, and the dungeon progress is only 20%. How much longer do I have to stay in this bed?"
"I thought you liked this character setup," 663 remarked sarcastically.
"I just don’t want to eat any more moose meat."
After saying this, Jiang Yan curled up in bed and fell silent. He lazily watched the large snowflakes outside, the white landscape reflecting in his water-blue eyes like crystal.
At that moment, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the wooden stairs outside—"thud thud."
Jiang Yan's heart tightened. "Is he back?"
The "thud thud" grew closer, eventually stopping at the room's door.
Jiang Yan held his breath, staring intently at the door, but it did not open as he expected.
After a long time, silence still prevailed outside the door.
Could it be that he left again?
Just now, the main system had announced another player's escape failure, and as the BOSS of this dungeon, he should go execute his tasks with the players.
The BOSS in the game dungeon was usually generated by the main system's data, with all actions serving the dungeon’s purpose.
After waiting for a long time, and seeing that the bedroom door still showed no signs of being pushed open, Jiang Yan let out a sigh of relief.
Even though he knew the other party was just a group of virtual data, the fear was very real.
To be honest, real NPCs were often more afraid of the dungeon BOSS than the players.
According to the game rules, if a real NPC made a mistake in their performance, they would directly become the BOSS's food.
Jiang Yan had seen one of his "colleagues" turned into human meat buns by the "Butcher" in the dungeon.
663 said that real NPCs were essentially prepared as "snacks" for the dungeon BOSS.
As a "snack," Jiang Yan naturally did not want to see the dungeon BOSS. Yet, his character setup made him one of the closest people to the BOSS in the entire dungeon—a "little lamb" raised by the hunter.
Seeing that there was no movement at the door, Jiang Yan relaxed. He reached for the roasted chestnuts on the bedside.
At the moment he peeled open a chestnut and popped it into his mouth, he froze for a moment. Then, suddenly turning his head—he saw a pair of ghostly green eyes silently staring at him through the crack of the door, not knowing how long they had been watching him...
---
"Let me go... I don't want to play anymore! I want to quit! I want to exit the game! I want to go home..."
A feeble sobbing voice came from the basement of the wooden cabin.
The basement was dark, damp, and cold, with the walls showing some water seepage, freezing into ice before it could even drip onto the ground.
Grayish-white icicles hung from the walls, perhaps the only hint of color in the otherwise dark basement.
A massive iron cage was covered in deep red rust, and inside it curled five people—three men and two women.
They were dressed in thin, tattered clothes, huddled in a corner of the cage. In this blizzard, they could only draw warmth from one another.
One of the men, thin and frail, wearing glasses, was quietly sobbing. His muffled cries echoed in fear of disturbing the "hounds" prowling outside the cage.
These creatures were four monsters with beast-like skulls but human bodies. Their heads resembled the skeletons of reindeer, and their large, sharp mouths were filled with crooked fangs. As they breathed, the stench of blood and rotting flesh oozed through their teeth, creating a ghostly, eerie howl.
Their bodies were humanoid, but their figures were gaunt, with ash-gray skin clinging to their bones, outlining every skeletal detail.
At that moment, they were pacing in front of the cage, staring hungrily at the "sheep" inside.
Despite their ravenous stares, the "hounds" wouldn't attack the "sheep" without orders. As excellent hunting dogs, they would never act without their master's command.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the basement stairs.
The "hounds" withdrew their gaze from the "sheep," their goat-like tails wagging excitedly as they gathered at the bottom of the stairs.
"Move aside, you're scaring him," said a voice, as a massive goat hoof appeared before them.
At those words, the "hounds" immediately parted, lining up neatly in front of the cage.
The people inside the cage shrank back, gazing toward the stairs—where a towering figure, nearly two meters tall, descended.
This creature had a human torso, but the head and legs of a goat. Its narrow, emerald eyes lacked pupils, resembling drops of green water.
In its arms, the creature carefully cradled a handsome black-haired boy, wrapped in a soft, warm blue velvet blanket. It was clear how much the creature cherished him.
The moment the creature appeared, the five players in the cage widened their eyes in horror, shrinking further into the corners, trembling even more violently.
The reason was simple—this two-meter-tall goat-headed creature was the dungeon's boss: "The Hunter."
The "Hunter" referred to all the captives as "sheep."
The "hounds" wagged their goat tails, bringing over a huge chair.
The "Hunter" sat down with his beloved "sheep" in his arms, while the "hounds" obediently lined up beside him.
Despite his terrifying appearance, the "Hunter" moved with grace and elegance. Ignoring his monstrous face, he seemed like a nobleman on a forest hunt.
He looked at the trembling "sheep" huddled in the cage, and his clear voice held a hint of amusement: "Your friend has returned."
Snapping his fingers, he added, "Don't be shy, come in."
Footsteps echoed from the stairs again, and another "hound" entered the basement.
The new arrival instantly became alert upon seeing Jiang Yan in the "Hunter's" arms.
The "sheep" had escaped!
It let out an eerie, piercing wail, staring intently at Jiang Yan.
The stench of rotting blood from its mouth overwhelmed Jiang Yan, and he buried his face in the "Hunter's" coat.
Seeing this, the "Hunter" gently soothed his beloved lamb while dismissing the hound, "Shh! You're scaring him."
Obeying, the new "hound" backed off and joined its companions, standing in line, awaiting the "Hunter's" orders.
Turning to the players in the cage, the "Hunter" asked, "Aren't you happy to see your friend?"
Jiang Yan lifted his head and noticed that this particular "hound" was smaller than the others.
Not only that, but a strawberry-patterned hair tie dangled from its wrist.
The bright, adorable strawberry stood out against the hound's gray, skeletal wrist and this cold, narrow basement.
In the corner, the pale, frail man with glasses suddenly grew agitated. He rushed to the cage bars, shaking them wildly. "Xiaoxue!! Xiaoxue!!"
He was calling out to that "hound," but all he got in return was a chorus of warning howls from the other "hounds."
"Ah!" Two young girls in the cage couldn't suppress their screams.
They clung to each other, trembling, trying to stifle their sobs as tears silently streamed down their faces.
The man with glasses collapsed in fear at the hounds' howls, but his eyes remained fixed on that out-of-place, adorable strawberry hair tie.
"Player Wang Yu and Player Li Xue are a couple. This is their first dungeon together," explained 663 to Jiang Yan.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan frowned slightly, his hand clutching the front of the "Hunter's" coat a little tighter.
"What's wrong?" The "Hunter" gently comforted the lamb in his arms, his voice soothing like one might speak to a cat. "Does Yanyan want to join the game too? But Yanyan is too young for such dangerous games."
Jiang Yan quickly shook his head. Like hell he'd want to join the "game"!
The "Hunter" loved playing "cops and robbers" with the "sheep." He'd give them a chance to escape, and if they succeeded, they'd survive.
If they didn't run, on the tenth day, they'd be served as the "Hunter's" dinner by the "butcher" in the kitchen.
However, if they failed to escape, they'd be corrupted by the forest and turned into—"hounds."
Jiang Yan's role in the scenario only involved delivering two key lines triggered by the players; the rest had nothing to do with him.
While NPCs could earn more points based on their performance, their potential reward was capped at half the lowest score of the dungeon players.
So, some NPCs would take risks, trying to stand out in the scenario to earn extra points.
But Jiang Yan had been dragged into the game against his will, and the points held no allure for him.
"I think you should show a bit more ambition," 663 kindly suggested.
"You're so ambitious; why don't you be the NPC, and I'll be the system?" Jiang Yan lazily replied.
663: "…Whatever makes you happy."
Chapter 1 | Next Chapter 2
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