Jiang Yan ignored 663, curling up under the blanket like a quail.
The "Hunter" holding him would occasionally rub his head, seemingly captivated by the texture. Jiang Yan obediently played the role of a "pet."
Based on his years of watching horror movies and reading scary stories, he knew that being "clever" or "kind-hearted" in such games only led to quicker deaths.
"You still have five days," the Hunter said, savoring the softness and compliance of the person in his arms. His pale, pupil-less eyes glinted with pleasure. Although a sheep's head couldn't show human expressions, it was clear he was smiling.
Hearing this, the four people huddled in the cage shivered in unison. Only Wang Yu sat blankly by the edge, tears streaming as he gazed at his lover.
The "Cops and Robbers" Game
The "Hunter" acted as the cop, giving the players (the "robbers") ten days to escape the forest. If they found their way out, they cleared the dungeon successfully.
Players who became "polluted" would turn into "Dogs," and those caught and returned would become the Hunter's meal when the ten days ended.
The wooden house, including its basement, had three levels:
Basement: Held the "sheep" (players) in confinement.
First Floor: Served as a living room, dining area, slaughterhouse, and a room with an open layout.
Second Floor: The Hunter's bedroom, where Jiang Yan stayed when the Hunter wasn't home.
This B-level dungeon wasn't particularly difficult, and there weren't many NPCs.
Aside from the BOSS (the Hunter), there were four secondary NPCs: Jiang Yan (the "sheep"), the Chef, the Butcher, and the Corpse Driver.
Among them, Jiang Yan and the Corpse Driver were real NPCs.
Real NPCs
Every dungeon had one or two real NPCs, whose identities were revealed from the beginning.
Following the normal game process, players were expected to escape the basement and then find ways to interact with the real NPCs to obtain critical information.
But...
"I don’t want to play anymore... I want to quit... I want to go home!"
One of the players, a girl with a short student haircut who looked about eighteen, sobbed as she pleaded to the "Hunter" outside the cage.
The Hunter smiled and replied, "Quit? Sure, that’s possible."
The players in the cage froze, their dazed eyes flickering with a glimmer of hope. Was he really letting them quit?
But the Hunter’s next words plunged them into despair: "You’d make a fine addition to my specimen room. If you quit now, you can move in tonight."
The "specimen room" was likely the unopened room in the house. It didn’t sound like a pleasant place.
The short-haired girl shook her head desperately, repeatedly muttering, "No, no..."
Jiang Yan silently watched the five players trapped in the cage, overwhelmed and at a loss.
Now he understood why, after lying on the second-floor bed for five days—usually forbidden to even leave his room—the Hunter had brought him to the basement.
As a real NPC, he had two critical lines of information to deliver to the players.
But these players were rookies, lacking any notable skills.
Once they escaped the basement, they’d likely bolt aimlessly into the forest, too scared or clueless to come upstairs and ask this special NPC for clues.
The main system probably decided that if this went on, Jiang Yan would be earning his "paycheck" far too easily!
Thus, after Li Xue’s failed escape today, it arranged for the Hunter to carry him down to meet the remaining players, giving him the chance to deliver the "key information."
No one else in the basement spoke. The eerie silence was filled only with the dangerous breathing of the "dogs" and the players’ muffled sobbing.
Jiang Yan squirmed slightly in the Hunter’s arms, pondering how to deliver his lines at the right moment without breaking character.
Jiang Yan’s slight movement immediately caught the attention of the Hunter holding him.
“What’s wrong, Yan Yan? Are you uncomfortable?” The Hunter gently scratched under Jiang Yan’s chin with a look of concern.
At the same time, the players in the cage all turned their eyes toward Jiang Yan.
This NPC was like them, another "sheep" in the Hunter's collection. But unlike them, it was obvious he was a "sheep" carefully cared for by the Hunter.
It was similar to how humans treat pigs. Most are destined for the dinner table, but some adorable little pigs become "pets."
Jiang Yan was clearly one of those "pets."
Just then, a skinny boy with shoulder-length hair in the cage seemed to think of something.
He hesitated but eventually shuffled to the edge of the cage, trembling slightly. Summoning his courage, he addressed the Hunter with a tone of feigned indifference:
“Shouldn’t a game be fair?”
Jiang Yan glanced at the frail-looking boy standing at the front of the cage, surprised. He hadn’t expected anyone to dare speak directly to the Hunter.
At this moment, 663 helpfully provided Jiang Yan with information about the boy:
Player: Zhou Hao
Age: 17 years old
Hobby: Playing all kinds of horror survival games
So young? Jiang Yan thought, his heart aching slightly. Seventeen should be the age for high school. How did someone so young end up in a game like this?
“This kid’s reason for being here is a bit different from the others,” 663 explained.
“Did something happen to his family?” Jiang Yan asked.
“No,” 663 replied after checking Zhou Hao’s data. “His obsession with entering the game was purely to experience how terrifying a real-life horror game could be.”
Jiang Yan was speechless. “...Looks like he didn’t get beaten enough at home.”
663 continued, “The short-haired girl next to him is his classmate, Lei Li. This poor girl was tricked into entering the game. Ever since she arrived, she hasn’t said a single coherent sentence.”
Jiang Yan nodded in understanding. No wonder Zhou Hao was the only one bold enough to step forward and speak to the Hunter. A bit of youthful arrogance can sometimes be an advantage.
Jiang Yan started to feel optimistic about this boy. Perhaps Zhou Hao might be the "last survivor" to escape this dungeon.
“What do you want to say?” The Hunter seemed equally impressed by the boy’s courage.
“The one in your arms,” Zhou Hao replied, tilting his chin toward Jiang Yan.
Zhou Hao tried his best to appear calm, but his trembling voice and the way he gripped the cage barsdespite their unsteady shake betrayed his fear.
“Oh?” The Hunter’s gaze turned sharp and dangerous as he tightened his hold on his “treasure.”
According to the setup, the Hunter harbored a fanatical obsession with Jiang Yan. He wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to threaten or approach the one he held dear.
Meanwhile, being mentioned brought Jiang Yan to attention.
He figured this was the perfect opportunity to deliver one of his key lines.
However, just as he cleared his throat, Zhou Hao’s next words left him dumbfounded.
“You said before that all sheep must participate in this game. What about the one in your arms?” Zhou Hao declared with a defiant look.
“For the sake of fairness, how about you put that one into the cage with us?”
A heavy silence fell over the underground room.
The “sheeps” in the cage looked at Zhou Hao in disbelief.
When they first entered, the main system had explicitly told them that this particular "sheep" was the Hunter's most cherished possession.
The Hunter wouldn’t tolerate Jiang Yan facing any threats or being touched by anyone or anything. Violating this rule would result in the Hunter’s most brutal punishment.
Jiang Yan who had been singled out: "...."
663: “…This kid has guts, but not much of a brain.”
As if sharing Jiang Yan’s speechlessness, 663 opened the game’s forums.
The players watching the dungeon unfold began flooding the system’s screens with comments:
[What is this kid doing?! That’s an NPC! NPCs can’t participate in the game!]
[I thought this one might lead the group, but it’s looking like a guaranteed wipe for sure now.]
[Does he even understand the game rules? Are "Jian" players this clueless nowadays?]
[Hahaha! Even the NPC is dumbfounded!]
[By the way, this NPC looks really good. His eyes are blue! Is that part of his character design?]
[Jiang Yan! I saw him in Clown’s Night of Terror. His eyes were blue there too. He looks even better in person!]
[I met him in Morning High School before. Honestly He is Gorgeous but unreliable. He wouldn’t say a word outside his key lines.]
[I encountered him in Dawn College. Why does he always get this type of role?]
[Probably because the main system thinks it suits him?]
[I hate this "delicate flower" type of character the most.]
"Why are they talking about me now?" Jiang Yan muttered, bewildered, watching the comments on the game forum.
Back to the Dungeon
Naturally, the Hunter refused to put Jiang Yan in the cage.
He threw a warning at Zhou Hao:
“If you make another move on Yan Yan, I’ll let the dogs bite your head off.”
The room filled with the eerie growls of five hunting dogs as the Hunter cradled Jiang Yan and carried him back upstairs to the second-floor bedroom.
The Hunter gently placed Jiang Yan on the bed, towering over him with his two-meter-tall frame. The creature’s green eyes gleamed with a sinister light as it stared down at Jiang Yan.
"Yan Yan, do you also want to stay with your kind?" the Hunter asked, his voice seductive yet chilling.
But his cold threatening gaze made it clear if Jiang Yan dared to nod, his neck would be snapped in an instant.
Jiang Yan obediently shook his head, then wrapped his arms around the Hunter’s waist in a gesture of submission.
The Hunter was clearly pleased. He pressed a kiss to Jiang Yan’s forehead before retreating to the bathroom behind the mirrored wall to wash up for bed.
After all, the players who escaped today have already been declared polluted, and next, the forest will enter nighttime.
Nighttime is when the butcher and corpse driver operate, and that group of "sheeps" does not dare to act at night.
Up until now, this instance's only danger that Jiang Yan encountered was resolved just like that.
Watching Jiang Yan obediently lying in bed, preparing to sleep, the players on the game forum couldn’t sit still:
[What the heck? Is he really planning to sleep?]
[Oh my god! Today is the fifth day, and tomorrow is the sixth day. He hasn’t said the key phrases yet! How can he sleep?]
[The corpse driver downstairs is so anxious that blisters are forming on this mouth, while the “sheep” upstairs and the “hunter” are sleeping in each other’s arms.]
Whether the corpse driver is anxious or not, Jiang Yan, as the "sheep," is not anxious at all.
He let the "hunter's" long, giant hand hold his waist and said without hesitation: "Turn off the light."
But the “hunter” clearly didn’t plan to let the little lamb in his arms go so easily.
His hand began to wander over Jiang Yan’s body, and his emerald-green eyes narrowed slightly: “Yan Yan, you should give me a goodnight kiss.”
“I refuse.” Jiang Yan looked somewhat baffled at the sheep-headed monster holding him.
Why suddenly ask for a goodnight kiss? Have you ever raised a cat? Cats absolutely never take the initiative to kiss their owner.
Who knew that at this moment, the main system broadcast a very strange message:
[Instance: “Sheep’s Forest,” progress: 20%.]
[NPC: Jiang Yan, penalty for violation: Points -100, immediately kiss the BOSS.]
Jiang Yan: "??"