Time passed, and the dining hall fell into silence.
Jeff Hunt twisted his dry, stiff body like a roof beam and once again reminded everyone, "The last rabbit, Madam?"
The gazes of everyone remained fixed on Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan remained calm, sitting motionless next to the body of Qiu Yang.
Suddenly, Jeff Hunt, standing beside him, bent forward rigidly. His withered face came close to Jiang Yan's, his large, hollow eyes staring intently at him.
He spoke in a tone that seemed like a smile but was not: "Madam, it seems that everyone is suspicious of you."
Jiang Yan jumped at his sudden closeness, but then showed a hint of anger: "Sorry, I don't know what rabbit or no rabbit business you're talking about. I just came here for breakfast. My husband will come pick me up and take me home later."
Jeff Hunt tilted his head, cracking sounds echoing as he seemed to evaluate the truth of Jiang Yan's words.
Not to mention Jiang Yan truly hadn't taken any "rabbit character cards." Even if he had, he knew that these cards couldn't help determine the truth behind the words spoken.
The situation was clear—this morning's task, assigned by the game, was nothing more than a werewolf game, a murder mystery.
Jiang Yan looked toward the two NPCs, Ding Wanyu and Cang Rou, standing off to the side, both wearing medieval doctor masks. He couldn't help but curse silently.
After all, these were real NPCs, mere spectators, yet here he was, unlucky enough to be seated at this table.
The room again fell into a standoff, but the gazes of the others never left Jiang Yan.
Some of them were simply eyeing him openly, while others were convinced that Jiang Yan was indeed the last "rabbit."
From the current situation, it seemed very likely that the last "rabbit" was the one who killed Qiu Yang.
And without a doubt, Jiang Yan was the most unique person seated at this table. Whether it was because of his identity as a real NPC or his special character card, being the son of the hospital's director, his presence was notable.
[I have a feeling it's Jiang Yan.]
[Well, Jiang Yan isn't dumb. What's the harm in admitting it?]
[Probably, he’s the one who killed him.]
[Fun fact, real NPCs generally don't get heavy roles in this kind of copy.]
[Fun fact, one real NPC has taken an important role before... Jiang Yan.]
Meanwhile, the blood on Qiu Yang's body had stopped dripping. The once bright red blood had turned black, and some yellowish oils began to seep from the broken wound.
The smell of decaying flesh started to replace the scent of blood, mixing with the disinfectant in the air.
"There is nothing to hide about this matter." Tao Shi reached up to adjust his slightly tousled hair, the blue strands shimmering faintly in the dim light like the glow of shallow sea water.
"The system prompt said to find all the rabbits before sunset, but it didn’t specify that we have to catch the murderer of the five rabbits today." Tao Shi said nonchalantly, "If you admit it early, we can finish up and go home. Otherwise, do you want to sit here all day and wait to be caught?"
"I don’t have the time to waste with all of you. I’ll leave when it's time for my medication," Jeff Hunt chimed in.
That’s right, medication!
They were all patients, and the hospital had set specific times for them to take their medicine.
No one knew what would happen if they missed their scheduled medication, but none of them wanted to find out.
Despite Tao Shi, the most respected player, speaking up, the group remained silent. No one was willing to admit anything.
The darkness outside the dining hall grew more intense, and waves of decaying stench wafted through the door. The entire dining hall was engulfed in the smell of blood and decay, like something straight out of hell.
At that moment, Li Yun noticed Tao Shi had turned his head to look in his direction.
Li Yun misunderstood the intent and thought Tao Shi was signaling him to communicate with Jiang Yan, after all, he and Jiang Yan were the only ones who were familiar with each other here.
So, Li Yun elegantly adjusted his glasses and, with a gentle and graceful voice, spoke: "Jiang Yan, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it."
Jiang Yan stared at him, completely confused: "Admit what?"
"It’s him! It must be him!" At this moment, a new player couldn't hold the pressure any longer, stood up, and pointed angrily at Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan's gaze darkened: "Sir, please don't make baseless accusations. I’ll reiterate, I simply came here for breakfast."
If he had known that having breakfast would bring such trouble, Jiang Yan would have preferred starving in the hospital room rather than coming out.
"If it's not you, then who?" The new player’s hand trembled with emotion as he pointed at Jiang Yan, "You’re the only one here whose identity is different from the others."
"Do you have a problem with married people?" Jiang Yan remained unshaken.
The players around them began whispering among themselves, seemingly convinced that Jiang Yan was the last "rabbit."
The reason Jiang Yan wouldn’t admit it was because he was, in fact, the murderer.
Li Yun spoke in a tone tinged with helplessness: "Yan Yan, now is not the time to be stubborn."
At that moment, all eyes turned to Li Yun. His tone was unmistakably affectionate, something that everyone could easily pick up on.
[So? Does this person know Jiang Yan?]
[Hiss... Why does his tone sound so affectionate?]
[Didn't the guild find out Jiang Yan is divorced?]
[What? Could he be the ex-husband?!]
663: "Who... is he?"
"Li Yun," Jiang Yan answered.
"Are you close?" 663 asked.
"To be precise, if not for some unfortunate events, I might have married him," Jiang Yan raised his eyebrows slightly.
It's always awkward to run into your ex, especially unexpectedly.
But honestly, Jiang Yan didn't even think of his relationship with Li Yun as a proper ex-relationship. To put it more accurately, he was the "third party."
When Li Yun proposed dating him, he hadn't even broken up with his ex. The more dramatic part was that Li Yun's ex was terminally ill, and Jiang Yan ended up as the substitute.
So, if you think about it, Jiang Yan was more of the third wheel.
What Jiang Yan couldn't understand was how the boy—Li Yun's ex—knew about their relationship and even supported it.
Jiang Yan still remembered the day he decided to break up with Li Yun, when that boy, sitting in a wheelchair, looked at him with teary blue eyes similar to his own: "You don't need to worry about me. I'm dying soon. I hope you can take my place and be with him."
Jiang Yan didn't say anything. He just turned and walked away. He couldn't do the "good deed" of replacing someone else.
To be honest, Jiang Yan didn't think Li Yun was a bad person, just a bit disgusting.
In the game "Jian" the rule was to exchange obsessions for points, and it was clear what Li Yun's obsession was. What Jiang Yan couldn't understand was how, if someone truly loved another person so deeply, they could replace them with someone else.
Jiang Yan's mind flashed to a pair of bright emerald eyes, and the childish words that person once said: "I hate it when people say someone looks like you, Yan Yan. You're the only Yan Yan."
Jiang Yan lowered his long lashes, quickly hiding the flicker of emotion.
But his expression didn't go unnoticed by others.
[Did you see Jiang Yan's face change?]
[Could it be? Is he really his ex?]
[Looks like the old flame isn't completely gone.]
[No! I refuse! This guy clearly looks like a pretentious jerk!]
[I refuse too! Jiang Yan, don't be sad! This guy clearly won't last until the third day!]
Even Li Yun, observing Jiang Yan's reaction, naturally attributed his change in expression to himself.
He was somewhat surprised. He had always thought Jiang Yan had ended their relationship so decisively because he had no feelings for him, but now it seemed Jiang Yan might have liked him after all?
Li Yun's brows concealed his smugness, and he once again urged, "I believe you're not the killer. If you admit it now, everyone can return to their rooms and rest."
"It's definitely him!" The new player exclaimed in excitement. "Who else could it be?"
"Yeah, yeah! Who else but him?"
The tension in the room was palpable as the new players murmured in disbelief.
"Is he doing this on purpose? Trying to drag all of us to our deaths here?" one of the new players said anxiously.
Jiang Yan remained composed, his voice unwavering. "It's really not me."
"He's not just the last rabbit; he's definitely the killer!" another player insisted.
"Yeah, if not, then what's there to hide?"
Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with a hint of amusement. "The quality of these new players is quite low, huh?"
"All old players come from being new players, right?" Cao Youfeng said boredly, fiddling with the bandages wrapped around his hand.
It was frustrating, really. To be so simple-minded and end up in an S-class dungeon right from the start was hardly lucky.
The debate continued on the game forum:
[This group of new players really doesn't have high standards.]
[But I think they’re making a valid point! Right now, Jiang Yan is the most suspicious.]
[Where has Jiang Yan shown any suspicious behavior? Just because his identity is special? This theory is too ridiculous.]
[Doesn't a special identity count as a suspicion? There's no evidence pointing to anyone else, so the only thing to go on is his identity.]
As the debate raged on in the game forum, the noise in the cafeteria grew louder and louder, with accusations and demands for Jiang Yan’s confession. His brow furrowed tighter, his patience thinning.
Thud!
Suddenly, the sound of a knife being slammed into the worn wooden table cut through the chaos, plunging the room into an eerie silence.
Jiang Yan, with a sigh, stood up, no longer willing to waste time on the endless back-and-forth. He had no intention of staying here. All he wanted was to return to the ward and sleep.
"If you all think I'm the last rabbit—or the killer—then report me," Jiang Yan said, his voice steady.
He turned to face Jeff Hunter, whose piercing gaze had been fixed on him for the duration of the argument. "Mr. Hunter, I assume you'd be willing to act as the judge, wouldn't you?"
"It would be my honor, Madam," Jeff Hunter replied stiffly, bowing with an unnatural, rigid grace.
"The trial begins now," Jeff Hunter continued, his movements jerky as he raised a hand. "If you support the accusation that the last rabbit is the killer, please raise your hand."
One by one, the players in the room began to raise their hands, all except Jiang Yan. The new players hesitated at first, but seeing the old players raise their hands in unison, they too grew confident in their decision.
[Is it really Jiang Yan?]
[The big shots raised their hands, this is probably over.]
[What happens if I’m accused?]
"What are you raising your hand for?" Cao Youfeng asked, looking at the person next to him.
"It’s for fun," Jiang Xiu replied with a smile, "I just want to see how Jiang Yan reacts to being accused."
Jeff Hunter coldly stated, "I’m afraid, Madam, everyone has made accusations against you."
"It’s unfortunate," Jiang Yan shrugged indifferently. "But what's even more unfortunate is that I didn’t do it."
"Is that so? Let’s see if that’s the case." Jeff Hunter clapped his hands.
The dark silence outside the cafeteria turned violent, a low growl rumbling from beyond. A nurse dressed in a tattered, bloodstained pink uniform appeared, carrying a steel needle.
Following her, a red-dressed woman crawled into the room, her limbs twisted grotesquely, as if she had been through a machine. Her body was broken, skin hanging loose, and the only thing visible was a line of exposed, sharp teeth where her neck had been.
Her long hair covered her face as she dragged herself toward Jiang Yan, leaving a trail of blood.
Jiang Yan remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the red-dressed woman, his expression unchanged.
"What... what’s the purpose of this verification?"
"Who knows what kind of interrogation method this game has," one of the players muttered.
"This will definitely mess with Jiang Yan’s mental state, whether he’s guilty or not," another player said.
"Does Jiang Yan even have mental power?" someone else wondered.
But Jiang Yan still didn’t react, unmoving.
Then, a rotting hand landed on Jiang Yan’s shoulder, and at the same time, a rusty surgical knife was held to his throat.
[!!!]
"Stop—!!" someone yelled, panicked.
"Alright, I accuse!" Jiang Yan suddenly raised his hand.
The rusty knife immediately halted its movement.
Jeff Hunter was visibly thrilled. "Sir, who are you accusing?"
Jiang Yan smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I accuse myself."
As soon as he spoke, the room fell into an uproar.
[Has he gone mad?!]
[What’s he trying to do? Just delaying for a bit?]
[He probably didn’t think about the fact that even if he’s not the murderer, being accused still means he’ll be interrogated... he’s probably just trying to buy time.]
"Yan Yan! Are you crazy?" Li Yun stood up, looking deeply concerned, as if he hadn’t just raised his hand a moment ago.
Jiang Yan ignored him, still smiling. "I accuse myself."
Jeff Hunter's pupils constricted, his mouth twisting into an eerie, mechanical laugh. Jiang Yan observed him, occasionally glancing at his own equipment, testing whether it would work as he had planned.
His mouth, filled with disordered teeth, opened and closed:
"Very well, the trial begins..."
Bang!
Before Jeff Hunter's words were completed, the cafeteria doors, sealed by the blackness, were torn open by the black tendrils.
Without waiting for anyone to react, the bubbling, slimy tendrils immediately wrapped around their necks, lifting them up.
All the players were suspended from the ceiling by the chaotic black tendrils, as though they were in a large-scale hanging execution scene.
Jiang Yan felt his waist tighten, and the next moment, he was thrust into an embrace that felt both like cotton and jelly.
At that moment, the black monster's head, which resembled both a snake and a spider, slithered in. It wore a paper mask, its head rotating with a "click-click" sound.
Its voice was low, as though it was coming from the depths of hell:
"Who... who dares to touch my wife?"