Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 423: The First Person Dies

Chapter 423: Chapter 423: The First Person Dies

After the lights came on the next day, the players emerged from different parts of the floor and, upon gathering, discovered that Peace Chunsheng was missing.

"Could that scream last night have been him?" Miao Yu hesitated, "It didn’t sound like a man’s voice, though."

"Let’s search the rooms first." The remaining players sprang into action and, after an unsuccessful search, found his body in a restroom. He was slumped under a sink, his complexion ghastly with bulging eyes and his mouth gaping open.

"He suffocated to death," Miao Yu said after a brief examination and then closed his eyes.

"Why would he die in the restroom?" Gan Qing wondered, "It’s not like he came out to use the toilet in the middle of the night, right?"

This was indeed strange.

Under the tacit agreement of all players to stay on the same floor, even if Peace Chunsheng wanted to take a chance and hide on a different floor, he should have been heading towards the elevator. Why would he go to the restroom?

"There are bloodstains from his grip on the floor—this is definitely where he died," said Ge Pan, frowning. "Could he have been chased here by a ghost?"

Among the players was one "ghost." To kill was to regain the identity of a "human," and since the players hadn’t received any game notifications, it was very likely that Peace Chunsheng had been killed by the ghostly player.

"The problem is, we don’t know whether the game of human catching the ghost offers any hints. Who knows if the ghost is dead or alive right now? What if Peace Chunsheng was the ghost and he has been killed? The ghost is gone, but no one alerted us that the game has ended. Would we not be fighting blindly among ourselves for the next few days?" said Wu Xiaonan.

"Let’s go check the mission board," said Mao Wei in a low voice.

Snapping back to reality, the group hurried to the room where the mission board was placed. Under the whiteboard that listed the game rules, there was a new number "2" scrawled in blood.

"Great, now we can be sure Peace Chunsheng wasn’t the one who drew the ghost lot," Miao Yu turned to assess the others. "Two ghosts, and no special marks on them..."

The players cautiously spread out, wary of each other.

At this point, Chu Yuan said, "The ghost only appears after the lights go out. Players who become the ghost must exhibit some special changes, like moving erratically, similar to a ghost."

"We’ll know who the ghosts are if we all gather together after the lights go out tonight."

"With two ghosts, how do we clear the game?" Gan Qing looked around.

"The game itself is contradictory," mused Zhu Rumin. "The game ’catch the ghost’ requires you to maintain your human identity to win. But does maintaining your human identity apply to everyone left, or just the person catching the ghost?"

"We can’t kill the ghost for the time being, but we can try to catch one. If capturing a ghost lets us clear the level, then the others will know what to do."

That was easier said than done; the immediate issue was, who would volunteer to be the ghost to be caught?

"Do we need the ghost’s consent?" Miao Yu clenched her fist. "Tonight, everyone stays in this room. Anyone who dares not to is the ghost. If you’re the ghost, you’re getting tied up first."

No one objected this time, and all the players maintained a facade of calm.

"Should we go look downstairs?" suggested Wan Yunrong. "I feel like this instance isn’t just about making us play a simple slashing game. There might be clues elsewhere, and we have plenty of time today."

"You’re not thinking of finding a place to hide, are you?" Qiu Xiangdong, who hadn’t spoken much, scratched his floral shirt. "There must be at least a hundred rooms here, and with only ten of us, it wouldn’t be easy to find you."

Seeing that everyone’s eyes were on her, Wan Yunrong quickly explained, "Don’t look at me, I’m not the ghost. I just mean to say that instead of sitting face to face and waiting, why don’t we go out and look around?"

"What’s your special characteristic?" Mao Wei suddenly asked.

Wan Yunrong’s face changed slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Peace Chunsheng suffocated to death, and the reason could only be a special ability or an artifact. Although an artifact isn’t always based on one’s own ability, if you can prove your own ability, the risk of being suspected will be reduced," Mao Wei said in a low voice. "How about it?"

"How about what?" Wan Yunrong snorted coldly. "By your logic, you are also a suspect. Why don’t you demonstrate your own ability first? Oh, and it would be best if you took out your artifact too."

"I think that’s a good idea," Gan Qing said without fearing the chaos. "Let’s all show what we can do, so we know where we stand with each other."

"I don’t think Wan Yunrong is the only one who wants to go down. Everyone has their own ulterior motives. Instead of making so much fuss, let’s just supervise each other," Chu Yuan said, lifting his chin towards Wan Yunrong. "I don’t suspect you. You can walk with me if you like."

This inexplicable kindness not only puzzled the other players but also Wan Yunrong herself. She opened her mouth and, in the end, thanked him.

"It’s fine for two or three people to team up," Ge Pan said. "If anyone has trouble, just shout. In broad daylight, everyone can hear."

The others also had the intention of searching the remaining two floors, and after a brief argument, they grouped up and prepared to go downstairs.

Xu Huo, Chu Yuan, Wan Yunrong, and Miao Yu formed one group.

Mao Wei, Gan Qing, and Wu Xiaonan formed another.

Ge Pan, Zhu Rumin, Chang Chengyong, and Qiu Xiangdong comprised the third group.

The three groups entered the elevator together and descended to the second underground level.

This floor was the same as the one above; the lights only came on after people entered. The laboratories were cleaned out, just like upstairs, but what was different was that this floor had a living area, including bedrooms, a recreation room, a gym, and even a small shop.

Everyone started searching from the two ends towards the center, with Xu Huo’s group heading to the small shop first. Most of the food here was past its expiration date, and the practical tools had been used up.

"It looks like all the previous players have taken everything," Miao Yu said.

"Who knows how many times this instance has been swept through. We’re late to the game, so anything out in the open is definitely a no-go. But things that are hidden might be another story," Chu Yuan was tapping around the checkout counter. He reached the bottom drawer, used a prop for a while, and the drawer popped open:

"Ah..." A hoarse gasp followed by a human head popping out from the drawer startled him so much he sat down on the ground with a thump. Xu Huo pushed him a bit and then held down the lifelike dummy that had jumped up, "Just a dummy."

"You’re too easily frightened," Wan Yunrong chuckled.

"Anyone would be startled if a head popped out of a drawer," Chu Yuan said defensively, "It’s just that you were standing too far away."

"That’s a pleasure toy dummy," Miao Yu touched the material of the dummy. "The appearance is passable, but the material is already obsolete."

At a glance, it looked similar to a real person and could even mimic human behavior after being charged.

But it was no match for the two massage dummies.

Xu Huo dismantled its batteries and placed them aside, then gestured for Chu Yuan to head to the opposite room.

The first area was public, with recreational and gym spaces that weren’t much to look at; the equipment had been moved out, with only small items such as cards and indoor golf left in the recreation room.

Beyond this area were the private bedrooms of the laboratory staff.