chapter 15
Newcomers were unpredictable. Most entered the Game terrified and helpless, and extreme fear made people do stupid things. Bai Jiang did not intend to die because of one, so he issued the same warning whenever he encountered a newcomer.
Tong Qian’s eyes immediately reddened with fright. She nodded frantically. “I know the rules. I’ll behave, and I absolutely won’t cause trouble.”
Bai Jiang’s expression improved slightly. “My grade is the highest here, so everyone will follow my instructions.”
Tong Qian and Zhao Liang nodded in agreement. Cheng Miao shrugged indifferently. Only Qi Jiajia remained cold and expressionless, her lips seeming to form a word.
It looked like: “Idiot.”
Bai Jiang noticed as well. Humiliated by a little girl, he reached to drag Qi Jiajia toward him. Cheng Miao frowned and blocked his hand. “Let’s discuss the important matter. Don’t waste time.”
He had not truly meant to do much to Qi Jiajia, so he reluctantly withdrew.
Qi Jiajia glanced at Cheng Miao in surprise. When Cheng Miao did not look back, interest lifted one of the girl’s eyebrows.
Then she glared at Zhao Liang, who was eager to speak to her, and silently shifted two steps closer to Cheng Miao.
Bai Jiang looked at the sleeping bears behind him and whispered, “Judging by the hint, we have only a day and a half. We clear the Game once we find Baby Bear’s missing toy. The problem is that the hint never tells us what it is.”
Cheng Miao calmly continued his thought. “There’s another problem before that. The three bears look identical, so how do we tell which one is Baby Bear? And since the hint specifically mentions what Papa Bear and Mama Bear like, that information must be useful…”
She paused, then said, “The Game deliberately introduced the parents’ preferences. Could we interpret them as weaknesses that we’re meant to exploit and use to control the two bears in certain situations? If so, I suspect these bears can go berserk under the right conditions.”
Everyone’s face darkened. Whether they had already considered it or not, no one wanted to acknowledge the possibility that those monsters could attack.
White-lipped and trembling, Tong Qian tried to reach for Bai Jiang’s hand.
“Don’t bother.” Bai Jiang saw through her intention immediately and avoided her. After several instances, he had met plenty of newcomers who wanted someone strong to carry them.
“Who has time to play the good Samaritan in a Game like this? And I’m not the kind of man who values a pretty face more than his life. You’re on your own.”
Rejected so publicly, Tong Qian flushed with shame, but terror and despair still filled her eyes.
“Do you have any ideas?” Bai Jiang looked back at the impassive Cheng Miao. This woman was calmer than he was and had produced a more organized, deeper analysis in very little time.
Bai Jiang could be chauvinistic, but he was also intelligent. Cheng Miao might be a newcomer, yet her potential exceeded his. Yielding to someone stronger was nothing to be ashamed of.
Cheng Miao gave him a surprised glance. Instead of answering, she asked, “You’ve played more Games than us. In your experience, could these three bears suddenly attack without warning?”
Bai Jiang tore at a strip of dry skin on his lip with his teeth. “A veteran who guided me said there are generally two ways an instance kills. Either a player triggers a death condition, or the instance has a time limit and remains safe until it expires.”
Bai Jiang pulled too hard and tore the corner of his mouth. Unbothered, he licked away the blood and continued. “Either way, the instance provides hints. The final deadline here is sunset tomorrow. Whatever restrains the bears before then, if we still haven’t found Baby Bear’s toy by tomorrow afternoon, their killing restrictions will be lifted. None of us will escape.”
His explanation confirmed Cheng Miao’s theory. Abandoned Courtyard had been one example. Liu Xue’s appearances represented the approaching deadline, while Cheng Miao taking out the diary in the bathroom had triggered Doctor Xu’s killing condition within the vision.
“In that case, we don’t need to worry about all three bears going berserk before sunset tomorrow. But while searching for the toy, we must avoid triggering a death condition.”
Cheng Miao pointed toward the sun outside. “They should be taking their afternoon nap. Let’s move quietly and search the room for clues. The instance must contain something that lets us distinguish the bears.”
Bai Jiang nodded once and moved lightly toward the bookcase nearest the bears. The other three remained gathered in place without moving.
Tong Qian in particular seemed so terrified that her mind had gone blank. Cheng Miao sighed.
“You need to overcome your fear and participate seriously in the instance.” She glanced meaningfully at Qi Jiajia beside her.
“If your teammates are strong enough, you might coast through. But your earnings at settlement will be extremely low, perhaps too low to afford a higher-tier Grand Hotel. You don’t want to spend your whole life struggling in the Basic Dormitory, do you?”
Tong Qian appeared moved, while Qi Jiajia pressed her lips together and remained silent. Cheng Miao stopped there. No one was responsible for anyone else. She had said all she could; what remained depended on them.
Cheng Miao pushed open the kitchen door. The room was filthy and chaotic, with dishes piled in the sink.
A basket stood in the corner, packed with fish more than a meter long.
They were extremely fresh. Their scales shimmered faintly blue, and their mouths continued opening and closing. They were not yet entirely dead.
The moment Cheng Miao saw the fish, she remembered the hint: Papa Bear, Papa Bear, loves to eat fish.
Three enormous bowls sat near the stove’s window, each filled with thick porridge made from unidentifiable ingredients. They appeared to be the bears’ dinner.
Something occurred to Cheng Miao as she studied the giant bowls, and her eyes flickered.
The space in this instance was limited, even smaller than Abandoned Courtyard, and the front door could not be opened at all.
The Swift Running Shoes she had acquired earlier would be of little use. No matter how quickly she ran, where could she go? She could hardly fly.
When Cheng Miao returned to the bedroom, Bai Jiang and Tong Qian were talking quietly. A coil of hemp rope as thick as an adult’s forearm lay on the floor before them.
Zhao Liang hovered beside Qi Jiajia as they circled the three huge chairs. Qi Jiajia held something resembling a notebook.
“Well?” Bai Jiang asked urgently as soon as Cheng Miao returned. Before she could answer, he continued.
“I found nothing useful. The books on the shelves are worthless. I did find this rope in a cabinet.”
Cheng Miao nodded, then looked at Qi Jiajia as the girl approached.
For reasons known only to herself, the girl wore a sullen expression and shoved the notebook into Cheng Miao’s arms. Her voice was stiff. “This was all I found.”