Chapter 5
Chapter 5
I went downstairs barefoot.
When I passed the dorm supervisor’s room, I didn’t slow down.
I knew perfectly well that the dorm supervisor was just a cover. The people really waiting for me were outside.
Bare feet against the ground, I crossed the dormitory area and headed straight for the empty sports field.
The campus was built against the mountains. It was quiet and secluded, and the sports field bordered the dense woods of the back mountain.
The vast field only had a few streetlights near the entrance. Most of it was swallowed by darkness.
The stars were dim tonight. The night wind swept through the forest, making the leaves rustle.
I had barely stopped when several people walked in through the entrance one after another.
From the broad shadows across the field, others stepped out as well.
I counted them.
Seven in total.
Every one of them wore a school uniform and an animal mask.
Rat, Rabbit, Antelope, Monkey, Hyena, Boar.
All except the one in the lead.
He wore a Joker mask with a bizarre smile.
Its blood-red mouth stretched all the way to its ears.
In the pitch-black night, that gaping bloody grin on the white mask looked especially chilling.
He held a light bow in one hand and drew a wooden arrow without an arrowhead from behind his back.
The tip was wrapped in a small red cloth pouch.
He extended his arm, nocked the arrow, and drew the bow. The wooden arrow shot straight toward my face.
I sprang aside with a nimble leap and dodged it.
The red cloth pouch struck the wall. Powder burst apart, leaving a round red mark behind.
It was charcoal powder used for marking!
I thought of the round purple bruises that had covered my sister’s entire body, and realization struck.
These little beasts!
The man let out a soft laugh, his tone playful.
“You’ve improved. One trip home, and you’re even quicker on your feet. Let’s see how long you can keep dodging.”
He raised a hand.
The other six also lifted their light bows and aimed at me.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet.
Each person’s arrowhead was wrapped in charcoal powder of a different color.
“Same rules as always. Before dawn, whoever lands the most shots gets the final prize money.
“Tonight, I’m adding another three hundred thousand. The winner takes one million. And the person… goes to him too.”
Hyena said excitedly, “Boss, does that mean we get her all to ourselves this time? There were too many people last time. Time was up before I’d had enough fun.”
The man in the Joker mask sounded cruel and thrilled. “As long as you win, you can play with her for as long as you want.”
The others immediately let out excited howls like wild animals.
My fingers lightly brushed the bracelet on my wrist, and my gaze swept over each of the seven people in front of me.
Seeing me distracted, Joker smoothly raised his hand and fired another arrow.
This time, it struck me squarely in the shoulder.
The force sent me staggering backward, and I fell to the ground.
A vermilion mark appeared on my white nightdress.
I clenched my teeth, pressed one hand to my shoulder, and stumbled through the small gate in the northwest corner, running toward the back mountain.
The cold night wind roared past my ears. The bronze bell around my ankle jingled.
Conveniently, it pointed out the direction for them to chase.
“The prey’s already drawn blood! Brothers, don’t let her get away!”
“Hah… damn it, she runs pretty fast!”
“Brother Rat, you need to lose some weight. You can’t even catch up to a girl. Embarrassing or what?”
“Fuck, a branch scratched my damn face. Just wait until I catch her. I’ll kill that bitch.”
“Brother Dog, last time was too easy. No fun at all! This is what makes it exciting.”
“…That dead girl can really run. Boss, there aren’t wild animals in these woods, are there?”
“Don’t worry, Monkey. If anything’s going to eat someone, it’ll eat our plump Brother Rat first.”
“Rabbit, fuck your uncle!”
They laughed and jeered as they chased behind me, arrows of every color whistling past my ears.
Barefoot, I darted and weaved through the mountain forest, as if I had returned to the special training I underwent in the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang.
The corner of my mouth curved up.
These spoiled rich kids were like delicate flowers raised in a greenhouse.
How could they know that deep in these old mountains and forests, there were things far more dangerous than tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves?
The faster I ran, the more urgently the bronze bell around my ankle rang.
Night owls startled into flight, as if they had scented danger, flapping their wings and fleeing at full speed.
Rustling noises rose from the deep, dense grass.
The gnarled branches along the tree trunks began to hiss and scrape as well.
The bronze bell rang faster. The rustling grew denser.
I calculated the timing, then abruptly stopped.
At the same time, a shrill scream tore through the night sky.
“Fuck, snakes! So many snakes!”
“Where the hell did all these scorpions and spiders come from?!”
Calm and composed, I turned around. My gaze drifted over the panicked people in front of me one by one, and in a rather good mood, I lifted the corners of my lips.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
The prey had entered the trap. Not one was missing.
I casually took a step forward, and the swarm of snakes shifted forward with me like swaying waterweed.
The seven people instantly huddled together in terror.
Under their disbelieving stares, I reached down and picked up a silver-banded krait, winding it around my arm.
The little snake that had made their faces change with fear coiled obediently around my forearm, like a uniquely designed armlet.
I smiled faintly.
“Welcome, everyone. Thank you for gracing us with your presence at tonight’s Hunt.
“I’ve prepared a surprise gift package for each of you. I guarantee you’ll all have the time of your lives.”
The night wind suddenly went still.
The atmosphere turned subtle in an instant.