Volume 1: Breaking the Cage
Escape 15
Legal Hunting
“Is this the function of the thing you got that day? Can you get two clue fragments?”
Shen Shuiyan was surprised, not expecting the rules to be so generous, giving two fragments at once.
“No,” Xin Lan shook her head and explained the card’s original function to Shen Shuiyan.
“This means someone has already died, and you got these two fragments from that person.”
Xin Lan nodded. She was somewhat surprised that the killed person had two fragments; she originally thought she’d only get one.
Earlier, she had considered whether the card could only be used on those killed by the rules or others. Later, she realized the text on the card already clarified its scope of use.
Silently use it during the hunting period, and during this time, the rules wouldn’t kill anyone.
Only when it ended without any deaths would the rules take action.
“The real hunt is about to begin. Stay by my side; don’t act alone,” Xin Lan said as she tucked the clue fragments into her pocket and walked.
Shen Shuiyan looked at Xin Lan’s beautifully fierce profile and nodded.
Xin Lan knew something would happen in the dormitory, but she didn’t expect to encounter this situation so quickly.
Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan met three people in a standoff at the second-floor staircase.
To be precise, it was one against two.
A short-haired girl was entangled with two people, looking quite disheveled.
Seeing Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan coming up, both groups were stunned.
“Save me!” the short-haired girl quickly called for help, grabbing the wrist of the person clutching her clothes and trying to pull away.
The two people holding her became increasingly agitated. They held onto her, not letting go, while warily watching Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan, fearing they might join the fight.
If these two really decided to rescue or help, they would certainly be at a disadvantage being surrounded by three people. The girl in their hands was difficult to handle; otherwise, they wouldn’t have spent over ten minutes trying to snatch the clue fragment from her.
But they were reluctant to promise benefits to make these two walk away. Caught in a dilemma, they could only hold onto the person in their hands.
Shen Shuiyan looked at Xin Lan, letting her make the decision.
After all, she had never fought anyone in her life, and if it came to blows, Xin Lan would definitely be the main force.
“You’re blocking our way,” Xin Lan said calmly. The three were stunned.
“How about we take out these two first, grab what they have, then take what the lone one has?” Xin Lan tilted her head, seemingly discussing with Shen Shuiyan.
“Sounds good,” Shen Shuiyan responded, observing the reactions of the three in the corridor.
The three looked unhappy, but the short-haired girl suddenly spoke up.
“Save me! I’ll give you a clue fragment!”
Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, telling Shen Shuiyan to step back.
Given Xin Lan’s skills, those two girls were no match for her. With just a few kicks, the two fled in disarray.
“Are we just letting them go like that?” Shen Shuiyan asked, looking at the hastily retreating figures, somewhat confused.
This didn’t seem like Xin Lan’s style.
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Although Shen Shuiyan couldn’t bring herself to kill, this was a matter of life and death, and there was no need to be soft when it came to snatching things.
“I prefer to handle things together. They may escape today, but not tomorrow.”
In terms of combat ability, girls were indeed not as strong as boys.
Boys were tougher and had a certain bloodiness about them.
The short-haired girl fumbled to find her broken glasses and put them on.
“Thank you both.”
“Where’s the fragment?” Xin Lan got straight to the point, not wasting words.
“I can give you all of mine. Can I join your team?” The short-haired girl, with half of her glasses broken, looked somewhat comical, but her expression was very calm. At the same time, she maintained a safe distance from Xin Lan.
“It seems you have more than one clue fragment. Where’s your original team?” Shen Shuiyan asked.
“It was those two just now. Originally, one wanted to snatch my things, but I turned the tables and got hers instead. Then she teamed up with the other one.”
The short-haired girl shrugged. There were several scratch marks on her face, probably from the recent scuffle.
Shen Shuiyan was silent for a moment, then looked at Xin Lan.
If Xin Lan wanted, she could get all the fragments from that girl without paying any price, but equally, if Xin Lan wanted, she could save this life.
Xin Lan wasn’t so heartless as to condemn everyone to death.
“Joining our team is fine, but I don’t like people who play tricks,” Xin Lan said, lightly dusting off her clothes. The girl nodded quickly.
“I’m Xu Deng, from Class 5.”
“Xin Lan,” Shen Shuiyan pointed at Xin Lan, then at herself, “Shen Shuiyan.”
“So you’re Shen Shuiyan.” Xu Deng realized. She had also heard the grade’s gossip, and facing this strange combination, she felt a bit odd.
“You know me?”
“Top of the grade, I’ve heard a lot about you. But let’s not talk here, it’s a bit dangerous. What if others come out? Are you two in the same dorm?” Xu Deng looked uneasily at the corridor, touching the spider-web-like crack on the right lens of her glasses with resignation.
“Yes,” Shen Shuiyan nodded. Not only were they in the same dorm, but they also slept in the same bed.
“Then let’s go to your dorm first. It’s safer with the door locked.”
“Is tonight particularly unsettled?” Xin Lan asked. Indeed, people’s patience wasn’t great, especially when facing life-and-death issues. It was only the third night, and people had already died, who knows how many. Open robbery must be even more common.
These were just students studying at school.
“Yes, since the bell rang, some people started acting crazy, grabbing things. Of course, those who were robbed wanted to get their stuff back. Some people formed gangs, and… there are even boys?”
“What do you mean?” Shen Shuiyan’s expression darkened.
“Some people brought boys to the girls’ dorm as helpers. I don’t know what happened after, but it was very chaotic. The second floor was very noisy earlier.”
Xu Deng’s expression also turned grim. This kind of thing couldn’t be thought about too deeply; the more you think, the scarier it becomes.
“My dorm is on the fourth floor. Let’s go up,” Xin Lan stepped onto the stairs, with the other two following behind.
The third floor was very noisy, and the fourth floor wasn’t much better.
A mixture of crying, cursing, and shouting came from upstairs. Xin Lan saw something flash past her eyes and fall to the ground with a ‘bang’.
Someone had jumped.
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Xu Deng’s face turned pale as she looked up towards the upper floors.
It was only the third day, and the rules hadn’t set a time limit.
Would everyone go crazy in the end?
Could she really make it out of here alive?
Xin Lan walked to her dorm door. Along the way, the few dorms they passed were either tightly closed or wide open with no one inside.
Xin Lan knocked twice on the door, suddenly smelling something.
She withdrew her hand and walked to the neighboring dorm.
Shen Shuiyan and Xu Deng didn’t know what she was planning to do, but they still followed.
Seeing the situation in the neighboring dorm, Xu Deng covered her mouth to stifle a scream.
The floor was covered in blood stains, with three people lying there. In the pool of blood, two girls were hugging each other.
One of the girls, hearing footsteps, raised her head alertly. The knife in her hand was still dripping blood; it seemed the few people lying on the ground, barely alive, were her handiwork.
She stood up unsteadily, shielding the person behind her.
“Do you want to snatch our fragments too?” Her voice was a bit hoarse as she waved the knife in her hand.
Xin Lan sneered and turned away.
She continued to knock on her dorm door, saying “open up.”
Xiao Chun opened a small crack, and seeing it was Xin Lan, she opened the door fully.
“Just you alone?”
“They’ve gone somewhere, I don’t know where,” Xiao Chun nodded and locked the door.
“You can sleep in our dorm tonight,” Xin Lan said to Xu Deng, who nodded.
Xin Lan smelled a faint scent of blood in the air. She glanced at Xiao Chun, took off her down jacket, let her hair down, and tied it into a low ponytail.
Shen Shuiyan also smelled a faint odd odor but thought it was from the neighboring dorm that had wafted in when the door was opened, so she didn’t think much of it.
“You sleep on this bed,” Xin Lan pointed at Zhou Mingfang’s bed, addressing Xu Deng.
“You still sleep with me.”
“Alright,” Shen Shuiyan nodded with a smile.
Xin Lan went to the balcony to collect her previously hung clothes using the drying pole. From the corner of her eye, she noticed something. She walked over and found a bracelet that was about to fall off.
Xin Lan: “Jiujiu, help me scan this dorm. Is there anything that shouldn’t be here?”
Ling Jiu: “Shouldn’t be here? What do you mean?”
Ling Jiu was a bit confused, not knowing what “shouldn’t be here” meant, but still scanned the dorm as Xin Lan asked.
There were indeed many small, messy items in the dorm, but what Ling Jiu noticed was a large shadow among them. It swallowed and said:
Ling Jiu: “Host, there seems to be something large in the cabinet under the bed. From my analysis, it’s… meat.”
Xin Lan wasn’t surprised. She took the clothes off the rack and placed them on the table.
“Are you taking a shower today?”
Xin Lan shook her head. The situation was uncertain, and it was winter; there was no need to shower every day.
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Hearing this, Shen Shuiyan casually took the clothes from her hands and started folding them on her lap.
Xin Lan was momentarily stunned but let her do it.
After going through the punishment game together, the relationship between the two had become closer.
If the first ghost encounter was Xin Lan thinking Shen Shuiyan insisted on following her, then the second time, she had implicated Shen Shuiyan.
But Shen Shuiyan didn’t complain or get angry. Instead, at that moment, she pushed Xin Lan away from the edge of danger.
Xin Lan liked such teammates and appreciated the care from her teammate.
Looking at the girl neatly folding the clothes, Xin Lan thought this person was quite nice.
The author has something to say:
Xin Lan: This person is quite nice.
Top student’s inner thoughts: This shouldn’t be a friend zone card, stay calm!
1555551 It’s time to ask for comments again. What kind of author do you like – aloof, witty, or sweet and soft? I’m ready to switch personalities online!
LP: Re-translated on November 13, 2024