Chapter 439: Desperate Situation?

Qi Xia continued through the dark tunnel for a while and discovered it was a downward staircase, but its structure was very simple.

The air here had a strange smell, and the staircase's surface was extremely neat, as if no one had entered since it was built.

"What a pity..."Qi Xia touched the wall beside him, his face showing a hint of regret. "You cleverly incorporated the Wu Xing principles into your own game, yet no one can see it—not even you, who has to wear a collar to play."

After turning a left corner, the staircase began to climb upward. Qi Xia felt along the wall to confirm the direction and soon spotted a dimly glowing green button on the far wall.

He decisively reached out and pressed the button. The wall in front of him trembled slightly, then slowly rose.

There stood Qiu Shiliu.

"Shu Wu...?" Qi Xia smirked. "That certainly lowers the game's difficulty a lot."

Qiu Shiliu turned around in shock, watching as Qi Xia emerged from the wall holding four fruits, completely at a loss for words.

"You... you're coming from..."

Qi Xia didn't respond. He simply placed all four fruits on the table, then opened the door and walked out again.

Time was pressing now. Although Qi Xia had found the path to victory, each night only lasted ten minutes.

"Got to hurry..."

...

Di Shu sat quietly in the "Mao Wu" for a moment, then reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a faded photograph.

The photo showed a man and a woman together. The woman was puckering her lips and making a silly face, looking full of energy, while the man stared at her with a bitter smile, his eyes filled with affection.

Di Shu gently stroked the photo, then carefully placed it on the ground away from himself, as if afraid the collar's explosion might destroy it.

Having his head blown off wasn't a big deal, but this photo couldn't be lost.

"I'm sorry, I've tried every method, but none of them lead to survival." Di Shu said in a low voice, his words choking up after a few seconds. "I've thought of everything possible... but I really can't get out... I don't even have a shred of hope..."

Di Shu looked one last time at the lively girl in the photo with his monstrous eyes. He reached out to touch her face in the image, then touched his own furry rat head, letting out a bitter smile.

Yes, there was no going back.

Why had he naively thought that turning into a large brown-furred rat would bring him closer to escape?

The original him had always been just ten days away from getting out, but now he wasn't even human anymore.

The most ridiculous thing about humans is their refusal to give up, always clinging to hope.

Click.

The door to the "Mao Wu" opened, and Di Shu slowly stood up. He straightened the fur on his rat head, then put on a smile of despair and walked into the corridor.

All five doors in front of him were locked.

Di Shu opened each one from the outside, but inside there were no "rats" and no fruits—just five empty rooms.

That team leader man had figured out the game too quickly. With six rounds in total, he used the first to verify his hypothesis, the second to fully understand the rules, and now in the third, he had already moved all the fruits back to the "Shu Wu." In the days ahead, the "cat" wouldn't find any fruits or catch a single rat.

The "cat" would starve to death.

"Why is it like this...?" Di Shu slowly smiled bitterly. "Everyone wants me dead... yet I've been desperately fighting to live. Am I being too selfish?"

He moved forward with heavy steps, mechanically opening and closing each door.

"This damned game should end already..." Di Shu muttered. "A place where you have to kill others to escape... no one should ever get out of here..."

Di Shu crossed the corridor, feeling the collar around his neck tighten again, this time making it impossible for him to breathe.

Finally, he stopped in front of the "Shu Wu" door.

Knock knock knock.

After a moment, a voice came from inside.

"Speak."

Di Shu slowly lifted his head and said,

"It's over. I'm leaving."

"Oh?" Qi Xia replied softly. "Not playing anymore?"

"No need." Di Shu shook his head. "This is the best ending for me."

"Then, do you have anything you want to say?" Qi Xia asked.

"Though it might not be appropriate to say this, I have one thing I want to ask of you..." Di Shu said.

Qi Xia glanced at the four teammates neatly lined up behind him, then said to Di Shu,

"You're asking for a favor, but now you're not even calling me 'leader' anymore?"

"No need for that." Di Shu replied. "After this round ends, I'll be killed by the collar. In my 'Mao Wu,' there's a photo. I'm afraid it might get destroyed in the explosion, so I left it there... Could you please put it back in my pocket after I die...?"

Hearing no response from Qi Xia, Di Shu added,

"I just want to die with it. That way, even if someone sees my body... at least they'll know who I am."

"I refuse." Qi Xia said. "That's your own business; there's no need to trouble us."

Di Shu sighed softly.

"You seem like someone who's very good at deception, but at a time like this, you can't even bother to lie to me?"

"There's no need for me to say nice things to deceive you here." Qi Xia answered. "I don't know you, and I don't know how important that photo is. It's possible that after you die, I'll just tear it up—out of sight, out of mind."

"You..." Di Shu smiled bitterly again. "Is that necessary? Since we don't know each other, why do you have to drive me to complete destruction...?"

Only then did Qi Xia's expression turn serious, as he leaned against the door and said,

"To be honest, if this game continues, you'll die anyway. You're absolutely impossible to become the 'Tian.'"

"Is that so..." Di Shu said expressionlessly, turning around and leaning against the door. "Then, does joining you offer a way out?"

"You know what?" Qi Xia asked. "When you realize all paths are dead ends, you have to choose to break through the wall right away."

"I don't think that's right." Di Shu replied. "Even if I don't break the wall, someone else will. My best option is to follow the one who breaks it—it's easier, safer, and less effort."

"But you're already in extreme danger." Qi Xia sneered. "If I have a gun to your head, you're still not going to break the wall?"