DSMC Chapter 39.2

The director once again picked up his megaphone. “Next, I’ll announce the rules for our first round of the game.”

First round?

So there would be a second, maybe a third.

If it were just a simple game, there’d be no need to list a full 24-hour duration in the instance info.

Director: “We now have six teams, five players per team. Each pair will face off against another.”

Director: “The first round is a timed game. Each team will send one representative to draw for the arena. Teams that draw the same arena will automatically become opponents.” He held up six cards. “After each round, opponents will be reshuffled.”

Yan Jiyun volunteered to draw for their team. When he returned, he showed the others the card in his hand.

Ma Haiyang was the first to ask, “What’s that mean?”

Their card depicted a crumbling street.

An NPC led them toward the entrance to that scene.

Their opponents were Team A, which consisted of five burly men. Coincidentally, the man who had shoved Gu Wenzhu earlier was among them. He made a thumbs-down gesture toward them, obnoxiously provocative. Clearly the kind who thrived on antagonizing others.

They stepped into the designated area, following a red-vested NPC.

And at that moment, the system’s notification finally rang out.

So the game didn’t start until they entered the scene? The earlier setup must’ve just been for team selection. Yan Jiyun guessed it might be similar to how, in the last instance, there was a waiting phase before arriving at the restaurant. But that was only a guess. The real game likely wouldn’t end until they returned to the same spot. This was only round one, after all.

[Please, players of Team A and Team F, prepare for the game.]

[Game Rules: In this round, players are divided into Seekers and Hiders. Seekers must find the Hiders within the time limit. A Seeker only needs to touch a Hider’s clothing for it to count as a successful capture. However, victory is achieved only when all members of the opposing team are caught. Hiders have three minutes to find hiding spots and may change locations during the round. As long as their clothing isn’t touched, they may flee if discovered. Try your best not to get caught. Winning a round earns your team 1000 points; losing does not deduct any.]

[Round One: Team A will be Seekers. Team F will be Hiders. The time limit is one hour. Scene prohibits the use of personal props.]

[Hide and Seek… begins.] 

“Want to be Human” livestream channel: 

“Ahhhh why isn’t my baby in cat form? It’d be so much easier to hide as a kitty!”

“Baby! I’m here to watch you! Also, I love this game mode, it’s so cool! Things are about to get thrilling!

“Wait, isn’t there supposed to be a cat streamer here? Where’s the cat? I am scammed!”

“I haven’t seen our little meowmeow in days. I missed you so much! When are you transforming again?”

“Tch, these naive players probably think Challenging Mode of “Hide and Seek” is the same as Challenging Mode. In Challenging Mode, it’s NPCs doing the chasing, you just survive till time’s up, simple. But in Challenging Mode? It’s players hunting each other. Haha, this is what I live for — player versus player! Let’s see who dies first. Hurry up and start, I can’t wait!”

“Kitty-cat, transform already! Hide and Seek on Challenging Mode is brutal! I just hope our kitty can make it out in one piece!”

At this moment, none of the players believed it would really be as simple as just hiding.

Team A was brimming with confidence. The group opposite them looked ridiculously easy to catch. Their faces practically screamed “free points.”

Team F was a collection of disabled players. The couple was an easy read — they’d definitely stick together, and catching one meant catching both. The cripple was even easier, as he couldn’t run fast, if at all. That just left the mute and the other frail-looking guy.

Yan Jiyun understood now. This instance was actually a battle of attrition between players. Maybe it wouldn’t kill anyone, but it certainly wouldn’t be easy to clear.

He glanced at his props. Thankfully, his [Human Form Time Card] wasn’t categorized as a store-bought props, so it could still be used freely. That reassured him.

But… how could they actually win this game?

The five members of Team F were unfamiliar with one another, and none of them had a clue what to do. The situation was extremely unfavorable. They didn’t even know what kinds of places the map offered to hide in.

What kind of scene did a “Ruined Street” card represent, exactly?

Their team entered the arena.

[Welcome to Xiaoyun Street¹(小云街道; little cloud street. Three-minute hiding countdown begins!]

Yan Jiyun asked Gu Wenzhu, “Do you need help?”

Gu Wenzhu gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry for dragging you down.”

Qiu Xi, seeing how thin and frail Yan Jiyun looked, came forward to help too. He’d been worrying nonstop. Why had he ended up in Challenging Mode? Where was his boss’s cat? He’d lost it as soon as he entered the instance.

He couldn’t understand how an Introductory instance had turned into a Challenging one. Out of thirty players, he hadn’t seen the boss’s cat at all. Even though his boss had clearly said that the cat was also a player. Could it be that he and the cat hadn’t even entered the same instance? He was always unlucky, so maybe the system had glitched and tossed him into Challenging Mode by mistake.

If he ever got the chance to get out, he’d definitely apologize to his boss. He hadn’t meant to lose the cat. His luck was just awful.

Maybe the cat was in Introductory Mode, while he’d been bugged into Challenging Mode. After all, that would fit his usual streak — choking on water, tripping while walking, even having beds collapse while he slept.

Qiu Xi knew he wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t a pessimist. Bad luck aside, he somehow always met good people. Like now: he couldn’t work in real life, but he’d met his senior in the game, who even introduced him to a job.

Luck and misfortune are truly two sides of the same coin.

He’d found a job, then lost it immediately.

Yan Jiyun, unaware of Qiu Xi’s inner monologue, was focused on the three-minute hiding countdown. They had no map, no idea which places would make good hiding spots. The couple, seeing that the three of them were still hesitating, darted ahead into the field to find a place to hide.

Gu Wenzhu kept a calm exterior, but inwardly, he was anxious, just like Yan Jiyun and Qiu Xi. His leg was a real problem.

Qiu Xi slung off his backpack and held it in one hand. Then, crouching down in front of Gu Wenzhu, he gestured for him to climb onto his back.

Gu Wenzhu didn’t waste words. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

He remembered Qiu Xi’s name immediately. He was a good one, very respectful and kind.

Yan Jiyun took the backpack from Qiu Xi’s hand. It was one his own poop-scooping officer had bought for him. Naturally, there was no cat inside.

He slung it onto his back and picked up Gu Wenzhu’s cane. “Let’s move, time is running out.”

Time waited for no one. Twenty seconds had already passed.

They rushed into the game zone’s exclusive area.

The lighting outside had been bright, but here it was dim. Yan Jiyun, though in human form, still retained his cat’s night vision. So the darkness was no obstacle.

Their immediate challenge was to find a proper hiding spot.

This round has a time limit of one hour. 

Before them stretched an empty street. It was utterly deserted, not even a breeze.

Shops lined both sides, their signs cracked and ready to fall. The street was long, stretching beyond sight.

Yan Jiyun guessed the area must have a limited range.

Up ahead, the couple dashed toward the front.

There were many stores along the sides, their doors and windows hanging ajar. Some wide open, some half shut, some broken enough to fall apart at a touch.

It looked like a great place to hide, but not really. Each shop’s interior was different, and they’d need to pick carefully, fast.

Carrying Gu Wenzhu, Qiu Xi asked, “Where should we hide?”

Yan Jiyun said, “Wait a moment. I’ll run ahead and scout.”

Before the words even faded, he was off.

The mute worried he might run off and hide alone, but Gu Wenzhu — on his back — said calmly, “Don’t worry. He won’t abandon us.”

Gu Wenzhu was the real concern. He needed a truly secure hiding spot. Because if he got found, there would be no escape. His leg couldn’t outrun anyone.

Yan Jiyun sprinted ahead, eyes sweeping the area. His target locked onto a small, shabby convenience store. It likely had a storage room and some boxes. But it was too obvious. Anyone would think to search there.

He needed a spot the Seekers wouldn’t expect.

His mind spun quickly, scanning every possible hiding place.

The couple had already squeezed into a random corner. He’d better not stay near them.

Yan Jiyun suddenly turned and sprinted back toward the two men.

“Gu Wenzhu, you hide here.” He pointed toward a small steamed-bun shop near the entrance.

Qiu Xi tilted his head, wanting to ask “Wouldn’t they find us there?”

Yan Jiyun said, “No time to explain. I just checked that there’s a dry well inside. You can hide down there. It’s unlikely they’ll find it.”

Gu Wenzhu asked, “What about you?”

Yan Jiyun reassured them with a grin. “Even if I’m found, it’s fine. I won’t get caught. Just stay hidden.”

Qiu Xi thought maybe he had a special item. Gu Wenzhu reminded, “But the system said we can’t use props.”

Yan Jiyun waved them off. “I’ll be fine. Just go, the time is almost up.”

Qiu Xi didn’t hesitate. He charged forward with Gu Wenzhu on his back. Before Gu Wenzhu could say another word, they were already inside the shop, and Qiu Xi even pulled the door shut behind them.

Yan Jiyun ran deeper down the empty street. Not a rat in sight, it was eerily silent.

He glanced at the countdown: a minute and a half left.

He ran as far back as possible. The Seekers would surely start searching the front shops first, and with five of them, they’d move fast. He needed somewhere clever, somewhere flexible enough once he changed back into a cat.

He avoided the smaller stores and supermarkets, instead slipping into an inconspicuous old house wedged between other buildings. If one didn’t look closely, they’d never even notice its door — its faded paper gods of Yuchi Gong²Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭) or Yuchi Rong (尉遲融) (585 – 25 December 658), courtesy name Jingde (敬德), also known by his posthumous name Duke Zhongwu of E. He was a Chinese military general who lived in the early Tang dynasty. Yuchi Gong and another general Qin Shubao are worshipped as door gods in Chinese folk religion. were peeling, one touch away from crumbling to dust. 

Yan Jiyun pushed the door open without hesitation. Dust billowed up instantly. It was dark inside. The front room was a living area, stairs on the left led up to bedrooms, and to the right hung a blue-dyed cloth curtain. Behind it was a kitchen that connected to a backyard.

And that was where he found a wonderful surprise. The backyard was shared by several adjacent homes.

Yan Jiyun assessed the rooftops. If he hid properly, surviving an hour wouldn’t be a problem.

He had to take back what he’d said about his pooper scooper. The guy really had picked the perfect instance for him.

Fifty seconds left before the Seekers began. He spotted another dry well in the backyard and deliberately stacked some baskets around it, to make it look like someone might be hiding there. Then he returned to the living room, climbed the stairs, and slipped into a bedroom.

It seemed to belong to a middle schooler. He dropped the black backpack beside a pile of old books, ordinary enough not to draw attention.

Then the system chime rang:

[Hiding time is over. Seekers are now entering the area. Hiders, make sure you’re well hidden~]

Yan Jiyun checked the timer on his Human Form Time Card. Only one minute remaining.

• 1
  (小云街道; little cloud street
• 2
  Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭) or Yuchi Rong (尉遲融) (585 – 25 December 658), courtesy name Jingde (敬德), also known by his posthumous name Duke Zhongwu of E. He was a Chinese military general who lived in the early Tang dynasty. Yuchi Gong and another general Qin Shubao are worshipped as door gods in Chinese folk religion.