DSMC Chapter 59.1

[Want to Be Human] livestream chat:

“Wow~ we’ve finally reached my favorite mode, running from closed areas!”

“What does that mean? The game mode got upgraded?”

“Yes! If you haven’t seen this instance before, you might not know this gameplay. The instance never tells players this rule in advance. It only notifies them when time’s almost up. Watching the players’ shocked faces is so entertaining.”

“Still, I mean… can you really see a shocked expression on the kitten’s dark little face? No matter how I look, it’s just cute! No panic at all.”

“……”

“Hahaha, upstairs, maybe you’re watching the wrong player’s stream?”

“Even if Mimi has an expression, it’s probably because he got picked again for the third forced PK round, not because an area is shutting down. Dammit, I still can’t watch the kitten turn human and go on a killing spree.”

“Damn, you win!”

“But seriously, this area-closing mode is pretty fun. With players scattered all over, it’s hard to see team fights. It’s basically becoming a solo battle now. Once the region mode kicks in, won’t players immediately start fighting? That’s exactly the kind of excitement I want to see!”

“Then I have a question. Since there’s already an area mode, why bother having a forced PK mode?”

“Forced PK is to create hatred between players and force them to use up high level props, plus it makes things more fun for the audience. The area mode is to drain the players and make the game more intense. Once there are many players but fewer regions, hiding spots shrink, and players have to fight for space. It’s super exciting.”

Yan Jiyun really wasn’t panicking. He was trying to figure out what “selective area closure” meant. What exactly was this mode?

Would only two of the three areas remain open temporarily? And would it shrink further to just one afterward?

If players in Siyun Castle don’t leave the castle scene within the allotted time, does that mean they’ll be eliminated?

Thinking about it like that made it easy to understand. This was just another kind of battle-royale game.

In real games, getting eliminated only means their character dies, but they just start another round. They can die a thousand times and it’s whatever. But here, players might actually end up dead.

The two games do share one trait though: after they die, others can loot their body.

Yan Jiyun had been brought back to the house by Tang Shi.

Tang Shi’s home was no different from the other houses on Xiaoyun Street. There were no elders at home; the first floor was rented out to outsiders for business, and he lived on the second and third floors himself.

Yan Jiyun saw that he didn’t have much prep time left. He immediately jumped out of the backpack, found the bathroom, and slipped inside.

He even heard Tang Shi outside saying to Liang Yu, “Oreo’s previous owner wasn’t lying. It can really go to the bathroom by itself.”

Liang Yu: “It is pretty impressive.” Last night it even ran back to beat up those two who scared it, but he couldn’t tell Tang Shi that. Somehow he and a cat now shared a secret, which felt strangely eerie.

While they were praising him, the “main character” quickly locked the bathroom door and, in the last few seconds before entering the forced PK arena, switched back to human form.

Tang Shi: “Isn’t it a little too smart? It even locks the door.”

Liang Yu: “Probably because it doesn’t want us disturbing it while it’s using the toilet.” Even as a worldly rich second gen who had seen many well-trained pets, he had never seen a cat this human-like.

Tang Shi, on the other hand, was extremely thick-skinned. He simply felt lucky to have such a smart and low-maintenance cat. He was too happy to suspect anything.

Yan Jiyun no longer cared whether the two NPCs would get suspicious about his identity.

The moment time was up, he was pulled once again into the “Number Tag Match” scene.

Last time was a limited field with screens, but this time was different. The entire surrounding style had changed.

The spectator stands were still using screen mode, and since the game hadn’t started yet, he didn’t hear those annoying chat messages.

Standing across from him was an old opponent.

PLayer No. 18 of Team A, also the leader of Team A, a relatively calm player. Of course, without enough calmness, no one could lead a bunch of punks.

No. 18 wasn’t afraid of losing this PK. Their team also had Revival Stones, and he was the one who found them. Even if he got eliminated three times, he still had one revival left.

Yan Jiyun never underestimated any player in this game. For No. 18 to become Team A’s leader, he must have some special abilities. And Team A had even beaten other Teams in previous confrontations. A one-on-one battle wouldn’t be easy.

No. 18 greeted him right away: “No. 29, pleasure to meet you. Didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Yan Jiyun had already prepared which NPC to use. But since the other side hadn’t acted yet, he wasn’t in a hurry. He quietly kept a safe distance from No. 18.

Compared to No. 18, he was much younger and could practically be his son. He smiled innocently and replied, “I didn’t expect it either.”

The scene was a small maze. It was fairly large, full of knee-high plants forming the maze layout.

No. 18 said, “You’re impressive. Can I ask how you found the Revival Stone?”

Yan Jiyun of course wouldn’t tell him. He hadn’t forgotten that this Team A leader sold their information for points right after the first round.

No. 18 wanted to get information out of him? Heh, no chance.

Yan Jiyun replied with an infuriating tone. “Maybe I got lucky. After all, I found plenty of high level props too. Do you guys still have enough left?”

No. 18 was annoyed but kept calm. “Enough. One is all I need to deal with you. You haven’t tasted defeat yet, have you?”

Yan Jiyun: “My mom said I’m God’s favored child, practicially a natural little prince. How could I lose?”

No. 18 was speechless inside. Where did this chuunibyou kid come from? Acting like he really is the little prince of the castle. He knew No. 29 couldn’t possibly be as naive as he acted, but it still annoyed him.

The difference in their temperaments was huge to begin with. Yan Jiyun’s words stabbed right into No. 18’s sore spot. He hated pampered flowers who grew up in a greenhouse. Destroying him was the only thing that soothed his envy. In this place, he wanted to make things fair, and kill No. 29.

“No. 18, go! Kill No. 29!”

“I bet on No. 18 to win!”

“I checked the last match results for both. They both won neatly, but No. 29 was faster.”

“But No. 18 is stronger. No. 29 looks like a skinny little chicken.”

“There are five seconds left to place bets. Fine, I’ll follow you all and pick No. 18.”

“Then I’ll go opposite. I bet on 29. I like him more.”

Whatever the audience said, Yan Jiyun paid no mind. They’re just meaningless chatter.

No. 18 also heard it and felt smug that more spectators were choosing him.

Yan Jiyun noticed the man was extremely cautious. But compared to him, No. 18’s patience was still just not enough.

No. 18 knew Yan Jiyun had many high level props. Ten seconds after the match began, he still used his own high level prop to exchange for an NPC.

He exchanged for a fifty-year-old man with a beer belly, wearing a leather jacket that couldn’t be buttoned up, holding a smartphone in his hand.

Yan Jiyun also used his own high-level item, the “Pocket Watch,” to exchange for Detective Gao.

No player knew what NPC the opponent would summon. Neither did Yan Jiyun. But while he didn’t know the opponent’s NPC, he at least understood his own.

He had met Detective Gao through Liang Yu, knew his personality and occupation, and figured dealing with other NPCs shouldn’t be a problem.

Sure enough, Detective Gao immediately understood his mission.

Detective Gao threw a heavy accusation at the opposing NPC:

“Huang He, forty-five years old, owner of Huanghe Restaurant. Married twice. Five years ago you abandoned your first wife and your two children and remarried the daughter of a county official. Half a year ago, you took a mistress outside. Yesterday, you even accompanied her to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Huang He, your current wife still doesn’t know about this, right?”

Yan Jiyun: ‘You’re useless at solving real cases, but gossip you investigate crystal clear. You sure you’re not actually an entertainment tabloid reporter who switched careers to become a detective?’

Boss Huang turned purple with anger the moment he appeared.

Yan Jiyun suspected the two NPCs wouldn’t fight like in the first round and might actually be trying to defeat each other through verbal attacks.

No. 18 also never expected that sturdy-looking Boss Huang’s body would begin to stiffen.

Boss Huang still had tricks of his own. “Which eye of yours saw that? Do you have proof? Young man, don’t talk nonsense without evidence.”

Detective Gao wasn’t afraid at all. He pulled out a stack of photos:

“No, I do have proof. I wonder if your wife will be furious enough to divorce you once she finds out.”

Boss Huang lunged forward trying to snatch the photos. “You dare?!”

Detective Gao, possibly the type who helps old ladies find cats or helps original wives catch mistresses, dodged and ran as Boss Huang chased him with a leather bag. He was surprisingly agile, completely inconsistent with his gentlemanly appearance.

Yan Jiyun felt cheated by the game. This had nothing to do with “gentleman” at all.

Detective Gao continued attacking verbally while running. “You just had drinks with your brother-in-law and want to take over the Old Street reconstruction project. That’s a project with plenty of grease to skim. If your wife finds out, things might get ugly.”

Boss Huang continued chasing him, and the two started wrestling around.

Yan Jiyun unwillingly overheard another round of gossip.

Clearly, Detective Gao countered Boss Huang perfectly in certain aspects. But whether he could hold up physically was another matter. Boss Huang was much bulkier.

No. 18 saw that his NPC was completely useless and initiated an attack on Yan Jiyun himself.

He took out a common prop from his backpack. Originally, he wanted to save it for later, but after being provoked by No. 29, he figured he might as well eliminate him in the PK arena.

The rules say grabbing the number tag counts as eliminating; they never said killing isn’t allowed. If the opponent dies, the tag is still his.

A murderous intent flashed in No. 18’s eyes. In an instant, a dagger appeared in his hand.