Chapter 113: Lost in the Snowy Mountains 16

Chapter 113: Lost in the Snowy Mountains 16

What does it mean to be a living being with wavering will? And what is this evil force?

"What? What's happening???" Ying Huo was flustered.

Why is he only dying now?

And before that?

Was he in a state where he could still be saved??

Ying Huo felt a jolt in his heart, and as he looked at Qin Fei, his gaze mixed with probing and suspicion. But he saw that the other party was even more panicked than him, gripping his hand tightly. "Yeah, what's going on???"

Ying Huo: "?"

I want to ask you, brother!

Although Qin Fei couldn't hear the system broadcast on Ying Huo's side, he could see his own attribute panel.

The number behind the entry "Tame new apostles for the Ostadia Mountains" had already changed to "1/10," and the progress bar above Ying Huo's head had disappeared, replaced by a small skull icon.

It was clear what had happened.

Qin Fei knew that one must act out the entire play, and he put on an extremely shocked expression. "How did we suddenly change factions? I thought we were already dead!"

Ying Huo's bones were almost crushed by Qin Fei's grip. This person looked slender-limbed, but he didn't expect him to have such strength.

Ying Huo could previously be deceived by Qin Fei, and now he wasn't much better off. Qin Fei's terrified appearance didn't seem fake, successfully dispelling Ying Huo's doubts.

"I... I don't know." Ying Huo was still reeling from the sudden change in faction, lost in confusion.

He muttered to himself, "We're now the dead. What about the others?"

Ying Huo was certain that the other players in the Dawn Squad hadn't received this prompt.

Their team had an excellent relationship, and even if it was a matter of life and death, they would never hide any information from their teammates.

So the other players were still alive?

But why did they become the dead? They were just lying under the bed, doing nothing.

Ying Huo's mind was in a mess, like a large ball of yarn tangled together, impossible to sort out.

Suddenly, Qin Fei clapped his hands hard, his eyes burning like flames: "I get it!!"

Hearing this, Ying Huo was delighted and urged, "Tell me quickly."

Qin Fei: "A living person, lying well under the bed, can't suddenly die, right."

The young man feigned profundity, his jaw tight, and the originally light color of his eyes was suppressed in the dim light under the bed, looking very deceptive:

"I wonder if you've heard of a saying, many ghosts don't actually know they're dead when they first die. They speak and act as they did when they were alive until they encounter some opportunity to be enlightened and realize they've become ghosts."

Such sayings weren't obscure, and of course, Ying Huo had heard them. He had listened to many such ghost stories.

With Qin Fei's enlightenment, Ying Huo suddenly saw the light: "!!! That makes sense!"

Just as Xiao Qin said, if they were originally living well, it was impossible to do nothing and die.

The only explanation was that they had been "the dead" like the ghosts in ghost stories, but they had been unaware of it all along.

"We suddenly received the system prompt to change factions because we figured out the truth!" Ying Huo was ninety percent sure he had thoroughly understood the whole story.

By relying on his intelligence, he confirmed the fact that they were already dead, which triggered the faction conversion broadcast.

When they were in the wooden house earlier, although the players suspected, there wasn't enough evidence or analysis, and that vague guess didn't get the system's approval.

Qin Fei only provided Ying Huo with a line of thought, but Ying Huo's imagination was not to be underestimated. He quickly filled in deeper content on his own:

"The system designed it this way to scheme against us. If the player's analytical ability is insufficient, they will be misled by the superficial appearances given by the scenario, always working on the wrong faction's mission guidance until they are completely wiped out in the end!"

The faction broadcast for the living faction was open to all members, so there was no text prompt within the attribute panel. However, the dead faction had one.

After Ying Huo switched to the dead faction, several lines of small text appeared at the bottom of his attribute panel, further confirming his conclusion. His teeth ground audibly: "This is all the scenario's conspiracy. The scenario is really insidious!"

In Qin Fei's live stream, the barrage of comments flew across the screen:

"Xiao Qin, how insidious!"

"It's all the wife's conspiracy!"

Ying Huo's fans were pounding their chests on the other side of the light screen:

"Ahuo, please, if you can use your hands, don't use your brain!!"

All those comments were screened out by the system, and Ying Huo didn't see a single one. Now he began to worry about another thing:

"We're on the right track, but what about the other players?"

After he became the dead, his faction mission became the same as Qin Fei's, no longer needing to find the truth of Zhou Li's death, but instead to find the "Guiding Land."

—Of course, that was all there was to it. Ying Huo didn't receive the task of taming others; that was unique to Qin Fei.

Qin Fei pondered for a moment: "Definitely can't directly tell all the players, they might not believe us."

Ying Huo nodded repeatedly. He was also worried about this. If others didn't believe them, but instead thought they had ulterior motives and turned around to deal with them, the situation would become very bad.

Qin Fei's eyes flickered: "Do you think the people of the Dawn Squad will believe you?"

Ying Huo: "The people in our team will definitely trust me; I'm mainly worried about the others."

Actually, it didn't matter if they ignored the others. Little Qin would talk to the players he was close with, and for those he wasn't familiar with, even if they really ended up dying in the scenario, it wouldn't be their concern.

But Ying Huo felt that this wasn't right. They weren't enemies in a life-or-death struggle; they could save one person at a time.

When Qin Fei heard Ying Huo's explanation, he couldn't help but twitch his lips, asking him, "Who set the rule that your team doesn't cooperate with others in scenarios?"

Such a smart rule, Qin Fei couldn't think of anyone in the Dawn Squad who would come up with it.

This team of burly men not only lacked wit but also had (saintly) maternal principles. Qin Fei always felt that each of them was the type to die easily, and if it weren't for the rule of going solo, they would have been schemed against long ago.

Ying Huo didn't know why Little Qin suddenly asked this, but he still answered truthfully, "It was Zhu Yan."

Zhu Yan, the teammate who was recuperating in the central city with a lame leg.

Thinking of Zhu Yan, Ying Huo couldn't help but scratch his head. "Should we just ignore the other players?"

If Zhu Yan were in the scenario, he definitely wouldn't let them bother with the others.

In fact, Zhu Yan was the true brains behind the Dawn Squad. When Zhu Yan was around, Ying Huo was at most the second-in-command, and Zhu Yan often went against him.

Qin Fei, however, didn't care. "Go and discuss it with your teammates. There are seven of you in your team."

With seven members of the Dawn Squad, plus Qin Fei himself, the remaining players should know how to choose as long as they could read the situation. It didn't matter whether they believed or not.

After all, Qin Fei only needed ten believers, and the Dawn Squad already made up the majority. Even if the others didn't believe, they wouldn't be able to complete the tasks of the living faction. Zhou Li's phone was still hidden here with Qin Fei.

They could take their time. Qin Fei wasn't in a hurry.

The Place of Guidance wouldn't be easy to find. Most likely, they'd have to traverse the entire snowy mountain before they could locate it.

There was plenty of time for the players to figure things out.

The audience on the other side of the light screen were stunned.

"F*ck, I was just thinking that my wife would have to convince the other players one by one, looking forward to it, but now? ? ?"

"It's like watching an illegal organization recruit new members..."

"Who said this was a conspiracy earlier? This is an open scheme! It's so ruthless."

"Wife: Mainly responsible for being beautiful, don't even think about making me exert any extra effort."

Ying Huo nodded, seemingly understanding.

Behind both of them, the snow monster continued to lurk by the bed, its two huge eyes emitting a faint glow.

But Ying Huo no longer felt nervous.

On one hand, it was because he had figured out the rules, and on the other hand, it was due to the sense of security provided by the slightly thin youth beside him.

Although from appearances, Ying Huo alone could crush two Qin Feis, there was something peculiar about Qin Fei that exuded a calming aura.

Lying on the floor made of snow, Ying Huo pondered how he would discuss the faction switch with Captain Wen Ren when daybreak came. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.

He was later woken up by Qin Fei.

"Wake up, it's dawn."

Ying Huo opened his eyes, still half-asleep. The snow monster by the bed had disappeared, and he quickly crawled out from his side of the bed to meet Qin Fei outside the igloo.

Dawn had arrived, and the overnight task had been successfully completed. Players gradually emerged from their houses.

This night hadn't been difficult to endure. As long as they remained vigilant and stayed under the bed, they wouldn't be in danger.

For high-level players, this wasn't a particularly challenging task, and the players soon gathered.

Qin Fei counted heads, finding only two missing.

Kong Siming.

And Diao Ming.

Kong Siming hadn't gotten into trouble; he was just scared out of his wits.

When they found him in the nearby igloo, he was still cowering under the bed.

His eyes tightly shut, his entire body curled up like a shrimp, counting loudly: "215, 216, 217..."

Unlike the players, who received system prompts upon the completion of their tasks at dawn, he didn't know he could leave yet.

A snow monster had infiltrated every room last night, and after one glance, Kong Siming was terrified. He never dared to look outside the bed again.

He covered his ears with both hands and kept counting until dawn, repeating the three hundred numbers countless times, his lips blistered.

Mi Yang felt her mouth hurt just watching him. "Stop counting, come out."

Hearing the commotion, Kong Siming cracked open an eyelid. Upon recognizing the person, he scrambled out from under the bed.

Aside from being frightened, Kong Siming was unharmed.

But Diao Ming wasn't as fortunate.

Diao Ming was dead.

When Qin Fei realized that Diao Ming hadn't come out of his room, he knew something was wrong. But when he actually entered the igloo and saw Diao Ming's corpse, he couldn't help but frown.

Diao Ming's death was far from pleasant.

His corpse was bloated, his clothes torn by the expansion of his body, and his face was so distorted that it was almost impossible to recognize his original features.

His limbs were deformed, unnaturally elongated with joints bent in unnatural angles, resembling less human appendages than insect legs.

Diao Ming's body bore many wounds, as if he had been mauled to death by the sharp teeth of some beast.

Qin Fei surmised that Diao Ming had likely succumbed to another episode of his mutation the previous night, losing control and breaking the rules by leaving the safety under his bed, only to be killed by another snow monster lurking within the house.

Given how much his corpse resembled a snow monster, Wu Meng stepped forward and delivered a clean cut to his abdomen.

With this, Diao Ming's remains were left utterly disfigured, causing even those with average fortitude like Ding Li and Duan Nan to squint their eyes in revulsion, feeling a wave of nausea.

It was common for players to die in gruesome ways, but to be eviscerated at the brink of death evoked a subtle sense of fear, akin to the chill one feels when witnessing the fall of a comrade.

Indeed, inside Diao Ming's belly lay masses of something akin to seaweed or thick strands of hair, mixed with a blackish ooze that had soaked the floor of the snow hut, making it nearly impossible to find a spot to step on.

As they gazed upon Diao Ming's corpse, each person wore a different expression.

Ying Huo's countenance shifted several times as he quietly pulled Wen Ren Liming aside to speak in a corner.

Diao Ming's death had shaken him somewhat. If they had met the same fate as Diao Ming in the dense forest last night, it would not take long before they too faced a similar end.

To save themselves, they must complete their mission and leave the instance dungeon as soon as possible.

Convincing their teammates to switch sides became an urgent matter.

Ying Huo recounted the deductions he had made the previous night, leaving Wen Ren stunned.

Wen Ren: "Are you saying that once we truly acknowledge ourselves as the dead, we will be categorized into the dead faction? And until then, we're actually neither fully alive nor dead, and even if we complete the tasks of the living faction, we won't be able to clear the instance dungeon?"

"Yes, yes, exactly!" Ying Huo nodded vigorously.

Wen Ren Liming was momentarily dazed. "Really...?"

When had the design of the instance dungeons become so twisted?

Truly terrifying!!!

Though Wen Ren was the captain, he was typically a good-natured individual with little temper. When Zhu Yan was around, he would side with whoever between Ying Huo and Zhu Yan had the stronger argument. With Zhu Yan absent from this instance, he could only follow Ying Huo's lead.

The players in the snow hut split into two groups. Half of them surrounded Diao Ming's corpse, examining it for any potential clues, while Dawn Squad gathered on the other side to hold a meeting.

From a distance, Qin Fei couldn't discern what they discussed, but he noticed their progress bars steadily increasing. Before long, they all reached full capacity, transforming into small skulls.

For ten people's task, Qin Fei spent a day completing 70% of the objectives.

Fei: Content!

In private, Qin Fei inquired about the internal negotiations within their team. "Do you think they all believe your words?"

Ying Huo wasn't a mind reader. "I don't know."

He candidly stated, "But I told them that once their faction is determined as the dead, there's no changing it."

While the members of Dawn Squad were relatively simple-minded, they weren't entirely foolish. Faced with such a crucial decision, everyone harbored their own thoughts.

However, since Ying Huo was certain, absolutely sure, that they belonged to the dead faction, their team had no choice but to avoid infighting.

After all, clearing the instance as the dead faction was still possible. The others abandoned their contemplations and expressed their willingness to join the dead faction.

Then, they all received system notifications.

Qin Fei nodded in agreement.

It seemed that even without genuine belief in being among the dead, simply deciding to switch factions was enough to achieve the goal.

This made things easier.

It meant that even without resorting to deceit, various paths could lead to Rome through enticement or coercion.

Qin Fei felt pleased, ignoring the complex gaze from Wen Ren Liming as he asked with a smile, "Captain Wen Ren, where do you plan to head next?"

Wen Ren Liming felt that they had been misled by Qin Fei, yet he couldn't pinpoint why. Resigned, he took out the map:

"We'll stick to the original plan and visit these five marked locations on the snowy mountain. Behind Snow Village lies this place."

He pointed to a tree-shaped icon on the map.

Wen Ren Liming's intentions aligned with Qin Fei's.

Although their current objective was to locate the guiding place, who knew where that elusive location might be?

They could only proceed methodically, searching for clues across the snowy mountain.

Unlike Ying Huo's optimism, Wen Ren Liming didn't fully buy into the notion that failure to join the dead faction would inevitably lead to death. He merely believed that they couldn't abandon Ying Huo to walk alone down a dark path.

Regardless of the instance dungeon, Dawn Squad always stood together.

Wen Ren Liming's sole prayer was that the tasks of the dead faction wouldn't be too difficult.

On the surface, the dead faction didn't seem any easier than the living faction.

While they were spared the task of unraveling Zhou Li's cause of death, deducing the location of the guiding place was no simple feat. It was unclear which path would prove more challenging.

Qin Fei found Wen Ren Liming's sullen and hesitant demeanor somewhat pitiful.

To comfort his teammate, he revealed a significant piece of information:

"Don't worry, Yinghe was right. I can assure you that only players in the Dead faction can clear this instance."

Of course, the Living could do it too, but that would depend on whether he felt like it or not.

Qin Fei wore a smile that made people feel as if they were basking in the spring breeze, but the suggestive glint in his eyes sent a chill down Renren's spine,

Renren had always found Yinghe's theory about the instance deliberately trying to harm players rather peculiar. But now, he was starting to understand.

It wasn't the instance that was deliberately harming players.

It was clearly Little Qin who was deliberately harming players!!

Renren's not-so-big eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't...?"

Wouldn't you have hidden some crucial clues and planned to force everyone into becoming the Dead?

Qin Fei neither confirmed nor denied it. "Just rest assured."

Renren of Dawn Squad: "!!!"

I'm not reassured at all; you're scaring me to death!!

Renren couldn't describe how he felt right now. All he knew was regret—regret for having insisted on placing Yinghe next to Little Qin yesterday.

Now look what happened. His whole plan backfired, and he'd dragged the entire team down with him!!

Tears welled up in Renren's eyes.

As the two spoke, Miyang observed them from the side, tilting his head.

Ever since Qin Fei came out of his room this morning, he had been whispering with Yinghe, their heads close together.

Then he went to whisper with Renren of Dawn Squad and a bunch of other people from the squad.

He kept whispering nonstop, not even sparing a glance for Miyang, as if he was about to join Dawn Squad and completely abandon Miyang.

Miyang felt a little sour.

After Renren left in a daze, Miyang couldn't help but approach Qin Fei. "When did you become so close with the people from Dawn Squad?"

Qin Fei glanced at him. "What? Is there a problem?"

Miyang was taken aback. "...Well, it's not that there's a problem, but they're still outsiders we've just met."

Renren of Dawn Squad had a good reputation, but shouldn't they still be cautious?

The chat erupted in laughter again.

"Help! What does Mommy Sheep mean by worrying that her precious son will be deceived by others?"

"I'm going to give Renren of Dawn Squad the exact same advice. I hope it can become a team slogan, posted above everyone's bed, and recited 100 times a day by the entire team."

"This is the motherly filter at work. My son is always the most innocent and pure, never a heartless big liar!"

Renren of Dawn Squad was being played around by him and bearing the blame, which started to gnaw at Qin Fei's conscience again. "Captain Renren is pretty good."

Miyang was genuinely jealous now, as if someone had tipped over a vat of vinegar. "How good is he?"

Good enough for you to rush to praise him like this?

Qin Fei: "Would you die for me?"

Miyang: "?"

Qin Fei: "Renren of Dawn Squad would die for me."

Miyang: "??????"

Miyang felt that the world was probably insane.

...

This was the third day for the players within the snowy mountain instance, and the wind and snow remained astonishingly fierce.

Everyone found an empty house in Snow Village and set up a gas stove to cook a pot of hot soup, which they ate with canned food and compressed rations for a hearty meal.

Their health points, which had been slowly decreasing due to the cold and lack of energy, recovered somewhat, and warmth returned to Qin Fei's icy limbs.

No one wanted to waste too much time, so after tidying up, they quickly left and headed towards their next destination according to the map.

The players had their speculations about the tree icons on the map.

But when they successfully arrived at the location indicated on the map after traveling through the blizzard for more than four hours, they fell silent upon seeing the scene before them.

"...Why, why is it here?!" Poor NPC Kong Siming was the first to break down.

Standing not far away was the very black jungle that had chased them all night two days ago.

The place they had desperately tried to escape from.

And now, they had to enter it voluntarily.

Could they really come out alive?

Kong Siming's legs turned to jelly, hanging limply on Ding Li beside him like a noodle.

"Congratulations to the players for successfully reaching the Snow Mountain Secret Realm (2/5), triggering the side quest: Find the Jungle Temple!"

(Please note: The real jungle only appears at night, and what you see during the day is merely an illusory remnant.)

The system notification sounded in the players' ears.

Wen Ren Liming took out the base map, his brows furrowed tightly: "There's a house icon next to the tree-shaped icon, very close by. The Jungle Temple is likely the third location we need to check off."

Being able to check off two locations at once sounded not too bad, but the danger level was probably doubling as well.

Wen Ren Liming sighed: "Set up the tents, rest on the spot for the afternoon."

The mission prompt had said that they could only truly enter the jungle at night.

It was just right after walking all morning, coinciding with lunchtime. A group of people were busy setting up tents and starting fires to cook food.

There wasn't much work to be done, and Wen Ren Liming couldn't find anything to do. With his arms crossed, he stood at the edge of the campsite, looking at Qin Fei's busy silhouette from afar with a very complicated expression.

When he turned around, he saw Mi Yang standing beside him at some point, looking at him with the same complicated gaze.

Wen Ren: "?"

Wen Ren Liming was puzzled: "Is there something?"

Mi Yang nodded towards Qin Fei: "What do you think of him?"

Little Qin? What about him?

Wen Ren Liming wanted to say that he was ruthless.

But Mi Yang was clearly on Little Qin's side, and Wen Ren Liming didn't want to offend Mi Yang. He could only feign flattery: "He's pretty good."

Mi Yang felt that the evaluation of "pretty good" was too perfunctory, obviously not sincere.

He looked up and down at Wen Ren Liming, like a heartbroken father who was scrutinizing the stinky man who was trying to seduce his innocent little daughter.

Before making Wen Ren feel completely uncomfortable, Mi Yang finally couldn't resist asking sourly: "Then, can you really die for him?"

Wen Ren Liming: "?????"

Are you alright?