Lu Zihan and Lord Cha in the group chat fell silent instantly, clearly stumped by this question as well.
Indeed, if Zhang Qiuqiu was completely trapped in a human body and was no different from an ordinary human, would she still count as an Anomaly?
Ren Yi slowly sat up straight, his expression turning grave. He looked at Player 2's back and then at the messages in the group, feeling truly troubled for the first time.
His original plan had already been disrupted, and now this sudden question made the situation even more convoluted.
What Zhang Qiuqiu and Ren Yi were worried about, of course, wasn't that she would be trapped in a human body forever, becoming human and never being able to change back.
What they were agonized over was how the rules of this Instance determined things.
Since Zhang Qiuqiu was currently trapped in the body of Player 11, a human, and had lost all her Anomaly abilities, did the game rules classify her as belonging to the human faction or the Anomaly faction?
If the rules were intact, there would normally be no need to worry about such a thing.
Possessing and swapping bodies was her inherent ability; the rules should default to recognizing her Anomaly identity.
The problem now, however, was that the rules of this Instance were incomplete. Even they didn't know how the rules would judge such a unique situation.
Unfortunately, there was no way to verify this in advance.
The only way they could verify it was to wait until Zhang Qiuqiu was the only Anomaly left on the field and see if the game declared the Anomaly side defeated and ended the Instance immediately.
But they didn't dare gamble on such a verification method.
If they lost that gamble, by the time they reached that point, the human Participants might have already sealed all the Anomalies and successfully cleared the Instance.
If it really was this worst-case scenario, then at this very moment, Ren Yi might be the only true Anomaly left on the field.
Ren Yi blinked, the clown makeup on his face looking somewhat bewildered as he complained inwardly.
Huh? How did they end up on the verge of being wiped out for no reason? They clearly had the upper hand at the start, so how did they fall into such a desperate situation in the blink of an eye?
The group chat remained silent. Lu Zihan and Lord Cha obviously couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock either, and could only stare blankly at their screens.
Ren Yi stared at the messages in the group, then glanced at the defenseless Player 2 beside him. A sudden flash of cunning flickered in his eyes.
He quickly sent a message in the group.
【Monitor, go test the door.】
Zhang Qiuqiu paused for a moment before replying quickly, her tone carrying a hint of hesitation and worry.
【If I go test the door, Player 2 is staring at my room. He'll see it, and he'll definitely get suspicious.】
An imperceptible smile played on the corners of Ren Yi's lips. He replied calmly, his words brief but full of confidence.
【He won't see it.】
The seeds had long since been planted unknowingly. From this moment on, Player 2's eyes belonged to him.
Who said that the screen the Peeper saw was the real image?
Thinking of this, Ren Yi suddenly paused.
If he kept doing this, would it cause the rules to continue evolving? Would they eventually just use a brain-computer interface to project the video directly into the Peeper's mind?
Ren Yi shook his head quickly.
Horror story. Don't think about it, don't think about it.
Zhang Qiuqiu seemed to daze for a moment. It took a few seconds before she realized what Ren Yi's ability was. She didn't ask further and simply replied with two words.
【Got it.】
Ren Yi slowly sat back down next to Player 2, maintaining his nonchalant appearance as if nothing had happened. He also looked at the surveillance screen, pretending to observe along with Player 2.
On the screen, Zhang Qiuqiu, who had been lying motionless on the bed, slowly sat up. Her movements were gentle and didn't make a sound.
She then slowly got off the bed and walked toward the room door barefoot, step by step.
Beside him, Player 2 was still yawning, propping his head up with his hand. His eyes looked tired, yet he remained fixed on the screen without any reaction.
It was as if the figure getting up and moving on the screen didn't exist at all.
Ren Yi looked at Player 2's hollow eyes, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening. He softened his voice and asked gently.
"Do you want to go sleep for a bit? You don't need to keep staring at this screen constantly. How about I watch it for you for a while?"
"After all, you probably haven't slept well the past two nights. You look like you're about to collapse."
Player 2 didn't look away. His gaze remained wary as he shook his head, his tone carrying a bit of stubbornness and unease.
"No need. I already rested for a bit after Player 7 died yesterday. I'm not sleepy."
"Besides, I don't want to die in my sleep without knowing what happened. I'll feel more at ease if I watch it myself."
Ren Yi didn't try to persuade him further. He simply nodded slightly and continued to pretend to stare intently at the screen, while secretly focusing on Zhang Qiuqiu's actions.
At that moment, on the screen, Zhang Qiuqiu had already reached the door. She paused for a moment as if to confirm something, then reached out and gently twisted the doorknob.
The door opened easily, revealing a small gap without any resistance.
Zhang Qiuqiu then looked up toward the high vantage point in the distance. She knew Ren Yi must be watching her.
The two of them shared a silent gaze through the screen; everything was understood without words.
Almost simultaneously, a message from Zhang Qiuqiu popped up in the group, brief and clear.
【The door can be opened.】
The fact that the door could be opened meant the Locksmith hadn't locked Player 11—who was currently Zhang Qiuqiu—tonight.
This discovery caused the weight in Ren Yi's heart to half-vanish.
He couldn't help but smile. He turned to look at the still-wary Player 2 beside him, his tone gentle but carrying an imperceptible trace of mockery.
"Actually, I think you could be a bit more optimistic."
Player 2 was stunned. He finally turned his head and looked at him in confusion. "Optimistic about what?"
"Be a bit more optimistic. Maybe you won't die tonight," Ren Yi said, spreading his hands with a relaxed tone.
"Regardless, this is a slaughter game. Anomalies don't have much margin for error to begin with, and at least two Anomalies are already dead now anyway."
He paused and slowed his speech. "Maybe the Anomaly will be locked by the Locksmith tonight?"
"Or, perhaps our Locksmith is smart and didn't lock you or me yesterday, but chose to gamble on the knife against the Anomaly outside."
"If that's the case, he can lock us tonight, can't he?"
At the end, Ren Yi tilted his head slightly. His clown makeup looked a bit playful as he smiled at Player 2.
"So, be happy. Give us a smile. Don't frown all day; it's exhausting."
Player 2 looked at the smile on his face. His eyes still held some wariness, but he also gradually relaxed a fraction. He didn't speak, but simply turned his head back and continued staring at the screen.
Meanwhile, Ren Yi sent a message in the Anomaly Web group, finalizing tonight's plan: 【Alright then.】
【Tonight, we'll skip the kill.】
Rate on N.U.
