The players descended upon the Twisted City in the morning.
As time passed, the sun in the sky gradually shifted.
From morning, to noon, then to afternoon.
Eventually, it was pulled towards the west. The brilliant sunset glow, like scattered gold, spilled across the city.
As dusk approached, it was also the evening rush hour. The streets were filled with cars and people. Traffic flowed like a river, and voices buzzed with activity.
If one didn't look closely, it would be hard to find any difference between this city and a normal one.
Players entering this instance for the first time would likely mistake it for a normal world.
However, Nagase Taku, who was terrified by the loli at the beginning, discovered many anomalies during his day of wandering. This seemingly normal city was, in fact, filled with strangeness everywhere.
It looked lively, but few people actually opened their mouths to speak.
Some places had no people at all, yet there were waves of sound and the noise of cars driving, one after another.
It was as if an unknown entity was providing the soundtrack.
If you ventured deeper into the shops and markets, you would discover even more terrifying things. The employees and customers in those shops all had a sense of disharmony.
Nagase Taku personally saw a gold shop.
Before the customer even reached the door, a salesperson had already bowed and then walked into the store, greeting the empty air. The approaching customer nodded towards the spot where the salesperson had been standing, which was now empty.
It was as if they were responding to the other person. Then, they walked into the gold shop. The movements of the salesperson and the customer were not synchronized, like the sound and picture being out of sync.
Just watching it was enough to send shivers down your spine. The entire world felt like a program full of bugs.
What scared Nagase Taku even more was that every mall, market, and even residential area and building had its own rules.
If you didn't follow the rules, something very terrible would happen.
Even the creatures living in this city would be attacked if they violated the rules.
After wandering for a day, Nagase Taku's little smugness of being the protagonist had completely vanished.
He even started to miss the days of being a shut-in, of being useless.
Even being trampled by a goddess or humiliated by the girl next door was better than being constantly terrified here.
And being a shut-in wasn't without its benefits!!
Maybe one day a beautiful older sister who always liked to wear revealing loungewear to take out the trash early in the morning would move in next door.
Why struggle in this damned instance?
Those monsters really did eat people.
As long as players violated a certain rule, they would bare their fangs and directly tear the players apart or kill them. The Student Guy was a typical example. The loli looked weak and cute, but the scene of her eating someone could definitely be described with the word 'terrifying'.
She easily bit an adult human into pieces.
Of course, if you didn't violate the rules.
Life here was the same as in the human world. There were various malls, shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and various factories, etc. There were also various job postings.
If you were bold enough to just find a job, you could probably survive for six days. The only problem was that these factories, restaurants, and even every building had their own rules.
Once you violated the rules of those establishments, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Nagase Taku had personally seen how a pork butcher shop dealt with the monsters that didn't follow its rules.
Yes, those rules didn't just restrict players, they also restricted monsters.
As long as they didn't violate the rules, they couldn't attack.
Otherwise, they themselves would become the target of the hunt. This city belonged to the monsters.
It operated according to a certain order and rules.
Nagase Taku had originally planned to find other players and stick together for warmth.
Going solo in a game like this was really too dangerous.
And it was an extremely brainless approach.
If he could get out alive, Nagase Taku would definitely go back and severely criticize those novel authors!!
They were just killing people without paying for it!!
Lone wolves were too fragile.
If they stuck together, it would be easier to find scapegoats.
Nagase Taku's realization came a bit late after all. The Gym Guy had already taken the other players and run far away.
Let alone sticking with them, he couldn't even find them.
Making Nagase Taku regret it without even having a chance to regret.
If it weren't for his powerful Insight talent, which allowed him to see information about some strange creatures, he wouldn't have been able to carefully avoid the dangers and survive.
As for opportunities, great benefits, forget about it. This was an instance world, that was true.
But this city had complete social rules, and those monsters were not brainless NPCs like in novels.
Aside from the strangeness and details that weren't like a normal world. There was no difference here from a modern city.
Causing trouble here really came at a cost.
Nagase Taku personally witnessed a scene where a monster was chased down and torn apart by other monsters for committing a crime. This made Nagase Taku, who had originally wanted to grab something and rob, immediately chicken out. Those monsters would really pull out his intestines and wrap them around his neck over a dozen times.
Nagase Taku also quickly realized that living in such a city for six days might not be a good thing.
He had to find a place to stay at night.
**Hint 6: Please stay in a room with a door and walls at night.**
The ttudent guy who violated the rule might not even be fully digested yet.
Staying outside overnight, who knows what would happen!!
Nagase Taku had no intention of risking his life to test this rule.
He had to find a place to stay overnight!!
First solution: find an empty house. This solution was easy to implement.
After all, he only needed to live here for six days; as long as he didn't reveal himself within those six days, it would be fine.
On the seventh day, he would just run away.
No need to deal with any follow-up.
Finding an empty house was also simple; he just needed to enter a residential area, walk around, and find houses with no clothes hanging on the balcony or clutter. Then, he would go up and check the dust at the door to confirm if anyone was inside.
Opening the door wasn't a difficult task.
Back then, Nagase Taku watched too many movies; the ones with the plumber and the young wife, or the neighbor uncle and the young girl were quite popular.
He felt he was a dragon among men, infinitely better than the fat guys in those movies.
If they could have such romantic encounters, how could he not?
So, he eagerly went and learned the skill of lock picking.
He waited for the day when he could have a late-night intrusion and a forceful conquest scene.
Of course, movies were just movies, and reality was always cruel.
Nagase Taku eventually accepted the fact that he was just an ordinary person.
Such good things wouldn't happen to him.
But he did learn the skill.
Using a peephole to pick a lock was not difficult for him. This plan was pretty good.
Nagase Taku was ready to implement this plan from the start.
He quickly found a residential area called Meicheng Garden.
With its imposing gate, it clearly looked like a high-end community.
As soon as he walked in, he saw the notice at the entrance.
"Shanshui Garden Community Safe Living Rules"
Shanshui Meicheng boasts a superior geographical location and high green coverage, making it the city's best residential community for living experience.
No resident who has moved in so far has given a single negative review. To ensure the residents' living experience and safety, please strictly adhere to the following rules.
1: The property management staff in this community will wear name tags on their chests and dark red work uniforms with the words 'Wuyou Security'. Any staff without name tags or uniforms are to be considered impersonators; please ignore them.
If you see staff wearing uniforms of other colors, you must immediately flee from them.
2: There are no stray animals in the community. If you see any stray animals, please do not disturb them and report them to the nearest security personnel immediately; they will assist you.
3: Unless there are special circumstances, please do not go out after 9 PM.
4: The city occasionally experiences abnormal weather. If you see strong winds, heavy rain, and hear crying outside, please tightly close your doors and windows, turn off the lights, and try to sleep as much as possible.
5: Do not try to catch fish in the pond. If you hear laughter, please do not approach the pond.
6: If you encounter anything you cannot understand, please seek help from the property management staff wearing name tags and work uniforms.
7: The community may occasionally experience heavy fog. Please do not worry too much. If you need to go out, the property management staff can take you out.
8: If you see property management staff wearing black uniforms trying to get you to register or do anything, immediately refuse them. If they refuse to leave, you can seek help from the property management.
20: Black is evil, dark red is sacred, purple is malicious.
Seeing the resident rules at the community entrance.
Nagase Taku completely chickened out.
Something bad would definitely happen if he moved in!!
He might even end up sacrificing himself.
In a community like this, it wouldn't be surprising for a ghost to appear in the middle of the night.
Nagase Taku ultimately gave up on his first plan.
He changed his approach; finding a job that included room and board and blending in for six days seemed like a good option too.
With this idea in mind, he went back to browsing the malls and shops.
Every shop and mall had various strange rules.
Nagase Taku looked around and decided to find a job as a security guard watching a parking lot. This job was simple, and he originally thought nothing would happen.
But as soon as he walked into the security booth, he was scared away by a security guard rulebook.
"Security Guard Rules"
Welcome to the security team of Qianda Plaza Parking Lot. Please adhere to the following rules during your work.
If you violate these rules, you will be responsible for all resulting consequences.
1: Please show sufficient respect to every guest who parks. No matter what they are driving, do not comment; simply complete your tasks.
2: The license plates of vehicles entering the parking lot should be black. If you encounter a purple license plate, contact your supervisor immediately for assistance. If you see a red license plate, immediately drive them away. If they refuse to leave, there is a gun in the security booth.
3: Always check your name tag and work uniform to ensure they are black. If they appear in any other color, notify the logistics department immediately; they will replace your uniform and name tag.
4: When outsiders enter the parking lot, please issue them a temporary entry pass.
5: When patrolling the parking lot, do not act alone. If you find your colleague is missing and you are alone, immediately return to the security booth.
6: If you find that a colleague's uniform and name tag have changed color, be cautious of them.
14: Black is justice, dark red is fallen, purple is malicious.
Seeing this security guard rulebook and feeling the terrifying atmosphere of the parking lot.
Nagase Taku ultimately gave up on this job. This matter was very likely to cost him his life!!
Not worth it.
Free accommodation wasn't possible, and finding a job was deadly difficult!!
Nagase Taku felt despair for a moment. Things that could be easily solved by a protagonist in a novel became incredibly tricky in his hands.
It seemed he really wasn't some protagonist!!
However, Nagase Taku eventually found a way in this strange city using his brain.
After studying the rules of the shops and on the roadside.
He discovered a profession with low investment, low risk, but great rewards. That was being a beggar. This had a low barrier to entry; anyone who had watched a few live streams could do it.
After all, the core was the same: pretending to be pitiful and asking for money.
Make yourself look disheveled, hold a broken bowl, and tap it whenever you see someone. Those creatures looked like marionettes with their souls trapped in their bodies.
But when facing a beggar, they would still give a little.
Nagase Taku easily got some money using this method.
At dusk, he even found a hotel that looked pretty decent.
Spending some money to sleep in a hotel was indeed a good idea.
"You're here!!" Standing in front of the hotel, considering whether to go in for the night, Nagase Taku felt a tap on his shoulder.
Nagase Taku turned around, and a chill immediately shot up his spine to the top of his head.
He was so scared he almost screamed. The Student Guy who had been eaten earlier was now standing behind him.
He was wearing the clothes that had been bitten through, and in some places, there were remnants of hardened mucus.
His eyes looked eerily cold, as if a monster was hiding behind those eyes, secretly peering at him.
"You!!" Nagase Taku's voice was unnatural.
His legs felt a little weak.
If he could escape, he would turn around and run now!!
But thinking of the hint given by the system, he didn't dare to run directly. These returning dead people would immediately attack if they found their target was different from them.
He couldn't show any signs of being different!!
"You're here too!!" Nagase Taku was almost crying inside.
Big brother, I have no grudge against you, why are you haunting me!!
You died because you were showing off!!
You can't blame anyone else.
"Yeah, are you going to check into the hotel?" the student said in a low voice.
"If you're checking in, go ahead first," Nagase Taku said, forcing himself to stay calm.
"We can go together."
The studen's face showed an expression of anticipation, like a shut-in inviting a little girl home to look at goldfish.
"No, no, I haven't decided yet," Nagase Taku said. "You don't need to mind me."
"We have to stay together," the guy said, his body trembling involuntarily. "We have to stay together."
The student suddenly moved closer to Nagase Taku.
Don't you want to stay with me?
Why?
Why don't you want to stay with me??
The voice kept ringing in Nagase Taku's ears, but it didn't match the student mouth movements.
**Target is about to enter berserk state, please be careful**
A line of floating text appeared in Nagase Taku's eyes.
It was his Insight talent at work.
"I'll go see how many rooms there are," Nagase Taku said, looking at the student who was about to go mad, and could only bite the bullet and walk in.
He didn't dare to stay in front of the other person anymore. The other person was questioning him frantically.
If he didn't answer, it would definitely provoke an attack from the other side.
If he answered directly, he would probably be swallowed whole immediately.
He could only use this excuse to escape the other party. The hotel was quite nicely decorated.
But as soon as he stepped through the main entrance, he felt a chilling aura that made his hair stand on end.
A female front desk staff member wearing a vibrant red uniform stood behind the counter.
A creepy smile was on her face. The staff member's figure and appearance were excellent.
Her curves were graceful, her chest full and her hips round, and her fitted shirt was stretched tight.
Looking at it made one worry for the button under immense pressure.
It gave the illusion that with a little force, the button would pop off.
Her face was also very delicate, exactly like a popular internet celebrity's face.
Her skin was as fair as snow, complemented by bright red lips.
At first glance, she gave off a feeling of a beautiful corpse.
Seeing Nagase Taku walk in, she bowed slightly and said loudly.
"Welcome."
Nagase Taku walked up to the counter and noticed a set of check-in rules written on the surface.
"Seven Ruyi Hotel Check-in Rules"
Dear travelers, welcome to Seven Ruyi Hotel. This hotel boasts first-class room facilities and a pleasant living environment. To ensure that all travelers can better enjoy their leisure time at this hotel, please be sure to abide by the following rules.
1: Checking-in travelers must confirm the front desk attendant's uniform. Front desk attendants will only wear **painted** black work uniforms. If you see a front desk attendant wearing a uniform of any other color, please do not check in, or use the landline phone to dial the complaint number on the wall, and then wait for relevant personnel to handle the matter.
2: All travelers must return to their rooms before nine o'clock in the evening.
3: This hotel offers a buffet, but please enter during the following time periods: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
4: After checking in, please change into red clothing. Please do not wear black or purple clothes.
5: If you see staff members wearing black clothes, immediately reprimand them and report it to the front desk at once.
6: Rooms are absolutely safe, and hotel staff have no right to enter private spaces. Any request or action to enter a room is unreasonable and can be directly refused; there is no need to worry about it bringing any danger.
7: Upon check-in, if you find black water or purple glass, immediately leave the room and seek help from the front desk.
17: Black is evil, dark red is righteous, and purple is malicious.
As long as you abide by these rules, you will have an unprecedentedly good living experience.
We wish you a pleasant stay.
Seeing the first rule, Nagase Taku's hand trembled.
He slowly and shakily raised his head to look at the front desk staff's work uniform. That seductive red was so shocking and conspicuous.
Holy crap!!
Does my luck have to be this bad!!
Nagase Taku suppressed his fear and reached out to pick up the landline receiver. The smile on the face of the smiling red-clothed staff member slowly disappeared.
As Nagase Taku pressed the buttons one by one. The staff member's face also became increasingly grim.
After Nagase Taku pressed the last button.
Her face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.
Her drooling teeth ground together with a grating sound.
She opened her mouth towards Nagase Taku, making a threatening gesture.
But from beginning to end, she never actually attacked.
Nagase Taku shakily put down the phone and walked out of the hotel. The student who had come back to life was watching him from outside, his gaze chilling and eerie.
After waiting for a while, footsteps came from outside the hotel.
A group of fully armed soldiers in black combat uniforms rushed out of the car and entered the hotel.
Before long, the red-clothed staff member was carried out on a stretcher.
Nagase Taku walked back into the hotel.
Gunshots echoed in the lobby.
At the front desk stood a staff member wearing a black uniform.
Equally sexy and beautiful, with a pale face and seductive red lips.
Her bowing posture was no different from the previous one.
"Welcome," the staff member said.
Nagase Taku walked back up to the counter, ready to check in.
However, the rules he had just seen had changed.
"Seven Ruyi Hotel Check-in Rules"
Dear travelers, welcome to Seven Ruyi Hotel. This hotel boasts first-class room facilities and a pleasant living environment. To ensure that all travelers can better enjoy their leisure time at this hotel, please be sure to abide by the following rules.
1: Checking-in travelers must confirm the front desk attendant's uniform. Front desk attendants will only wear black work uniforms. If you see a front desk attendant wearing a uniform of any other color, please do not check in, or use the landline phone to dial the complaint number on the wall, and then wait for relevant personnel to handle the matter.
2: All travelers must return to their rooms before nine o'clock in the evening.
3: This hotel offers a buffet, but please enter during the following time periods: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
4: After checking in, please change into black clothing. Absolutely do not wear red or purple clothes.
5: If you see staff members wearing red clothes, immediately reprimand them and report it to the front desk at once.
6: Rooms are absolutely safe, and hotel staff have no right to enter private spaces. Any request or action to enter a room is unreasonable and can be directly refused; there is no need to worry about it bringing any danger.
7: Upon check-in, if you find red water or purple glass, immediately leave the room and seek help from the front desk.
17: Black is righteous, dark red is degenerate, and purple is twisted.
Nagase Taku took one look and realized the problem. The set of rules he had just seen must have been tampered with.
Red, black, and purple seemed to represent different factions.
He shouldn't have overlooked the issue with these rules.
He had just been startled by that student, which caused his brain to freeze for a moment.
With such an unexpected turn of events, he didn't know if it would affect his stay tonight.
With the delay just now, the sky was getting darker and darker.
If he were to look for another hotel, those hotels would likely have their own rules as well.
If they were even more bizarre, the situation would be even worse. The most critical point was, who knew what the standard for 'dark' was.
Was it dark when the sky was completely black, or when it reached a certain time?
Thinking of this, Nagase Taku still proceeded with the check-in. There were also rules in the elevator. They were posted on the left side of the elevator door.
It was a black and red metal plate embedded in the wall.
Dear passengers, please abide by the following rules when riding the elevator to protect your life and property safety.
1: This elevator is for passenger use only, with a maximum capacity of 11 people, 823kg. Please do not overload.
2: Do not pay attention to whether there are people in the elevator. If it indicates overload, please step out immediately. If this happens three times in a row, please contact the front desk for assistance.
3: After swiping your room card, the floor number buttons for your room will automatically light up. Please check carefully. If you find that the elevator floor display is incorrect, do not exit the elevator on the wrong floor. Just stay inside the elevator and wait for it to close.
4: If the elevator stays on the wrong floor for a long time, do not exit the elevator. Immediately press the emergency button, and the hotel's professional staff will resolve the issue for you.
5: Do not answer any questions asked by staff on the wrong floor. If the other party is wearing ******* work clothes, you can use hand gestures to seek help.
6: Upon reaching your designated floor, a staff member will escort you to your room. Ensure that they are wearing red/purple/black work clothes. If you see staff members wearing red/purple/black work clothes, please ignore them. If they bother you, please contact the hotel front desk immediately, or go to your room alone. These rules were present in every corner of this city.
Many rules were contradictory, and a slight mistake could lead to trouble.
Even with his Insight talent , he couldn't distinguish whether these rules were right or wrong. The strangeness of this hotel was beyond his imagination. The student who had come back to life also walked in.
With that eerie, rigid smile, he followed behind Nagase Taku.
After swiping the elevator card, the elevator started to move.
However, the floor number was wrong, and it stopped on an incorrect floor.
When the elevator door opened, what greeted him was a hotel room decorated in bright red.
Red tiles, red lights, the room doors were all red. The floor was covered with red carpet like blood.
It was terrifyingly creepy!!
Nagase Taku didn't get off. After waiting for a while, the elevator door closed, and this time it went to the designated floor.
When the elevator door opened.
It was even creepier.
Everything was black.
It looked like a place where the dead lived. The blackness was oppressive, giving a feeling of suffocation. The doors, the floor, the ceiling, the lighting was dim, making it difficult to see anything slightly further away.
He could only see a patch of darkness.
Occasionally, gurgling sounds came from there.
Nagase Taku had a sense of illusion, as if the darkness at the deepest part of the corridor was alive, wriggling there, incredibly bizarre.
"What the hell, did I come to a ghost's nest?!" Seeing this scene, Nagase Taku was completely numb!!
Was the game designer a sadist!!
He felt that he definitely wouldn't live much longer.
Perhaps he would be swallowed by this pitch-black darkness soon.
"Hehe, my back is so heavy, so heavy."
"Why isn't the elevator moving!!"
"Let me see, if the elevator is broken, I need to seek help."
If Nagase Taku were here, he would definitely recognize that this self-muttering voice belonged to the female office worker who had run away with the fitness guy earlier.
However, her appearance at this time had undergone a drastic change.
A huge tumor-like growth had sprouted on her back.
One hand had turned into a tentacle constantly dripping with viscous fluid, and the other hand was covered in tumor-like growths. There were also mouths full of fangs and eyes growing on the palms of her hands.
Her whole appearance was incredibly grotesque.
No wonder she couldn't get into the elevator.
She alone was already overloading the elevator.
At this moment, she was all alone.
She was preparing to stay at another hotel. The friends who said they would stick together with her were all gone. The female office worker felt her head spinning.
She looked at her hand, something was dripping from it, sticky, and there were a few strands of hair.
"Miss, you are no longer suitable to take this elevator. Please come with me."
A staff member in a red uniform, with a strange smile, walked up to the female office worker and led her towards the depths of the hotel corridor.
A strange red light emanated from there. The female office worker walked in just like that. Then there was a clanging sound and angry roars. The fitness guy and the two surviving men and two women were in another hotel. They had tried many ways to get some money.
After careful analysis and discussion, they believed that staying in a hotel was the safest option.
Staying in residential areas or taking jobs that provided food and accommodation was too dangerous. Their initial idea was to find a job with food and accommodation to stabilize themselves. They wanted to prioritize completing the main mission of surviving for six days, and then find ways to seek side missions to increase their gains. They found a large restaurant to work as waiters. This job was simple and allowed them to look out for each other.
However, something happened during the trial period. The female office worker fell into a state of mental confusion because she violated several rules of the restaurant.
Before long, she turned into a man-eating monster. The other two were eaten by the female office worker. They escaped with the help of a male student's skill. This incident made them realize the danger of those shops. The survival instance in the Twisted City was not that simple. Trying to muddle through the main mission using this method was not feasible. They spent some time observing those shops and discovered some patterns.
Violating the rules of shops with purple signs would lead to mutation, loss of self, and becoming a grotesque creature. These creatures would be confined by those wearing red clothes.
Some butcher shops sold the meat of these grotesque creatures.
Violating the rules marked in red would result in being eaten, then resurrected, and becoming a member of this strange city.
Violating the rules marked in black would lead to assimilation and becoming a member of the black faction. They got rid of the female office worker, found a way to get some money, and planned to stay at a GreenTree Inn.
"This is so damn tiring. I'm never going on a business trip again. Serving the Holy Emperor shouldn't be like this!!"
Litte hung up a security guard wearing a red uniform.
No matter how the other party struggled, he couldn't break free from the rope and could only be hung up by Litte.
After hanging him up, Litte tied the rope securely. Then he walked towards another sack, preparing to hang the second one.
Litte was in an unfinished building. The floor he was on was already densely packed with people hanging.
Realizing that he couldn't find the hidden god behind the scenes using ordinary means, Litte.
He went around catching these people like a perverted killer.
Of course, he wasn't really a killer.
He just wanted to try out his new idea.
Controlling puppets requires strings.
Strings can be tangible or intangible.
A puppet must have strings; without strings, it is not a puppet.
So, by following the strings, he could find the mastermind.
Litte even wanted to praise himself as a genius.
None of those three scoundrels would escape.
It was such a pain, it would be a huge loss not to catch them and claim credit.