Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 720 - 718: The Mole

A hundred years...

The players present gasped in unison, all sensing the terror hidden beneath the jesting words.

"The handwriting on this note is exactly the same as the messages Bob received yesterday, the day before, and three days ago."

Ω placed the note down. Within his Fish Tank Hood, the blue liquid began to churn. "Did Bob really spend a hundred years in that Pitch Black Space?"

"Probably not," Bai Haozheng shook his head and said. "Remember the past two nights? Bob slept straight through to morning and didn't emerge from the dark space instantaneously, losing memories of his time inside, just as the note described. Moreover, if he had emerged instantaneously, he should have seen Black Holy Son taking the elevator at that moment and would have indicated via the note that he was safe.

"I personally lean towards two possibilities.

"One, Bob's body remained in the bed in Room 0908 while his consciousness entered the Pitch Black Space. His perception of the flow of time was slowed, and the longer he stayed inside, the slower time seemed to pass. He was transported out only after he had reached his time limit or found some way to end his life within the Pitch Black Space by committing suicide. That's when he was transported out. However, this explanation has many loopholes. If it was Bob's consciousness that entered the Pitch Black Space, then what about this diary filled with entries? And why did this note appear in the room?

"Two, Bob's body and consciousness both entered the Pitch Black Space. This theory could explain the filthy diary, the note in the room, and also the bizarre behavior of those six Bamboo Hat figures."

"Hmm?" Black Holy Son raised an eyebrow, his thoughts racing. He instantly understood Bai Haozheng's meaning. "You mean the Bamboo Hat figures murmuring 'one less person' refers to the hotel floor residents? They were walking up the corridor because of the rule in the accommodation guide: 'Each floor must have occupants'? Because Bob's entire being—body and consciousness—had entered the Pitch Black Space, the ninth floor no longer had any occupants, which attracted the Bamboo Hat figures. Then, when Bob returned or died, the rule was satisfied, and the Bamboo Hat figures dissipated on their own?"

"Exactly." Bai Haozheng nodded. "But I also know this hypothesis might not be entirely correct. If the Bamboo Hat figures were drawn by a lack of people on a floor, then the fifth floor, where Li Rising was in the elevator, should have been their primary target. Furthermore, yesterday, the Bamboo Hat figures still appeared even when all floors had either living people or corpses—a phenomenon that contradicts my hypothesis."

"If it wasn't the Bamboo Hat figures, then who killed Bob?" Yuyi Xinzhong frowned and asked. "When Black Holy Son and Li Rising took the elevator to the ninth floor, the room door was open, and Bob was no longer in the room. Assuming he died in the Pitch Black Space and his body was transported out, why was the door open? And where is the body? If his body wasn't transported out as well, then why did the diary and the paper note appear in the room? And why is there so much blood on the ground? Or perhaps, Bob came out alive, only to encounter misfortune in the room. Someone, or something, opened his room door, forcibly killed him, and took the body away—this could explain the chaotic scene in the room and the missing corpse."

"Are you implying that one of us lied, acting as a mole?" 13MARK snorted coldly, staring at Yuyi Xinzhong. "The situation is unusual. Why add 'someone'? By saying that, you're clearly implying one of us killed Bob. Are you suspecting Black Holy Son? He came down from the thirteenth floor in the elevator tonight. When passing the ninth floor, he had every opportunity to open the door and do something to Bob. A couple of days ago, Bob told us his note most likely meant he would be deeply asleep all night, unconscious. Black Holy Son could have set up a mechanism in the room to automatically trigger and kill the unconscious Bob when the time came.

"The day before yesterday, Ghost of Hidden Eye did nothing wrong, yet was inexplicably taken away and killed by the Bamboo Hat figures. This means the Bamboo Hat figures might kill at random, retreating automatically after claiming one victim. Black Holy Son, to avoid being randomly chosen as the next victim, proactively sought refuge in the supposedly 'absolutely safe' elevator. And to prevent the elevator from failing, he also set a trap for Bob, intending to kill him if the situation turned dire. If the Bamboo Hat figures didn't appear, he would return to the ninth floor, dismantle the mechanism, and spare Bob. After all, Bob would still be asleep and unable to identify him as the mole.

"Moreover, consider the previous list of victims: Ghost of Hidden Eye from the twelfth floor, Danfei from the eleventh, and Kafei from the tenth. If the Bamboo Hat figures weren't killing randomly, but instead targeted individuals based on proximity to the eleventh floor—spreading outwards, both above and below—then Black Holy Son, residing on the thirteenth floor, would also have a motive to kill Bob on the ninth floor first, to ensure his own safety. Am I correct?"

Yuyi Xinzhong listened silently to 13MARK's words, her beautiful face as cold as frost, devoid of expression.

Suddenly, the high school girl's arm flashed like lightning. Accompanied by a surging Gale, the Samurai Long Knife at her waist was already drawn, its sharp tip aimed at 13MARK's vulnerable throat. The cold light of the blade quietly reflected on 13MARK's bronze-colored face.

Bai Haozheng's brows furrowed slightly. The Telekinetic Power pooled beneath his feet suddenly erupted, surging upwards like countless tiny snakes to envelop the air above Room 0908, poised to intervene between Yuyi Xinzhong and 13MARK at any moment to halt the conflict.

"Both of you, please calm down," Bai Haozheng said gently, attempting to mediate. "Our main enemy—past, present, and future—is the Dolphin Hotel and the 'routine' that resides within it. There's truly no need for us to be hostile and suspicious of one another."

However, the two confrontational individuals paid him no heed.

13MARK tilted his head back slightly, looking at Yuyi Xinzhong before him. A savage grin flashed across his unrestrained face. "Little sister, who are you threatening?"

From beneath his close-fitting suit, numerous metal mechanical arms suddenly extended, each connected to gun barrels, cannon muzzles, micro-missiles, and similar modern weaponry. Accompanied by the CLICK-CLACK of loading, an array of modern firearms was either mounted on his shoulders, slung at his waist, or positioned vertically against his chest, dense and numerous, all aimed at Yuyi Xinzhong.

"..."

Yuyi Xinzhong, with deadly firearms aimed at her, had eyes as cold as ice. A shockwave of energy erupted from her, and within it, countless swords swirled. Many of the modern firearms extending from 13MARK shattered with a sharp sound, yet a few missiles, adorned with pitch-black skull insignia, remained aimed at Yuyi Xinzhong.

"Next time, if you have something to say but lack the courage to say it yourself, don't try to pin the blame on others." Yuyi Xinzhong spoke with deliberate slowness, gradually retracting her Samurai Long Knife and sheathing it.

13MARK snorted, rubbing his neck and wiping away a faint smear of blood.