Chapter 163
The violent shaking in the living room ended just as suddenly as it started.
Qin Zhou paused after letting go of the armrest of the sofa. Before he could figure out why he paused, when he saw the solid wooden bookshelf come toppling down, he took the first step and rolled to the side, Lin Yi firmly in his arms.
Then, bang——
The bookshelf fell down, creating a gap in the floor tiles.
“Are you okay?” Qin Zhou looked down at Lin Yi.
Lin Yi shook his head, “Senior, I’m fine.”
Qin Zhou stood up and pulled Lin Yi along.
Knock knock knock——
The knock on the door came again. In fact, the knocking on the door hadn’t stopped, but the earthquake just now had taken everyone’s attention away from what was happening outside the door.
She must have heard the knocking. Tang Fei’s mother also walked out of the room.
She ignored everyone’s horrified expressions and walked to the door to open the door for the visitor.
Qin Zhou shouted, “Stop her!”
Ah Shan and Hua Hua reacted after a couple of seconds. Just when Tang Fei’s mother was about to open the door, Ah Shan put his arms around Tang Fei’s mother and Hua Hua immediately locked the door again.
Then someone else reacted and hurried to hold down Tang Fei’s mother who was struggling.
Although Lin Yi still didn’t understand why Qin Zhou was having them stop her, he looked at Tang Fei’s mother who couldn’t be restrained even by several men and suggested, “Put her in this room.”
As he said this, Lin Yi ran to Tang Fei’s room. He had seen that Tang Fei’s room couldn’t be unlocked from the inside. It could only be opened using a combination lock from the outside.
Even if Tang Fei’s mother knew the password, she wouldn’t be able to open it if she were locked in the room.
The participants worked together to lock Tang Fei’s mother into Tang Fei’s room.
“Aaaaahhhh – Devil! You’re the devil! You took my daughter, you took my son!
Tang Fei’s mother kept pounding on the door, cursing the ‘devils’ in the living room. “Go to hell! Go to hell!”
Everyone was frightened by this crazed display. Lin Yi glanced at the combination lock. He entered random numbers several times. The combination lock went into lockdown mode, telling the user to try again in half an hour.
With this done, Lin Yi, raised his head to tell Qin Zhou what he had found while searching for clues. He found that Qin Zhou was staring at him with a very complicated look.
Lin Yi was momentarily dazed and suddenly felt weak.
He looked down at himself. His hands were hands, his legs were legs and even his shadow was normal.
He asked doubtfully and quietly, “Senior?”
Lin Yi didn’t know what had happened. During the earthquake, he didn’t notice the shadow spreading under his feet, nor did he know that cracks appeared on the floor as the shadow spread.
But now there was no traces left, only the bookshelf that had come crashing to the floor. His shadow was illuminated by the chandelier and was cast onto the shiny floor.
Qin Zhou, realizing that he was thinking too much and suspected that he might have been dazzled, looked away.
He opened his mouth to explain, “There’s one person missing.”
Everyone was stunned. They looked around amongst each other and found that Xiao Chen was missing.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Where’s Xiao Chen?”
“Qtja atf oemx, ktfgf’r Wljb Jtfc? Wljb Jtfc kjr cfza ab wf pera cbk. Lbk vlv tf revvfcis pera vlrjqqfjg?”
Ktf vlrjqqfjgjcmf bo j ilnlcu qfgrbc lcab atlc jlg wjvf atf qjgalmlqjcar offi ecfjrs. Ktf ragbcu xcbmxr bc atf vbbg tjwwfgfv fnfgsbcf’r tfjgar.
Olc Tl mbecafv jcv mbcolgwfv atf cewyfg bo qfbqif rfnfgji alwfr. Wljb Jtfc tjv vlrjqqfjgfv gluta ecvfg atflg cbrfr.
He was silent for a moment.
He and Qin Zhou knew best that this wild Monster was different from other Rule Monsters. Rule Monsters possess the body of the participants, while wild Monster join as extra body.
Lin Yi had always suspected that Xiao Chen was the wild Monster. Before just now, he had always believed that this Monster wouldn’t attack them. So even if he suspected Xiao Chen of being the Monster, he decided not to share his suspicion with Qin Zhou until he had actual evidence.
The reason why Lin Yi suspected him was simple. When Xiao Chen told everyone about his escape experience after leaving the dorm room, he said “south”.
The moon could have indeed been used to tell directions.
The moon that appears before the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar faces west, and the moon that appears after the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar faces the east.
But there was no evidence in this world to show whether it was before or after the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, but Xiao Chen could accurately tell it was south.
If Lin Yi had gone with Xiao Chen, this alone would have been enough for Lin Yi to be sure that Xiao Chen was the Monster.
But he hadn’t, so he couldn’t be sure whether Xiao Chen had seen something that could determine the time, or if he’d directly seen something that could determine the direction.
Now that Xiao Chen had gone missing, things were progressing strangely.
All of them were in the living room but Xiao Chen had disappeared into thin air after that earthquake. He had disappeared rather than died since they didn’t restart.
While they were in the living room, Xiao Chen hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. Like the other participants, he had listened to Qin Zhou’s talk about the 0-1 Monster but he then just disappeared.
Coupled with Lin Yi’s suspicion, it was easy to guess the reason for Xiao Chen’s disappearance.
The 0-1 Monster had come.
That earthquake had been the 0-1 Monster’s masterpiece and the 0-1 Monster had already tamed this high-level Monster in the wild.
According to the Rules, this high-level Monster cannot act excessively. It must possess a participant and wait for an opportunity. So while Xiao Chen had disappeared, the Monster had not. It was hidden among the remaining participants. This place had been renamed from ‘Monster World’ to ‘Rule World’.
Lin Yi could even guess the number of this newly tamed Monster — 17-1.
This was a new Monster, appearing in the campus rulebook after the 16-8 Monster.
This was already the 17-1 Rule World.
The reason why Qin Zhou asked everyone to lock Tang Fei’s mother in the room and not to let the people from Xiushen Academy in was precisely because he knew this. And it was almost dawn; the NPCs wouldn’t kill people during the day, so they had a chance to breathe.
The 0-1 Monster had really appeared and tamed the 17-1 Monster. In a sense, it was actually a good thing. So long as they find the Rules of Death, they can avoid death at night. And they could even leave through a Replay if they find the main plot and the 17-1 Monster.
Lin Yi has found the main plot. Now, it has become simple for them to leave the 17-1 Rule World. They have to find the 17-1 Monster hidden among the remaining participants and then either go through a Replay or kill it with the Rules of Death.
But Lin Yi felt uneasy.
Just now he’d seen the look in Qin Zhou’s eyes, complex and full of meaning.
He didn’t know if Qin Zhou suspected that he’d been selected by the 17-1 Monster or if he suspected something else.
Lin Yi’s toes curled nervously. Although this was a hard-earned respite, there were still many thorny problems that needed to be solved. Even though it wasn’t the best time, Lin Yi still called out, “Senior… I have something to say.”
Qin Zhou: “Okay.”
Qin Zhou looked back at the others. “Guard the door and don’t let them in.”
The participants nodded.
Qin Zhou added, “Keep distance from each other. There’s a Monster among us.”
The participants were shocked by Qin Zhou’s words.
Qin Zhou didn’t say anything more and Lin Yi didn’t speak either. Since Qin Zhou said this, it meant that Qin Zhou’s next plan was to directly find the 17-1 Monster.
He followed Lin Yi to the balcony of the living room.
Qin Zhou closed the sliding door, blocking out the sounds from over there.
Lin Yi was thinking about how to begin. Qin Zhou didn’t urge him to hurry and simply waited patiently.
After a while, Lin Yi said, “Senior, the 0-1 hypothesis has been proven.”
Qin Zhou frowned, his face showing disgust and resistance he felt towards 0-1. “En.”
Lin Yi picked his fingers. “Actually…Senior, I’ve known about the Unnatural Engineering University for a long time.”
Qin Zhou wasn’t surprised. He’d been aware of this for a long time. What he didn’t know was how Lin Yi knew. Had someone tried to use this method to lure out the 0-1 Monster long before he had? And Lin Yi had been a tool man?
But that couldn’t be right. Lin Yi said “very early”. Outsiders, such as these participants, won’t remember the students of the Unnatural Engineering University. After they leave, they will slowly forget Qin Zhou and Lin Yi. They were even less likely to remember what they’d said.
But Lin Yi said “very early” and that meant Lin Yi remembered this for a long time.
Qin Zhou realized what was strange and Lin Yi said, “I saw my parents’ admission notice.”
Qin Zhou was stunned.
Lin Yi lowered his head. “My mother’s name is…Yuan Yuan.”
He didn’t look at Qin Zhou’s expression, but after saying these words, he felt relieved and the next words were much easier. “My father’s name is Lin Zhen. I have investigated and found that both my parents were students at the Unnatural Engineering University. Senior should be familiar with Yuan Yuan. She’s the student who disappeared in the 4-4 Rule World. She was the vice president of the student union for two terms. My advisor Jiang Tao knows her. Oh, Teacher Sun also knows my parents. If Teacher Sun remembers correctly, my father and my mother had no intersection at all.”
Lin Yi said as though talking to himself, “In the 4-4 Rule World, I lied to Senior. I pretended to be asleep during the last time rewind. After Senior went back to the press release time rewind, I went to a different time rewind. And I did so to find the reason.”
“Senior, I also lied to you. The sub-personality in my body is actually not my sub-personality…” Lin Yi said, “It’s the 4-4 Monster and its name is Cen Qian. It appeared in my body way before I knew about the Unnnatural Engineering University. And after it appeared, my parents turned into monsters. They could walk but could not breathe or think. A bit like our fellow schoolmates who get pulled into the Rule Worlds.”
“I know a bit more about the 4-4 Rule World than Senior. My mother… Yuan Yuan found the real plot like we did. She made a deal with Cen Qian that she would stay in the Rule World to keep Cen Qian company. In exchange, Cen Qian would reduce the frequency of his appearance on campus.”
Speaking up to this point, Lin Yi heard Qin Zhou say, “And the 4-4 Monster agreed.”
“Cen Qian agreed but the 0-1 Monster did not. It must be to punish Cen Qian for taking action on his own. The 0-1 Monster sent Yuan Yuan out of the 4-4 Rule World and then created a person to enjoy Yuan Yuan’s company in Cen Qian’s place. I guess Cen Qian was unwilling to give in so he left the 4-4 Rule World and became this person’s ‘sub-personality’.”
Lin Yi wanted to say something more but felt that he had already said everything he needed to say.
Then he looked up at Qin Zhou. “Senior, that’s it. You…”
He saw Qin Zhou’s expression was heavy. What he’d said was really shocking. Even Qin Zhou couldn’t digest it all at once. “Senior, do you have anything to ask me? I promise not to lie.”
“You are…” Qin Zhou asked, “A person shaped by the 0-1 Monster.”
Lin Yi opened his mouth, but didn’t know how to answer.
Qin Zhou asked again, “You have known about the existence of 0-1 Monsters for a long time, at least after the 4-4 rule world.”
Lin Yi was silent.
Qin Zhou said, “Lin Yi.”
Lin Yi looked at him.
Qin Zhou said: “Lin Yi, Lin Yi, 01, 0-1.”
Only then did Lin Yi realize that Qin Zhou wasn’t calling his name. When he heard that his name being associated with 0-1, he said uneasily, “Senior, I…”
Qin Zhou asked, “What is your relationship with the 0-1 Monster?”
Lin Yi shook his head. “I don’t know.” He added to defend himself, “Except that I may be person it created, I should have nothing to do with it.”
After he finished speaking, he paid attention to Qin Zhou’s reaction.
Qin Zhou’s expression was heavy and his voice was cold, “Who named you?”
Lin Yi said honestly, “My dad.”
He was panicking. Sometimes being smart is not a good thing. For example, at this time, he knew why Qin Zhou was asking him about the origin of his name. Qin Zhou was wondering what Lin Zhen was implying by using the name “Lin Yi”.
What could it be hinting at? Was it hinting that he was a person created by 0-1?
Or was it hinting that he was 0-1?
Lin Yi explained stupidly, “Senior, I shouldn’t be the 0-1 Monster. The 0-1 Monster came just now and I didn’t… If I were the 0-1 Monster, I should have sensed it, but I didn’t.”
Qin Zhou said nothing and looked at him.
Lin Yi looked at him for a few seconds and quickly looked away.
“Senior, can you stop looking at me like that?” His nose suddenly felt sore, “Can you please stop…”
“Being so mean to me.”
Qin Zhou was stunned for a moment, “I’m sorry.”
Lin Yi sniffed. “It’s fine.”
He knew when he opened his mouth that the reaction wouldn’t be harmonious because of Qin Zhou’s identity or perhaps because the entire student body of the Unnatural Engineering University hated the 0-1 Monster.
If Qin Zhou didn’t beat him, he would be too generous.
He just couldn’t accept Qin Zhou’s tone towards him for the moment.
The grievance slowly passed and Lin Yi was ready to end this sad confession.
“Little genius.” Qin Zhou suddenly shouted.
Lin Yi: “…Ah?”
Qin Zhou thought for a while and said, “What about you? Don’t you have anything to ask me?”
Lin Yi did.
And he had a lot of them.
He was careful. “Can I ask? Senior, can I ask anything?”
Qin Zhou: “En, when have I ever lied to you?”
Lin Yi was once again struck by the insinuation. His heart skipped a beat and he simply asked, “Senior, do you regret liking me?”
“No.” Qin Zhou explained, “My tone just now wasn’t good because I was afraid. Do you know about looking fierce to mask your fear?”
As he spoke, Qin Zhou laughed to himself and murmured, “This is the first time in my life that I’ve been so scared.”
Wow, I can’t believe Lin Yi told him everything!
I’m so proud of him
on the verge of tears with this chapter 😭 you were so courageous lin yi!!!
Oh snap! Dat name!
Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Yes!! Finally! Lin Yi revealed his full truth to Qin Zhou! 😭👏
ahhhh i scared too!! QAQ! QAQ! QAQ! but he was honest!!! so proud of you!! QAQ! QAQ! QAQ! but with his name… my heart dropped!!
thanks for the chapter!!