The guide called a few male tourists to help him push open the grand and magnificent doors of the castle. The door was thick and adorned with intricate patterns, but the colors of these patterns were only black and white, giving off a cold feeling.
However, the interior of the castle was very warm. The castle servants and butlers had already lit the large and small fireplaces inside, and on the luxurious long table in the vast hall on the first floor, they had arranged steaming afternoon tea and desserts, which looked very cozy.
“Respected travelers, welcome to Ice and Snow Fortress. We have prepared hot tea and snacks for you to warm up. You can leave your luggage here and then choose your rooms within the castle independently.”
The butler was an elderly man with silver hair, and although he appeared to have Western heritage, he spoke fluent Chinese.
“Our Ice and Snow Fortress has a total of five floors. Aside from the first floor, which includes the banquet hall, kitchen, and our servant’s quarters, each floor from the second to the fifth has fifty luxurious guest rooms.”
“In addition, from the second floor to the fifth floor, there are study rooms, music rooms, art galleries, a martial arts fitness room, and a meditation stargazing room. These places are also open to the public, but we hope that our esteemed guests will not damage the items inside the rooms, as they belong to our master, who has been away on a journey and treasures this castle and its collections dearly.”
“If there are no further questions, I shall take my leave. We will serve a sumptuous dinner tonight to welcome all of you.”
After the butler finished speaking, he bowed and turned to leave.
At this moment, dispersed throughout the castle, sitting on sofas, by the fireplaces, and at the dining table, the one hundred players from the Dream World all heard the system announcement.
[Welcome to Ice and Snow Fortress. Hehehe. Below are the rules for clearing this game.]
[1. Survive in the Ice and Snow Fortress for ten days without being killed, without being directly pursued, achieving a B-level clearance.]
[2. Survive in the Ice and Snow Fortress for ten days without being killed, escape successfully from a direct pursuit, achieving an A-level clearance.]
[3. Survive in the Ice and Snow Fortress for ten days without being killed, find the murderer in the fortress, and counter-kill, achieving an S-level clearance.]
[Note: A friendly reminder that the murderers in this game are extremely dangerous. If you don’t have enough strength or skills, please do not engage in direct confrontation. Leaving the Ice and Snow Fortress for more than an hour during the game is considered a direct failure.]
[Players, strive to clear the game, and good luck!]
As soon as the system announcement ended, a female player exclaimed, “The lowest clearance level in this game is B-level? It seems really challenging.”
“You sound like someone who just tags along. This game is not just challenging, it has the lowest clearance rate among the Level 2 games in the Battle Royale series. In this level, you basically don’t need to worry about strength or anything, you can survive to the end just based on luck.” A man with a small beard looked disdainfully at the female player who exclaimed.
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.
He then turned to the other players sitting in the castle, asking, “Everyone, we have no conflicts among us in this game. So, I suggest we unite and work together to deal with the murderer. We have a hundred people; even if the murderer is formidable, they can’t handle us all at once. If we can take down the murderer together at the beginning of the game, we will all achieve an S-level clearance.”
Ktf kbgvr bo atf wjc klat atf rwjii yfjgv bynlberis mjeuta atf jaafcalbc bo wjcs, jcv ktja gfjiis qldefv atflg lcafgfra kfgf akb qblcar lc tlr rajafwfca:
- There are no conflicts among the players in this game.
- If they can truly work together to eliminate the murderer, they will all achieve an S-level clearance.
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As a result, someone responded to the man with the beard, “You make sense, but how should we implement it specifically? How can we all gather together with so many people? Shouldn’t each person choose their own room to stay in? Do we sleep in this hall on this floor at night? That sounds unrealistic.”
The man touched his beard and raised his eyebrows, asking in response, “Has the game system said that we can’t all gather together? We will be staying here for ten days. I’d rather gather in the hall with everyone at night than stay alone in the guest rooms. It should be safer, shouldn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances and began whispering to each other.
This time, when Mo Yang entered the game, he didn’t wear a mask. After all, he mainly wanted to avoid Song Kefeng, that old dog. However, his identity in Happy Town had already been fully exposed, so wearing a mask would be redundant.
Besides, as more and more people entered the Dream World and random battles occurred every day, he didn’t want to wear a mask twenty-four hours a day. Mo Yang, who prided himself on being upright and open, was not afraid of being seen in the light or by others.
Mo Yang doesn’t wear a mask anymore, and neither does Wan Mei or Zhou Api. After all, not many people know them, and they are well-known in their respective fields.
At this moment, the three of them had just gathered together when Song Kefeng looked over with his eagle-like eyes.
Mo Yang raised his head and locked eyes with Song Kefeng, let out a frustrated sigh, and exclaimed, “We’ve encountered this Old Dog Song three times in a row? It’s like he also has a Phoenix Ring or Ancestral Jade Pendant!”
Zhou Api chuckled, “It shows how obsessed this Captain Song is with you!” He felt a chill on the back of his head when he saw the frog-like gaze from Wan Mei. Swallowing nervously, he continued, “But such encounters are nothing compared to the deep affection between you and Boss Wan Mei!”
Mo Yang almost choked on his cream cake. He quickly washed it down with a sip of tea and said, “Alright, let’s focus on what to do. Are we staying in the hall tonight?”
Zhou Api scratched his belly and replied, “I think on the first day, we shouldn’t stand out too much and go with the flow. Although I doubt this plan will work, considering that at least four groups of players have attempted it in the past four games, and they all failed. But tonight, we can observe the situation and lay the groundwork for the future.”
Mo Yang nodded, “I agree. Then let’s go upstairs and pick our rooms. There are fifty rooms on each floor from the second to the fifth, which means a total of two hundred rooms. We can easily have one person take two rooms, using one for sleeping and the other for storing luggage. It’s truly luxurious.”
Wan Mei added, “This is not like the castles on Earth. Both the carvings on the castle doors and the plants and flowers inside are similar to those on Earth, but none of the structures are the same.”
Mo Yang had suspected that this place might be on another planet. After all, the heavy snow and the guide’s mention of the “cold winter season” were things he had never seen or heard of before. Now that Wan Mei confirmed it, he couldn’t help but sigh softly. It meant that another planet had been successfully invaded by the Dream World.
Mo Yang and Wan Mei were obviously sharing a room, and although Zhou Api really wanted to tag along and even sleep on the floor, he wisely retreated under Wan Mei’s stern gaze. He turned to find Captain Song standing not far away./
Song Kefeng had originally planned to go solo this time due to face-saving and other factors, not joining forces with Mo Yang, the fugitive, and Wan Mei, the bizarre researcher. However, Zhou Api had persistently begged for protection, claiming they could overcome difficulties and increase their strength together.
Song Kefeng wanted to increase his power, and he knew from the previous two games that Mo Yang and Wan Mei were good at finding the truth and reaching the final outcome. Moreover, their success rate was quite high. So, reluctantly, Captain Song followed Zhou Api.
As they were going upstairs, they saw three familiar faces, the trio of the strategist with glasses, the decadent handsome uncle, and the cheerful nephew.
Upon seeing them, the trio was delighted. Qi Hong patted Mo Yang’s shoulder and said, “Brother! Nice to see you again! I’m so happy to meet you in this game!”
Mo Yang winced at his hard pat but still smiled, patting him back firmly, “Yeah, bro, didn’t expect to meet you here. How’s your intuition and luck? You’re ranked third; can you lead us to victory?”
Qi Hong’s face, which had been full of smiles, stiffened upon hearing Mo Yang’s words.
Qi Fu laughed heartily, “You’re asking about Uncle’s intuition and luck? Hahaha! If he had any intuition and luck, would he have been so terribly plotted against by those two bastards together? He’s someone who steps into a pit just by walking! Hahaha.”
Mo Yang and Song Kefeng: “…”
It felt more like collective mocking rather than just a single jibe.
Fuming, Qi Hong slapped his nephew on the back of his head, “Shut up! You think you’re any better? You even got caught by them while going to a KTV gathering. If not for a prop that made them tell the truth, you’d be in jail now!”
Qi Fu muttered under his breath, “Well, at least I’m not someone who steps into a pit; I’m just an ordinary player, who is occasionally unlucky.”
Mo Yang then shifted his gaze to Xiao Junshi. The strategist pushed his glasses and said, “I only rely on data, not intuition.”
Mo Yang: “Oh, I see. He’s like a lower-grade version of Mei Baiwan, relying on facts rather than speculation.”
The seven of them stood on the stairs and looked at each other, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Zhou Api sighed, “So, most of the people who can enter this game are quite unlucky, right? I thought I was already pretty unfortunate, but compared to you guys, I suddenly feel quite fortunate. At least I have some luck when it matters; I still have my ancestors’ blessings.”
Mo Yang rolled his eyes, really missing his buddy, Tang Mian.
The seven of them went directly to the second floor and found three adjacent rooms for accommodation. Zhou Api and Song Kefeng stayed in the middle room, while Qi Hong’s trio occupied the left room, and Mo Yang and Wan Mei took the right one.
After putting their backpacks away, changing into lightweight coats, and carrying their weapons, Mo Yang and the other six players came out of their rooms promptly at 6 PM. Perhaps due to the danger, all one hundred players gathered on the second floor. With an average of two people in each room, even if they didn’t know each other well, they found someone they felt comfortable staying with. Nobody went to the third, fourth, or fifth floors.
As the one hundred people sat at two long tables, the scene was quite spectacular.
“Welcome and thank you all for coming to the Ice and Snow Fortress. Over the next ten days, we will provide you with the warmest and most attentive service. If you have any requests, please feel free to let us know. Now, please enjoy our carefully prepared dinner. Miss Lena will bring you beautiful violin melodies during the dinner.”
After the butler’s speech, a golden-haired woman in court attire stepped forward, bowing gently to everyone, and then started playing the violin.
Mo Yang looked at the sumptuous dishes on the table, some of which even rotated automatically, and began savoring the flavors with satisfaction. As he ate, he didn’t forget to feed his boyfriend, “This one tastes like roasted lamb, very tender. Try some.”
“This one smells like flowers. Is it real? It tastes sweet and sour, quite nice!”
“The soup is also excellent, rich in flavor but not greasy. I have to give five stars to the chef. It’s rare to eat such delicious food. But, compared to my partner’s cooking, it’s still not up to par.”
Song Kefeng and the others: “Heh heh.”
They saw you showing affection and food critiques here. Anyone who doesn’t know might think you’re on vacation instead of waiting to be killed.
“Everyone!! By now, you should have all thought about your plans for tonight, right? Let’s gather in the hall. There are enough chairs and sofas for everyone to sit together, chat, and wait for the killer to show up. If he doesn’t, we’ll consider it a peaceful night. We’ll follow the same plan in the future, and it will get us through without any harm. Is everyone on board with this?”
When Xiao Hu Zi stood up and spoke, seeing everyone nodding without opposition, he wore a smug smile.
“Alright then. It’s almost 8 PM now. You can explore the castle for a bit, and at 9 PM, we’ll meet in the hall. Just to be clear, if someone hasn’t arrived by 9 PM, we’ll assume they’ve gone back to their rooms to rest. We won’t leave the hall to look for them. You can disperse now. Feel free to continue eating if you haven’t finished. After all, this dinner is incredibly delicious. I especially love this grape wine; it tastes amazing~”
As Xiao Hu Zi said this, he poured himself another glass of wine to taste. However, for some reason, perhaps due to being tipsy or losing his balance, the glass of wine slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor, making a crisp shattering sound. The red liquid spread on the ground, creating an ominous sight under the castle’s dim lights.
“I have an ominous premon… ummm!”
Xiao Hu Zi started to say something but then covered his mouth in shock. Other players who knew the game’s plot also looked at him with horror and pity, as if he were a doomed person.
The entire banquet hall fell into a dreadful silence, with only the melodious sound of the violin continuing to play.
Alcohol is true poison
Thank you for your translation 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Thank you for the chapter!💛