Chapter 1: Rules Town
It was almost dusk, and a dark shadow gradually spread from overhead and enveloped the town.
Yin Xiu leaned against the lakeshore at the edge of the town, holding his fishing rod and feeling drowsy.
The dark yellow light shimmered and swayed by the lake, outlining the two wooden signs standing by the lake.
One of the signs had the following written on it in neat, clean handwriting: The lake is dangerous, do not approach.
The font on the other piece was crooked: Yin Xiu is prohibited from fishing, get out now.
Yin Xiu leaned against the two signs and yawned, his handsome face full of sleepiness. He squinted his eyes and picked up the fishing rod. The hook was empty, so he simply reeled in the fishing line and began to pack up to go home.
The town is more lively than during the day as night falls. Passersby in the square are hurrying around, trying to read the rules of the town to passersby over and over again before dark, trying to engrave them into everyone's heart.
【Small town survival rules:
1. In the town, the rules are absolute and cannot be violated.
(But injunctions are not.)
Yin Xiu put on his fishing gear, lowered his eyes, straightened the wooden sign that he had leaned against, and turned to walk towards home.
Two passersby brushed past him on a winding path, muttering excitedly, "I heard there's a bus going this way. It's the only way out of this hellhole. Some people who've seen veterans through the customs said they ended up getting on the bus and leaving."
"Can we really find it? I'm a little worried. Didn't the other people in the town say that we can't leave the town casually?"
"It's okay. We can't get out of here anyway. We can just go around and come back."
"Too……"
[Small town survival rule two: There is no exit in the town, so don't try to find a way out.]
(Useless actions will only get you lost.)
Yin Xiu glanced sideways at their gradually departing backs, turned around calmly, and when he turned around, his eyes met the cat squatting on the grass.
It was a pitch-black cat, ordinary in appearance, but with a pair of strange, violet eyes. It squatted on the side of the road, staring at Yin Xiu without blinking, as if observing his movements.
Yin Xiu also stared at it, standing by the road without moving.
After the two sides stared at each other for a few seconds, the black cat took a tentative step forward. Yin Xiu immediately raised his hand and grabbed the knife hanging at his waist. The cat retracted again, bared its teeth at him, and quickly ran away.
[Town Survival Rule Three: Do not kill any sentient beings in the town.]
(A person, a monster, or a cat.)
Crossing the path connecting the square and the lakeshore, Yin Xiu arrived at the noisiest square in the town.
This is a small town full of ancient atmosphere. The shadows of old buildings and bungalows are stacked one after another, the alleys are connected to each other, and the gaps and weeds between the floor tiles are full of cracks and weeds. It looks like a small place abandoned in the cracks of time.
But just in the center of the town square was a huge and out-of-place projection screen floating, showing the processes that players from different copies were going through. Parts of the screen were very bloody and brutal, but the people watching below had no expression on their faces, as they had become accustomed to it.
Some insignificant messages floated across the screen, and most of the time the screen was silent.
Yin Xiu stared for two seconds and then looked away indifferently.
"Here, here's the rules sheet. Take it. Keep one with you just in case." A passerby muttered enthusiastically while stuffing a sheet into someone else's hand.
When he turned around and met Yin Xiu's eyes, the man was stunned and hurriedly walked around him and left.
Yin Xiu, with his thin figure and fishing gear on his back, stood out in the crowd, but most people passing by avoided him.
Yin Xiu didn't care. He lowered his eyes to look at the yellowed sheets lying at his feet. There were people in the crowd who were constantly handing out sheets to others. All of them were life-saving sheets filled with rules. Some people even shouted from a loudspeaker.
"Please be sure to carry at least one rule sheet with you. Remembering the rules is like saving your own life."
"Also, everyone, please pay attention to the weather tonight. It might rain. If you're meeting this for the first time, don't panic. Just remember our rules and you'll be fine."
[Small town survival rule 4: Small towns are mostly sunny, with occasional rain. When it rains, you can open the door freely regardless of whether it is day or night.]
Yin Xiu looked up when he heard the voice. The sky was indeed dark, and he was afraid that it would rain after nightfall.
People walking back and forth also became more anxious.
"Everyone, please remember our fifth rule: when it rains, there will definitely be some new faces in town. Don't be nervous. Those who can enter the house are new people. Those who can't enter the house, please be careful."
"Also, it's getting dark. Everyone, please remember to offer sacrifices before returning to your homes. Don't forget."
Following the repeated reminders from the tweeter, a list with the rules written on it floated to Yin Xiu's feet.
[Small Town Survival Rule Six: At dusk, you must offer a gift to the Night Goddess at the door to ensure your house is safe at night.]
(Remember to show respect, or I will come to you myself.)
Yin Xiu looked up disapprovingly. The notices were posted all over the square, but they carefully avoided the strange statue in the middle of the square that looked out of place.
It was a woman with long hair and a long skirt, but her body was rugged and huge. She was clinging to the pillar, staring at everyone in the town with a strange smile. She was the biggest threat to this town - Queen Night.
Yin Xiu tightened the black backpack on his back and walked through the bustling crowd.
When the other players who lived in the same town as him noticed him, they all took a few steps back to avoid running into him.
Behind him, the loud horn was still blaring, unnoticed, "As long as everyone follows the rules, nothing will happen in this town. Try not to get involved in weird rumors or things. Be sure to trust the other players around you. No one will harm you here."
"Ah...but there's one exception. Everyone, absolutely do not follow the example of a man named Yin Xiu. He's a perfect example of a negative example. Everyone must..."
As Yin Xiu left, the sound of the horn became farther and farther away.
Passing through the uneven low wall, Yin Xiu entered an alleyway. The dusk light made it seem even darker. The narrow street was crowded with doors and windows, and each house with a house number was home to more than two players.
The town is so small that new players come in every once in a while. Most players have at least one roommate, but Yin Xiu doesn't.
"Hurry up, it's getting dark, hurry up and prepare a sacrifice for the Night Goddess." Someone rushed out of the house and put a piece of raw meat into the iron bowl in front of the house. He didn't forget to bow and said confidently, "Don't come to me at night..."
In front of every household in the alley was an iron bowl filled with a variety of meats. At least it looked like everyone had tried their best to bring out what they thought was the best.
Yin Xiu glanced at him and lowered his eyes in thought.
He tried very hard to fish, but didn't catch any fish. Today he just poured a glass of water into the water as usual.
The players on the roadside dodged Yin Xiu, allowing him to walk smoothly through the narrow alley to the door of his home, which was the house at the deepest part of the alley, 401 units, and it was Yin Xiu's house.
Placed at the door today was a tattered stuffed doll of a little girl in a red dress, sitting at the door of Yin Xiu's house with a well-behaved and weird smile.
Yin Xiu bent down to pick it up, opened the door and went into the house, then threw the doll into a pile of messy objects in the corner.
He turned on the light, poured a cup of tea into the iron bowl at the door, and then began to close the windows and lock the door.
Small town survival rule seven: Remember to close your doors and windows at night. No matter what noise you hear, do not open them, and do not be tempted by anything outside.
(If you want a quick way to death, this is a good option.)
The sky gradually darkened, and the lights in every household outside the town gradually came on. People walking outside quickly returned to their houses, locked the doors and windows, and made all possible preparations to welcome the night.
In the dark alley, a long cat meow was heard, and the town fell completely silent.
[Small town rule eight: Try not to go out after dark, especially after the cats start meowing.]
(If you are confident that you can beat them, give it a try.)
In the darkness of the night, a list slowly floated down from the wall and landed on the ground.
Behind the town's rules sheet, there is a page of clean and beautiful handwriting.
[This is a note for new players.
Please remember that there are only eight rules in the town. The black words are the rules, and the blue words can be believed but not obeyed.
If you strictly follow the rules, nothing will go wrong, but if you accidentally break the rules and encounter them at night, please remember the following point.
No matter where you are, go to 401 Alley A, that is Yin Xiu's home, by any means necessary, and offer all your belongings at the door. Even if he ignores you, you must knock on the door. If necessary, you can use threats and provocations, although it may not work, but this is your only chance of survival.
If he opens the door, you will survive. If he doesn't, you will have no hope. The result depends on his mood that day and the recent economic situation.
Note: Don't get close to him during the day and don't try to be his roommate.
May every new player who comes to town have a safe night.]
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