Chapter 71 Let’s take a bath together! (VIII)
10:28, 32 minutes left until the end of the copy.
In the lobby, seven players gathered together and were surprised after listening to the entire story of Lu Zhongnian and Zhao Anyi in the bathhouse.
What these two people experienced in just ten minutes was too thrilling!
Not only were the monsters already waiting for him when he entered the bathhouse, but there were even fake rules in the general rules. Moreover, there were two types of monsters in the bathhouse: an octopus monster and a humanoid monster that only Lu Zhongnian encountered. There was also the completely different whisper in Area 2...
Bird Brother was about to go in for the next round. He said weakly, "I still don't understand why the monsters appeared. Why did so many monsters suddenly appear in your round?"
Mu Yu stroked his chin and thought: "The three vehicles in front of us, including Ma Er, Principal Dou and me, all have 1 empty seat in the bathhouse."
"When the number of empty spaces becomes 2, an octopus monster appears in the bathhouse."
"When the second octopus appeared, the number became 3."
Obviously, every time there is one more octopus monster, there will be one more empty seat in the bathhouse.
Wang Shi, a junior, heard this and asked in confusion, "What does this mean? The dungeon wants us to fight monsters 1v1?"
Fu Xiaoju: "That's impossible... We can't kill this monster, why would we fight 1v1?"
Wang Shi: "Why does the dungeon require us players to match the number of monsters?"
"No, it shouldn't be that the copy 'needs' our numbers to match the monsters," Mu Yu thought, turning his head to look at Lu Zhongnian, "...the monsters all appear from Area 3?"
"Yes," Lu Zhongnian was also looking at him, his eyes thoughtful, "During the round when you went into the bathhouse, was there any dirt in Area 3?"
"Yes, but it's just the ordinary dirty walls. I don't see anything else strange." Mu Yu frowned, "Monsters only appear from Area 3, and every time one appears, there is one more empty space..."
He turned to look at everyone and asked a question: "Is the number of empty seats we see now really the number of empty seats in this bathhouse right now?"
Everyone was stunned.
Mu Yu's mind turned quickly. He pointed in the direction of the bathhouse entrance and said, "If there were no monsters or players in this bathhouse, it would be completely empty. There wouldn't even be an NPC bathing. Theoretically, the number of empty spaces should be 48, right?"
Everyone: “Indeed…indeed.”
This is an obvious problem, but they have always thought that the number of empty spaces can be set as the replica wants...
Mu Yu raised this question clearly at this moment.
"But the number of vacancies we got was totally different, so I just kept wondering, is this a 'real bathhouse'?"
"Or is there actually another real bathhouse hidden in this copy?"
"——Could it be that the 'special space' is the real bathhouse? It was originally filled with monsters, and when a monster appeared, a seat in the real bathhouse would be vacated?"
Zhao Anyi, Liu Yu and Wang Shi were stunned for a moment.
Mu Yu's idea is not only imaginative but also bold enough. They could not even think of that.
Fu Xiaoju immediately raised a question: "But isn't that special space connected to Area 1? The monsters appeared from Area 3, right?"
Bird thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Maybe the entrance to that special space is in Area 1, and the exit is in Area 3?"
"That doesn't make sense!" Fu Xiaoju scratched his head. "The two octopus monsters that Brother Lu and his friends encountered finally returned to the special space from Area 1. If the number of empty spaces we have now is really the number of empty spaces in the special space, then those empty spaces should have been filled by now, right?"
"——But isn't the number of vacancies we have now still 3?"
This really doesn't make sense. Mu Yu fell into deep thought again, and everyone frowned.
Wang Shi stammered and said to Mu Yu in a coy tone, "...Actually, your idea is based on the premise that 'entering a special space is the correct answer', right?"
"But the voice you heard from Principal Dou was telling us not to go in, while the voice Lu Zhongnian heard was telling us to go in. It's hard to say which of these two voices is real or fake at the moment...?"
Mu Yu could not deny this.
But he also admitted: "I think we will eventually have to have someone go in and take a look to know."
Wang Shi immediately said, "But isn't it very likely that Principal Dou has gone in? Then what? He may have tried to convey a message to us, but we can't tell which one is the real him."
"Even if we let someone in later, it will still be like this, right? Only the players who have entered the special space will know the truth. Players outside will never be able to tell whether the voices they hear are real or fake."
"The final result is that everyone will have to go in personally, but once they enter, they will be dead or alive. If 'entering a special space' is the wrong answer, then we will all be wiped out."
What Wang Shi said made sense. The two new players, Liu Yu and Zhao Anyi, gradually showed hesitation.
At this point, the atmosphere became awkward.
——After all, in this case, who would be willing to take the initiative to enter that special space?
Wang Shi was definitely unwilling to go in. He would definitely not risk himself in such a place where life and death were unpredictable.
Liu Yu also values his life, he is so embarrassed.
They were too embarrassed to say openly, "If you veteran players are really that confident, then go and try it yourself when you go to the bathhouse again." They could only try their best to avoid being stared at.
Mu Yu let out a breath.
The trouble with this copy lies here.
He didn't want to force others to take risks, but even if he wanted to do it himself, he would have to wait at least one more round.
At the side, Bird Brother suddenly asked in a low voice: "Speaking of which, Lu Zhongnian just put the monster into the special space. If Principal Dou is really in there, will it be..."
Is it dangerous?
Before Lu Chongnian could answer, Mu Yu shook his head.
"The voice I heard said that he could sense monsters around him, but the monsters seemed to be blocked by some partition and couldn't get through. Regardless of whether this voice is true or false, since it said such a setting, I think that setting exists."
Again, there is no need for the copy to fabricate unnecessary settings out of thin air in order to deceive players.
After hearing this, Bird Brother seemed to be a little relieved.
Then he hesitated, stood up and said to Liu Yu and Wang Shi: "Then, shall we go in?"
Time is running out and they can't delay any longer. No matter how many questions they have, they can only find the answers in the bathhouse.
Liu Yu and Wang Shi quickly stood up and responded awkwardly: "Oh, um, okay!"
Mu Yu raised his head and said to Brother Bird: "Brother Bird, remember to pay attention to that humanoid monster later. I always feel that the monster is a little strange."
It would be fine if they were just different species, but they appeared and disappeared without any reason.
He always felt that the clues in this copy were a bit messy.
"Okay, I will." Bird Brother responded quickly.
"Also, although the two octopus monsters that Lu Zhongnian and his friends encountered just now have entered the wall, it is hard to say whether there will be any new monsters in the bathhouse while we are talking. Be careful when you go in."
"If you need to change the shower area to match, remember to keep some points and don't use them all up."
“Okay, I know!
Watching the three people enter the locker room and disappear behind the curtain, the four people in the lobby returned to their small benches and sat down again.
The atmosphere was a little silent for a moment.
Zhao Anyi was ashamed of the thought of retreating that had occurred to him for a moment after hearing Wang Shi's words, while Mu Yu and Lu Chongnian were still in deep thought.
They were not only thinking about the setting of this copy, but also thinking about the situation where false rules appeared in the general rules.
…This unexpected situation makes people feel vaguely uneasy.
And what about Fu Xiaoju?
Sometimes he was unhappy with Wang Shigang's attitude, but sometimes he felt that it was understandable. Anyway, he was still struggling with this.
After struggling for a while, he glanced at the small electronic screen and muttered, "If the number of people is still the same in the next round, then we..."
He turned his head and looked at Mu Yu and Lu Chongnian.
Then the next round will be the three of them going in.
I have to say, this combination makes him feel more secure.
He touched his arm and said depressedly: "I don't know if it's a psychological effect, but I always feel like I'm really a little light-headed."
Mu Yu and Lu Zhongnian immediately looked at him.
Fu Xiaoju was startled: "What?"
Mu Yu looked him up and down: "Besides feeling lightheaded, are there any other symptoms?"
Fu Xiaoju: "No, no more."
Mu Yu: “Oh…” He looked at her again.
Fu Xiaoju: "What on earth are you doing?!"
Mu Yu: "Didn't you say you felt lighter? I care about you!"
Fu Xiaoju: “…”
Fu Xiaoju: "I already said I'm not sure if it's a psychological effect. The look in your eyes almost made me think my forehead was black..."
Mu Yu: "Then your forehead is quite bright."
Fu Xiaoju's mouth twitched: "Thank you, thank you?"
Mu Yu smiled and turned around.
But when Fu Xiaoju diverted his attention, he secretly glanced at him again.
Mu Yu turned around and exchanged glances with Lu Chongnian silently.
*
At this moment, in the locker room.
The three people remained silent.
They were not familiar with each other, so they took off their clothes silently, took their towels and mobile phones silently, stepped into the bathhouse tremblingly, and then stood at the door, pricked up their ears, and listened attentively.
After listening for a while, Liu Yu spoke in a low voice: "...It seems that there are no monsters taking a bath?"
The entire bathhouse was silent at this moment, without even the sound of a drop of water.
They quickly took a piece of red soap each, and Liu Yu asked again: "Should we do a handstand to confirm if there are any monsters in the cubicle...?"
The three of them looked at each other.
Wang Shi said awkwardly: "Then, then why don't you try it?"
Liu Yu: “…”
He was the one who made the suggestion, so in the end he had to put it into practice himself.
He awkwardly performed a fall on the spot, and after successfully standing upside down, he shouted in an attempt to cover up his mistake: "I, I just slipped, I wasn't peeking... I just slipped, I wasn't peeking..."
…and then “peek” all the way over!
Niao Ge and Wang Shi followed behind him, and the three of them quickly walked around the entire bathhouse to confirm that there were really no monsters inside at the moment.
They breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the next step is partitioning.
Wang Shi rushed to say, "I'll go to Area 3. I'll go over there and look for any clues that have been missed!"
Liu Yu was a little speechless. Who doesn’t know that Area 3 is the safest now?
Area 1 is connected to a special space, and humanoid monsters of unknown origin appear there.
The water temperature in zone 2 is boiling hot.
There are only 3 areas, and the only source of danger is the octopus monster.
But even if the octopus monster exists, the player only needs to hide under the shower, not to mention that the octopus monster does not exist at all now.
If Wang Shi had just said that he was afraid, they wouldn't have been able to say anything, but he had to find a plausible excuse for himself.
However, the time was special and Liu Yu was too lazy to argue at this time.
He and Bird Brother looked at each other: "Then I..."
Bird brother quickly said: "I'll go to Area 1, you stay in Area 2."
Liu Yu was flattered: "Really?"
"Well, let's hurry up," Bird Brother urged, "If there are any problems, just shout, and everyone should take care of each other."
"……good!"
The three of them hurriedly separated and stepped into three shower areas respectively.
…
Time moves forward every second.
Wang Shi was the cunning person and he felt a little guilty about it.
Therefore, after entering Area 3, he searched it very carefully, thinking that he had fulfilled his duty. Unfortunately, he found nothing, and finally chose a shower room to take a shower.
As the warm water rushed down, he slowly let out a breath, and it really felt a bit like taking a bath in the bathhouse.
…
After Liu Yu entered the shower room in area 2, he quickly turned on the shower.
He endured the scalding water, closed his eyes and waited for the sound to appear.
Soon, the whispers emerged.
"...Liu Yu, classmate Liu, is that you?"
"Principal?" Liu Yu responded stealthily.
"It's you, great!" The whisper was terribly hoarse, "Do you already know? You must not go to Area 1. Don't come in. There is only one way to go here!"
"There are a lot of monsters here. If you come in, you will all be eaten..."
Liu Yu shuddered.
This time it's the Muyu version again? Why does this version change every time?
He made a small attempt: "...Principal, did two more monsters go in just now?"
"I don't know... I didn't pay attention. I felt so bad. I felt like I was dying..."
The whispers turned into groans of pain.
Liu Yu tried a few more times, but to no avail. He could only open his eyes and shout, "Brother Bird, Brother Bird, did you hear me?!"
Bird Brother responded from Area 1: "What do you mean?"
"I heard Principal Dou's voice. This time he told us not to go in!"
"……good!"
…
In Area 1, Bird Brother washed off the soap bubbles on his body and looked at the white tile in front of him with confusion.
He had already pulled open the curtain of the compartment.
His shadow was already reflected on the tiled wall.
Bird brother's heart was beating like a drum.
It is still unknown whether the whispers in Zone 2 are true or false.
…but without actually entering the wall, they would likely have difficulty making progress.
Of course, he could wait for the next round of Fu Xiaoju and his companions to come in, and let the three more powerful people study the "special space", but how could he feel comfortable throwing the most dangerous troubles to his companions...
In the copy of the club recruiting new members, Mu Yu had already taken on a lot for him and Yu Hui.
He should do something for his friends too, right?
Bird Brother plucked up his courage and stared at his own shadow on the wall.
Slowly, the shadow started to become strange and unfamiliar.
"He" also stared at him, as if exploring and examining him.
Bird brother had goose bumps all over his body, and he forced himself not to look away...
…
Liu Yu was alone in the shower room.
He closed his eyes again and listened to the whispers for a while, but the whispers were still meaningless moans. It seemed pointless to listen more.
He turned off the shower, thought for a moment, and ran to Area 1 to find Brother Bird.
He didn't want to enter that special space at all, but it was still okay to discuss and study it with Brother Bird.
When he ran to Area 1, he saw a scene that made his scalp explode -
A human-shaped dark figure broke into a compartment.
He stood there for two seconds, then rushed over and came to the door of the cubicle, but the cubicle was empty.
The shadow disappeared, and so did Bird. All that was left were his towel and soap, which had fallen to the ground.
...Where are the people? ?
Went in?!
Liu Yu stared at the white tiled wall in the cubicle, and goosebumps appeared all over his body.
He turned and ran to Area 3, shouting, "Wang Shi! Wang Shi!"
In Zone 3, all 16 compartments have curtains drawn tightly.
Liu Yu shouted Wang Shi's name several times at the top of his lungs, but received no response. His shouts echoed lonely throughout the bathhouse.
Liu Yu became more and more frightened, and he began to lift the curtains of Area 3 one by one.
No one, no one, no one, no one...
A figure suddenly appeared from behind him and passed by him.
Liu Yu was so scared that he jumped back, and when he looked closely, it was Lao Li!
Old Li dragged a cloth mop, hunched his back, and walked slowly to the door of a shower room in the middle, and pulled open the curtain.
Liu Yu was stunned for a moment, then rushed over immediately.
…There was a pool of yellowish-brown foam on the floor of the shower room, as if it was mixed with mud and sand.
The khaki foam was slowly flowing towards the drain ditch. Lao Li mopped it twice to speed up the process and drove all the foam into the ditch, then mopped the tile floor clean.
Then he took away Wang Shi’s towel on the hook and the red soap in the soap box.
Old Li said coldly: "Children nowadays have no memory. They don't even take their things with them after taking a bath."
After saying this, he turned and left.
Liu Yu was stunned.
…He turned his head blankly and looked at Lao Li’s back.
…and turned around blankly, looking at the empty shower room.
…He frantically searched all the remaining compartments in Area 3.
I rushed out of the bathhouse again and came to the empty locker room.
Finally, he put on his clothes and returned to the lobby in a daze.
Mu Yu, Lu Chongnian, Fu Xiaoju and Zhao Anyi stood up at the same time.
"...Where are Brother Bird and Wang Shi?!"
"Gone," Liu Yu said blankly, "Both of them are gone."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
