Chapter 55: Fire

Liang Dan shouted, "We can discuss any conditions later, get them both out first!"

Yao Meng scooped up Han Yuan horizontally, lifting her high, and charged straight through the sea of fire with her own body.

The ring of fire burned against Yao Meng's body.

After setting Han Yuan aside, Yao Meng rushed back to grab Zhang Xiaoli, who protested, "Get Liang Dan out first!"

Yao Meng glanced at her and hoisted her up in one motion: "I listen to her, not you."

Yao Meng carried Zhang Xiaoli out and then returned once more to fetch Liang Dan.

Liang Dan was already feeling dizzy and disoriented, and after enduring this bout of smoke and scorching heat, she felt completely lightheaded.

In her hazy state, Liang Dan felt as though she had turned into a piece of barbecue, being smoked over a fire.

A basin of cold water dashed across her face, startling Liang Dan into opening her eyes.

Yao Meng tossed the plastic basin onto Liang Dan and pointed at Han Yuan and Zhang Xiaoli, who were rushing back and forth to haul water: "Get up and put out the fire."

Using all her strength, Liang Dan crawled up, picked up the plastic basin, and rushed into the bathroom.

*

It was unclear how much time had passed before the four exhausted individuals finally extinguished the fire.

Fortunately, rescue efforts had been timely, and the only part completely burned down was the door of the director's office. Although the corridor floor and walls were severely damaged, they had not collapsed.

The four of them leaned together against the wall of the director's office. Liang Dan breathed heavily, looking up at the broken light fixture in the corridor. The light was broken, but the corridor remained quite bright.

It seemed dawn had broken.

Yao Meng produced four packaged breads and four bottles of mineral water from somewhere, distributing them to the group.

Han Yuan's eyes lit up: "I know, you're a magician."

Yao Meng smiled: "I'm a player."

"Thank you," Liang Dan said, looking at Yao Meng's charred legs, "your skin can even carry food items?"

Yao Meng looked slightly surprised: "You didn't know? Only items obtained by clearing a instance can follow you into other instances. Whether it's food, weapons, or skin."

Liang Dan's eyes lit up: "So you can actually get food out of treasure chests? Which tier instance did you open this from?"

Yao Meng replied indifferently, "I don't know what tier others opened theirs from, but I looted mine from a tier-one instance. Well, not looted, someone willingly gave it to me."

"You can do that too..."

"Of course, anything you acquire can be given to others."

Yao Meng continued, "Considering you're a newcomer, I suggest you gather and store more food. You never know when you might enter an instance where food is completely unavailable."

Liang Dan nodded: "Thank you."

The four of them sat together and quietly finished the bread and water.

Once finished, Liang Dan stood up, went into the director's office to retrieve the microphone, and brought out the cord and the small machine together.

Yao Meng asked, "Why didn't you take this out sooner? Leaving it in the director's office all this time, wasn't that just waiting for people to come and kill you?"

Liang Dan said, "We didn't think of it. I don't know why, but as soon as we entered this instance, our brains seemed to turn to mush."

Zhang Xiaoli objected, "We're not stupid, you just aren't used to a psychiatric patient's body."

Liang Dan smiled: "Let's go, let's find a place to broadcast the next player."

*

The four of them cautiously patrolled the first floor before finally entering the cleaner's room, which was as empty as everywhere else. They bolted the door from the inside.

The room was very small, containing only a bed, a chair, and a power outlet.

They squeezed together and sat on the bed. Yao Meng commented, "For now, the first floor is indeed safer than the other floors."

Liang Dan asked, "Where did you come down from?"

"The third floor. It's like a battlefield right now."

Yao Meng said, "I reckon the other floors are pretty much the same."

"This is completely insane," Liang Dan said. "We were supposed to identify players, so how did it turn into a slaughterhouse competition?"

Yao Meng smiled: "Once you've played through a few more instances, you'll realize that whenever murder can serve to advance the plot, any instance will turn into a killing game.

"Forget about puzzle-solving or uncovering the truth—none of that matters."

Gritting her teeth, Liang Dan swiped forcefully across the screen and pressed the button to identify the deputy director.

"Peerless Good Samaritan Liang Dan, failed to identify the player. You are dead!"

*

Yao Meng looked curious: "What happened?"

"I died," Liang Dan said. "That bald man lied to us; he's not the deputy director at all."

Yao Meng took a soft breath: "No wonder you could acquire information on so many people—you actually know how to deduce."

Without correcting her, Liang Dan asked Zhang Xiaoli and Han Yuan, "Do you know who that bald man is?"

Zhang Xiaoli shook her head: "I have no impression of him."

Han Yuan raised her hand: "I know, he's 405-1."

Liang Dan raised an eyebrow: "He's a patient?"

"Yes," Han Yuan said. "I don't know whose clothes he stole to wear, he should be wearing a hospital gown like me."

Yao Meng laughed: "Blame our stereotypes for assuming anyone bald must be a doctor."

Liang Dan smiled as well, swiping open the screen once more to identify 403-1.

"Peerless Good Samaritan Liang Dan, successfully identified the player!"

Liang Dan said, "That's right, 403-1 is indeed a player."

Observing Liang Dan's expression, Yao Meng also reached out and tapped the air a few times.

After tapping, she let out a heavy sigh of relief: "Before entering, I never expected a tier-two instance to be this difficult. I actually have to entrust my life to someone I just met."

Liang Dan said, "You can trust me, because I cannot lie."

Yao Meng countered, "Someone capable of lying can easily lie by saying they cannot lie."

Liang Dan said, "Since you don't trust me, aren't you gambling with your life by following me to verify players?"

Yao Meng said, "If you don't gamble with your life in this instance, how else are you going to make it out? You were right before—this task is simply too difficult for most players.

"I saw many corpses on the fourth floor, their faces mutilated beyond recognition.

"Those players who successfully completed the identification refuse to let others succeed the way they did."

"That is utterly absurd," Liang Dan frowned. "I don't understand what they're fighting over. As long as they complete their own task, why stop others from finishing theirs?"

Yao Meng explained, "There are distinctions in the rewards obtained upon completing this task. The first to finish gets better rewards.

"After all, no one enters an instance hoping to scrape by with their lives through sheer agony, only to win a single loaf of bread in the end. While bread can save a life at a critical moment, that's not what they want.

"That's why the condition I'm proposing to you is that I want to be the second to succeed."

A sense of vexation weighed heavily on Liang Dan's heart.

She forcefully plugged the microphone into the power outlet and lowered her voice: "Attention all players, attention all players, this is your familiar broadcaster. Don't worry, a kind player has appeared and rescued me from fire and water.

"Next, I will continue broadcasting for everyone.

"Please note, the middle-aged bald 403-1 is a player, the middle-aged bald 403-1 is a player!

"I urge all players to seize the time and make your identifications promptly."