Four rounds, and the last lamp on Earth Dog’s head needs to be extinguished.
Qin Dongdong knew her time was running short. From the current situation, “Poisonous Miasma” might be even more dangerous than “Cold Snap.”
Many toxic gases could cause severe damage to the human body—death upon contact.
“I originally wanted to participate in this game as an ordinary person, but it seems that won’t be possible now.” Qin Dongdong covered her nose and mouth as she glanced at Earth Dog. “Doggy, since you’re treating me like this, don’t blame me for fighting back…”
Su Shan noticed something unusual about the light in Qin Dongdong’s room and quickly turned to look.
Two glowing orbs slowly moved around Qin Dongdong, aligning themselves in an orderly manner before colliding with perfect precision.
Two Chinese characters instantly materialized in midair, crystal clear—
**”Counterfeit.”**
“Sis here… is a famous swindler, after all.”
Qin Dongdong slowly closed her eyes, picked up her “Autumn Wind Sweeps Fallen Leaves,” and gently stroked it for a while before carefully placing it back. It seemed the trick she’d used in Earth Sheep’s “Four Emotions Fan” would have to be repeated.
“What a shame… this ‘lot’ is fake…” she murmured to herself. “Then where is the real ‘Autumn Wind Sweeps Fallen Leaves’?”
After saying this, Qin Dongdong didn’t move, standing perfectly still. She slowed her breathing as much as possible, covering her nose and mouth against the poisonous miasma.
She knew she might die—but she might also be saved.
Su Shan watched as the two glowing orbs swiftly separated after their collision, hovering in their original positions as if nothing had happened.
Though puzzled, time was pressing. She could only glance at the lot she’d just drawn—still “No Idle Land Under Heaven.”
But given the current circumstances, playing “No Idle Land Under Heaven” wasn’t wise. Everyone was in danger—whether from “Cold Snap” or “Poisonous Miasma,” both had an extremely high chance of causing death. Even if they could defeat Earth Dog this round by playing it, a more pressing question remained:
**Would Earth Dog open the doors after the game ended?**
Before the game started, Earth Dog had said they had eight rounds to defeat the “Year Beast.” Yet now, by the fifth round, they were already extinguishing its lamps. None of the rules mentioned anything about “opening the doors.” The only clear rule was: **”Calamities will not stop until resolved.”**
A closer look at Earth Dog’s motives made it obvious—he was fully committed to his task. His goal wasn’t to end the game quickly but to kill.
Thus, if the game ended without resolving the “Calamities,” their teammates would undoubtedly die.
Now, they had to gamble. If luck was on their side this round and everyone happened to resolve each other’s calamities, all four could survive.
“We need to slow the pace…” Su Shan took a deep breath. “Winning is already guaranteed… What matters now is surviving…”
The best plan was to end the game in the eighth round. After all, Earth Dog had said before the game began: **”No matter what happens in the eighth round, the game will end.”**
“Impressive, referee… hiding something so crucial.” Su Shan nodded. “This is a false ‘Besiege but Leave an Escape.’ You made it seem like you left us a way out, but if we rushed in recklessly, you’d slaughter us without mercy. Sure, extinguishing your three lamps means ‘victory,’ but who said ‘victory’ can’t also mean death?”
Su Shan looked at the lots in her hand: now, she had two “Neutral Lots” and one “No Idle Land Under Heaven.”
As she’d expected, from here on out, she’d only draw “Neutral Lots” or “Firecrackers.”
But were there even any “Firecrackers” left?
So far, two “Firecrackers Bid Farewell to the Old Year” had been used. Would there really be a third?
“No… that’s impossible.” Su Shan shook her head. “If there were three ‘Firecrackers’ in this game, ‘cooperation’ wouldn’t even be a factor. Everyone could just wait for the ‘Firecrackers’ to solve every problem. To emphasize teamwork, we’d have to properly execute ‘No Idle Land Under Heaven’ at least once. So, there can’t be more than two ‘Firecrackers.'”
Since she’d wasted one “Firecracker,” the others could only draw “Neutral Lots” from now on.
Her deduction had brought her one step closer to the truth. To win now, they only needed to assemble a full set of “No Idle Land Under Heaven.” But before that, they had to save their teammates.
Her strategy set, she played a “Neutral Lot.”
“**Fifth round, first player’s ‘Wish’ concluded. The second player will now ‘Draw.’**”
At the same time, a “Neutral Lot” appeared in Zhang Chenze’s room.
Since “Spring” had taken no action, “Summer” could only pass idly.
By now, Zhang Chenze had already slaughtered countless locusts in her room. Her face was smeared with yellowish-brown fluids, looking utterly wretched.
The locusts clinging to the glass walls had significantly decreased, allowing her to see her surroundings more clearly.
Whether it was because she’d grown accustomed to the insects or due to the influence of her “Echo,” though she felt a twinge of guilt over the mountain of locust corpses beneath her feet, she consoled herself—it was a necessary evil.
Zhang Chenze stood up, brushing the remaining locusts off the glass walls, then checked Lin Qin’s room.
Her glass walls were now covered in frost—the temperature inside must have plummeted. Earth Dog’s earlier mention of “Cold Snap” had clearly taken effect in Lin Qin’s room.
“Damn it…”
A flicker of panic crossed Zhang Chenze’s face as she remembered the “Escape” lot—
**”Sunshine Warms the Earth.”**
It seemed like the only lot that could save Lin Qin, but it had already burrowed into the pile of corpses, its flat body wriggling away, impossible to track.
Clutching “Torrential Rain Pours Down,” she bent down, sifting through the mountain of dead locusts.
There was no denying how terrifying insects could be. Even with their abdomens crushed or heads split open, their remaining limbs twitched autonomously. Some, with their abdomens flattened, were even feasting on the spilled innards of other locusts.
If the “Land of Finality” was humanity’s hell, then this glass room was the locusts’ hell—a sight that sent chills down one’s spine with just a glance.
Zhang Chenze forced herself to ignore the gruesome scene, focusing solely on finding “Sunshine Warms the Earth.”
But within seconds, the “Torrential Rain Pours Down” in her hand squirmed—and slipped through her fingers, escaping.
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