Chapter Thirteen: The Motel

Fang Nian stood still, able to see clearly that the person’s hand was moving—they were alive. Who could it be? By now, the fire had engulfed most of the car, and that person could be consumed by the flames at any moment. There was no time for Fang Nian to hesitate—should he save them or not?

He let out a long sigh and turned back. He didn’t know who this person was, but their presence here must be connected to his own identity in this hunting ground, perhaps even key to clearing the game. Fang Nian had to save them.

He quickly checked the trunk, but the lock was so badly deformed it wouldn’t open. Scanning the area, Fang Nian grabbed a twisted, broken exhaust pipe, wedged it into the trunk, and wrenched the lock until it snapped. The person inside tumbled out onto the ground.

A woman—with a ponytail. Her mouth was sealed with tape, wrists and ankles tightly bound, her body streaked with blood. The crash had clearly done her no small harm.

The fire was spreading fast, flames licking dangerously close to the fuel tank. Without pausing to think, Fang Nian scooped her up and ran.

He had barely gotten far when a deafening explosion erupted behind them, a wall of fire shooting into the sky. The shockwave hurled them both a dozen meters away. For a moment, Fang Nian’s mind went blank, everything ringing in his ears—then, even that faded to silence as he slipped into unconsciousness.

…

He had no idea how much time had passed before he finally came to. The car was still burning, somehow not extinguished by the torrential rain. Sitting on the ground to catch his breath, a chill of fear ran through him—they’d nearly died. He owed his survival mostly to the system’s modifications to his body; otherwise, he might not have survived the blast.

Slowly regaining his senses, Fang Nian checked the woman’s breathing.

“She’s still alive, but barely,” he muttered.

From the hints given before entering the hunting ground, he knew two conditions had to be met to clear the game: standing vigil until dawn, and defeating death itself. Judging by the sky, the sun had only just set, so dawn was still a long night away. “Death” referred to looming dangers—like the runaway car just now. Waiting out the night on a rain-soaked highway was clearly impossible, especially with this woman clinging to life. Even if she was just an NPC in the hunting ground, saving her might yield vital clues.

The highway was deserted—no cars in sight. Fang Nian had no choice but to carry her onward. After about three kilometers, he finally spotted a service station.

It didn’t look like a standard highway rest stop; it was more like a roadside inn—a modest two-story main building, with a warehouse, dining hall, and garage attached.

By now, the woman’s breathing had grown weaker still. Fang Nian couldn’t afford to hesitate and dashed straight into the main building.

“Is anyone here?” he called out.

The lobby was brightly lit but rather shabby, the wallpaper peeling in places. At the sound of his voice, a balding middle-aged man who’d been dozing at the front desk jerked upright in alarm at the sight of Fang Nian carrying a blood-soaked woman.

“Hello, what’s—what happened?”

There were ten people who’d come to challenge “Fatal ID” together this time. Fang Nian guessed that each had been assigned their own role and given their own hints for clearing the game. Of course, in this sinister hunting ground, there were also another kind of people—the NPCs created by the world itself. They existed only to keep the hunt running smoothly, not built with human minds, but lines of code shaped by the creator’s virtual technology.

Fang Nian didn’t know what part the innkeeper played in “Fatal ID,” but saving the woman came first. He spoke quickly.

“Excuse me, is there a doctor here? My girlfriend and I had a car accident on the highway—she’s badly hurt. Please, help her!”

The balding man nodded urgently. “Yes, yes—there’s a doctor staying here, just checked in this morning. Lay her down somewhere, I’ll get him at once.”

Fang Nian nodded, setting the woman gently on the sofa. Pushing two tables together, he lifted her again to lay her more comfortably, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Soon, a young man in pajamas hurried out, immediately asking, “I’m a doctor—what happened?”

Fang Nian gave a quick account of the accident. The doctor began examining the woman’s injuries.

“Hurry—fetch the first aid kit from my room, and bring two basins of hot water. Quickly!”

…

After a flurry of emergency treatment, the woman’s breathing gradually steadied—she seemed out of immediate danger. The doctor wiped sweat from his brow and collapsed onto the floor, gasping.

By now the lobby had filled with six more people besides Fang Nian, the doctor, the innkeeper, and the woman: a burly man with a young boy, a young couple, and two rough-looking young men—one with red hair, one with yellow.

Putting away the first aid kit, the doctor exhaled deeply and turned to Fang Nian. “Officer, your girlfriend should be fine now—she’ll probably wake up soon. Don’t worry.”

Fang Nian blinked—Officer? He looked down in surprise and finally noticed he was wearing a light blue summer police uniform.

“Ah…thank you. Thank you so much.”

The doctor waved it off. “No need—I’m a doctor. It’s what I do.”

A round of applause broke out from those around them, making the doctor a little embarrassed. The little boy clapped especially enthusiastically.

“Dad, Doctor Uncle is amazing! I want to be a doctor when I grow up too!”

The boy’s father, a burly man who looked like a fitness trainer, patted his son’s head. “Good. But you’ll have to study hard—otherwise, you won’t get into medical school.”

“I will!” the boy promised.

The blond-haired youth, unimpressed by all the praise for the doctor, sneered, “Doctors don’t just save people—they can kill, too.”

The discordant comment immediately drew everyone’s ire. The boy’s father glared, “Watch your mouth, kid.”

The young couple chimed in as well. “Yeah—just look at your bleached hair. A total delinquent. Who are you to judge others?”

“Hmph—come on, honey, let’s not bother with him. He’s headed for a bad end anyway.”

The blond youth bristled. “What did you just say, you little tramp? Say it again if you dare.”

“I will! You won’t die a good death!”

At that, the red-haired youth—who hadn’t spoken until now—pulled the blond aside. “Enough, enough—sorry, everyone. He had a bit too much to drink. Come on, let’s go…back to our room.”

With that, the red-haired youth dragged his companion away, the blond still muttering curses as they left.

Thus, what had begun as a heartwarming scene ended on a sour note. With the excitement over, everyone wished each other good night and retired to their rooms.

Fang Nian frowned slightly. He’d been watching the others carefully all along. Though everyone seemed to have slipped into their assigned roles, he’d noticed a few subtle clues. The red-haired youth who had pulled the blond away kept unconsciously scratching his left hand with his right thumb. If Fang Nian wasn’t mistaken, that was the tall boy with the red backpack who’d entered the hunting ground alongside him.

Since he too had arrived at this inn, it was likely the main field of battle. Who would survive to see the dawn would depend on their own abilities.