Luo Yu was genuinely curious: did that pretty little head of Yang Tian's have any brain at all, or was it completely empty?
Just because she had a personal grudge, Yang Tian was willing to sacrifice the entire Player Team's interests. She completely dismissed Luo Yu's idea while deliberately shifting suspicion onto her...
Luo Yu took a deep breath, forcing down the fire building in her chest.
At least not all the players were as brainless as Yang Tian. They could tell right from wrong - they wouldn't just be swayed by a few provoking words from her...
Thinking this, Luo Yu looked hopefully at the rest of the team.
But the moment their eyes met hers, they immediately took several steps back, their faces etched with suspicion and wariness.
Luo Yu: "…"
Okay. Most of them were newbies anyway. Getting scared and jumpy at the first sign of trouble was practically standard for fresh players.
At least there was one veteran in the group. Sure, he was a bit of a pervert and always had some not-so-healthy thoughts about her, but at least he could think clearly.
Luo Yu massaged her temples and turned to their team leader, Sun Heng, hoping he'd step up and say something fair.
Sun Heng met her gaze, paused for a heartbeat, then shoved Yang Tian - who was practically clinging to him - aside and stepped forward.
"Luo Yu," Sun Heng said, "about what happened with that NPC. I think you need to explain yourself."
Luo Yu: "…"
Are you guys legit brain-damaged?
Seeing that Sun Heng hadn't taken Luo Yu's side, Yang Tian suddenly felt more confident. She stepped forward with exaggerated charm, her eyes flashing triumphantly at Luo Yu.
"Little Sister Luo Yu," Yang Tian cooed, dripping with ill intent, "if you can't give us a reasonable explanation... well, we might just have to handle things ourselves, won't we?"
"Like maybe tie you up here and leave you to rot?" Yang Tian smiled sweetly. "Let's see... oh, looks like class starts in about twenty minutes, doesn't it?"
The other players reacted to Yang Tian's words, quickly adding:
"Yeah, tie her up! Once the time runs out, we'll know for sure if she's a monster or not!"
"But her earlier guess about people's personalities shifting might have some merit - those with inconsistent behavior could be monsters in disguise..."
"Isn't it too much to just let everyone we caught go?"
"Then let's just tie all of them up!"
"W-Wait!" It was Mr. Fatty, kneeling on the ground, who suddenly cut in.
There were hardly any monsters among the Player Team, so when he'd been captured earlier, he hadn't bothered to defend himself or resist.
But now, thanks to that stupid woman Yang Tian, he finally had his chance.
Not that Yang Tian would be alive much longer. He could smell death on her - she'd be joining their ranks soon enough!
"I'm not a monster in disguise, I swear," Mr. Fatty said, his voice shaking. "The whole personality-change thing - I was just scared when I first entered the game, couldn't handle the environment. Once I got used to it, I calmed down. That's all."
Mr. Fatty spoke first, and the other captives quickly followed, pleading for themselves. Among them were genuine monsters, but also real players who'd been wrongly accused.
In an instant, the group dissolved into chaos, the Player Team showing signs of splintering.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Sun Heng roared.
He'd built up considerable authority over the past few days, and his shout was enough to silence the crowd.
Sun Heng fixed his gaze on Luo Yu. "You first. Explain."
In truth, he leaned toward Luo Yu's side. His hesitation wasn't because he doubted her. It was partly because her actions were suspicious, and partly because of his own selfish motives.
He wanted to use this as a chance to teach Luo Yu a lesson, to make her follow his orders and listen to him.
But if this caused real chaos in the team... the cost would outweigh the benefit.
Luo Yu pressed her lips together, realizing that if she didn't offer some kind of explanation, she'd genuinely end up tied up by these players and their simple, forceful logic.
Reluctantly, she said: "Because that NPC is really good-looking."
"Huh?"
At that answer, Yang Tian let out an exaggerated, mocking laugh.
Sun Heng's expression twisted into something strange.
Because the NPC was good-looking... how good-looking could he be? If we're being honest, Sun Heng himself wasn't bad-looking, right?
Still, regardless, that explanation was weak.
"Don't give us that garbage!" Yang Tian snapped. "You made a secret deal with that NPC behind our backs, didn't you? Just to mislead us so the monsters could kill us all at once!"
"What did he promise you, hmm? Did he say he'd let you survive the seven days and clear the game?"
"SHUT UP."
Against Yang Tian's verbal assault, Luo Yu grew eerily calm.
She shot Yang Tian a cold, dismissive glare - her impatience clearly showing.
She was done. Completely done with these idiots.
"I already gave you my explanation. I'm not lying." Luo Yu's icy gaze swept across the players' faces, carrying the weight of a queen surveying her court.
She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "What's wrong with liking someone good-looking? What's wrong with being a little pervy?"
She turned on the self-righteous players, firing off accusations like a machine gun:
"What, you're saying you're not? Then why are you always staring at Yang Tian's ass?"
The targeted player flushed bright red with embarrassment. Yang Tian screeched and covered her rear with both hands.
"Or you - don't think I didn't see you using 'protecting' as an excuse to touch some of the other girls inappropriately!"
"And you guys - don't pretend you're innocent either. I've seen all of you - "
Luo Yu mocked every single player in the group, saving Sun Heng for last. Her eyes practically dripped with contempt.
"Or maybe our great Captain Sun here is a pure, untouched saint who's never been interested in women?"
Sun Heng, who had been awkwardly consoling Yang Tian about the ass-staring incident, immediately coughed. He shoved her several feet away in a desperate attempt to look innocent.
Luo Yu let out a cold laugh.
"I can't reason with any of you. You suspect me of betraying the Player Team? Honestly, I'm more worried your pea-sized brains are gonna drag me down."
Her words were harsh - and they successfully angered every single player.
But Luo Yu didn't care at all.
She'd seen enough. Staying in a team that would turn on its own members without hesitation was worse than going alone.
"Fine. Since you're all so wary of me, I'll just leave. Time's running out - I'm heading back to the classroom building. You all do whatever you want."
With that, Luo Yu turned and walked away.
Not a single player dared to step forward and stop her.
Sun Heng considered calling her back, but Luo Yu had already ruined every relationship in the group... weighing the pros and cons, he let the thought die.
And the NPC - the one who had sparked this whole conflict, the one Yang Tian claimed Luo Yu was involved with -
He watched silently. Unseen.
He took in the entire farce from start to finish.
Humans were always like this...
Stupid. Selfish. Jealous.
But one of them was different.
His adorable, devoted little believer.
In the swamp, under the clear glow of the moon, she had gazed at him with those beautiful, pure eyes, utterly captivated.
She'd left her human companions behind now... how dangerous.
Perhaps He should respond to her expectations. Grant her a small measure of protection...
But the God was curious too.
What exactly had His little believer meant by her comments about His appearance?
Was it simply because He was "really good-looking"?
Heh.
Summary:
Luo Yu's frustration with her team reaches a breaking point when Yang Tian's accusations and the players' blind suspicion force her to defend herself. After offering a sarcastic explanation about the NPC's appearance, she turns the tables by exposing everyone's hypocrisy, then walks out of the group entirely. Meanwhile, the unseen deity she called "good-looking" watches from the shadows, amused by humanity's pettiness but drawn to Luo Yu's uniqueness - and now wonders whether her words were truly just about his looks.
Trivia:
- Mr. Fatty is implied to be a monster or soon-to-be-monster, as he smells death on Yang Tian.
- Yang Tian's death is foreshadowed - Mr. Fatty notes she'll join the monsters' ranks soon.
- The NPC that Luo Yu called "good-looking" is actually the evil god watching the entire scene.
- Sun Heng privately favors Luo Yu but hesitates to support her due to his own ego and desire to control her.
- The deity refers to Luo Yu as his "adorable, devoted little believer" despite her not actively worshiping him.
- "Transmigration" or "system" game mechanics are implied but never fully explained in this chapter.
- Luo Yu's decision to leave the team mirrors her earlier pattern of self-reliance and suspicion of groupthink.
- The "seven days" survival timeframe is mentioned casually, suggesting a ticking clock for all players.
- The classroom building is established as a safe zone or objective for players to return to.
- Yang Tian's "Southern belle" demeanor is performative manipulation rather than genuine personality.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ In Chinese, this term carries a stronger social judgment than "pervy" in English - it implies a moral failing or excessive lust, making Luo Yu's defiance more rebellious and taboo-breaking for a female character.
2 ↩ A phonetic internet meme in Chinese where "油饼" (yóubǐng, fried dough) sounds like "有病" (yǒubìng, sick in the head). The localization "Are you guys legit brain-damaged?" captures the dismissive, insulting tone.
3 ↩ Literally "to live and die on one's own" - a fatalistic expression. "Left to rot" captures the visceral, survival-horror tone of the game scenario.
4 ↩ Means "high-sounding and pretentious" or "holier-than-thou" - describes people who put on a righteous front while being hypocritical.
5 ↩ Literally "eating tofu" - a colloquial euphemism for taking sexual advantage, groping, or inappropriate touching. "Copping a feel" is the closest US equivalent.
6 ↩ Literally "a great sage who doesn't approach women" - a mockery of someone pretending to be above sexual attraction. "A pure, untouched saint" conveys the same ironic condescension.
Notes:
• Yang Tian - A beautiful woman who survived two Escape Games by leveraging her looks to attach to powerful players. Aligned with Sun Heng, she shares a class with him and acts as his vocal supporter. Calculating and possessive, she views Luo Yu as a threat, displaying hostility and jealousy. Flirtatious and sharp-tongued, she taunts others to assert her position.
• Luo Yu - A female player inserted into the game world. Tasked with uncovering the school's mysteries. Possesses keen observational skills and analytical thinking. Shows empathy but remains pragmatic about survival. At the time of this chapter, she has already encountered a teacher-monster and survived an attack, leading her to understand the game's true threat. A female player trapped in the Escape Game at Qinggang High. Has lost her memory of events prior to her arrival. Must either uncover the school's secret or survive seven days. Physically slender and not particularly strong. A hopeless sucker for beautiful faces, she cannot bring herself to hate someone attractive even when they're trying to kill her. Maintains a self-deprecating, wry sense of humor even in mortal danger. A player who observes rather than leads. She notices the subtleties in group dynamics and feels mildly disgusted by Yang Tian's showy behavior. Quiet and perceptive. Female protagonist trapped in the Escape Game. A high school student with a bold, flirtatious streak, she is drawn to the handsome cashier without understanding why. Currently suffering from memory loss regarding the previous night's events. Appears carefree but is observant of the school's oppressive atmosphere.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Sun Heng - Scar-faced veteran leader of the main player faction. Pragmatic and calculating, uses other players as disposable assets. Previously had Yang Tian attached, his interest in Luo Yu fuels her jealousy. Subtly predatory toward female players, gave Luo Yu a rules handbook, warns rule-breaking = death. Luo Yu trusts his warning.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.