She studied the bone whistle. Then the man's face. Back and forth.
Fine. She would just blow it.
The whistle's clear note rang out, and in the distance, a wolf's howl answered her.
Luo Yu stared at the endless sea of fog below her feet, uncertainly extending one leg to test it. The mist felt cool and damp against her skin. Other than the moisture, nothing seemed dangerous. She stretched her leg a little further down, waited, and when nothing happened, she relaxed and grabbed a branch to climb down.
The man spoke up out of nowhere. He did not sound like he was lying.
Luo Yu blinked, then slowly and carefully scrambled back onto the branch.
She fired off question after question—about the fog, the creatures at the base of the tree, the wolves she needed to find. He answered none of them. He just looked at her in silence.
She could not read him at all. Pressing her lips together, she decided to push further anyway.
Still nothing.
What—was he just playing with her? Luo Yu frowned at the man. He had been the one who told her to blow the whistle. She had thought he wanted to help her.
Wait.
Suddenly, she understood. His silence had been a message all along.
If she was reading him correctly, that was it. He wanted her to ask him for help. Out loud.
She stumbled over the words, embarrassed, but she had already started, so she forced herself through it. For good measure—to be safe—she even used the respectful form of address, the one she had never used with him before. It was a small gesture, but it acknowledged his authority over her.
Her request landed. Finally, the man moved—clearly pleased, his head dipping just slightly, his brows arching.
What a strangely difficult person.
Luo Yu exhaled slowly. She was starting to get anxious—the howls were already fading in the distance.
He pressed a finger to her chattering lips. His broad hand slid upward, covering her eyes.
Luo Yu hesitated for a moment, then gently shut her eyes. Her lashes brushed against his palm. Then his hand was gone. When she opened her eyes, he was holding the whistle—he had slipped it from her neck without her noticing.
He raised it to his lips and seized her wrist.
One crisp note. The fog split open.
Clouds parted beneath their feet, rolling outward like a bridge forming in midair.
Luo Yu could see nothing. Only the strange, shifting texture under her soles and the heat of his grip around her wrist. She had no choice but to let him lead.
The world fell silent. Only the whistle and the distant wolf howls remained, twining together into an eerie but not unpleasant melody.
Without thinking, she traced the lines of his palm with her fingertip.
The whistle faltered for an instant.
His voice came from the darkness above her: cool, remote.
Luo Yu's head drooped.
Fine. She would shut up.
But where were they even going?
Blind and time-blind, Luo Yu felt like she had been walking forever. The path stretched endlessly.
Wind brushed past—leaves rustling, skimming her arm.
Were they in the forest already? Was she stepping on that cold, wet swamp ground?
Her imagination ran wild. Thickets. Marshes. A shadowy figure leading her through it all. She saw herself walking across that swamp, trees swaying around her.
She stepped into the mud. Sinking. Not sinking yet.
The mud crawled up, staining her clean shoes.
A little deeper, and her foot would be swallowed. First the left. Then the right. Then calves. Thighs. Hips. Waist.
She could not stop the vision from running wild.
Something deep in her memory was waking up, like... like it had happened before.
She fell, helpless, into the bottomless swamp. A flashlight's beam sliced through the night, blinding.
The man stood at the edge. His voice was low, persuasive—but a mocking smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
She remembered those dangerous red eyes.
She remembered his face.
She remembered everything.
The red eyes. The dormitory supervisor's strange behavior. Their too-convenient meetings. His unexplainable kindness, his strange protectiveness.
All of it strung together by the missing piece of her memory.
The truth became clear.
Luo Yu had no idea what role he played in this game. But one thing she knew for certain...
He was dangerous.
That night, she had used her attraction to him—her weakness for pretty faces—to win his trust. And his mercy. She had bought herself one chance.
But what about next time?
Would she be able to talk her way out again?
Cold sweat broke out all over her body. She stopped mid-step, automatically trying to pull her hand away.
He was ready for it. His grip tightened, unyielding as iron, and he yanked her toward him.
She stumbled, nearly falling into him.
His voice came right by her ear—amused, but the amusement was a threat.
Scared...
Luo Yu's eyes snapped open.
She was somewhere else entirely. The fog, the cloud sea, the man with no name—all gone, like they had never existed at all.
In front of her stood a barbed wire fence, several sections torn open. Beyond it, a massive wild wolf stared at her with small, round eyes that seemed almost gentle.
Her wrist ached. She looked down. A red cord was wrapped around it now, a small bone whistle dangling from the end. The leather cord from before was gone.
The wolf let out a low growl.
Luo Yu raised an eyebrow. She lifted her arm, letting the whistle swing in front of the wolf's face.
She stepped forward without a trace of fear.
The wolf sniffed the whistle, then circled her, giving her a thorough smell test. Finally, it turned and bounded deeper into the mountain behind the camp. A few paces in, it looked back and barked twice—come on.
The truth was close now.
Luo Yu tucked the whistle away and followed the lone wolf.
Scared?
No. She was not scared.
Whatever that non-player character wanted with her—once she solved this game, she would be done with this world forever. So what if he was powerful? He could not leave this world and chase her into the next one.
And besides—she was about to solve the game anyway.
The thought made her smirk. A mischievous thought even crossed her mind: before she left this world, how could she get back at him one more time?
Summary:
Luo Yu convinces the mysterious man to guide her through the fog by formally begging for his help, and they travel blind through a surreal cloud-path while wolf howls echo around them. During the journey, her suppressed memories surge back - she recalls a night in a swamp where the man with red eyes had her trapped, and she only escaped through charm and luck. She awakens to find herself at a fence with a wolf and a red cord on her wrist, and though terrified, she resolves to push forward and crack the game before he can trap her again.
Trivia:
- The bone whistle was originally around Luo Yu's neck, but after the fog walk, it's tied to her wrist with a red cord she doesn't remember receiving.
- The red cord and whistle are physical proof that the fog walk was real, not a hallucination.
- The man never tells Luo Yu his name, rank, or purpose - she only knows his red eyes and his voice.
- Luo Yu's memory flashback includes a flashlight, implying the swamp incident occurred recently enough for modern technology to be present.
- The wolf responds to the whistle but also takes time to sniff Luo Yu, suggesting it recognizes her scent or the whistle's owner.
- Luo Yu's final thought - teasing him one last time - reveals she hasn't fully grasped how dangerous he is, or she's using humor to cope.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ Luo Yu uses the formal "您" (nín) instead of the casual "你" (nǐ) to show exaggerated respect while begging. In English, this is rendered as "I beg you" with a formal "you" to convey the same awkward, overly polite tone she adopts to manipulate him.
Notes:
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• 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.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• 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.
• 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.