Severe pain and freezing cold preceded his return to consciousness. Lin Hao struggled to wake up amidst a deep, bone-deep ache. The area of his lower back where the electric shock had occurred burned. With great effort, he opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a rough rock dome illuminated by a dim, cold, white halo. The air was stagnant, a mixture of sweat, mold, and a thick, lingering scent of fear.
He struggled to sit up, the strange, heavy metal handcuffs on his wrists clattering. The sight before him made his heart tighten: a huge underground space, densely packed with hundreds of men, all in tattered clothes, with terrified faces, like animals waiting to be slaughtered.
"This...where exactly is this place?" Lin Hao asked in a hoarse voice to the curled-up man closest to him.
The man raised his head, revealing a sallow, numb face. "New here?" He scoffed, his voice dry. "Hunting ground waiting area. Save your energy, you'll be running away soon." There was no hope in his eyes, only utter despair.
"Hunting ground?" Lin Hao's heart sank.
"Hey, keep your voice down, rookie." Another voice came from the side, low and tense. Lin Hao turned and saw a man in his thirties, relatively strong, sitting with his back against the rock wall. He had an old scar on his face, and his eyes were sharp and alert, like a trapped beast. Although he was also shackled, his back was straight, unlike the others who were completely slumped. "Don't make a fuss, or you'll get into trouble if you mess with the guards. My name is Zhang Meng," he said briefly, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings, as if assessing something.
"Watch...guard?" Lin Hao was confused.
"Those she-devils in gray clothes," Zhang Meng nodded towards the shadows, "and up there..." He quickly gestured with his eyes to an imperceptible dark corner of the dome, "the bitch holding the tranquilizer gun. Didn't you see how that guy fell down just now?" He was referring to the collapsed boy who had been dragged away before.
At this moment, the shrill simulated siren sounded suddenly!
Woo-woo-woo-woo
The crowd instantly erupted in a commotion of extremely suppressed fear, like an ant nest doused in boiling water.
The electronic sound stopped, and the sweet yet ruthless female voice rang out through the loudspeaker: "Dear distinguished guests, good morning! Welcome to the No. 73 reserve hunting ground..."
Hunting activity, starting in ten minutes, pulse barrier, tranquilizer dart launcher... every word hit Lin Hao's heart like a heavy hammer.
"No! Let me out! I'm not a guest! I was arrested! This is illegal!" Another young man broke down and cried, rushing towards the metal gate.
Swoosh! A tranquilizer dart with a blue tail accurately struck the back of his neck. He instantly stiffened and fell to the ground. Two strong, cold-blooded female guards in gray quickly appeared and silently dragged him away.
The whole process was breathtakingly fast.
"Idiot." Zhang Meng cursed in a low voice, not knowing whether he was cursing the impulsive boy or the damn situation. His fists were clenched tightly.
"It's always like this... There's always someone who can't help it..." A young, tearful voice came from Lin Hao's other side. Lin Hao looked over. It was a young man who looked even younger than him. He wore glasses, one lens half broken, and was shaking uncontrollably. "My name is Xiao Li... I just graduated from college... I'm traveling... How did this happen..." He spoke incoherently, his words barely complete due to overwhelming fear.
"Travel?" a slightly shrill voice interrupted, carrying an eerie calmness and mockery. The speaker was a thin man, his fingers twisted nervously together. "Who isn't? Business trips, adventures... In short, it's all 'crossing the line.' Once you're inside this mirror, forget all about that. They call us 'resources,' precious, wild male resources that need to be 'safely' captured and 'distributed.'" He let out a short, unpleasant laugh. "Remember, newbie, here, we're not human, we're prey, the prize. They even bet on this 'game.'"
Lin Hao felt nauseous. In the mirror? Resources? Games? Betting? The amount of information was overwhelming and distorted.
"Ten minutes..." muttered the numb man who had spoken to him at first, "Run, run as fast as you can... avoid the fiercest pursuit at the beginning, and maybe you can live a little longer... or hope to be caught by some less perverted woman, at least you can suffer less..." His experience sounded like it was gained through countless times of despair.
Zhang turned his head abruptly, his eyes fierce as he lowered his voice, "Don't listen to him! If you get caught, you're done! Their 'taming' is worse than death! Listen, rookie," he looked at Lin Hao and Xiao Li, "When the door opens, don't look back, just follow the crowd, but don't crowd in! Find cover and run to difficult areas! The sound of water! You might be able to find a cave or crevice by hearing the sound of water! Their equipment will be affected in complex terrain and near flowing water!"
He spoke quickly, as if he was leaving his last words, or as if he was cheering himself up.
The countdown is like a maggot on the tarsal bone, counting down coldly.
Lin Hao leaned against the cold rock, his heart pounding. The shackles on his wrists were heavy and cold. The air of despair threatened to crush him. But at this moment, the presence of these strangers, similarly trapped in despair—numbed survivors, fierce rebels, broken students, twisted insiders—strangely gave him a sense of reality.
This is not a nightmare for one person. This is the hell of a group of people.
What should he do? Which direction should he follow? Who should he trust?
The huge metal gate began to make heavy mechanical sounds and seemed to be slowly rising.
Outside the door, there were faint sounds of excited women shouting and the barking of some kind of dog?
The hunt is really about to begin.