As dusk approached, a dark shadow gradually spread from overhead, enveloping the town.
Yin Xiu leaned back on the lake shore at the edge of the town, holding a fishing rod and dozing off.
The dim yellow light shimmered and swayed on the lake, outlining the two wooden signs standing on the shore.
A sign with neat and clean lettering reads: "Danger in the lake, do not approach."
The other piece of writing was crooked and messy: "Fishing is prohibited for Yin Xiu. Get out of here."
Yin Xiu leaned back against the two signs and yawned, his handsome face full of drowsiness. He squinted and lifted the fishing rod, but the hook was empty. So he simply reeled in the fishing line and started packing his things to go home.
The town was even more lively as night approached than during the day. People hurried through the square, trying their best to read the town's rules to passersby again and again before darkness fell, attempting to etch them into everyone's hearts.
Survival Rules in a Small Town:
First, within this town, the rules are absolute and cannot be broken.
(But a restraining order is not.)
Yin Xiu slung his fishing gear over his shoulder, lowered his eyes to straighten the wooden sign he had been leaning against, and turned to walk home.
On a winding path, two passersby brushed past him, excitedly muttering, "I heard there's a bus going this way, and that's the only way out of this hellhole. Some veterans who've cleared it said they finally got on the bus and left."
"Is it really possible to find it? I'm a little worried. Didn't the other people in town say that we can't just leave the town?"
"It's okay, we can't get out of here anyway, we'll just go around and come back."
"Too..."
[Small Town Survival Rule #2: There is no exit from the town, and don't try to find a way out.]
(Useless actions will only lead you astray.)
Yin Xiu glanced sideways at their receding figures, then calmly turned around, only to find himself staring at the cat crouching on the grass.
It was a cat, entirely black, with an ordinary appearance, but possessing an unusually eerie pair of purple eyes. It crouched by the roadside, staring intently at Yin Xiu, as if monitoring his every move.
Yin Xiu also stared at it, standing by the roadside without moving.
After a few seconds of staring at each other, the black cat tentatively took a step forward. Yin Xiu immediately raised his hand and grabbed the knife hanging at his waist. The cat then withdrew, bared its teeth at him, and quickly ran away.
[Survival Rule #3 in the Town: You may not kill any sentient being within the town.]
(It could be a person, a monster, or a cat.)
Walking along the path connecting the square and the lakeside, Yin Xiu arrived at the noisiest square in town.
This is a small town full of old-fashioned charm, with layers of shadows of old buildings and bungalows, alleys connecting one another, and gaps and weeds between the paving stones, like a small place abandoned in the cracks of time.
But in the center of the town square floated a huge and incongruous projection screen, showing the process that players from different dungeons were going through. Some of the scenes were very bloody and brutal, but the people watching below were expressionless, already used to it.
Some comments floated across the screen, insignificant and unimportant; most of the time, the screen remained silent.
Yin Xiu stared for two seconds before coldly looking away.
"Here you go, rule sheet, take it, keep one on hand just in case." A passerby enthusiastically chanted as he handed a rule sheet to someone else.
When he turned around and met Yin Xiu's gaze, the man was startled and hurriedly walked past him and left.
Yin Xiu, with his slender build and fishing gear, stood out in the crowd, but most people who passed by avoided him.
Yin Xiu didn't care. He looked down at the yellowed slips lying at his feet. People in the crowd were handing out slips to others. They were all life-saving slips filled with rules. Some people were even shouting them out with megaphones.
"Please make sure to carry at least one rule sheet with you. Remembering the rules is how you protect your life."
"Also, everyone please pay attention to the weather tonight. It's likely to rain. For those meeting for the first time, don't panic. Just remember our rules and everything will be fine."
[Survival Rule Four in the Town: The town is mostly sunny, with occasional rain. During rain, you are free to open your door, whether it's day or night.]
Yin Xiu looked up at the sound and saw that the sky was indeed dark and gloomy, and it would probably rain after nightfall.
People pacing back and forth became even more agitated.
"Everyone must remember our rule number five: When it rains, some new faces will definitely appear in town. Don't be nervous. Those who can enter the house are all newcomers. Please be careful of those who cannot enter the house."
"Also, it's getting dark, so everyone must remember to offer sacrifices before going back inside. Don't forget."
Accompanied by repeated instructions from a loudspeaker, a sheet listing the rules floated to Yin Xiu's feet.
[Sixth rule for survival in the town: At dusk, you must offer a token of your heart to the Night Goddess at your door to ensure your house is safe during the night.]
Below is a row of blue text.
(Remember to bring your respect, or I will come looking for you myself.)
Yin Xiu raised his eyes dismissively. The notices were plastered all over the square, but he carefully avoided the strange statue in the middle of the square that seemed out of place.
It was a woman with long hair and a long dress, but her figure was rugged and huge. She clung to a pillar and stared at the people of the town with an eerie smile. She was the greatest threat in this town—the Night Goddess.
Yin Xiu tightened the black backpack on his back and stepped through the bustling crowd.
The other players who lived in the same town as him took a few steps back after noticing him, avoiding any contact with him.
Unaware of the loud announcements blaring behind them, the message continued: "As long as you follow the rules, nothing will happen in this town. Try to avoid any strange rumors or things. Trust the other players around you; no one here will harm you."
"Ah... but there's one exception. Everyone should absolutely not follow the example of a man named Yin Xiu. He's a perfect negative example, everyone must..."
As Yin Xiu left, the sound of the loudspeaker faded into the distance.
Passing through the uneven low wall, Yin Xiu entered a hutong (alleyway), the twilight making it appear even darker. The narrow street was crowded with doors and windows, and each house with a number housed more than two players.
The town is only so big, and new players flood in every now and then. Most players have at least one roommate, but Yin Xiu doesn't.
"Hurry, it's getting dark! Prepare the offerings for the Night Goddess!" Someone rushed out of the house, placed a piece of raw meat into the iron bowl in front of the house, and didn't forget to bow, chanting, "Don't come looking for me tonight..."
In the alley, every household had an iron bowl in front of them, filled with all kinds of meat. At least it seemed that they had tried their best to bring out what they considered to be the best.
Yin Xiu glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, then lowered his gaze and fell into deep thought.
He tried very hard to fish, but didn't catch a single fish. Today, he'll just pour in a glass of water as usual.
Players on the roadside dodged Yin Xiu, allowing him to smoothly walk through the narrow alley to his own doorstep, to the house at the very end of the alley, 401, a detached house for Yin Xiu alone.
Today, a tattered little girl doll in a red dress sat at the door of Yin Xiu's house with a cute yet eerie smile.
Yin Xiu bent down to pick it up, opened the door and went inside, casually tossing the doll into a pile of messy objects in the corner.
He turned on the light, poured a cup of tea into the iron bowl by the door, and then began to close the windows and lock the door.
[Seventh rule for survival in the small town: Remember to close the doors and windows at night. Do not open them no matter what noise you hear, and do not be tempted by anything outside.]
(If you want to take a shortcut to death, this is a good option.)
As darkness fell, lights gradually came on in every house outside the town, and people who were out quickly returned to their homes, locked their doors and windows, and took all necessary precautions to welcome the night.
In the dim alley, a long, drawn-out meow rang out, and then the town fell completely silent.
[Town Rule Eight: Avoid going out after dark, especially after you hear cats meowing.]
(If you're confident you can beat them, why not give it a try?)
In the darkness of night, a sheet of paper floated down from the wall and landed on the ground.
Behind the town's rule sheet, there is a page of clean and neat handwriting.
[This is a note for new players.]
Please remember, there are only eight rules in this town. The black words are the rules, and the blue words can be believed but not obeyed.
If you strictly follow the rules, nothing will go wrong. But if you accidentally break the rules and encounter them at night, please remember the following rule.
No matter where you are, go to 401 A Alley by any means necessary. That is Yin Xiu's home. Offer all your belongings at the door. Even if he ignores you, knock on the door. If necessary, you can use threats to provoke him. Although it may not work, it is your only chance to survive.
If he opens the door, you'll live; if he doesn't, you'll have no hope. The outcome depends on his mood that day and his recent financial situation.
Note: Do not approach him during the day, and do not try to become his roommate.
May every new player arriving in town have a safe night.