"I have a personal grudge against her," Xiaobai said coldly.

"Let go of her first," I insisted, trying to pull his hand away.

He gave me a cold stare but finally released the girl's neck. "This woman shot me three times," he muttered. "Once in the shoulder, once in the stomach, and once in the thigh."

"Cough! Cough!" Moxiaoi dropped to the floor, coughing violently.

I was speechless. I helped her up and patted her back to help her breathe.

Xiaobai sat down on the floor, watching us with a resigned look.

"You!? What did you do to me?" Moxiaoi shouted at him.

"Isn't this the doing of your Judges?" Xiaobai glared back.

"Wait... what are you two talking about?" I was completely lost.

"Welcome... you have been chosen to participate in my game~" A raspy mechanical voice suddenly echoed.

"Ah!" I jumped in fright.

"Huh?"

"Cough..." Moxiaoi kept coughing.

"What is this?" Xiaobai raised his arm, searching for the source. I followed his gaze and saw a black wristband on his hand. Its display showed "2:00", frozen. The voice came from it.

"This? Huh! What is this?" But I realized I had one too—and so did Moxiaoi.

We all wore iron collars around our necks, with intricate mechanical parts.

"Greetings, contestants. I am the artist you call the serial bomber..." the voice rasped from the wristband.

"I want to play a game with you all."

"See your wristbands? The '2:00' is your remaining life time. When the game starts, the countdown begins. At zero, the bomb on your neck explodes instantly. Don't doubt its power. Heh heh~"

I saw Xiaobai grab his collar, trying to break it.

"And don't tamper with the bomb. Damage it, and it might explode faster. Heh~"

"Xiaobai, don't!" I cried.

"...Tch." He gave up.

"Now, the rules," the voice continued.

"The game is simple: kill each other."

"One hundred contestants are in this abandoned hospital. Each starts with two hours. Killing someone earns at least one extra hour. It's midnight now. Survive twenty-four hours until tomorrow midnight, and you escape."

"Each room has three teammates. Killing a teammate gives no time. If one dies, your time halves. If another dies, it halves again."

"Find a dead contestant—scan their wristband first with yours to earn at least one hour."

"Claimed corpses explode after one minute. Unclaimed ones won't."

"Time rewards stack. Killing an opponent gives all their time—at least one hour. Teammates get thirty minutes."

"Weapons and traps hide here. Be careful with every step."

"Ten special contestants are trapped. Rescue one: your team gains one hour and a teammate. They don't die from time loss—only if all teammates die. Killing them before rescue gives no penalty or reward. After rescue, killing a non-teammate special contestant earns you two hours. Teammates get nothing."

"Don't try escaping sealed windows or doors. I detect breakouts—the bomb explodes immediately."

"Finally, have fun..."

"I'll stay with you until the end..."

The wristband crackled with static and fell silent.

"Clang!" The iron door's lock opened. Our wristbands began counting down.

Silence filled the operating room.

... The information overload stunned me. My mouth hung open, soundless.

... Xiaobai's face darkened as he thought.

"Cough..." Moxiaoi coughed, unsure if from choking or fear.

"I never thought I'd face something this... crazy shit," Xiaobai said helplessly.

"Killing people!? A serial bomber!? What's happening?" I screamed.

"Shh! Quiet—you'll give away our position." Li Xiaobai clamped a hand over my mouth.

"A serial killer? Heh heh~ So that's what happened at the factory six months ago." Moxiaoi stood slowly, sneering.

"Eh? Eh?" I whispered.

Why were they so calm? Shouldn't they be terrified like me? Haven't they watched movies? Even that high school girl wasn't scared—making me look like an idiot.

"Donghui, how were you captured?" Xiaobai asked.

"Ah... I was jogging when a masked woman in white sprayed my face. I passed out."

"Same. Walking, a woman in white sprayed me." He turned to Moxiaoi, icy-eyed. "You?"

... Moxiaoi glared fiercely at Li Xiaobai. They clearly had history.

"Going home from school, I saw a woman in white on the ground. I ignored her—but she sprayed me anyway."

"Heartless."

"What right do you have to call me that, monster!" Moxiaoi snapped.

"Stop arguing. Let's plan next steps, okay?" I realized I was just the peacemaker.

... Moxiaoi stayed silent.

"Fine, I'll listen to you," Xiaobai smiled at me.

"Um... what do we do now?"

"What to do? Kill! Survive, escape, then kill that bastard who set me up!" Moxiaoi brushed her skirt, voice fierce.

"Ah!? But that's murder! How can you do it?" I cried. How scary are high school girls today!

"I've never killed anyone. But other things... well." Moxiaoi smirked sideways at Xiaobai.

"Nor have I—directly. Indirectly? Maybe." Xiaobai grinned wickedly at her.

"You!" Moxiaoi growled.

"What are you two?" I grew more confused.

Damn! What teammates do I have? Both seem to have dark pasts!

"Heh heh~ No arguing. Let's plan."

"I won't team with a monster like you!" Moxiaoi stormed toward the door.

As she stepped out, I saw a white flash under her feet. Xiaobai moved faster.

"Huh?" Moxiaoi felt something.

Xiaobai crouched, grabbed her ankle, and yanked hard. "Ah!" she screamed, crashing down.

She didn't see it—but I did: a dark shadow zipped over her head.

Xiaobai sneakily peeked under her skirt, grinning lecherously.

"What are you doing!" Moxiaoi, blushing, kicked his face.

"Hey! I saved your life! Why kick me?" Xiaobai reeled back, shouting.

"You saved me? You pulled me down and peeked at my panties!" Moxiaoi held her skirt, face red.

"Uh... Moxiaoi, Xiaobai really saved you. Look there." My heart pounded as I pointed behind us.

Moxiaoi followed my finger and gasped.

A black arrow quivered in the wall—shot from the doorway. If Xiaobai hadn't pulled her down, it would have hit her head.