After lying down next to Yang Qu, Chi Mu surprisingly felt himself relax.
Because just as he was drifting off to sleep, a particular rule suddenly flashed through his mind:
[4: Do not sleep in the same bed as your online lover.]
At first glance, it seemed like he had already broken this rule by sharing a bed with Yang Qu.
However, the fact that he was still alive and well proved his theory right—The person lying next to him wasn't Yang Qu anymore.
It had become "It."
Back when the voice in the darkness—imitating Yang Qu—had asked him for a glass of water, Chi Mu had already started to suspect something.
Where exactly was "It" hiding? How was it speaking?
Now he was sure: once the lights went out, Yang Qu would transform into "It."But because of Sequence One's Rule 2, Yang Qu could never lie via mobile messages.
So it was safe to deduce that Yang Qu remained herself under the lights. Once the lights were off, "It" would take over her body and voice.
Chi Mu had taken a calculated risk—one that led him to uncover a hidden truth.
The Dragon Nation's think tank quickly caught on. The white-haired elder among them laughed.
"Chi Mu is smarter than I expected. He's using cross-sequence logic to uncover new rules. This will give him a huge edge as the situation develops."
In the Dragon Nation's livestream chat, viewers flooded the screen with excited comments.
—"Holy crap! Is this the legendary Mu God?"
—"Mu God, I deeply apologize for ever doubting you. My ignorance was too loud."
—"This is so logical it hurts! Damn it, I think I just grew a new brain cell!"
Chi Mu finally allowed himself to fall asleep peacefully.
He hadn't violated any rule—he wasn't sharing a bed with Yang Qu. He was sleeping beside "It."
The Next Morning
Chi Mu opened his eyes and instinctively looked to the side—Yang Qu was gone.
His sleepiness vanished in an instant as he sat up on the bed, scanning the room warily.
"Where did Yang Qu go?"
Just then, her voice came from the bathroom.
"Chi Mu, are you awake? There's no toilet paper in here. Can you bring me some?"
Chi Mu noticed a roll on the nightstand and was about to hand it over when Yang Qu's voice came again:
"Can you come in? The door's too far—I can't reach it."
Her request immediately triggered alarm bells in Chi Mu's head.
He couldn't be sure whether the voice in the bathroom belonged to Yang Qu—or to "It."Worse, he didn't even know the exact time.
Rule 8:[6:00–8:00 AM — Do not use the bathroom. This applies to more than just your online lover.]
"Stay calm... there's no way it's that complicated,"Chi Mu murmured to himself, forcing his nerves to settle.
He started reviewing the rules again.
Sequence Two – Rule 2:[After the lights are out, do not agree to Its requests.]
But it was already morning. The lights were on. That rule didn't apply.
That meant the person inside was most likely Yang Qu.
Then there was Rule 8. It didn't prohibit Chi Mu from using the bathroom, but it explicitly restricted Yang Qu.
By implication, "It" couldn't use the bathroom during that time either.
That all but confirmed it—Yang Qu was indeed the one inside.
Still, Chi Mu wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.
"Babe, I'd rather not come in," he replied gently. "We just met, and I think keeping some boundaries helps build respect. I know I wouldn't mind, but you might feel awkward."
"I'll toss the toilet paper to you instead."
He opened the door a crack and tossed it inside.
Meanwhile, across the globe in the Beautiful Nation, their Chosen One—James—was facing the exact same situation.
Still groggy from sleep, he'd forgotten about the 6:00–8:00 AM bathroom ban.
"Oh darling, hold on—I'm coming in,"he said sweetly as he entered the bathroom, roll in hand.
Yang Qu's smile stretched unnaturally wide—ear to ear—then, in one horrifying moment,she swallowed James' head whole.
—"F***! James, you idiot! Did you forget what time it is?!"—"He's doomed us! This moron triggered the descent of the horror world onto our country!"—"James used to be one of the sharpest—we even thought he was better than Chi Mu! How could he make such a noob mistake?!"
The Beautiful Nation's livestream feed went dark.The horror had arrived.
Now, only a dozen countries still had surviving Chosen Ones.
And among them, Chi Mu had become the focus of every foreign think tank.His every move analyzed, every theory studied.
After handing over the toilet paper, Chi Mu returned to bed and let out a slow breath.
One thing was clear—he had to stay on constant alert. In a world like this, letting his guard down even once could mean death.
He also realized this trial was built on wordplay and specificity.
So many of the rules used phrasing like "a certain person" or "a particular kind of person."Some rules weren't meant to restrict him at all—but rather gave him a clue about where "It" couldn't go, or what "It" couldn't do.
"Still no idea what the win condition is… At this rate, how long will this nightmare last?"
With Yang Qu still in the bathroom, Chi Mu seized the opportunity to search the room for clues.
Finally, under the bed, he found a piece of paper:
[Clearance Conditions]SS-Rank: Find and destroy the source of the contamination. Uncover the truth behind the hotel murder case. Escape the hotel.S-Rank: Escape the hotel.A-Rank: Coexist with your online lover for seven days. Wait for her to leave.
Chi Mu frowned deeply.
Judging by these conditions, escaping the hotel wasn't even an option anymore.If it were that simple, the S-Rank wouldn't have been listed as such a high-clearance route.
—"Mu God already found the clearance conditions?! No way!"
—"Honestly, the S-Rank sounds easier than A-Rank. Just leave the hotel, right?"
—"You dummy, that's the point! The hotel won't let you leave. He'll have to tough it out for seven days while dodging death!"
The Dragon Nation's chat exploded with theories and panic.
Suddenly—
"Coo-coo…!"
A sharp rooster's crow pierced the room.
Chi Mu's scalp tingled as he jumped up, frantically searching for the source of the sound.
The chicken.
The chicken named Akun.
[7: There is a chicken named Akun in your room. It never crows. If it does, immediately lock it in the hotel bathroom.]