The doors of the castle swung open automatically before them, a red carpet unfurling at their feet, while crystal chandeliers glittered above their heads. On either side, white spiral staircases with dragon-head railings gleamed brightly.
If the doors hadn’t closed with a resounding click, they might have thought they’d just arrived at a lavish tourist attraction.
“Welcome to the castle.” A voice suddenly echoed, and two young men stood on either side of the staircase, smiling slightly: “A game of hide and seek will be held here, lasting one day and one night. It’s a grand game, so there will be many participants.”
The boy on the right stepped forward, moving with the grace of a cat: “I am Hest.”
The boy on the left nodded: “I am Moduna.”
The twins’ names were already famous in the game, and the faces of the people present stiffened, not expecting such a challenging start to the game.
“There are only five of us here,” Duan Zhen spoke first. “Shouldn’t there be more participants if the numbers are big?”
“They arrived before you,” Hest said sweetly. “Some have been waiting a long time and are eager for the game to begin.”
“We will first explain the rules of the game,” Moduna added.
Then, in unison, they said, “The game is a game of tag. Survivors can become the tagger to find those hiding. If you find a non-human, continue searching for the next one, or if the tagger dies, the found person becomes the new tagger. The game runs continuously until 8 AM tomorrow.”
“The first round, I will be the tagger. My identity is human, while Hest is non-human. If he catches you, he can kill you directly,” Moduna continued.
“Now let me introduce your playmates,” Hest said with a bright smile. “As for their identities, I don’t need to say more.”
Unnoticed, five people stood on the railing of the second floor, silently watching Duan Zhen and the others.
Their pupils shrank—those five people looked exactly like them, down to their clothes.
“I believe you have known each other long enough to distinguish the real from the fake,” Hest said cheerfully. “They have similar strength to you, but if you get caught, there might be some unfortunate consequences.”
“By the way, the original residents of the castle have bad tempers. Be careful while hiding, or you might get eaten,” he added.
“You have 600 seconds to hide,” Moduna announced, his green eyes glinting as he looked at them. “If there are no further questions, the game begins now.”
He closed his eyes and began counting, “One, two, three…”
Without giving them a chance to ask questions, Duan Zhen quickly surveyed the surroundings, but Hest and the five upstairs had vanished in an instant. Predicting their movements became impossible.
“It is indeed the difficulty of the tenth level, with danger at every turn,” Shen Su muttered.
“The first round tagger is human, so if caught, they will just become the new tagger,” Duan Zhen spoke quickly. “We can’t stick together, but we shouldn’t completely scatter either. Form small groups. Dan Zuo, you’re with me.”
They devised a strategy and exchanged secret signals. Dan Zuo handed out several measuring instruments before they dispersed.
Moduna’s count had reached two hundred.
Even on the second floor, his voice echoed clearly, a trick of the demon lord.
The castle was vast, with rooms closely packed together, creating a maze-like environment. Strangely, despite its vast footprint, it had only two floors. Looking up, the pointy roof was visible.
“There must be secret rooms here,” Dan Zuo whispered.
They entered several rooms in succession, all similarly simple compared to the opulence of the castle. Each hundred-square-meter room contained only a bed and a large wardrobe, with a separate bathroom. Duan Zhen lifted the bed sheet, finding enough space for a person to hide.
The wardrobe was empty and had two levels. The upper level was narrow with wooden doors, enveloping anyone hiding in darkness.
The bathroom had a large sink and mirror opposite the door, and a bathtub large enough for two adults.
After checking four or five rooms, the countdown reached five hundred. Duan Zhen stopped in one room, and after ensuring no one else was there, he and Dan Zuo hid, one under the bed and the other in the wardrobe.
Dan Zuo propped himself into the narrow upper part of the wardrobe, his slim figure and flexibility allowing him to curl up entirely inside.
Duan Zhen closed the wardrobe door and hid under the bed.
The countdown reached six hundred.
“I’m starting,” Moduna’s calm voice announced.
Everyone feared encountering Hest, who was slacking off and had happily ascended to the top of the castle.
He flew up, revealing a massive hollow below the spire, resembling a house carved into the stone wall.
Li Xi sat at the edge, dangerously close to falling from the high altitude, yet showing no fear, his expression weary as he looked down.
“I apologize,” Hest clasped his hands together. “It’s just so interesting, we couldn’t resist joining in. Please don’t be mad.”
Li Xi lifted his gaze slightly, “Is it interesting, or do you want to kill Dan Zuo?”
“Of course, it’s interesting,” Hest answered decisively. “We’re waiting for Dan Zuo to finish the game, why would we kill him?”
Flying closer, Hest continued, “We’ve always wanted to play hide and seek but couldn’t find suitable players. Lower-level worlds are too easy, but lowering the difficulty is boring.”
Li Xi frowned, “So you want my lover to play with you?”
“Just a human,” Hest said softly. “You wouldn’t turn against us over him, would you?”
Li Xi’s gaze turned cold, “Watch your words. If you don’t want this world destroyed, don’t speak of him that way.”
Seeing his genuine anger, Hest pouted, “Fine, I understand. I won’t touch him this game.”
After all, there were more interesting people than just Duan Zhen. His green eyes glinted.
“If you have any ill intentions, I’ll stop you even if it means destroying this place,” Li Xi warned. “I don’t care about a normal game, but if you pull any tricks, don’t blame me.”
“Of course,” Hest blinked innocently. “We never pull tricks.”
Glancing down, Hest laughed, “I have to go now. If they see me flying, the surprise will be ruined.”
Watching him fly down, Li Xi’s gaze darkened. He pulled out a candy, the light mint flavor calming him, easing his frown.
He hadn’t expected the twins to interfere with the game so boldly, merging their world with his. Li Xi’s original plan involved minor battles with the castle’s residents, finding an elevator to the top, and then declaring the game completed.
But the twins’ interference had twisted the world’s design, trapping him within his own setup, unable to appear.
Why he had set such restrictive rules was beyond him—a classic case of digging his own grave.
Sighing, Li Xi leaned against the wall, savoring the candy.
He hoped Duan Zhen and the others could pass the twins’ game smoothly. Duan Zhen and Dan Zuo were essential, one for breaking free from the main system quickly, the other as his boyfriend, both irreplaceable.
Frowning, Li Xi seemed to remember something troubling, his expression turning grim.
“I hope not,” he murmured.
Elsewhere, Duan Zhen lay under the bed, muscles tense, controlling his breathing and heartbeat to remain as light as possible. He watched the instrument, noting the rising energy fluctuations, indicating a demon king’s approach.
Whether it was Hest, Moduna, or Li Xi, he couldn’t tell.
The fluctuations slowly subsided, indicating the entity was moving away. His enhanced hearing caught the sound of shoes on the carpet, followed by the descent of stairs.
The demon lord had left the second floor.
Duan Zhen checked the instrument again, the readings low.
At the same time, water gushed in the bathroom, as if a faucet had been turned on.
Gripping his weapon and talisman tightly, Duan Zhen prepared for anything—the noise would surely attract Moduna.
Maaan I don’t like this at all ;-;
Thank you for reading
