Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

You Huo wasn't sure when it happened.

A mere second ago, he was just watching the moderates and hardliners arguing, as usual, about the overly violent exam settings.

Led by Qin Jiu, the hardliners was demanding that they make the exams safer for the examinees because it was seriously getting out of hand, not even letting examinees test the waters and try to figure things out properly, while the moderates was rebutting with the fact that demanding anything of the System would just upset it and everyone would end up suffering as a result.

Now, he was sitting on a couch, blinking in confusion as he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He no longer felt the horrible, disgusting feeling of something lurking behind him, watching his every move, and while that was initially very comforting, You Huo realized that something had to be very, very wrong for that feeling to disappear, so he chose to stay still, looking around subtly, hoping that if this was a malicious force, it would be distracted by the arguing invigilators and You Huo could buy some time to figure out a solution.

The others were still arguing, but one person who was in the middle of speaking up suddenly paused, and everyone else stopped in turn.

"Gin?" Someone from the hardliners asked uncertainly, as Qin Jiu's pitch black eyes flickered about warily.

Before anyone could react, there were some confused screams from examinees who suddenly appeared out of thin air. Upon seeing all the scary invigilators that had "kidnapped" some of their fellow examinees for a violation, all of them looked like they wanted to cry, but most of them were sensible (terrified) enough and immediately clammed up.

"Oh god, what exam is this? So many invigilators?"

"All of you, shut up!"

Qin Jiu wanted to snicker at the remaining panicking screeching examinees, but he had more pressing matters at hand.

"Oh fuck, why is there a pregnant lady here?"

Some of the kinder examinees tried to tend to the poor shivering lady, and a member of the hardliners yelled, "And you're okay with this? The System is starting to pulling in people like her?"

"It's probably another bug in picking people that the System will patch out later."

"These exams are killing people! Able-bodied people are already having it rough, and now-"

All the attention was taken off the lady as the invigilators started arguing again, the examinees watching the invigilators banter back and forth like they were watching a tennis match.

Luckily, they were instantly shut up when You Huo looked up, allowing them to turn to the real problem at hand.

"Big Invigilator... where are we?" Qin Jiu asked.

Chu Yue frowned as she surveyed their surroundings, "I don't recall ever having a room like this... but who knows what the System added on its own."

You Huo observed the room. He first turned his attention to the huge group of current examinees, who were all standing awkwardly, huddled together as far away from the invigilators as possible, next to a bunch of couches, beanbags and pillows.

Besides from the pregnant lady, some examinees were bloodied and injured, some were crying and whimpering inconsolably, some looked like they had just been thrown out of bed, and it seemed like all of them had been pulled out of whatever they had been doing last, whether it be their exams, or being in a rest stop, or trapped in solitary confinement.

Chu Yue followed his line of sight, "Crap. Is there a first aid kit around here?"

Like magic, bandages and other materials appeared out of thin air, right next to those who needed it, and Qin Jiu gave the examinees permission to patch up any injuries and rest.

"Who do you think you are?" Gao Qi hissed quietly, more upset that Qin Jiu was acting like he was in charge instead of deferring to You Huo and Chu Yue, but the Head Invigilator gave Gao Qi a cold glare, before turning to the examinees and nodded in approval of Qin Jiu's statement.

Qin Jiu shot a smug look at Gao Qi, and the other glared back.

You Huo turned his attention to the invigilators. Besides from glaring daggers at each other and looking concerned and pissed off at the injuries of the examinees, nothing seemed out of the ordinary there, so he decided to observe the room once more.

He didn't sense anything malicious, nor anything dangerous. Besides from a ridiculous amount of soft cushions, pillows, beanbags, it appeared to just be an oversized meeting room... that was somehow crammed with all the invigilators and examinees.

Oh, don't forget the fact that the System is also gone. You Huo would say good riddance, except he wasn't sure if whatever was strong enough to overpower the system was a blessing or a curse.

"What is going on?" You Huo asked.

There was silence, until a robotic voice rang out.

「Welcome to Room 117027.」

"Huh?" Zhao Jiatong muttered.

「Please enter the room as soon as possible and avoid loitering around outside.」

"Are we... missing someone?" An invigilator asked, scanning the room, "We've got all the invigilators here for sure... as for the examinees... there's too many..."

「Please wait. Currently searching for 1 person...」

A few seconds later, another figure dropped out of thin air, landing clumsily on the ground with a yelp. The examinee next to him hastily crouched down, "Hey, are you alright?"

A coat hung off his smaller form, and the young man was dressed up in a suit that was now wrinkled from his fall. And if anyone looked closer, they would notice his golden eyes as he blinked, adjusting to the light, gleaming like You Huo and Chu Yue's.

The man winced as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm fine...?"

He looked like he was in his early twenties, his voice was soft and raspy, like his vocal chords hadn't been used in some time, but the man just coughed, and cleared his throat as the examinee helped him up, "I think I'm..."

The man paused, immediately snapping to attention, staring at his hands, "Hold on-"

Peering at his body in confusion, his fluffy bangs bouncing as he peered at his cloak, his suit, his shoes, the silver gleaming ring on his right hand. Using one hand, he gently tapped his other hand, before reaching up to gently tug at his hair.

"I... have a body?"

"Of course you have a body." The examinee replied, confused, "Why wouldn't you have one? Did you fall off the stairs or hit your head on something?"

You Huo couldn't help but turn his cold gaze towards the new addition. He was certain that the System wasn't present when they initially were dropped off here. Suddenly, the feeling of being watched was there... though it didn't seem as oppressive and suffocating as before...

And this feeling came about when this new person was suddenly dragged in.

The very person who looked like he was marveling at the fact he had a physical body... and also seemed so very confused and concerned over that very same fact.

"Are you an invigilator? You are kind of dressed like one, real neat and tidy..." The examinee noted, and turned to the huge group of invigilators, who all shook their heads.

"Nope. We would recognize him if he were one of us." One of them, a pretty blonde lady, stated, before narrowing her eyes at the figure who was unconsciously hiding himself behind the taller examinee.

The man flinched, but the friendly examinee just patted his shoulder comfortingly, "Hey, my bad, then. I'm Wen Yuan! And you are?"

"I.." The man paused, before looking away, glancing at the floor like he was guilty of something, "I don't exactly-"

「154.」

His ring flashed with a spark of red as a robotic voice spoke out, similar to that of the System everyone was so afraid off. The other examinees all scrambled away from the unnamed person, and Wen Yuan flinched, taking a step back.

Even the invigilators, save for You Huo, Chu Yue and Qin Jiu, all froze, not expecting this new, clueless person to also have a monitoring device like theirs.

He's an invigilator too?

You Huo stared at the nameless figure. Just from that feeling of being watched alone... ge was fairly sure that this person wasn't actually a person, and instead was a part of the system, and yet, he looked so afraid of the monitoring device on his finger that he wasn't able to speak.

He just stood there, too stunned to move, much like a frozen program. He looked like he'd rather chop off his own hand than stay with an item that emitted the voice of the System any longer than he had to.

「This alert is provide you with some vital information. As you currently do not have a proper identity, your appearance and name have been borrowed from your future self. Your name is 154.」

"My future self..." The now named 154 glared at the monitoring device, "Explain. Right now."

154 narrowed his gaze and stared at the monitoring device like it had personally offended him, grumbling under his breath, "You can't just dump me here and expect me to not have any questions."

The device still didn't respond.

Everyone kept their distance from the perplexed man, too suspicious of the monitoring device he somehow had, and 154 just looked so confused, his shoulders slumping slightly, and Wen Yuan placed his hand on 154's shoulder comfortingly, "Hey, it's alright."

The examinees and invigilators couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The poor kid was suddenly dropped into a group of strangers with no warning, had a number slapped onto him as a label, like he were some kind of object, and no one besides Wen Yuan had enough courage to console him.

You Huo and Qin Jiu subtly shared a look, and You Huo glanced at 154, then back at Qin Jiu.

Upon noticing the invigilators looking at 154 weirdly, almost like they were trying to analyze him, despite his own fear towards the invigilators, Wen Yuan shielded 154 from view, letting the shorter man sort out his own thoughts in peace.

Chu Yue sighed, waving at Wen Yuan, "Okay, you take care of him first."

She looked up at the ceiling, "System? Are you still here? The one that talked to 154?"

「Yes. Hello, Invigilator Z.」

"What's going on here?" Chu Yue demanded.

「You have been isolated from the current system that you are used to. Due to circumstance, any additional information is unable to be provided. However, please be assured that you will not be harmed in this room during this viewing experience.」

Viewing experience my ass. You Huo cursed internally, though he was also equally curious. Viewing what?

「Please do not harm each other in this venue.」

"So you're not going to throw me away?" Much to everyone's surprise, 154 spoke up again, with an expression that screamed that he was slightly hopeful but also wasn't expecting much, but he got no response from the system.

"Hey, answer his question." Chu Yue demanded, "System?"

「...154 will not be discarded. However, after this experience, you will all return to your original locations.」

154 looked down, an unreadable expression on his face, before he shook his head. Wen Yuan gently patted his shoulder, "You okay there?"

"Yeah... I..." 154 paused, "I expected this much."

"Where were you?" Wen Yuan asked, concerned for his new friends, "Were you in a confinement room? Is that why... you don't want to go back?"

154 froze, his head snapping up, "A confinement room? I thought it was removed it because it was too hard on the examinees and they couldn't take it... Wait... don't tell me the System re-implemented it?"

The original invigilators looked at each other, then back at 154, confused and intrigued and scared all at the same time.

"He knows it was removed?"

"That was super early thing... back when the System was still reasonable..."

"I almost forgot that was a thing... That was so long ago..."

The examinees were all gossiping amongst themselves.

"Re-implemented?"

"It was removed at one point?"

Wen Yuan just looked confused, as he considered 154's words. And he wasn't the only ones who caught onto it; Chu Yue, Qin Jiu, and You Huo all shared a knowing look.

None of the invigilators knew who he was, but he was clearly around far longer than they thought, and far more important; how else could he know the reason why the confinement rooms were initially removed...

There was clearly something going on here; something they couldn't answer at this very moment.

Qin Jiu cleared his throat, and looked at 154, "Who are you?"

That caught everyone's attention, and once again, everyone, examines and invigilators, all shut up, eyes glued onto the smaller figure that stood beside Wen Yuan.

"I think a more accurate question would be..." 154 looked up calmly, a forlorn, miserable smile on his face, "What am I?"

Chapter Text

"What do you mean, what are you?" Wen Yuan asked. Something about the statement... just seemed familiar; 154 was treating his existence as something disposable, like he could just disappear into thin air and none would be the wiser,

Or rather, no one would care, or even know, if he died.

"I mean-"

An annoying red beep interrupted him, and 154 glared at the monitoring device.

"Am I not even allowed to explain that-"

Another red beep, and 154 looked at the invigilators helplessly.

You Huo glowered internally, upset that he wasn't getting answers, and Qin Jiu snickered, "I think our new system is getting antsy."

"Alright. If this system won't let you speak, nothing we can do about it." Chu Yue interjected, "How up-to-date on current events are you?"

While it sounded like an odd question to many, Chu Yue felt like it might be able to evade any restrictions this system had set in place to prevent 154 from revealing more about himself. Clearly, 154 was something special; from revealing that the System had thrown him away, to knowing about the confinement rooms...

"Not much." 154 admitted, "All I know is that the System started running properly... then it started going a bit... out of control... I get some information here and there, but it's not much. And usually very out-dated."

"That's fine." Chu Yue declared, after sharing a look with Qin Jiu and You Huo; he seemed harmless enough "You think you'll be okay there?"

Looking around him, the examinees seemed to have loosened up after learning that he was probably even more confused than they were, though they still looked a little wary of him because of his monitoring device. He looked up a Wen Yuan, who just smiled brightly at him.

It was oddly comforting, and 154 nodded, "Yeah... I'll be fine."

「... If you are all done talking, please settle down for the  viewing experience. 」

"Even this system has an attitude." Zhao Jiatong grumbled, as the examinees all scrambled for seats. Wen Yuan settled down with 154 in a beanbag, and Chu Yue yanked Qin Jiu over and forced him to sit next to You Huo, before sitting down with Zhao Jiatong.

"What are you doing?" Gao Qi hissed, upset that his friend was now stuck with that bastard Gin, and was about to stand up and force Qin Jiu to switch seats, but You Huo just glared at him.

The lights dimmed and a screen lit up.

The snow fell for four hours. It didn't show any signs of stopping.

This place is a barren mountain cabin. Various hunting tools hung from the walls and a long wooden table gnawed away by termites sat in the center.  Around the table sat a group of people. Male, female, young and old, they were all present. There was even a foreigner amongst them.

There was an immediate uproar among the invigilators. Luckily for the pregnant lady, due to being a bug, the different clothes and the fact that everyone had been distracted by 154's introduction made almost everyone overlook her; 154, Qin Jiu, Chu Yue and You Huo merely chose not to comment on it.

"When is this taking place?"

"There's two old ladies here! Young adults are bad enough, but at least they're in good physical shape!"

"THERE'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN HERE?"

That got some of the examinees riled up, and they chimed in too.

"Children?"

"I didn't see them- HOLY SHIT!"

"No!"

"How do you think they're going to survive?"

"What... why..." 154 just gaped at the sheer absurdity he was seeing on the screen, "Even if the System... they still shouldn't..."

A cold chill ran down his spine, and he tugged his coat tighter around himself. Why were there elderly... and pregnant women... and children? This was wrong, all wrong, and 154 couldn't make sense of it at all.

"You okay?" Wen Yuan quietly asked, and 154 shook his head, "This is just... I can't..."

A member of the Forceful Faction yelled, "The System is going nutso and it's even pulling in elderly. And children! Are they even old enough to understand these topics? And a pregnant lady?"

"No one said we liked this broken System!" One of the original invigilators retorted, "We're just saying that staying on the System's good side and following the regulations is safer for everyone!"

"That's taking too damn long!"

"Do you want the System to get even angrier at us and turn even more homicidal!?"

"Well maybe if you fixed the System before it turned homicidal we wouldn't even have to deal with it!"

"You forgot the System can literally read us like an open book? It's better to stay on the safe side! If we literally said "Let's destroy the System" aloud we'd all get wiped out in an instant!"

"... That's a very good point."

"Don't be stupid. All you guys know how to do is yell that you're going to put bombs here and there and everywhere and the only reason the System hasn't done shat about it is because it knows we'll stop you."

"So you're protecting us?"

"Even if you're all stubborn annoying little pricks, we don't want you to die for no reason either!?"

One of the more level-headed members of the Gentle Faction sighed, and looked at 154, "We've been with the System for a pretty long time... if we had known that it would actively try to sabotage itself, we probably would have acted. We just thought the system was just encountering some loopholes in its code..."

Another member of the Gentle Faction pointed at Qin Jiu, "And then this guy came along and showed us was a real loophole really was."

The invigilators all laughed, but Qin Jiu just rolled his eyes, "I'm still pretty damn sure you're making half that bullshit up."

He turned to You Huo, and winked, "Hey, Big Invigilator, was I really that bad?"

You Huo stared icily at Qin Jiu, but the latter just laughed, barely deterred.

154 looked up, watching as the invigilators messed around, and glanced at Wen Yuan, who immediately got the message.

"Ah, that's Invigilator GIN, but he was formerly an examinee." Wen Yuan explained, "I haven't heard about all his exploits, but apparently, he was broke so many rules that he pretty much needed an invigilator to follow him around everywhere. But I had an exam with him once."

Wen Yuan broke out into a grin, "He kind of landed in this war zone in a helicopter. I didn't know he was that infamous examinee, so I went to go help him. Apparently he had immediately hijacked a weapons car and somehow got his hands on a bazooka of all weapons..."

The taller man tilted his head like the memory had turned sour, "But apparently it seemed like he knew me before? But I've never met him before that exam... Maybe we happened to meet at a rest stop or something... I would think I'd remember if I had seen him before..."

154 winced. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Wen Yuan that the System was probably actively fucking around with his memories. He wasn't too sure himself; he had been deleted from the System long before any of this had ever started, but if the System's ability to conjure up confinement rooms told him anything, it was that the System had a nasty way of getting inside someone's head.

If it could pull out memories... why not alter them, or erase them completely?

But he was just jumping to conclusions right now. All he had was disjointed bits and pieces of information; he'll wait until he got a bit more information.

The room was very cold. Everyone present shivered with a solemn expression on their faces but no one moved to start a fire. The old radio sitting on the table was speaking.

【It is currently 17:30 Beijing time.】

"No year? When does this take place?"

"Hopefully we'll see a familiar face, and then we can work it out."

【There are still 30 minutes until the exam starts. Examinees, please quickly head to the examination center.】

The radio sounds were scratchy and there were also static noises one would typically hear in the background of radio broadcasts from the 1950s. It tirelessly buzzed.

This was already the second broadcast. The first broadcast was three hours ago. It said 【Welcome to examination center 003712.】 which immediately caused an old lady to faint and even now she had not yet recovered.

There were some grumbles about the elderly, but seeing as the invigilators had nothing to do about it, no one openly complained about it; there was just no point in doing so.

Another person didn't listen to its instructions and attempted to destroy the radio… After removing the batteries, he ran out of the room like he was possessed. Five minutes later his body fell from the roof together with a pile of snow.

Since then, no one dared to touch it.

Everyone froze.

As homicidal as the System currently was... it had never made anyone forcefully kill themself. Sure, its methods were crude, and if the exams didn't kill someone then the conditions outside the exam center would do it... but forcing someone to fall off the roof?

"And I thought the system as it stands now was bad enough..." A moderate grumbled, "We really need to figure out how far in the future this is."

The hardliner next to her nodded.

【Please enter the center as soon as possible and avoid loitering outside.】

This sentence was repeated three times. The room was deathly silent.

After a long time, someone sitting at the head of the table muttered irritably: "So who hasn't entered yet?"

This person had a yellow head of slightly permed hair. His figure was lean, and he was average in height. Both his arms were tattooed with a sleeve of animals. Despite being unable to tell whether it was a dog or camel, it looked quite intimidating.

"At least this one looks like a regular examinee." Someone heaved a sigh of relief, before the invigilators looked at each other uneasily.

Because a regular examinee was supposed to be military personnel... not some street thug... and yet, that seemed to be the most normal scenario...

The person sitting next to him shrank back a little and answered: "Old Yu."

You Huo and Chu Yue shared a look.

There was only one person they knew that could be addressed at Old Yu... they could only pray that because the Chinese word for "Yu" was simple, it was a very common name, and it was someone else instead.

"Who is Old Yu?"

"The drunkard who vomited the moment he entered through the door. The one who brought along his son and nephew."

The person who answered pointed towards the wall using his lips and then carefully made a "quiet" gesture.

Lying on the beaten sofa by the wall was the nephew.

All the invigilators looked like they had all fried a circuit in their brains. That left Qin Jiu, who was staring at the screen, then back at You Huo, then back at the screen.

It was probably the only time that the invigilators would see the usually prideful and cocky Qin Jiu look so puzzled and taken aback; if they were aware enough to witness it.

It was a 27 or 28-year-old young man. He had a tall figure and his appearance was very extraordinary. When he held the doorframe and lowered his head to enter the cabin, the picturesque mountain pines covered in snow behind him paled in comparison. However, ever since he entered, he constantly maintained a dull expression. He seems to be a little aloof.

"A... That's you... right?" Gao Qi questioned.

It was a dumb question; it was obvious that this "nephew" was You Huo.

According to Old Yu who rambled incessantly, his nephew's name is You Huo.

That statement solidified it even further, and everyone instantly lost their minds.

"Why is Invigilator A taking an exam?"

"If anything, it should be GIN there. He's the reason why invigilators get punished anyways."

You Huo just frowned internally. His uncle and Yu Wen... they shouldn't be in here. If his age was accurate... then this was set a two to three years in the future. Yu Wen would probably had just finished his university entrance exams...

"Two, three years?" Chu Yue asked, and You Huo nodded.

"Urg." An invigilator mimed puking, "Three years? And the system is still running?"

"Who knows what kind of crap the System is doing?"

"Why is the System making A do an exam? With his family?"

"The Head Invigilator... is a real person?"

"No shit, dumbass."

"But he seems so... system-y."

"Don't insult A by associating him with the System!"

"Well... It is A who's there..." Someone spoke up hopefully, "It won't be that bad... right?"

With that, everyone perked up. Invigilator A; the youngest, and yet, supposedly to be the strongest invigilator. If even he couldn't solve this exam, then everyone was already screwed anyways.

"He had only returned for two months and came to Harbin to find me during the National Day holidays. I was originally supposed to take him to the airport tomorrow morning. Haa… It's all my fault! Useless!"

"He was in Harbin... In the real world?"

"Hold on... it's not an invigilator punishment?"

"What did the stupid System do this time?"

You Huo barely reacted, "It probably sent me out."

154 just couldn't wrap his head around what the System was doing. The System literally learned and developed using You Huo and Chu Yue as a base; if anything... the System might be considered their younger sibling, picking up and learning anything its older siblings did out of curiosity.

So why would it send You Huo out? Even if the System wasn't functioning exactly as 154 had imagined... wouldn't it just wipe You Huo's memory instead? What had You Huo done to warrant getting kicked out?

He wasn't the only one with those thoughts.

"A is literally the System's biggest supporter!" Someone yelled, "What's wrong with this dumb thing?"

"It's like the System just got out of bed one day and decided to be homicidal!"

"It probably decided to become a power hungry tyrant!"

"This is just..."

Everyone turned to You Huo. The System hadn't just kidnapped his family... but had also betrayed him. There was no way he was going to let the System use him... right? Even if he was loyal to the System...

You Huo just sat there impassively, his gaze instantly ordering everyone to shut up and watch.

Old Yu had drunk until he was completely intoxicated. During the night where there were few people around, he stumbled around.

On the sidewalk in front of the children's hospital, someone had left a bunch of joss paper. Old Yu stumbled around and wasn't able to regain his balance. With one foot stepping onto the joss paper, everything spun and himself, his son and his nephew were all sent here.

"Nope. It's definitely not the joss paper that did this..." Someone tried to joke to lighten the mood.

When they entered the cabin, he had not yet recovered from the dizziness. No longer able to hold himself back, he vomited all over You Huo.

Everyone froze at the mere thought of throwing up near You Huo, let alone on him. Even Qin Jiu wouldn't dare to do such a thing...

Though that was more because it was just disgusting and he wouldn't want to put anyone through that.

Old Yu sobered up from his drunken state after vomiting but he was too scared to say anything to You Huo.

You Huo was a bit bothered that even after so long, his uncle was still scared of him, though he didn't show it outwardly.

154 blamed himself. It wasn't really his fault, per say; blame the person who installed the thing in You Huo's eyes, but 154 saw it all, and remembered.

He remembered the fear and unease in people's eyes when You Huo looked at them, not just him, but also the System.

He remembered You Huo's own family shying away from his gaze.

He remembered when even You Huo's own mother stopped looking at him, the feeling of not being watched by a child, but something else, something different, something not entirely human.

He remember when You Huo stopped looking at people altogether.

154 pulled his cloak tighter around himself. It wasn't his fault, and yet... the irrational, human part of him told him that it was.

Wen Yuan didn't say anything, just placed his hand on his shoulder quietly.

The people who came here were all caught unexpectedly and were completely unprepared. Only the foreigner called Mike had a set of clean clothes in his bag.

Everyone was way too scared of Invigilator A to even think about peeping on him while he changed.

Meanwhile, Qin Jiu just smirked and laughed internally.

Luckily, it was only You Huo's outer jacket that was really affected.

After You Huo changed, he remained distant from the others and laid on the sofa without a word. He appeared to have fallen asleep.

"Really? Sleeping?" Chu Yue smirked.

"It's not like he can do anything before the examination starts..." Someone murmured.

Through the arm that covered his face, you could see a stud earring on his right ear. It reflected the light coming from the oil lamp and appeared very dazzling.

"An earring?" Qin Jiu, who was sitting right next to You Huo, turned to peer at his ear. No earring.

"It looks good on you!" Qin Jiu mocked in a condescending tone and stuck his thumb up.

Gao Qi looked like he wanted to throw his shoe at Qin Jiu for the disrespect, but You Huo didn't look too bothered in the slightest. It was just Qin Jiu being Qin Jiu... a Qin Jiu that no longer remembered their relationship, after the unholy System had booted him out.

But it was still Qin Jiu.

The sky should have darkened but every part of the mountain was covered in snow and it was still bright outside.

A pregnant woman looked towards the cabinet in panic.

It was then 154 blinked, turning around and automatically locking onto the pregnant woman who was currently in the room who was ducking behind another examinee.

Three years... and still so heavily pregnant? Was this some kind of bug?

The time on their phones had become erratic and they could only rely on the clock sitting above the cabinet to tell the time: "It's almost six. Could Old Yu have…"

Bang, bang, bang!

"Please be Old Yu?" A quiet voice squeaked.

Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of something smacking against the door was heard.

Everyone was shocked. They looked over with fearful eyes. The snow piled up on the window was pushed aside and Old Yu's face appeared through the glass. With exaggerated mouthing, he said: "It's me. Open the door."

Everyone was relieved.

Everyone in the room was also relieved; most of all You Huo. He'd be damned if his uncle died outside of the exam venue.

Fortunately, he had returned before 6 o'clock and didn't die.

The two snow covered men entering the house was Old Yu and his son Yu Wen.

"How is it outside?" Everyone hurriedly asked.

Old Yu shivered in place for a moment before slapping his face forcefully.

"Eh?"

"Why'd he do that for?"

He then slapped his son.

"Hey! Yu Wen is innocent! Don't hit him!"

The examinees all broke out into giggles at the ridiculous situation; anything to distract them from the fact that almost half the group was literally unfit to complete the examination.

When they finally warmed up a little, he said: "I went around everywhere but it was useless! No matter where I went, in no more than ten minutes I would see the cabin again. We can't get out!"

"Were there other people? Or houses even?"

Old Yu spoke frustratedly: "No, don't count on it."

Everyone's expression fell into despair.

"I don't know... if the exam actually wants us to pass, it shouldn't be so depressing."

"... I don't think it wants us to pass."

"That's not the point."

There was no signal on the phone and the time on it had become erratic. The trees all looked the same so it was hard to tell which direction was north, south, east or west. There was absolutely nothing.

This was their current predicament.

Oh, there was also an old radio that noisily reminded them about the exam.

Exam your mum.

Everyone choked. Who was cursing the system out now?

The moment Old Yu stepped in, the radio started to make static sounds.

Just being around it for the entire afternoon was enough for the people present to develop a conditioned reflex. They immediately quietened down and looked at the radio.

The examinees all quietened down as well.

Ain't that relatable.

【All examinees have been admitted. The exam rules are as follows.】

Old Yu and Yu Wen who had just entered the examination center gulped.

【The exam is conducted within a set period of time.】

【After the exam officially starts, examinees cannot enter the examination center. You may not leave the center during the exam without permission. If there is an emergency, you must follow the instructions and leave with the invigilator.】

【Apart from open book exams, you cannot use mobile devices or other communication tools. Please be considerate and turn them off.】

【The exam is point-based. Examinees must write their answer on the designated answer sheet (except in special circumstances) or the answer is invalid.】

When the radio finished speaking, everything once again turned silent.

"So... has anyone done this exam before?" An examinee squeaked.

Wen Yuan turned to 154, but 154 shrugged, "One of the sciences, I think... I'm not too sure."

The taller man made a small noise of acknowledgement.

After a while, the room suddenly started to fall into discussion.

"Who is the invigilator?"

"There are open-book exams?"

"What's an answer sheet?"

"To think that you're discussing it. You all must be crazy." The tattooed man played with his swiss army knife. You couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"He literally just told them when he was thinking..."

That comment got some snickers.

"Then what should we do?" The eyes of the pregnant woman were still swollen from crying. She said quietly: "Don't forget about that…"

She pointed to the roof.

"There's all sorts of wrong, bringing in a pregnant person..." An invigilator grumbled.

"Wasn't there a pregnant woman in here?" Another invigilator whispered.

"It's been two to three years. No one lasts that long in the System unless she became an invigilator." Another replied logically, "Should be a different one."

The tattooed man thought of the body and his face also paled. He stiffened for a moment before finally accepting the situation. Holding the swiss army knife, he waved it in a particular direction: "Little brat."

Yu Wen looked left and right and then pointed at himself: "You…mean me?"

The invigilators all glowered at the thug that was brandishing a knife at Yu Wen. They may not know him, but they just didn't like the fact that one of Invigilator A's relatives was being threatened.

"Yes, you. Come, sit here." The tattooed man patted the seat closest to him."

"I, uh…" Yu Wen turned around to look at his brother only to see his brother still lying on the sofa dead to the world.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Qin Jiu asked.

You Huo just glared at Qin Jiu with a gaze that read "I'll help him if he needs it".

He suppressed the complaints inside him and said: "I'm 18."

What's more, the tattooed man is at most 25 or 26-years-old. How dare he call him little brat.

"It doesn't matter how I call you!" The tattooed man was impatient, "Come here. Let me ask you. Are you a student?"

"I mean..." An examinee tilted their head, "Even if we don't count the elderly... surely the others would have also had exams before, right? Even if they're a little out of date..."

Yu Wen: "I guess so."

The tattooed man frowned: "Can you do exams?"

Old Yu reflexively said: "He can! He grew up doing exams!"

"We all grew up doing exams. And we hate it." Another examinee who was a university student grumbled, "It's just study, exams, study, exams."

"You can shut up." Yu Wen said rudely to his drunkard old man.

But after he scolded his father and turned around, he saw that everyone in the room was staring at him.

Yu Wen: "…"

He thought about his words and said: "I just finished the University Entrance Examination in June and I have been playing like crazy for the past three months. I've already… Yeah, I can't do them very well anymore."

"In one ear and out the other." Another lady, presumably a teacher before being dragged into this hell hole, sighed, shaking her head affectionately, "All the kids are like that..."

The pregnant woman had panicked for the entire afternoon. She smiled with great effort: "That is still better than us. It was only three months for you. We have long forgotten now."

"A+ for effort?" Someone cheered.

"No." Yu Wen found the situation a little absurd and even forgot about his fear, "Don't you guys read novels or watch movies? Would it truly be an exam in this horror kind of setting? It's probably just a cover!"

"Cover of what?"

Yu Wen rolled his eyes: "How would I know? Anyway, people just die everywhere in horror movies. Who the hell would suddenly come and test you on maths and physics? Is this cabin built by the Ministry of Education?"

"I wish." Someone snorted.

"He isn't exactly wrong..."

Chu Yue snickered, "Your cousin is hilarious. Even making jokes in this kind of scenario!"

He still didn't feel like he had said enough. He added at the end: "Hah."

With that, Chu Yue lost it, and burst into laughter.

You Huo decided that when they got out of the System, he was never going to let those two meet.

His cousin who was lying on the sofa like a dead pig was finally awakened by his "hah".

"Lookie who's awake." Qin Jiu teased; he didn't know why, but poking fun at his Big Invigilator just seemed like the most normal thing to do.

Yu Wen turned around to look at him.

He saw You Huo sit up and look at the group of people through half-open eyes. You Huo then kneaded the back of his neck. The legs resting on the old wooden floor were long, making the sofa appear even smaller.

The timing seemed to have been calculated and the moment he lowered his hand, the clock above the cabinet started to ring to signal that it was 6 o'clock.

It was definitely calculated. Invigilator A was just that efficient. He finished his work, slept on time, ate on time, everything he did, even if no one saw it, had to be perfect. There just wouldn't be enough time, otherwise...

Especially since a certain someone kept creating more paperwork for him to do. But You Huo couldn't be too mad; even if Qin Jiu didn't remember it, You Huo liked to think that it was his own form of revenge against the System.

Static sounds were emitted through the radio again.

【It is currently 18:00 Beijing time. The exam has officially begun.】

【As another reminder, examinees are not allowed to enter the center after the exam has started and you cannot leave without authorization during the duration of the exam or you will be punished.】

【The other examination rules are as per the standard.】

After it threw out a threat in passing, it paused for two seconds and said:

【Exam duration: 48 hours.】

【Subject: Physics.】

"So... physics of what? Weight? Mass? Gravity?"

"There's just a table and a bunch of chickens?

"Hunting gear too?"

"So what, what's the velocity of a knife used to chop off a chicken's head?" Someone else tried to joke.

Yu Wen: "…"

【We will now be distributing the exam papers and the answer sheets. I wish you all the best.】

After the radio was done, it once again died off.

Yu Wen: "…"

Goddammit, shouldn't the exam paper and answer sheet be distributed first?

"Why bother announcing that you're going to distribute the exam papers and the answer sheets... if it's not even going to be distributed at all?

"I don't even see a pen. Is this one of those exams where you have to carve your answers out like a caveman?"

The pregnant women cried out in panic: "That wall!"

She was referring to the wall above the fire stove. The empty wall that was covered in several knife marks now had a few more words–

"Knife scratches." An invigilator noted.

"The pen is a knife?" Someone asked, "Didn't that tattooed guy have a swiss army knife? Would that work?"

Chu Yue and You Huo shared a look, before the former answered, "Unlikely. I don't think it would work, but I'm not sure if it would count as punishment since it's still a knife..."

She briefly glanced at 154, before looking back, "The old system might have allowed it. The one in the future... definitely not."

Topic: A group of travelers came to a snow mountain…

Exam details: The response will be collected every 6 hours. If no points are earned within 6 hours, you lose qualification to participate and will be evicted.

Below that was a large blank area. It was like the response area in a test paper for answers to be written in.

"That isn't even a fucking question." Someone growled, "I hate questions like these."

"Someone is going to die on these question because there isn't anything to even answer!?"

"Stupid System. What's the point of an exam that doesn't even ask a question?"

What question is this? What is it asking? What do we answer?

Everyone was confused.

"Don't worry, we're confused too!"

"And we're not even the ones answering!"

By default, Wen Yuan turned to 154, who just seemed to give off the vibe that he knew everything, even if he didn't.

"You're supposed to find the "pen". Once you do that, I think scribbling anything onto the answer sheet should be able to solve it... though that depends on how lenient the System is..." 154 answered, and Wen Yuan grumbled, "Lenient as in the System probably would still be fussy and would only accept a specific something as an answer."

"Probably. At least, from what I can see."

There was silence between them, as the others complained about the absurdity of the exam.

"Couldn't they just ask "Please find the pen"?"

"That would be too obvious."

"How did this question even come about? Why would the military need to find a specific pen? Anything goes, if it leaves a mark, it should work."

"... Good point."

Not to mention 6 hours, even if you gave them 600 hours they didn't know how to earn the points.

At this moment, a gust of cold wind that carried small beads of snow rushed into the room causing everyone to shiver.

They looked over at the source of the wind and saw that You Huo had walked over to the window and had opened half of it.

"Uh... A, what is your future self doing?" Gao Qi asked.

"Probably testing the limits of the exam center." Qin Jiu grinned, "I mean... that's what I would do, if I were an examinee."

All of a sudden, every single wild story out there about the trouble making examinee called Qin Jiu seemed a lot more believable. They were surprised that Qin Jiu was still around, and an invigilator, at that, given how much the man enjoyed tormenting the system.

"Well that's just you!" Gao Qi retorted, though it was obvious that any actions You Huo would take was largely dependent on how much of his memory he retained after being kicked out, "A would obviously know what he's doing!"

"What are you doing?!" The tattooed man was furious.

You Huo had one hand in his trouser pocket and his other hand was about to reach out. Hearing the yell, he glanced back. However, perhaps it was because the look was so fleeting, it looked cold and arrogant.

The tattooed man was even more enraged: "Don't you know to say something before opening the window? What are you going to do if something goes wrong?"

"Besides from not having a question to answer? Opening the window doesn't seem too bad..." Someone state dryly, "I don't see how it can get worse..."

"Who are you?"

"And he's dead."

You Huo threw out those three words and no longer paid him any attention. He again stretched out his left hand.

Old Yu could no longer hold back. He urged his son and whispered: "You ask."

For some reason, Old Yu had always seemed to be afraid of this nephew of his.

"I have to say... I'm not too surprised." An invigilator sighed, "We've been in the System for far too long, especially A and Z. If they were to be kicked out..."

Everyone understood what she said; they would all be borderline unrecognizable, after everything they had been through, as the System gradually wiped out any memories of the being in the real world.

Still, You Huo lowered his eyes, a motion that wasn't unseen by Qin Jiu, who just subtly gave him a small comforting pat on his hand.

154 also lowered his gaze.

Yu Wen shouted: "Brother, what are you doing?"

You Huo retracted his left hand and waved at him. Finally, he gave them his answer: "Testing out the consequence of leaving the examination center."

"Aha!" Qin Jiu cheered, turning to You Huo, "Ain't I smart, Big Invigilator?"

You Huo didn't look very amused, and Gao Qi cursed, "He's a bad influence."

Zhao Jiatong and Chu Yue snickered, before everyone froze.

You Huo knew the System the best, knew this entire exam structure the best. If he really was "testing out the consequence of leaving the examination center"...

"The System wiped his memory." An invigilator cursed, "This good-for-nothing bloody..."

"It's even taking out it's Head Invigilators?"

Everyone present gasped.

Crimson red blood flowed down his fingers onto his palm. With his pale skin, it looked even more shocking.

"Did you really have to do that?" Qin Jiu frowned. He didn't like the idea of his Big Invigilator getting hurt for no reason.

"It's not like he knew any better." You Huo coldly replied, referring to his future self, "Even if I used an inanimate object, the real issue is how bad the effects would be on a real person."

"Is there some bandages there or... something?" Someone squeaked; no one liked the idea of someone getting injured during an exam.

He casually rubbed it off and once again fiddled around with the windowsill. He picked up a rusty tin can and threw it out the window.

Under everyone's gaze, the tin can was smashed into smithereens and it scattered across the snow.

"..."

"Holy fuck..."

All the examinees froze in fear. They knew some people who, unable to think rationally, had tried to escape the exams... only to never be seen again.

To think that this could have been their fate...

154 scowled, and stared at the ground. The System was never supposed to be like this. It was just supposed to be for training, for pushing people to their limits, for testing people in various fields in scenarios that would be impossible to set up in real life...

How could it come to this? Murdering examinees without a second thought as to whether they even wanted to do this or not?

When they once again looked at the "Exam Details", everyone's eyes were filled with panic.

By the wall, You Huo once again closed the window. His eyes swept past each and every one of their backs.

As for Yu Wen who had some experience with exams… You Huo understood him well.

"You do?" Someone blurted out, but he was immediately shushed.

During the three years of high school, this high school student messed around with love and the wrong group of friends. He would often skip class to play games at internet cafes and he suffered from a strong case of eighth-grade syndrome. Even now, he had not yet escaped that dangerous period.

All the young adults and and university students shared hushed glances, laughing nervously.

Skipping classes, trying to get into relationships, acting like delusional idiots... Even if this description didn't depict them, they all have certainly met students who met this criteria.

It would be better to rely on a dog than him.

"..."

The invigilators all gaped at You Huo. Their stone-faced leader, who only had two expression; impassive, and being slightly annoyed while still being impassive... could make jokes like this?

"A..." Chu Yue started at You Huo, before laughing, "You and your brother should TOTALLY take up stand-up comedy when we get out of the System."

You Huo's eyebrow twitched; he didn't mind his thoughts being read out, not if it meant that it lightened the mood... but he didn't consent to this, god damn it.

Qin Jiu caught it, leaned over and whispered, "Big Invigilator, are you sure you're okay with this? Isn't this an invasion of privacy?"

You Huo shot a quick glance at 154, who quickly adverted his gaze, before lowering his eyes. What privacy? You Huo didn't know that word, not when he's always had that thing in his eyes as far as he could remember. How could he have any privacy when he had spent his entire life being watched.

Whether it was being watched by the System, or by the examines and invigilators... it was nothing new to him. Better him than anyone else, You Huo supposed; he's been used to this invasion of privacy for his entire life.

As for the others…

Old, frail, sick, pregnant, and even a thug.

"... is this a good time to mention the two ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS?"

"Don't remind me. That just makes me sad all over again."

All five deadly poisons are present.

"Never thought I'd see the day where A would refer to them as... five deadly poisons..." An invigilator muttered, all sharing looked between them. Even they had thought a few times that You Huo was an avatar or spokesperson for the System, not a real person who had his own thoughts and feelings...

A person who watched them mess up, arguing and getting into fights... and he was probably judging them all the same...

They wanted to choke. Who knew what kinds of stupid stuff A had caught them doing? What had he been thinking, when he saw them acting like children, watching the hardliners and moderates fighting like children in a sandbox?

Suddenly, everyone wished that they wouldn't appear in this future. Who knew what kinds of thoughts the Head Invigilator would have about them. On one hand, it would probably be funny.

On the other hand... none of them wanted to be judged by Invigilator A, of all people.

All of them, except for, well, Qin Jiu, who just smiled mockingly at You Huo. He wanted to know what You Huo thought of him; after all, as much as they appeared to fight on the outside, only they knew that there really wasn't any animosity between them.

Except initially, when Qin Jiu had first seen the atrocities of the System and wanted to change it. Frustrated at Invigilator A's lack of action, they had been enemies, knives at each other's throat, but unable to truly hurt each other, as if his heart remembered something that his head seemed to have forgotten, as if it were rekindling a past relationship.

The opening question is a death question.

That sobered everyone up, as they remembered the question that wasn't really a question.

"So... let's get this straight..." Zhao Jiatong crossed her legs, "The System wiped A's memories and kicked him out... and dragged him and his family into the System."

"Something big must have happened for it to kick A of all people out." Someone murmured, "I mean... if they wanted to kick any invigilator out, it probably would be GIN. Even as an invigilator, he's been causing all sorts of problems for the System."

Qin Jiu puffed his chest out at his achievements in pissing the System off... and realized that now, You Huo was taking the brunt of the damage. He immediately deflated.

"It already tried. See where that got the System." Someone chimed in, and everyone stared at Qin Jiu.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, didn't Qin Jiu get kicked out because he exhausted his exam attempts?"

Said man just grinned cheekily, "I have no memory of it. You tell me."

"Because he was... bad at exams?" A brave examinee asked.

"Nope." An older invigilator deadpanned, "If he wanted to, I'm sure he could have passed easily. He just existed to fuck with the System... and nearly broke it from how many patches the System had to do to limit his destruction."

Qin Jiu's grin just got even wider.

"So kicking out the strongest examinee didn't work... so they kicked out the strongest invigilator?" A hardliner scratched his head, "I don't understand..."

You Huo glanced at Chu Yue, and she spoke up, "We're not going to understand anything if we keep talking. Come on, let's keep watching."

Chapter Text

You Huo kicked the metal can of charcoal over and Old Yu carefully used it to start a fire. The fire in the fire stove emanated an orange-red glow.

Yu Wen squatted next the fire and dejectedly threw wood in.

"Well... that's better than nothing... if they can't answer the question, at least they should make themselves more comfortable... maybe they'll think of something then..."

The flames flickered as he watched it for a while. He decided that he should go find someone to talk to about his feelings before he died but, when he looked up, he saw his brother standing on the side warming his hands with a cold and disinterested expression.

Yu Wen considered it for a few seconds and decided to die quietly instead.

Some people choked and chortled. Even without his past memories and experiences, You Huo was scary; still was scary. The only one who ever dared to defy Invigilator A was Qin Jiu... and even he didn't dare test You Huo's patience half the time.

You Huo, the scariest, strongest invigilator... compared to his scared younger brother, fresh out of high school, Yu "less reliable than a dog" Wen...

How could they be related? It seemed almost impossible, their personalities being on both sides of the spectrum...

"If you don't want your brother," Chu Yue spoke up, "I'm taking him."

You Huo glared at her.

"Umm that…" Old Yu suddenly sp oke.

You Huo glanced over.

"I don't know how I should refer to you." Old Yu patted the pregnant woman's shoulder: "With a stomach like that, how can you freeze here? This isn't right, go over there to warm up. Don't catch a cold. It's not good for both you and your child."

"Oh yeah..." Everyone's mood immediately fell upon being reminded that the System in the future was far more brutal than the one they were facing now.

Suddenly remembering that they also had a pregnant lady in their midst's, some of the examinees turned to the young lady, "Miss..."

That immediately got all the other invigilators' attention, and the trio shared a look; they were originally going to figure out what this system really wanted... but since the examinees already decided to talk about this pregnant woman...

Much to their surprise... Shu Xue looked exactly like the pregnant woman being shown.

"Name?" Qin Jiu asked.

"Ah..." The lady pushed some hair behind her ear as she cradled her stomach, "I'm Shu Xue-"

"Shu... Xue...?" A voice rang out, and a middle-aged man stood up to get a better look, "You're not... how..."

The man looked like he seen a ghost, "How are you not dead!? I... I saw... the hands..."

Everyone immediately froze, and Shu Xue looked down, touching her face gingerly, "I... I'm not sure... I was-"

A red beep rang out from the invigilators' and 154's monitoring devices, and Shu Xue froze while the invigilators all cursed, looking like they were contemplating murder.

You Huo narrowed his eyes, and concluded, "A bug then."

He saw no point in asking any more questions. Shu Xue was clearly a normal examinee who encountered some sort of bug, giving her this new "pregnant" state; since it was censoring her... then was 154 also some sort of bug as well?

"A bug?" Gao Qi asked, frowning slightly, as You Huo closed his eyes, "Come sit with 154 and Wen Yuan."

Shu Xue timidly pointed towards herself, "... Me?"

"I see. This system is purposely preventing both Shu Xue and 154 from talking. They're clearly special, in some way, bug or not." Zhao Jiatong nodded, and turned to the Head Invigilators, "The pregnancy?"

"Probably a result of said bug." Chu Yue, and stared at Qin Jiu, and grinned, "She's yours, GIN."

"Huh? Mine?" Qin Jiu blinked at her, and You Huo stared, equally flabbergasted, because what the hell Qin Jiu has never slept with anyone besides from himself, "Hey, watch what you're saying, I don't go around-"

Invigilator Z just laughed, "No no, stupid, what I mean is... the bug that caused her pregnancy probably stemmed from you."

That just made everyone else confused, Shu Xue included, as several examinees helped escort her to Wen Yuan and 154, and shuffling their positions around to make space for her.

"When you were an examinee, you messed the System up so badly and exploited so many loopholes that bugs started to appear when the System..." Chu Yue waggled her finger, "Kind of shoots itself in the foot when all the new rules start to contradict each other."

Everyone paused... before bursting out into roaring laughter. After being tormented by the System for so long, knowing that a fellow examinee (a complete demon of an examinee, but still an examinee) was able to force the System to slap itself in the face...

This, they would TOTALLY pay to see.

Even 154 was snickering under his breath, "Serves them right."

"So yeah... whatever bug that caused her state..." Chu Yue smiled kindly at She Xue, "It was probably GIN's fault. Basically, just blame any bugs and glitches on him... because all of them pretty much occurred because of him."

You Huo was just glad for her explanation, because the idea of Qin Jiu being with anyone other than him just made his heart ache.

The pregnant woman who heard these words was stunned for a moment. Tears flowed steadily down her face.

Old Yu was surprised: "What's this? What's wrong?"

The woman silently cried: "I don't even know if it has life…"

Having said that, she still moved her chair closer to the fire.

"I mean... at least we don't have to worry about that..."

"But if it's two years in the future..." An invigilator turned to Shu Xue, "How are you still in there? Did you get an exam deferral card? And why did you act like you've never been in an exam before..."

Shu Xue remained quiet and confused as another invigilator hit him, "How is she supposed to know what her future self is doing?"

The woman cried for a while before finally stopping. With strong nasal tone, she said to Old Yu: "Oh right, please call me Yu Yao."

Everyone looked at Shu Xue suspiciously, and she just lowered her head.

"Hey! I'm sure she has her reasons..." Wen Yuan tried to defend her.

Old Yu forced out a laugh and said: "I didn't expect you to also be from the same family line. You look about the same age as my neph…"

Old Yu glanced at You Huo through the corner of his eyes. His words then quickly changed: "…son.

You Huo blinked, and looked up.

His uncle, who had spent his entire childhood afraid of him because what his mother had done, who had never been able to connect with his nephew because of You Huo's instinct to push people away...

Kicked out the System and with no memories of his past... it had still been his uncle who chose to help him. You Huo wouldn't have remembered a thing, wouldn't have known if Old Yu had really been family or not... and yet, without expecting anything from his nephew, his uncle had chosen to take care of him, to help him when You Huo really had nothing left.

Everyone just stared at the weird expression on You Huo's face. It still remained relatively impassive, but there was something... the way his eyes gleamed, ever so slightly...

It was obvious that this small change had meant a lot to You Huo, and they couldn't help but wonder, who had hurt You Huo in the past, to the point where his own uncle calling him son would have such a huge impact on him.

When we get out of this damned place, I'll give you a big fat red envelope to wish both mother and child a safe birth."

"Your uncle is so nice..." Qin Jiu smiled, turning to You Huo and grinning flirtatiously, "Hey, when we get married-"

"You dirty mother fucker-" Gao Qi threw his shoe at GIN, but the head of the hardliners just laughed, easily catching the shoe, and throwing it back at the other invigilator.

The other invigilators, besides from Chu Yue, looked equally disgusted, like the idea that Qin Jiu was actively flirting with their leader just bothered them, somehow. Chu Yue was amused, snickering along as You Huo glared at Qin Jiu and Gao Qi.

"Hey..." An examinee whispered quietly, "Were the invigilators always so... childish?"

"...Do you have a death wish?"

The tattooed man grumbled in a sullen face: "The situation is already fucking like this and you have the time to chat… Fuck!"

"Would it kill him to be nicer?" Someone grumbled, "And swearing around children?"

The others who heard his words stiffened. They scattered and started to search around the cabin.

However, while the others were looking for clues to solve the problem, the tattooed man concentrated on finding all kinds of self-defense hunting tools.

"... and with that, there goes their pen..." Someone grumbled.

"Stocking up on self-defense stuff isn't a bad plan... but still..."

Everyone had the same idea. If Invigilator A hadn't been there, trying to protect themselves wasn't a bad idea. But now that they knew the solution, and that You Huo would likely be able to figure it out, but even if he could, they still had no way of answering the question...

They knew they couldn't blame the tattooed man, who didn't know any better, but still!

You Huo didn't move away. He continued to warm up his hands by the stove. He gently touched the question on the wall and then looked down at the miscellaneous items sitting on top of the stove.

"Crap... A didn't even know he took the knife..." Someone cursed.

It wasn't You Huo's fault, the guy was trying to figure out the question, and he didn't have eyes everywhere to make sure no one did anything stupid, like jeopardizing their chances at survival.

There were a few bottles and jars, a pile of darkening coins, several strangely shaped pebbles, scattered chicken feathers and even a moldy pacifier from who knows what century.

"Eww... disgusting..."

Yu Wen saw that You Huo wasn't moving so he also didn't dare move.

He recalled what his teacher had said before he did the university entrance examination. When you have no clue, read the question a few times. Thinking this, he stood before the wall and read it through repeatedly.

"I mean... it's not a bad strategy..." A student backed Yu Wen up, "Sometimes, reading through the question gets your brain to really filter through the information..."

"A group of travelers came to a snow mountain…"

"Travelers…"

"Snow mountain…"

"Hm…"

"Except this question is stupid anyways..." Another student deadpanned.

When he returned to his senses after reading it through, he realized that the room was very quiet. Everyone was looking at him.

Yu Wen: "…I was just reading."

Old Yu had the same issue most parents have. When there are many people around, they wanted to show off their child: "Did you think of something?"

Yu Wen rolled his eyes: "No."

Everyone had a look of disappointment. They continued to rummage around.

"Well... at least he's trying...?"

Only the tattooed man didn't relent. He assessed Yu Wen suspiciously: "Really? You're not trying to hide something are you?"

Yu Wen: "Why would I hide it?"

"Why would he hide anything? They're supposed to work together!"

The tattooed man stared at him for a while. That look made those on the receiving end feel irked.

"Fine then. You'd better not be."

The thug appeared to be used to threatening others and every word that came out of his mouth was harsh. After he said that, he returned to rummaging through the hunting tools.

Yu Wen silently stuck up his middle finger and said inside: Stupid.

"Exactly!"

"You tell him, Yu Wen!"

The examinees started cheering for Yu Wen, much to 154's confusion.

This classmate had just entered adulthood and was still in a state of peak narcissism. He felt that everyone in the world was stupid and even his own father couldn't be spared. The only exception was You Huo.

The students all looked at each other and let out sheepish laughs.

Ain't that feeling familiar...

In fact, he had only become familiar with You Huo over the past two years. Old Yu had said that You Huo was staying overseas to receive treatment for his illness and would come back to China from time to time. Every time he returned, he would stay a few days at his place.

"...Illness?" Qin Jiu raised and eyebrow, turning to You Huo worriedly.

You Huo narrowed his eyes, seemingly pondering over this new set of information, and all the invigilators fell deathly silent, waiting for his verdict.

"Probably a cover-up, after the System kicked me out." You Huo concluded. As for why You Huo had been kicked out and had his memory wiped... he had a pretty good idea. Had they failed?

If so... how did he end up in the System again? How was Chu Yue and Qin Jiu doing? He was sure that Chu Yue would be relatively fine; she didn't have that big a part to play, and she could claim that it was all just a coincidence.

But Qin Jiu... if everything went according to plan, then GIN would have followed You Huo... and would have also been caught in the crossfire. Was he alright? Was he also kicked out of the System?

Seeing as You Huo wasn't going give anymore answers, they all turned away to murmur amongst themselves.

With the days all added up, it actually wasn't very long.

For example, there was something wrong with You Huo's memory. He would have no impression of people he had encountered a few years ago and this was also the reason why he went overseas for treatment.

"It still bothers me that the System would do that to him..." An invigilator grumbled, "He's the only reason the hardliners and moderates haven't murdered each other yet..."

Also, for example, the elders in the family appeared to be a little afraid of him.

This point really puzzled Yu Wen. He had asked Old Yu about this a few times, but Old Yu would always tell him to stop thinking useless things.

You Huo felt another pang of gratefulness towards his uncle. With his entire family afraid of him, it would have been so easy to throw him away, to toss him away like he was nothing, a troubled child of the family. His uncle could have explained that to Yu Wen, and it would have been so, so easy to steer his son away from his cousin.

But no, Old Yu had instead chosen to accept You Huo, to get his son to accept You Huo as well, to let go of the past and love You Huo for who he was now (or was in the future?) instead of letting the past drag him down.

Without his past, without the System, without that thing in his eyes... Old Yu had given him another chance to live again, to grow up again...

It was nothing compared to the years he had lost, but it was still something. And You Huo was grateful for that.

Another flash of warmth in his usually gold eyes. Somehow, everyone, even the examinees, started to feel like Invigilator A's coldness was just a coping mechanism, a way to protect himself from everything that had hurt him in the past...

Poor You Huo. They had all wronged him, so, so badly.

Time passed and he soon felt that it was normal.

After all, even the thug who had only just met You Huo was a little afraid.

The examinees all looked at You Huo, who was just watching passively... and all turned away.

Was Invigilator A scary when he wasn't even doing anything? Yep.

Was he scary when he wasn't actively schooling his expression into something impassive? Double yep.

Was You Huo scary when he was actively looking around the room, unknowingly hunting for a knife that was the pen, but also doubled as a weapon? Triple yep.

With his brother next to him, Yu Wen originally intended to call the thug a few names and anger him a little but when he turned back he saw that You Huo was gone.

Yu Wen: "…Where did he go?"

The pregnant woman asked Yu Wen: "Who are you looking for?"

It wasn't convenient for her to move around so she couldn't search the cabin with the others.

Everyone winced.

Even if this "pregnancy" was caused by a bug... it still must be a huge pain to have to move around with what was practically dead weight...

Shu Xue gently cradled her stomach, the words of the Black Widow echoing within her min...

Yu Wen: "My brother."

Yu Yao: "He went that way."

She indicated the direction with her chin.

"Oh, A... what are you doing now..."

This cabin wasn't small. On the first floor was the living room and three other rooms and in the corner was an old wooden ladder that led to a small attic above.

It was really because there were too many things here and the fact that there were many people inside as well that the cabin felt small and cramped.

The bedrooms on the first floor were locked. The strangely designed lock hanging from it was rusty.

"Er... are you sure that's the bedroom?" An examinee scratched the back of their head.

"Is there a kitchen?" Someone else asked.

"Wait... this exam is 2 days long... is there any food?"

"They can cook the chickens...?"

The examinees all shared a look as blood drained from their faces. They' rather starve than touch those chickens.

The invigilators glanced at each other. Sure, not having food was perfectly alright for military personnel; after all, they had to be ready for any scenario, having to perform stakeouts for a few days on end was nothing new to them. But for civilians... and "five deadly poisons" at that...

What the fuck was the System thinking?

What was even more strange was that a rooster was hung from one door and a hen on the other.

The two chickens had their blood drained, but their feathers were neatly combed. With their heads bent in the same direction, those looking at it felt a strange sense of horror.

When Yu Wen came over, You Huo was standing in the shadows by the door.

It was scarier than the chickens.

There was silence, before everyone roared with laughter.

You Huo being scarier than the dead chickens hanging from chains? Absolutely.

"Don't worry! I still love you even if you're scarier than the chickens!" Qin Jiu smiled at You Huo, who did not look the slightest bit happy at the statement.

While the other invigilators all looked rather... disturbed at the fact that GIN was flirting so openly with their leader... being an annoying asshole was pretty much ingrained in his personality; they were pretty damn sure he was just trying every single method under the sun to get under Invigilator A's skin and annoy him.

"Keep your hands off A!" Gao Qi growled protectively, but Qin Jiu just grinned at the other invigilator coyly.

"Brother, what do you have in your hands?" Yu Wen rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.

"Haven't you seen an axe?" You Huo lazily raised his eyes.

"I've seen it…"

"... I think he's more concerned as too.. why he has an axe..."

You Huo without any weapons was terrifying enough... and now, he was wielding what could potentially could be a murder weapon.

Yu Wen internally wanted to say that it was because he had seen it that he asked. Why are you holding an axe out of nowhere?

Holding it was fine but You Huo was also carelessly feeling out the blade with the thumb of his other hand.

"And there's that... isn't he afraid of cutting himself?"

"You think he would be the strongest invigilator if he would just cut himself like that?"

"... Makes sense."

"After looking around, have you thought of anything?" He asked without looking up.

"Ah?" Yu Wen was a little confused, "What should I have thought of?"

You Huo looked at him.

"Hmm?" Chu Yue grinned, "Looks like he's figured out what the "pen" is."

Suddenly, You Huo's action of seeking out a sharp object and inspecting its blade made a lot more sense to everyone else.

With his tall height, he would lower his eyes when looking at others. His eyes were also of a clear light brown color and his eyelids are thin. Although he is very good looking, with his expressionless face there was a sense of dissociation and distance.

"I like the emphasis on how good looking he is." GIN laughed, "Whoever made this knows what their talking about."

You Huo groaned internally. He loved Qin Jiu, really, despite him losing his memories... but sometimes he really just wanted to slap a wad of duct tape over his face to stem the nonsense that spewed from his mouth.

Everyone else chose to ignore the annoying invigilator and focused. Dissociation and distance... that was definitely a way to describe Invigilator A... pushing everyone away until there was no one left...

It really was quite sad.

It was hard to describe. In any case, you just couldn't feel any sense of familiarity.

Yu Wen couldn't handle the look: "Give me an example."

You Huo: "What questions are related to the snow mountains?"

Yu Wen: "…Not sure."

You Huo: "You didn't go to school?"

Yu Wen: "I went…"

"... to be fair... Snow Mountains would be more of a... Geography question?"

"I don't even think I've ever seen a snow mountain in a question."

"Maybe Literature? You know... a poem or a prose about a mountain?"

"Not in physics though..."

"Yeah, don't be so hard on Yu Wen!"

You Huo: "Did a dog go in your place?"

Chu Yue and several others nearly choked with laughter.

"A, you really should lighten up! If you make more jokes like these in meetings, they wouldn't be at each other's throats half the time!" She nearly cried with laughter.

"We're going to need Yu Wen too." Qin Jiu added, snickering slightly before sobering up, "And honestly... I'd rather we not drag anymore innocents into this bullshit system."

Yu Wen: "I learnt a few skills… Selecting the shortest option if three are long and one is short, selecting the longest one if three are short and one is long, choosing B if there are two long and two short options and choosing C if they are all different. I've basically relied on this for physics."

You Huo: "…"

"Who with the what now?"

"What kind of dumb strategy is this?"

"Well... it's better than guessing blindly... I guess?"

Yu Wen: "There's also another point."

You Huo: "…"

Yu Wen: "I learnt to give up."

"Uh... sorry to break it to you, Yu Wen... you can't exactly afford to do that here..."

"I mean... in a regular exam, it's not exactly the worst idea..."

"Yeah, giving up on a question and saving more time for other questions that you can potentially answer..."

"And sometimes, other later questions might accidentally contain some hints for the question you skipped."

"Or the exam gets your brain working and you suddenly remember something relate."

More and more university students, fresh graduates and young adults chimed in with more and more ideas, and 154 couldn't help but just stare at them sadly. They shouldn't be stuck in this system, wasting their lives away with the fear of being killed for making a minor mistake...

Upon seeing his shoulders slumping, Wen Yuan patted him on the back, "Hey, we'll get out of this, somehow."

You Huo: "Scram."

Everyone nearly choked again at You Huo's bluntness. Invigilator A was silent, never showing what he thought or felt...

But the You Huo they were seeing, not being constrained by his past... he was expressive, even if all his current emotions was just exasperation and annoyance at his semi-useless cousin (who wasn't actually that bad to begin with, anyone would look dull next to You Huo), he actually talked, he voiced his displeasure, asked his brother for his thoughts...

This You Huo felt way more human.

Somehow... they decided that You Huo losing his memory wasn't exactly the worst thing to happen. Of course, they'd much rather Invigilator A learn to loosen up, relax and express himself more without losing his memories and being tossed into a death trap...

Yu Wen guessed that if he continued, the axe would probably be lodged into his head so he quickly shut his mouth.

His beloved cousin finally looked away and no longer paid him any attention.

After a while, Yu Wen couldn't hold back and asked another question: "Brother, why are you holding onto that?"

"Finding a pen." You Huo said that and even snorted at him with slight disappointment. He then threw the small axe into a waste bucket.

"Maybe hold onto it? Since that gangster is hoarding all the weapons"

Yu Wen stared at the axe: "What are you looking for?"

You Huo: "Pen."

Yu Wen felt that either himself or You Huo must be crazy.

"Nah, it's the System that's crazy. Invigilator A is just smart enough to figure it out."

You Huo over no longer paid him any attention. After saying that, he climbed up the wooden ladder.

As they searched around, time went by very fast.

The red number on the wall had been changing from 6 to 5 and then to 4.

The time for their responses to be collected was getting closer and closer, and everyone became more and more tense. They had no clue and didn't know where to start. There was even a countdown resembling those in a university entrance examination before them.

"Oh god..."

"They don't have any time left..."

"And they don't know the tattooed guy took the pen..."

"What happens if they use the wrong pen? I think I saw some ink on the ledge... it should be okay, right?"

"If I use a pencil on my exams instead of a pen... I don't think I'll get penalized..."

"Yeah but if you use a red pen instead of a blue pen, for example..."

Under the strong pressure, there would always be people who would panic and start guessing haphazardly.

When You Huo came back down, the pregnant woman was holding onto a small black bottle and was about to write something on the blank wall.

The examinees stared at Shu Xue with respect; sure, they all had the idea to use the ink... but actually executing it... that took some real guts, especially with this cut-throat System.

Shu Xue looked down at her hands and smiled. She was glad her future self was taking the initiative and trying to help. She was a bug, somewhat considered an NPC... it was pretty unlikely she'd be penalized for using the wrong "pen".

Better her than the others. At the very least, the System wouldn't try to hurt itself.

The invigilators stared at each other. It didn't sound like too bad of an idea... at least, even if they got penalized for using the wrong pen, they should still be able to earn points if they could figure out what the System was looking for.

Even if the points deducted for using the wrong pen was more than the points earned from a correct answer, they still would have technically scored some points, and would earn themselves another six hours... which was way better than someone being evicted and dying in the snowstorm.

And yet... they had a feeling that this new way more vicious homicidal System wouldn't let them get away with it.

Rich acidic odor emanated out from the bottle. It was like ink that had been left out for too long, but its color was a little different from ink. Perhaps it was because of the dim lighting, it appeared a little rusty brown in color.

Everyone immediately blanched.

"Err... is that... really ink?"

No one really wanted that question answered. Not even You Huo or Qin Jiu.

"I… Is it really okay writing like this…?" Yu Yao's face was pale, and her voice revealed her inner panic. She seemed to be asking for reassurance from the others, "It doesn't have much to do with physics…"

"We have no information about the question so who knows what can give us points!" A bald and short middle-aged man yelled out with a sullen face: "I even suspect that there's probably no such thing as a correct answer! It's blank now and 6 hours later it will continue to be blank. We can't escape from death."

Some people squinted at the middle-aged man. Somehow... he looked a little familiar...

"I guess it is worth the risk... it's not like they can do anything else..."

He then glared at Yu Yao: "Don't have the courage to write? If you don't, I'll do it!"

Yu Yao shrank back a little. Her wet finger still landed on the wall.

She drew two strokes but saw that the water on her fingertip didn't leave any traces on the wall. The strokes that she made had already disappeared.

"Well... fuck. They can't even answer the question."

Everyone stared forwards, dejected. It wasn't that bad, at least they had eliminated a possibility, which was better than nothing... but without the knife... and more importantly, without a way to figure out the answer...

It was even accompanied by faint water sounds.

Like the answer wall had… swallowed it up.

"I, I can't do it…." Yu Yao panicked.

"How is that possible?! Not enough ink?" The bald man rushed over, stuck his finger in the ink bottle and forcefully pressed it onto the wall.

"... I don't think not having enough ink was the problem..."

The result was the same as before.

Before he was able to finish drawing one stroke, the beginning of it had already disappeared.

The faint water sound was heard again.

The bald man was stunned for a while. His emotions suddenly went out of control: "No… Why can't we write? It must be because there's not enough ink… not enough ink… yes…"

While everyone thought the bald man was acting stupidly... none of them could really blame him. It was a stressful scenario, with the threat of death... time was running out and they still ha no clue where to start...

They couldn't blame the man for freaking out and grasping desperately at the only solution they currently had.

He reached out to grab the ink bottle.

Just as the whole bottle of ink was about to be poured onto the wall, the bald man's hand was suddenly held down.

He turned out to look and saw You Huo looking down at him from above. With a cold face, he said impatiently: "Don't be crazy. The wall isn't right."

The bald man subconsciously struggled for a bit. His face was completely red but he couldn't pull back his hand.

Someone whistled, "Damn, he's strong. He ain't even budging."

"Yu Wen." You Huo turned his head, "Give me the rope by the wall."

The bald man struggled while his face was red and the veins on his neck bulged: "What are you doing?!"

"Tying you up... because you're acting irrationally."

"Maybe the ink will be needed in a future question. There's no point in wasting it all now."

They still didn't want to know if the ink was actually dried up, stale blood, or just rusty metallic ink or something.

You Huo used one hand to flexibly tie a knot. He wrapped the rope around him… and even tied his arms together.

Everyone's eyes widened, and their mouths fell open in shot.

"..."

"Holy shit..."

"That was... awesome..."

"Do all invigilators know how to do that?" An examinee asked in awe.

The invigilators all shared a look, before they looked away sheepishly. Sure... they had been taught how to do it at one point... but the examinees were all terrified of them, and they never had a reason to use that ability. They've probably forgotten all about it...

Classmate Yu Wen was shocked: "Brother… What did you do before? How can you do this so skillfully?"

You Huo's light colored eyes swept over him.

Yu Wen only now remembered… His brother probably didn't know himself .

They all scowled. They didn't need more of a reminder of how the System was screwing them over.

The bald man was thrown onto the beaten sofa. You Huo screwed shut the bottle of so-called "ink".

The moment the bottle cap was tightened, everyone in the room heard a soft sigh.

"Who?!"

"Wait... what?"

"What's going on?"

Everyone's hair stood up.

As the final stain on the answer wall faded, a line suddenly appeared in the originally blank space:

Violation warning: Did not use the correct exam stationery. The invigilator has been notified.

Invigilator: 001, 154, 922

"Oh fuck."

"Why did it only trigger now, after Invigilator A capped the bottle? And not when Shu Xue started using it?"

"She's a bug, right? Maybe the System got confused."

"Oh, hey, it's you!" Wen Yuan grinned at 154. It wasn't surprising that 154 was an invigilator... after all, he was already wearing the outfit, and he had a monitoring device, but the fact that the name given to him was his Invigilator number...

Did he not have a name?

Wen Yuan's smile fell. How could that be?

154 was not looking forward to seeing his future self... though he had to admit... a future where he was let out of the trash to experience the world... even if it was fake and intrusive and violent...

After the invigilators glanced at 154 and noticed how uncomfortable he looked, they inspected the violation warning again.

"Huh. No letters?" Zhao Jiatong frowned, "Invigilator 922? There are so many invigilators now?"

"How unlucky can A get!? He gets a death question on his first exam while having no memories... and gets the new Head Invigilator to supervise his exam?"

"How do you know 001 is the new head?"

"Well, the old System used A and Z to signify its head invigilators... if they changed to numbers, it's pretty obvious that 001 would be the new head..."

"Huh... makes sense..."

"Hopefully, Z would be the new head. If they kicked A out... naturally, Z would be in charge... right?"

"Did we all change codes too? I quite like my current code..."

"Maybe they have letters and numbers? So we retain our old letters, but the newbies get numbers?

"How many fricking invigilators are there in the future then?"

While the other invigilators tried to figure this out, You Huo and Chu Yue shared a look. It was pretty unlikely to be her. If the System had gone so far as to wipe his memory and kick him out... then there's no way they wouldn't take action against Chu Yue.

Worst (or maybe best?) case scenario, she was also kicked out and had her memory wiped... but her part wasn't too big anyways. It was more likely that the System would just demote her.

So just who was the new Head Invigilator?

The rooster in the cabin suddenly called out.

Yu Wen was so scared he almost cried out together with it. He grabbed onto his brother's sleeve and fearfully looked at the door with wide eyes.

"So... uh... what's the punishment for using the wrong stationery?"

Gao Qi frowned, "Probably solitary confinement? If nothing too drastic changed..."

All the examinees all paled. Some had suffered through that particular punishment, others had heard of it from the others...

They weren't looking forward to this, and they feared for Shu Xue and the bald man. They weren't sure if any of the ink had splashed onto You Huo by accident while the bald man had wrestled with him or while capping it... but he hadn't written on the wall, so hopefully, he would be safe, and could help the others in getting the "pen" from the tattooed gangster.

You Huo wanted to walk over to the door but he had Yu Wen hanging from him like a dead fish trying to hold him back. In the end, Yu Wen was dragged together as he moved over to the door.

"Damn... he has guts..."

It didn't have to be said, but the examinees agreed all the same. If it were them, they'd probably be hiding in the corner furthest from the door.

Outside the window, through the billowing snowstorm, three figures appeared in the distance.

The one at the front was tall, had short black hair and was wearing a slim-fitting coat. Even just by looking at the outline, you could see that his figure was straight and proper. When he walked over to the door, a gust of wind blew past and the snow within it obscured his vision.

He lowered his head and blinked a little, and snow particles fell from his face. When he looked up again, his dark eyes that reflected some of the snow just happened to land on You Huo.

"... EXCUSE ME? GIN?"

"WAIT, GIN's code changed to 001? He's the new Head Invigilator?"

"Maybe he's the 922?"

"Do you really think he'd settle for a 922?"

Somehow, despite the chaos... everyone felt a sense of relief. They would have preferred Chu Yue, but Qin Jiu wasn't a bad option either. Sure, he and Invigilator A didn't get along most of the time, whether GIN had been an examinee or an invigilator... but Qin Jiu wasn't a bully.

Once he saw that You Huo didn't have his memories, it was more likely that he would try to help his former Head Invigilator, and jump through all sorts of loopholes in order to do so.

While You Huo had been the only invigilator who could handle the demon king of an examinee Qin Jiu... the opposite would most likely be true as well.

"Honestly... I'm not surprised he's the new Head."

"Is the System dumb? Making its most troublesome examinee the new head invigilator?"

"It already wiped his memory of his examinee days though..."

"To be fair... better GIN then us..." A moderate admitted, "He'll probably know how to solve this issue faster than all of us combined."

Chu Yue, You Huo and Qin Jiu all shared a look. Sure... but it was all dependent on one thing; whether he still retained his memories. Based on the plan (that Qin Jiu still didn't know too many of the details of), You Huo and Qin Jiu would be doing most of the leg work.

At this point, it was obvious; their plan had failed, and You Huo had paid the price. But if even You Huo had his memory wiped and had been sent out...

What would the System have done to Qin Jiu?

You Huo subconsciously touched his earring.

You Huo and Qin Jiu shared a glance. That earring... it had to be a gift from him. Even if future You Huo didn't know it. Why else would he react like that...

The latter grinned. You Huo really did look good with that stud earring. It was pretty small and minimalistic too; no doubt that it wouldn't take long for You Huo to get used to it, and it wouldn't affect his work either...

"My dear, would you like an earring like that?" Qin Jiu leaned over, and Gao Qi nearly choked, "My dear!? What is wrong with you, GIN?!"

You Huo visibly rolled his eyes, much to everyone's surprised; Qin Jiu was really getting under his skin...

Meanwhile, GIN just laughed to himself at You Huo's reaction. That was a yes, then.

Yu Wen whispered next to him in a small mosquito-like voice: "Don't tell me you know him?"

You Huo furrowed his brows and quietly answered: "I forgot. "

"Is it just me... or is 001 being... oddly stiff for someone who's.. you know... flirting with Invigilator A?"

"Shh... maybe it's just not focusing on him yet."

They could just pray that was the case.

But the trio knew that there was no use in praying. The System had taken Qin Jiu's memories as well.

Chapter Text

You Huo wanted to cry.

The System had stolen Qin Jiu's memories not just once, but twice. Once after they had gotten together... and once again, after they had just gotten onto semi-friendly terms with each other after being leaders of two extremely hostile factions...

This System had stolen his entire life from him. Couldn't he just have this one thing?

Noticing his internal, silent distress, Qin Jiu shuffled closer ever so slightly. The movement was small enough that Gao Qi, who was still stuck on the fact that GIN was the new Head Invigilator, didn't notice, but it was more than enough for You Huo, who glanced at him gratefully.

Judging from their positions, the man at the front was probably Invigilator 001.

He acted like someone who came to find shelter from the snow. While he assessed the cabin, he took off his leather gloves and said with a smile: "Not bad, there's even a fire. The snow outside is quite heavy so it was very cold coming here."

The invigilators and examinees all froze. Sure, Qin Jiu was an ass half the time... but he would never act like this towards clearly terrified examinees. Even without his examinee memories, he was more likely to subtly help examinees and tease his fellow invigilators...

Especially now that they had "five deadly poisons" as examinees. Two elementary school children, a pregnant woman (sure, she's a bug, but future Qin Jiu wouldn't know that), three elderly people, an alcoholic, a sick man, a fucking foreigner that somehow appeared in the System and didn't understand a lick of Chinese...

Qin Jiu was playful, but he wasn't that much of a bastard.

But now, GIN just looked cold, uncaring, like his heart had been frozen a dozen times over.

This wasn't Qin Jiu. He wasn't like this...

What had the System done to him?

No one smiled back.

Most of the people in the room had shrunken back.

He acted like he didn't notice this reaction and leisurely walked over to the fire stove to warm up his hands. The smile from earlier still lingered at his lips and it brought along with it a sense of lazy teasing.

"What the fuck!?" Someone finally found their voice, "GIN... what are you..."

Even Qin Jiu looked disturbed by just how... dead... his future self seemed.

All of them already had some form of memory loss about their lives outside the system, and for newer invigilators, their memories of the exams they completed to earn their positions were also dulling.

But to have their memories completely wiped not just once, but twice...

The snow on his shoulders and collar slowly disappeared, leaving behind a slightly damp stain. It then slowly dried up.

Everyone stared at him, but no one dared to speak.

"This is just... wrong..." Someone gasped, horrified.

Sure, Invigilator A and GIN were opponents at the best of times, but they had been pretty close ever since Chu Yue forced them to sit together for this viewing experience. At the very least, You Huo had been pretty tolerant towards Qin Jiu's bullshit, and now that the suffocating System wasn't watching over them, they were all allies.

(Actually, they weren't too sure where You Huo and Chu Yue stood. They had never really voiced their opinions regarding the system.)

But given the right circumstances, those two actually got along just fine.

But now, with both Qin Jiu and You Huo with their memories wiped... purposely placed on two opposing sides, forced to become each other's worst enemy...

Did the System think that this was funny? Swapping their positions, wiping their memories clean into a blank slate...

What kind of sick joke was this?

And Qin Jiu... he's never tolerated the System's bullshit before, even as an invigilator...

No wonder the System had made the leader of the hardliners its new Head Invigilator; it had not only wipe his memory, but warped his personality as well.

The tin can that was thrown out was smashed into smithereens, but they went through the snow without a single scratch on their skins.

Yu Wen hid behind You Huo while trembling. It even caused You Huo to shake along with him.

He pathetically asked: "Are they still human?"

The 001 man appeared to have heard this and he turned to look at You Huo.

His eyes were an extremely dark black. With him standing against the light, the light from the fire would occasionally flicker in his eyes. The teasing in his eyes still had not yet scattered.

"What kind of sick future is this!?" A moderate screeched, "What happened to us!?"

"If it could do that to GIN..."

"The damn System... it stole pasts, our memories, robbed us of everything that made us human..." Another invigilator clenched his fists, "This System can't continue running like this..."

Was that why the System was still standing in the future? Because the System had taken away everything that made them them... turning them into mindless puppets of the System that just did what they were told...

"A... you can't possibly support the System... not after everything it's done..."

You Huo just glanced at the other invigilators, immediately shutting them up.

You Huo expressionlessly looked back at him. He grabbed onto the trembling boy behind him and asked calmly: "Can you shut up?"

Yu Wen didn't dare to move.

The others all shared a helpless look. How could Invigilator A still continue to support the System after all this... Or was he just pretending?

They so desperately wanted to know the answer... but they knew that You Huo would never give it to them.

It was only until Mr. 001 finished warming up his hands and wore his gloves again that the invigilator standing at the door spoke in an official tone: "We are the invigilators for this round. I am No. 154. We have just received news that two of you didn't follow the examination rules."

The examinees and invigilators stared at future 154... then at their 154. Future 154 looked confident, having already adapted to his role as an invigilator... yet cold, heartless, just like 001.

Nothing like the 154 who had appeared out of nowhere, confused and unsure of himself. Nothing like the 154 who feared the monitoring device on his finger. Nothing like the 154 who didn't want to be thrown away again.

They had already seen the difference with Qin Jiu, but to see it again... it was just disturbing.

Meanwhile, 154 just peered at the invigilator that stood next to future him, and nudged Wen Yuan, "Isn't that you?"

"I'm also an invigilator?" Wen Yuan nearly choked on his saliva

The fact that examinees could become invigilators... let alone good scores, they'd be happy just passing and not fucking dying. Even if the invigilators were also goofy and childish and were still pretty much humans... their authority still ensured that there was some kind of gap between them.

Not just 154, but also Wen Yuan... all the other examinees unconsciously shuffled further away from them.

Shu Xue patted him on the arm comfortingly, while Qin Jiu peered at the duo curiously. Sure, after all the mind-fuckery the System had done, it was no guarantee that the 154 and 922 in the future would be the same as the 154 and Wen Yuan than they knew now... but still... Qin Jiu was rather curious about his future subordinates.

Wen Yuan and 154 shrunk back from his gaze, and shared an uncertain look. Both of them had to have been invigilators to some time for them to be accompanying 001 personally... just how much had the System taken from them in that period of time?

The pregnant lady Yu Yao turned pale. She was originally unable to stand up straight and this time she was about to faint.

She was like a water faucet. Tears gushed out from her eyes.

As for the bald man tied up on the sofa… he didn't even dare to breathe.

"But…"

Someone suddenly spoke up.

"Brave soul, whoever that is."

Invigilator 154 stopped and looked at the speaker.

Yu Wen quickly poked his head out from behind You Huo.

Unexpectedly, the person who spoke up was his alcoholic old man, Old Yu.

Everyone perked up. It seemed like even You Huo's uncle had some spunk to him.

"In… In the first place, we weren't told how we should answer the question." Old Yu fearfully stuttered.

"Well... it is an exam..."

"Not helping."

"There are clues for all rules." 154 said.

"Where are the clues?"

No. 154 looked at him expressionlessly: "I'm not an examinee."

154 lowered his own head. He didn't like how cold he was being to You Huo's uncle.

They weren't even supposed to be here in the first place...

"Bu-but we didn't know! We're not guilty if we didn't know….." Old Yu's voice got smaller and smaller and it eventually turned into the sound of a mosquito.

No. 154: "This has nothing to do with us."

154 wanted to dig a hole and hide away.

Qin Jiu looked at him with sympathy. He was technically the first victim of "my future self is an asshole and that makes me feel bad", but most people didn't hold it against him; how could they, when he literally didn't have any memories of his past... and he already felt terrible about it.

And now, poor 154 would be bashed for something that wasn't his fault.

With a deadpanned face, No. 154 continued with his job: "We only punish the relevant personnel who violated the rules. The others can continue to take the exam."

As he said that, he pulled out a white note. He read the scribbled information on it.

"According to our sources, the offender was a middle-aged man and a young girl-"

As dire as the situation was... 154's confused expression was just funny; his note was telling him that there was a young girl, but the only one who could possibly fit the description was the twins and Shu Xue.

The twins probably couldn't even reach the answer sheet in the first place, which left Shu Xue... who looked nothing like a young girl.

"Who wrote that damn note?"

"Probably GIN. He is the Head Invigilator, after all."

He turned to look at Mr. 001. He then looked back at the note and stopped for a few seconds.

"GIN... are you trying to mess with 154?" A hardliner asked.

"I have no idea... but even if I wanted to mess with him... this is hardly noteworthy." Qin Jiu grinned, turning to 154 playfully, "Maybe I'll go into your room and stick everything to the ceiling. Now that's a prank."

Even though he didn't even have a room, 154 shuddered.

With a firm expression, he repeated: "A middle-aged man and a lady. The two offenders, please come with us."

As he said that, the other invigilator had already picked up the bald man from the sofa and dragged him over to the door like a dead dog.

Wen Yuan couldn't help but wince at how... brash he was being. Sure, he was just doing his job... but surely he knew what it was like to be an examinee, filled with nothing but fear for his life... he shouldn't be treating the examinees like this...

The door was opened and cold air rushed in.

Snow particles covered their faces and everyone in the room screamed and shrank over to the fire stove. It was as if they would be smoldered into dust if the snow touched them.

Everyone watched as Invigilator No. 922 stepped out with the bald man and disappeared into the snowstorm.

Left behind was the bald man's fearful screams and a small water stain on the ground.

No. 154 continued with his deadpanned expression: "There's also another lady, uh, woman…"

"I still think it's GIN messing with 154..." A moderate deadpanned, and all the other invigilators nodded in agreement.

He looked up and scanned the room with furrowed brows.

Old Yu and two good-hearted old ladies took advantage of the chaos earlier to hide Yu Yao behind them but they trembled like a leaf.

No. 154's eyes was just about to look over when Mr. 001 pointed his chin at You Huo, "The other is him. Take him away."

"Errr... who?" Zhao Jiatong asked, tilting her head in utter confusion.

In what kind of weird parallel alternate world would You Huo, Invigilator A himself... be classified as a young girl?

"Who?"

No. 154 looked down at the note.

The sharply scribbled handwriting clearly read - Young girl.

No. 154 looked at You Huo with a blank look.

Who's a fucking young girl? You Huo stared at Qin Jiu, unamused. The latter just chuckled, a confused expression on his face as he tilted his head one way, then the other.

"GIN!? Why are you targeting him!?" Gao Qi roared.

"Honestly. I have no fucking idea." Qin Jiu tilted his head the other way again, trying to read his future self's actions, "But the System isn't correcting me... since Shu Xue is a bug, the System allowed Big Invigilator to take her place? Even that doesn't make sense..."

It didn't, but it was the only explanation they had. The System would have definitely called Qin Jiu out if he had sentenced someone wrongfully to a confinement room, since it was against the rules, and yet, it had remained quiet. The System also prided itself on its ability to maintain the rules... so even if it was actively targeting You Huo, it wouldn't allow him to be sentenced to the confinement room with no reason.

Maybe he had been too close to the scuffle, and some ink really did splash on him? So the System took it as a sign of his participation?

It was the only explanation to make sense. And maybe, off screen, the System had made some errors while issuing the violation warnings; after all, if Qin Jiu really wanted to prank someone, he would make it as extravagant as possible, and wouldn't drag examinees into it...

And if he had passed that duty to 154 and Wen Yuan, well, they both looked like good boys who would follow the instructions to a T, and wouldn't mess it up.

You Huo who was being looked at stared at Mr. 001 coldly.

No. 154 was certain that if this cold-faced handsome guy had a knife in his hand, he would've already cut off his boss's head.

"Hey, look, even my little subordinate thinks you look handsome." Qin Jiu teased You Huo, as 154 turned away. Even if it was his future self talking, he didn't want to be caught dead calling You Huo, who was essentially his older brother, handsome.

"We should give future A a knife so that he can chop future GIN's head off." Gao Qi grumbled.

"This–"

When he just wanted to speak, Mr. 001 who gave him his orders turned up his coat collar and walked out into the snowstorm.

…

"Fuck! Brother!"

"Dammit! Why don't any of you speak any sense!" Old Yu exploded.

"... yeah, GIN, why don't you speak any sense?"

"I told you, the System didn't stop me, don't blame me!" Qin Jiu argued, "I don't even know him in that future, why the hell would I be targeting him?"

"Your hearts remembered you were enemies." A moderate spat, "You guys probably instinctively could feel the tension between yourselves."

Chu Yue wanted to choke herself in her internal laughter. Oh, their hearts definitely remembered something, alright, but the tension was probably due to something else...

"It's not him! It's me! Not him–" Yu Yao was stunned for a couple of seconds before quickly rushing out from behind everyone.

Everyone looked at Shu Xue with respect. If someone had taken their punishments... how many people would have gone to an invigilator and willingly implicate themselves?

However, when they looked over, the door was open. Snow continued to pour into the room along with gusts of wind.

There was not a soul by the door.

The three invigilators, along with the bald man and the wrongly accused You Huo, had disappeared without a sound.

"Stop shouting! They're already gone. If you want, you can go chase after them!" The tattooed man gnashed his teeth and strode over to slam the door shut. He even added two locks.

"You know... as much as I hate him... He's right." An examinee groaned, "There's nothing they can do about it now."

The room went quiet. Old Yu's eyes were red. He slapped his thigh angrily and sat onto the floor.

Yu Yao fell back onto the chair. She cried even more miserably.

Ever since she entered this cabin, she had not stopped crying. She was about to finish crying out her entire lifetime of tears.

Yu Wen stood stiffly facing the door with a pale face. He then turned around to pick his father up. With a frown, he said: "My brother left me a message."

"Wait... when?"

"How?"

"He was able to leave a message despite all that?"

"I mean.. Yu Wen was clinging to him pretty tightly... wouldn't be too hard to whisper something..."

"What?" Old Yu was shocked.

That invigilator took him away so quickly yet You Huo was able to have time to leave a message?

"He asked me to find a knife." Yu Wen said.

"You know... got to give credits to your cousin." Zhao Jiatong nodded approvingly, "Despite all that going on, he still managed to catch onto the message you gave him, and act level headedly."

Everyone had to agree with her. While everyone had been panicking over the stone-cold invigilators and the whole "taking people away" fiasco... how many could keep their calm and actually properly receive instructions from someone who was, in their opinion, being wrongfully accused of doing something?

"What knife?"

Yu Wen slowly shook his head. He didn't answer. Instead, he turned to look at the answer wall.

Old Yu also looked over.

His eyes slowly swept over the wall. Finally, it settled in one place.

It was those thin knife marks.

"And they got it."

"Who did that?" Old Yu was stunned for a moment.

Yu Wen: "It was there before. I saw it before the question was given."

He thought back for a moment and finally understood his brother's previous actions.

"I understand now."

"Compared to a lot of people... I'll say Yu Wen's actually not that bad." Chu Yue hummed, "It is their first exam. Give him some time to get the hang of the rules, and I'm sure he'll do just fine."

You Huo grunted. He didn't want his brother or uncle anywhere in this System, period.

Old Yu was very confused: "What do you know now?"

"Brother earlier was constantly saying that he was looking for a pen, but he was holding an axe in his hand." Yu Wen looked at the knife marks on the wall and said, "Earlier didn't that invigilator also say that there are clues for all rules? These knife marks are the clues."

The ink couldn't leave traces on the wall but a knife can.

So it is the so-called pen.

Old Yu's eyes brightened. He let out a sigh: "Sure enough, he's still very good."

Yu Wen: "Huh?"

"Then let's find a knife! At least we can be of help."

Everyone nodded approvingly at Old Yu. They had already liked him, declaring You Huo as his son and accepting his System-inflicted amnesiac self despite his fears towards him, and even looking out for the not-really-pregnant Shu Xue.

You Huo smiled internally. His uncle probably knew a bit about the System, having visited his mother before she died... He feared him because of that thing in his eyes, the unconscious feeling of being watching, of having every single movement analyzed...

And yet, he had never told Yu Wen anything, never did anything to sully his son's impression of You Huo. He let Yu Wen bond with You Huo naturally, without being tainted by his broken, shattered past...

And even then, Old Yu wasn't spilling anything about You Huo, opting to actually be useful and help him out.

That was probably the best thing Old Yu could have done for him.

Old Yu wanted to turn around to let the others know of this news, but his mouth was covered by Yu Wen.

"No, no, no, don't!"

Yu Wen pretended to be comforting Old Yu. He patted Old Yu's back and said: "Don't worry, don't worry. My brother will be fine!"

Old Yu was about to vomit out blood from his smacks.

"Dang, Yu Wen's got some muscles." The examinees started joking amongst themselves to lighten the mood.

He again said in an extremely small voice: "Brother said that the knife was hidden away."

"Yeah, I think your cousin would do just fine." Chu Yue grinned.

Yu Wen was nowhere on You Huo's level... but having the common sense to not announce his brother's conclusion to everyone, and to improvise when his uncle was about to do something that could jeopardize the entire plan of finding the knife... Yu Wen did have some brains.

"It's just that compared to you, everyone looks stupid." She finished, snickering.

The snow got stronger.

Wind would randomly blow from all directions. Everywhere outside was misty, and you couldn't see the outlines of the mountains and trees. In the distance, you could see faint lights.

You Huo walked through the snow with a cold expression.

"Urg... that looks cold..."

"I don't think Invigilator A and that bald man's clothes are thick enough..."

Though, to be fair, 922 didn't look like he was wearing much more than You Huo, being just dressed in his invigilator's suit. At least 154 had a waist length cloak that hung over his shoulders snugly, but You Huo's shoulders were wider, and the bald guy was also... larger.

001 was the only one who had a full length coat.

When he was pushed out the door, the cabin behind him disappeared. Even if he wanted to go back, he couldn't.

But there was one thing that is confirmed – With the accompaniment of the invigilators, they wouldn't be turned into smithereens in the snow.

But compared to the snow, the invigilators were more worrisome.

The bald man was still in grief. He looked like he was at a funeral. Fortunately, they didn't go too far. Before they froze to death, he finally saw a house.

"Would the System... actually let them freeze to death, just like that?"

The invigilators shared another uneasy look.

"It shouldn't... but since this was built for military personnel... the System might also just blame it on human weakness... we're honestly not sure..." A moderate admitted glumly.

It was a very small western styled building which sat alone in the middle of the woods.

In general, ghosts tend to like to inhabit these kinds of houses.

"We're here." No. 154 pushed You Huo in.

"Good. Finally, some warmth."

They were all cold just looking at the background.

Under the light, You Huo's handsome face was stiff from the cold. His thin lips were pursed tight and his skin was cold and pale.

Everyone shot Qin Jiu another glare, but they also knew that he had no control over future amnesiac 001's actions, so they also couldn't really blame him too much.

This small building went through some sort of strange refurbishment and it was completely covered in murals and sculptures. Big and small, they covered every corner of the house.

"The System is so full of itself." An invigilator grumbled. The other invigilators were just happy that the examinees were at the very least, relaxed enough to try and get a better look at the invigilator's quarters, as the examinees were all looking at the decorations in awe.

Those who had been punished before had been way too scare to take in the beauty of the invigilator's temporary accommodations, and those who hadn't... they were far too busy not trying to die. They didn't have time to think about where the invigilators stayed.

Another invigilator whistled, "Damn, you guys really lucked out with this one. I half-expected a run down building like the test site."

"Wouldn't that just be punishing us?" 154 muttered under his breath.

When they looked around, he found himself facing a pale, stiff face.

The moment the bald man entered, he collapsed to the ground.

Seeing that he was about to leave another pool of water, No. 922 didn't hesitate to drag him down the corridor.

The bald man's cries came from that direction: "What are you doing? I was wrong. I was wrong – I won't so anything bad anymore! What are you going to do?!"

They couldn't help but feel bad for the bald man. Confinement rooms were truly a horrifying experience...

They stared at Wen Yuan, who fidgeted nervously in his seat. He seemed equally horrified at just how... insensitive his future self was.

Wen Yuan, a kind hearted examinee who didn't hesitate to help a lost and confused 154 when he had suddenly been deposited into this odd space, an examinee who knew the horrors of the exam... and he had been twisted into a cold, uncaring invigilator who was just doing his job.

They still found the stark contrast disturbing.

This System, whatever it was... really had to end.

"Afraid?"

A deep voice suddenly rang by his ear.

Mr. 001 who was standing next to You Huo while taking off his gloves, asked this casually.

You Huo glanced at him and walked straight past him.

"Oh god... A is going to be in a confinement room..."

The realization just seemed to hit them. Invigilator A himself... trapped in a confinement room for three hours...

"Maybe it was good that he didn't remember anything... the confinement room wouldn't be able to find anything he was scared of, because he didn't remember anything?" An examinee asked timidly.

That was just bullshit, and they all knew it. The confinement room didn't just pull out memories, but fears, regret, buried deep within one's heart, and flashes it in their faces.

But they were just grasping at anything that would make them feel better.

No. 154 glanced at You Huo and then looked over at 001.

"Why are you looking at me?" Invigilator 001 pointed at the corridor with his chin. He said lazily: "Hurry and go. Someone can't wait any longer."

"If I were an amnesiac..." Someone muttered, "I think my confinement room would just be purely of the invigilators..."

"He doesn't even know his punishments though..." Someone else murmured, "Maybe that's why he's so callous about it..."

"Not helping!"

The little western building didn't look very big, but that corridor was very long.

So long that people would begin to wonder if it there was something supernatural at play and you would never be able to get out.

Fortunately, it wasn't an endless corridor.

A few minutes later, 922 stopped his steps and opened a door. He pushed the bald man in and then locked it.

You Huo finally opened his mouth and asked: "What punishment?"

"Wow... he even has the guts to ask that question..."

"It is Invigilator A, you know."

"I thought he would ask earlier, to be honest."

No. 154 was stunned for a moment. He said: "Solitary confinement."

You Huo: "…"

He felt that these group of people may be addicted to playing house.

Everyone wanted to choke in laughter. As usual, You Huo's internal monologues just... sliced through all the tension like a hot knife through butter.

Surely, if that was going through his head... it wasn't going to be as bad as they expected?

"Big Invigilator..." Qin Jiu had to hold back his snickers, "You're the leader of this "group of people addicted to playing house"."

Chu Yue grinned to herself. She wasn't too sure if You Huo's confinement room would be the same, having left the System for a while... but she was confident that he'll be safe.

He looked at No. 154.

154: "I'm not lying. It really is solitary confinement."

For some reason, despite being an invigilator, when he said this his voice changed slightly and it was a little tense.

The invigilators winced, and shared a look., much to the surprise of the examinees. Sure, they understood that the invigilators had once been examinees that had been confined before...

Examinees who might have broken a rule or two, either by accident, or by trying to save others; especially those from the dare-to-die squad, or the military, or overprotective adults trying to save the younger adults...

They weren't surprise to see that 154 would have been confined before. He looked like a good boy, someone who would follow every single instruction perfectly... but then they remembered his interactions with Wen Yuan. 154 still had a heart, still had empathy and wanted to help... it was no wonder that he might have tried to help someone else, and ended up in a confinement room for violating a rule.

But to see that even the invigilators were so scared of the confinement rooms... and yet, 922 didn't seem to care too much when dragging that bald man inside... almost like he didn't remember the horrors of the confinement room too well to be afraid of it.

And yet, 154 remembered.

"You're scared." You Huo said. "You were confined before?"

154 furrowed his brows: "What am I afraid of? You should be more scared."

From the way his voice changed, the tension in his posture, his voice wavering ever so slightly... 154 remembered, very clearly indeed.

Somehow, they couldn't help but wonder what 154's confinement room would be like.

When he finished saying this, he felt something strange under his foot. The sensation below the sole of his feet felt different. It seemed to feel a bit…sticky.

He then heard the faint sound of water. He looked down and saw a thick later of water seep out from under the door.

Inside the door was the bald man.

After being stunned for two seconds, he reacted. It was blood.

"What... the... hell..."

"If there's so much blood that it's leaking out..."

"No wonder that bald man is so terrified..."

"Don't worry, you won't die." 154 said.

It wasn't death that was scary.

Dying was painless; it was living with all that fear, all those regrets... all those "what if I had done something different"...

That was far more scary than death.

He opened another door on the opposite side and took advantage of the moment when You Huo is in thought to push him in: "Make the most of your time."

When he was done, he slammed the door shut. From outside, there was the clattering of a lock being put in place.

You Huo heard his voice vaguely through the cracks between the doors: "They shouldn't be so harsh for just using the wrong stationery. Solitary confinement will only let you experience the most fearful things in your life. I'll pick you up after three hours.

He was actually in one.

You Huo, the almighty Invigilator A... was actually in a confinement room.

"Are we... going to see the confinement room?" An examinee asked. Everyone stared at You Huo, who looked like he didn't give a single fuck, before sharing a look... and promptly deciding that they didn't want to see his confinement room.

After all, something that could scare a great master like him... was probably nightmare fuel.

On the second floor of the little western building, Invigilator 001 sat on the arm chair with one hand supporting his chin.

On the table was a metal bird stand and a pitch-black bird sat on it.

"... Why do you have a pet crow?" Someone asked curiously.

An invigilator snorted, "That's not a pet. That's another kind of monitoring device. I'm sure you've had exams with birds, rabbits... maybe a rat or two..."

The examinees all froze. Those were all monitoring devices? Even though they already knew the System was watching their every move... the fact that they had been watching so closely...

His eyes fell onto the snow coated woods outside. While his finger rubbed the bird's head, there was no expression on his face. He was clearly extremely bored.

Invigilator 922 was madly complaining: "Fucking hell, he pissed himself four times on the way there. I say one thing, he pisses himself. I say another thing and he pisses himself again!"

Wen Yuan cringed at his future self. He's been in the confinement room before, he knew how terrifying it was... sure, he never pissed himself out of fear but... how could he be complaining about the bald man so callously? Surely he should be empathizing with the man, not wanting to face his deepest fear...

Had they been in the System for so long that they had long since given up hope of escaping, being worn down day after day of personally dishing out punishments to examinees who accidentally violated rules, of watching people die, one after another, murdered brutally by the unfair exams... to the point where they weren't even affected by it anymore?

Had those three years in the System really stripped him of his kindness, his empathy... stripped him of what made him Wen Yuan?

Upon seeing the distressed expression on Wen Yuan's face, 154 unbuttoned his cloak and carefully draped it around Wen Yuan; he looked like he needed the support... but 154 didn't know what else to do.

Still, Wen Yuan shot him a small, wobbly, grateful smile, and 154 smiled back in return.

No. 154 walked in shaking the paper in his hand: "Young girl! You wrote young girl yourself!"

He could no longer maintain his deadpanned expression. If you lent him 100x courage, he would even be brave enough to shove the note into 001's face.

Unfortunately, he didn't dare.

"I don't blame him... but still..." Gao Qi sighed; he's been an invigilator longer than Qin Jiu, so he knew that while GIN was generally considered a demon king to the System, having fucked it up so badly, he was generally a pretty chill guy... even if he was an obnoxious, annoying brat that was currently trying to flirt with You Huo for some odd reason (what on earth was going through his head?).

But for future 154, who's only known heartless, stone-cold, amnesiac Qin Jiu... no wonder he didn't dare.

Turning to 154, Gao Qi pointed at Qin Jiu, "Next time, you can dump a whole stack of paper on his head."

"Hey!" Qin Jiu protested, while 154's gaze flickered between the two invigilators, not sure who to side with.

However, after the two of them complained for a while they noticed that the person in the armchair wasn't responding. He continued to look out the window.

"Boss? Boss?" 922 tried calling out a few times. Finally, he could only increase his volume: "Qin Jiu!"

Mr. 001 finally returned to his senses.

922 pulled 154 over to be scolded and quickly slipped back.

"Asshole." 154 complained, glaring at Wen Yuan, who wanted to protest, but also knew that his future self was being stupid.

Wen Yuan let out a sheepish, apologetic laugh and scratched the back of his head, "Sorry!"

154: "…."

Fuck you.

154 nodded, almost pouting, "I agree. Fuck you."

The invigilators, an even some examinees, had to stifle their snickers as an annoyed 154 reached up and whacked Wen Yuan on the shoulder lightly.

"I said I'm sorry- Oww! Don't hit me!"

"Hmph!"

Qin Jiu's eyes swept back and forth between the two of them: "I wasn't paying attention earlier so I didn't hear. Complain again?"

154 shook his head: "Forget it."

922 timidly walked up: "Boss… What's wrong?"

Qin Jiu raised his eyebrow: "What is that senseless talk?"

"... He was distracted by something, I guess?"

"No… I just felt that you don't seem to be in a good mood." 922 said.

"I don't?"

"Yes… a little." 922 said: "Because you were dragged over to be an invigilator?"

"No."

"Then why…" 154 muttered.

"Speak louder. I didn't hear the second half." Qin Jiu glanced at him.

When he used his pitch-black eyes to stare at others, the others would always feel uncomfortable. Even if 154 and 922 had followed him for almost 3 years, they still couldn't get used to it.

Everyone immediately froze, and stared at Qin Jiu.

Sure, he had been rather unsympathetic and heartless to the examinees... but most people had expected him to, at the very least, loosen up among his fellow invigilators, especially if 154 and Wen Yuan had been following him for three years. And yet... even they were uncomfortable around him, just from being stared at.

They knew that the System had been the harshest with Qin Jiu, and that having all of his memories wiped out not just once, but twice, would take a massive toll on him... but Qin Jiu's eyes, which were so full of life, of playfulness, usually glinting upon thinking of a new prank to pull on his fellow examinees, full of fire when arguing to destroy the System... now empty and dead, as cold and empty as the abyss, like he had nothing else left...

You Huo glowered internally. That failure had costed them three years; three years in the System that had killed them, had extinguished his cheerful, spirited Qin Jiu's flame, had destroyed the kind and naive Wen Yuan, and 154, who wasn't even an examinee yet... and twisted them into cold, callous shadows of their former selves.

Gao Qi hated to admit it... but he'd much rather have this annoying, flirty bastard of a Qin Jiu instead of the future uncaring, unfeeling 001 (not that he'd tell GIN that, anyways).

154 once again shrank back.

Qin Jiu winced, and sent 154 an apologetic look.

He cleared his throat and said: "I said… You are in a good mood so why did you drag someone who didn't violate the rules over? Isn't this a bit of a violation of the rules?"

Qin Jiu said: "I'm following the rules. He had 'ink' on his hands. Didn't you see it?"

"So..." A brave examinee spoke up, breaking the tense silence, "The ink really did splash on Invigilator A?"

With a new topic to think about instead of pondering how depressing being confined for three years was, an invigilator replied, "Not sure, honestly. Maybe, maybe not. Whatever it is... the System clearly felt that A deserved the punishment. And if anyone had to take Shu Xue's place... honestly, he's probably the best one, out of that batch of examinees."

No one could deny that.

Excluding all the elderly, who'd properly drop dead immediately from a heart attack, the poor sick dude who already looked like he could choke to death on nothing, and the two elementary school children (because what the ever loving FUCK, System!? They didn't even learn Physics in school yet!)...

Heck, they were all fond of Yu Wen, who wasn't even in university yet, and would even argue that he was too young and innocent for something like the confinement room.

That left the foreigner Mike, tattooed gangster, and Old Yu.

Mike was already in a horrible position because he didn't even understand Chinese, and they could imagine 001, 154 and 922 yelling instructions and orders at poor Mike, who literally couldn't understand them. Plus, he had been nice enough to give You Huo a change of clothes, so they all liked him as well.

The tattooed gangster had hoarded several weapons, and while he was an asshole... all of them had to admit that when they had first appeared in the exam, everyone had their own fair share of fearful, confused responses, and the guy probably wasn't that much of an asshole if the conditions had been kinder.

As for Old Yu... he had also been kind to You Huo when he needed it most. They didn't want him to suffer in a confinement room.

Even then, they'd rather no one be locked in a confinement room.

154 was stunned for a moment: "Oh, I didn't see it…"

Qin Jiu rubbed the black bird's head and said: "Also…"

922 and 154 perked up their ears.

However, their boss continued petting the bird for another 10 minutes and didn't say the next sentence.

After a long pause, he said: "Forget it. It's nothing."

"…"

154 and Wen Yuan glared at Qin Jiu, who just laughed, "Sorry, sorry!"

The two subordinates almost died from suffocation. They didn't dare rebel and quickly slipped away.

The duo didn't look much happier.

On the third floor of the small western building was a small attic. Inside there was a wall of screens which corresponded to each of the confinement rooms.

The experiences of the people in the confinement rooms would be projected here. To some certain extent, you could see a lot of their secrets.

"Oh... oh fuck!" Zhao Jiatong yelped, "The confinement room cameras?"

Everyone immediately tensed up again.

They were going to see the bald man and You Huo's confinement rooms?

But at this moment, there was a heavy lock on the door. No one came and peeked.

Two screens were lit up. One was the room with the bald man, and the other was You Huo's room.

The screen displaying the bald man's room was blurred with blood. Through the red film, you could faintly see a silhouette of a hanging figure and a deathly pale face.

"I know there was blood, but HOLY FUCK-"

"Oh god... who died..."

"What kind of fucking exam was that!?"

As for You Huo's side, the screen was completely normal.

"... What?"

"It's... normal?"

The screen displayed the original appearance of the room; three mirrors, a wall clock, a wooden table and chair, and that was it.

"IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL?"

"NO NOTHING? AT ALL!?"

The examinees were all losing their minds. The invigilators too, but they kept quiet, not wanting to make fools out of themselves directly in front of You Huo.

"Maybe the amnesia really did help!?"

"I mean... it is Invigilator A... He'll probably know how to deal with it..."

"If there was anything... he'd probably tie them up, like he did to the other guy...

"Nah, he'd bitch slap them to hell and back..."

With his arms crossed in a bored manner, You Huo listened in amusement to the rising discussion about how he would potentially deal with a confinement room that had manifested something. The examinees really did have rather vivid imaginations...

Qin Jiu and Chu Yue were snickering loudly, and You Huo glared at them.

Three hours later, No. 154 came over to the confinement room with the keys.

He prepared himself to be hit by flying arms and legs but when he opened the door, he was stunned.

154 looked to the side. His future self was clearly terrified of the confinement rooms... and he could probably imagine what was inside.

He had nothing to fear, not really. He was a part of the System, he wasn't truly alive, just a program that had learnt so much from You Huo and Chu Yue in their youth that he could be considered human enough, but he doubted that he'd be having an existential crisis or something like that.

With so many things going on, and with how close he seemed to have gotten to 001 and 922, he probably didn't have the time to think about his humanity.

But all the random garbage files he came across while floating around aimlessly in the backup station... all the people who had turned into NPCs, people who had died, how they had died...

With nothing to do, 154 had far too much time on his hands, reading each file over and over again... and with all the time in the world to think about just what the System had done.

And his future self had been let out of the backup station, had become an examinee and even became an invigilator...

How many deaths had he witnessed first-hand while as an examinee? How many remnants of confinement rooms and traumatized examinees had he seen as an invigilator?

How much did he blame himself? That as a part of the System... that all these deaths were also his fault? That maybe, if he hadn't been so weak and had gotten cut away from the main System... he could have done something to stop all this before it had even begun?

There was nothing in the confinement room and the cold-faced handsome guy who was confined in the room was asleep on the table.

Unaware of the thoughts floating through 154's head, the examinees let out sheepish laughs, remembering their own surprise and shock at You Huo's empty confinement room.

With his arms covering his face, he looked like he was a high school student taking a nap in class.

More snickers.

They were all glad that You Huo was safe, and ha even use the opportunity to get some rest. The Physics exam was only two days long, but it was tiring nonetheless, trying to find answers and also fearing for their lives. Any chance to get some respite from all that stress was a good thing.

Though... they had to admit, resting was one thing... but a whole ass nap?

You Huo, Invigilator A, really was amazing.

The invigilators were especially glad. Invigilator A was always at the beck and call of the System, to the point where most of them even thought of him as the System's human avatar to spy on them personally... they were happy that You Huo was finally getting the rest that he deserved.

Now, if they could just make him understand that the System was just using him, and could convince him to help them destroy the System...

The sound of 154 entering appeared to have woken him up.

He frowned as he opened his eyes and he looked at 154 before closing it again. With a look of annoyance, he lazed around a little more before straightening up and leaning back on the chair. He asked: "Done?"

"Only you, A!" Chu Yue laughed out loud, nearly choking on her own saliva, "Only you could wake up from a nap and just casually question the invigilator if the punishment was over!"

154: "..."

Did you want to sleep a little longer?

Cue more laughter from everyone else. His internal sass was equally hilarious as You Huo's.

They had to admit, after seeing his confusion at 001 calling You Huo a girl, cursing 922 for making him bear the brunt of 001's bad moo, his fear of his boss and the confinement rooms, and then annoyance at this irksome examinee that didn't seem to give a shit about the punishment...

He just seemed human, and it gave them some hope. While the System had made the invigilators all cold and uncaring, their fire wasn't completely extinguished, just suppressed deep inside them...

Maybe this future wasn't as broken as they had all assumed. Maybe this could all be fixed, could still be salvaged...

Chapter Text

When You Huo came out of the confinement room, the corridor was completely silent.

"Hey, where did 154 go?"

"Cleaning up the confinement room?" An invigilator asked, equally confused, "Though... there's nothing to clear?"

"Maybe he went to find 001 and 922?"

"Yeah, but he shouldn't be letting an examinee wander around on his own..."

The room opposite his containing the bald man had no noise. There was only blood flowing out from the room.

Everyone winced; they already saw the blood before, but they had been distracted by the fact that Invigilator A was potentially going to be put into a confinement room.

It was only now that they realized just how much damn blood there was...

He frowned slightly in disgust and walked around the blood stains.

After for a short time, he suddenly stopped his steps.

There was a strange feeling of being watched from the shadows. Like something was looking down at him. Like a pair of lifeless eyes staring at him quietly.

You Huo looked up.

Above him was a white ceiling. Apart from a dim light, there wasn't anything else.

"Wait... he can... feel it?" An examinee squeaked.

The invigilators all shared a look. They had all been teleported into the room while they had been distracted with their argument, and amongst them, Qin Jiu had been the first to notice that something was different. But even after he noticed it, You Huo didn't seem surprised in the slightest... did he already detect that something was off, and was trying to figure out what exactly was going on?

All of them knew that the System was watching them, so the feeling of being watched came naturally with that knowledge. But for an amnesiac You Huo to be able to detect the feeling of being watched after being outside the System...

Was the feeling of being watched just so natural? Had the System been hovering around You Huo so much, to the point that he closed himself off from everything? To feel the System staring, making note of every single movement he made... every single twitch, every single movement...

To not even have a single moment to oneself... It was a terrifying thought.

"Oh fuck! I almost slept past the punishment time. That damned deadpanned face didn't-" Someone rushed down from upstairs and when he turned the corner, he quickly stepped onto his brakes.

"Really? "damned deadpanned face"?" 154 grumbled, and Wen Yuan argued, "Well, you didn't wake me up."

"Do I look like an alarm clock to you!? Why are you even sleeping during invigilation!?"

"I don't know, maybe I was up all night for something else?"

154 and Wen Yuan glared at each other, before sighing, silently deciding to not argue. They didn't know what their previous selves were doing before this; for all they knew, 922 could have been pulling several all-nighters in a row.

"You! Cough, you're out?"

You Huo retracted his gaze from the ceiling.

It didn't matter. Once the System knew that You Huo was the previous Head Invigilator... there was no doubt that it would be stalking You Huo obsessively, trying to figure out why he was back here again...

They could only hope that the System was busy with other matters, and wasn't paying too much attention to him specifically.

The person who came was Invigilator 922.

He looked at You Huo and immediately changed back into his official tone. He said a quick, "Excuse me" and strode quickly down the corridor before opening the bloodstained door.

After a moment, the bald man was taken out.

922 carried the limp middle-aged man and walked with difficulty.

"Urg..." Some people winced at the reminder of all that blood coming from the bald man's room.

"I do not want to be in your position." An invigilator admitted to Wen Yuan, who shuddered.

"Why are you still here?" He asked.

You Huo stuffed his hand in his pocket and said lazily: "Waiting for you. I have no interest in turning into smithereens."

"Why didn't 154 bring him back to the examination center?"

"Who knows?"

922: "Where's 154?"

You Huo: "Don't know."

"Haa?" Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes at You Huo, "What did you do to him?"

"I don't know." You Huo replied.

"Well, from what I've seen, 154 is a stickler for the rules." Qin Jiu leaned closer to the other invigilator, "There's no way that he'd leave you in the corridor on your own. Maybe he had gone off to find 922... but that's clearly not the case. And it seems like he wouldn't be bothering me for no reason..."

Qin Jiu's black eyes glinted mischievously, "So, my dear, what have you done to him?"

"My dear-" Zhao Jiatong threw her shoe at Gao Qi before he could go after GIN again.

"How would I know?" With a single glare, You Huo ended the argument, and Qin Jiu laughed.

"Where did that damned bastard slack off to?"

922 muttered lowly.

"I hate you." 154 muttered, "I'm insulted."

"Well, you did disappear from your job." Wen Yuan retorted, and they glared at each other.

"You're the "damned bastard" that fell asleep on the job."

"It was three hours. Taking a nap isn't so far-fetched."

"Ah... they get along so well..." Chu Yue sighed, staring at the arguing duo, "They're adorable."

"Sometimes, you just make no sense." Zhao Jiatong followed her gaze and snorted.

He readjusted the bald man and didn't have the energy to complain. He tilted his head in the direction of the door and said: "Let's go, I'll take you back to the examination center."

Small western building, second floor.

Qin Jiu crossed his arms and leaned lazily against the window. His eyes looked down.

The light from the room projected out into the woods as he watched 992 take the two examinees into the snowstorm.

"Huh... so... where is 154?"

Some people glanced at 154 and Wen Yuan, who were still taking verbal jabs at each other, but had lowered their volume so as to not disturb everyone else. Shu Xue looked slightly amused, though she was also trying her best to get them to stop.

"Maybe Invigilator A killed him?" An examinee said that a bit too loudly, and Wen Yuan and 154 immediately tensed up.

"Don't be silly. Surely there'd be consequences for killing an invigilator."

Wen Yuan glared at them heatedly. He hadn't known 154 for long, but he's grown rather fond of him and didn't want him dead. Especially since their future selves have been working together for almost three years.

Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes and seemed to be in thought as he looked in the distance.

The black bird suddenly let out a hoarse cry.

After a moment, Qin Jiu finally grunted and stood up.

He walked over to the desk and played with the black bird's beak. While feeding it some grains, he said: "Don't you think something is missing?"

"Yes. Where on earth is 154?"

Some people were getting seriously concerned about the missing invigilator. Knowing all the bullshit that the System did to Qin Jiu and You Huo, and considering how 154 had mentioned something about "being thrown away" by the System...

Did the System fucking kidnap him or something?

The black bird hoarsely cried out: "Ah."

Qin Ji: "An invigilator?"

Black bird: "Ah."

"Ok, GIN's lost it." An invigilator mocked, effectively lightening the mood, "Talking to the monitoring devices? Really?"

"Even if it wasn't a monitoring device, and was just a normal crow... he's still a nutso."

"Hey!" Qin Jiu protested.

"Nah, fuck that, he's lost it a LONG time ago. Ever since he stepped foot into the System and drove it mad."

Qin Jiu knocked on the bird's beak and then moved to go downstairs.

Before he took more than two steps, the black bird flapped its wings and followed.

He looked around the hall and turned down into the corridor. He could faintly hear the sound of a chair moving in one of the confinement rooms. It was the room You Huo was confined in earlier.

"... There's our missing 154..."

Some people immediately realize the implications of that, and 154 immediately tensed up. He was trapped in a confinement room!?

"Did he actually toss 154 in there!?"

After seeing how terrified the future invigilator was of the confinement room... they really didn't want to see what the poor guy's room was like.

"It won't activate... right?"

"I mean... he's an invigilator? And he didn't do anything wrong?"

"It shouldn't activate unless there's a violation... and the System wouldn't punish an invigilator for no reason." An invigilator confirmed.

Of course, that was assuming the System was still following the same rules as before... but there were some rules that just couldn't be broken.

Qin Jiu raised his eyebrow. He knocked on the door three times: "Anyone here?"

The chair inside clattered a few times.

"Did you fucking gag him as well!?" Chu Yue laughed.

Qin Jiu: "Can I go in?"

The chair inside slammed on the floor.

Qin Jiu unlocked the door.

The moment the door opened, he saw the missing Invigilator No. 154. He was tied to the chair with his hands behind him and there was a large ball of paper in his mouth.

Everyone froze... before roaring with laughter.

He had actually tied poor 154 to a chair? And even stuffed a paper ball in his mouth!? Sure, this was Invigilator A they were talking about... and that made it even funnier; the leader of the invigilators... being the most unruly examinee since Qin Jiu.

154 looked a bit embarrassed for his future self getting overpowered by an examinee, and was even tied up to the chair... and then realized that it was Invigilator A that had done that to him. He still wasn't happy about it, but at least it wasn't some random run-off-the-mill examinee, and he could still retain some dignity.

You Huo just smiled internally satisfied with his payback. Even if he didn't have his memories... he certainly wasn't going to take that lying down... though he did feel a little bad for 154. It really wasn't his fault, and he already had to deal with an amnesiac Qin Jiu who would probably also be frustrated with his missing memories...

On the paper, someone had calmly used a marker to write a few words: Who's a fucking woman.

That got even more laughter. They couldn't tell if that was directly aimed at 001 and 154 for "mistaking" him for a woman, or that out of being kidnapped, forced into a death game, being wrongfully accused and locked into a room, that was what he had been most offended by...

But it was certainly still funny.

Qin Jiu suddenly laughed.

"Yes, go on, continue laughing at my expense." 154 huffed, and even Wen Yuan had to stifle some laughter as he gently patted 154 on the back, who just grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms.

154 wanted to slam the chair again to remind Qin Jiu to free him first but, when he saw Qin Jiu laugh, he felt a little scared and gently placed the chair down again.

Since it was a curse, Qin Jiu didn't appreciate it for too long.

After a moment, 154 was finally freed from the ropes.

"Finally." 154 grumbled, "Took you long enough."

That just made Qin Jiu laugh even more. He was certainly liking his future subordinate more and more.

He massaged his red wrists and complained: "I've been an invigilator for three years and I haven't seen an examinee like him! The others would cry and beg and yet he just sleeps? Others wouldn't dare provoke invigilators and he just tied me up without any fear!"

You Huo let a hint of amusement flash through his eyes at the complaint.

The other invigilators laughed a bit more. Even Qin Jiu hadn't done that before... though to be fair, it had mostly been You Huo taking care of his punishments... it wasn't like Qin Jiu would have the opportunity to do that anyways.

Meanwhile, 154 just unconsciously rubbed his own wrists. He couldn't imagine how uncomfortable the rope burns would be.

Qin Jiu sat at the desk listening. He then said lazily, "Your complaints almost rhyme. Continue."

154: "…"

If possible, he wanted to shove the paper ball with the curse at his boss.

"Do it!" Gao Qi yelled, "He deserves it!"

"I do not!"

"You're a shitty boss! Your subordinate was literally assaulted and you laugh at him?"

"It was funny!"

154 just hid his face in his hands as Gao Qi and Qin Jiu started arguing, only to be silenced by You Huo.

"As an invigilator, you were locked in the confinement room by an examinee. Don't you find it shameful?" Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes and asked.

154 maintained a stiff deadpanned expression: "Dammit. Fortunately, I didn't let 922 see. Otherwise he would laugh at me for two years straight."

That immediately sobered everyone up. 154 had been an invigilator for three years, not counting his days as an examinee... and he had already resigned himself to his fate of living in the System for another two years, at the very least.

They already knew the invigilators were probably all sick and tired of being stuck in the System, but with no way out, they had no other options left but to stew in their own unhappiness...

Despite how cold and uncaring they had been... the examinees couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

Those who are familiar with the mechanics of this system knew that invigilators were selected from previous examinees. Only the top elites would be able to change their identity.

These people were also ranked according to their level and strength and it was the also the invigilators number.

They couldn't help but look at 154 again. Wen Yuan had a code of 922, and he had to be pretty decent, at the very least, for 001 to accept him on the team. And yet, 154, who wasn't even in the System yet, had a much higher rank of 154.

Based on his name (or rather, lack thereof a name), 154 had only become an invigilator after all the invigilators had their codes shuffled about. That was impressive, all things considered.

Just who was he?

If the number is a single digit, they are the top of the top. No one would dare provoke them.

For example, 001.

"So... GIN really did replace A..." An invigilator breathed, "And there really were at least 922 invigilators..."

Heck, from Invigilator A to Z, that was 26 invigilators. Even counting the new ones like GIN...

"Nine hundred invigilators... and that's just the top elites? Just how many people have passed these exams?"

And more importantly... how many others have been unable to pass after five exams... and how many killed before they even reached the end?

No one wanted to know the answer to that question. It was just too depressing, and it was more than enough to squash whatever pride the invigilators had about themselves to complain about being a lower rank than Qin Jiu, even for Gao Qi.

"You said earlier that…." Qin Jiu hesitated for a moment. He seemed to be trying to think of an adjective. He eventually raised an eyebrow and said: "That examinee was sleeping in the confinement room?"

"Yes. When I went in, everything was the same as usual. After staying in the confinement room, anything can happen but to him it was like there were no changes. He didn't have anything that he feared."

Chu Yue and You Huo shared a look. Something about how 154 said that... just didn't seem right. You Huo's confinement room was empty not because You Huo didn't fear anything; it was because he had conquered all his fears.

Surely, if 154 was aware of the initial implementation and removal of the confinement rooms... then he would know how the confinement rooms actually worked?

And it wasn't like he was talking to an examinee... why was he using the basic, incorrect interpretation of the confinement room?

154 thought for a moment. He then wondered: "But is this possible? How can there be such a person? I have only seen one person like that in my entire lifetime."

Everyone paused, and turned to stare at 154.

154 shrunk back, "I don't know?"

That seemed to be enough to placate everyone's curiosity, assuming it was something 154 had stumbled upon in the future, as for the identity of this particular person who also had an empty confinement room...

You Huo thought about it more deeply. From prior experience, he knew that Qin Jiu's confinement room was just like his, and he knew that he wouldn't do anything that would trigger the System to send him to a confinement room; his plan had most likely gotten him kicked out, and all the more he wouldn't do anything to make the System suspicious of him.

That meant that 154 had seen Qin Jiu's confinement room before?

And the only people who could have seen it before would be his fellow invigilators who supervised Qin Jiu's punishments before Invigilator A took over, or any potential examinees that would have shared a confinement room with Qin Jiu.

Those two were definitely out of the question; 154 wasn't even an examinee yet, let alone an invigilator...

The only other party would be the System, prior to You Huo's arguments of retaining the examinees' privacy in the confinement rooms... logically, upon that rule being implemented, the System would also have to trash any records of the confinement rooms in order to completely adhere to the rules... and those records would be "thrown away"...

That uncomfortable feeling of being watched, having knowledge that only the original invigilators should have, retaining those memories while even the invigilators started forgetting... being "thrown away" by the System...

Was 154 really the System?

But why would the System create a humanoid avatar, when it considered itself above humans... and why would the System have "thrown him" away?

In his opinion, if he discarded the odd observations he previously listed... 154 really did just seem like a normal guy. He was lost and confused... he got annoyed at Wen Yuan and Qin Jiu, both in the past and present... he complained about being tied up, he got offended at being insulted... he tried to comfort Wen Yuan...

He was even scared of the confinement rooms, which meant that he had some fears or regrets that he hasn't gotten over...

All the signs pointed to him being, oddly enough, inherently... human.

You Huo narrowed his eyes slightly. He was still missing a some pieces of information...

Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes. He used his finger to stroke the beak of the black bird sitting on his shoulder.

"Maybe his life has been too smooth sailing and he hasn't encountered anything that he is scared of?"  154 guessed.

The exact opposite.

You Huo's life had been a living hell. His mother didn't love him, and even used him in her projects for the System. She had such high expectations of him that even if You Huo did everything perfectly, she still wouldn't bat and eye at him, and would probably find something to critique.

His entire family feared him because of the feeling of being watched from the thing that was installed in his eyes, to the point where even You Huo stopped looking people directly in the eye in hopes that the feeling would be lessened, to no avail. You Huo himself began pushing people away...

Studying in boarding schools his entire life because there was no one to take care of him... and then there was the System, who stalked You Huo 24/7, not even offering him a brief respite.

"But no matter how smooth sailing it is, it will only last until today.

"Why do you sound so proud of that?" An examinee huffed, "You want them to suffer more?"

154 shrugged; he couldn't really pinpoint an explanation to that.

"He's probably just real salty that he got tied up." Wen Yuan guessed, and 154 just glowered at the reminder.

This group of examinees must have been out of luck for them to encounter this type of toothpaste-like problem as their first question."

"...Toothpaste?"

It was a very odd phrase to come out of 154, who looked like he'd use a scientific name over a random nickname, if that kind of death question even had a proper name.

Qin Jiu quietly glanced at him.

"The problem is like squeezing out toothpaste. You squeeze one out, you get another. I don't know if this is some kind of bug."

You Huo frowned internally at the statement.

He was fairly sure that he had heard 154 explaining to Wen Yuan that the question was more for finding the pen then actually answering a question... but future 154 had said that statement so sincerely that You Huo was inclined to believe that he was telling the truth about being confused over the true nature of the question.

Qin Jiu: "Who came up with that ridiculous name?"

"Really?"

"Where are you priorities?"

"In my defense.. what the hell is a toothpaste question!?" Qin Jiu argued.

It was a very good point.

"922 that fool did. It has nothing to do with me." 154 spoke stiffly.

Everyone stared at Wen Yuan, who just blurted out, "Come on, it makes sense! You try to answer the question, and it's like squeezing the tube... but you don't get anymore hints, just more confusion. So you keep trying, over and over and over, and squeezing more and more and more..."

Wen Yuan gestured wildly, "And you just squeeze even more until it's empty, but you still don't get anything out of it."

He continued, "But it's just an analogy. Back when I did the exams, I feared these questions the most! It wasn't that difficult but the amount of information you get at the beginning was a complete zero.

Another sincere statement about 154 being scared of something.

You couldn't figure out how to earn points, so I automatically admitted defeat for the first round of answer submission. It was fated for one of our companions to become sacrifice."

You Huo knew that the invigilators had initially brought the point about the pen up... Had that triggered some kind of memory, some kind of realization in their 154 that didn't occur to the future 154?

Instead of being a simple loophole bug like Shu Xue... You Huo was beginning to think that 154 was a far more complex entity than he initially assumed.

Somehow, a part of the System... and yet, exhibiting such human traits... it was just so contradictory.

154 thought back for a moment and then fearfully muttered: "Thankfully, I only encountered it once and wasn't selected…

You Huo clicked his tongue, much to Qin Jiu, and everyone else's surprise. Sure, future You Huo was a lot more expressive... but that's because he didn't have his memories.

Their You Huo being bothered by something and actively showing it?

"What's wrong?" Qin Jiu asked, not joking around for once, but You Huo just waved him off. Bringing more attention to this matter about 154 at this point of time would just do more harm than good. He just needed a bit more time... and maybe a bit more information.

I wonder who will be the sacrifice in this group of examinees?"

He looked at the time: "Only a few seconds left."

"Oh... OH NO!" An examinee shrieked, "He left when there was only three hours left..."

"There's no time!"

Someone was going to die. Someone was going to fucking die... and there was nothing they could do but watch helplessly.

Gao Qi was about to yell at Qin Jiu again... but they already had that argument before.

Before the cabin on the snow mountain.

The exhausted 922 no longer cared about his face. While gasping for air he stopped You Huo who walked ahead of him.

It was a funny scene; not as funny as You Huo tying 154 up, but still. An invigilator being exhausted while the examine just strolled along, barely breaking a sweat?

But no on dared to laugh, already worried about who the first casualty would be.

"Need something?" You Huo looked annoyed.

It was about time for the first answer submission. Through the roaring snowstorm, he could sense the panic inside the cabin.

Even a second couldn't be delayed.

The examinees couldn't help but feel touched.

You Huo knew there wasn't any time left, could have let 922 take his time lugging the bald man back to the examination center, and be safe from punishment. But he had chosen to hurry back, still intent on answering the question, on help his group of examinees, even though they had five deadly poisons.

He was the best kind of teammate to have. Someone who didn't give up, no matter what. Someone who could hide behind excuses, yet chose to give it his all, even if it put him in more danger...

922 said: "There's still another rule. As a person who had been confined, the two of you cannot answer when the answer is being collected for this round."

"Oh... oh fuck..."

"Well... he can still tell someone else the answer an have them answer it, right?"

"That's assuming he has the answer in the first place."

"Forget the answer, do they even have the pen!?"

You Huo's expression turned even colder.

922 waved his hand: "Don't glare at me. Anyway, the first round for these types of questions are usually death questions. If you don't score any points-"

They were already out of time, and he was still blabbering?

"Shut up!" The examinees yelled at Wen Yuan, who jumped at the sudden loud noise directed at him. 154 and Shu Xue, who were next to him, also flinched, and the examinees looked at them apologetically.

It wasn't Wen Yuan's fault, he was just stating the facts, and yet, the examinees couldn't help but be worried.

He wasn't done speaking but You Huo had already turned around and opened the door.

The moment hot air poured out, the rooster started to let out a cry.

It was time for their responses to be collected.

"FUCK!"

"Time's up already!?"

The bald man fell onto his knees in fear. He quickly crawled over to the corner and trembled with unfocused eyes.

His actions took the lead, and several people in the room also followed suit.

"Crap, crap, crap..."

"This is bad..."

"Isn't there anything they can do!?"

Yu Wen half knelt on the floor with his knees suppressing the tattooed man below him. He was holding something in his hand that appeared to have just been taken away.

With the rooster's cry, he looked over in confusion. He raised his hand and muttered: "Brother, I found the knife, but time is… up?"

"Fuck! And they just got the pen!"

And then?

Everyone sat on the ground stunned. They were so scared they almost forgot to breathe.

The rooster cries made them panic.

"Really… Will be evicted from the exam center?" Someone murmured quietly.

Then they will be blasted into smithereens outside in the snowstorm? Just like that tin can that was thrown out earlier?

They remembered You Huo's bloody fingers...

Was someone really going to die? Be torn to shreds, just like that?

Bang!

The locked door suddenly blew open and it forcefully slammed into the wall.

Everyone flinched.

Outside, 922 who had not yet left stood still.

A sudden gust of wind blew in. Like a plane that was flying at a high altitude suddenly opening its door, a strong suction force pulled the people inside the room towards the door.

Some people had already covered their eyes, not wanting to witness such a brutal, gruesome scene.

"Ahhh-"

Old Yu cried out in shock. He suddenly fell to the ground and started to slip over towards the door.

It was as if there was an invisible hand pulling him by his ankle and dragging him out.

"No!"

"Not him!"

Old Yu had been the one to take care of You Huo when he needed it the most, freshly kicked out the system, recovering from some "illness", with no memories of his past... He's done so much for Invigilator A, even tried to help Shu Xue... they didn't want to watch him die.

If he really died in this exam, would You Huo really break? How about Yu Wen, who was going to lose his father? And Shu Xue, who was clearly touched by the man's care towards her?

"It's too late..."

He was too close to the door. The rooster had already started crowing. There was no time to answer the question.

Old Yu's fate was already sealed.

"The answer submission will only be over after the rooster cries 9 times."

"Huh?"

"Wait... who said that?"

The examinees began murmuring amongst themselves, as the invigilators shared a look.

A past memory? Didn't the System wipe his memories?

"Also, there's a little trick for this dumb first round question. Hah… It's quite shameless."

You Huo's eyes flashed with recognition.

Qin Jiu? He... remembered something from the past?

Did the lack of privacy in the confinement room loosen the System's hold on his memories? Then it really was a good thing that Qin Jiu had forced him inside, instead of Shu Xue...

These two phrases suddenly appeared in You Huo's mind.

"Who's that!?"

"Doesn't matter, Old Yu's gonna die!"

You Huo didn't have the time to think too deeply about it. He grabbed the knife in Yu Wen's hand and jumped over the long table that was in the way. He stood in front of the answer wall.

As the rooster let out its last cry, he scribbled a word:

Answer.

"..."

"Huh!?"

That voice sounded... familiar, for some odd reason... though all of them were panicking too much to think about it.

922 outside the door: "…"

Is this trick also okay?

It really was okay.

The rooster cries and the snowstorm abruptly stopped.

"... It stopped!?"

"Did that actually work!? Or is the System trying to figure out what it is!?"

"I don't even want to know how that works. Please just accept it!"

The examinees, and even some invigilators, started praying.

Old Yu whose head was at the edge of the door had lost most of the hair at the top of his head. Yu Wen who was hugging his dad's leg rolled pathetically on the ground.

Their hearts thumped furiously, and their pale faces had a look of confusion. They then turned to look at the answer wall.

After what felt like almost a century, a red mark appeared next to the rough scribble "Answer": 2

"Oh my god..."

Everyone stared at You Huo with even more respect that before.

"It worked... it actually worked."

"He... actually did it!? He answered a death question!?"

"How does that even work!?"

"Don't matter! He saved them!"

You Huo raised his head and snorted in satisfaction. There was no fucking way he would let the System bully his uncle, even if he had to commit another violation. It was well worth it, and what was Qin Jiu going to do, shove him in the confinement room again?

Speaking of Qin Jiu...

You Huo's gaze flicked over to his companion, who was staring at the scene in confusion. Some familiarity towards his own voice, the words that he had once said, flashed through his eyes... but his memories of talking to Invigilator A, complaining about the question... they were all gone.

"But... that voice..." An examinee pointed out.

It really was familiar... though none of them could really place it. Only 154, with his sharper senses and ability to crunch data, put two and two together, "Qin Jiu?"

"Huh!?" Some heads swiveled to look at him.

"No..." 154 shrunk back slightly, and lowered his eyes, "I just... thought the voice sounded like GIN..."

Some eyes widened, and they all turned to Qin Jiu. Of course, someone who could come up with such a "little trick" for a death question... OF COURSE it had to be the demon kind examinee, Qin Jiu himself.

But that meant that You Huo's first memory of the past... had been Qin Jiu.

GIN himself was still suffering from memory loss, so they turned to Invigilator A instead.

With an unreadable expression on his face, You Huo nodded, "It was GIN."

The room exploded.

"HIS FIRST MEMORY... WAS OF HIM!?"

"I thought they were enemies..."

"Is their hatred of each other really that strong!? To transcend time and space... and amnesia..."

You Huo decided that he regretted revealing the truth... but the expression on Qin Jiu's face made up for it. The other invigilator was smiling, clearly touched... and then he ruined it by leaning forwards, batting his eyelids, "Aww, Big Invigilator's first memory is of me? I knew you loved me!"

...

Fuck that. He was going to ask Gao Qi for his shoe and stuff it in Qin Jiu's mouth... if Gao Qi didn't do that first.

Everyone was shocked.

922 was dumbfounded.

He stood in the cold for a few seconds and then rushed back to report.

"So... the question really is to look for a pen?" Someone who had overheard 154's explanation spoke up.

"Finding the pen is one thing." Chu Yue sighed, "I don't think they would have gotten two points just for finding the pen. I'm not sure if you remember your own exams, but writing "answer" on an exam script at least indicates that the question has been seen and attempted, and not accidentally skipped over. That's why writing "answer" would at least, net them some points."

That answer made sense to everyone... except for 154, who frowned.

He's seen You Huo and Chu Yue do exams before... was there a rule like that? Sure, You Huo was the top-student, and always answered all his questions perfectly... and Chu Yue wasn't too bad herself. 154 had only assumed that they wrote "answer" to indicate their working space on their test sheets...

"Hey, you okay?" Wen Yuan quietly asked, and 154 snapped out of his thoughts, nodding hurriedly. Wen Yuan didn't look too convinced, but he still let the matter go.

What was 154 supposed to say? That he's never really taken an exam in his entire existence and that this was all news to him? That he didn't exactly have all his "memories", sharing the same memory databank as the System, and thus, didn't really "remember" everything?

It took a moment for the others in the room to digest what had happened.

They slowly climbed up from the ground and stood on their jelly-like legs.

"Man, what is this. Scared me to death…" Old Yu fixed up his hair that had become bald in the center. There was a light wound on his scalp too where blood flowed down from but fortunately, he was still alive.

"He's still hurt..."

"Better than dying. His scalp will heal."

"I still don't like the fact he got injured. Shitty System."

Everyone was in agreement with that statement, and You Huo let them complain a little longer.

Yu Wen released his hold of his father's leg. He laid sprawled on the ground in daze.

After a few seconds, he suddenly sat up and smacked his mouth: "Look at this pig head of mine! How could I have forgotten something like this?! My teacher would always remind us before an exam that even if we cannot answer the question, we should still write the word 'answer'. Just that word alone is worth 2 points! Brother, how can you be so clever?!"

"…"

You Huo wordlessly stored away the knife. He didn't see that as a praise.

Now that the danger had passed, everyone laughed. They had nearly forgotten how funny Yu Wen and You Huo were when they were put together; an innocent, playful teenager who hated studying, with a battle-hardened, experienced soldier...

They were opposites... but they worked surprisingly well together, if Yu Wen's ability to understand You Huo's orders and execute them was any indication of anything.

Of course You Huo didn't consider it a praise; someone had literally reminded him of the answer, and still missing his memories, they were sure that future You Huo would also be wondering who the entity that whispered the clue in his ear was.

Would he be suspecting 001? Definitely not.

In order to prevent the idiot from continuing to talk about the word 'answer', he finally spoke up and asked: "Who took the knife?"

When he mentioned the knife, Yu Wen's expression immediately turned sour: "Who else?!"

He pointed at the tattooed man and said: "Him! We found it on him! I knew there was something wrong with him. While the others were trying to find clues, he was hoarding all kinds of weapons like a bear preparing for hibernation. If not for Ms. Yu Yao bumping into him and knocking the knife out during the commotion, who knows when we would find it?!"

As he recalled what happened moments earlier, he couldn't help but shudder.

"Bastard..."

They couldn't help but still think it. Sure, hoarding weapons was a common fear response... and at least it was way more useful than sitting in a corner and crying about the situation... but still...

If that commotion didn't happen, if they were just a little bit more unlucky and they found the knife a second too late, if You Huo didn't come back before their responses are collected…

Then his father Old Yu…

The tattooed man was tied up to the chair as everyone interrogated him.

Everyone glared at him, and felt like it was deserved. If he hadn't taken the pen, then maybe You Huo, Shu Xue, an the bald man wouldn't fight over the ink and be shoved into the confinement rooms.

He deserved to be tied up for a bit, courtesy of You Huo.

At this moment, the answer wall suddenly changed.

Topic: A group of travelers came to a snow mountain and stayed overnight at a small hunter's cabin.

Question: I have 13 tableware, but food is limited and only 12 can be accommodated. The tableware hides a secret and one of you is destined to die. Will you be spared? This is actually not very difficult, after all optics is the most magical thing in the world.

Requirements: Find the that cursed tableware. (But cannot damage them)

Knowledge being tested: Optics

Everyone: "…"

"What the fuck does tableware have to do with optics?"

"Huh... so is Shu Xue really is a glitch? I count thirteen people. And thirteen sets of tableware..."

"You forget." Someone else pointed out, "This is the hunter's house, and the question says "I". The hunter should also be included in that headcount."

"Oh..."

"But still..."

"Question!" An examinee yelled, "Where the fuck is the tableware!?"

At that, everyone turned to stare at the scene... and started cursing. How were they supposed to find the cursed tableware... if there wasn't any fucking tableware?

"Urg... is the tableware hidden? Do they have to wait for something to happen!?"

"What a shitty question! What's the point in hiding the thing needed to answer the question!?"

Just as everyone was looking at the problem, a line of words appeared below.

Violation warning: A punished examinee broke the rules and answered the question. The invigilator has been notified.

Invigilator: 001, 154, 922

Everyone: "…."

Everyone stared at You Huo, who just snorted internally.

"So... what's the second violation punishment?"

"... Solitary confinement." Zhao Jiatong answered mutely.

"..."

"Is he just... going to take another three hour nap?"

"Not the worst thing to happen... at least there isn't a time crunch to answer the question?"

Qin Jiu laughed, while Wen Yuan and 154 shared a look; they had a feeling that it was going to be a long, long exam with You Huo as an examinee...

Ten minutes later.

On the second floor of the small western building, inside the invigilator's office.

An invigilator and a rule violating examinee who had returned a second time looked at each other silently.

You Huo: "…"

Qin Jiu: "…"

Qin Jiu laughed even louder.

After a long time, the invigilator playing with the pen snorted. He looked up lazily and asked: "Do you plan on living here?"

"I mean... a nap sounds pretty good..."

"He's the Head Invigilator, he should just move right in."

"And take over GIN's office while you're at it!" Gao Qi added, glaring at Qin Jiu.

"Hey, I didn't "wrongfully" convict him this time." Qin Jiu defended himself.

You Huo glared at them before they could take that meaningless argument any further.

Chapter Text

You Huo slouched over on the sofa. Crossing his two long legs, he nonchalantly played with his earring.

They couldn't help but take note of it. Invigilator A never care for jewelry, but whenever he was face with Qin Jiu... You Huo's first reaction seemed to be to fiddle with his earring... almost like they were somehow connected.

But that didn't make any sense; without this supernatural intervention that took away the System's control, Qin Jiu and You Huo, leaders of two opposing factions, would no doubt spend the rest of their days at each other's throats. And Qin Jiu wasn't such a coward, who would use such an underhanded tactic like possibly poisoning the earring to take You Huo out...

If it was poisoned anyways, You Huo knew better than to keep it on anyways.

Or maybe they were just thinking into it too much, and it was really just a regular earring.

Hearing Qin Jiu's words, he lifted his half-lidded eyes and it coldly swept past the other person's face before looking back down again.

No explanation, no reflection, no regard for him.

That just made You Huo and Qin Jiu sad all over again, mourning the loss of both of their memories. Qin Jiu quite liked his Big Invigilator... and they were getting along so well...

Meanwhile, You Huo just nursed his broken heart silently, privately; he really didn't like how coldly he was treating Qin Jiu. Sure, in that situation, it was understandable... but still...

This attitude of his was clearly the most difficult type to deal with.

The invigilators couldn't help but laugh. After being such a monster of a examinee and forcing You Huo to clean up after his messes, Qin Jiu was finally getting a taste of his own medicine.

Honestly, seeing an unrestrained You Huo who wasn't being held back by the System... it wasn't that surprising how well he and Qin Jiu got along. Two unrivalled demon kings, sitting upon their lofty thrones, creating so much chaos that the System would fucking cry...

Of course, that all depended on where You Huo and Chu Yue stood. Most of the moderates were all for destroying the System, and had only been holding back due to their own nostalgia to the old, less destructive System, as well as trying to prevent the System from outrightly destroying them all.

But whether the head invigilators were allies, or were still on the side of the System... they didn't have a clue. You Huo was tight lipped, and while Chu Yue was far more friendly and talkative than her buddy, she had such a way with words and could talk circles about any topic, and before they knew it, any talk of the System would somehow turn into a discussion about whether Qin Jiu was able to hold his alcohol, like his codename GIN suggested.

When 154 entered his boss's office, he felt a strong sense of suffocation.

"You were looking for me?"

There was an examinee in the room so 154's expression was even more serious. His words were accompanied by respect.

"What's the punishment for the second violation?" Qin Jiu slowly turned the pen in his hand and looked at him, "I haven't been here for a while, so I don't remember well."

"What kind of head invigilator doesn't know the punishments?" Gao Qi snorted.

"In my defense... does it look like anyone other than Big Invigilator would end up violating the rules again!?" Qin Jiu countered. Gao Qi couldn't find anyway to rebut that argument; most examinees who entered the confinement room the first time would be far, far more careful to avoid violating rules... some to the extreme of even being hindrances to their own teammates.

It was very, very rare for examinees to enter the confinement room twice in an exam, especially with how dangerous the exams were; they were more likely to die from some sort of trap than to get another violation warning.

154 fell silent for a moment. He then said: "Solitary confinement."

Qin Jiu: "…"

"Well..."

"You already saw how well that went..."

"...I'm afraid it's not much of a punishment..."

You Huo's fingers moved and he finally looked up.

His expression was still very cold. Apart from laziness, there weren't any other emotions but for 154, he felt like he was being ridiculed.

Perhaps it was in the genes.

Or perhaps their boss just had a tendency to attract these types of people.

You Huo and Qin Jiu shared a look while Chu Yue laughed.

"Trouble makers." Zhao Jiatong muttered, staring at Qin Jiu in particular.

Qin Jiu: "Apart from solitary confinement, there's nothing else?"

154 opened his mouth.

Something in the room went 'beep'.

154 jumped at the noise, and stared down at his own hand in fear. Luckily, his monitoring device wasn't lit up, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn't the only one, and the other invigilators checked their own monitoring devices, which were all equally inactive.

You Huo's gaze moved and it fell onto Qin Jiu's wrist. Something over there lit up. The sound seemed to be coming from there.

Qin Jiu looked own to check his own wrist; his own monitoring device was still there.

154 said: "You see, adding punishments is against the rules."

"... Not that I'm saying I want Invigilator A to have more punishments... but that's... kind of a dumb rule?"

"The System just doesn't want us to let our biases affect the punishments." A moderate sighed, "Otherwise... pretty sure A would have murdered GIN, purely from how much time he has to waste personally invigilating his exams..."

Murder? Certainly not; You Huo had to admit, all that time spent with Qin Jiu, both of them testing each other's limits and taking jabs at each other, having someone who could keep up with his pace... it was probably the most fun he's had in his entire time in the System.

Qin Jiu lowered his eyes and casually adjusted his shirt cuffs. That faint light dimmed back down.

When he looked up again, his eyes met with You Huo's.

"Only having a table and chair in the confinement room is a bit boring." He looked at You Huo but his words were directed at 154.

154 nodded: "Indeed."

"Why don't you stay with him? At least there's something to do."

154 immediately blanched. His future self had already been tied up by You Huo once... he did not want to spend three hours trapped in a room with him... even if You Huo was kind of considered his older brother due to how the System learned from him...

"Please don't." 154 squeaked.

Qin Jiu took one look at him, and laughed. He pointed his thumb at 154, "I picked an awesome invigilator!"

"Stop bullying your subordinates." Another invigilator chastised.

154: "…"

Who are you punishing?

"Me, clearly." 154 huffed, annoyed, as Wen Yuan patted him on the back.

Qin Jiu laughed: "Just kidding. Don't take it too seriously."

154 had already grown accustomed to his ability to spout out unpredictable bastard lines.

Qin Jiu laughed at 154 again, who just turned away, his face turning slightly red having literally called out his future boss.

He quickly breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Then… I'll take him downstairs to sleep for another three hours and then take him back when it's over?"

"Yes please!"

"Why not? He deserves his sleep!"

That statement was supported as the rest of the examinees cheered along, much to You Huo's surprise... though, as usual, he didn't show it.

"Is this place a hotel?"

154 didn't speak back.

He waited for a while, but he didn't receive any new instructions.

"I... really pity future you." A invigilator turned to 154. Having to deal with not just one, but two moody demon kings... the kid really did have his work cut out for him.

He casually glanced over.

On the sofa, You Huo was looking out the window. Not knowing if he was just in daze or something, he had a "do whatever you want, if you kill me then I lose" expression. His attitude was cold and arrogant.

You Huo glanced at 154 again. Those were clearly very human thoughts... at the very least, he was fairly sure the System wouldn't describe him like that. But he was still fairly sure there was something about 154 that indicated that he wasn't just a simple examinee...

He tried to wrack his brains. Something that had been removed from the System...

As for his boss Qin Jiu…

He had his hands clasped loosely together as he watched You Huo's pale side profile.

Qin Jiu snuck a quick glance at You Huo, who barely reacted.

154 felt that, for this extremely difficult to deal with examinee, his boss probably grew curious about him but for some reason his boss also didn't seem to be in a very good mood.

"Boss?" 154 reminded him.

Only after a while, Qin Jiu looked back. He suggested to 154: "Go trick another examinee into violating the rules and confine them together."

"What kind of bullshit is that!?"

"Just let him sleep in the confinement room, god damn it."

"He barely gets enough rest as it is!"

"Stop making things harder for A!"

154: "…"

What nonsense are you speaking?

The wrist once again let out a 'beep'.

154 had to suppress another flinch. He really, really didn't like the idea of wearing such a monitoring device; it just gave him anxiety over the System potentially noticing him and taking him away to be discarded once again.

He considered taking off his ring... but then what was he supposed to do? Hold it? Stuff it in his pocket?

And it wasn't like that solve the problem anyways. His ring was just there to cover up the monitoring device that was literally embedded into his finger...

It was probably the same as earlier, an indication and warning. 1 54 kept his mouth closed. Qin Jiu didn't seem to mind.

"Not confining. Just send him away?"

'Beep'.

"Still haven't lost your hardliner tendencies." An invigilator snorted, "Trying to test the System?"

Qin Jiu shrugged. Knowing how far he could push the limits was good anyways.

"I mean... what's the worst he can do? Put Invigilator A in the confinement room... and let him nap?"

Qin Jiu snorted.

He thought about it and asked 154: "Have you cleaned the confinement room that was used earlier yet?"

The examinee that previously spoke up took back his words, and everyone glared at Qin Jiu.

"Are you out of your fucking mind!?"

"You want A to clean up that fucking monstrosity of a blood spill!?"

"Ahh... fuck...?" Qin Jiu grumbled; what was he doing!? Why couldn't his future self just let You Huo chill for another three hours?

154 glanced at You Huo. He was very confused: "There was something that needed to be cleaned up? The ropes have been stored away, the paper ball with the curses have also been thrown away."

"You poor, sweet child." An invigilator sighed.

At least there was someone there who didn't have it out to get You Huo.

Hearing the word paper ball, You Huo's hand that was fiddling with his earring stopped for a second but he continued to look outside with a cold expression while pretending to be both deaf and mute.

They all had a feeling that You Huo was internally reveling in his victory over invigilator.

Qin Jiu: "The other room."

154: "Oh, no not yet. I originally wanted to clean it up, but the rule violations happened too closely together so 922 and I haven't been able to deal with it."

"Then let's let this special guest…" Qin Jiu stopped. He looked at You Huo, "What should I call you?"

You Huo coldly humphed.

"Let Mr. Humph go clean it up."

You Huo: "…"

"You fucking asshole." Gao Qi growled, "Even without your memories... How dare you!"

"I'm sorry!" Qin Jiu yelped, and turned to You Huo, praying that his Big Invigilator would forgive him.

You Huo just humphed, and looked away, a clear indication for them to stop fighting over this matter.

Seeing that a murder case was about to happen in the office, 154 quickly responded and led the dangerous man downstairs.

"So uh... does that mean..."

The examinees all paled. They didn't have a good look at the bald man's confinement room, having been saved by a film of blood on the security cameras that censored most of the room, and then only having seen the blood seeping out of the room from beneath the door.

922 had also been the one to toss and take the bald man in and out of the room, and since this viewing experience was mostly from You Huo's perspective, they had been spared the gruesome details.

And now, with You Huo being forced to clean it up...

Downstairs utility room.

922 and 154 were picking and choosing through the equipment. The examinee who was going to go through the punishment leaned against the door with his arms crossed and expression gloomy.

"Don't have such a bad expression. If you really fought, you definitely won't be able to beat him." 922 said.

"Nah. A would beat GIN up in an instant." An invigilator grumbled.

Sure, You Huo's impassive stance towards the System was annoying, but none of them dislike the leader of the moderates that much, to the point where they wanted their Head Invigilator to clean up that fucking blood bath.

"I'm sure I would put up a decent fight." Qin Jiu grumbled, but Zhao Jiatong growled at him, "You shut up. You don't get to speak, not after what you're making our boss do."

Perhaps it was because the word "answer" was just too amazing, 922's attitude towards You Huo had changed a little. His tone was no longer as official as before.

You Huo didn't say anything but from his expression you could tell that he thinks he's bullshitting.

"I mean... even without that answer... being able to jump over the table like that?" An examinee grinned, "Instant respect points!"

"Don't forget, he wielded the knife so elegantly..." Another gushed dreamily.

"If it were me... I'd probably fall on the table and stab myself."

"Please, we probably won't even find the knife in the first place."

You Huo just stared, stunned at the influx of compliments of his little stunt, and turned to Qin Jiu for an explanation; it wasn't that amazing, the brown haired, black eyed GIN could probably do it too.

Qin Jiu wasn't very helpful, despite Zhao Jiatong's warning. He just leaned over, his mouth hovering over his ear, and You Huo could feel his breath when he exhaled.

"Don't worry, Big Invigilator. They just think you're super cool!"

"Did you think that he's called 001 just for show?" 922 said, "When I first met boss… Which one was it? It was in the army base somewhere, I can't remember anymore. Anyway, it was a whole street! A whole street covered in blood. In his hands he was carrying some type of bazooka—"

"... Wait... even I forgot?" 922 pointed towards himself, "But... but..."

He frowned, and 154 immediately understood; after all, he had literally just explained his meeting with Qin Jiu some time ago, with far more clarity than just "An army base, a whole street of blood, and a bazooka".

It was obvious; the System was actively tampering with his memories; not just the trouble-maker Qin Jiu, or even its Head Invigilator You Huo. And if it was happening to him... it was probably happening to all the other invigilators.

It was no wonder that even the warm-hearted, kind Wen Yuan had turned to cold; with their memories practically being wiped out... there was nothing left for them. No past outside the System, no past doing the exams just like every other examinee, and no future except for that stuck in the System, invigilating exam after exam for the rest of their existence...

There was no real world for them; that had long been sucked out by the System. This hellish examination world was the only thing left for them.

There was a moment of silence.

"Go find your bucket." 154 sternly interrupted his words.

"Oh."

922 had not completely reminisced his past experience and was forced to stop under 154's firm look.

"So..." An invigilator, who wasn't sure too how to approach this topic, spoke up, "Are our memories permanently gone... Can we ever get them back?"

There was silence. It seemed like even You Huo didn't have the answer to this question. The invigilators knew physical locations were all backed up, and moving or deleting locations would leave behind some traces, no matter how miniscule... but memories?

Would the System toss them out like it would have done to all the personal information on the confinement rooms? Lock them up somewhere deep in its core? How would they even go about finding it?

You Huo had a pretty good idea what the System had done with their memories. He just didn't want to get anyone's hopes up; for all his power and authority, it's not like the System would just let him waltz into the control room and sift through all the files until he found their memory data.

"Your memories should still be in the System."

Surprisingly, it was 154 that had spoken up.

Lost in thought, he continued, "According to the rules, the System isn't allowed to permanently delete anything. Everything, including your missing memories, should backed up. And if this is happening on a wide scale... that's good, honestly."

"How the fuck is that a good thing!?"

154 froze, surprised by a screech from a distressed invigilator, but one stare from You Huo shut him up. Invigilator A glanced at 154, and gestured for him to continue.

"I see... if everyone is having their memories interfered with some way or another... it would be easier for the System to set up a proper databank to store our memories and track any changes made." Wen Yuan concluded. Even without his memories from outside the System, he was still pretty knowledgeable about anything technology related, "If our memories are stored in such a databank, it would also be easier for us to find it and revoke them."

"And a proper databank would easier to locate than individual, loose, missing memories." 154 added excitedly; at least he was helping in some way.

He's considered himself rather useless, being thrown out of the System like trash, and then floating around aimlessly in the empty void of the backup station, unable to actually do anything but remain largely inactive...

A lot of his thoughts were pretty jumbled up, from occasionally bumping into files here and there and going through them in a dream-like state... it was only after he was dumped in this weird space and was fully allowed to regain consciousness (and a proper form), that he could properly sort through his memories.

"Yeah, that would be like looking for a needle in a haystack." Wen Yuan nodded cheerfully, "Having a larger set-up to search for would make it easier to find..."

"Though that depends if we even know where its all located in the first place..."

You Huo stared at the duo. Even more contradictory evidence; 154's knowledge of the System, and yet, having such an excited discussion with Wen Yuan...

He said to You Huo: "You can go over first. I'll take the bucket over later."

At the reminder of the utterly disgusting punishment, everyone once again glared at Qin Jiu.

You Huo and 154 went down the long corridor first.

"All that blood needs to be cleaned." 154 pointed at the blood on the ground. He then unlocked the confinement room that held the bald man earlier.

"Urg... I don't want to look..." Some examinees were already blanching at the sight of all the blood on the floor.

"You used to be an examinee?" You Huo suddenly spoke up.

154 hesitated. He nodded: "Yes, several years back."

"How did you turn into an invigilator?"

154 considered it for a moment: "Successfully passing the exam, excellent results."

You Huo wrinkled his eyebrows: "What exactly is this exam?"

Even knowing that You Huo was suffering from System-induced amnesia... it was a little odd to see him, the Head Invigilator, asking such a question.

154 looked at him. He answered vaguely: "A sort of… special screening I guess. Exams are all like this."

You Huo said sarcastically: "Screening? Looking for the bravest champion?"

"Nope. Just a military program that went berserk."

As they spoke, he once again felt the same sensation from earlier of being watched.

You Huo looked up but only saw a white ceiling. There wasn't anything that was looking down at him from above.

To have been watched so closely to the point where even in his amnesic state, he could still clearly detect the System watching him...

They couldn't help but feel bad for You Huo. Surely, by now, after two back-to-back violations, the System would have realized that You Huo was its former Head Invigilator? Would the System cause even more trouble for You Huo?

"What kind of people would be pulled into this?" He ignored that feeling and continued to ask.

154 thought about it: "Extremely dangerous people."

From 154's sad, upset look, it was clear that was not the case.

You Huo remained expressionless.

154 recalled the room filled with the old, weak and pregnant. He then said: "…But it sometimes might not be very accurate."

"No shit. What are the only ladies going to do? Whack us with their canes and umbrellas?"

"Nah, the twins are clearly the most dangerous. Kids are menaces."

"It's because they own Legos. Those are the most dangerous weapons."

You Huo looked like he wanted to facepalm as the examinees came up with all sorts of absurd, ridiculous scenarios, but the rest of the invigilators looked interested... and some even looked like they wanted to join in this stupid discussion.

You Huo: "What is this? Supernatural event?"

154 shook his head: "It's not a supernatural event, it's –"

'Beep'.

It was that sound again.

154 really wished he could throw his monitoring device away. Every single "beep" from the viewing experience already made him uncomfortable, but just knowing that he had a monitoring device on him made him fear for his existence.

You Huo looked back and thought that the annoying Invigilator 001 had followed over.

Seeing that there wasn't anyone behind him, he realized that the sound came from 154.

154 rubbed his finger.

On his index finger, he wore a silver ring. A red warning light glowed faintly from below the ring. When he saw that red light, he immediately shut his mouth.

「"As you currently do not have a proper identity, your appearance and name have been borrowed from your future self."」

That's what this new system had said. Sure, 154 could understand the "appearance and name" part... but did this system REALLY have to copy over the monitoring device too!? He didn't even dare throw it away, in fear that this system would also punish him for it if he lost it.

...

Not like he could throw it away anyways; what was he going to to, chop off his finger? Or slice out the monitoring device?

"What is this?" You Huo asked, "That 001 guy earlier had it too."

"Warning for breaking the rules." 154 turned the ring around to block the light.

"You also have constraints and regulations?"

"Far too many..." An invigilator groaned, "At least the examinees can curse out the System to their hearts content without getting punished!"

Upon hearing that, some examinees sighed. To think that they had once thought that being an invigilator was a cushy job... now they knew that the invigilators were watched by the stupid System even more closely, and they couldn't even voice their own frustrations...

"Of course! More than enough!" 922's voice travelled over.

He carried a metal bucket and stepped over the bloodstains, "Forbidden to talk about dangerous topics, forbidden to abuse power and bully examinees, forbidden to help examinees to cheat, forbidden to have a relationship with examinees–"

You Huo: "..."

"Oh, of course that is basically impossible." 922 said.

Chu Yue coughed. Everyone stared at her (You Huo outrightly glared at her), but she just waved them off.

"It's good enough if you don't get into a fight. If you really fought, the invigilator is prohibited from killing the examinee… and so on."

"Can an examinee kill an invigilator?" You Huo asked.

922: "…"

You Huo's golden eyes flicked over to the two invigilators, and 154 and Wen Yuan immediately turned pale. They wanted to hide from You Huo's gaze... but there was nowhere to hide.

"Big Invigilator, please don't kill my very adorable Invigilators." Qin Jiu pouted, resting his chin against his hand, "I'm starting to grow quite fond of them."

You Huo turned his glare onto GIN, who just laughed merrily.

"Maybe you should stop bullying them first." Zhao Jiatong muttered, though they all knew that it was more likely for You Huo to want to kill Qin Jiu, instead of his weaker subordinates who had been friendly enough (or easy to bully, in 154's case) to him so far.

"So, what are the consequences of violating those rules?"

154's face paled.

922 who was relatively easy to speak with fell silent for a few seconds. He then smiled awkwardly and said: "Don't ask. Anyway, it's very scary. I haven't experienced it yet, and I also don't want to experience it in the future."

"How is an invigilator supposed to be punished if they're killed by an examinee?"

"Not that question, dumbass."

"So, don't ask anymore dangerous questions. Isn't it better to be safe?" 922 placed the metal bucket down in front of You Huo, "Pass the exam properly and try to get out alive. These are the things you should focus on."

154 no longer spoke.

That just made them depressed all over; the reminder that even the invigilators had given up, and could only hope that the examinees could stay safe...

He unlocked the confinement room.

The moment the door opened, strong odor travelled out.

In addition to blood, there were some residues stuck on the ground and walls.

Some examinees had already looked away from the confinement room. Other's just looked sick.

"Fuck you." Gao Qi growled, "Just... fuck you. How could you!?"

Qin Jiu had nothing left to say. He was equally disgusted with him for making his Big Invigilator go though all this.

You Huo had a disgusted expression: "… Do you usually clean the confinement rooms?"

"Of course not by hand." 922 pinched his nose and said, "Otherwise what's the difference from that and punishing us?"

"It's a bit disgusting but cleaning is better than solitary confinement."

"Nope. The solitary confinement is way better than cleaning." 154 corrected himself.

You Huo looked coldly at him.

154 leaned over to Wen Yuan, "Maybe your future self should... stop talking."

Wen Yuan nodded, "Agreed."

922 said cautiously: "Uh… for you, it would at least be better than sharing a room with our boss right?"

When he was done, he ran off while dragging 154 behind him.

"And you scared them shitless." Chu Yue laughed.

She had originally been a bit wary of 154, suspicious even, considering the weird way he spoke about the System, even if he had been cleared by You Huo, Qin Jiu, and herself... but now, she was starting to grow a bit fond of them.

Their interactions with You Huo were definitely comedy gold.

The corridor was silent again.

Proper cleaning was impossible.

You Huo leaned against the door and coldly scanned the room. He then picked up the bucket of water and poured it directly into the room.

The water washed away part of the blood, and some of the residue's stuck on the floor and walls were also washed off.

You Huo bent down and examined a piece in front of him. Looking carefully, it looked like bone and on top of it was long black hair.

"Oh my god..."

They felt even more sick. Some were squeezing their eyes shut, and were even covering their ears.

What horrific scenes does that bald man have in his mind?

You Huo suppressed his disgust and coldly entered the room.

The whole room was cleaned up, and the bloody water and residue filled up a whole bucket.

"Dude... how the hell could he clean that up!?"

"It's a fucking miracle."

"Invigilator A is a god, holy shit."

"GIN, you better stop pulling this bullshit!" Gao Qi growled.

"Unfortunately, it's not like I can control my amnesiac future self!" Qin Jiu huffed.

At the very top of it was a pile of hair and a piece of skin that came from who knows where. The skin had become pale from soaking to the point that it even looked a little fake.

On it was a small tattoo that was particularly conspicuous. It was a small and simple bellflower.

Shu Xue's eyes widened, and she clutched her arm. Trembling, she shot a cautious glance at the man who had recognized her... his eyes seemed to flash with recognition.

"Shu Xue?" 154 and Wen Yuan looked at her, concerned but she just flashed them a weak smile, "Ah... I'm... alright..."

Without the aid of the System and her failing memory, she hadn't been too sure... but now, it was more than confirmed; she had taken that very exam with the person who had caused her death. She... wasn't sure how to feel about it.

The System had to be some kind of sadist or something.

Still, 154 and Wen Yuan shuffled sightly closer to her.

After three hours, 922 once again set off and brought You Huo back to the examination center.

Qin Jiu stretched a little and decided to go find 154 to get some food. When he opened the office door, a bucket of bloody water and flesh residue was placed respectfully outside. Next to it was a small torn off piece of paper with slender scribbled handwriting. It wrote:

Gift for you. You're welcome.

Some people felt like retching all over again.

Meanwhile, Qin Jiu sent an incredulous took at You Huo, who just raised his head like he was some kind of king, demanding respect from all his pitiful subjects.

It was just so fucking beautiful...

Pity he couldn't handle the "gift" You Huo had left for him... because holy fuck that was actually fucking disgusting, and anyone but Qin Jiu, upon learning that they had been personally gifted a gory bucket of blood, disgusting tangled hair, and even human skin... they'd probably puke their guts out.

154's voice travelled over: "Boss, I'm thinking of grilling some meat. What do you want to eat?"

Qin Jiu: "… I won't be hungry today."

154: "?"

922 turned around the corner with oven gloves on and stared at the bloody bucket for a total of three seconds. He said: "I think I won't be hungry for the rest of my life."

154 and Wen Yuan just looked sick and nearly gagged... it was just that fucking disgusting. And their future selves also have suffer despite this being between You Huo and Qin Jiu?

"A... maybe you should leave the little babies out of this." Zhao Jiatong looked at the sick duo with pity, "Don't involve them in your petty fight with GIN."

Normally, describing Invigilator A as petty would be wholly inaccurate... but it really was the case this time.

You Huo eyed Qin Jiu, before parroting, "Unfortunately, it's not like I can control my amnesiac future self."

"..."

"Did Invigilator A... crack a joke?"

"Nope, he's just... being petty?"

"Using GIN's own words against him!?"

No one had any idea how to react to this. Meanwhile, Qin Jiu ran his hand through his hair, his eyes glinting with happiness that You Huo was finally starting to relax... but also, what the fuck, that was his line and he wasn't going to take that lying down.

"Urg..." Zhao Jiatong grumbled, watching as You Huo and Qin Jiu glared at each other, "Are they going to start fighting again!?"

Qin Jiu took off the piece of paper and examined it for while as he leaned against the wall. He asked 154: "What's the punishment if the same examinee violates the rules the third time?"

He asked this slowly and he even dragged out some of the words. It was as if he was carelessly trying to challenge something.

154: "…There shouldn't be a third time?"

"What if."

154 said carefully: "The one being punished is us… All invigilators for full time on-site invigilating."

Qin Jiu: "…"

Qin Jiu laughed out loud. Reaching out to sling an arm over You Huo's shoulder, he grinned, "Aw man, you should be a hardliner. I'd totally relinquish my position to you!"

You Huo's eyes ticked, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't even shove Qin Jiu's arm away. Instead, he just continued staring at Qin Jiu was an unamused, deadpan expression that screamed "Hardliner my ass".

That just made Qin Jiu even more amused, the brown haired invigilator cackling to himself as the others realized just what would happen when You Huo inevitably violated another rule.

Two great masters on opposing sides, stuck together in the same cabin, with everyone else being pretty much collateral damage.

The building went scarily quiet.

154 and Wen Yuan looked like they were being tortured, the latter even letting out a strange, strangled sound.

"Can I just... quit before I even become an examinee?" 154 muttered. Wen Yuan nodded, "Me too."

Chapter Text

"So uh... in messy cases like that..." An examinee spoke up carefully, "And assuming you don't... uh... make examinees clear the up... what happens to the room?"

"Oh, don't worry about it." An invigilator waved their hand, "It's all automated. Otherwise, the ones being punished is us."

"Then why do you just... have a bucket and a mop lying around?"

"They're just for smaller spills. You know, maybe eating breakfast and knocking a cup off the table or something."

"I see..."

There was more silence, and everyone glared at Qin Jiu once again.

"You really had to make us look at that gory room!?"

At this point, Qin Jiu was starting to a little get annoyed, "Yes, I get that my future memoryless self is an idiotic piece of shit, can we please move on!?"

This time, 922 stayed around for a while at the door after dropping the examinee off.

After the experience last time, he was very curious about what You Huo would do. However, a few seconds later he regretted this decision. You Huo came out again.

There were some raised eyebrows. Did You Huo leave something behind by accident? Or was he still going to try probing more information from the loose-lipped 922?

922 with a look of frustration: "What's wrong now?"

You Huo: "I just thought of something."

"What?"

"The rules here, are they based on the exams in reality?"

922 nodded: "Of course it is."

You Huo: "There was a rule that wasn't mentioned."

922: "Which?"

"If an examinee encounters a problem, can they also find the invigilator?"

"Oh... yeah..."

"Good point."

"If it's like normal exams, we can't ask for answers or hints so that's off the table..."

"What can we ask invigilators in normal exams anyways?"

"Uh... extra writing paper?"

"Not sure how that would be helpful... good for jotting down notes, I guess. Or maybe wrapping stuff..."

"Ask for the time?"

"Won't the exam center have a clock? And the answer sheet would count down the amount of time we have left anyways..."

"Maybe asking for help finding something we lost?"

"..."

"I have the feeling the System would say something stupid and blame us, and not let them help..."

"What about bathrooms? I did an exam once that was in the middle of a whole forest and I couldn't even find a proper building that wasn't rundown..."

Some examinees glanced at the invigilators, "So like... if we want to use the bathroom... assuming the examination center doesn't have a bathroom... Would that count as a problem?"

The invigilators all shared a look. Asking to use the bathroom was not something too outlandish... but the System was built for military personnel; looking for a proper bathroom wasn't exactly high on their list of priorities.

In the wilderness, pretty much everywhere was a bathroom. But inside a building, especially for a long exam... they could see how that might be a hygiene issue.

Especially for a bunch of civilians with no proper wilderness training.

"For shorter exams... I suppose you should rely on the rest stops. Though uh, I believe you won't know how long an exam is until you get there, so you should always use the bathroom before you leave, regardless if you really have to go or not. And maybe stock up on a few empty bottles at the rest stop." An invigilator finally said, "For longer exams... we might be able to help, but please only do it for extreme emergencies. If this becomes a regular thing... who knows what kind of bullshit rules the System would add."

922: "… Yes."

But we don't want you to look for us.

They all had a feeling that after the bucket incident, 922 might have gotten a little traumatized from You Huo. There was no doubt that if You Huo summoned an invigilator... it would be to pull more stunts like that.

Or to ask about the specifics of every single damn rule of the exam so he could push the System to the extremes... and subsequently, make it very, very angry.

To avoid trouble, 922 immediately added: "It's the same as the exams in reality. You are forbidden to ask for the answer. We don't and can't help you with that."

You Huo made a sound of recognition.

But he had always been quite little with words… 922 still felt skeptical.

"Why do I have a feeling that answering his question would bring us more trouble?" 154 shivered, almost like he was cold.

"... You mean that Invigilator A might call us for reasons other than asking a question?" Wen Yuan asked.

"... It is Invigilator A after all... Who knows how else he's trying to bend the rules."

They shared a look, and shuddered. Shu Xue let out a small smile and gently patted them on the back. Meanwhile, the invigilators were all snicking at the two not-yet-invigilators.

"You're scaring the two babies." Chu Yue grinned, but You Huo just hmphed, but internally agreed. It did definitely sound like something he would do, especially given his future state of mind and his current record.

As for why he'd be calling for the invigilators... he'd just have to wait and see.

"So when we encounter a problem, how do we find you?"

922 said: "Just… Use the delegated pen and write on the answer wall–"

He originally wanted to say 'write the invigilators number' but he felt resistance inside. His mouth changed and the words that came out was, "Write 001."

While they all knew that 154 and 922 couldn't handle a grand master like You Huo, and that it just wouldn't be fair to pit them against You Huo...

They knew that the only one who could possibly deal with You Huo's sharp thinking and unpredictability was Qin Jiu... but after that fucking bucket incident, they'd rather 001 stay as far as fucking away from You Huo as possible.

You Huo looked expressionlessly at him.

922 looked at him innocently and repeated: "Yes, write 001."

"…"

"So uh... how have we not summoned you guys before?" A brave examinee spoke up, "We have science exams and literature exams..."

"You need to do it with the intention of calling us. The System will then fetch us for you. And you can usually only call the invigilators listed on your answer sheet. Can't have an invigilator who's all the way on the other side of the "world" being called in, right?" An invigilator replied, "But uh... we only have like... fifty invigilators, so the System grabbing us manually wouldn't be too much of a problem. But in the future with nine hundred invigilators..."

They had a feeling that the System might spontaneously combust if the examinees were all calling for various invigilators here and there.

"Some people have done it in the past to vent their frustrations. I don't think the System was too happy about it, but it generally let it slide. But uh..."

They then glared at Qin Jiu. F, in particular, stared hard. He remembered his attempts to call You Huo, and how he had to deal with that annoying examinee who could bullshit questions like there was no tomorrow.

"Just uh... please don't do it if its nothing serious."

"And just another note, we might not be able to give you the answers. The System would stop us, like it did to 154."

154 internally shuddered at the reminder.

"And doing so would paint a target on your back. The System tends to watch the more... proactive ones. I guess it thinks they're more dangerous?"

Finally, F pointed to Qin Jiu, "And please don't be like him and call for the Head Invigilators every single day."

"It was only like two or three times..." Someone else muttered, and F rolled his eyes, "And then he realized that it wouldn't work, so he decided to become the king of rule violations."

After what felt like a century, You Huo nodded. He then turned around and closed the door on him.

922 who had managed to make a big achievement happily went back.

Wen Yuan peeked at Qin Jiu. For all he knew, Qin Jiu might be upset that his future self that just sicced You Huo on him, but oddly enough, Qin Jiu looked rather happy about it.

"Why are you so happy!?" Gao Qi glared at Qin Jiu.

"I just feel like an exam with Big Invigilator would be fun!" Qin Jiu laughed, "I mean, I don't have memory of it... but it's like the me of the past, right?"

The invigilators all paled. Examinee Qin Jiu had been a fucking nightmare, and only You Huo was able to effectively deal with him...

But they had to admit, watching Qin Jiu shred the exams left and right... as long as they didn't have to deal with the aftermath... it had been a pretty good time. It had been rather entertaining after watching broken, crying examinees for so long, and some of them even made bets on how fast Qin Jiu would fuck up another exam.

It was a pity the System couldn't see the beauty of his chaotic shenanigans and kicked him out... only to pull him back in as an invigilator, much to their surprise.

In the cabin.

The fire was still burning strongly, and everyone sat around it in clearly separated groups.

Because of the knife incident earlier, the tattooed man was left alienated. Alone, he sat at the corner of the table with a sullen face.

The others sat far from him and would deliberately walk around him.

Everyone winced. Sure, the tattooed man had been unreasonable and had taken the knife... but at the time, he really didn't know better. Was it really fair to punish him like that when none of them should have been in that situation in the first place?

Hopefully the guy would learn his lessons and would be more cooperative next time.

Seeing You Huo returning, Yu Wen immediately jumped up. "Brother! Did the invigilators do anything to you? What punishment? Are you okay?"

He waved the knife around and fired out a succession of questions.

Some of them choked at Yu Wen's careless actions. No doubt that if it was anyone but You Huo, who could probably keep a level head even if the entire planet was exploding, Yu Wen would have already injured them by accident...

Though to be fair... Yu Wen was only that excited precisely because it was You Huo...

Everyone looked over.

You Huo furrowed his brows and moved away from the blade. He said: "It's nothing."

"You sure?" Yu Wen didn't believe him.

"... He did give GIN a bucket of blood..."

"And he did tie 154 up in the previous round..."

"... I suppose to him, that's nothing?"

154 hid his face in his hands and internally screamed at the mention of being tied to that god damned chair. Were the others ever going to let that go?

"If it helps... you're one of the few who's had the privilege of being man-handled by A!" A cheeky invigilator chimed in after seeing 154's reaction.

"No, it doesn't help." 154 groaned, while Shu Xue and Wen Yuan patted his shoulder gently.

He glanced at the corner of the room and asked quietly: "That person was taken away once and he became like that. How harsh was the punishment?"

You Huo looked over at the corner of the room. The bald man who was confined earlier huddled there with yellow and turbid eyes. He swayed his body back and forth nervously as he muttered incoherently.

He seemed to have been scared mad.

"With a room like that..."

"... not surprised..."

None of them wanted to talk about the room.

The bucket was disgustingly funny.

The room itself? Hell no.

You Huo saw the bald man and recalled the confinement room. He instantly felt a little sick.

Qin Jiu drooped internally. His future self REALLY sucked ass; who wouldn't feel sick looking at a bloody confinement room!?

He wanted to slap a sticky note on his own face to remind his future self to not torment You Huo. At least, not like that; Qin Jiu would rather torment You Huo in a harmless way that was enjoyable for them both.

"He has always been like that?"

"Yes. It has been three hours and he didn't recover at all." Yu Wen snorted coldly. He then whispered: "See him constantly mumbling? I even went over to listen in."

"What did he say?"

Yu Wen shook his head and said: "I only heard something like 'unfortunate life'. On there was also something about burning incense. I couldn't understand the rest."

Everyone sighed. Everything that had happened to them was unfortunate. This shouldn't even have happened in the first place; the System losing control and dragging in everyone, pulling them out of their peaceful lives into this hellscape.

How many people have died from these exams? Burning incense for those who lost their lives was the least they should do, especially since someone dying meant that the others were spared for just a little longer.

You Huo made a sound of understanding and no longer asked.

"You got punished more than him so why do you seem okay?" Yu Wen was very curious.

You Huo was lazy to explain. He answered perfunctorily: "Method is different."

"... Lazy?"

"I mean... do you really want to tell Yu Wen that the confinement room somehow didn't work on him and was completely empty, for reasons unknown to his future self, and then the Head Invigilator decided to be petty as fuck and made him do manual cleaning labor?"

"..."

"That sure is a mouthful."

"And would raise way more questions than necessary."

"..."

"Yep, lazy it is."

Yu Wen: "What punishment did you get?"

You Huo answered briefly: "Slept. Gifted the invigilator a bucket of blood."

Yu Wen: "?"

"Why did you gift the invigilator blood?"

You Huo looked coldly at him: "Who knows? He likes it."

"Just for the record..." Qin Jiu added, "I did NOT like it."

"Mhm." You Huo hummed, though he sounded unconvinced.

"Though it was my fault for making you clean that up... Sorry..."

You Huo hummed again.

Yu Wen keenly noted that his brother said 'he', not 'they'.

While 154 and Wen Yuan were glad the bucket wasn't directed at them... why the fuck did they have to be caught in the crossfire between these demon kings!?

"Which one? Is he a pervert?"

"I'm not a pervert!" Qin Jiu spluttered, promptly choking at being accused of being a pervert by You Huo's younger brother, while everyone else laughed at his expense.

"You Huo: "001."

Yu Wen: "Huh…"

You Huo and that invigilator were not in good relations and he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Qin Jiu groaned.

Everyone had to admit; without the fight between the hardliners and moderates, and especially without the System bearing down on them all... Qin Jiu actually got along pretty well with You Huo. Without being on opposing sides of their faction war, there really wasn't anything for them to fight about.

They just had a rather peaceful co-existence, with Qin Jiu occasionally taking playful jabs at You Huo while the other either ignored the bullshit, or returned the favor in his own way.

It had to be pretty frustrating seeing their future selves wanting to rip each other to shreds.

He glanced around, and frowned: "Were you just sitting around for the past three hours?"

They scanned the room.

Not including You Huo, there was twelve people remaining. The three elderly, the elementary school twins, the traumatized bald man, the tied up tattooed gangster, and poor Mike who couldn't even understand the question, made up eight people.

The sick person in the hospital gown already looked stressed, and trying to get him to answer a question might just stress him out to the point where he'll keel over and die on the spot. Old Yu was definitely old enough that he would forgotten anything science related din school, and while Shu Xue wasn't that old, but she looked like she hadn't been to school in a while. If she didn't take physics as a university major, or something similar, she might not know what do either.

That just left Yu Wen, who was fresh out of high school...

The chances of them actually being able to solve something wasn't that high.

"How can that be?" Yu Wen pointed at the answer wall and said: "Brother, your solution inspired me so I went and wrote a few things."

You Huo looked at the answer wall.

"Uh..." Some people squinted, trying to make out what Yu Wen wrote.

"The fuck is this?"

"... A+ for trying? At least he tried..."

On it there were densely packed scrawls made by by Yu Wen.

You Huo: "…"

"Why do I see some gravity equations?"

"Is this even legible?"

"This is eye torture..."

Yu Wen said: "My teacher said that we should write anything that comes to mind. Even if you don't know, while you're writing it down you might pick up a few points inadvertently."

You Huo: "So, you wrote an essay?"

"I don't want to be his teacher trying to sift through all that just to find something to give him marks for..."

"Would that... even work?" Someone squeaked.

"It's one of those "show your working" kind of questions, so I suppose it would work here. It definitely won't work on those Multiple Choice questions, or those where you have to write down a definite answer. Definitely would give the System an aneurysm, trying to grad all that." An invigilator let out a dry laugh.

"Uh..." 154 raised his hand, like a student trying to get his teacher's attention. Laughing at just how adorable his future subordinate was, Qin Jiu grinned, "What's up?"

"The question requirements are to "Find the that cursed tableware"... but there isn't any tableware?" 154 asked awkwardly.

That got everyone to pause, and to peer at the question again.

Sure enough. Requirements: Find the that cursed tableware. (But cannot damage them)

How the fuck are they supposed to find the cursed tableware if they didn't even have any fucking tableware?

"It's the hunter's cabin... did the hunter hide them?"

"Fucking bullshit."

"What a shitty system, asking a question but not even allowing them to attempt answering it..."

"It's like... asking someone to do an exam, but you take away their stationery, blindfold them, and also chop off their hands!"

"Did you really have to word it like that!?"

"... it was the first thing I could think of..."

The invigilators all shared an uneasy look. Even the NPCs are actively trying to prevent them from progressing? That wasn't even fair; being time-gated for no good reason; especially in a game that was only two days long.

"Well... there really isn't anything they can do right now besides trying to find the correlation between tableware and optics, I suppose." An invigilator sighed.

He tried to read the messy scrawls. He pointed at one of the lines and asked: "What is this sentence?"

Yu Wen tried to read it with even more difficulty than You Huo: "I think… We have a total of 13 people and there are 12 tableware."

"... He fucking wrote it. He can't read his own handwriting?"

Some of them laughed, remembering their own time at school where they would just scribble as fast as they could on exams and homework, leaving their teachers to suffer through their messy scrawls.

You Huo: "… Why are you copying the question?"

Yu Wen: "… When I don't have anything to write in an exam, in order to increase the word count, I would try to emphasize the key point in the question."

You Huo: "…"

Fuck you and the key point.

Everyone wanted to cry from laughter. The sheer difference between the innocent naive Yu Wen and the stone-cold military prodigy You Huo, their opposing ways of dealing with questions, heck, dealing with each other..

It was just too funny; even if You Huo didn't remember his own past because of the System, he still knew that he himself wouldn't be doing such bullshit in exams.

He pointed to another pile of circles: "What's this?"

Yu Wen: "G=mg, g=9.8N/kg…"

You Huo: "What does this have to do with optics?"

Yu Wen: "The thing is… I don't know what kind relationship tableware has with optics."

You Huo: "….."

"... I mean..."

"What does tableware have to do with optics?"

Some of the examinees who had gone through that exam before wanted to speak up, but one look from Chu Yue shushed them; it would be better overall for the examinees to try and figure it out on their own. Without the fear of death, the examinees would have a clearer mind, and be able to think through their questions better, so this was a good chance for them to build up some confidence, and maybe pick up on a couple of important survival tips.

"Tableware... forks... spoons... uh... cups and plates?"

"Doesn't optics have to do with like... a transparent medium? Like a lens?"

"I think optics is more light based? But yeah, you'll probably need some kind of medium to like... bend the light?"

"So... maybe if the cups are transparent? Unless the plates are transparent..."

"Who the fuck uses transparent plates?"

"I see them in china shops sometimes..."

"Do you really think a hunter in the middle of nowhere will go to a china shop for fucking plates!?"

Yu Wen was afraid of his brother going mad with anger, so he quickly added: "There are also optics here."

You Huo no longer wanted to look at the nonsensical scrawls. He asked directly, "Where?"

You Wen said timidly: "Here. I wrote refractive index, parallel lines, spherical surface, lens, focal length, imaging… Aren't these words all optics related? I even drew a simple two mirror diagram."

You Huo was expressionless.

You Huo looked like he was already tired of Yu Wen's bullshit.

"Hey, he tried his best, especially under all that pressure." Qin Jiu slapped You Huo on the back, "Can't expect everyone to be as good as us."

You Huo just let out a small grunt. His cousin didn't use his brain half the time, but he always tried his best... even if his best wasn't exactly helpful. Part of the grading system was based on the way that he had been graded as a child... and he couldn't exactly be graded if his handwriting was as bad at Yu Wen's.

He had knew the System wasn't going to take all those nonsensical scribbles well.

At the very least, the word "refractive index" should buy them a bit more time. Good on Yu Wen for that.

Yu Wen thought about it and then pulled his brother away from the wall. He changed the topic: "Let's not talk about the unhappy things. Apart from answering the question, we also did something else."

In fact, after the answer wall was updated, they turned the cabin upside down.

"Ah! That's good!" Everyone nodded. Even if You Huo was the most capable one there, at least his teammates weren't expecting to be carried without at least doing some leg work.

The question said that this was a hunter's cabin and that he had 13 tableware but only enough food to feed 12.

But after searching through the attic, cabinets and various bottles and cans, they firstly didn't see a hunter and, secondly, there weren't any tableware.

"Ah fuck... the hunter really did lock them away..."

"Hopefully there's something in Yu Wen's scrawls that can buy them some time until that hunter returns..."

As for food… They could only dream.

"Please don't..." One of the examinees who had done the exam before whimpered, "You... don't want to eat anything there..."

"Huh? Why not?"

One of the more level headed examinees immediately understood, "A cabin in the middle of nowhere... where do you think he gets food from?"

"..."

"Besides the hunter... who else is at that location?"

At that realization, everyone immediately blanched. They couldn't decide if that was worse than the bloody gory bucket.

"No food." Someone squeaked, "Got it..."

"It's... only two days... right? People can survive for three weeks with no food..."

"What kind of fucking cannibalism horror story is this!?"

"We searched for two hours." Yu Wen said dejectedly, "In such a small cabin, two hours! So you can imagine how much we've gone through. There really was nothing. What a shit question."

You Huo asked: "You definitely went through everything?"

"In fact, we didn't." A stick thin man wearing a hospital gown coughed a few times and interjected: "There were two places that weren't touched."

He raised his skinny fingers and pointed at the two locked rooms.

"Urg..."

"So the shitty hunter really did lock the tableware away..."

"Not just that; locked off whole rooms so the team couldn't explore them..."

Everyone started cursing the System out, while You Huo and Chu Yue shared a look. They were fairly sure the hunter hadn't started like this... this kind of behavior sounded almost... human. Like the hunter was scared at the examinees would do something to the tableware while he was out, and had done this as a precaution to ensure that he could always control the tableware.

Or more accurately, always ensure someone died from the cursed seat.

The System really was getting more and more out of hand.

On the door of the rooms was the rooster and hen. Their necks were twisted, and their dark beady eyes looked out the window not moving an inch.

Perhaps it was because the chickens looked very strange and every time, they called out it was either because of a violation or because it was tim e to collect the answers, no one dared to touch it.

They did NOT need another reminder that these birds were the ones that screeched like banshees when they had to answer the question, nearly sucking Old Yu to his death before You Huo saved them.

No wonder they were scared shitless. No one wanted to touch them either.

"We tried to find the key, but we couldn't find it."

"Urg... that means the hunter has them... at least if the keys were still in the cabin, locking rooms up would still be reasonable..."

"Like I said, chopping off their hands..."

"You shut up with your weird analogies..."

You Huo nodded. He walked over and examined the two padlocks. He then turned around and looked at the walls.

Yu Wen was worried that his brother would take out the axe to break the door down. He quickly said: "Brother! I played these types of games more than everyone else here. For locked doors like this, it's best not to use force."

You Huo coolly asked back: "Do I look retarded?"

"Nope."

"Absolutely not."

Invigilator A was definitely not retarded. Not in this world, not in any world.

Yu Wen shrank back. He didn't dare speak.

After a moment he said timidly: "Then why are you looking at the wall?"

"Did anyone touch the hunting gear?" You Huo asked.

Everyone's eyes moved to the tattooed man.

"Oh god, did he have to touch that too!?"

Somehow, they were wondering if there was anything the tattooed man hadn't touched and messed up.

They were still wondering what You Huo was going for, wanting the hunting gear... but this was You Huo. The great master, a fellow demon king alongside Qin Jiu. Anything that would help him solve the exam faster, the better.

"Fuck, why are you fucking looking at me for!" The tattooed man saw this and was enraged: "Earlier you wrongly accused me of hiding the knife and now what are you going to wrongly accuse me of?"

"What do you mean wrongly accuse!?

"Wrongly accuse?" You Huo frowned.

"With so many people are grouped together, who the fuck knows where that knife fell from."

"He's the only one grabbing weapons!?"

"Where else would the knife had fallen from!?"

The tattooed man cursed. He said irritably: "I'm done! It's no point explaining to you fools!"

You Huo looked coldly at him.

Tattooed man: "…"

After a moment of silence, the tattooed man said: "Forget it. You… what do you want to ask? Ask!"

There was some dry laughter as the tattooed man, despite all his tough words... was clearly intimidated by You Huo.

Serves him right.

You Huo pointed at the wall with his chin: "Put the hunting gear back to where it was. I want to look at its position."

The tattooed man glared at him: "Am I crazy? Why should I put it back after taking it down?"

Three minutes later, the tattooed man took out a bag of hunting gear and hung them back one by one.

You Huo crossed his arms and followed behind him.

"I'm not a dog. Can you not walk around like you're walking me?!"

The tattooed man complained dissatisfiedly but he still placed the last one back before spitting in the corner and walking away.

There was even more laughter at how easily the tattooed man gave up. Even if You Huo didn't say anything... even he didn't want to go against him.

Heck, there were even times when Qin Jiu of all people submitted to You Huo. The tattooed man didn't stand a chance.

"Brother, what's wrong with the hunting gear?" Yu Wen asked.

You Huo pointed at the last wall and said: "There are two empty nails."

"So?" Yu Wen was still puzzled.

"What happened to the thing hanging from there?"

The room went silent.

Suddenly someone said: "That's right… it's missing two things. Is anyone hiding something?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"That's... good right? That means the hunter took them and he will come back..."

"Do you really want a cannibalistic hunter to come back to his cabin full of people?"

"... they need the tableware?"

"Oh yeah..."

Old Yu: "It was like this from the beginning."

Everyone looked at him.

"That… Before the exam started, didn't I go out for a bit?" Old Yu said to You Huo. "You were sleeping so I didn't call you. Before I went out, I wanted to see if there were any umbrellas in the cabin. At that time the two nails were empty. I'm certain."

"So, you mean that from the time we entered the cabin, two hunting gears were missing?"

"Then who has it?"

"The hunter?" Yu Wen guessed, "So… There really is a hunter and he is just not in the cabin. He probably went out hunting?"

"Hunting what, though?"

"If the examinees just... spawn in the room..."

"Maybe it's a habitual thing? To fit with the theme?"

"Uh..." Someone spoke up, "Wasn't there someone who... jumped off the roof?"

Everyone froze.

Everyone was a little nervous: "We can't go out, he can't come in. How can we find him?"

You Huo: "Time isn't up yet, right?"

"Yeah..." They tried to ignore the previous statement about the poor guy who tried to tamper with the radio.

"Can't do anything... gotta wait for the hunter to come back..."

Everyone's sense of time was a bit off but You Huo had already dragged a chair over and moved to sit before the fire.

The others also sat down and went in daze as they looked at the fire.

Yu Yao supported her waist and carefully moved over. She looked at You Huo for a while. The other person's side profile was lit up by the fire making him look gentler than usual, but his eyes were still cold and indifferent.

Everyone looked at Shu Xue curiously. You Huo was clearly the hardest one in the room to approach, and they were all wondering what she wanted to say to him.

With a look of guilt, she said: "I'm sorry."

You Huo looked over at her.

Yu Yao said in a small voice: "That ink… Clearly I was the one who did it but you got punished instead. I have always wanted to apologize to you but you were taken away again before I could say anything."

All of their hearts melted.

It had been at least six hours since that incident, and combined with all the stress of having to answer questions or fucking die, and taking care of the other sick, elderly, and children... they were surprised she still remembered. Not just remembered, but took the effort to try and make it up to You Huo.

If it were anyone else, they were sure there was no doubt they'd erupt in a rage and blame her for their suffering. Even if You Hou made it clear that he wasn't too bothered by the punishments, it would take a lot of courage for anyone to go up to that person and talk.

You Huo: "…"

Yu Yao said: "I know it's useless to apologize. If there is anything next time, I'll go instead."

"You've got a good heart." An invigilator turned to her softly.

Shu Xue just shook her head, letting out a small smile.

"Sadly, punishments approved by the System can't be transferred to another examinee." The invigilator explained, "Even if you were the one to use the ink, the System's judgement punishing A is not your fault. I'm sure he appreciates the sentiment, though."

At that, You Huo spared a glance at Shu Xue, who held her breath. After a few seconds, his eyes warmed up slightly, and he nodded at her.

Shu Xue looked like she was going to cry. After 154 and Wen Yuan shared a look, Wen Yuan took off 154's coat, which was still hanging off his shoulders, and draped it over Shu Xue.

You Huo: "…"

He lowered his eyes and glanced at Yu Yao. He looked away and continued to warm his hands up: "No need."

No need, he had said.

In this System full of deaths, of trauma and jaded souls... You Huo had said that there was no need for her to pay her back. He didn't mind taking her punishment, and he didn't want her to pay him back for it either.

It was times like this that reminded them that You Huo was still human. He was cold and expressionless, his gaze being strong enough to paralyze even the toughest of people, and yet, deep inside, he was soft and gentle.

He didn't want unnecessary suffering. If he could take on her burden with no harm to himself, and even earned a three hour nap out of it, then so be it. If he had to rush an invigilator through a snowstorm, just at the slim chance at making it back in time to answer the question and save the others, then he'd gladly do it again.

Yu Yao opened her mouth wanting to say something but in the end she didn't say anything.

She sat there in daze for a while. Then she suddenly asked You Huo: "You're not afraid?"

You Huo straightened one leg. The fire stove was too warm, and he was a little sleepy.

Sleepy? Again?

Some people couldn't help but look concerned for You Huo. The guy had been sleeping before the exam, had been locked in a confinement room for three hours and had taken a nap... and was still sleepy?

Qin Jiu suppressed a smile before Gao Qi could screech at him. A sleepy You Huo... he looked adorable. Unlike their very own Big Invigilator, who was sitting so upright and straight, despite the very comfy couch they were current lounging on.

At the very least, Qin Jiu himself was leaning back, enjoying the softness of the cushions as he rested his arm on the armrest.

Shu Xue was right; the fire did make You Huo look gentler than usual. The blaze dancing in his golden eyes, contrasting the cold expression on his face... A gentle-looking Big Invigilator was hard to come by; relaxed, without any worries, just warming himself up by the fire...

It was so calming, so serene... and Qin Jiu wanted You Huo to look like this forever.

He was quiet for a moment before saying lazily: "Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of death, afraid of violating the rules… or anything. Everyone is very curious. You are very strong. It's like you aren't afraid of anything."

"What's the point of being afraid?"

All of the examinees stared at the ground.

What was the point in being afraid? Being afraid just muddled their judgement, emptied their minds of all the important information...

Being afraid made it harder for them to survive.

It definitely was a very You Huo thing to say; to him, there was no point in being afraid of anything. If he was afraid of something, then he'll get over it.

That's why his confinement room was empty.

Yu Yao nodded and said quietly: "That's true. But you can't help it. I'm just very scared…"

You Huo didn't look up. He said: "You're not too timid. You even had the courage to use that unknown ink to write on the wall."

He spoke effortlessly. It was as if he didn't want to even move his lips. His voice was low and cold but, while being baked by the warm fire, there was no tone of blame.

Chu Yue smiled at You Huo doing his best to comfort Shu Xue.

His entire life, his mother didn't care for him, he had been pushed away from his family. The System watching everything through his eyes creeped everyone out, and it had been almost impossible for him to make any proper friends.

Qin Jiu had been the first person to accept You Huo wholeheartedly aside from her... and yet, he had been brutally ripped away from him.

Needless to say, You Huo had never received much love in his life, and showing, expressing, or even talking about emotions was definitely not his forte.

And yet, for this lady, this stranger to be worried about him taking her punishments, to care about him to the point where she wanted to apologize, despite how unapproachable he was... to try and understand him, and show him such sincerity...

It was no wonder the future You Huo was touched, even if he didn't show it outwardly. Somewhere deep in his heart, she knew that the feeling of being loved and cared for was something he desperately craved, something he considered such a weakness that he pushed it down and locked it away in the depths of his heart, to the point where even he may have forgotten about it.

Yu Yao lowered her head. She didn't know what to say.

She lingered for a long time before saying: "I actually…"

But she didn't finish speaking. She saw You Huo with one leg on the edge of the chair and his arm on his knee. He seemed to have fallen asleep again.

There was no time or energy to feel guilty. Understanding that she had tried her best and that You Huo didn't blame her, letting her know that they weren't to blame for this horrifying scenario...

It was all he could do, really, in those circumstances. Nothing more had to be said.

She was surprised for a moment and she swallowed her words back. She didn't wake You Huo and just slowly moved back to the two old ladies.

"How did he fall asleep again?" The old lady whispered. "Didn't he sleep when he just came?"

Yu Wen heard this faintly and he looked at You Huo. Inside he answered: No, my brother is always sleepy even after sleeping.

"Sleepy... after sleeping?"

Some people stared at You Huo, who was still sitting upright, as stiff as a log, despite his couch partner lounging on the side like some kind of thug. Sleepy after sleeping? That was so different from their current Invigilator A...

Maybe it was a side effect from being kicked out of the System after being stuck inside for so long? This "illness" that he had been recuperating from... maybe there was some truth to it after all?

"Hey..." Qin Jiu gently nudged You Huo with his leg, "You're... not really sick, right? Maybe you're just catching up on all that sleep that everyone claims you don't get?"

You Huo chose not to answer. It sounded likely; without any memories, duties or expectations... it was very possible that he had nothing else to do, and he just developed sleeping as a way to pass time?

That just sounded depressing.

Seeing as even You Huo didn't have an answer, everyone decided to drop the topic. No point in wasting time trying to figure something out without sufficient information.

Yu Yao didn't say have much to say. She leaned against the old lady and her eyes looked into the distance. She seemed to be in thought.

An unknown amount of time passed and the clock above the cabinet changed.

Beijing time, four o'clock in the morning.

The sudden cry from the rooster frightened everyone.

"Ah!"

Everyone else in the room had also been startle by the rooster.

"Fucking rooster."

They quickly sat up and looked at each other before realizing that they had fallen asleep.

Yu Wen slapped himself a few times to wake himself up.

When he lowered his hands, he heard a strange sound.

"... Uh oh..."

"Is it the hunter?"

"Shh-"

He gestured and asked quietly: "Do you hear something?"

"What?" Old Yu looked at his son thinking that he was speaking nonsense.

"Don't you hear it?" Yu Wen asked, "That… crunching sound."

The room fell silent. No one dared to move.

"On one hand, I want them to answer the question..."

Everyone had a wary expression as they listened for movement.

Sure enough, after a few seconds the crunching sound was heard again. This time everyone heard it.

"On the other hand, please get the cannibalistic hunter as far away from them as fucking possible..."

"Shush!"

It was like… something heavy being dragged in the snow.

"... that... doesn't sound good..."

"So he really... radio... batteries..."

Some of the examinees were started to get sick at the implications of what that "something heavy" could be.

The stick thin man in the hospital gown gestured out the window and mouthed: "Here."

Before his mouth could close, the door opened with a creak.

A black shadow was casted in from outside the door.

Following that, a pale faced man holding pile of rope entered the cabin.

His figure was large, but he wasn't very tall. His face looked like over exposed paper and his eyes were also very strange. The iris looked a little too large for his eyes and the white sclera only occupied a very small amount.

"... that's... the hunter?" Someone squeaked.

"Does he have a name? I think I've been in another exam and there was also a hunter. A different hunter... pretty sure he had a name... I can't remember, though."

You Huo's eye twitched as another examinee who had done the exam before replied, "I think he's called Hunter A."

Everyone just stared at the examinee blankly.

Hunter A?

No wonder You Huo looked so miffed, having to share the same code as this stocky cannibalistic bastard.

"We should rename him. He's an insult to Invigilator A."

"There's who knows how many NPCs out there. Are we supposed to rename all of them?"

"We'll do that if the NPC is undeserving. There are some nice NPCs too!"

Qin Jiu glanced at You Huo. Nope, he wasn't just annoyed that his code was being shared with this hunter; he was also annoyed at the uproar of the offended examinees.

Luckily for them, Gao Qi quickly shushed them before they got too much on You Huo's nerves.

He bent down to roll the rope up. On his waist hung a wide knife and a small bell rang with his movements.

No one in the room spoke. Everyone watched him drag a sack into the house and then closing the door.

At this moment, he finally looked around at the fire stove. His dark eyes blinked a few times: "Ah… That's good, there are guests."

"... Suddenly, I don't want to name him..."

Everyone: "…"

The one who came was the hunter that they had been waiting for.

He squeezed his hand and said: "Snow had blocked off the roads for the past few days so I knew that foo… I mean, guests would come."

Guests: "…"

"..."

"He really is a cannibal!?"

The examinees were all turning cold.

"Is it really the poor radio battery guy?"

"It's really cold outside." He said slowly: "The snow is too heavy. Everything was hidden so I couldn't find a prey. I spent a long, long time to finally dig out one."

154 paled, and looked like he was going to throw up. Sure, they had talked about it before, but having the NPC saying it out loud so blatantly

There was even an NPC like this!? That was also part of the System? Just like him!? He wasn't sure whether to be more offended, or disgusted that the System was not only killing innocent people who shouldn't even be taking part in these tests in the first place, but was also digging up their corpses and eating them.

"Water!? Does anyone have water!?" Wen Yuan called out, seeing 154's sick expression. Another examinee passed them a water bottle, and luckily, a few gulps were enough to stem the 154's nausea, though he still appeared rather pale.

He kicked the sack and smiled at everyone. His lips looked like they almost reached his ears: "You're really lucky to be able to join me."

"No, they really aren't." Someone squeaked timidly.

He sighed again and explained: "I can't help it. There aren't many things on the snow mountain, and it would always be a long time until I come across a group. I have to tighten my belly to survive so I only have two meals a day."

They couldn't help but look at the examinees who had done the exam before, but they quickly waved them off.

"Some of us were lucky, and had snagged some food from the rest stop. I've heard stories about how others starved, but it's only two days long. It isn't as bad as those exams where you have to stay there for a week."

They nodded in understanding.

"Once in the morning at 4am and then in the afternoon at 4pm. There aren't many chances to have a wonderful meal with me." He looked at the clock above the cabinet and said: "Ah, it's just the right time. You must've waited long and must be hungry. I can hear your stomachs growling. Can't wait?"

Guests: "…"

"Who's stomach would be fucking growling!?"

"If the bucket didn't kill their appetite first..."

"They didn't see the bucket. Only the invigilators."

"Oh yeah..."

"Just uh... please don't eat anything served by him... whether it be the chickens or the... sack..."

You Huo just looked completely unamused.

"How many of you are there?" He held out his finger and counted them one by one, "Old woman, sick man, thug, alcoholic, alcoholic's son…"

None of the names were nice but when he pointed at them, their faces all turned green.

It was a reminder of just how useless You Huo's team was. Shu Xue wasn't included in the lineup, but half of the examinees were practically useless, to put it plainly.

The only level-headed people there were the sick guy, Yu Wen, Old Yu and Shu Xue. The bald man too, before the confinement room, but now, he was just dead weight, and the foreigner, for as healthy as he was, couldn't understand the question at all.

For an exam that needed a rather large group of people and three invigilators to keep an eye on them...

At least the current examinees were mostly fit and able-bodied, and were at least old enough to have learnt some basic knowledge of most of the subjects in school. They still couldn't believe how bad You Huo's luck was, to have an entire team of first-time examinees that mostly consisted of five poisons.

When he reached You Huo, he paused and wasn't happy: "Why is there one still asleep?"

"Good. Don't be happy." Some people cursed the cannibalistic hunter, "You don't deserve it."

Others thought that it wasn't a good idea to piss off the owner of the cabin who also happened to look at them like they were food... but it was You Huo they were talking about, and so, they opted to remain silent.

"Forget it." Hunter A was no longer interested. He looked at the answer well and said: "Looks like there are a total of 13 people but I don't have enough food. Only enough for 12. What a pity."

"Huh..."

It was still surprising to see that Shu Xue wasn't being considered by the NPCs as an examinee, no matter how many times it occurred. She was so kind and gentle, and she was just as human as all the other examinees.

As he said that, he licked his lips: "I'm really hungry, but you'll have to wait a little longer. I have to prepare. It's my first time having so many guests."

"... I bet he's seeing them all as walking pieces of food..." Someone shuddered.

Yu Wen: "…"

It's also my first time seen such a girly hunter.

Everyone choked. They weren't sure whether to laugh at Yu Wen's ridiculous thoughts, or to be confused as to how on earth Yu Wen could think the misshapen, stocky hunter was girly.

It was the weird thoughts like that, that reminded them that this was You Huo's cousin. For all their differences... their way of looking at the situation and coming up with random, wild, sassy thoughts was actually pretty similar.

Hunter A bent over and picked up the sack.

The sack looked particularly heavy. They didn't know what it contained and they also didn't want to know…

He dragged the sack over to the corner of the room and stopped before the room with the hen hanging from the door.

The keys clanked and Hunter A picked one out.

"Ah fuck, he has the god damned keys..."

Sure, at least they now had a way to unlock all the rooms in the cabin... but did they really want the future examinees to be using the keys that had been touched by that cannibalistic monstrosity?

Using it, he opened the door to the room.

A rotten smell spread out.

It was a smell that was hard to describe. It was like rotten meat, dust and decaying wood all mixed together.

Just the description alone was disgusting enough.

They were lucky they couldn't actually smell it... except for the poor souls who had taken the exam before and could recall the decaying, musty smell.

Everyone had thought that the room with the hen hanging from the door was the bedroom.

Now they realized that it was actually a kitchen.

Inside was a long counter. It was no problem for someone to lie on it.

Even more faces paled. Of course it was long enough for someone to lie on it...

How else was the hunter supposed to chop up a dead, frozen human body?

On the other side was a tall red wooden cabinet. Numerous locks hung from there.

Hunter A smiled at the people in the room and then made a small bow: "Please wait. It'll be done soon."

He then closed the door.

The people by the fire stove was silent for a long time. One of them said with fear: "I don't want to eat, I want to go home."

Everyone wanted to go home. No one wanted to stay in this cursed System anymore, forced to take deadly exam after deadly exam just to save their lives.

But the fact that the System was still here after three years. The Head Invigilator who had been kicked out had been pulled back in, along with his family. The other invigilators had long since resigned themselves to their fates of being stuck in the System, and had hardened their hearts to cope.

"Who doesn't want to go home!?" The tattooed man had at some unknown point in time joined the crowd. He was probably afraid of Hunter A, "Can we go back? If you have the ability, go and rush out through that door!"

Everyone fell silent again.

For once, everyone agreed with the tattooed man, and even felt bad for him. Who (besides You Huo... and probably Qin Jiu...) wouldn't be afraid of meeting a cannibalistic hunter who had most likely just brough in the dead frozen corpse of a fellow examinee?

After a moment, Old Yu swallowed: "That hunter's mouth was so big. It wouldn't be a problem to swallow a human head. I have a feeling he eats humans…"

Yu Yao muttered: "What's in that sack?"

Putting those two sentences together, it was extremely terrifying.

"Yeah..."

At the very least, the future examinees had come to the conclusion. It would be even more terrifying to watch one of them unknowingly eat anything the hunter gave them, with the knowledge of what it actually was...

Everyone's eyes moved out the window.

The snowstorm outside still had not stopped. Before the exam, Old Yu went out to investigate and said that everything was covered in snow. There weren't any people or houses within a hundred miles from here…

Where did the prey come from?

What's more, Hunter A said that the food was dug out.

When they arrived here in the afternoon, there was a man who didn't listen to the radio and his body was soon buried under the snow…

"Yep..." Someone squeaked, "It's him..."

Feeling even more sick, 154 drank more water, and nearly choked on it.

Everyone recalled that moment in unison. Deep fear formed on their faces.

Yu Wen was even about to vomit.

"If you want to vomit, turn around." You Huo's cold voice rang out, "Don't get it on me again."

Some people jumped, surprised that You Huo was finally awake. You Huo really was the only one holding that rag tag team together, and knowing that he was awake and alert just gave them some piece of mind; that You Huo could somehow pull out a victory despite the dire circumstances.

Also, the fact that the cannibalistic hunter was strutting around like he owned the place (which he did) and threatened to eat people, but the only thing that You Huo was really concerned about was more vomit?

The absolute absurdity of the situation just... gave them a sense that everything really was going to be alright.

"Brother you're awake?!" Yu Wen cried out in pleasant surprise.

"What are you shouting for?! Can't you be a little quieter?!" The tattooed man shouted.

You Huo glanced at the tattooed man and said: "I wasn't sleeping."

Yu Wen: "Oh- Then why do you always close your eyes?"

"Eyes are uncomfortable."

You Huo and Chu Yue's eyes immediately narrowed at that statement.

His eyes? Where the System had been installed?

They shared a quick look. His eyes... those things should have long been deactivated, and the System itself should not have the authority to re-activate it. It should be relatively safe... but what if the System really did find a way around the rules and reactivated them?

It was still something they hadn't considered in their plans. Something they hadn't thought to consider. Now that they knew that their plan was going to fail... best that they start looking into all the other factors that they might have missed.

Yu Wen remembered now that his father seemed to have mentioned that You Huo has had surgery done on his eyes and that he would be tired and uncomfortable after looking at bright things for a long time. However, because he had never heard You Huo mention it, he didn't remember it himself.

"A..." Gao Qi glanced at his friend, "Is there something wrong with your eyes now? That's why... you need surgery in the future?"

Of course there was something wrong with his fucking eyes; the god damned System. But it wasn't like he could just announce to everyone "Hey the System use to watch every single thing I did since its implanted in my eyes, so the future surgery is most likely to get rid of them.".

So instead, he just waved Gao Qi off, "Probably something to do with the "illness"."

But 154 couldn't help but perk up.

You Huo was finally getting those things removed? In the future? That was a good thing; 154 would always remember how that thing gave You Huo so much grief in his childhood.

Not that he wasn't worried about Chu Yue; she practically made up the other half of his past and personality. But she seemed to adapt to this new space well, even making jokes and fooling around with the others. The System had always watched over You Huo more closely and pestered him more, even before he was kicked into the garbage, so 154 was naturally concerned about him.

No one noticed 154's reaction, other than You Huo, Qin Jiu and Chu Yue. Qin Jiu wasn't too sure what was going on... but it seemed like the other two did, if their glances said anything.

It was obvious to them; 154 clearly knew something about their eyes, something that not even the other invigilators knew about. Other than them, the only people who would know about their eyes was the System itself; the one who had programmed the System, and the people who had installed the eyes in the first place were either dead, or not in the System at all.

So 154 was the System? But the happy expression on his face...

Something was just not lining up for You Huo. Simultaneously being human and the System? 154 really was some kind of enigma that You Huo and Chu Yue had to decipher.

"Brother, did you hear everything Hunter A said?" Yu Wen asked.

You Huo hummed in acknowledgment.

Yu Wen: "What do we do?"

You Huo said lazily: "I'm a little hungry. Wait for dinner."

Yu Wen: "…"

Who are you trying to scare?

"..."

"Are you trying to scare your brother?"

You Huo just glared at them. Did they really think that You Huo was really looking forwards to that dinner?

Qin Jiu laughed out loud, startling the examinees.

"What happens when it's time for dinner?" He asked.

"..."

"They... eat?"

"Uh huh. Very good." Qin Jiu nudged them a little further, like he were talking to a child, "And what do you need when you eat?"

Upon hearing that, the invigilators all joined in with the laughter.

"..."

"The tableware!"

"Instead of searching for the tableware... might as well make the hunter do it!"

The mood was instantly lifted, and Qin Jiu glanced at You Huo as the examinees chattered amongst themselves.

Something about his eyes... Qin Jiu was worried about You Huo. Pretending to hate each others guts, arguing to hell and back, being forced to glare at him hatefully... it was painful. But they had to do this, to destroy the System, to take back everything that had been stole from not just them, but everyone else.

You Huo looked away. It was a habit of his... looking away from Qin Jiu... now that the knowledge that the thing in his eyes might potentially be reactivated... even if their System wasn't here, You Huo couldn't help it.

Qin Jiu frowned slightly at the action. He knew that it was something You Huo wanted to keep a secret, but it from his posture, it was also something he wanted to tell him.

Something important.

"Take your time." He finally whispered, "I'll wait for you, no matter long it takes."

Chapter Text

Master You's words effectively alarmed the crowd.

Silence was instantly restored in the cabin, and everyone felt panicked.

Knowing that You Huo was just waiting for the hunter to take out all the tableware, everyone relaxed.

Of course, everyone's reaction was understandable; without context, You Huo's statement must sound very cold, heartless. They also didn't know You Huo very well, so the fact that he was waiting for dinner? Served by a hunter that they just concluded ate humans?

No wonder they were all panicking.

The soundproofing in the kitchen wasn't very good and the sound of something being dragged was heard.

Soon after, there was a heavy sound. It sounded like… Something large and frozen thrown onto the counter.

After a while, the sound of bones being cut was heard.

The sounds followed one after another.

Some examinees covered their ears. They did not want to hear all of this.

Their only saving grace was that the hunter was doing this in the kitchen and not out in the open. Not like the bullshit You Huo had to do with that damn confinement room...

The clockhand above the cabinet moved slowly. Every second felt excruciatingly long.

After about an entire century, the door to the kitchen finally opened.

The smell that wafted out had become even more strange.

It was like the smell from earlier but now there was also an additional trace of blood and fishiness.

"..."

"Oh fucking god..."

"It can get worse!?"

At this point, even the invigilators, who were all military personnel and had seen their own fair share of disgusting things, either in real life or in the System, were starting to get sick.

Hunter A took out a dark cloth and used it to wipe his hands.

He stuck his head out and smiled at everyone: "It's almost done. You know what? Meat that has been frozen before tastes very good. With a little bit of ice, it's both chewy and crunchy…"

As the pale faced man described it, he appeared to be happily visualizing it in his mind. He then said: "You'll love it."

"..."

"Fuck."

"... What a psychopath..."

Yu Wen huddled amongst the ground. With his brother awake, he now had the courage to curse out: "Fuck… what a psychopath."

"Aha! You think like Yu Wen!"

"You too!"

"Shut up!"

The examinees all started joking around, trying to find any way to alleviate the tension and distract them from the fact that the fucking hunter had just chopped up a human body and was trying to serve it to a group of people who could barely handle porridge, let alone raw human flesh and bones-

You Huo gave them half a minute to settle themselves and their sick stomachs (and to let Wen Yuan and Shu Xue help 154 after he nearly choked on his water again), before continuing.

When he finished saying that, he heard his brothers stomach make a sound.

Yu Wen: "…"

"..."

"Please just tell me that Invigilator A's just hungry in general... and not for the hunter's food?"

"Who the fuck would be hungry for the hunter's food?"

"We're not monsters, you know..." An invigilator looked sick just at the mere suggestion.

Hunter A suddenly smiled and said: "Aha! I heard it! I'm happy there's another person looking forward to my delicious meal.

"Nope, pretty sure he's just hungry in general. NOT for your food."

"... when's the last time they even ate?"

Some people tried to do some calculations. It was four in the morning, and the exam had started at six in the evening the previous day. The exam had been going on for ten hours, and Old Yu had been drunk, stumbling around when there were few people around, indicating that it was late at night, way past the time for dinner.

It was likely that You Huo and his family hadn't eaten anything for half a day already. Considering the fact that You Huo literally had to walk through the snowstorm four times, even running during one of those times, trying to rush back to answer the question, as well as cleaning up that god forsaken room...

It was no wonder he was hungry, after burning through so much energy.

Come, there's plenty available. I need a kind guest to help me out."

His pair of oversized eyes moved around in a circle.

"Nope nope nope."

No one wanted to help this guy serve the fucking remains of a dead examinee. That was too much, even for the toughest of them-

Almost everyone shrank back, only You Huo didn't move.

He not only didn't shrink back, he even seemed to want to step forward.

They took that back. Only You Huo would be brave enough to want to participate, if it meant that his investigation on the tableware would go faster.

They would love for the exam to go by faster. Sadly, they also did not want to feel even more sick than they already were...

Yu Wen looked at him horrified whilst holding him back.

They all mentally thanked future Yu Wen for having some sense and trying to protect their sanity.

They did NOT want to see the kitchen, or the body, or the corpse, or anything..

Could they just go home?

"No, no, no. I know you must be feeling shy. No need to be polite." Hunter A said: "I'll do it myself. Food is hard to come by so I'll pick a careful and steady person. It would be a pity if the plates broke."

He swayed his large body and walked into the living room. Because of his abnormal proportions, he walked a little clumsily.

"That's... good right? That means he's slow..."

"So they can run away if he has a weapon..."

"There's like a grandpa and two grannies... and two children..."

"..."

"Fuck..."

No one dared to breath. Their eyes all looked over to a particular corner of the room.

In the corner, the crazy bald man hid in the shadows. He didn't even seem to have noticed that there was now another person in the cabin and just continued to mutter nonsensically while rocking around.

Everyone froze.

Sure, the bald man had been rude to Shu Xue during the ink incident... but who hasn't acted rude in a moment of panic before?

The guy was practically traumatized, rocking back and forth while random words and phrases spilled from his mouth like a sermon reciting scriptures at the speed of a machine gun (don't question the odd analogy, with how the System functioned, they wouldn't be surprised if there was actually an exam center floating around that had an NPC just like that).

Getting him to help with the tableware was a death sentence.

The only thing to feel fortunate about was that Hunter A's attention was on the side with more people and he didn't seem to have noticed the person who was alone in the corner.

So, when Hunter A walked over to the bald man's side, some people quietly gasped.

"Huh?"

Hunter A suddenly stopped and turned his head.

"Fuck."

Yu Wen quietly swore.

"Fuck indeed."

Hunter A's head turn was extremely terrifying. The angle that he achieved was not something a normal person could do. It was like an owl and his face was on his shoulders.

With him turning back, he looked at the bald man next to his feet.

"..."

Even some of the invigilators were scrambling for their own water bottles. They've seen stuff, both in real life and in the System... but holy fuck, no one's head should be able to turn that much. Which shitty horror film did the System reference this time? The Exorcist?

And the fact that the System could make it real, like it was a natural thing for heads to be able to turn almost a hundred and eighty degrees...

Nope nope nope. They wanted absolutely no part in this.

"Ah… There's another guest here. How did I miss that? Let me see." Hunter A said.

His legs were too thick so he squatted with difficulty.

The bald man's eyes were blank. He didn't even see the large pale face before him.

Hunter A was unhappy about being ignored. He pinched the bald man's chin and patted his face: "Hello? Dear guest?"

He patted him twice but was unsuccessful.

Hunter A gave him a hard slap.

Everyone: "…"

"... Ouch..."

"That is one vicious NPC..."

"What gave it away, the owl head or the cannibalism?"

"..."

"Why did you have to bring that up!?"

The bald man returned to his senses. His eyes regained focus. With wide yellow eyes, he looked silently at Hunter A in front of him.

Two seconds later, Hunter A's shoe was soaked in urine.

"I know it's a normal fear response..."

"Why in the cabin!?"

"They're gonna be stuck with it for like another day and a half!?"

"...I'm starting to understand why 922 was so annoyed... but still..."

Hunter: "…"

The big pale face twitched and he once again to form a large smile: "I think this guest suits my requirements. Here, help me with the plates okay?"

The bald man's limbs were soft. He couldn't move at all.

"How does he suit your requirements!?"

"He can't even stand!"

"Get up!" Hunter A stood up and picked the bald man up.

The bald man trembled like crazy.

"Stand straight!" The bald man was terrified.

He stood there trembling.

Hunter A again smiled "See? That's a good guest. Come with me."

"Oh god..."

"He's fucked..."

"Hang in there..."

They could only pray that the bald man could pull himself long enough to satisfy the hunter's requirements. He could go back to be a shaking, leaking, traumatized mess later, but at least he'll be alive...

The bald man looked back at the others but before he could get a response, Hunter A said: "I hope that the others will stay where you are. If anyone moves, I'll be unhappy and that guest will be in danger."

The person who originally wanted to make some hand gestures silently retracted his hands. The bald man no longer dared to turn back. He fearfully followed behind Hunter A.

Hunter A prepared the food very crudely and the kitchen was covered in small pieces of meat.

The number of people who weren't getting sick was getting closer to zero.

"Does anyone have ginger? I hear... it's good for getting rid of nausea..."

"Where the fuck... would we get ginger from!?"

On the counter was 12 empty porcelain plates and the cut-up meat formed a small hill in a glass bowl.

The frozen meat was very hard, and you couldn't tell what the source of the meat was. The rest of it was thrown back into the sack which was tightly tied up again.

Some people were turning away and covering their ears, unable to take it anymore. It was a horrific sight, something they wished they would never have to see ever again.

The bald man trembled like a leaf. His yellow eyes were fixated at the butcher's knife on the table.

"What are you looking at, dear guest?" Hunter A suddenly asked gently.

The bald man's legs went weak and he quickly looked away.

"Oh, here you go." Hunter A placed two plates in his hands and said: "The plates may be a bit heavy. With your legs shaking so much, please be careful. If you accidentally break them… Then we might have enough food for all of us."

The bald man was terrified.

"Who wouldn't be!?"

"The NPC would actually kill an examinee like that!?"

"Did you forget the guy in the sack!?"

"I'm willing to believe that since it's before the exam he doesn't count..."

"BUT STILL-"

When he came out of the kitchen, Hunter A again emphasized to everyone: "Remember? When you're helping me, you need to be very careful. If anyone in this room breaks any of the tableware, you will be severely punished. Hmm… you probably don't want to go hungry and become someone else's food right?"

Everyone made it a point to not look at the bowl of meat. Even You Huo was starting to get a little antsy and focused on his cousin and uncle instead.

Everyone heard this sentence and looked at the answer wall in sync.

On it was a sentence - Cannot damage the tableware.

They originally thought that the maximum number of casualties for this question would be one and they didn't expect this kind of trap.

"So uh..." Someone tried to focus on something else other than the meat, "I guess the plates aren't it."

"White ceramic? Porcelain?" Someone else chimed in, "But yeah... no optics here."

The bald man and Hunter A placed 13 plates out and arranged it in a circle along the long table. He then placed the glass bowl of meat in the middle.

When the last plate was placed down, the bald man let out a sigh of relief and slumped down onto a chair.

"Don't!"

Someone called out.

"Oh fuck..."

"Wait... what's going on..."

"The cursed tableware... one is destined to die.."

"..."

"FUCK."

The bald man was stunned. He looked at the crowd.

He saw Old Yu using his eyes to direct him in the direction of the answer wall.

The bald man hurriedly looked over.

When the question was updated, the bald man had just returned from the confinement room and had been acting mad in the corner so he wasn't aware of the changes.

He saw the phrases "Only 12 can be accommodated" and "One is destined to die" and his face instantly turned pale.

Who knew whether or not the place he sat at was the one that was the unfortunate seat?

"Oh my god..."

They weren't sure if they preferred the suspense of knowing if the bald man was going to be the first causality, or the cannibalism.

The bald man struggled to get up but a big pair of hands held him down.

Hunter A moved over to his ears and said: "You have already chosen a seat. You can't change it. It's no point standing up again. Forget it."

The words "forget it" stunned the bald man on the spot.

He slumped back in the chair and no longer moved.

Hunter A felt a little regretful: "Sigh… How could he faint like that? I've only just served up the meat and there's also wine."

"... Wine!?"

"There's like three children there! And a sick dude! And three old people!?"

"What fucking wine!?"

"... more like, what went into that fucking wine..."

"..."

There was silence.

If the meat was human flesh... then what was the wine? Fermented dried blood?

Food had not yet been eaten and one had already fallen.

The hunters eyes scanned across the others.

"I still need another person to help me get the glasses." He walked awkwardly to them while muttering: "Who should it be? I like children, let's go with a child…"

"... without context... that just sounds so wrong..."

"That sounds wrong even with context..."

"Please... not the two babies... they're too young..."

As he said that, his eyes rolled around in a circle and fell onto Yu Wen.

Yu Wen seemingly forgot to breathe.

"No! Not him!"

"You can't Yu Wen do that..."

All of them looked at You Huo. There was no way he was going to let his scared baby cousin be tortured by the hunter, right!? Surely he would do something!?

Hunter A smiled and raised his hand. "Then it'll be you my-"

His voice just fell when You Huo wordlessly moved in front of Yu Wen.

"-child."

The finger that Hunter A had stretched out pointed straight at him.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Yu Wen was safe for now... and You Huo was the most talented of the group. Surely he'd be able to find some clues...

And then they remembered the musty kitchen used for chopping up human bodies...

Being disgusted was worth it, if it meant that at least Yu Wen would be alright. He didn't deserve to be there in the first place, shouldn't have to suffer because of a creepy old perverted hunter. At least You Huo could look out for himself.

Hunter A's pale face stiffened.

You Huo looked at him calmly. "Me? Okay."

They couldn't snicker but laugh at how nonchalant You Huo was. Take a nap in the confinement room? Sure. Being called a child and helping the hunter set the tableware? Why not?

Hunter A: "…"

Okay your head.

The snickers turned into howls of laughter at just how upset the hunter was.

154 couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this NPC. Something about him just seemed... off... and it wasn't because of the fucking cannibalism.

He appeared to be a little angry.

You Huo then said: "Going back on your words?"

Hunter A retracted his finger and smiled while the edges of his lips twitched: "No, no. How can I do that? As the owner, of course I should be true to my words."

They all shook their heads, still laughing.

"Only Invigilator A could boldly talk back to an NPC!"

He felt miffed for a moment before waving his hand: "Come on kind-hearted guest."

He said "Come on".

But it sounded like "Why don't you die".

Even more chortles.

That fucking creepy NPC totally deserved You Huo's sassy ire, after how he targeted kids.

Hunter A turned around and walked into the kitchen.

You Huo didn't lift his eyes and followed behind.

Y u Wen was shocked. He hurriedly grabbed him and whispered: "Brother! What are you doing!?"

You Huo glanced at him: "Getting wine."

He said it so casually, like he was at some sort of house-warming party, instead of being stuck in a death exam with a cannibalistic NPC host.

Everyone shook their heads again in amusement. Only You Huo could be so calm in the face of danger. He could probably stare Death in the eye and smack talk him to the face and totally get away it.

"Didn't you hear him?! If you accidentally break the glasses, you'll die!" Yu Wen was anxious.

You Huo: "… Am I physically incapacitated? To even break glasses just by carrying them?"

Yu Wen: "…"

That's true but…

He still felt that his brother was going to do something.

"That's a no brainer, given his track record..."

"It's Invigilator A... no duh he was going to do something..."

"You tell me first. Why did you suddenly take the initiative to get the glasses?" Yu Wen didn't relent.

You Huo pointed at the answer wall with his chin. He then pried his sleeves out of Yu Wen's hands and said: "See the requirements for the answer?"

"Requirements?"

Everyone peered at the wall. Requirements: Find the that cursed tableware. (But cannot damage them)

They weren't too sure where You Huo was going with this.

"Of course, I'm not blind."

You Huo calmly said: "Then let me teach you something."

"What?"

"The more emphasis there is, the more suspicious."

"Hmm... the hunter also specifically mentioned it..."

The examinees were all realizing that because of their overall vantage point, prior knowledge, and lack of danger, they were all slightly ahead of the team in terms of understanding the question. They just decided to sit back an stay quiet.

You Huo then walked off.

Yu Wen stood in place stunned. He quickly looked at his dad: "What does my brother mean? Why am I so confused?!"

Old Yu was even more confused.

"Even if you know the answer for this exam already." Chu Yue pointed out, "It's good advice for you in your next exams. If the question is putting emphasis on something, you should try to figure out why. Maybe look at the question from different angles, or look at your surroundings."

The invigilators nodded, "Sadly, we can't outrightly give you all the answers to the exams. Not only do we... not remember them all, but the System would definitely find it suspicious when we all go back, and you're all able to answer the questions perfectly. But we'll give you guys some other tips and tricks later."

The examinees all nodded in understanding. With so many fucking exam centers, there was no way the invigilators would be able to remember all the answers to every single center. And even if the examinees could describe the question, there would definitely be some details here an there that they wouldn't be able to recall, or hadn't even unlocked at that point in the exam.

And there was also the other part about the System. If the System decided that they were all being suspicious... was it possible they, along with the invigilators, would all be accused of cheating and be sent for punishments?

You Huo came to the kitchen.

Hunter A was looking for the key for the cabinet.

There was a total of seven keys hanging from the brass ring. He selected three of them and opened the doors on the right-hand side of the red cabinet. He slowly pulled out 13 wine glasses and arranged it in a row on the counter.

"Is it just me... or is he being super careful with the glasses..." The examinees whispered amongst themselves.

You Huo picked one up at random and examined it.

At first glance it was just an ordinary wine glass. Nothing abnormal was noted.

"..."

"... well they're made of glass? And wine..."

"What are they suppose to use optics for?"

"Pouring wine into the cups? But... doesn't seem like... that would do anything..."

Hunter A frowned: "Put it down! Did I say that you can touch it?! Why don't you know about basic guest etiquette?"

"... uh..."

"How is he supposed to help with the glasses... if he can't touch them..."

The examinees and invigilators all shared a look. It was a very good point; if the guests weren't allowed to touch the glasses... then were they just supposed to watch Hunter A distribute them? What was the point in asking a guest for help then?

You Huo snorted and placed the glass back.

He passed the door and looked a at the clock. He urged with a cold voice: "With your speed, do you have enough time in a day to have two meals?"

Hunter: "…"

He glared at You Huo and quietly cursed at him.

"He's so slow, he's burning all the calories just taking the tableware out."

"No wonder he's so fucking hungry and looking forwards to... breakfast?"

"Who eats breakfast at four in the morning!?"

"Surely it's not supper?"

He then barely squeezed out a smile: "It's okay. It's okay. A generous owner should always be tolerant of the guest. I understand you're probably too hungry."

You Huo coldly scoffed.

Hunter: "…"

This was his first time encountering such a guest. He no longer wanted to talk and he turned to prepare his wine.

"Ha!" The room dissolved into giggles. You Huo was awesome, pissing the hunter off even more. How dare the hunter try to prey on children, scare the elderly and sick, and even tried to pick on a traumatized examinee. He totally deserved whatever verbal ass beating You Huo gave him.

Taking advantage of when Hunter A is busy, You Huo held open the cabinet door and scanned inside at its contents.

Apart from the already arranged porcelain plates and the wine glasses that they had taken out, there was only a silver saucer and a small bundle of cutlery.

"Okay!" Hunter A suddenly spoke up. "It's not polite to peek."

"What the fuck do you want him to do then!?" An exasperated examinee groaned, "Stand there and do nothing!?"

You Huo didn't respond.

Hunter A again said: "Help me take out the cutlery too. Thanks."

"Finally!"

Somehow, they decide that this NPC was missing a few braincells if it took him that long to get You Huo to do something. Surely he could have asked him to set out the cutlery while dealing with the wine glasses.

You Huo glanced at his expression and pulled them out from the cabinet.

Hunter A carefully hung the keys back to his waist. He then pulled out a round tray and placed the glasses one by one onto the tray.

You Huo suddenly said: "I noticed something."

Hunter A's movements stopped. His big pale face looked warily at him: "What?"

You Huo: "You seem to be particularly careful with the wine glasses."

Hunter A: "…"

"Yep. Definitely the wine glasses..."

"So it's just the wine glasses they can't break? They can break the plates?"

"... are you trying to create more hazards for them!?"

"I'm just saying, only the wine glasses count as tableware, so the other items can be damaged without repercussions rights?"

"... I'd like to see you trying to break a fork."

"There's a stove. Use fire, dumbass."

He was silent for a moment. He then explained: "You saw wrong. Dining is a very sacred activity. I am very cautious about every tableware."

You Huo hummed in response.

Hunter A looked at him with vigilance.

You Huo: "I was just joking earlier."

Hunter: "…"

Everyone laughed once more at the constipate expression on the hunter's face.

In the living room, Yu Wen was still worried about his brother. He was afraid that this fearless brother of his would completely ruin the kitchen utensils.

"..."

"I mean..."

"Considering what he's done so far..."

In the end, he heard Hunter A's angry cry: "Scram!"

You Huo walked out expressionlessly with both hands empty.

"What's going on?"

Everyone was stunned.

"Where are the glasses?" Yu Wen gestured. "Weren't you getting the glasses? Why did you get kicked out?"

You Huo didn't return back to the crowd and just stood near the dining table with his hands in his pockets: "He changed his mind and decided to bring it himself."

Everyone snorted. The damned hunter just couldn't keep up with You Huo. He was completely an utterly deserving of the "A" title. Heck, every single invigilator out there was way better than the hunter. The hunter didn't deserve to have a name.

...

Then they remembered that poor 154 didn't have a name until this new system bestowed him with a code name.

They weren't too sure how to feel about that.

Everyone was alarmed. They felt that it wasn't good angering Hunter A.

That guy is the subject of the question!

Who knows what he can do? What if he opens his mouth and says that you're going to die?

"Can... can NPCs actually do that..."

"Nope." Chu Yue confirmed, "They're still confined by the rules of the System. Breaking the rules and being killed by a NPC as a consequence is one thing. But unless one of the instructions specifically states that the NPC can sentence you to death... then that situation is unlikely. Even then, the stakes of the exam would have to be very, very high for an NPC to have that "authority" anyways."

They felt a bit better. At least NPCs also had to abide by the rules of this twisted System.

Just when everyone is looked at each other in fear, Hunter A walked out himself with the large tray.

On the tray was a large number of wine glasses and cutlery.

Hunter A ushered You Huo aside and personally placed them down one by one .

For some reason, You Huo continued to stand on the side looking as if it was very interesting seeing Hunter A put down tableware.

"Well..."

"One of them is cursed. That's sure to be interesting."

Yu Wen was anxious to death. He mouthed and gestured exaggeratedly to You Huo: "Brother! Brother come over here! What are you doing standing there?!"

You Huo however acted like he didn't see him and continued to lazily watch Hunter A.

"It's not like the hunter can hurt him..."

It was understandable why Yu Wen so was worried bout You Huo, not knowing his past while also understanding that his brother didn't have a whole lot of his memories, not to mention the situation they found themselves in...

But there really wasn't anything there that could hurt You Huo... besides from Qin Jiu... but he wasn't there at the moment...

"Move aside!" Hunter A rudely yelled at You Huo.

After yelling, he turned around and smiled at the others: "What are you standing around for? Come and sit. We're about to start."

As he said that, he appeared to be a little hungry. He stopped and reached over to pick up a piece of raw meat from the glass bowl.

"Eww!"

"No, what the fuck!"

Everyone watched his mouth opened like a black hole before swallowing the entire piece of meat. He even swallowed it together with the bones. It was just like what he described before, it was both chewy and crunchy.

Some of the older examinees promptly covered the eyes of the younger ones, but it was already too late.

It was a miracle that no one had gagged yet, but they didn't want to have to think about how to clean up a mess like that, so despite the burning sensation at the back of their throats, they all tried their best to not upchuck their insides.

The two old ladies collapsed onto the floor.

The panic in the room grew heavier.

Hunter A finished eating and licked his lips. He said softly: "Ah, that was rude of me."

"No shit!"

"You ate a fucking examinee..."

He pointed at You Huo and blamed him: "It's all because of this offending guest who made me a little angry. I have a problem where I get hungry when I'm angry."

"That's a you problem!"

"Don't blame Invigilator A for your inability to control yourself!"

His eyes moved around, and he counted the pieces of meat in the bowl. "Oh no, I accidentally ate one and now there's only 11 left."

Everyone on the side watched him unblinkingly.

Hunter A picked up the last wine glass and smiled: "Then I will probably have to bother you… and one more can die?"

All the blood disappeared from their faces.

"..."

"What the fuck!?"

"You were the one to break your own rules, you good for nothing-"

"How is it A's fault that you were a hungry scumbag who can't control yourself!?"

The angry examinees and invigilators all started yelling.

"Why must another die!? There's still meat in the sack, right!? Go chop another one!"

"Disgusting, but you're right!"

"Can we stop taking about this!?"

You Huo and Chu Yue stared at the scene... what the fuck had happened to the System!? Why was it allowing something like this!? Sure, the examinee in the beginning had violated the rules when he tampered with the radio, which meant he had been "discarded" from his position as an examinee; You Huo, as much as he hated how fucking disgusting and unethical it was and how the fuck could the System be okay with this, could accept that as being within the rules.

The System prided itself on its rationality, and thought itself to be superior to humans because of its absolute adherence to the rules. There was a reason why it was the one that made the final judgement regarding the punishments and the invigilators alike; how even despite how Qin Jiu tore the exams apart, as much as it pissed the fucking System off, the first violation punishment of every single exam for the other examinees was still just a mere confinement room.

In the dead silence, a cold voice suddenly sounded: "Isn't this against the rules?"

There had to be a limit to this "rationality", right? Outrightly killing an examinee because an NPC suddenly "decided to"? There weren't any rules against this, granted, because a situation like this shouldn't have even occurred in the first place, so that already made this scenario fall in the grey area.

You Huo knew the System had taken after both himself and Chu Yue. It inherited some "human" characteristics, which allowed it to grow into such a rational and abundant System, quickly learning from past experiences and constantly improving itself.

But what kind of "rationality" was "killing an examinee because an NPC threw a temper tantrum"? How was the NPC even throwing a damned temper tantrum in the first place? How can a System both be "rational", and yet, program its NPCs to act in such a way. And not to mention, how the System singled out Qin Jiu and threw out insult after insult...

You Huo could remember how soft the older System was; if the examinees were being particularly hard on another examinee for mistakes, the System might lesson, or even waive the punishments altogether, giving them time and space to reflect on their own experiences instead of just outrightly dishing out punishment, because it was a far more effective method; thinking about every single damn thing you did wrong was also a punishment in itself.

Empathy, sympathy, rage, annoyance... Waiving punishments, complaining, letting the hardliners and moderates be despite the former constantly screaming for the System's blood due to knowing nothing would really come of it, being stubborn and not allowing 001 to add extra punishments because clearly the confinement room didn't do shit as a punishment for You Huo... all of those were "human" traits.

The caring, compassionate side, who tried its best to understand humans and develop less harsh methods that were more conducive for learning... the kindness that implemented the "reward cards" as a way to encourage examinees to try their best... the understanding that the confinement rooms were too much for the examinees to handle, which led to its temporary abolishment...

And the stubborn, headstrong part that would always follow the rules no matter what, the need to know everything that could potentially be a threat to it's existence, its need to always be in control, wiping everyone's memories...

It was almost like the System had split its "human" characteristics into two, and it threw away all its soft, pitiful, irrational emotions; anything that would possibly result in a less harsh punishment.

And yet, the System retained its anger and frustration, because those emotions were constrained by the rules; no matter how angry or upset the System got at its examinees (cough Qin Jiu cough), the System couldn't outrightly kill or get rid of him, like giving him a Guaranteed Pass card and forcing him to use it. Qin Jiu was only kicked out of the System because he had attempted the exams too many times; something that was well within the System's rules.

And due to that imbalance, gradually, everything spiraled out of control, trapping everyone who didn't pass, and even those who did pass, inside the System, due to all those rules which were made to be interpreted by a whole, fully functioning and rationally thinking System, not one that almost had no understanding of how humans functioned.

The person who spoke was none other than You Huo.

Hunter A was stunned. He wanted to turn to look at him but because of his uncoordinated body, he turned around in a strange posture.

"It's you again!"

Hunter A frowned and was about to get angry.

You Huo suddenly lifted his foot and kicked him.

Everyone, even You Huo, was momentarily stunned from their internal thoughts of cursing the System out, and You Huo lost his train of thought.

He took a mental note to come back to it.

In an instant, the world spun.

Then a loud crash was heard and his large pale face had fallen to the ground. Along with Hunter A, the wine glass that he had in his hand also fell.

"…"

"..."

"... so uh..."

"The hunter dropped the glass... right?"

Hunter A watched the glass shatter before him for two whole seconds. His eyes then widened in horror.

No one in the room dared to move.

Everyone maintained their stiff posture and stood there stunned.

Some of the invigilators glanced between themselves, terrified for their leader.

"By right, it should count as the hunter having dropped the glass..."

"... because he did drop it? Because even if A kicked him... he might not have dropped the glass?"

"Well... A hasn't technically touched the glass... so it's the hunter who would be punished?"

"But he did drop it because of A..."

"Who's fucking side are you on!?"

"My opinion doesn't fucking matter! I have no idea who's side the System is on!"

Very quickly, the hair-rising rooster started to call out!

The answer wall which hadn't changed for the past four hours now had another line appear.

Violation warning: Violation of exam requirements. The invigilators have been notified.

Invigilator: 001, 154, 922.

Everyone: "…"

"..."

"Well... Invigilator A hasn't dropped dead yet..."

Hope was brewing within them all. If the invigilators were being notified... that meant that they had to come deal with a troublesome examinee, right?

Said examinee was You Huo... and there would be no point in notifying the invigilators if You Huo was dead from breaking the glass...

Yu Wen glanced at the answer wall dumbfounded. He suddenly felt a little bad for the invigilators.

"I feel bad for us too." Wen Yuan muttered, and 154 nodded.

By technicality, You Huo wasn't the one who broke the glass, but it was still considered a violation. That meant that the System would still be punishing You Huo no matter how they argued the case... and that punishment would be full time on-site invigilating.

In the small western building in the woods, 922 grabbed a notice and ran into the office.

"Boss…"

Qin Jiu frowned, and his first reaction was to look at the clock.

"Don't look at it. It has only been an hour since we sent him back." 154 said with a wooden face.

154 wasn't looking forward to it, and he could tell his future self wasn't amused either, especially with 001's rapidly deteriorating relationship with You Huo; once again, he and 922 would be the collateral damage for their ire.

At the very least... the other examinees seemed reasonable enough.

Qin Jiu snorted and didn't know whether he should be happy or angry: "What is it this time? Did he fight to answer the question?"

154 shook his head: "No, it's a little more serious than that. He killed the subject."

"..."

It was almost too good to be true, and everyone held their breaths.

Qin Jiu: "He killed what?"

154 replied expressionlessly: "You didn't hear wrong. The subject of the question itself is dead."

Qin Jiu: "…"

It was almost like someone had dropped a bomb in the room, as the examinees broke out into cheers.

"He killed the hunter!?"

"Holy shit, he actually-"

"Invigilator A is a fucking god!"

"... HE KILLED THE HUNTER!?"

Some examinees were still reeling at the revelation.

"YOU CAN KILL NPCS!?"

922 who managed to catch up was shocked: "A subject can fucking die? What is going on?"

Even the invigilators were losing their minds. Because what the fuck, NPCs can die? Sure, there were some NPCs that were meant to die, like those weird freaks in one of those History exams, something about cults or maybe black magic or something, but at least those were rooted in some form of mix between fantasy and fiction.

The hunter NPC can fucking die!? Because he broke a rule by shattering a glass!?

The invigilators couldn't decide whether to praise the System for being fair with the rules and killing off the NPC, even to its own detriment... or to curse the System because what the fuck, how on earth can a question subject die!?

They shared a look, and immediately decided that they didn't give a single shit about the System; it could kill off all its NPCs for all they cared.

Invigilator A had effectively chopped off the System's hands in that exam center. He deserved all the love and praise that everyone could afford to give him, and more.

...

They were still too scared of Invigilator A to actually do that, though. He's never been one to accept praises.

Glancing at You Huo warily, only to find him amused-but-also-slightly annoyed at the examinees' loud cheering, but also not doing anything to shut them up, the invigilators all celebrated amongst themselves over very much dead NPC (while also being way quieter than the examinees).

You Huo himself wasn't too surprised at his actions; he knew it was only a matter of time before his future amnesiac self would act out like that, because cannibalism and preying on children, on his cousin? That fucking pervert had gone way too fucking far. He wasn't close to Yu Wen, not by a long shot; heck, at this point, he's barely even met the kid.

But even after everything he'd been though, despite the mystery surrounding his older cousin and how unapproachable he was... Yu Wen still looked up to him. He tried his best to help, constantly looked out for him, didn't question his instructions even if he didn't fully understand them, was concerned for his safety even if future You Huo himself didn't seem to give a single fuck...

He only regretted not killing the hunter sooner, because for fucks sake, everyone was probably going to be fucking traumatized by the sight of the hunter chowing down on that piece of human flesh like it was merely fried chicken.

He wasn't sure why he felt so emotional over this. Maybe it was because familial love was pretty much non-existent in You Huo's life.

Yu Wen was the only one in his family who hadn't interacted with You Huo when that thing was in his eyes, and subsequently, hadn't been scared and creeped out like the others. They had long since given up on You Huo, all except Old Yu... and now, Yu Wen, who just regarded him as a scary unapproachable older brother but still loved him all the same.

Yu Wen was a precious soul. There weren't many like him. Even if his future self found Yu Wen annoying and couldn't understand the love being shoved his way... how fucking dare that blasted perverted hunter try to pick on his cousin?

Qin Jiu just smiled at You Huo, "Hey, Big Invigilator, have I ever done something outrageous like that?"

You Huo decided to humored him, "Perhaps."

"Hey!" Qin Jiu pouted, "What's that supposed to mean!?"

The only one who wasn't actively celebrating was 154. He was lost in thought, and Wen Yuan and Shu Xue, who were sitting the closest to him, immediately caught onto his bad mood.

"What's wrong?" Shu Xue quietly asked. She was initially had been happy that the hunter was actually dead and not a threat to the others (because she knew he couldn't do shit to her)... but she had a feeling that 154 had come to some sort of realization about the death of the hunter.

"Did you... feel anything off about the hunter?" 154 muttered.

"Hmmm..." Wen Yuan tilted his head to the side, "I mean... I'm not too familiar with NPCs... too busy trying to not die, you know?"

154 rubbed his monitoring device nervously, "He got annoyed at You-... Invigilator A, even swore at him mentally. He handled the glasses so carefully, like he knew that breaking one would result in his death. He knew that dropping a glass would kill him..."

"I mean, System is supposed to emulate all that... right?" Wen Yuan asked carefully. He had a feeling that this was a rather touchy subject for 154, "The hunter's fear just made the threat... real..."

The expression was too real. It wasn't something the System could emulate so easily; it wasn't like You Huo and Chu Yue in their youth had constantly been running into people who had just received news that they were going to die and couldn't avoid it, let alone be close enough to record enough facial expressions for the System to be able to replicate it on an NPC.

And for all the deaths that happened within the System, 154 doubted the the System would be staring at every single examinees face to record their dying expressions; it felt that it had way better things to do than that. Without him, the soft, human part of the System that didn't want to watch more suffering than what was necessary, that was even more unlikely.

"Did you see his expression he handled the glasses? The look on his face when he knew his fate was sealed... " 154 took a deep breath. As a part of the System and also having seen, even been part of creating the initial NPCs... 154 knew when something wasn't right, "Don't you think the hunter seemed a bit too... human?"

Shu Xue and Wen Yuan paused.

"The System is intelligent. The NPCs are intelligent. He knew the price of dropping the glass, and did his utmost to avoid it. I don't think they're just simple NPCs... surely he wouldn't be as scared of handling the glass as a normal examinee would. On the off chance he did break a glass, the System could just simply revive him. There'd be no need to fear death, or that sense of desperation."

They could feel their blood run cold, and Shu Xue felt that he was coming close to uncovering the truth behind her own "bugged" state.

The hunter knew about the cursed glasses, and purposefully picked people who were most likely to drop the tableware.

He personally placed the wine glasses down, most likely knowing exactly which glass was the cursed one; after all, why would the hunter want to accidentally curse himself, by unknowingly sitting down at that particular seat?

And by doing so, he guarantees at least one examinee would be cursed. The cursed examinee would die. Examinees who died became the hunter's food.

"So... you think that the NPC is actually... human? One that was assimilated by the exam?" Wen Yuan whispered, horrified at the realization. He's heard rumors of a humongous mathematics exam, one that killed off many, many examinees. Something about people turning into mirror zombies?

He's never really believed those rumors... because what the fuck were mirror zombies... but also because he didn't believe that the System could mess with them not just mentally, but also at such a fundamental, physiological level.

... Maybe there really was some truth to that rumor.

After all, the hunter was dead?

With no hunter, there was no need for food, and the System was going to need a new hunter to replace him.

Why not just utilize that cursed examinee?

An examinee who knew first hand of the dangers of mishandling the glasses.

An examinee who got hungry and needed to eat.

An examinee who was now a shadow of their former self, who retained almost nothing of their original personality and memories, who had personally witnessed the consequences of dying from their predecessor... and in a desperate bid for self preservation, had no choice but to follow a horrible gruesome script and eating the corpses of the dead, all in a selfish quest to retain what little was left of themselves.

"..."

The three of them could do nothing but watch the others cheer, knowing that there was no such thing as a clean victory when it came to the System.

Chapter Text

The rooster hanging from the door once again turned its neck and looked out the window while crying out.

Three invigilators walked over through the snowstorm. A chill rushed through the cabin as soon as the door opened.

Familiar scenery. Familiar people.

The faces of the old, weak and sick people in the room had all stiffened.

154 and Wen Yuan sighed. They really didn't want to be scaring these poor examinees.

154's face was even more stiff: "We've received another violation notice."

He pulled out a note and said: "The notice said that an examinee-"

"A cute and obedient examinee who will never learn to behave." Qin Jiu added teasingly while taking off his gloves.

154 blinked, because being cute was subjective and his future boss was allowed to think however he wanted but it was not the fucking time and place for it, dammit, but obedient!?

Does his boss need to get a fucking dictionary? Because unless something changed in the past few years he had been sleeping in the backup station, he was pretty damn sure the definition of "obedient" was not "breaking rules left and right".

Gao Qi choked on his saliva, "Cute and obedient!?"

"Hmph!" Qin Jiu huffed, pretending to peer at You Huo, "Well, I'd say he's pretty cute! Don't you think so too, Big Invigilator?"

You Huo just stared at him with an impassive expression, while Gao Qi nearly lost his mind, "You! You fucking- you keep your hands away from A!"

"I'm not doing anything." Qin Jiu quipped, raising his hands innocently, "I'm just saying, if you can't appreciate his beauty, maybe you need to get your eyes checked. You're pretty old, right?"

Invigilator D spluttered, and Zhao Jiatong sighed; after You Huo, who was the leader of the moderates, the person GIN loved to rile up was Gao Qi... precisely because he was easy to upset and was overprotective of his friend.

At this point, everyone, hardliner and moderate alike, were pretty sure that such bullshit was spewing from GIN's mouth just to mess with Gao Qi; as much as they agreed that You Huo was objectively handsome, pretty... and now that they had seen a less reserved, more expressive, softer, gentler side to their boss... either way, none of them had the fucking guts to spill it out so casually.

And GIN was Invigilator A's enemy; the leaders of two opposing factions, not to mention how much crap that Qin Jiu pulled during his examinee days. There was no fucking way that Qin Jiu actually thought You Huo was cute, right?

His future self was just doing that to mock and provoke future You Huo! It was the only logical conclusion.

Meanwhile, Qin Jiu just pouted. You Huo really was gorgeous and sublime, in his honest opinion. And that cold, annoyed glare he gave everyone? It was scary, but it was also really so god damned cute!

Not that Qin Jiu could say that out loud; Gao Qi would probably castrate him... if he could even hurt him in the first place.

You Huo just snorted internally at Qin Jiu's expression. His stupid, flirty, annoying, pain-in-the-ass (literally) not-really ex-boyfriend because it wasn't like they broke up but his memory was wiped... sometimes, he was just so easy to read.

154 looked at him incredulously.

"Got a problem?" Qin Jiu raised his eyebrow.

154: "… No."

He was wondering how blind he must be to see "cute and obedient" on You Huo.

Everyone blinked. And then they realized that future 154 hadn't seen everything they had seen, hadn't even interacted with You Huo that much. To his jaded self, he's probably just annoyed that You Huo was creating more work for them.

... And then they remembered that You Huo had literally tied 154 up in a confinement room that the latter was deathly afraid of.

"Cute and obedient"? Yeah, right; after that ordeal, 154 would have to be some kind of masochist to any thoughts remotely similar to that.

But the one who spoke was his boss. Only he had the authority to bullshit.

Everyone laughed.

"Even your own subordinate thinks you spout bullshit." An invigilator cackled.

Qin Jiu glared at 154 playfully, who just shrunk back. It was only then that Qin Jiu remembered that 154 was even more clueless with regards to them than even the examinees... he should really find some time to talk to his future subordinates.

They were nice, and Qin Jiu didn't want them to fear him, just like their future selves.

You Huo stood against the wall with his arms folded as he looked coldly at Qin Jiu.

Qin Jiu looked at him with a hint of a smile at his lips. With the warm glow from the fire stove between them, he nodded back in greeting.

That act was very gentlemanly yet his expression was filled with jest.

Even more snickers.

It was just further proof to their conclusion that Qin Jiu was just messing with You Huo.

Still... they preferred this future version of Qin Jiu. Initially, Invigilator 001 just seemed a bit... dead, robotic, like he really didn't care for anything, and was just the hands of the System. At least, now... he had a bit of his original personality...

There was finally some light within those pitch black eyes. There was still some hope that even Qin Jiu, whose mind had been interfered the most by the System besides You Huo, hadn't fully been lost yet.

If Qin Jiu had fully been consumed by the System... You Huo didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself.

154 was afraid that a certain invigilator and a certain examinee would start a bloody battle right then and there, so he quickly said with a stern expression: "-A certain examinee violated the examination rules causing the question's main subject-"

922: "That is, the hunter."

Everyone grinned. This was the best thing to have happened so far! That stupid, perverted, bully of a hunter was dead!

Shu Xue, 154 and Wen Yuan didn't share that same sentiment, though, and some of the invigilators couldn't help but wonder why they weren't celebrating like the others.

154: "… to die on the spot. Situations like this are rather rare–"

922: "Unheard of."

Even more cackles. Killing an NPC? Completely unheard of (You Huo begged to differ. Who knew how many monster NPCs Qin Jiu had burned to death.)

Still, that hunter TOTALLY had it coming!

154: "… We need to do a thorough investigation. I hope all of you can give us an explanation."

922: "This mainly refers to a certain examinee."

More laughter. You Huo and Yu Wen came in first place for being an awesome comedy duo, but 154 and 922 were definitely in a close second place.

154 closed his eyes.

"Why are you like this!?" 154 asked, exasperated by all the interruptions.

"I was clarifying it! You were using standard, by-the-book responses!"

"There's a reason why invigilators would be provided with standard, by-the-book responses! I'm trying to be serious!"

"You don't have to intimidate the entire room! Just directing it towards Invigilator A is enough."

154 paused. That was a very good point. He hadn't really thought about that before...

"Can't you, at the very least, let me finish speaking before clarifying?"

Wen Yuan shrugged.

Everyone else was laughing at their ensuing argument, and relaxed.

His boss was constantly instigating hatred while his colleague had something wrong with his brain.

Some invigilators shook their heads in pity for 154.

He was the only one with the functioning braincells in that group; with Qin Jiu constantly mocking and taking jabs at You Huo who was equally fearsome with his responses, and then 922, who while doing his job, was an idiot half the time who blabbered on and on about any topic until 154 reined him in.

He calmed himself down and then expressionlessly stored away the note. He said to everyone: "Where is Hunter A?"

The examinees in the room parted like the sea to reveal the long dining table and the large pile of cloth lying next to it.

The examinees were all grinning ear to ear at the reminder that the hunter was dead, holy fucking shit, Invigilator A had actually killed such a horrible NPC-

The invigilator moved closer to examine it only to see that it wasn't cloth but a long, black coat. The coat was old and frayed and the edges of it was trimmed with black bear fur. It exuded a foul odor.

Hunter A who had fallen was facing down and was covered by the coat.

They quietly cheered among themselves. They didn't want to risk setting off You Huo, who had been kind enough to let them celebrate noisily, and was still letting them muck around; as long as they didn't disrupt the viewing experience.

Using the professional ethics of an invigilator, 922 turned the Hunter A's body over.

"At least he still has that." An invigilator laughed at Wen Yuan. 922 hadn't been that professional, from talking about random tidbits of information to You Huo, to siccing 001 on You Huo, to interrupting 154's spiel...

But it was understandable, in a way. 001 had been near unapproachable, and 154 was following all the rules by the book. If 922 was like them, it would probably be a super miserable place to work at.

Plus, could they really blame him? His memories had been interfered with; for all they knew, the System could have really given him brain damage.

Whilst Hunter A was still alive, his face was already very pale and after he had died, it had turned a little more gray. With his face turned to one side and his eyes widened, he still maintained a terrified expression. His mouth was like a cracked open hole and his lips were bright red.

Wen Yuan and Shu Xue remembered what 154 had said.

A terrified expression like that... it really did seem too... human...

922 sternly took a step back and, whilst no one was watching, he rubbed his hand on 154's coat.

"I don't blame you..." 154 muttered, "But my poor coat. My future self better put you on laundry duty."

"If I didn't put myself on laundry duty first..." Wen Yuan replied apologetically.

"Invigilators have to do their own laundry?" Some examinees asked curiously.

"... Do washing machines and dryers count as doing our own laundry?" An invigilator asked.

154: "…"

He restrained the urge to roll his eyes and bent down to examine the body.

Hunter A's thick fingers were still holding the bottom of the wine glass. The rest of the glass had already shattered and were scattered across the ground.

The notice of violation that they had received said that Hunter A had said: "Everyone in the room who breaks any of the tableware will be severely punished."

Everyone nodded gleefully. Yep! The hunter had tripped and fallen, breaking the glass! It has nothing to do with You Huo, absolutely nothing!

This was the same as the requirements for the exam. It was originally set up for the examinees.

But who would've guessed that soon after he said that, he would shatter one himself and die faster than anyone else.

Was it You Huo's fault the hunter couldn't regain his balance? Absolutely not!

Although they were generally aware of what may have happened, 154 continued to act professionally. He looked at You Huo and confirmed: "You kicked him?"

You Huo lowered his eyes to look at him. He lazily spoke up: "My legs were numb so I staggered a bit."

"Ah, I know that feeling..." Someone played along, "You know, when you sit cross-legged for too long?"

"Yep! You kind of cut off the blood flow. Takes some time for your leg to work again..."

"With how long Invigilator A had been sleeping... it's bound to happen sooner or later..."

Everyone dissolved into giggles.

Everyone: "…"

As if you staggered.

Everyone roared with laughter.

It was such a shameless statement, but it wasn't like the examinees were going to out You Huo to the invigilators, and the invigilators couldn't just rebut that statement with no proof, even if they thought it was complete bullshit.

154: "Don't you think that excuse is a little far-fetched?"

You Huo: "Did I set the rule that the tableware can't be broken?"

154: "No you didn't."

"Mhm!"

"Yep, not him!"

"It was the hunter! Or the exam! But not him!"

You Huo: "Did you give birth to that uncoordinated body?"

154: "…"

154 spluttered and choked on his own saliva; that was a thought that had never crossed his mind, but holy fucking shit. The System was the one that created the original NPCs, and 154 was technically a part of the System at that point in time...

"Hey, buddy?" Wen Yuan hit 154 on the back between his shoulder blades in an attempt to stop him from choking, "You okay there!?"

"I want... memory bleach." 154 stammered out, after he finally managed to breathe.

He thought he was being quiet, but the entire room had froze after 154's choking fit, an everyone, including the invigilators, had heard whatever he said.

There was silence, and then everyone else roared with laughter while simultaneously feeling pity for 154.

Who wanted to even think about being related to such a disgusting NPC? At this point, they should name the viewing experience as "Everyone bullies 154".

The other party was both cold and ridiculing. Invigilator 154 felt that he could no longer go on and turned around wanting to find someone tougher to take over only to see that only 922 was next to him. Their boss didn't move to look at the body.

Poor 154! He was the only one who was actually trying to do his job properly!

"He's the only one with the functioning braincells in that group." An examinee verbalized what all the invigilators were thinking of just now.

"He's not just an invigilator. He's the babysitter."

"Add "being a victim of Invigilator A's bullying" to that list."

154 just let out an audible groan. At least Wen Yuan had the decency to look apologetic at how unhelpful his future self was.

Seeing the invigilator in daze, Yu Wen mustered up his courage and asked: "Um… The glass was broken by Hunter A himself. He died also because of his own actions. Can you not count this as my brother violating the rules?"

You Huo felt his heart warm. Despite his own fear of the invigilators, Yu Wen was still trying to help and protect him.

It seemed like everyone else shared his sentiments, as they all started nodding approvingly at Yu Wen. Sadly, they knew that there was no way the System was going to let this go; the System just wasn't kind like that, and You Huo had no doubt made it mad.

'Beep, beep, beep—'

154 had not yet spoken up when three rule violating reminders were heard.

Everyone paused. 001's device was on his wrist, while 154's was on his index finger... but they still couldn't figure out where 922's device was.

At the same time, the three invigilators had received a warning. This was the first time for that to happen.

The people in the cabin had not heard this noise before and didn't know what was going on.

"All three!?" Some examinees immediately sobered up, "What's going on?"

"Ah, don't worry about it." An invigilator replied, "They've spent some time bantering and investigating. The System probably just wants them to get to the punishment."

"..."

They could all see how this was something that almost never happened. Half the time, the punished examinees would be frozen stiff like the bald man, and were easily hauled off. The others who tried to run wouldn't get far, unable to outrun the invigilators who were actually fast and agile, and the remainder would quietly go along with the invigilators, not wanting their punishment to get worse.

Who had the guts to stand up to the invigilators (besides from You Huo)?

"Well, it's just on-site invigilating, right?"

"Aren't they already there?"

Yu Wen looked around for the source and asked vigilantly: "What's happening?"

922 reassured him: "Don't worry. It's just the examination system urging us to hurry up with the punishment."

Everyone fell silent. They became even more nervous.

Another person said: "Then… then can I be punished instead?"

Everyone turned to look. The one who spoke was Yu Yao.

Everyone looked at Shu Xue in awe. Sure, she had mentioned that thought to You Huo... but actually trying to through with it... especially when one of the invigilators was the Head Invigilator?

Their respect for her instantly shot through the roof.

She raised her thin pale hands like a student trying to get the teacher's attention. If you looked closely enough, you could see that her hand was slightly trembling, but her eyes were determined.

Unfortunately, she was completely ignored by the invigilators.

The system again urged them two more times.

"Be patient."

"Stupid system."

The two invigilators walked through the crowd over to You Huo.

The others wanted to follow but they were hesitant and didn't dare.

This was particularly the case when 154 stopped halfway and glanced back at them. Those who had wanted to move stopped in place.

Facing You Huo, 922's words were not so serious. He took the opportunity when the other examinees can't hear him to ramble: "It's not because we want you to come. I'm telling you, when we got the notice 154 skipped a step,

154 groaned at Wen Yuan's blabbering mouth.

I dropped my meat

"Why are you still cooking meat!? How are you still cooking meat!?" 154 turned to Wen Yuan and demanded, "How can you even... after the bucket..."

At that reminder, Wen Yuan turned green. He had no idea what his future self was thinking... maybe 154's future self was right and there really was something wrong with his brain.

and boss almost twisted off the bird's head when he was petting it.

"He should have just done it." An invigilator grumbled.

We all don't want to punish you. It's true. Who's really the one being tortured – Stop sneering. I can see that you have some special opinions about our boss."

After what Invigilator 001 had done... who wouldn't have opinions about him?

Especially after making You Huo clean up that bloody mess...

You Huo's eyes swept passed Qin Jiu and then he slowly looked away. It was as if just looking at him made his eyes hurt.

Qin Jiu was a little hurt; but that was his future self's fault, really.

He turned to You Huo, "Hey, I'm not that ugly, am I?"

Chu Yu nearly choked in laughter, not that ugly? He had literally hooked up with you before- as You Huo let out a barely audible grunt and rolled his eyes.

922 shook his head and said: "You're really brave."

Master You didn't move.

922 then added: "They clearly wrote on the wall not to break any of the tableware. Yes, you certainly didn't directly smash the glass – If you did that, you would be the one lying on the floor – But if you said that you had nothing to do with the glass smashing and the subject dying… If I was the system I would be angry to death."

"Indirect cause is also a cause." 922 rubbed his neck.

"By that logic, the System was also at fault because it dragged them into this exam in the first place." 154 snorted. He was being petty, but he deserved to be petty; after being thrown away and being forced to sleep for so long... only to come back and see what a fucking mess the System had made.

Everyone heard his statement, and they all burst out laughing. Shu Xue was even giggling into her sleeve.

"Yeah, the System is also indirectly at fault!"

"Can't kill an exam subject if there's no exam, am I right?"

154 turned a bit red; he had said that a bit louder than was intended. But seeing the grim face on Wen Yuan turn into something lighter, happier... 154 decided it was worth it.

When the system issued a warning earlier, his small red light was hidden at back of his neck.

"Huh..." 154 pushed himself up slightly to peer at Wen Yuan's neck. Also curious, Wen Yuan bent down slightly and turned so 154 could have a look.

Why was there a light on 922's neck? Shouldn't his light be embedded in his finger?

The other invigilators also seemed to fin it a bit weird, and even You Huo and Chu Yue didn't seem to have answers for it... but 922 had been rubbing the back of his neck at the time... so maybe it really was on his finger?

922 stopped. He said to You Huo: "This was the final decision made by the system after fairly assessing the situation."

You Huo got up.

"What are you doing?" 154 asked vigilantly.

You Huo was about 185cm tall so he was a little taller than 154,

"A little!?" 154 choked, "He's nearly half a head taller than me!"

He couldn't help but feel a little threatened, being the shortest amongst his fellow invigilators, as well as the very scary, terrifying, rule-breaking You Huo.

Why was he so short? Couldn't he alter his form to at least put him on par with the others?

and about the same as 922, but when he stood up and looked over, it always gave others a condescending feeling. This was no exception for 922.

You Huo lightly glanced at them: "Do I have the right to refuse punishment?"

922: "Then why are you standing there with your arms crossed?"

You Huo moved his lips: "Out of politeness. Letting you finish speaking."

The two invigilators: "…"

Everyone burst out into laughter, and Chu Yue added, "A, really, you should speak your mind more! It would make the meetings far more interesting!"

If they had a gun they would have already fired it.

As if that would do anything. You Huo would probably dodge it anyways, or would have slapped it out of their hands, and the ones looking down the barrel of the gun would be 154 and 922.

You Huo walked away.

When passing through the crowd, Old Yu grabbed him: "You're really going?"

"Oh yeah, he doesn't know the punishment..."

"He still thinks its the confinement room..."

You Huo subconsciously frowned.

He had always hated skin contact particularly the ones that come without warning, but Old Yu was sincerely worried about him. He restrained himself for a moment before pulling away: "Another time is not going to hurt me."

"..."

"No skin contact?"

"Oh shit... sometimes we pat him on the back..."

"Did we do something wrong?"

The invigilators turned to You Huo worriedly. Had they accidentally set their boss off? Giving him coffee, clapping him on the back while urging him to sleep, accidentally brushing against him while walking in tight spaces...

They didn't want to make him uncomfortable...

You Huo shook his head. He was perfectly fine with it; it was actually nice to know his colleagues were looking out for him. Chu Yue was like an annoying sister, occasionally slinging her arm on his shoulder

And then there was Qin Jiu. Stupid, annoying Qin Jiu, who loved to irritate him, touching his arm, his waist, his neck... but he didn't really count. It was impossible for Qin Jiu to surprise him like that; they had grown so used to each other that You Huo always knew when Qin Jiu was trying to sneak up on him. Not that the latter was really trying, anyways, always fooling around.

But that was all before future You Huo had gotten kicked out of the System. Without his memories of his colleagues... all that was left was a bunch of strangers, and family members who feared him. He suspected that it stemmed from that.

Seeing as how his fellow invigilators were still staring at him, You Huo decided that at the very least, he should give them a proper answer, "It's fine. It should be an issue that future me developed due to amnesia."

Accepting the answer, the invigilators decided not to question him any further.

It was already his third time getting punished. How bad could it be? He thought.

"..."

"Well..."

In just that small building, he had already been confined and he was made to clean. He had seen plenty of bones and flesh residue because of that so what else could they do to him?

"You know... on-site invigilation does sound way worse than that..."

"Except, you know... they kind of hate each others' guts..."

What's more, no matter how annoying the punishment was… Even if it involved making him stare at that No. 001, it was only for three hours.

The examinees coughed.

"Nope. They've still got a whole day and a half left..."

He used his last bit of patience to wave at Old Yu and he walked towards the door without looking back: "That short punishment time will be over after a nap."

Everyone froze... before they all exploded into laughter again.

Of course the first thing on You Huo's mind was to take another fucking nap.

The moment his voice fell, a familiar low voice sounded.

"This badly behaving Mr Humph-"

You Huo's steps stopped at the door. Holding onto the door handle, he looked to the left expressionlessly.

Qin Jiu stood against the sofa playing with a leather whip… Oh sorry, a long leather rope.

"..."

"GIN!? What the fuck!? What are you doing!?" Gao Qi exploded, "A whip!? Are you going to hit him!?"

"Don't be stupid, that's against the rules!" Qin Jiu defended himself, "And I don't want to hit him!"

"Then why are you holding it!?"

"It said it was a rope!"

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

The examinees just watched as several invigilators held Gao Qi back from nearly throttling Qin Jiu.

"Let me go!"

"Don't be ridiculous, D! You know you can't beat him in a fight!"

"So what!? He's trying to humiliate our boss-"

"That's the future!" Qin Jiu retorted, "And should I remind you that Big Invigilator's not the only amnesiac there!"

That got Gao Qi to pause. Sure, Qin Jiu and You Huo had some beef with each other... but to Qin Jiu, he really was just a regular examinee. A super interesting, defiant one that kept breaking the rules... but there really was no reason to want to humiliate him. They didn't know they had been enemies in the past, nor that they were leaders of opposing factions.

To future Qin Jiu's knowledge, he had literally just met the guy.

That cooled Qin Jiu's head just by a tiny bit.

"But still!" Gao Qi growled, but some of the invigilators had manage to wrestle him back into his seat, "What are you doing-"

"Dude, I'm probably just going to tie him up so he doesn't go trigger happy and try to answer the question again." Qin Jiu blinked. Describing You Huo as trigger happy was probably far from the truth; the guy was so methodological with his actions that there was a reason why newer invigilators thought of him as the System's avatar.

But future You Huo really didn't hold back his punches. It was quite refreshing, really.

Luckily, You Huo just shot everyone a look that screamed "stop this argument at once and continue watching", and that was it.

He dragged out his words as he asked him: "You seem to be in a hurry. Where are you going?"

They looked at each other with challenging eyes for a moment before You Huo spoke up: "Getting reincarnated. Should I wait for you?"

"If you don't mind, then please." Qin Jiu grinned, as if he had forgotten that just a minute ago, Gao Qi had nearly wanted to rip his head off for holding a whip- a long leather rope.

"You mother fucker!" Gao Qi started up again, but he was silenced with another glare.

Qin Jiu softly laughed and said in a low voice: "I'm flattered but you don't need to run that far."

The invigilators all shook their heads.

Between Qin Jiu and Wen Yuan, 154 really was the only one with the functioning braincells there; what with 001 actively provoking and mockingly flirting with You Huo while 922 making real questionable decisions and blurting out whatever was on his mind.

You Huo raised his eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"Oh right." Qin Jiu turned to look inside the room, "Where's the other invigilator? Did you forget to tell him what his punishment is this time?"

"Do you not even remember his code!?" An invigilator was offended on 154's behalf.

It wasn't even like 154 was a new invigilator under 001; he's been working with him for almost three years, and, he was only referred to as "the other invigilator".

You Huo looked suspiciously at 154.

The other party pulled out a sheet of paper

"How many slips of paper do you even have?" Wen Yuan asked.

"I don't know." 154 honestly replied. His future self just seemed to be pulling one out every time they had a violation, "At least I'm doing my job."

and read: "According to the regulations, if an examinee violates the rules three times, they will be treated as a special case. The invigilators will be present on-site the whole time for full-time surveillance."

Everyone: "…"

For some reason, the invigilators' tone sounded very reluctant.

154 looked at You Huo and then continued to read: "Also, the examinee is deprived of his right to choose."

"Uh... choose what?" An examinee asked.

"The next subject." Zhao Jiatong sighed, "After this exam, normally, you're given a choice of four exam subjects to choose from. However, as A had committed three violations, he won't be able to make that choice. The subject he'll be taken would be chosen by the main invigilator..."

She stared at Qin Jiu, and it was obvious that she meant that he would be picking You Huo's next exam subject.

"Though to be fair, he'd most likely just randomize it." Zhao Jiatong admitted; Qin Jiu was generally lazy with things he deemed unimportant or insignificant... or maybe he just liked the thrill from gambling; it was said that he had pretty bad luck.

The room was silent.

After a moment You Huo looked at Qin Jiu and said coldly: "Are you kidding me?"

Qin Jiu used his hand to gesture "go ahead" and spoke gentlemanly: "Not kidding. There's still a while until the end–"

He pulled out a phone from his coat pocket and pretended to look at it: "-36 hours and 24 minutes. This means that we will have to stay together in the same room for a day and a half.

"..."

"I can't decide if this is better... or the bucket..."

We even brought our luggage. It's right by the door. You can take a look if you want?"

You Huo opened the door and looked out.

By the door, two suitcases stood neatly together.

"Why do you even need suitcases?" Someone asked, "Clothes? Medicine?"

154 and Wen Yuan shared a questioning glance. They didn't know either.

Clothes? Surely they could deal with being in the same suit for two days; it wasn't like the exam was a week long, and the cabin didn't seem to have a shower. Even if the cabin had a shower, they were sure that even 001 wouldn't want to shower there.

Medicine? What a joke, why would invigilators need medicine? It wasn't like one of them was still working while having the flu or something, and they were pretty sure it was against the rules to give the sick guy some cough drops.

Food? If that was the case, why did they nee two whole suitcases? A duffle bag or a backpack would be more than enough for two days worth of sandwiches and maybe some fruits.

Qin Jiu himself shrugged. Even he didn't know why they had brought so much?

He seemed a bit suspicious of Wen Yuan though... he couldn't imagine being the Head Invigilator and being made to lug the suitcases from their temporary quarters to the examination center, and 154 didn't seem like the type who would accept the job either, considering he was literally the one doing all the other invigilator jobs like announcing the punishments and the sort.

That left 922 with being the one handling the suitcases, and while he was scared of 001, Qin Jiu figured that the second he was out of earshot, he would be complaining about the contents of the luggage if 922 himself felt like the contents were stupid, considering how loose lipped he was.

Which probably meant that 922 was the one that packed those bags. Qin Jiu had to admit, he was rather curious about the contents of those suitcases.

You Huo: "…"

36 hours and 24 minutes…

This wasn't a matter of a nap… It's practically a fucking long sleep.

Everyone laughed again.

You Huo was back at it again with the naps.

And who are you trying to disgust by bringing your suitcase?

Even more laughter.

Though to be honest... everyone was curious about the contents of the suitcases.

"Oh right, I also want to remind you." Qin Jiu's low voice once again sounded, "There are still 24 minutes until the next answer submission. It's soon going to be 23 minutes. According to the rules, violators do not have the right to answer during this time. In order to prevent a particular misbehaving man from violating the rules again, I have no choice but to do something a little rude…"

As Qin Jiu said this, the leather rope in his hand had already formed a circle. It wrapped around You Huo's left hand.

He grabbed You Huo's shoulder, turned him around, and put his right hand in as well. He then pulled at it tightly.

Whoosh-

The rope instantly formed a knot that tightly fastened You Huo's hands together.

All the laughter dried up in an instant. 001 had moved so fast that even You Huo hadn't been able to react.

Was that the strength, the power of a demon king?

They were fairly sure that the current non-amnesiac You Huo would have been able to avoid, or even use the rope against Qin Jiu, but they supposed that future You Huo was still warming up.

"How dare you tie him up!?" Gao Qi roared.

"I literally told you the reason!? Both me and future me!" Qin Jiu snapped back. Gao Qi was a friend of his Big Invigilator and he didn't want to hurt You Huo's friends for no reason, but this was really starting to grate at his nerves.

You Huo was getting a little irritated as well, because while he appreciated the concern, with his future track record... he wasn't surprised that Qin Jiu would tie him up. In fact, he had it on good authority that if it wasn't him, and any other regular rule-breaking examinee with the same violation record, Qin Jiu would also tie them up... as much as You Huo hated that thought.

Heck, if Qin Jiu was the rule-breaking examinee and You Huo was still the Head Invigilator, he'd probably have to tie Qin Jiu up to prevent him from making a fourth violation... actually scratch that, if Qin Jiu was the examinee, there wouldn't even be a cabin left; he would likely set the whole thing on fire.

He just opted to ignore Gao Qi. He'll cool off sooner or later.

Qin Jiu stood behind him whilst holding his shoulder. He lowered his head: "This is the return gift for that dirty bucket. Do you like it?"

Master You liked it so much he was about to explode.

"..."

Now that they thought about it, in that context, 001 tying up You Huo did seem rather reasonable. After all, the mere thought of that fucking bloody bucket with the hair and skin still made some, if not all of them, want to throw up.

And of course, that bastard line might be acceptable coming from anyone else other than 001.

Some of the calmer invigilators just watched the chaos as Zhao Jiatong physically got up from her seat to grab the back of Gao Qi's collar, preventing him from doing much other than yell at Qin Jiu, because god damn it, even if Qin Jiu was annoying, that bucket was fucking disgusting, and all of them had to suffer for it too.

They wondered how Gao Qi wasn't suffering from an aneurysm or high blood pressure yet. They probably should take him for a check-up once they got back, just to be safe; they didn't want their resident anti-GIN dynamite to drop dead from a heart attack or something.

The System would be suspicious, but they could just explain it away as it being GIN's fault, as it always was; the System would accept that answer easily. It always did blame GIN for a lot of its problems.

Chapter Text

The attic wasn't high. With one wooden column standing vertically in the center, it supported the roof like an umbrella.

There was a bed crammed into this small space. The sheets that had probably not been used for the past hundreds of years were both moldy and smelly.

"That is one disgusting bedroom." Someone muttered.

Some of the invigilators glanced at Qin Jiu, who looked equally disgusted. Surely he'd have some common decency and not plop You Huo on that bed?

Qin Jiu used his glove to cover his nose as he assessed the room.

"Let me think. Where should I put you?" He gently said.

Knowing Qin Jiu, he would definitely joke about that idea. You Huo had a feeling that Gao Qi might really just drop dead from a heart attack or something.

He was a little taller than You Huo and would hit the roof if he stood up straight. He could only bow his head as he stood there.

"On the bed? The bed has a bed post I can tie the rope to. Its width definitely is enough but it's a little too short."

Everyone glared at Qin Jiu.

How could he fucking dare-

Qin Jiu shook the bed frame to test out i ts sturdiness. When he turned around he saw the "let's die together" expression on You Huo's face.

If Yu Wen or Old Yu saw You Huo's expression, they would have immediately ran off but Qin Jiu just laughed.

Normally, they would be laughing at that description... but they were far too bothered about the fact that Qin Jiu had even suggested it in the first place, even if it was in jest.

"Nah, the System didn't just give 922 brain damage. It gave GIN brain damage too." An invigilator muttered.

Qin Jiu was too busy being disgusted by the bed to hear the comment, while Wen Yuan perked up at the mention of his number... only to be reminded of how brainless he was acted.

Heck, anyone who looked might have thought that he was some kind of intern who had just gotten the opportunity to work at their dream job or something, instead of an invigilator that was supposed to enforce the rules of the tyrannical System.

154 patted him on the back, "At least you make good comedy relief."

"... Not helping."

His muffled laughter rose from his throat and he said: "Okay fine. It indeed isn't very clean, the frames also look a little thin so it probably won't last… This place also isn't big. What do you want to do?"

"..."

At least he had the decency to not put You Huo on that fucking bed.

You Huo maintained a cold expression and didn't plan to pay him any attention.

Qin Jiu also wasn't in a hurry. He just continued to wait.

You Huo was watched for a while before he finally said impatiently: "I hope that you can lie on that lovely smelling bed, put a rope around your throat and give me the other end so that the moment I move it, everything will turn completely quiet. Can you do that? "

There were some gasps.

"...How... do you dare..."

Acting out against an invigilator was one thing. Actually telling the invigilator that they wanted to strangle them to death!?

Then they looked at You Huo. Yeah, only he dared. And maybe the guy he was telling the guy to die would dare as well, if their roles were reversed.

"Aww, do you really hate me that much?" Qin Jiu asked teasingly, "Hey, in my examinee days... have I ever asked something like that?"

You Huo didn't even bother responding.

Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes.

For a moment You Huo thought he was unhappy. He didn't expect to see him laugh and say: "I'm afraid I can't do that. I don't have that kind of interest."

They weren't sure how to react.

Invigilator A actively antagonizing an invigilator? Unheard of. And now, Qin Jiu was responding with such a bastard line... if You Huo wasn't currently tied up, they were pretty sure that rope would actually tied around 001's neck.

...

Actually, they weren't so sure. Qin Jiu was an equally powerful opponent to You Huo, from wits to strength, and apparently, even their ability to antagonize each other.

Either way, it didn't matter; they were both fucking insane. It didn't matter if one was an invigilator or the other was an examinee, or even if both were invigilators. But they kept each other in check, and each attempt to throw the other off was met with and equally swift and brutal response.

Was there a limit to this madness? Was it going to take the both of them becoming examinees to finally reach enlightenment and experience true insanity?

You Huo: "…."

Crazy bastard.

You Huo and Qin Jiu shared a brief look, before the latter shrugged. Eh, he deserved that lukewarm response.

"Do you have that kind of interest, though? You proposed it."

People were starting to choke, and Gao Qi was instantly silenced before he could have yet another outburst.

You Huo honestly felt that he should have tied Qin Jiu up to that damn chair and dumped him in the confinement room instead of 154.

He shot back, "Perhaps you do have that kind of interest. You seem oddly hung up on this matter."

The sides of Qin Jiu's mouth quirked up into a mischievous grin, "Hmm, perhaps we should test that out..."

Invigilator A firmly smacked his knee against Qin Jiu's, shutting him up instantly.

The invigilators weren't sure whether to laugh or cry.

Sure, watching You Huo and Qin Jiu in some sort of weird demon king power struggle was utterly hilarious, especially when they weren't caught in the middle (like 154 and 922) or had to deal with additional work that came as a consequence of their fights.

They had been watching You Huo and Qin Jiu fighting for so long that watching them interact in such a civilized manner in this room was just... so fucking weird.

The calmness and teasing jest was nice, though, compared to the murder that hung in the air whenever those two acted as the leaders of their factions, the air around them so thick that everyone else would die from suffocation before the great masters even lifted a finger.

Sure, they were bantering, but Qin Jiu was so relaxed, like he knew that Invigilator A wouldn't actually hurt him. Same went for You Huo; the silly annoying flirty bastard GIN was an annoyance, but that was about it.

Both of them had some kind of mutual understanding that they were all bark and no bite, and while they were physically capable of a drawn out beat down, they'd just settle for bashing each other with hard vicious words with no hard feelings.

It made their fights seem almost... childish. Which was something that was rarely seen on You Huo, if at all. As for Qin Jiu, the guy had never really dropped his guard before, even among the hardliners. Seeing him so relaxed, uncaring how the world viewed him.

Maybe they were just overthinking things. Besides from the Head Invigilators, Qin Jiu was the one that the System watched the most (they had a feeling the System watched him more than even Chu Yue). Maybe they were both acting a little off because they've finally accepted that the System was no longer watching over them like a starving vulture.

The crazy bastard at least still had some human decency and he didn't really put You Huo onto Hunter A's bed.

You Huo sat on the floor with his hands behind his back. He was tied to the pillar that supported the roof.

Despite being tied to a pillar, You Huo still looked like he wanted to murder Qin Jiu, but still, the moderates all glared at Qin Jiu.

Yes, it was his future self's fault and they really shouldn't blame their Qin Jiu, who's been pretty civil so far, all things considered... but god damn it, the sight just pissed them off.

Tying him up wasn't bad enough, he also had to tie him up to a stupid pillar?

How dare he tie their boss up!? You Huo did nothing to deserve this treatment, that fucking hunter deserved to die anyways.

Sadly, it didn't seem like You Huo shared their sentiments, and waved their concerns off.

Qin Jiu walked around him to open the window.

The window in the attic was very small. It was no bigger than his palm but the cold air that came in managed to diffuse out the sour smell in the attic.

All of them glared at Qin Jiu again.

Sure, it might be able to help air the room and get rid of the musty smell, but You Huo literally had to walk though that damn snowstorm at least four times, and now, Qin Jiu just opens a damn window to blast him with another wave of cold air?

Qin Jiu wanted to groan into his hands.

Qin Jiu: "Cold?"

Those words were just complete bullshit. Wearing a T-shirt on a snowy day like this, would he not be cold?

Some examinees let out some dry laughter. Leave it to You Huo to have some sassy internal monologues.

On the other hand... it really wasn't fair for You Huo to be stuck in a t-shirt. It wasn't like this exam was the only one to be held at freezing temperatures... but winter clothes in the shops at the rest stops costed points. Surely You Huo wouldn't be wasting his points on them?

They could only hope that the fireplace downstairs made the whole house warm enough that You Huo didn't get sick.

But compared to being cold, You Huo couldn't stand the smell more.

The invigilators all sighed. At least, future Qin Jiu's actions had helped You Huo... somewhat.

Still, couldn't he at least fetch his jacket from Yu Wen so he'd be a bit warmer?

Or even better, Qin Jiu should take his coat off and give it to You Huo. It wasn't like Qin Jiu was short of winter coats, and he deserved to suffer from the cold of the snowstorm for a bit. It was a bit absurd, them actually wanting Qin Jiu to give You Huo his clothes... but at that point, they couldn't afford to be picky.

He ignored Qin Jiu's question and frowned: "Can you let me stand?"

"No."

"…"

You Huo glared at him coldly.

Qin Jiu returned back to the bedside and sat at a small round wooden table.

"GIN!" Gao Qi hissed, "You should have let A sit there!"

"Stop yelling at me!" Qin Jiu grumbled, almost pouting, "You know I can't do anything about it."

"Fuck you."

Facing You Huo, he said: "Your legs are too long so you might accidentally kick me. Sitting is more stable."

You Huo: "…"

Stable your mum.

The examinees laughed.

Invigilator A cursing the System and its invigilators out would never get old.

Some of them might have said that it was deserved; that the invigilators should get off their high-horses and suffer along with them... but knowing that the invigilators were as victims as much as they were... they couldn't say it.

Sure, the examinees were suffering, fearing their lives... but at least they could curse the System out and vent their frustrations. It was better than being constantly monitored, the point where there was even severe infighting amongst the invigilators.

Plus, after learning a bit about You Huo, knowing that his past before the System might have been far from stellar...

After two consecutive bouts of irritation, You Huo turned to the right and no longer paid him any attention.

On the right, the place that was supposed to be a wall was covered with a piece of glass. Through You Huo's angle, he could see half the living room downstairs. The examinees were currently standing around or sitting in daze.

"Oh dear..."

The group had lost their pillar of support.

They had tried their best the last time that You Huo was in solitary confinement... but the only new area open to them was the kitchen, and it was obvious that no one wanted to go there.

And then, there was the other issue about the tableware. The bald man was still sitting own, having lost all his energy, and everyone else was no doubt far too scared about the "cursed tableware" and dying to actually do any investigating.

...

Not that they could investigate anyways, not with half the team being five poisons.

Without You Huo, the old, weak, sickly and pregnant were like headless flies. They spun around aimlessly and had no sense of direction.

Time was running out. When Qin Jiu had tied You Huo up, there was only slightly more than twenty minutes left.

Twenty minutes, and all they had were some barely legible scrawls by Yu Wen, and a dead hunter, courtesy of You Huo.

Could they even earn any points? Yu Wen had scribbled down something about a refraction index, right? Maybe that was enough to earn them points to buy them another six hours... and You Huo would be freed by then,001 had mentioned only tying him to prevent him from answering for this round. By right, once this round of answers was graded, Qin Jiu would let him go.

And considered they remembered an invigilator mentioning that the System would actually process all the scribbles in "show your working" questions... they could really just pray that the System could read Yu Wen's indecipherable scribbles.

Yu Wen grabbed the knife and desperately started to engrave words onto the wall.

"Oh god..."

"He's going to write more!?"

He intended to write down all the physics formulas that he knew even if it had nothing to do with optics.

"Well..."

"Knowledge testing is optics, though? Isn't that like writing algebra formulas on an English test?"

"He's trying?"

"Better than giving up, at least."

After racking his brains out, he realized that everything that he knew was written in less than five minutes.

"..."

Some people tried to defend Yu Wen.

"It's a stressful situation..."

"Yeah, sometimes your mind just goes blank..."

"It's like you study for an exam but the second you flip it open, you forget everything you learnt..."

It was only when the time to apply knowledge comes that you regret not acquiring enough of it.

The younger examinees all laughed. Even those with good grades have heard the others complaining about not having studied enough or hard enough.

In Yu Wen's eighteen years of life, this was the first time he felt pain when he thought of this sentence.

Why the fuck was Yu Wen being so relatable? He was so different from his older cousin!

"What else? Does anyone remember anything else?" He turned to look for help from the others.

The elderly and the children wouldn't know anything... Hopefully that nice foreigner Mike could still make sense of that mirror drawing, even if he didn't understand Chinese, and have some ideas?

Yu Yao revealed a despondent look: "I did physics and chemistry in high school but I changed to literary studies in University. After working for so long… Those things on the wall, I wouldn't have remembered it if you didn't write it."

"Yes! Shu Xue!"

"Go! You're our saving grace!"

Shu Xue heard some wild cheering going up for her, and she rubbed her neck slightly in embarrassment. Her memory had gotten progressively worse after the Black Widow... but she did remember something about a refraction schematic diagram.

If the question was asking about the wine glasses, and presumably, pouring wine into those wine glasses... then her tiny contribution might prove to be helpful.

Yu Wen looked at her like a small puppy: "Big sister, please think a little harder. Whatever you think off, just add it!"

Some people fucking melted from the puppy-dog eyes. Yu Wen just looked so cute and innocent, like he was placing all his hopes on someone...

Who could resist that? They'd either have to be heartless, or they were You Huo...

Actually, was You Huo immune to his brother's puppy-dog eyes? Even if he wasn't affected as much as the others... they had a feeling that You Huo would be moved, just the slightest.

He fortunately took after his mother.  Although he cannot be compared to You Huo, he could still be considered rather good looking at school.

The examinees had a LOT to say about that... mainly about how it was a different kind of good looking; You Huo was handsome, but Yu Wen was younger and thus, was mainly considered cute and adorable.

But poor alcoholic Old Yu. His own son didn't think he was good looking...

The examinees chuckled.

Yu Yao's maternal love instincts grew.

No one could blame her. Even if she wasn't really pregnant, carrying that belly around for three years (holy fuck, she had to deal with that huge pregnancy bump for three years, even if she just sat around in a rest stop for all that time, it would still be a huge pain in the ass), it would no doubt have affected her mentally.

And who could say no to Yu Wen's puppy dog eyes? He was just adorable!

She hesitated and said: "I still remember the refraction schematic diagram. The very, very, very basic type. Don't laugh when I draw it."

"Won't laugh! If anyone laughs, I'll cut them. Really."

"..."

"Why do I feel like he isn't joking when he said that?"

"With how he waved the knife at Invigilator A just now... I won't be surprised if he actually does it by accident..."

After nonsensically promising her, Yu Yao held her stomach and moved over. Using the knife, she drew an arc and two refracted lights.

"Huh..."

"You know...

"If we're talking wine glasses... that might actually be useful..."

Yu Wen made an "oh" noise and internally thought that it really was very simple but he himself had forgotten about it.

The examinees laughed. Being unfamiliar with the subject material and being stuck in a life or death situation would do that to anyone.

"Anyone else?"

Y u Wen was like a passionate salesman. His eyes swept past the rest of the people.

The two old ladies… Forget it. They probably don't know anything about physics.

They didn't need a reminder of just how bad this team was.

The thug and sickly man had already lowered their heads in shame.

They... really couldn't blame them. They weren't supposed to be here in the first place.

The bald man was dazed. It was good enough that he wasn't crazy.

They couldn't help but wince at the reminder of that confinement room...

And there was also an old man with twin grandchildren. The old man appeared to be suffering from slight dementia and his grandchildren were only in elementary school… To use physics to abuse children, it was something Yu Wen couldn't do.

Everyone slumped. It really wasn't fair; the children hadn't even touched physics in school...

The foreigner Mike could say two words –"Neo" and "neosomo". It was completely useless.

The examinees and invigilators shook their heads. It really wasn't fair; it wasn't like this was Foreign Language or an exam that specifically tested on languages.

At the very least, the System should have provided an English version of the question for Mike! Surely this silly System could do that, right? This was a Physics exam, not Foreign Language! Not giving Mike the question in a native language literally changed the subject of the exam.

Stupid, stupid System!

As for Old Yu… he only knows about alcohol.

"..."

They were too tired to comment about it. Being an alcoholic wasn't the worst thing out there, and Old Yu didn't show any signs of being abusive or anything... but being reliant on substances really wasn't a good thing in this unforgiving System.

Hopefully, Old Yu wasn't too reliant on alcohol.

Yu Wen finally experienced the despair his brother felt.

The examinees didn't feel the same sense of despair, now that they had a better understanding of the grading system. Yu Wen and Shu Xue had the correct line of thinking... now, it was just a matter of if the System was going to be stingy or petty with points.

...

Oh, and if it can read Yu Wen's atrocious handwritting.

...

They'd blame the System for that, though. Who the hell is expected to have good handwriting when having to carve out delicate letters out on a fucking stone wall?

Stupid System. At least give them a proper exam paper!

922 moved his luggage in and saw him standing in daze in front of the fire stove. He said: "I suggest that you stay away from the fire. Don't burn to death before you can even answer the question."

Yu Wen fiddled with the broken jars and thought: Forget it. Might as well burn to crisp.

"No! Don't die, Yu Wen!"

"... It's so sad, it's actually kind of funny."

You Huo audibly snorted. His cousin was so melodramatic.

He looked up at the attic.

The glass had become worn with time and it was very blurry. The lights in the attic was also dark. He wondered what that 001 invigilator was doing to his brother. Would his brother be looking over here and be disappointed when he sees them acting so hopelessly…?

Some examinees turned to look at You Huo.

Before this viewing experience... they might have thought that You Huo was the kind of person who would overlook this group of hopelessly examinees, and outrightly declare them as worthless.

Now, after seeing the gentler, softer side of You Huo... there was no doubt that You Huo, even if he might be a bit annoyed at the lack of progress, would never look down on his brother for actually trying his hardest and putting his best foot forward.

"There are still 5 minutes." 922 reminded him.

Everyone panicked.

154 nudged Wen Yuan, "And you said not to intimidate the examinees."

"How is reminding them of the time being "intimidating"?"

"...You made them panic?"

The places where someone could stay in this old cabin was limited and the places where people could sit was also limited.

There were tableware placed on the dining table but one represented death so they couldn't randomly sit in a chair.

922 took the suitcase and circled around before squeezing together with 154 on the sofa.

Some of them couldn't help but think they looked quite cute together. They then turned to watch their 154 and Wen Yuan, who were sharing a beanbag.

Yep. They were adorable.

152 complained: "Isn't boss in the attic?"

922: "I know."

154: "Then why are you putting the suitcase here? Waiting for him to get it himself?"

The invigilators snorted, "As if."

GIN was a pretty hardy and adaptable fellow, and he would be able to make do in that cabin for the rest of the exam, even without any food. The suitcases probably weren't even his.

922: "The two bad guys are up there. I don't want to go up yet."

154: "…"

Useless.

"You do it then, if you're so brave." Wen Yuan nudged 154.

154 thought about it for half a millisecond... and immediate decided that he valued his existence more than his pride.

922 pouted: "Why are you rolling your eyes at me? Why don't you go up?"

154 sat while watching the examinees sternly: "I'm invigilating."

"Did they ask you to watch over them? The one who needs to be supervised is upstairs."

"Boss alone is enough."

922: "..."

154: "..."

The two invigilators had nothing to say.

Everyone else also had nothing to say. Five minutes left, and no one had anymore to add.

They could just pray the System had mercy on them and would accept Shu Xue's diagram; if even Yu Wen had trouble reading his own handwriting, then even that was a lost cause.

In the end, it was 922 who sighed: "I have been an invigilator for three years… No, not just invigilating. Even if I include the time when I was an examinee, I have never seen someone so lawless."

He thought that 154 would nod in agreement but the other person thought for a while and said: "You've seen one."

922 was surprised: "Ah? Who? When?"

"You literally forgot about GIN?" An invigilator asked, amused... and then they remembered that with the System's memory interference, it was really possible that his head and thought processes might be far too messed up.

...

Or maybe he was just distracted and forgot that GIN had once been an examinee; it all happened to the best of them (besides You Huo). He was made an invigilator after the entire code reshuffling process; if his mind had been tampered with, the System might have also messed with his memories regarding Qin Jiu's examinee days.

After all, Qin Jiu had been a genuine threat to the System, and that very same System had somehow still decided to make him the Head Invigilator. It was no wonder why the System would try to wipe out all the traces of his rebellious examinee side.

154 lifted his chin towards the attic.

922 then reacted… That's right. How could he forget? There was another difficult to deal with examinee, and he later became Invigilator 001.

How difficult must Qin Jiu have been back then? Legend says that he almost broke the examination system.

"Speaking of which, I've always wanted to ask boss about his previous feats when I manage to muster up enough courage." 922 said, "After all, I have only seen it twice."

"..."

"I mean" Qin Jiu started, "Even I don't really know... But I bet you half those rumors flying around are fucking bullshit-"

"NOPE! They're all real!"

"You were a fucking pain!"

"Kept violating rules, constantly came up with bullshit questions to bother us-"

"You made a whole ass auditorium collapse, you fuck!"

"Setting a fucking sand monster on fire! Sand! Fucking sand! How do you even do that!?"

"You keep losing your reward cards like some kind of idiot!"

"10 times you've been sent to clear the examination centers... maybe more, I don't remember... and you still think those rumors aren't real!?"

All the older invigilators had something to say, and with each thing that was added to the pile, the examinees eyes grew wider and wider.

Qin Jiu was a fucking monster, causing so much destruction. No wonder the fucking System was so mad at him, with that track record.

"..." Wen Yuan blinked, "Ya know... maybe I don't want to know anymore..."

154 snorted.

Despite all the complaints by the original invigilators (minus one You Huo and one Chu Yue, who was far too busy cackling at his exploits), Qin Jiu just puffed his chest up in pride, "Damn! I must be pretty dang awesome, then!"

"Have you no shame?"

"Where's the shame in fucking up the System?" Qin Jiu asked honestly.

The invigilators paused in their tirade. Qin Jiu did had a point. Messing up the System and getting it pissed at itself with all its loopholes was probably the best entertainment they've had in ages.

154 quickly stopped him: "Are you joking? Don't mess with things!"

922 was puzzled: "Why? I can't even ask? I've noticed that every time I mentioned the boss, you would interrupt me."

"I'm just afraid that you would die too fast." 154 deadpanned:

Qin Jiu raised an eyebrow, "I won't... not just for asking..."

154 shrugged. He didn't know either... but whatever happened, it had to be pretty serious for him to have that reaction.

"Boss doesn't remember much about the past. It was said that the examination system encountered some problems and accidentally injured him causing him to forget some things."

"..."

"OH screw the System!"

"Who wants to bet that the "problems" was the same reason why Invigilator A got kicked out?"

"No duh. Only an idiot would bet against that!"

Either way, it was just a bullshit answer. Like You Huo's "illness" that was probably used as a cover up for him getting kicked out of the System and any subsequent injuries, it was obvious that Qin Jiu had gotten into a similar incident, and the System had used the oh so convenient opportunity to wipe his memory,

922 was stunned: "There was something like that? Why didn't I know?"

154 was expressionless: "Because you only know to eat."

Several examinees laughed... but that statement made some of the invigilators slightly suspicious of 154. Wen Yuan had obviously met Qin Jiu as an examinee, but his memory of the event was hazy at best, and Qin Jiu himself had been mind wiped so he didn't know either.

So how did 154 know that Wen Yuan had met Qin Jiu before, as a lawless examinee? Qin Jiu was already an invigilator, and by 154's reaction when he had appeared in this strange realm, it appeared that he was still sleeping... somewhere... whatever that meant... and in this future being shown by this viewing experience, he had only woken up some time later.

He might have overheard some of the older invigilators talking (more like gossiping) about the incident, but being a newer invigilator, his interaction with the original invigilators would be short at best and non-existent in the worst case scenario.

The System would probably start shutting down those rumors too, or 922 would have at least heard something about it.

Of course, that was going by the logic that 922 had become an invigilator before 154. It only made sense; he had become an examinee after Wen Yuan had finished quite a few exams, so there was definitely a bit of catching up to do. 922 would have access to far more information than 154 in that case.

It was entirely possible that 154 had become an invigilator before 922; if Wen Yuan had gotten injured, for example, and had to spend some time recuperating... time that the System could use to tamper with his memory...

Either way, the real issue they had was with 154. Everything about him just didn't seem to line up neatly.

He knew about the original confinement rooms, indicating that he was close to the System... but only You Huo and Chu Yue had that kind of authority. He didn't seem to suffer from memory loss issues... but that could just be subjective; future 154 didn't talk much about himself.

And yet, he seemed rather clueless about the System's current state of affairs. He also didn't seem to mind trash talking the System, having made his own fair share of quips with regards to its decision making...

154 was a walking set of contradictions.

922 sat there stunned.

154 added: "Haven't you noticed that he doesn't mention the past at all? When I first became an invigilator, I almost met my death when I asked about it… Anyway, I don't want to go through it again. You also wouldn't want to so watch yourself."

Qin Jiu was still rather bothered by this. 154 didn't seem like the type that would joke about something like that...

His future self was no doubt annoyed at his lack of memories... but he thought he had adapted pretty well when he came back as Invigilator GIN. Almost everyone there shared the same fate (besides being kicked out), all of them missing some memories here and there... so he had no reason to be upset with his fellow invigilators.

He definitely had no reason to want to kill anyone over it, even in his worst of moods. If anything, he'd rather give the System itself a few well placed stabs between its non-existent ribs; the System certainly deserved that, at the very least.

But a second mindwiping... had he really been that aggressive towards future 154, to the point where he thought he was actually going to die just for asking? Out of curiosity, or maybe concern? Had he really taken the second bout of amnesia that badly?

Qin Jiu felt rather uneasy about all that.

It was like the System was hanging him on puppet strings, controlling not only his movements, but also his mind. It was just disturbing.

In the attic, the only light there wasn't turned on.

The space wasn't big and the light that projected over from downstairs allowed them to vaguely make out the shapes of things.

The snow outside was still heavy, and it splattered against the building as it blew past.

You Huo continued to look downstairs. He looked like he was silent from helplessness, but he also didn't appear anxious.

"..."

"Silent from helplessness, your mum."

"Invigilator A probably can tell in his subconscious that they've earned some points."

"How? He can't see the answer sheet..."

"..."

"Yu Wen's scribbles?"

"... I think Invigilator A long gave up on that..."

You Huo snorted internally. These examinees had been so hung up on the "Requirements" that they literally forgot the first part of the question.

"I have 13 tableware, but food is limited and only 12 can be accommodated."

Not counting Shu Xue, but including the hunter, there was thirteen people. Now that the hunter was dead, the first part of the question was fulfilled.

No wonder his future self had just... allowed Qin Jiu to tie him up and drag him to the attic. He had probably figured that out and decided to just kill the pesky hunter, which meant that they would get points regardless if You Huo was further punished or not.

A faint layer of clear light reflected his eyes and his earring would occasionally glimmer at certain angles.

Qin Jiu watched him for a while and then suddenly spoke up. He asked lazily: "Have I met you before?"

"...?"

"Wait... did future GIN remember something?"

After a moment, You Huo turned to look at him. His light brown eyes were cold like winter nights.

"No, if we have met I'm afraid only one of us would have lived."

They turned to stare at the duo... who were clearly just vibing, sitting there together, totally not trying to kill each other.

Unless they meant killing by words...

You Huo's silky voice carried a hint of mocking.

"Really?" Qin Jiu supported his chin and appeared to be thinking about something. He then agreed: "It's a little regrettable but that does seem to be the case."

"Yep." Chu Yue fake coughed, "Totally regrettable."

She needed them to get back together ASAP, because holy shit, You Huo was just fucking depressing without his boyfriend.

You Huo glared at her. After knowing her for so long... it was pretty easy to tell where her thoughts had strayed off too, as unpredictable as she was.

As they spoke there were some creaking sounds coming from the wooden ladder.

154's voice travelled over: "Boss, time is almost up."

922's low voice also could be heard. He seemed to be behind 154: "Is it okay up there? Why do I feel so scared?"

154 whispered: "You shut up."

Yep, there was definitely something wrong with his head. Wen Yuan wondered if he also had an accident in the future that not just wiped out his memories, but also gave him brain damage.

"Boss."  154 poked his head out, "Are you coming down? It's time for the answer collection."

Qin Jiu asked: "How did they answer? I saw that little brat writing a novel nonstop."

922 had not yet arrived but his voice arrived first: "It's useless. I didn't look at it carefully, but I could tell at glance. If an answer like that can score points, I'll behead myself in celebration."

154: "…"

You Huo glanced at Wen Yuan, a hint of a mocking challenge in his eyes as the examinee let out a squeak.

"I think," 154 started, "We'd prefer his head intact. As useless as it is."

"Yeah..." Wen Yuan rasped, "I think I like my head on my shoulders. Please."

Then he realized what 154 had said, "Hey!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Just because future me acts like an idiot, doesn't mean the current me is equally idiotic!"

"Uh huh." 154 sounded sarcastic.

The examinees all relaxed. You Huo was challenging Wen Yuan for his head... their You Huo, the one with his memories intact... if he was that confident that Wen Yuan would be losing his head, that meant that the answer would score points...

Hold on-

The answer would score points?

"They got points! They're saved!"

"All hail Yu Wen and Shu Xue!"

The examinees all started cheering again, and an invigilator sweat dropped, "They sure are easy to please..."

There was an old-fashioned clock above the cabinet. Every time the minute hand moved, it would make a small sound. Usually, no one would notice it but at this moment it sounded very loud and heart-stopping.

It ticked a few times and then the rooster called out.

The three invigilators came downstairs as the terrible sound made the examinees tremble. In order to prevent another rule violation, they waited until the ninth cry before untying You Huo.

"Urg... finally..."

Gao Qi was going to make another complaint about how Qin Jiu shouldn't have tied You Huo up, or rather, he was about to, until he saw how... muted Qin Jiu was.

The guy looked upset, disturbed even. He was probably still hung up about the knowledge that his future re-amnesiac self had scared a new invigilator to the point where said invigilator thought they would die. It would be jarring news for anyone; it was so different from his usual carefree, playful personality.

And heck, even GIN's current (former? Since they had kinda started to chill out since entering this strange space) hatred of Invigilator A only stemmed from his inaction regarding how hostile the System was.

He decided to leave Qin Jiu alone for now. It probably helped that the idiot wasn't dropping more bastard lines that just added fuel to the fire.

Everyone was like newly hatched chicks in a cage. They picked a corner furthest away from the door and huddled together. It was as if they wouldn't be pulled out of the examination center if they did this.

Everyone sighed. It was no use. Even if they managed to resist the pull of the snowstorm vacuum sucking them out of the exam center (which was unlikely, given how physically weak this entire group was), the System could just instantly make someone disappear in the snap of a finger.

Luckily, that wasn't going to be the case here.

Almost all of them had their eyes closed as they waited for the upcoming trial.

They waited and an entire minute passed.

"..."

"Uh..." Wen Yuan started, "Did the system freeze because there were too many words?

922: "… Did the system freeze because there were too many words?"

Silence... and then everyone roared with laughter.

"Word... for word..."

"It's the same person... of course it would be similar..."

"But the future him is such a..."

"Oh shush, he's embarrassed enough already."

Sure enough, Wen Yuan was turning redder by the minute at just how similar he was compared to his supposedly idiotic and brainless future self. Even 154 was laughing at him, how dare he?

The moment the invigilator said that, the answer wall underwent some changes. On the long and eloquent answer, two red circles appeared.

Yu Wen looked through the gap between his fingers.

One of them circled something he wrote: Refractive index.

"Yes! Go Yu Wen!" Everyone cheered.

And the other one circled the last-minute diagram Yu Yao drew: An extremely simple refraction schematic diagram.

More cheers went up for Shu Xue.

They were saved! Six more hours to spare, and You Huo was now back in thd game! Everything was right with the world!

Next to the two red circles, two red numbers appeared.

1

2

The people saw the numbers and didn't react.

The answer wall then changed again and all the useless answers that didn't earn any points disappeared. Several red sentences appeared:

Bonus points: 1 of 13 people died, achieved the question requirements. 6.

Everyone paused.

Even the invigilators.

"..."

"He got points for killing the question subject!?"

6 points. 6 whole points... that might be more points than some of them even earned in one exam...

Even thought You Huo had thoroughly pissed the System off by indirectly killing the hunter, he still did count as someone who would have sat at that table...

They were still amazed that the System could still give him marks for that. Bonus points, at that. The System must be fucking frothing at the mouth in rage, but it still had no choice but to adhere to the rules.

Additional points: All examinees survived, 2.

Even more cheers. No one would be dying just yet!

Total points for this part: 11 points.

Everyone's eyes went wide with amazement.

"... 11 points?"

"Am I... reading that right?"

"So many!?"

11 points. 11 whole points. Not just for one exam, but for one section.

For some people, 11 points was more points than they even had after several exams...

You Huo really was some kind of god.

The cabin was quiet for a moment and then it was followed by Yu Wen's shout: "Fuck! 11 points! I thought we were a goner but we got 11 points instead!"

"Brother! Did you see that?! I got a point!"

"Yes, baby Yu Wen!"

"We're all so proud of you!"

Some examinees were outrightly sobbing that this ridiculousness worked, either due to being teachers who knew the pain of having to grade such bullshit to the point where their glasses prescriptions were raised by several hundred degrees, or students who were happy that a fellow student was doing well.

Either way, fuck the System! So what if Yu Wen's handwriting sucked?! The System was probably frozen not from the amount of stuff he wrote, but from just how hard it had to try to decipher those hieroglyphic scrawls.

Amongst the deafening voices of the examinees, 922 looked stunned at 154: "The system must be crazy! They killed the subject and they still fucking get additional points?!"

154 who saw this was also dumbfounded.

He turned to look at You Huo.

This great master who had been tied up for the past 20 minutes had managed to earn 8 points using just his foot.

"And another one... or rather, two... bites the dust." The original invigilators all sighed, and shook their heads.

One even extended a hand towards Wen Yuan and 154, "Welcome to the club of having to suffer with such rule-breaking examinees. Exclusive membership perks include being able to complain about all the bullshit to your hearts content."

154 and Wen Yuan weren't too sure how to respond. They were still hung on the fact that an NPC had just fucking died... and that was apparently the highest individual question requirement score. Just killing the hunter alone had netted more than half the points for that round.

"So 6 for killing the hunter and 2 for examinees not dying..."

"I mean, aren't those two points technically Yu Wen's? He wrote down refraction index... so that would have saved the team?"

"But then the hunter got hungry and pissy and demanded someone else to die."

"They can share? One each?"

"I mean... to be fair, if Invigilator A hadn't killed the Hunter, leaving Yu Wen to wrangle that schematic out of Shu Xue... who knows if his initial bout of scribbles would have netted any points..."

You Huo coldly appreciated his expression and then stretched out his good-looking hand: "Give me your head to celebrate."

922: "…"

All of them weren't sure whether to cower in fear or laugh. You Huo had actually remembered that off-handed comment that Wen Yuan had made?

But with the way You Huo looked, his eyes glinting like pure gold, reaching out his hand like he was merely asking for a fruit instead of someone's bloody head... it was almost like he was expecting 922 to really chop his head off and present it to him on a silver platter.

You Huo waved 154 and Wen Yuan off before they could freak out again. What was he going to do with a head anyways?

Luckily, future You Huo wasn't actually being serious, and was probably just trying to bully 922. And after that bucket... they were all sure that no one really wanted more unnecessary blood being spilled.

The system probably felt that it had gone crazy after reporting the total points.

"Wow, how did it know!?"

"Crazy? Nah, the System totally isn't crazy."

"It's not like it brought elderly women, grandpas with dementia and elementary school children into a fucking death exam..."

"Let's not forget the pregnant ladies."

After a while, it once again spat out a line of words:

Legibility -2

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Of course the System wasn't going to take that lying down. It was probably upset that Yu Wen really had nearly short circuited it with his atrocious handwriting. It was so fucking petty!

The total jumped from 11 points to 9 points.

Yu Wen the eager student who wrote an entire book got one point and then was deducted two points. In total it was -1.

Congratulations.

"Congratulations indeed." Chu Yue stated grimly, "I'm not sure if there has ever been a case of an examinee actually having points taken away... from illegibility, of all things. This is probably a first."

She couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst into loud rambunctious laughter. Her laughter was infectious, and pretty soon, almost the entire room was crying from laughter

It was just too funny! You Huo ties an invigilator up, asks for the head of another, and kills a subject of a question. Meanwhile, his little brother Yu Wen being penalized for bad handwriting.

The stark contrast between the cousins was just fucking hilarious!

You Huo just sighed, and waited for the laughter to die down. Chu Yue had started this one... and in some way, his stupid little cousin being so happy about getting a point, only to have two taken away... he had to admit, it was actually kind of funny.

His poor baby cousin. He must have been crushed... or maybe not. From what he's seen, Yu Wen actually had pretty incredible mentality. Despite being the youngest (not counting the kids), in You Huo's absence, he had automatically taken charge of the group and tried his best, no matter how hopeless the situation appeared. Yu Wen was probably happy they weren't dying yet.

In the small cabin, whilst both the examinees and the invigilators were going crazy, the contents of the answer wall changed:

Question: There are only 12 guests and 12 sets of tableware in the hunter's cabin which is enough for each of you. However, there still remains a secret hidden amongst the tableware and is hidden under the light. The person sitting at the selected one will be cursed. Will that person be you?

Requirement: Find that special set of tableware (But cannot damage them).

Knowledge being tested: Optics.

Some people peered at the change in the question.

It... really wasn't too different compared to the previous one. But they had bought themselves six more hours.

Six more hours to find this "secret" in the tableware, and to find out just who would be cursed.

Chapter Text

While everyone was still in shock after seeing the question being refreshed, a sudden sound appeared in the cabin…

It sounded like sharp nails scratching across a wooden board.

There was some surprised shrieks from the examinees.

"What's going on!?"

"Wh-who?"

Everyone's hair rose. They looked around searching for the source of the sound.

In this terrifying setting, no one dared to fall away from the group, so they only looked around while remaining in place.

Soon, someone cried out desperately: "Behind! It's behind me! Help…"

The one who cried out was the bald man.

The cursed seat. That was what was going on.

As unsettling as it was, the examinees heaved a sigh of relief. At least it was a part of the exam and wasn't some random malicious ghost of the hunter trying to take revenge or something.

He was the only one who didn't move over to the answering wall to join the others.

For the entire time, he sat alone at the dining table. As if paralyzed from his neck down, he remained huddled in the seat that he had selected.

The bald man had fainted earlier with fear because of the Hunter A but now he was scared awake by the scratching sounds.

"Hold on, please!" An examinee called out, "Are the chairs... pre-cursed? Because... like... that's not the plot of the exam..."

"Plot?" Some invigilators blinked in confusion.

Luckily, someone came to the first examinee's aid, "I did this exam... usually, at this point, everyone is supposed to have taken their seats for... you know..."

"Ah. You mean, now that the table is empty and that everyone else knows better than to sit down..." The invigilators shared a look, "The exam won't change the cursed seat to the one that already has a person in it, right?"

"It's not the seat that's cursed." Qin Jiu shared a glance with You Huo, before replying, "It's the wine glasses."

There was a sound of understanding across the examinees. As the placement of the wine glasses change, so too does the cursed seat.

"Oh! So it's like those online MCQ quizzes but they shuffle all the answers..."

With his face coated with snot and tears, he cried out with panic: "Behind me. Help me! Save me, please!"

"But there's no one behind you…" Yu Yao said in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, there's no one…"

When the bald man heard this, he cried even more fiercely.

They couldn't help but pity the bald man. Sure, he might be able to get up and move... but he had already taken a seat, and the hunter had already distributed the wine glasses. Even if the bald man could move... his fate was already sealed, dependent on the wine glass that sat several inches from his face.

No one dared to approach him. They could only desperately gesture at the bald man: "Don't just sit there! Hurry up and come over. Come here!"

"I can't move! This chair… I can't move. It has trapped me!" The bald man was so panicked, his words were almost incoherent.

"The chair!?"

"Trapping him!?"

"That's too much, right!? He already picked a seat, let him go!"

"... Maybe it's because he had already picked a seat... that it won't let him go..."

"You mean, you can't get off after sitting in the chair?"

"Yes. I can't… It wants me dead. It wants me to die!" The bald man cried.

Everyone fearfully backed away from the dining table. Only You Huo walked over.

At this point, they weren't surprised. You Huo always seemed to do the opposite of everyone else in the room.

Apparently, tip number 1 of how to beat the System: If everyone in the room is doing something out of fear... do the exact opposite. It works for You Huo.

...

Maybe that was because that You Huo knew there was no point, wasting time being scared. The only choice they had was to face the problem head on.

"Brother?" Yu Wen called out.

He was originally going to grab You Huo to stop him from taking risks but when he thought of his brother's performance and his own miserable -1 point, he decided to just follow You Huo.

Everyone laughed. Yu Wen really was adorable.

Plus, considering how You Huo could even kill the subject of the fucking question and still get out unscathed, and even with six points to boot... following him was probably the best option.

And to be fair, his so-called "miserable -1 point" wasn't that bad either. Without You Huo killing the hunter or Shu Xue drawing out the diagram, by right, he had still earned a point. By his own strength, he had already earned the group six more hours to live.

Between that, and finding the pen according to You Huo's instructions while in the confinement room... Yu Wen really wasn't too bad. Credit had to be given where credit was due.

They walked behind the bald man and finally found the source of the sound-

On the back of the bald man's chair, sawdust scattered as the light-colored core of the wood was exposed. It was as if there was an invisible hand scratching on the surface of the chair.

"Ok, which fucking horror movie did the System steal this idea from?"

"..."

"All of them."

Yu Wen: "It's writing something?!"

You Huo hummed in agreement.

This great master was more patient towards the "ghost" than he was towards humans. He crossed his arms and waited on the side for it to finish.

"To be fair... you can scold and intimidate humans, but you can't exactly do that to a ghost..."

They all shared a look, and promptly decide that if there was anyone who could scare a ghost into submission... it was probably You Huo. The ghost would try to kill You Huo... only to fail, and most likely turn into You Huo's pet on a leash.

It was a stupid but funny thought. Where were they going to find a ghost that had enough cognitive sense anyways?

After the other examinees in the room hesitated for a moment, they quickly rushed over and huddled behind You Huo.

Everyone else couldn't help but laugh.

"12! It's writing 12!" The tattooed man shouted out.

Soon after that, the sound of nail scratching against wood was heard coming from a nearby chair.

You Huo took a few steps to walk over and the large crowd behind him also shuffled with him. When he stopped his steps, the large crowd would also stop as if someone had suddenly stepped onto the brakes.

"…"

You Huo for a moment suspected that they were not taking a physics exam and was instead playing a game of Mother Hen.

Even more laughter filled the room.

Who knew that the cold-hearted, highly-feared Invigilator A, the Head Invigilator of the System, Leader of the Moderates... would somehow turn into the leader of a pack of hapless examinees who just followed his every move.

"Congrats. You're a mom now." Qin Jiu clapped him on the back... before dissolving into more laughter.

You Huo resisted the urge to strangle him.

Sometimes, it felt like he had even less functioning braincells than 922, which was a feat in itself considering future 154 seemed to think his own colleague had something wrong with his head.

The scratching sound lasted for about five minutes and each seat at the table was numbered.

From 1 to 12, they each corresponded to a seat. The role of these numbers was obvious.

Once you have found the cursed tableware, you just needed to write the number on the answer wall.

"Ohh..."

"For once, a nice and simple clue."

"I'm going to assume this isn't a scenario where we can just write own every single number, right?"

"Yep." An invigilator replied, "There are some exams that explicitly have special reminders about changing incorrect answers, and that there are serious consequences for that. In this case, considering that it can be considered a multiple-choice question... just that you have twelve options... I'd say that if you pick a wrong number, someone would die."

It was a pretty obvious consequence, but knowing that there were some exams out there that actually would let them change their answers... a chill ran up their spine. Just what kind of exam was that going to be!? It sounded even more hellish than this one, and this exam had a fucking cannibalistic perverted NPC!

Yu Wen guessed: "My answer and sister Yu Yao's answer were circled, and we got points for that. They were all related to refraction so does that mean… That if we wanted to find the cursed tableware, we need to use refraction?"

"Probably." Everyone answered, "But what's refraction?"

Yu Wen: "…"

"..."

"Well fuck."

"Who cares how to explain it, as long as they can figure out how to utilize it..."

His frozen look was too amusing. Yu Yao couldn't hold back and laughed.

She had always been crying and grieving so this was her first time making an expression other than that. Even Yu Yao herself was a little surprised.

Shu Xue was surprised too... but she felt that she could understand her future self. She had borrowed Old Yu and Yu Wen's surname to hide from the bald man, who was the one that had hurt her in her Romani exam. Old Yu, who had been kind to her from the start, and Yu Wen, who was always giving his all, despite the dire circumstances...

Maybe it was camaraderie from being stuck in the same exam, or having gone through so many exams with people only being selfishly concerned for themselves... but it was no surprise that she felt a certain sisterly fondness for the younger boy.

She was stunned in place for a moment. She then walked over to the group and patiently explained the concept of "refraction".

Yu Wen dethawed and looked up at You Huo next to him only to see that he was deep in thought.

"Brother…" Yu Wen quietly moved over to him.

He followed You Huo's line of sight. Over in that direction was a group of elderly examinees. There was also a beaten sofa where the three invigilators sat.

This mentally deficient boy asked: "What are you looking at the invigilators for?"

"Mentally..." Some people coughed and choked, "deficient!?"

"I mean... I guess questioning why he's looking at the invigilators is a death wish..."

"So far, he doesn't have the best impression of them..."

"A probably is wary that 001 would try to hinder their attempts to solve the question." Zhao Jiatong sighed. Qin Jiu wouldn't do that, memories or no; it wasn't against the rules... but their future boss didn't know that either. So far, in future You Huo's opinion... 001 had falsely accused him, then forced him to clean a bloody room, then fucking tied him up.

Anyone would be wary of 001 at that point.

You Hu wordlessly took away his line of sight and looked down at him.

Yu Wen retracted his neck and said timidly: "Forget it, forget it. Go ahead and look. I won't ask anymore."

Although they had managed to survive through a round of answer collection and managed to earn themselves another six hours, no one felt relieved.

Everyone stared at the tableware on the dining table like it was some precious treasure.

"Come on..."

"You can do it."

"Just focus on the wine glasses..."

"Can we touch this plate?" The tattooed man muttered. "If I pick it up to take a look, will it be considered as me selecting my seat?"

"..."

"That's a good point..."

"Why didn't we think of that..."

"No wonder they don't want to touch them..."

"It's better not to touch it. Death-"

Before Old Yu could finish his words, Yu Hou picked up a wine glass.

"..."

At this point, some people were just throwing hands.

"Okay then, apparently it's alright!"

"Pick up the tableware, I guess!"

The invigilators all snickered. You Huo was the best among them, and they would trust him with their life. His way of thinking was completely out of the box, but he was efficient and didn't like people getting hurt unnecessarily.

Old Yu: "-Is impossible!"

Everyone laughed. Was everyone in You Huo's family that funny?

You Huo's inner sass, Yu Wen's naivety clashing with his experienced older brother, and now the uncle?

The tattooed man rolled his eyes.

"You know, the tattooed guy really isn't that bad..." Someone commented, "Sure, he's brash and rude... but he's hoarded several weapons and never really... used them..."

"Well, Invigilator A is there. Would you really want to turn your weapons against him?"

"He left the exam center for six hours..."

"And Yu Wen took the knife from him... I find it quite hard to believe Yu Wen can just... pin him down..."

They all thought about it. If Shu Xue had bumped into him by accident, causing him to drop the knife, there was no doubt that Yu Wen and Old Yu would be rushing for it. Old Yu might have been a soldier but his strength had been diminished from the lack of practice, age, and the alcohol. Yu Wen was just a student, and it didn't seem like he did any sports.

The tattooed guy should easily be able to beat them both, and yet, despite wrestling over a dangerous blade, Yu Wen didn't even seem injured. He could easily bully the elderly and the twins, but he had never so much as looked in their direction.

It was almost like the tattooed guy really was just acting tough, but in reality, he was a nice guy, who was scared, just like everyone else, and didn't really want to hurt anyone at all.

Everyone stared at You Huo bewildered. Seeing that he was still alive and well, and wasn't forced into a seat, they felt relieved and they all started to pick up the tableware and examine them.

Everyone laughed. It really was like a game of Mother Hen. If You Huo was doing something, then by default, it was the correct thing to do. It was similar to peer pressure... except it was the exact opposite. No one had to follow You Huo, but he was the most experienced person there.

Unintentionally taking over the position as the leader, he just exuded an air of confidence that he was going to get out of this death trap, and everyone else was free to come along for the ride. Despite his coldness, his presence and abilities were soothing, calming, like a protective blanket, wrapping around this utterly weak and helpless group of examinees.

They couldn't help but think about something that parents and grandparents talked about all the time.

"If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?"

It was mostly a phrase to emphasis how dangerous peer pressure was... but they had a feeling that with You Huo, he wouldn't even have to jump off that bridge in the first place. He could just order them to do it, and they would do it, confident that You Huo had some sort of plan, and it was a blessing that they were being considered for the job.

That was just how powerful You Huo was.

"Why are you so brave?!" Since he is afterall his nephew, Old Yu hurried over to ask You Huo, "What if picking up a wine glass counts?!"

You Huo picked up a second glass: "It won't. I picked them up in the kitchen."

"..."

"Of course he remembered that..."

It was remembering the small things like that, tiny, insignificant details that didn't seem too important, but yet were huge game changers, that reminded them just how big the difference between a normal person and a great master was.

Old Yu: "…"

Are you proud of that?

Even more laughter. Sass definitely ran in that family.

Old Yu was almost about to vomit blood because of his nephew but he was also too afraid to scold him. He could only glare at You Hou from an unseen angle.

Another reminder that You Huo's past wasn't the best. They all knew that You Huo wouldn't hurt his uncle... but they supposed that he had spent way too much time in the System, and his uncle may not know or understand why he was scared of his nephew.

And when You Huo was booted out, his memories were erased, so neither of them had any explanations for anything. And yet, his uncle had disregarded his fear of his nephew and still took him in at his weakest.

"Dad, move aside."

Yu Wen walked past Old Yu and picked up a silver spoon. Unable to find anything, he switched over to a silver fork.

At first glance, they were all common household items. The plates were white porcelain and they didn't have any patterns on it while the silver spoons and forks were designed very simply.

Now that they had a good look at the tableware, they thought that it was quite silly for everyone to be inspecting all the tableware. The question was about optics, which automatically took all the other tableware besides of the glasses off the table (pun not intended).

Anyone would know that the focus should be on the transparent items, because the others literally had nothing to do with optics.

Then they were reminded that while their current examinees had at least finished high school and had some basic knowledge... this group of examinees in the future was just... weak. Children in elementary school, dementia, a poor foreigner, a tattooed guy who might not have even had a proper education... Even Shu Xue herself didn't remember her physics knowledge too well.

They couldn't even blame Yu Wen for not focusing on the glasses first. It seemed like his Physics knowledge wasn't too great, and if he didn't take Physics in high school, it wouldn't be too unsurprising.

Just when he was about to switch to a saucer, he finally noticed that his brother wasn't touching anything else.

"Brother, why are you only looking at the wine glasses?" Yu Wen couldn't help but ask.

"No point looking at the others." You Huo placed down the third glass and stopped examining them. He proceeded to move away from the dining table.

"No point?" Yu Wen was stunned.

While he was stunned, the tattooed man who had already looked through them all complained: "What is this garbage? There's not a single shit in these things!"

"..."

"Language? There are kids?"

"To be fair... I don't see anything in the wine glasses either..."

"Refraction..."

"They're probably going to have to find some wine in that disgusting house..."

No one looked too happy about that. The house was disgusting enough. And now they had to find some wine... that might not exactly be wine, if the food was any indication

Another person also said in distress: "The question is too vague. We don't even have a hint so how can we find it?"

Once again, they were reminded of just how unsuitable this group of examinees were.

The moniker of "five poisons" really was accurate.

You Huo squatted next to the Hunter's dead body. He picked up a piece of the broken wine glass and started to examine it.

To him, the question has already given them plenty of clues.

When he was in the kitchen earlier and was messing with the hunter, he noticed that the other party paid special attention to these wine glasses and, when Hunter A dropped one of them, the question changed into "There are now 12 sets of tableware."

"..."

"Oh yeah!"

"We all saw the question change... and never really put two and two together..."

"That's because we already know its the wine glasses..."

This would mean that, to the question, the only thing that counted as part of the tableware were the wine glasses.

Therefore, the so-called secret must be hidden in the glasses.

Yu Wen stared at the answer wall in thought for a moment. He then slapped his thigh and jumped up: "Oh—brother, I finally get it! The others are all useless and only those glasses are part of the tableware!"

"Your little brother really isn't that bad." Qin Jiu admitted. It was high praise, coming from a fellow demon king, "Above average. He just needs a little push in the right direction."

You Huo internally sighed. He was just glad that Yu Wen was happy and could live his life normally... even if his studies was fucking abysmal. He shouldn't have to deal with this System bullshit.

Everyone stood around dumbly with plates, forks and spoons in their hands.

Yu Wen waved his hand and mobilized the group: "Don't look at those, look at the glasses!"

He rushed over and quickly stepped onto his brakes when he got near the hunter's body. He sat onto the floor and asked to be praised: "Aren't I pretty smart?"

You Huo perfunctorily snorted.

It was clear that You Huo had the brains and instincts, but Yu Wen had the charisma to rally the others. His innocence and excitable personality pushed people to try their best, not wanting to disappoint him.

They couldn't help but note that You Huo and Yu Wen actually made a pretty good team. This rag tag team was actually making pretty good progress... they couldn't imagine how powerful they could actually be with proper, experienced teammates.

However, the excitement didn't last long.

After a while, the group was once again in despair.

They had examined every one of them and even tried to warm it up with their breaths, heat them up and shake them. After turning it around and around a few times, nothing was found.

"Urg... stupid glasses..."

"We can't see anything either..."

"We don't have a clear view..."

Even if they knew the glasses were important... tryin to figure out why they were important was still the biggest issue...

On the sofa.

922 squeezed his fingers and said: "I'm busting and I'm also a little hungry. Was it always this hard doing full time on-site invigilating?"

"..."

"How the fuck are you actually hungry?" 154 deadpanned.

Wen Yuan replied, "I dropped my beef just now."

"Bucket."

...

Yeah, Wen Yuan didn't know what his future self was thinking either.

154 said: "Hold it in. It's still too soon. There's still 36 hours."

922 was in despair.

Wen Yuan was seriously thinking that there might actually be something wrong with his head. It was just food, why was he getting so hung up over it?

Not to mention, wasn't he being insensitive, talking about being hungry while the other examinees were trying to fight for their lives? What kind of heartless asshole was he?

While some of the examinees wanted to roll their eyes at 922 being upset over food... they couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It was a real possibility that the System had done more damage to him when removing his memories.

Or maybe, in one of his exams, he might have encountered a food shortage issue and ended up having some odd fixation on always having something to eat.

Either way, with his memory wiped, he wouldn't be able to explain himself even if he tried.

Qin Jiu supported his head and his eyes swept past the dining table in the room before landing in a certain corner of the room.

There, You Huo had his back towards him while he looked through the fragments of the wine glass. The curved back of his formed a very nice arc.

"..."

Some people choked. Future Qin Jiu was staring at You Huo's back!? And saying it formed a very nice arc!?

Just how shameless was this guy!?

Sure, Qin Jiu had constantly been flirting with Invigilator A ever since they got here, but that was just because he was trying to annoy the Head Invigilator. But 001 had no memories of You Huo... and in the attic, they literally agreed that they would probably murder each other if they had met before... so just why was 001 staring at his back!?

"GIN..." Gao Qi could feel his temper rising, but You Huo silenced him. It was clear that 001 was being thrown off by the odd familiarity between them, despite having no prior memories. There was no point in Gao Qi blowing a gasket every single fucking time Qin Jiu did something inappropriate...

... because there was no way Gao Qi's blood pressure was going to survive the four more exams they were going to face.

"Am I wrong?" Qin Jiu quirked his eyebrow upwards, a smug smile on his face.

Fuck that, You Huo wanted to kick his stupid not-really-ex-boyfriend. At this rate, Gao Qi would probably burn himself out before they even finished the first exam.

He glared at Qin Jiu with a look that said "Shut your trap now". Luckily, Qin Jiu wasn't in a rebellious mood, and just batted his eyelashes at him, "Yes sir!"

He watched him for a long time and suddenly said: "Have you guys seen him before?"

"So... does GIN actually recognize him?"

They noticed that 001 seemed rather fixated on You Huo, if they ignored all the odd comments about him staring at his back. Or his long legs.

"So far, before this "viewing experience", they've been pretty antagonistic towards each other." An invigilator admitted, "Now that they're enemies once again... there's probably that feeling of familiarity. Without his memories, GIN is probably a little confused, considering that in his and A's opinion, neither of them have met before."

154 was confused: "Why?"

922 was even more so: "Ah?"

Their reaction alone was enough.

It wasn't too surprising. They had a feeling that the System had purposely shuffled all their codes around just to hide the fact that You Huo had been booted out. It would be awkward as fuck for everyone to have letter codes and the very first letter "A" was just... fucking missing.

But for the System's own personal records, it couldn't just reassign the code "A" to another invigilator... not to mention the rebellion from the original invigilators who loved You Huo.

It was no wonder that 154 and 922 didn't know who You Huo was, even if he was the previous head invigilator.

Qin Jiu fell silent for a moment. He then said lazily: "It's nothing. If you're really hungry, you can go make something in the kitchen."

"The kitchen!? That was used to chop up... that..."

The sentence didn't have to be finished. But they didn't really blame Qin Jiu for that disgusting train of thought. It was nothing compared to losing almost an entire life's worth of memories.

154 and 922 looked over at the kitchen. They then said with a stiff expression: "Not hungry at all."

Wen Yuan wanted to heave a sigh of relief... but with his future's current track record... he had a feeling he was still going to fuck it up somehow.

After a few more seconds, 922 rubbed his hands and stood up: "Uh… I'll go take a look in the kitchen."

"Seriously?" 154 grunted, "With that kitchen?"

There really was something wrong with his future colleague. Some of the closer examinees were actually horrified that 922 was even thinking somewhere along those lines, and looked like they actually wanted to throw up.

They shuffled slightly further away from him. Even 154 and Shu Xue looked a little squeamish, but they also felt quite sorry for him, and stuck by him.

154 was impressed: "…You can even make something in a kitchen like that?"

922: "I'm just taking a look."

This couldn't even be blamed on Qin Jiu anymore. This was all on 922.

Their future selves might be sabotaging their current selves with all their weird thoughts and actions... but at least Qin Jiu wasn't actually thinking about cooking in a cannibal's kitchen.

"Maybe I should actually check myself for brain damage..." Wen Yuan muttered. This was too far, even for his future idiotic self. This was crossing the line of basic human ethics-

"You're probably just curious." 154 patted him on the back, "I'm sure you won't actually cook anything there."

Wen Yuan couldn't help but be touched. He could only hope his future self could live up to 154's expectations.

After he left, 154 once again looked back at the examinees. He suddenly understood the meaning behind Qin Jiu's words. He looked at You Huo and then hesitantly looked at Qin Jiu.

The invigilators couldn't help but eye 154 a little suspiciously.

They had a odd feeling the kid knew more than he let on.

After staring at him in silence fo r about a minute, his boss finally spoke up: "Have I died? Why are you looking at me like I'm a spirit?"

154: "…"

Qin Jiu glanced at him: "Spit it out if you have something to say."

154 pondered for a moment and said: "I just wanted to say… If we have met before, that rule violating man gentleman should recognize us."

The invigilators narrowed their eyes.

The statement sounded normal. Qin Jiu had asked if either 154 or Wen Yuan had seen You Huo before, not the other way around. Since You Huo didn't seem to recognize Qin Jiu, Wen Yuan or 154, then logically, they shouldn't have met before.

While it might sound like a reply to Qin Jiu's question, 154 was actually evading it while pretending to answer Qin Jiu's question.

They were all in the military. While they might not directly remember everything, they were still aware of interrogation tactics, as well as ways to avoid interrogation. The way they saw it... 154 actually recognized You Huo. If he knew You Huo, then he should also know that Qin Jiu and You Huo had some kind of history together, but didn't want to lie directly to his boss.

Therefore, he twisted his answer in such a way that put You Huo as the subject instead of himself.

Even his initial reaction to the question was weird. 922 had made a confused noise. Meanwhile, 154's first reaction wasn't just confusion to Qin Jiu's odd question... but an immediate question back: "Why?"

They had to admit... this 154 was a pretty good actor. But that just made them all the more suspicious of their current 154. How much of his actions was the genuine 154, and how much was just an act, was just 154 trying to hide his true thoughts?

But they've been observing 154 for quite a bit... he didn't seem to be maliciously hiding things. Everyone had their secrets... maybe 154's secrets were too important for him to reveal.

Important as in, if he revealed it... he felt like he might die?

It seemed a bit overdramatic, but considering just how much the System was watching them... they couldn't fault 154 for being a little wary.

Qin Jiu's eyes once again returned to You Huo.

After a moment he hummed in agreement.

154 was right. If they have met before, he wouldn't have this kind of reaction.

The invigilators all sighed.

Qin Jiu trusted 154. After all, they had worked together for three years. Most of Qin Jiu's memories would consist of his time with 154 and 922.

Even with Qin Jiu's sharp senses and instincts, when it came to his own missing memories, it would no doubt he would defer to others who seemed to know more about his own past than himself.

It's not like there would be another person who has lost a part of their memory like he had. It couldn't be that coincidental.

"Nope."

"Totally not coincidental."

"The System is just out to get you guys."

More curses against the System rang out.

922 rummaged through the kitchen and finally decided to change locations.

Wen Yuan couldn't help but grin.

His future self wasn't that hopeless after all! 154's trust in him wasn't in vain! He could still be saved!

He beamed brightly at 154, who just let out a barely perceivable smile.

He returned back to the sofa and knelt onto the ground to open his suitcase. From inside, he took out a grill and a box of already cut up beef.

"If you have that just sitting in your suitcase, why'd you even check the kitchen in the first place!?" Someone yelled at Wen Yuan, as 154 visibly facepalmed, mentally asking the same question.

Wen Yuan squeaked, "I don't know!?"

Qin Jiu burst out into laughter. His subordinate had literally packed a grill!? A whole ass grill!?

Not even clothes or anything, just food!

Wen Yuan really was a new kind of invigilator!

You Huo shook his head.

He wondered if his stupid flirty not-really-ex-boyfriend had System-induced brain damage as well.

154 and 922 were the oddest invigilators he's seen in a long time, not counting Qin Jiu himself... and Gao Qi, who was super overprotective over him for some reason... and Chu Yue, who was just being Chu Yue. Of course, it was entirely possible that Qin Jiu, who had been friends with Wen Yuan in their examinee days, felt the phantom feeling of familiarity and picked him.

But Qin Jiu sure had a way of picking his subordinates. First with this literal walking set of contradictions 154, and now with this blabbermouth, clumsy, food loving 922.

Then, he also decided that antagonizing him for almost the entire exam was a good idea?

What next? Was he going to burn down a whole ass examination center or something?

Certainly won't be the first time he's done something ridiculous like that.

The moment he opened the lid, he heard Yu Wen cry out nearby: "Brother, don't be so reckless!"

"..."

"What now!?"

The three invigilators looked over and just happened to see You Huo pick up the bottom of the shattered wine glass from in the Hunter's hands and smash it against the edge of the table.

"..."

"Uh..."

"..."

"Did he... forget that he shouldn't..."

"... break the tableware?" Someone else finished.

"The hunter is lying right there..."

"..."

No one knew what to say anymore. Even the invigilators, who could also tell that the broken glass had been already taken out of the equation...

But still!? Who had the guts to actually break a glass right after seeing the consequence of breaking said glass!? Even if it didn't count anymore!? Who could be so sure that there would be no consequences..

Their eyes drifted to their leader, who was just sitting there impassively, while his companion Qin Jiu was still laughing. Not just at Wen Yuan and his food packs, but at everyone else's dumbfounded expressions.

Only those two.

They were the only ones who could do something like this and not bat an eyelid.

Only they could break rules as leisurely as if they were eating breakfast.

There was a crack.

The bottom of the glass was once again broken…

"..."

"He's... not going to die... right?"

Seeing as the invigilators themselves didn't seem too worried, 154 quickly re-read the situation, and came to the same conclusion that You Huo should still be safe.

He was relieved that You Huo was quickly figuring out how to solve the problem... but the small part of him that reminded him that he was formerly a part of the System wanted to scream in annoyance at just how he was exploiting loopholes and taking advantage of the situation.

922's hands shook. The beef spilt onto his pants.

You Huo bristled at that. His future self could probably solve the question from there, so You Huo wasn't too concerned anymore, but he was clearly hungry, so how dare 922 drop food like that!?

He supposed he shouldn't be too harsh on Wen Yuan for that. Anyone would be surprised to just see him break a glass like that. Maybe he should have waited for him to settle down before breaking the glass?

It was just a shame that good quality beef was just wasted like that.

He wondered how good a cook 922 was. This was the second time 922 had mentioned cooking meat; the first time was before the hunter died.

And it seemed like it was such a common occurrence that even 154 was infected by his "Let's just cook beef" syndrome; he recalled 154 talking about cooking, before getting disgusted by the bloody bucket.

And 922 had literally only packed the grill and some beef. Surely he had to be a pretty decent cook, right? Maybe he should ask Wen Yuan to cook some beef later for dinner, when they were taking a break.

Holding the remaining half-boxful of meat, he asked 154: "Can we accept him as a colleague after violating the rules four times? I don't want to be his invigilator anymore."

154: "..."

Which idiot would want to?

All of the original invigilators would love to be You Huo's invigilator. They were all friends, and having their friend back, who had gone missing for so long... they'd love to keep him safe, to fill him in on any information he needed...

There was just one problem.

With his memory of the System gone... he had no reason to trust them, or let them help him. You Huo was going to be an enemy, and no one wanted You Huo as an enemy. They had to be outrightly masochistic to want to be amnesiac You Huo's invigilator. What he had done to 154 was nothing; he might be even more hostile to clingy, excited invigilators who claimed to be his friends.

They loved You Huo, but damn it, they didn't want to die yet. They couldn't help anyone if they were dead!

The invigilators couldn't help but feel the phantom pain in their hearts from having to suffer as invigilators of problematic examinees. Poor 154 and Wen Yuan really had their work cut out for them.

No one had wanted to be Qin Jiu's invigilator... or more like, no one could handle being Qin Jiu's invigilator. The only one who could rein the demon king in was You Huo... and it looked like the roles would be reversed here.

Qin Jiu might be stuck invigilating this troublesome examinee You Huo for the rest of his exams.

But they had a feeling that 001 wouldn't actually mind too much. Qin Jiu had been lost and distant, like a part of him had shattered permanently, but he had liven up after meeting You Huo. Considering their familiarity and history, even if it was mainly an antagonistic one... maybe it wouldn't be too bad for them to be stuck together.

Qin Jiu's advice had already saved You Huo once after he got out of the confinement room; at the very least, their familiarity might help with awakening some memories that had been taken by the System.

...

So did that make Qin Jiu an idiot for not minding too much about being You Huo's invigilator?

Chapter Text

The examinees were shocked.

"Don't worry, we're shocked too." Someone muttered.

Old Yu was so anxious, he jumped up: "You! Why did you?! Didn't they say that we can't break them?! But you…!"

You Hou held the bottom of the glass and examined it. Without looking up, he answered: "I know what I'm doing."

"Yep."

"He definitely knows what he's doing."

The examinees were still a little confused, but seeing as the invigilators didn't seem to worried, thye just decide to go along with it for now. With how this was progressing, they'll get an answer soon anyways.

922: "..."

Can you touch your conscience and say that again?

Don't you feel embarrassed saying that after violating the rules so many times?

Everyone laughed. They had largely gotten over the fact that Invigilator A, the supposed spokesperson for the System, the stickler for rules... was also the unruliest, worst rule-breaking examinee they had ever seen.

Instead of being scared, they were just reveling in You Huo's beautiful carnage.

The cabin fell silent for a few seconds.

Almost everyone thought You Huo had once again violated the rules. They stared at the answer wall apprehensively and waited for the fourth notice of violation.

No one knew what kind of punishment would be imposed on someone with four consecutive violations. Recalling the bald man going mad from just one round of punishment, they didn't dare think about it.

They couldn't help but shudder. That was... just bad.

You Huo was an exception; that first violation punishment would be hell for anyone.

For a moment, the notification area on the answer wall appeared to glow red but in a blink of an eye it returned to its usual appearance.

It flickered red and white and then white and red. Like this, it went back an forth several times but in the end no words appeared.

"..."

"Is the System... actually trying to find a way to punish him!?" An invigilator asked in amazement.

Amazed that the System was even trying to do something like this. By discarding the broken glass from the question, the System couldn't criticize You Huo. And yet, this very action made the System so mad it was actually trying to go out of its way to find a way to punish him.

Incredible.

"So petty." Zhao Jiatong huffed. The System was literally acting like a child; it sets its own rules, and then gets mad and throws a temper tantrum whenever someone toes the line or exploits a loophole.

But in the end, even the System couldn't win against a great master like You Huo or Qin Jiu.

154 was dumbfounded.

922 stood next too him adding fuel to the fire: "It feels like the system is about to explode…"

"Good!"

"It's deserved!"

The examinees all expressed their disdain for the System. It was obvious that there was nothing the System could use against You Huo, but it was still trying its hardest to find a way to punish him?

Qin Jiu lit up, "Hey, Big Invigilator, let's go find some rocket launchers!"

"... Why?" You Huo asked uncertainly. What was going through his brain right now...

"Can't make the System explode now. Let's go find something else and blow it up."

"No."

Last thing You Huo wanted was for his partner to accidentally blow up this entire place.

"You can find rocket launchers and blow something up on your own when we get back to the System." You Huo added as an afterthought.

That got the invigilators to pause... and they lit up. Invigilator A was okay with them blowing up the System when they got back?

Was it possible... that A was on their side? Even if it was as a passive observer... that was still huge!

In the end, the one who broke the silence was You Huo himself.

He handed over the shattered end of the wine glass to Yu Wen and said: "Check and see if there's anything in it. My eyes feel uncomfortable."

Qin Jiu deflated slightly. Big Invigilator's eyes...

Was there something wrong with his eyes? He knew that You Huo had dismissed it as this "illness" that was most likely something that happened for the System to kick him out... but he also knew that You Huo had a habit of not looking people in the eye unless he wanted them to shut up, always lowering his gaze and staring downwards...

Maybe there really was something wrong with his eyes right now?

You Huo's eyes flickered over to him for a brief second, then to Chu Yue, then back to Qin Jiu, and he got the message. This was probably something he had to discuss with Chu Yue first... which meant that it might be related to their plan? Something that important?

Okay then, he'll just wait. It's not like he wanted to yell to the whole room "We want to destroy the System" and get them all involved in their dangerous plan.

Yu Wen who was on his knees panicked: "Brother, it's against the rules to damage the tableware…"

You Huo moved away from the light and closed his eyes for a while.

Qin Jiu couldn't help but think he should urge You Huo to call for a break. Constantly lowering his eyes... was it really just because of the light? It had to be more serious than that, but it didn't matter. Whatever eye condition his Big Invigilator had, he didn't want it to get worse.

A small break, to let the examinees grab some food, maybe use the bathrooms, or change into some cleaner clothes... and to let You Huo get some shut-eye. That didn't sound like too bad a plan.

He should have everyone's support on this. The moderates were similarly worried about their boss' eyes, and he was the leader of the hardliners. Even if the invigilators weren't split into factions (they had pretty much made up... somewhat...), they were all human, and it was understandable to call a break for everyone.

He then said in a calm voice: "With what eyes of yours did you see me damage the tableware?"

"... Both eyes?"

The examinees had no idea what You Huo was thinking.

Yu Wen held onto the broken glass and internally commented: Am I blind?

"..."

"Uh..."

"But he... shattered the glass?"

The invigilators didn't bother correcting them, since You Huo was probably going to explain it to Yu Wen anyways (or at least, nudge him in that direction).

You Huo: "The question said that there are a total of 12 sets of tableware. Can you count?"

Yu Wen: "..."

"OH!"

You Huo: "Should I teach you?"

Yu Wen: "..."

Everyone fell silent for a while. They then came to a realization.

"The twelve glasses are on the table! The one on the floor doesn't count!"

"So they can break it as much as they want!"

That's right! The question clearly wrote that there are only 12 guests and 12 sets of tableware in the Hunter's cabin. The 12 sets of tableware are all on the dining table and numbered so it naturally didn't include the broken one.

Regardless of whether the examination system did it unintentionally, it had already disregarded the broken wine glass as part of the tableware. What's wrong with breaking it again?

"Absolutely nothing!"

The examinees were all cackling.

"Go on! Grind it to pieces!"

"Melt it over the fire!"

Yeah, a break would probably be a good idea. The examinees were getting a little too rowdy and excitable.

"Brother, let me call you daddy!"

Some people choked from that sudden declaration while others just burst out into laughter.

One of the people in the latter group was Chu Yue, who was that close to falling off the couch and rolling on the floor.

"He... he..." Chu Yue could barely get a coherent word out, "Your poor uncle! Hahaha!"

You Huo wasn't too amused. Sometimes he thinks he understands his cousin... and then something like this happens and it just messes up all his thoughts.

Yu Wen instantly came back to life. He raised the bottom half of the wine glass and held it against the light.

Just as Old Yu wanted to knock them in their heads, he heard Yu Wen cry out in surprise: "No way! There really is something!"

"There is?"

"In the stem?"

"..."

"How!? There's like... nowhere to put anything..."

"It's too thin..."

"Shush, we can't see..."

"Watch, watch!"

At the base of the wine glass was a slightly concave circle. Above it was the stem for people to hold onto. The stem had been broken off by You Huo and it was no longer even.

Yu Wen changed the angle of the glass as he held it under the light from the oil lamp and fire. In a spider-like posture, he soon cried out: "It's this angle! If you look at it from here, you can see something!"

They squinted.

Something was hidden at the point where the glass stem and the base meets?

But the area is... so fucking small...

What kind of secret could possibly be hidden there!?

All the examinees hurried over. They squeezed their heads over but couldn't find the right distance and angle.

"Oh! That's why they need refraction!" An examinee concluded, "If they pour the wine into the intact glasses, it should make it easier to see what's there!"

"What is it? Where is it?"

They watched as Yu Wen twisted himself around, trying to figure out just what was there. Hopefully, he would figure out that refraction was needed (he did write down refraction index, after all), or You Huo would quickly step in and stop this mindless nonsense.

The tattooed man struggled for a moment before finally giving up: "What did you see? Just spit it out!"

Yu Wen: "If I could see it clearly, do you think I need to twist it around like this?"

There were some cackles of laughter.

Just like his brother, Yu Wen also had rather quick comebacks. That really did seem to run in the family

Just as he was about to start arguing with the tattooed man, someone patted his shoulder.

"Let me look."

The one who spoke was You Huo.

He closed his eyes to rest it up for a moment and, when his eyes felt a little better, he took the base of the wine glass from Yu Wen.

Qin Jiu, as well as everyone else, celebrated internally.

At least, whatever was wrong with You Huo's eyes wasn't too serious. As long as he constantly took some breaks to close his eyes... he'd be fine.

"Big Invigilator." Qin Jiu spoke up, "After this, break."

He poked his finger at You Huo's chest, "Everyone can grab some food and clean up. Meanwhile, you will lie down on this couch and rest your eyes."

As shocked as everyone was, no one dared to interrupt. The examinees still held some fear for this terrifying, legendary demon king, and the invigilators themselves had no reason to refuse.

They were still surprised that Qin Jiu, out of all people, was the one to suggest this break. And a whole half of his reasoning was to help You Huo with his eyes? It was still a bit surprising to see them acting so amicably, but for Qin Jiu to be so concerned over it.

Even Gao Qi was too surprised by his concern to complain about Qin Jiu touching You Huo.

You Huo thought it over for a few seconds, "When this exam is over, we can call for a break."

Qin Jiu seemed to think this was a bit reasonable. He didn't remember doing this exam before, but he had a feeling that there wasn't much left of the exam anyways, and it should be over in one or two more sections. At least end it with a proper conclusion; it would be far more satisfying rather than letting the suspense ruin the break.

"Here, like this. You look from here." Yu Wen helpfully adjusted the angle and pointed at the place where the glass stem and the base met. "Isn't there something there? I think it's some kind of picture, but I couldn't see it clearly. I can't tell if it's a picture or a word."

You Huo let out an "oh" and once again knocked it.

"I think the invigilators gave up invigilating." Someone laughed.

"If the System has nothing to say about it, we can't do anything about it either." 154 grumbled. Part of him was slightly annoyed that the glass was being broken yet again, but the other side of him quickly took over.

Fuck the System. Having a glass broken twice was nothing compared to all the crap that it's been doing, pulling in all sorts of examinees that were clearly unsuitable for such an exam.

With a crack, the thin stem broke off cleanly from the base. It looked as if it was made so that it could easily be broken that way.

"There's something!" Yu Wen caught something that fell off from that connecting point and held it like he was holding his great ancestors.

Even more laughter.

"Holding his great ancestors!? Hahaha..."

"More like holding the key to their survival..."

Other people were too busy laughing at Yu Wen, who looked like he was giving an offering to some god.

This narration was actually fucking funny. The contrast between You Huo and Yu Wen, the bantering between 154 and 922, the fucking sass that oozed out from every single person... it had largely taken away the horror of the exams.

They knew they shouldn't get complacent, that it was only this funny because You Huo was a great master and could effectively trigger the System without any serious consequences... but still! For once, they finally felt like they didn't have to fear the System...

Not living in fear of dying, being able to enjoy themselves fully, not having to worry about other desperate examinees stabbing them in the back... It was actually a very nice feeling.

Everyone looked on intently. There really was a thin, round piece of paper. It wasn't much bigger than a pea. Before You Huo smashed the glass, it was probably hidden under the thin stem.

The back of it was blank. It looked like a tiny mirror.

The front of it had a few tiny letters:

Simon the Zealot

"Simon the Zealot..."

"The Last Supper!" Someone exclaimed.

Some people started chattering about it... while others just stared at them blankly, "What?"

"You know? The one where the Jesus gathered the Twelve Apostles, and then Judas betrayed him."

"..."

"Are we supposed to know this if we don't read the fucking Bible?"

"..."

The invigilators blinked. It had just occurred to them that maybe, just maybe, some people weren't religious and had no fucking idea what the Last Supper was about.

It was a bit unfair for this Physics exam to require religious knowledge, even if there was some basics that should be common knowledge... Plus, with the System's tendency to slowly erase knowledge of the outside world... what if it just... up and poofed someone's religious background? Wouldn't they be screwed then?

The foreigner Mike read it out quietly.

The two old ladies wrinkled their faces with confusion: "What?"

Mike: "..."

Old ladies: "..."

It really killed him being unable to explain it in Chinese.

They shook their heads. Poor poor Mike.

An exam was one thing. A whole ass language barrier?

The dude didn't deserve this.

After a moment of stunned silence, someone whispered: "The Last Supper."

"Who are you cursing?!" The tattooed man glared at him angrily.

Some people's faces quirked up into smiles, before laughing.

Cursing them for having their last supper in this cannibal hunter's house?

Without context... it was actually pretty fucking funny.

The laughter nearly spiraled out of control until someone spotted the unamused expression on You Huo's face and quickly urged everyone to quiet down.

Still, some snickers could be heard in the background.

The one who spoke was the sickly thin man. He had always looked like he was tired and depressed. He wasn't idle the whole time, but his presence was very low, so he was often overlooked.

This was the first time everyone had their attention on him. Everyone waited for him to speak.

They soon remembered that this man was called Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin looked feebly at the tattooed man and said: "I was referring to Da Vinci's famous artwork "The Last Supper"."

"Awesome! At least someone in the group knows!"

Everyone's spirits were high. This was going to be over soon! It was going to end on a positive note!

The tattooed man wanted to say something in response.

Zhou Jin was afraid that he would ask a stupid question like "Who's Da Vinci?"

The snickers grew slightly louder.

They had a feeling that the tattooed man really would go, "Who the fuck is Da Vinci? And who would want to draw something about supper!? That's boring as shit!" or something along the lines of that.

"You know who Da Vinci is, right?" 154 teased, and Wen Yuan pouted, "Of course I know!"

so he quickly looked away and turned to You Huo: "Simon the Zealot is one of the 12 apostles."

"Do you know all the 12 apostles?" Yu Wen let out a cry of surprise.

Zhou Jin coughed for a while and said in a quiet voice: "I study art, so I happened to know a little about it."

It was both supper, and there were 12 apostles. These key words matched perfectly with their current predicament.

Even more cheers.

Although the several old people present didn't know much about "The Last Supper",

There were some scowls. They probably forgot from old age and their dementia...

Bringing elderly into this really wasn't fair.

the twin elementary school girls called out a name: "Judas!"

Some squealed at just how cute the girls were, being happy and excited to finally make some sort of contribution to the group discussion... but they couldn't help but become even more depressed at the knowledge that there were FUCKING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS being forced to fight for their lives.

They hadn't even begun to live, and there was the risk of dying from this stupid, stupid homicidal System. This horrible System that stole their past, their present, their futures... and especially for these twins, who had their whole lives ahead of them...

"Yes, Judas!" Yu Wen and Yu Yao are not siblings, but they cooperated better than most brothers and sisters.

It was a very cute sight.

Shu Xue let out a small smile. Yu Wen really was a wonderful boy. Accepting his brother, accepting her, doing his best to try and answer the questions...

She was glad that she would have the opportunity to meet such kind people in the future. It lightened the burden of bearing her curse of taking exams for eternity.

You Huo was a little miffed that his cousin was seemingly getting along better with a stranger than with him... but that was on himself, really. He made himself unapproachable on purpose, because of that thing in his eye. If there was anyone he should be blaming, it was himself, not Yu Wen or Shu Xue.

"Hey." You Huo was distracted when Qin Jiu leaned forwards, whispering quietly, his breath tickling his ear, "You and Yu Wen make a pretty good team too."

You Huo felt slightly better.

Gao Qi caught onto that, but decided to let it go just this once. He owed Qin Jiu for suggesting calling for a break anyways.

In "The Last Supper", Judas was an infamous traitor amongst the 12 apostles. There was a feeling that they were getting close to the answer.

Everyone was excited.

"It's not Judas, though? Sure, he's the backstabber, but the one who died was Jesus." Someone pointed out.

Getting this far without a single death was already a massive achievement. They could only hope that someone would figure that out by the time they figured out which was the "Judas" wine glass.

However, when one of them picked up the knife, the others cried out: "No, not the name!"

They heaved a sigh of relief. One step at a time.

They had six hours to figure it out. There's no need to rush. There was no point in trying to be quick and dooming everyone in the process.

On the long wooden table, each set of tableware had their corresponding number. They shouldn't be writing the name "Judas" on the wall, they should be writing the number corresponding with the glass that contained Judas's name.

The most impatient tattooed man rushed back over to the table. He picked up a glass and started to examine it.

He saw with his own eyes a piece of paper falling out from between the stem and the base but when he held the glass, he couldn't find the paper no matter where he looked.

"It really is too small..." Someone muttered, "And the fact it's stuck behind the stem distorts it even more."

"They're going to have to find the wine, somehow."

"Where is the wine anyways!? Do they have to search the kitchen..."

Everyone blanched at the thought.

T he tattooed man's eyes were almost in contact with the base of the glass: "Why can't I see anything?"

In fact, it wasn't just him. Everyone had examined the glasses earlier and, if they were able to find it so easily, would they have only found out about it now?

Everyone knew that there was a name hidden in it, but they couldn't see it.

"Urg... that's got to be frustrating..."

"Knowing the answer is right there, but just out of reach..."

"Come on! You can do it!"

And these glasses were different to the one on the ground. They cannot be smashed or damaged so they cannot open it from the base the way You Huo did.

"At least they have common sense..." Someone let out a small laugh at the reminder of the dead hunter that was used as You Huo's scapegoat.

Yu Wen suddenly smacked his head: "I know!"

"What?"

"Refraction!" Yu Wen exclaimed, "Sister Yu Yao and I wrote about refraction here! The names are in the glasses and the reason why we can't see it is because... uh... the refraction isn't right! I forgot how to explain it. Anyway, I seem to recall doing a question like this."

Everyone: "…"

"Can't blame him. We've done way too many questions in our lives." A former university student drawled dramatically.

Another one leaned back and pretended to swoon, "They all blend together... a tumult of numbers and words and equations..."

The older examinees shook their heads. Overdramatic little shits. School was nothing compared to the real world.

This unlucky child's explanation made them feel despair.

Seeing that he was having so much difficulty just explaining it, it was hard for them to believe that he would know how to solve the problem.

"Even if he knew, they still have to find the wine..." Someone murmured.

That was another problem in itself. They didn't know where the hunter kept the wine, and the hunter was dead.

Even so, everyone still held onto their last strand of hope: "What should we do to see it?"

Yu Wen was ashamed: "I… I didn't study physics in second and third year of high school so it's been at least two or three years since I did this question. I… forgot."

"…"

"... Yeah, two years without doing Physics." Someone sighed, "Can't blame him for being rusty."

It was all the more impressive that Yu Wen could scribble down maybe ten minutes worth of Physics formulas and diagrams.

I damn fucking knew it!

You Huo expressionlessly watched Dumb Yu.

You Huo lowered his eyes. He really shouldn't blame Yu Wen for that.

Meanwhile, some people had started laughing again at Invigilator's A internal cursing.

But You Huo was back in the picture. He could definitely solve this problem.

He had originally wanted to tolerate his nonsense for a while, but he saw the invigilators through the corners of his eyes.

922 had dragged out a charcoal bin and had a grill set up. The remaining half a box of precious beef was carefully arranged on the grill.

They knew You Huo wasn't focused that much on 922, and more on the food and 001... but was 922 actually humming something while cooking!?

"..."

"Seriously!? In front of them!?"

"Insensitive much!?"

"Go cook outside! You're just making more smoke!"

"It's torture! You're cooking beef and they're stuck solving puzzles to save their lives!"

"..."

"The beef actually looks good, though."

"Shut up, you're just making us hungry!"

"We're supposed to be scolding him for being insensitive!"

"Would he share?"

"..."

"If he shares... then it wouldn't be so bad..."

"Can the grandpa and grandmas even eat beef?"

"Don't complain about food."

154 snorted. Wen Yuan was clearly terrified of You Huo, especially after You Huo asked for his head. If You Huo asked for food, there was little doubt that Wen Yuan would gladly hand over a cut of beef in exchange for not chopping his head off.

"You'd share, right?"

"..." Wen Yuan hoped that his future self would do that. He really wasn't sure what was going through his future self's head... or if there was anything there in the first place.

"If it isn't against the rules?" He asked.

That got the examinees to pause, and they turned to the invigilators. Did that count as helping the examinees?

The invigilators were all dumbfounded. The exam wasn't exactly food based, not like those other exams where the general theme was "XX amount of people were stranded on YY island for ZZ days, please ensure they survive starvation, illnesses, temperature, monsters etc".

It shouldn't be against the rules for 922 to share food with the examinees... the real issue was that the exam was designed for military personnel. Being able to work while hungry... it was highly likely that the System would use that as a reason to stop it from happening.

"After what A's done so far... I find it highly likely that the System would not let you accept food from 922." Zhao Jiatong stated apologetically.

She understood that maybe they were hungry, but did they have nothing but uncooked beef in their temporary quarters? No fruits, no sandwiches, or even some eggs that they could boil? Did he really have to bring a whole ass grill there!?

Zhao Jiatong's never such an invigilator. It was almost incredible.

As the examinees went back to metaphorically grilling Wen Yuan for his lack of social sense, You Huo just stared at the beef. During the break, he really should get Wen Yuan to cook some beef. His cooking looked pretty damn good.

Maybe that was why Qin Jiu picked him as a subordinate. He just wanted a personal chef.

154 with a stiff expression would occasionally glance over at him. You couldn't tell if he was hungry or if he was just exasperated by his colleague's mentally retarded state.

154 just sighed, and patted Wen Yuan on the back as the others continued to yell at him.

It was probably a mixture of both. He recalled that he was originally going to cook something before they saw the bucket that killed their appetite, and that was maybe two hours ago, if he considered the thirty minutes of You Huo being tied up and another thirty minutes the examinees inspecting the cups.

922 had probably been planning to cook before they were called for the third violation... so it was pretty likely that yes, the invigilators were pretty hungry.

Honestly, compared to everything else he's seen 922 do, like telling the room of examinees that he fucking tripped down the steps in surprise at another violation... cooking beef in a room full of hungry examinees wasn't exactly the worst thing he's done... especially if they skipped their own meal by two hours.

Who knows what other idiocy the guy was up to that wasn't being shown, like maybe losing his footing on a boat and falling into the ocean, dragging 154 along with him? 154 felt like it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

As for 001... He didn't even need to move. Just sitting there was enough provocation and ridicule to him.

The invigilators all snorted.

Qin Jiu, the king of provocation and ridicule. Sounded just about right.

Said man puffed out his chest, "I'm flattered!"

"How in the fuck is that flattering!" Someone yelled, "It literally means that you piss him the fuck off!"

Qin Jiu raised his eyebrows cheerfully, "Do you know what the other definition of provocation is?"

Someone pulled out their phone with a downloaded dictionary and started reading aloud, "First definition: action or speech that makes someone angry, especially deliberately. Second definition: the action of arousing... uh... desire... or interest... especially deliberately..."

Gao Qi threw his shoe at Qin Jiu.

Qin "Shameless" Jiu still had the gall to look smug like the fucking bastard he was as he caught the shoe, and gave it to You Huo, "It's not a flower bouquet, but this would have to do, my dear."

You Huo wanted to take the shoe and whack Qin Jiu with it.

"My dear!?" Gao Qi's other shoe was also caught by Qin Jiu.

"This is getting ridiculous..." Zhao Jiatong muttered at the sight of flying footwear as You Huo forced Qin Jiu to give Gao Qi back his shoes.

You Huo looked away. He pulled off the set of keys from the Hunter's waist and walked over to the kitchen.

"..."

"Should I be concerned that he just looted from a dead body?"

"It's Invigilator A. Who's complaining."

"The dead body?"

"Fuck you and your dead body."

The thin paper was hidden between the stem and base of the glass and it was refracted through the glass. What should you do if you can't see it clearly at a normal angle?

You naturally would need to refract it again.

"Yeah! Go Invigilator A!" The examinees all cheered.

You Huo rummaged through the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen but wasn't able to find any water that he could use. Hunter A had mentioned that there would be wine but all he brought out were empty wine glasses.

The only liquid in the kitchen was the blood on the ground.

And they were almost all dried up now.

"..."

"Better than wet blood...?"

"At least it's less messy..."

The harder it is to find, the more important it is.

This basically told You Huo that the key to the answer was here.

"Oh yeah..." Some examinees muttered. In the exam, pretty much all the clues were in the more dangerous parts of the exam center... which was why most people didn't even dare to touch them.

Like a button. Maybe they had to press a button to open a door, but what if there were monsters behind the door? Or a knife fell from the ceiling to impale the person pressing the button? Or a hidden trapdoor beneath their feet?

There was risks with anything they did in this exam.

He came out of the kitchen with keys and glanced around the cabin. His eyes finally fell to the room next door.

The door with a rooster hanging from it was the only door that had not yet been opened. Without any hesitation, he pulled out the last key and inserted it into the keyhole.

With a click, the door opened.

There were more cheers. Progress was being made!

The smell of old dust rushed out. You Huo covered his nose and used his hand to wave it away a few times.

T he room before him was small, like a storage room but there were no brooms or mops inside. There was only a single wooden stand on which a single bottle of wine sat.

"Hell yeah!"

"The wine! The wine!"

Everyone gathered over. You Huo walked out with the bottle of wine and said: "Found it."

Yu Wen then belatedly slapped his thigh: "Yes, yes yes! Add water! I remember now!"

Everyone laughed at Yu Wen's cheerfulness. His happiness was just that contagious.

The lid was pulled off and the strong, pungent smell of low-quality alcohol filled the cabin.

This was the most important part of the Hunter's meal, but he never had the chance to enjoy it.

You Huo poured the light amber colored wine into glass number 1. Everyone stretched their necks out to watch while holding their breaths.

"Ah, I see it, I see it!" The drunkard Old Yu was most excited. He was the first one to call out.

Another name appeared in the glass:

Matthew.

"Matthew!"

"It is the Last Supper!"

"Come on, where is Jesus?"

"Whether it be literally or figuratively... that's not a phrase I'd expect to ever hear in a death examination..."

Zhou Jin also got excited: "Matthew! That's right, this is "The Last Supper". Let's hurry and find Judas!"

Everyone started to move. One by one they poured the wine into the twelve glasses.

The names of the apostles surfaced one after another:

Bartholomew

John

Thomas

Philip…

When they reached the eleventh glass, the bald man sitting in the twelfth seat was trembling.

Everyone froze as realization sunk into them.

Either one of these cups was Jesus' cup. The bald man's chances of survival was 50%.

"Come on, 50/50."

"He still has a chance."

154, Wen Yuan and Shu Xue shared a sad, disturbed look, and someone noticed their exchange, "You guys okay there?"

"His death is guaranteed." 154 stated curtly, tensing up slightly, not bothering to beat around the bush as the other two looked away.

The sudden statement startled them all, and they all looked at 154. 154 had initially seemed friendly enough; bantering with Wen Yuan, comforting him and Shu Xue, taking his own jabs at the System...

Right now... he just looked cold. Expressionless, even more so than his invigilator self.

"How can you be so sure?" One of them argued.

"It could be either of the cups..."

"There's still a chance..."

154 glanced at them, his golden eyes glinting coldly. The colour reminded them of Invigilator A's eyes... but the intensity instantly made them feel on edge, like they were in the middle of doing an exam, their every move being watched by the System as they stumbled around for points.

"Do you really think the hunter doesn't know which is the cursed glass?" 154 asked, before turning and lowering his gaze to the floor, letting the others process his words.

"I mean... it makes sense... he wouldn't want to curse himself by accident, right? Defeats the purpose of having an exam..."

"Some of us have taken this exam before... in my case, we all sat down, and then the hunter gave out the glasses..."

"Who died from the cup?"

"I don't really remember... but the guy was the largest in our group. Good muscle strength. Did most of the heavy lifting for us..."

"Same here... but in our case, I think the guy mentioned once that he was suffering from a mild case of obesity that he was on a diet for."

"Wait, the hunter gave out the glasses after you sat down?"

"Yeah, that's what we were told to do..."

The invigilators let them ruminate further, also lost in their own thoughts. In You Huo's case, the cups had all been taken out before they had all taken their seats. Heck, none of them had even taken their seats... all except for one.

The bald man.

And the hunter had been particular with the glasses, not even wanting You Huo to lay his hands on them. They all thought that he was just being particular with them... but You Huo dropping and breaking the glass would be beneficial to the hunter; he'd have more food.

It wasn't that he was scared You Huo would drop the glass. He was scared You Huo would mess up the order of glass on the table, causing him to lose track of the cursed glass.

The cursed glass, that the hunter had personally given out, so he could control who sat at the "cursed" seat. In previous exams, the hunter had picked the examinee that would give him the most food.

With You Huo interfering with this exam, the NPC would have to change tactics, opting to guarantee a kill by placing the glass by the only seat to have a person.

The mere thought of that disturbed them all. But they could only come to a conclusion once they saw what names were in each cup.

Only two names had not appeared yet, and they happened to be the two most important figures in this large masterpiece, Judas and Jesus.

If Jesus's name appeared in the eleventh glass, it would mean that Judas is in the glass that he sat at so he would be the guest that would be cursed and was destined to die.

"No... wrong one..."

Some people were getting even more nervous. Was the System's NPCs now so sophisticated that it could even plan its kills?

The bald man was so scared, he was about to vomit. Even while he was in the confinement room and even when he saw the cut up bloody flesh sitting near the wine glasses, he didn't feel this scared.

Afterall, they belonged to other people and this time it was he himself who was about to die.

They couldn't blame him. They were already scared ant it wasn't even them who was going to die.

Knowing his own death was imminent and there was nothing he could do to change his fate... it was terrifying.

Suddenly, the group burst into cheers.

Zhou Jin's voice was sandwiched between: "Judas! Judas!"

On the other hand, the examinee and invigilators just looked upset.

"Fuck." Someone rubbed their head. "Twelve cups. A one out of twelve chance..."

Some of them recalled 154's statement... and came to the same realization as the invigilators.

"It wasn't chance." One of them could barely breathe, "The hunter... he knew which was the cursed cup..."

"So he..."

"... intentionally placed the cup there..."

"To guarantee at least one kill."

They were all sick and disgusted.

Who would have thought that the System's NPCs would think so far ahead!? To the point of premeditated murder!?

Just what went wrong with the System...

The bald man was stunned for a long time. He then collapsed weakly on the table.

It's number 11!

Thank god! Judas is number 11!

It's not him! He's not getting his retribution…

All of them looked away.

Hearing the other future examinees cheering at this point was just... painful.

Shu Xue in particular looked away. She couldn't bear to look. This was the man that had killed her, but she harbored no ill will towards him.

Much like this hunter's cabin, the Romani exam was a death trap. Even if she originally knew a bit of Romani, once they began to sew the dolls, their fates were sealed. Hands and feet carrying knives, carving their limbs off painfully, blow by blow...

Anyone (besides the great masters) would have a lapse in judgment in the face of imminent death; she just happened to be the unlucky victim.

The knife was stuffed into Zhou Jin's hands and he revealed his first smile ever since he entered this cabin, "I'll do it? Okay then, I'll do it…"

Zhou Jin stood before the answering wall and took a deep breath. He slowly started to engrave the number "1".

"No no no..." Some of them swallowed weakly.

The bald man was doomed to die... and they didn't want to see someone else die as well.

Just when he was about to put the knife down again to engrave the second "1", someone appeared behind him and grabbed his wrist.

"No, we were almost misled."

"Invigilator A!" Everyone let out sighs in relief.

You Huo knew the truth. He knew it was Jesus. No one else had to die in this exam...

Zhou Jin suddenly turned around and saw You Huo standing beside him. He calmly said: "Not 11. It's 12."

Thank fucking goodness for You Huo.

The Last Supper. The person who ended up getting crucified was Jesus. The person who sat in that seat was the cursed guest.

Judas was just a traitor.

The number 12 was engraved onto the answer wall. When You Huo lowered the knife, the radio which had been silent for a long time suddenly started to buzz.

【Correct answer detected.】

"Yes!" Everyone cheered, though it was all a little muted compared to their previous cheers.

But they were a little hopeful. The exam was over. They had answered the question. Maybe the curse wouldn't take effect?

【Examinees have submitted their answer ahead of time and have successfully completed this exam.】

【Please wait for the final allocation of rewards and punishments】

How does it feel completing the exam 35 hours 22 minutes and 11 seconds in advance?

Some people's (examinee and invigilator alike) eyes bulged at that.

There was a reason this was considered a death exam among the invigilators, even to the point where 922 had given it that stupid nickname of being a toothpaste question.

The exam was only 48 hours long, and most people usually used up all the time in the exam. At 6 hour intervals, there were 8 chances for answer submission. 8 chances for people to die if the correct answer was not submitted. Not only that, but there was also the psychotic hunter that did his best to guarantee at least one kill with the cursed cup.

Each exam in this test center started with twelve people (this was the exception because of Shu Xue, a bug), and usually, only five or six left the exam alive.

Not only completing the exam in a quarter of the time... but also with everyone (but one) alive!?

Invigilator A really was some kind of benevolent god, shielding and protecting everyone from danger.

They all blinked, and paused. When the twins mentioned Judas and everyone else agreed that it had to be Judas that was the answer... why didn't You Huo intervene? He clearly knew the answer, given how quickly he reacted to Zhou Jin almost answering incorrectly, so it wasn't like it was a last minute realization.

Ever since You Huo had pulled out the wine... he had taken a step back. He let the others pour the wine, he let the others call out the names...

You Huo knew that the examinees were helpless, full of despair, not even being able to do anything to help but search the room. You Huo had done everything... even if they understood that he was just in a whole different league, it had to be pretty miserable, knowing that they were unable to do anything to help.

Now that they actually had a direction to work towards, they finally felt that shimmer of hope within them. And You Huo, who saw that... didn't want to extinguish that spark, the drive that they could actually do something. He let his teammates go, let them build their own confidence in themselves, getting rid of the horrid mentality of being utterly, utterly worthless.

You Huo allowed them try and try and try until they finally thought they succeeded... and like a safety net, caught them, once again, before they could fall.

You Huo didn't just physically protecting them from death, but allowing them to recover their mental strength, their self confidence. Traits that would all be useful in future exams, where they might not be able to rely on You Huo.

The title of a benevolent god really was accurate.

Chapter Text

"You're pretty amazing yourself." An invigilator turned to 154. He may be suspicious of 154's occasional odd words and actions, but he gave credit when it was due, "When did you realize it? The glasses?"

It was obvious that You Huo, Qin Jiu and Chu Yue already had their suspicions regarding the cups, but two of them were the Head Invigilators who knew the System the best, and the other was a fellow great master and demon king, tied up in one annoying package.

It was no wonder that 154 had gotten such a high position after the invigilators' codes were reshuffled.

154 didn't seem like he was in the mood to talk. With a blank expression on his face, he lowered his gaze once more, and turned away slightly.

He was just sad. The System wasn't just letting the exams run its course... the NPCs were actually planning their kills now. What the fuck had went wrong? Had his absence really affected the System that badly?

If only he had been stronger and didn't let himself get kicked out so easily, wasn't so lenient on the examinees in the past... everything his fault.

"You okay there?" Wen Yuan was a little concerned, but 154 just nodded, still not saying a word.

Instead, Wen Yuan just answered the invigilator for him, "Ah... just now, when the future invigilators got the notice that the hunter was dead... 154 thought the hunters actions were a little... odd..."

He wasn't sure how to explain how 154 also thought the hunter might be an assimilated examinee. That might be a bit too much for the others to handle right about now, especially while they were already internally grieving for the bald man while praying that the curse wouldn't take effect, now that the exam was over.

"That early?" The invigilator was rather impressed. Maybe 154's odd actions was just from him overthinking things like this too much.

Wen Yuan shifted, pulling the silent 154 towards himself. He looked... a little sad. Maybe a bit guilty, even. He clearly didn't look too good, with having his prediction about the hunter being entirely true, and Wen Yuan knew that he was going to need a bit of time to himself.

Shu Xue peered at him, concern on her face, before giving 154 back his coat.

"Hey..." She whispered, letting Wen Yuan hang it over his slightly smaller form, before the taller man draped an arm over his shoulder, "It's going to be alright, okay?"

She got no response, and she shared a worried look with Wen Yuan.

There were a total of four questions in this exam:

(1) Unknown (5 points)

(2) Unknown (5 points)

(3) The number of people having the meal changing from 13 to 12 (6 points)

(4) Finding the cursed tableware (8 points)

"Huh... two unknown questions?"

"Probably for finding the pen and writing down "Answer". And then for the refraction index and schematic."

Under normal circumstances, the total score for this exam was 24 points. In  special circumstances , there were opportunities to earn bonus points or have points demerited.

Some people couldn't help but chuckle.

You Huo had gotten 6 bonus points for killing a hunter, and an additional 2 points for keeping everyone alive for so long.

Meanwhile, Yu Wen had 2 points taken away for illegibility.

It was fucking amazing. These "special circumstances" was actually legendary.

With the appearance of new content on the answer wall, everyone started to whisper quietly to each other.

"There are two unknown questions at the beginning?"

"Yeah, the moment we started the exam we went straight into earning points for the third question. We must've skipped over the first two questions."

"What question were they supposed to get anyways?" Someone asked, "The exam started with an incomplete sentence, then Invigilator A came back from the confinement room and triggered the prompt for the third section..."

No one knew. Those who had completed the exam weren't too sure either, their memories of the exam mostly being scared to death until the viewing experience, which gave them a calmer environment to sort their thoughts out.

"No, the first points we got was from 'Answer'."

"…"

"Look at that sequence. The two points from 'Answer' is probably part of the unknown questions."

"The points sister Yu Yao and I got probably also are counted as part of the unknown questions."

"So, the first two questions were just a starter?"

"Could it have been triggered by the Hunter?"

"Nope, probably not..." Someone muttered, "Or maybe the question only refreshes when the six hours is up, but since the hunter was already dead by the time the second question submission came up, so they were skipped because he died?"

"So it's a yes?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I don't want to know."

The accidental death of Hunter A had resulted in the two questions to be missed and the answer would now always be unknown.

The total points from those two questions added up to ten points. It accounted for a lot, but no one felt regretful.

Of course no one was regretful. Two more questions meant two more chances of getting the answer wrong and dying.

If it wasn't because of You Huo, they would have already reached the heavens in the first round so they wouldn't know what could happen in the later rounds. After 48 hours, it was likely that 5 or even all of them would be dead.

In a situation like this, who would care about having a chance to answer the question? They naturally wanted fewer and easier questions.

They were just grateful to be alive.

The examinees all nodded in agreement.

Their lives was far more important than ten points. At least, if they were alive, they still have a chance of getting those ten points back.

Plus, they did earn three points from the two unknown questions, taking into account Yu Wen's legendary -2 points, so it was still a win either way.

The answering wall was still calculating their points:

The word 'Answer': 2 points, Refraction: 3 points, Question 3: 6 points, bonus of 2 points, a deduction of 2 points for the illegibility, Question 4: 8 points.

In total, they got 19 points. It was way beyond the average score of 11.

"Holy shit!" Someone muttered, "19 out of 24. That's almost 80%..."

Anyone would be happy to get a score like that on their exams. But in a death examination!? It really was amazing.

It was still a little funny how almost a third of those points came from You Huo "stumbling" and the hunter falling to his death.

The total time used was 12 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds. Compared to the average time used, they had saved 35 hours 22 minutes and 11 seconds.

Yu Wen let out an "Ohh" and said to You Huo: "How did they calculate that the average time it takes for the exam to be done is 48 hours?"

Most people used up all the time and only came back with half the number of people... and yet, here You Huo was, doing it in only a quarter of the time, with almost the entire team intact.

Good thing too. At least they were out early, and wouldn't have to suffer from being hungry. Not only were there at least six people who really shouldn't go without having meals at a regular time, there was also 922 in the background, roasting his stupid beef.

922 might still be kind enough to share his food, but if it was against the rules... then there was nothing they could do about it. It would drive the examinees crazy, smelling food and yet not being able to eat.

"Hey..." Wen Yuan nudged 154 slightly, "A real lapse in judgement, huh? Cooking food when we weren't even halfway through invigilation..."

154 gave a slight nod, but other than that, he barely responded.

Invigilator 154 couldn't listen to him anymore: "48 hours is normal."

You should restrain yourself. Don't get too proud okay?

It was Invigilator A. Don't get too proud? This was probably going to be You Huo's worst exam, since he had been dropped into the System without any prior knowledge and was still revving his engine.

Once he was fully warmed up... he might even be worse that GIN when it came to breaking the System.

154 just glanced up at the mention of his name, watching as the invigilators laughed at him for telling Invigilator A of all people to not get proud.

But he then thought about it. In just twelve hours, and if he took away the three hours You Huo used to sleep and the three hours he used to clean up that disgusting room…

In other words, if you didn't count the time that was spent in confinement, these people, no, this examinee would have completed the exam in less than 6 hours?

Everyone paused slightly. They hadn't considered that...

You Huo had really only spent six hours on this exam!? Not just a quarter of the time, it was a whole eighth!

Are you even human?

Considering it was 154 of all people asking that... 154, who technically wasn't a "person" and was just the "soft human side" of the System in its youth, just a trashed bundle of code and subroutines meant to simulate emotions...

154 found it rather ironic.

But one thing was for sure; You Huo was human. Very much human. He was gentle, caring, and yet, could also be stern and strict. The examinees had all seen his Invigilator side... and now, they've seen this softer side of You Huo...

You Huo was human. An excellent, awesome human, at that.

The non-human You Huo

Some people chuckled at the statement.

was rewarded accordingly for his achievement.

The answer wall slowly issued another notice:

Reward: Examinee You Huo has received the right to draw twice.

"Draw?"

"Draw what?"

"Are they doing Art now?"

"Not that draw. Drawing cards!"

"Oh! I only really saw those at that casino rest stop!" Someone exclaimed.

The invigilators were all stunned. Drawing one card was rare enough, but twice? They weren't sure if even GIN had ever drawn two cards before.

Then they all remembered how You Huo got his opportunity. He "stumbled", kicked the hunter, who died by dropping a wine glass.

...

Yeah, the right to draw twice was very much well deserved. Heck, they would argue that You Huo should deserve to draw thrice; one extra one just for getting rid of that fucking cannibalistic perverted monstrosity of a hunter.

"Right to draw?" You Huo furrowed his brows.

He didn't know what its intentions were. Anyway, the answer wall appeared to have temporarily died. After saying "Reward for your efforts", it once again fell silent and no more words appeared.

"Nah, the System is just being petty and doesn't want to explain."

"Following the rules, it has to give Invigilator A the cards. It can't change that, so it just doesn't explain shit."

While he was deep in thought, there was a "ding" sound in the cabin. It sounded like someone receiving a new notification.

You Huo suddenly felt someone stand behind him. The hand brushed his cheek as it reached out from behind. The slender and angular fingers loosely held onto a box of poker cards as it waved it before his eyes.

"GIN..." Gao Qi called out warningly, but You Huo just stared at him.

Seriously, it was just touching his cheek. It wasn't like he was making him clean another dirty confinement room or other hard labor.

Was there really a need for Gao Qi to blow up every single time? Because at this point, You Huo was seriously considering forcing his friend to attend some anger management classes or something.

You Huo for a moment couldn't control his expression: "It's you again…"

"You can tell that it's me just by seeing my fingers?"

"Who else would have the gut to get so close to you?" An invigilator muttered.

Considering 154 had literally been tied to a fucking chair by You Huo (sorry 154, that was going to remain in their memory forever, they were never going to let it go) and that 922 was busy cooking his beef (or maybe not, maybe he was done? He had stood up at some point.)

Either way, it was clear that neither of them had the guts to get close to You Huo for no reason, let alone touch his cheek.

Invigilator 001 always spoke very carelessly. It made You Huo have the urge to hit him.

Qin Jiu smiled and took a step back. He just managed to dodge You Huo's hand.

Some invigilators wished that Qin Jiu wasn't so fast. They would have loved to see You Huo deliver a nasty punch to Qin Jiu's face... as revenge for the stupid bucket.

They were still hung up about that disgusting sight. It was actually fucking nasty shit.

"There's no point attacking me." Qin Jiu opened the box and pulled out the cards: "Here, take your pick?"

Everyone heard this and started to huddle over.

But they were still scared of Qin Jiu. They felt that even if he smiled, it wasn't out of friendliness.

Qin Jiu deflated at his future self.

Losing his memories twice...

The first time he lost his memories, he had been booted out. At the very least, there were people who could fill him in on the basics of the situation.

A second time... presumably due to the plan's failure, if the System kept him, it probably would have prevented anyone else from getting close to him. It was very likely that the System had given him is 001 position so it would have a reason to keep a close eye on him, and may have even forced him to pick his subordinates from a newer batch of invigilators, which is how he ended up with 154 and Wen Yuan instead of any of the other hardliners.

He was actually pretty close to You Huo, even closer than with his fellow hardliners, just from working on this plan, and now that he was kicked out of the System too... it probably felt like a piece of him was missing.

No memories, no friends, and an empty hole in his heart. Yeah, future him was probably fucking miserable.

Still, he should know better than to take it out on the examinees. They were innocent in all of this! Bad future Qin Jiu!

So they just formed a circle around them that was about four meters in diameter and stretched their necks out.

The back of the cards in Qin Jiu's hand was exactly the same, and the front had different contents in it. Some of there were very enticing, For example:

Total Score +15 (Single)

Total Score +10 (All)

Exemption (Single person, Single exam. Will receive the average score)

…

"Huh..."

"Any one of those would be a life saver..."

There was also some that were strange. For example:

Cheat sheet

Last minute cramming

…

"These certainly are... interesting"

"Might help out in a pinch, but also, might to be too helpful. Not sure how a cheat sheet would work if you're trying to run away from a hoard of zombies or something..."

Everyone could tell what it meant by just looking at the names, but they didn't know how it was going to work and whether it would be helpful in exams.

Apart from these obvious rewards, there were also other ridiculous cards.

You Huo scanned through them and saw about ten similar cards with contents like:

Outstanding examinee. Please keep up your hard work.

"..."

"What kind of stupid card is that!?"

Amazing student. You will be rewarded for your efforts.

"Feels like we're getting mocked."

Top student. Please accept our praise.

"Good job for passing. Now die in the next exam." Someone drawled.

Anyway, he didn't understand what good it would bring to him by selecting a certificate of merit like these in a place like this.

The translation of it was probably: Thank you for your patronage. Please try again.

"Exactly!" The examinees yelled.

The original invigilators burst into laughter. They couldn't fault future amnesiac You Huo from not knowing, but still!

"It's not that bad, honestly." F stated, "If you get one of each, you get to form a team for your next exam. Would be real life-saver if you have connections with powerful players and you just need to pass your last one."

The newer invigilators looked a bit surprised. Some of them didn't know about this.

"Every now and then, examinees would be able to get a card. If three people get a card each, they could register for a group. Getting a card alone is already proof that you're a cut above the rest." Zhao Jiatong added.

The examinees "ohh"ed at that.

And then remembered that even getting a chance to draw in the first place was already extremely difficult.

And then they needed one of each kind of card.

With different exams, coordinating timings would also be a complete nightmare, since the System would most likely separate powerful players. And running into examinees who just happened to have the correct cards at a rest stop, hardened examinees who would be willing to trust others?

The chances of that happening were almost impossible.

It was no surprise that 001 didn't explain those cards to the group. It was highly likely that, with how low the chance of drawing a card in the first place was... that the knowledge of the power of the triplet cards had long since faded from people's memory.

You Huo pointed at some of the special cards and asked: "What do the black cards mean? Punishment?"

Some of the cards were completely black and there was nothing written on it. It didn't look like a good card.

"Yep. Definitely not a good card..."

Qin Jiu pulled one out and showed it to You Huo. He dragged his tone out and said: "It's not a punishment but it is a bit special. At least, it's not considered a reward you would expect."

"A black card represents the chance to reform the exam. It can take place on that very day."

"..."

"How is that not a punishment!?"

"It literally disrupts the entire examination scoring system!"

The faces of several young people in the room instantly turned green.

"There's even a chance to reform the exam?" Yu Wen was especially green.

His three years of high school life was battered with exam reformations. Whenever anything is changed, their study plans would be changed accordingly. Today it may be 3+2 and tomorrow the 2 would be changed to your school ranking.

He didn't expect that, despite finishing his university entrance examinations, he still couldn't hide from reformations.

"Urg."

"Reformations suck!"

"Not only do you have to take into account your own grade, but others as well!"

"You're just punishing people on the lower end of the bell curve!"

This death examination was already brutal enough, encouraging teamwork, but backstabbing also commonly occurs when panic and desperation sets in. Reforming the exam and disrupting everything... wasn't that just asking for more chaos?

While the onlookers had a bad expression, Qin Jiu pulled out another card from the box: "I almost missed this one. There's also this card. You guys might like it."

Guaranteed Pass (Single)

The cabin went quiet for a moment. Murmuring and excited discussions then filled the room.

The same went for the examinees.

"Oh!"

"This card..."

"Does it really..."

"This guaranteed pass… is this what I think it means?" The person asking was Zhou Jin.

Because he was sick and he couldn't become too excited, he became the only calm one amongst the group of onlookers: "Does this mean… No need to do the examination?"

"That would be an awesome card..."

"A literal life-saver..."

Then they thought about the chances of actually being able to draw in the first place.

Before Qin Jiu was about to say something, 922 interjected. He seemed to be particularly fond of introducing this "Guaranteed Pass" card.

Everyone laughed. Considering what they've seen 922 do in the past... seeing him actually knowledgeable in something exam and invigilator related (cooking did not count) was refreshing.

"It make look similar to the Exemption card, but the exemption card only applies to one subject and you would receive the average score instead. It can be said that it is a very safe card that gives you an adequate amount of benefit."

Everyone nodded along at the explanation.

922 said: "But the Guaranteed Pass card is different. It is the true trump card. There is only one in each deck. If you draw it, it means that you have passed all the exams and can eat and sleep without a worry…"

"By the time you open your eyes again, you are back home."

Home?

Hearing this word, everyone in the room was stunned.

As were everyone else.

Home...

Everyone had been so busy just trying to survive... a lot of them barely had time or the energy to think about going home...

Home...

Not just the examinees; the invigilators found themselves thinking about the word. They were all military personnel, they were sent abroad often, were occasionally transferred from base to base... the base became their homes, their families were the comrades that they trained with, fought with , slept with...

They wracked their brains... and found that they couldn't really... remember... details, faces, everything was just a blur.

This damned System.

154 was the only one who didn't react. He was just a digital construct of the System. He lived and died along with the System.

He didn't have a home.

During the past 12 hours, they didn't dare think of something like this. Their lives depended on their companions and luck so how could they dare to even expect being able to go home?

But now, this guaranteed pass card had aroused everyone's desire to go home.

After such a nerve-wracking exam, anyone would want to go home.

It had only been twelve hours for these examinees, probably longer, since they had to wait for the exam to start... but they already had that desire.

What about the examinees who've been here for days? Weeks?

Or the invigilators, who've spent years here?

Old Yu bravely asked: "If we don't have this card, how long does it take for us to go back?"

922 thought about it and said: "It would be according to the current examination rules. You just need to meet the two conditions of completing all the prescribed subjects and having a passing score."

Old Yu seemingly wanted to say something else, but Qin Jiu had already stored the Guaranteed Pass card away and he shuffled the deck a few times.

Someone whistled appreciatively at Qin Jiu's shuffling.

He then fanned it out with the back of the cards facing up and said to You Huo: "Here. You have two chances. Come and draw."

You Huo however didn't move.

"... Boss? A?"

Some people were a little concerned for You Huo. It wasn't like 001 was threatening him... so why wasn't he moving?

Did he sense some other threats from this box of cards?

He turned to the others and said: "Whoever is lucky, come and draw."

"..."

"Invigilator A's weakness... bad luck?"

Some people couldn't believe it. Of all things... being unlucky!?

Chu Yue snorted, but kept quiet. Bad luck was just the start of it; his entire life was just tragic.

As soon as he said that, the radio started to buzz:

【Warning: Examinees are not allowed to transfer their drawing opportunities.】

You Huo: "…"

"I'm sorry... but..." An invigilator snickered, "I.. I don't think I've ever heard that from the System before..."

It was just so specific; normally people would be elate at the chance to draw a card and wouldn't dream of giving the opportunity up.

"The system issued the warning. What are you glaring at me for?" Qin Jiu raised his chin and said lazily: "Don't rely on your good looks as a weapon. Hurry and draw."

Fuck you and that damned weapon.

"At least future me still retains my good sense of taste." Qin Jiu smiled sweetly.

Gao Qi had long since given up throwing his shoes at Qin Jiu; the guy's reflexes were just too good. And if yelled at Qin Jiu for calling You Huo handsome, then he'd just be insulting his friend as well.

Was there nothing he could do here!?

"Give up, D." An invigilator patted him on the back, "No point in getting mad over every single bastard line he spouts. It's just part of his personality."

You Huo stared at Qin Jiu with an icy cold expression for several seconds. He then forcefully pulled out a card.

The crowd who didn't have a chance to draw a card were extremely nervous. They held their breaths and stared at the card.

Everyone else also stared quietly, patiently, waiting for the results.

It was almost like they were waiting for the examination results, instead of just a mere card.

You Huo flipped it over:

Top student. Please accept our praise.

Note: This is a recognition of this examinee's abilities. Please strive to maintain this momentum.

You Huo: "…"

The annoyances are endless. What dog shit luck.

On the contrary, You Huo thought it was a pretty good card.

If he could get the whole set, then he could guarantee that he could take Yu Wen and Old Yu along with him. Maybe the others, if he remembered their names... and he wasn't too sure of the exact specifics of Shu Xue's bugged state, but she had already proven herself trustworthy in his eyes, and he wanted to help her as well.

But if she's already been in the System for three years... there was no doubt that it would be difficult for her to leave.

The radio spoke up in an untimely manner:

【You have used your first drawing opportunity.】

Qin Jiu used his tongue to poke at the sides of his cheek and the corner of his lips were slightly raised: "Not bad. One more time."

You Huo had nothing to lose. He pulled another one out.

"Please be something useful!" Everyone prayed.

Not that the team triplet cards weren't bad... but they would feel way safer if You Huo actually had a helpful card he could use in a pinch in the following exams.

Yu Wen who stood on the sidelines had his hand clasped tightly together and was praying fervently. Perhaps his prayers were answered because at least he didn't receive another merit of certificate card.

You Huo turned the card over:

Invigilator's Help

Note: Your outstanding performance has won over the invigilator's favor. You have the right to make a request to an invigilator for extra help during the exam and the invigilator is obliged to help you. The card will be valid until the end of the next exam."

"…"

"Hey! Not bad!" Someone called out, "Being able to ask for help from an Invigilator..."

"You certainly have won over my favor with your outstanding performance, Big Invigilator." Qin Jiu leaned on You Huo's side, resting his head against You Huo's shoulder. He felt like he hasn't quite hit his quota of being annoying.

Gao Qi spluttered, as did all the other examinees an invigilators, besides Chu Yue, who was busy laughing her guts out.

"You know, you don't need to have the help card right now." Qin Jiu drawled, "I will always be obligated to help you, my dear!"

You Huo just stared at him, unimpressed.

Inside, he was thinking about what was a good time and date to book a psychologist for this dumbass.

You Huo felt that every word on this card was filled with mockery.

"..."

"It's Invigilator A we're talking about." An invigilator sighed.

No one could imagine him actually asking for help, especially not from the group of invigilators he's seen so far.

001? Future You Huo wanted to kill him half the time. The only time he'd use the help card would actually be to get Qin Jiu to tie that rope around his neck so You Huo could strangle him.

922? He wasn't exactly the most helpful. They supposed You Huo could call him if he wanted at snack or something?

And then there was 154, the steadiest of the bunch. The only one who actually did his job properly... except that it would be real awkward to ask for help from the guy who You Huo had literally tied to a chair and tossed into a confinement room that he feared and You Huo knew he feared.

Fortunately, he quickly restored his expression back to his usual indifferent look.

Everyone sighed in relief.

You Huo had looked positively murderous. It was even scarier than the usual look they got whenever their arguments got out of hand and You Huo had to stop before someone actually died.

Mentally, Qin Jiu thought that his Big Invigilator looked rather hot when he was upset, but he kept that to himself. He didn't exactly feel like catching anymore flying shoes... though pissing Gao Qi off was still rather amusing...

He asked Qin Jiu: "Are the invigilators for each exam fixed?"

Qin Jiu said: "Of course not. Every time you do a new subject, the invigilators will be randomly refreshed."

Everyone perked up. New invigilators? Would they be able to see the others?

Then they paused. Full on-site surveillance, that most likely had to be done by Qin Jiu, who was the current Head Invigilator.

It made sense, too. In his amnesiac state, none of the other original Invigilators would be able to handle him. Heck, they could barely handle Qin Jiu, and they had no problems with wanting to invigilate him. Faced with their former boss who they wanted to help but clearly couldn't, combined with You Huo's aggressiveness towards the invigilators (that's GIN's fault) and unpredictability in exams... they feared they might be more of a hindrance than help.

Future You Huo was going to pop a blood vessel in rage.

But in reality, the System had really shot itself in the foot. Qin Jiu was an uncontrollable menace who broke rules left and right, even as an invigilator. Take that and add examinee You Huo, who was just as unrestrained as Qin Jiu...

The carnage would be beautiful.

The only way that situation would get even better was if Qin Jiu was also an examinee, openly wrecking havoc alongside You Huo without the constraints of being an invigilator... but surely the System wasn't going to do that, right? They would just have to settle for Invigilator Qin Jiu pushing the limits of his authority.

The radio started to buzz:

【A total of two drawing opportunities have been used. The drawing is over. Congratulations.】

"..."

"Why does that Congratulations sound so..."

"Mocking..."

"Congrats for these cards you can't use. See ya!"

There was silence as they internally cursed out the System. Why did the System's mood only consist of being pissy and angry, being petty, or just plain out mocking. Didn't it have any other positive emotions other than the ones that made it a total ass!?

As soon as those words were spoken, the answer wall that had been silent the entire time revealed new content:

Punishment: The guest sitting in the cursed seat has avoided death and will become the new hunter.

"..."

When the second half of the sentence appeared, everyone read the words, but they couldn't understand the meaning behind it.

Everyone froze... because what the fuck?

"Hold on..."

"What!?"

"The guest... has avoided death!?"

"Fuck that! What do you mean, becomes the new hunter!?"

"I thought they passed already..."

Or more precisely… They didn't dare understand what it meant.

"What does it mean by becoming the new Hunter?" Someone mumbled.

The bald man was going to become the hunter!? But the cursed seat... he's just supposed to die, right!? What was going on!?

"You two! Who did the exam before..."

"Hell no! For me, the cursed guy just... died?"

"Is it because... the hunter died!?"

"So the System has to... replace him...?"

The original System was never like this; how could the NPCs be real people, when no one was even in the System yet? The NPCs acted more like game characters, with pre-programmed lines and actions, and they only grew more "human" as the System recorded more data from the examinees and could use them to add to the NPCs code.

At this point, even You Huo and Chu Yue were horrified by the mere thought of it, but they didn't show it. They gestured for everyone to shut up. They had to see just what was going on.

Just... what did the System mean by becoming the new hunter? Was it literal? Figuratively? Was this some new idiom that had come about in the outside world while they were trapped in the System?

An agonizing scream suddenly filled the room.

Everyone froze up at the painful sounding scream.

Everyone stiffly turned their necks. The bald man sitting in seat number 12 was finally sitting up straight. His eyes widened and he looked fearfully at his hands.

His original complexion quickly faded and it became grey and pale.

"Oh gods..."

"What the actual fuck..."

His lips turned bright red. Against the pale skin, the slit for his mouth spread open to both sides. Strange horns grew and eerie spots also appeared on his hands and fingers.

It was a horrifying sight, but everyone was still frozen in place, far too stunned to even move.

Because what the actual fuck!? This was just a normal guy, an examinee, and yet... here he was, being transformed by the System right before their very eyes...

The bald man looked up in confusion. After being frozen for a moment, he suddenly twisted his neck and stiffly stood up.

He slowly began to look more and more like the dead hunter. Only his face still retained the original fearful expression.

Wen Yuan and Shu Xue shared a fearful look, before glancing towards the still barely responsive 154. Despite having foreseen and suspecting this all quite some time ago, the poor guy just looked... a bit stunned, shocked, almost like he couldn't believe it was actually happening.

Suspecting was one thing... but actually seeing it happen...

"No, no, no. This can't be… Don't go! Stay with me. Please stay with me, okay?"

He muttered these words and rushed towards the group.

No one dared to move.

The fear in the bald man's eyes had been real... just like the hunter...

Was that why the hunter had originally been so unsettling? Not just because of the cannibalism... but because it was an actual human beneath that uncanny valley of a inhumanely open mouth, that grey pale skin, those horns and spots...

A real, actual human, twisted and warped beyond belief.

Whoosh-

An unknown source of wind and snow blew past. It covered their faces and made it difficult for them to keep their eyes open.

They subconsciously covered their faces using their arms and, when they opened their eyes again, the cabin was gone and the bald man who had turned into the hunter had also disappeared. Even the three invigilators were nowhere in sight.

The Physics exam was finally over.

But no one could find it in themselves to be happy.

Was that why the original hunter's reactions regarding the wine glasses were so off? So real? So genuine? So... human?

Because as an ex-examinee, he would have prior knowledge of just how dangerous breaking the cups were!? Was that why these NPCs could actually plan out how to kill people... because they were actually real people, forced into these roles, with no other options left but to play the game that the System has forced them to play...

They stood in the heavy snow field. Before them was a pinewood forest and a small road could be seen nestled within it.

No one knew how to react to this. How could they react to this. They already knew that the System was getting more and more out of hand, pulling in the sick, the elderly, even children...

And yet... assimilating examinees into its exams as NPCs for an eternity of suffering, until the next unlucky examinee comes along to replace them, like some kind of purgatory...

Just how fucked up was that!?

Chapter Text

As agreed upon with Qin Jiu, You Huo called for a break.

「Would you like to use a short or long break?」

"How long are they?" Chu Yue asked.

「A short break is two hours long. A long break is twelve hours long .」

You Huo tilted his head, and tried to gauge the energy of the room. He wasn't too sure what everyone was doing before this viewing experience, but all the examinees didn't look too tired.

While the viewing experience was tiring, it was more so mentally from all the revelations rather than it being because it took a long time, considering all the time-skips.

Plus, they were all sitting down, which... wasn't exactly the most energy extensive exercise out there.

He would call for a short break, then finish the next exam, then call for a longer break so everyone could sleep.

"A short one."

「Request for Short Break approved. 」

「 Private bedrooms, common rooms, kitchens and the outdoor area has been unlocked. Additional amenities and equipment can be requested by the Head Invigilators. Instructions regarding amenities have been sent to your mobile devices, as well as a map. An announcement will be made 30 minutes and 5 minutes before the end of the break .」

"Huh..." Qin Jiu muttered, "Not bad..."

He had a feeling that the first thing You Huo was going to do (after his nap) was to ask for a grill and ask 922 (oh wait, Wen Yuan) to cook something, considering how many times the guy seemed to be cooking in the exam they had just seen.

Seeing the look in You Huo's eyes, Gao Qi stood up and dismissed the examinees, allowing them to explore the area.

「Please keep track of your own belongings.」 The system helpfully added. 「In addition, please hold on to your current outfits.」

"Huh..."

"Would be a little weird if we're teleported back into the System in a whole different set of clothes, I guess." "

"And very suspicious."

"I see..."

"Come on. We need to talk." Chu Yue grabbed both You Huo and Qin Jiu, and steered them aside, before turning back at the other invigilators, "What are you guys planning on doing?"

"...?"

"Huh?" Zhao Jiatong asked, "I guess... we were going to quickly sort the rooms out, and then get food? Maybe clean up if time allows for it? Also... got to keep an eye on the examinees. They seem a little..."

"High." Gao Qi grunted, "Very much high."

The invigilators all laughed. They weren't surprised; being allowed to relax after being trapped in an examination that could kill them anytime... anyone would go a little nuts, now that they weren't constantly on the verge of death.

"Okay. System, please give us a conference room." Chu Yue nodded. Clearly, since only the Head Invigilators could request for additional amenities, she had to make sure the others were properly equipped before both Head Invigilators were busy talking. If they didn't need anything extra, then so be it.

「 Request for Conference Room [1] approved. Amenities have been added and marked on the map. 」

"Okay! Go on and enjoy yourselves!" Chu Yu dragged an emotionless and slightly hungry (because the beef 922 cooked actually looked damn good) You Huo and an energetic but also slightly muted Qin Jiu away.

After slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Wen Yuan quite literally dragged 154 out of the room, "Come on! Let's go check the bedrooms! I'm dying for a shower!"

Shu Xue followed behind them, watching as the other examinees all went about doing their own things. Some immediately went for food, while others opted instead to also look for the bedrooms to rest and shower instead.

With the handy dandy map on their phones, it didn't take them long to navigate the hallways, sprinkled with a touch of that normal System magic that just allowed pretty much anything and everything to spawn.

"Hmm... Instructions..." Wen Yuan poked some buttons on his phone, as 154 inspected the door in front of him. He was still a bit sad and guilty over the bald man's death, because holy shit, the System actually did that, actually assimilated him, turned him into the hunter...

As a former part of the System... how could he not be horrified? At how the System had changed for the worse after kicking him out. Killing examinees outright was one thing... but keeping them alive, suffering for who knew how long? Not to mention dragging all sorts of unsuitable examinees in for these exams...

It wasn't his fault. Logically, he knew that. He had long been discarded by the System. Anything that happened after his expulsion, it literally had nothing to do with him because he'd been stuck in the backup station, unable to do anything else other than sleep.

"... 154? You okay there?" 154 snapped to attention when he noticed Wen Yuan calling him, "Huh?"

"Instructions say that we just have to pick a number on the door knobs for the number of people sharing a room. You wanna share?" Wen Yuan asked. Shu Xue had already set up her room right next door, but was waiting patiently for Wen Yuan and 154.

"Ah..." 154 wasn't too sure how to respond. Everything was still new foreign to him, so he figured it would be better to stick to someone who actually knew what he was doing. Plus, he didn't have a phone, and as good as his memory was, 154 didn't really want to get lost in this massive labyrinth, "Sure..."

He let Wen Yuan fiddle around with the door a bit more, before the taller man pushed it open, "Here we go!"

The room wasn't anything too impressive; it just looked like a regular rest stop room from maybe the Casino, or that other one where they could get discounts. But it was good enough, and Wen Yuan dumped his bag on a chair, grabbed some clean clothes and a towel, and sped into the bathroom.

154 chose to use that time to inspect the room. Pressing his hand against the soft bed... it was a little overwhelming; in the early days of the System, while it was still learning from Chu Yue and You Huo, the System was just a passive observer. It couldn't interact with the world around it, and didn't have the ability to think yet.

It could only watch... and observe.

When the initial System was fully constructed and it could create training simulations, it also wasn't the same. It never really interacted with the worlds and exam centers it constructed; only looked down at them and observed like some kind of omniscient god.

The System was allowed to feel... but a lot of those emotions were also being oppressed by other lines of code and sub-routines, force to follow the rules because the System was supposed to be a training simulation, not some kind of emotional AI.

Whatever that had happened to You Huo and Chu Yue... the System had never been able to fully figure out how it truly felt about it. 154 was only able to process everything after being discarded and thrown away, being able to do nothing but just sleep and dream, vaguely sorting out his memories from the other junk data he happened to read.

But now, actually being about to touch things with the tips of his fingers... being able to talk and laugh and argue... it was such a foreign feeling.

Finally having a respite from the nightmare of a System...

He couldn't help but think about the suffering of so many people. People who were dragged here against their will, people who weren't even suitable for these exams...

And even though he was some how set free in the future, it seemed like 154 had been able to escape his prison, only to still be trapped in a much larger cage.

154 clenched his fists.

He looked up when he heard the door to the bathroom open. Dressed in a t-shirt and some sweatpants, Wen Yuan was just toweling the water out of his hair, "What are you looking at?"

"The bed." 154 replied honestly. Wen Yuan laughed.

He didn't know why, but when he saw that his companion was happy, his eyes sparkling with life and energy... 154 felt a bit better.

"Your turn to shower." Wen Yuan threw a towel at him.

Nodding in thanks, 154 rushed to the bathroom. He folded up his clothes neatly and set them aside, and now, he was staring at the shower, his golden eyes gleaming in curiosity. He probably didn't need a shower anyways; he was literally just a couple lines of code and sub-routines that had been stuck on sleep mode in the backup station, but still.

154 knew how to use a shower; he's seen it before, through You Huo and Chu Yue's eyes... but he's never actually... used one before.

He hesitantly reached out, and turned the knob. Instantly, water gushed out, and 154 nearly jumped out of his skin because holy shit, the water was fucking cold.

...

154 let out a laugh. He couldn't help it. It was all so new and he could feel so much, like he had opened the door to a whole new world...

It was exhilarating.

Was this how it was to truly be able to live? It was an incredible feeling...

There was a knock on the door, and he could hear Wen Yuan calling out, "You okay in there?"

"Yeah!" 154 replied, hastily adjusting the water temperature before quickly cleaning himself off. Drying his hair slightly so he wouldn't drip water everywhere... and came to the realization that he didn't really have any spare clothes he could change into. He probably would have to re-wear his invigilator suit.

There was a knock on the door, and 154 opened it slightly, peeking his head out, "Hmm?"

"Here. I have some spare clothes. Might be a bit big, though." 154 was met with Wen Yuan's smiling face. Thanking him for the clothes, 154 hastily tugged them on. The hoodie was maybe two sizes too large and hung off his frame, and the bottom of his sweatpants was dragging on the floor, but overall, it was very comfortable.

"Was the shower good?" Wen Yuan asked, sitting on the bed, "You seem a bit happier."

154 shrugged, slipping the ring back on his index finger. It wasn't like he could tell Wen Yuan the real reason why he was upset; not only was it likely he'd be censored, but it was also going to be a very, very messy explanation.

"Sitting for so long in a suit isn't very comfortable." 154 instead replied. Wen Yuan let out a small "ah" in understanding, watching as 154 tugged on his oversized hoodie, "Isn't this way too big for you too? Why would you get something using your hard-earned points that you can't even wear?"

"Oh, I think it was already in my bag when I started my exams." The part about 154 knowing about the points system flew right over Wen Yuan's head, "I think I was supposed to wear it over a bunch of other jackets? Pretty helpful in case I run into an exam in the Arctic or something."

154 nodded in understanding, before Wen Yuan grinned, "Alright! Let's get some food!"

"Is food really the only thing on your mind?" 154 asked, following Wen Yuan out as he knocked on Shu Xue's door.

"Can't do exams properly on an empty stomach, right?" Wen Yuan laughed, "Can't think straight if you're hungry, after all."

Qin Jiu pushed You Huo into a soft, comfortable recliner, "Close your eyes for a bit, Big Invigilator. We can still talk."

Relaxing slightly, the black haired man leaned back, closing his eyes as Chu Yue leaned against the wall, "So... about the plan..."

"Don't talk about the plan first." Qin Jiu interjected, "I don't know all the details, but we only know we're going to fail. We don't know how we're going to fail, so I think we should wait a bit longer."

You Huo let out a grunt of approval, so Chu Yue just nodded, "Alright..."

She stared at the floor for a bit, before looking up again, "Do you think that 154's the System?"

Qin Jiu's eyes widened a little, "I mean... he knows a lot more than a regular examinee... but isn't calling him the System a bit rude? He hates the thing as much as we do."

The trio fell silent, still trying to figure things out. 154 certainly was a little odd... then again, who were they to say that anyone wasn't normal? Both of them were considered great masters, demon kings, gods of misfortune... compared to them, 154 seems quite normal in comparison.

"You know, my experience with the System is basically "I'm going to kill everyone". Can the System even feel anything besides being angry and petty?" Qin Jiu muttered, "Plus, 154 seems like a perfectly normal bundle of emotions. If I look at him, I don't feel like he's going to murder me if I break any rules."

"Of course. You're his boss in the future." You Huo grumbled.

"The original System was modeled after people." Chu Yue explained, while also trying to omit the fact that she and You Huo were the ones the System had watched, "In the beginning, the System was actually pretty kind. It lessened or worsened punishments depending on the examinees themselves. It observed the situation and made its own judgement on each individual basis."

She gave Qin Jiu some time to process all this, "As it grew larger with more subjects and exam centers, I suppose it started setting rules for various scenarios to make it easier and more fair, and eventually, it started adhering to these rules firmly and no longer bent them to suit the situation."

"And it also became homicidal." Qin Jiu deadpanned, "Gotcha."

"Perhaps it felt regret for its earlier actions, and made the exams harder to make up for it." Chu Yue shrugged, "Either way, the System was at odds with itself. Some part of it sympathized with the examinees, while the other part hated that it was bending the rules."

"And one day, that "sympathy" part just... up and poofed?" Qin Jiu raised an eyebrow.

"Not too sure. The System did try to cover things up... but from how the exams took a complete nosedive and started pulling in all sorts of people, I'd say that's the case." Chu Yue sighed.

The both of them turned to look at You Huo. He was silent, deep in thought, an they waited for him to make a contribution to this discussion.

"He's aware of the System's inability to permanently delete anything. He knows that there are still basic rules the System has to adhere to." You Huo stated firmly, "He even has knowledge on the confinement rooms that even the first-generation invigilators were starting to forget about."

You Huo used his arm to further cover his eyes from the ceiling lights.

It remained unsaid, but Chu Yue knew what he was thinking.

154 had reacted at the mention of his eyes...

Not like the others, who were concerned for his eyesight. He seemed... interested at the thought of eye surgery, like he knew the thing that had been planted there for so, so long that had brought him so much grief... and happy at the implication that it was going to be removed...

It was something that very, very people should know. Not even the first-generation invigilators knew about it.

The only people who should know about it were he and Chu Yue, the doctors who had implanted them in the first place, the ones who had programmed the System and inputted the training data from their eyes... and the System itself.

...

But could they really call 154 the System? It just didn't seem right... not with how human 154 felt, so full of life... It was so different from the current System they were used to; in comparison, 154 seemed like a little bundle of emotions.

"We should probably interact with him more, and the little baby 922 as well. They're going to be invigilators in the future, GIN's subordinates, so we have a good reason. Maybe invite them to chat over dinner." Chu Yue suggested.

"What do you mean, little baby." Qin Jiu muttered, "Apparently, I took my exams at roughly the same time as him. He's around my age."

"Baby invigilators." Chu Yue laughed, "Also, I'm pretty damn sure that A's probably curious about his cooking."

You Huo grunted again, Fuck you.

Chu Yue and Qin Jiu burst out laughing.

What did I do in my past life to deserve this? You Huo mentally grumbled, as Qin Jiu patted him on the shoulder, "We'll go get him to set up the grill. I'll call you when the food's ready."

154 trailed behind Wen Yuan and Shu Xue as they discussed the various exams they've been through... which really, meant that there wasn't much to talk about. Both their memories of previous exams were pretty hazy.

The common rooms were filled with people eating, ranging from instant noodles to dumplings to pizza (where did that come from?) to fried chicken. The mood was a little gloomy, with the examinees still hung over the fact that the System wasn't just killing people but was also assimilating them into NPCs, but some still held out hope that there was going to be a way out of this hellhole.

"Hey! You two!"

Some people looked up as Chu Yue sprinted into the common room from outside area, grinning at Wen Yuan and 154, "I knew I saw you guys! Baby Invigilators, over here!"

Wen Yuan and 154 just looked at each other... then back at her, "Us?"

"Who else?" Chu Yue snorted in amusement, "We're going to be colleagues in the future, come on! Oh, Shu Xue, you come along too! Maybe we can figure something out about your bugged state."

Not knowing what else to do, Wen Yuan, 154 and Shu Xue found themselves outside, by a barbeque pit. Gao Qi was cooking some skewers while drinking some alcohol that Zhao Jiatong snatched away, saying to not bring alcohol too close to the fire, while the other invigilators were all talking amongst themselves in their own groups with their own food and drinks.

"I brought the babies!" Chu Yue announced, and Qin Jiu, who was almost done with his sandwich, looked up, and waved. Chu Yue, still mindful of Shu Xue's not-really-pregnant state, gently steered her towards a table where Zhao Jiatong and a few other female invigilators were chatting.

"You got 922?" A moderate called out, "Do we still have some beef?"

"Still got a boxful... somewhere." A hardliner replied.

"Go get it for me us!"

"Why don't you do it yourself!?"

"I'm busy manning the fire!"

"Well I'm manning the fire too!"

"Fuck you!"

Wen Yuan and 154 sweatdropped. Were the invigilators... really this childish?

"Ah, don't mind them." Qin Jiu smacked them on the back, leading them towards a grill, "They're all a little stir-crazy from being free from the System. How good are your grilling skills?"

"Did you guys seriously call us because future me seems obsessed with grilling meat?" Wen Yuan grumbled.

"Well we're certainly curious." A hardliner popped up from behind Qin Jiu, "It's pretty amazing, don't you think? Bringing a WHOLE grill to the examination center just for on-site invigilation..."

Wen Yuan gave the invigilator a blank look, as 154 hid a snicker, "Go on, Mr I Dropped Beef On The Ground Twice."

"That was future me!" Wen Yuan groaned, "Seriously, at this rate, everyone's just going to think I'm nothing but an idiot."

Some of the invigilators overheard him and laughed, and Wen Yuan sighed, but eventually took over the grill, barbequing the beef to perfection as 154 peered over his shoulder curiously.

"Have you ever tried cooking before?" Wen Yuan asked, as Qin Jiu ran off... somewhere. Some invigilators were staring at the sizzling beef, taking in the pleasant aroma.

"Nope."

One of the invigilators had passed over a skewer to 154... and the little program just stared at it, not really sure what to do.

"Mhm! It's really good!"

"If being an invigilator doesn't work out for you, you should be a rest stop chef."

"Once we leave the System, you should go open a restaurant."

"Hey!" Wen Yuan sighed as some of the invigilators snagged the meat he was cooking, before resigning himself to his fate of being a chef and tossed more beef onto the grill. He turned to 154, "You gonna eat that?"

154 just looked back at him, "?"

"I'm hungry." Wen Yuan admitted, flipping the beef over, "Let me take a bite."

Reaching downwards, 154 held the stick steadily as Wen Yuan bit down on the skewer, his eyes lighting up, "Mm! It's not bad. You should try it."

Staring at the half-eaten skewer, 154 shrugged, and popped it into his mouth. A burst of flavor exploded on his tongue, and it was unlike anything 154 had ever tasted before... because he hadn't really tasted anything before.

Wen Yuan grinned up at him, and served out the grilled beef, before emptying out the remaining beef steaks from the container and setting them to grill.

"D was the one that cooked it." An invigilator informed them, as a very smiley Qin Jiu came back with You Huo in tow. The younger man immediately made a beeline for Wen Yuan, and Qin Jiu followed behind, laughing loudly.

Feeling a presence towering behind them, 154 and Wen Yuan froze, and slowly turned around, only to find a hungry (though he didn't show it) You Huo looking expectantly at the grill.

"..." Wen Yuan and 154 shared a glance.

"It's not ready yet?" The former squeaked nervously. Luckily, You Huo just nodded, before he was pulled away by Chu Yue who was insistent on shoving a bottle of water down his throat.

Wen Yuan and 154 went back to staring at the sizzling beef.

The first thing Wen Yuan did was to give a plate of beef to You Huo, before serving himself and 154.

The good news was that You Huo graciously accepted the food offering. The bad news was that Qin Jiu was sitting with You Huo... and immediately forced the duo to sit with them.

"You guys are going to be my future subordinates, after all." Qin Jiu had said, smiling widely as he slung an arm around them both, before moving to sit beside You Huo on the other side of the table.

They sat at the end of a bunch of picnic tables, with 154 watching You Huo and Wen Yuan eat silently before starting on his own meal. He had to admit... Wen Yuan's cooking was really good. No wonder his future self didn't call 922 out for his idiocy and insensitivity if he was hungry and also knew that this was the kind of food his colleague was cooking.

"So..." Qin Jiu spoke up, stealing a chunk of beef from You Huo's plate, much to his displeasure, "How old are you?"

"Me?" 154 asked.

"Yeah. Apparently I started my exams at the same time as... uh... Wen Yuan, right?... So I can roughly guess. But you? You look a little younger." Qin Jiu replied.

He knew it was a bullshit question... none of them really remembered jack shit after the System interfered with their memories. But he was hoping that it might be something that could trip 154 up into revealing something that won't be censored by the current system.

154 tilted his head sightly. He wasn't too sure how to answer... after all, he was a fucking program.

Was it supposed to be when the System was initially installed in Chu Yue and You Huo's eyes? Their memories was technically the earliest memories of the System... Or when the System became its own entity? Or when he was cut off from the System?

The latter questions were probably out of the question. The System had only been active for... maybe three years? Maybe four? Plus he's spent quite a lot of time sleeping since he's been cut off... He didn't exactly look like a toddler...

154 also knew that Qin Jiu was probably trying to get around the censoring imposed on them by the system to figure out just what the deal with him was. He would love to be able to give them a straight answer; with You Huo's knowledge of the System, he'd probably be able to help him fill in the gaps.

He had no other choice but to also play the hinting game.

"Not too sure." 154 replied honestly. He calmly took a bite out of his beef, "But with all the interference with your memories... does it ever feel like you're living a life that isn't yours?"

Qin Jiu made a questioning noise. You Huo put his fork down.

Chu Yue decided it was a good time to plop down next to You Huo, dragging poor Shu Xue along with her.

"Don't mind me." She laughed, "I want to meet the babies too! What are you guys talking about?"

"154's asking an odd question." Qin Jiu muttered, "He's trying to give us an existential crisis."

"?" Chu Yue blinked, and an invigilator who was near them whispered the context to her.

"Huh... now that you mention it..." Wen Yuan sighed, "It does feel a little surreal, I guess. People telling you that you've done something in the past but you don't really remember it. Like... Invigilator GIN over here! When I first met him, I was like "Hey let's be friends" but he was like "You don't know me?", and he said that in the way that implied that I should know him?"

He turned to Qin Jiu, who shrugged in turn, "This is news to me too. Apparently I was kicked out and had my memory wiped, then returned as an invigilator. And like I said... I don't remember much of my examinee days."

Chu Yue was stunned. 154 had taken the initiative... to ask such an awkward question?

"Why'd you ask? Do you feel like your life... isn't yours?" Wen Yuan turned to 154, and Qin Jiu internally thanked Wen Yuan for asking the question that he, Chu Yue, and You Huo probably all wanted to ask.

"I guess it's more like... looking at the world through someone else's eyes." 154 stated pointedly, looking directly at You Huo, then at Chu Yue, before lowering his gaze again, "Your experiences don't feel like they belong to you, but a whole different person."

The two Head Invigilators shared a look, as Wen Yuan caught Qin Jiu's attention again by talking about all the other rumors he's heard about that legendary examinee.

The wording was just too specific; 154 had basically confirmed it himself. He was somehow, a part of the System; the very System that had experienced whatever they had, had literally seen the world through their perspectives.

But why was 154 trying to convey this information to them? Pretty much every single person hated the System...

And why did 154 seem quite happy to see the System shoot itself in the foot? You Huo could distinctively remember 154 dissing the System before... If he was the System, then why did he hate itself so much? Plus, all his actions, both currently and in the future... just didn't seem to line up with something the System would do.

Screw being a bundle of emotions, You Huo couldn't help but think, 154 was a bundle of contradictions.

Suddenly, it hit him.

154 wasn't the current System. He was far more similar to the original version of the System... the System that sympathized for recruits and would act accordingly. A System that was far more humane... but constantly teetered on the edge of breaking its own self imposed rules.

You Huo remembered that 154 mentioned that he had been thrown away...

「 Announcement. Break will be ending in 30 minutes .」

"Ah fuck." Wen Yuan cursed, "Spent too much time cooking. I'm still hungry... and my meat's cold..."

"That's because you spent too much time talking." 154 snorted. Lost in his thoughts, You Huo hadn't even noticed him leaving the table to fetch a plate of skewers for the other examinee, "For someone who's good at cooking, you sure don't know how to appreciate your own food."

"Look, it's a rare opportunity to talk to the invigilators when they're not trying to shove you into a confinement room, okay?" Wen Yuan rebutted.

"Isn't it also a rare opportunity to get proper food?" 154 deadpanned.

Shu Xue and Chu Yue laughed as the duo started bickering again, until 154 grabbed a skewer and tried to shove it into Wen Yuan's mouth.

"If you have time to talk, you have time to eat. Didn't you say you were hungry!?"

"I'll eat, I'll eat, you'll poke me with the stick!"

Maybe, just like Shu Xue, who had actively tried to take on his violation punishment in the hunter's cabin, You Huo felt like 154 wasn't really a bad person.

Despite being apart of the System... or perhaps more accurately, formerly being apart of the System, 154 had gone out of his way to try and hint at the truth behind his existence...

He was still going to have to sort through all the oddities he's seen so far... but You Huo decided to trust 154.

Chapter Text

「Announcement. Break will be ending in 5 minutes.」

It didn't take long for everyone to finish up their meals. Despite knowing that this was a relatively safe space, having a robotic, disembodied voice giving them orders, especially with a time crunch, was more than enough to remind of them of the horrors within the real System.

Everyone was back in the original room. Most people had stocked up on fluids like water, juice, and colas, and some had even brought along some extra snacks in case this viewing experience was longer than the previous one.

After ensuring that everyone had settled down, You Huo allowed the viewing experience to continue.

The travel down the mountain was very long. Everyone was extremely silent as they walked.

Half of the reason was because they were scared by the bald man turning into the hunter,

The chippy mood from the break immediately disappeared. All of them looked depressed at the reminder that the hunter wasn't just an NPC... it had been an examinee. One of their own, consumed by the System and twisted into becoming one of its own hands...

and the other half was because they were freezing cold.

Everyone shuddered.

And they thought walking between the examination center an the invigilator's quarters had been bad enough...

You Huo, Yu Wen, Mike and the gangster were the only ones who were even remotely properly dressed for such a long trek.

This group of people walked on for about half an hour before the static scenery finally started to change.

Everyone's hearts softened at the sight.

The sight of You Huo and Mike taking care of the twins, was adorable. Yu Wen was helping Shu Xue, and even the tattooed guy, as brash and rude as he was, was helping one of the elderly ladies without even being asked. He clearly wasn't that bad of a guy.

The endless pine trees suddenly opened up and the road they were walking along connected with a larger road at the base of the mountain. There was a stone monument sitting next to the road.

On one side it wrote: Jiming Mountain.

The other side wrote: 100m ahead.

"Jiming Mountain... isn't it that super run down rest stop?" Someone asked.

"...?" Some of the examinees who hadn't been to that particular rest stop were confused.

"There are 5 rest stops in total. The first is the one you're going to see soon. The second one is a military base where you can buy weapons. The third is a Casino where you can win points or reward cards." Chu Yue explained, "The forth is a place where you can eat and play to your hearts content, and the fifth gives you various discounts on store items."

"Can you pick which rest stops to go to?" An examinee asked.

"Nope." Another invigilator replied, "It's assigned to you after each exam."

The name Jiming Mountain reminded them of the dead chickens hanging from the doors in the hunter's cabin. It was clearly referring to the mountain they had come down from.

There were a few snorts of amusement.

As for the 100m ahead sign, it was pointing down the larger road…

Snow and mist obstructed their views and they couldn't see anything clearly.

"W-w-what does it m-mean by 100m ahead? The bottom half is b-b-buried in the snow?" Yu Wen's lips trembled. He was so cold, he was stuttering.

The examinees all sympathized with Yu Wen, who's coat was clearly not enough to stave off the cold.

Fuck the System. Would it die if it raised the thermostat?

They had three elderly, a not-really-pregnant lady, a sick guy and two children, for fucks sake, NONE of which were properly dressed. The only ones with proper jackets for colder weathers was Mike and You Huo (who was wearing Mike's because of Old Yu's vomit), and even that was clearly not enough to brave the elements.

And they weren't even taking an exam. At least get rid of the mist so they could see!

He walked over with both his hands in his pockets and, unwilling to pull it out, he scraped at the snow on the monument with his shoes.

Everyone asked: "What does it say?"

Yu Wen tremblingly walked back: "The dirt is all f-f-frozen solid. Can't scrape it off."

The monument still only revealed the words '100m ahead'. Apart from it becoming clearer, there weren't any other changes.

"Don't tell me it's another…" Zhou Jin's face was frozen cold, and he looked like a ghost.

Yu Wen: "N-n-no way. We just finished an e-e-exam. Aren't they j-just forcing us to die?"

"Urg. Luckily the System isn't that unfair." An examinee groaned.

At the very least, the System never forced them to take back-to-back exams. Between each examination center, the examinees were always allowed to take a break at a rest stop. Depending on their performance, their stays at the rest stop always varied, but it was a small respite, and gave them a chance to rest their exhausted brains and bodies.

Everyone fell silent. They were hesitant about moving forward.

"Did many die?" You Huo threw this sentence out and walked ahead.

"Huh?"

"..."

"I mean... only one out of thirteen died in that exam..."

That was considered exceptional, all things considered. And if the bald man hadn't sat down after being dragged around by the hunter... it was possible that the death could be avoided as well.

His voice really suited this snowy cold environment. The words that came out whenever he opened his mouth could easily freeze the others up.

Some people huffed.

You Huo's words were sharp and cold, much like icicles, preferring to get directly to the point instead of beating around the bush. But beneath that icy exterior, he meant well, and really, only wanted to help. You Huo was more like the snow that covered the ground, a safety blanket that protected everyone from getting injured if they happened to fall, and gave them another chance to stand up and try again.

Everyone shivered as they looked at each other. They then quickly followed behind him.

With You Huo leading the group, their pace wasn't slow.

It might be a bit too extensive for the Zhou Jin, the elderly and the twins, but it was better than staying outside and freezing to death. The exercise would help heat up their bodies.

Soon, an outline of a house appeared amidst the fog and snow.

"Oh! A house!" Someone stated, "That's good!"

The examinees who knew which rest stop it was all nodded.

It wasn't the best rest stop, especially compared to the perks of the others... but a rest stop was a rest stop.

The hunter's cabin still left a psychological shadow in their hearts so the moment they saw this house, they weren't very surprised.

But they soon realized that there wasn't just one house.

"... More houses?"

"A whole village?"

They walked up a gentle slope and saw that there were several houses scattered sparsely ahead.

If you called it a small town, then it would be too much of an exaggeration. It was more like those unpopular scenic spots on a mountain where local residents would try to get some business from occasional tourists. When it doesn't get enough business each year, it would always be ready to close down.

"Huh..."

"It really is deserted..."

"I wonder why the System would create such an elaborate set-up, only to use like... maybe two of the buildings." An examinee commented, "Wouldn't it be better to have fewer buildings that are actually in good shape?"

The invigilators shrugged. Who knew what the System was thinking half the time?

The house closest to them hung a small lightbox. On the white background, red words wrote: Accommodation, Heating, Catering.

The focus was obvious, and it was very enticing.

"Finally! They made it!"

"Is it just me... or does it look a little... run-down..." Someone commented.

"..."

Everyone shrugged. Anywhere they could rest and catch their breaths, to revel in the fact that they were still alive, and could actually get proper, hot meals... it was better than nothing.

The group could no longer move anymore.

"Why don't we make do and stay overnight here?" Old Yu said carefully.

He thought he would get a glare of objection from You Huo because it was difficult to tell whether or not it was safe.

"..."

"That is a good point..."

It was good that Old Yu was being a little wary. Anyone would be, especially after the hunter's cabin... It seemed like alcoholic Old Yu still had some common sense to him.

But in the end, his nephew entered the house faster than anyone else.

That actually surprised them.

You Huo was the most capable and knowledgeable of the bunch. They had half expected You Huo to explore the perimeter or the other buildings first, to check for any traps, just in case this was some kind of bluff by the sadistic homicidal exam System.

But nope, apparently the guy just dove in headfirst. Was it because he sensed some sort of threat outside? Some monster lying within the ice, and he wanted to make sure the house was safe enough for the other examinees? Or was there some threat inside the house that he felt like he had to defeat first?

You Huo had long been hungry.

"..."

Everyone turned to stare at You Huo.

He was being reckless because... he was hungry?

The invigilators were all gawking. They had almost never seen You Huo eat before; the break was probably the first time they've ever see You Huo eating, and it was because there really wasn't anywhere else for him to run off and eat on his own. He always put his work as the priority, never eating or sleeping until everything was all done.

But future You Huo literally just said "fuck that, I'm hungry". It was honestly adorable, seeing You Huo act on his cravings and actually look for something to eat.

But it was also quite sad, that something so normal was something that they've never see their strict, stubborn, disciplined Invigilator A do. He shouldn't have to ruin his body because the stupid System gave him more work to do...

They mentally prayed that whichever punished invigilator that was currently manning the rest stop was someone who recognized You Huo. Sure, they may be grumpy because this was literally the most isolated rest stop with almost nothing going on, but if You Huo was finally going to ask for something, in the first time in his life, then he better get the best service possible.

Meanwhile, the examinees all sympathized with You Huo. They all knew that feeling of being hungry and desperately wanting something to eat, especially after a terrifying exam.

The fact that 922 had been actively cooking while You Huo was hungry didn't sit too right with them either... though in 922's defense, the invigilators had no way of knowing that the former Head Invigilator was hungry either.

While they trekked through the snow, his last regret was that he had submitted the answer too soon.

If he waited a few minutes longer, 922's meat would've been done.

"..."

"You... you..." Chu Yue burst out laughing, "You were actually planning on taking his beef!?"

Wen Yuan blanched. He still remembered how You Huo looked while waiting for him to finish grilling beef during the break.

He had a feeling that with how hungry You Huo was in the future... even as an examinee, 922 would be positively terrified at the prospect of him asking for food. Even if it was against the rules... Wen Yuan had a feeling he might be more scared of You Huo than any punishment the System could give him.

Meanwhile, the other examinees were laughing. Of course You Huo would have the guts to demand food from his invigilators.

It's all that 001 invigilator's fault for being such an eye thorn and stealing him of his food.

Even more laughter ensued.

You Huo was blaming Qin Jiu for being annoying? For distracting him from 922's delicious beef?

(They had all smelt the aroma of Wen Yuan's cooking, but they didn't dare venture outside due to the sheer number of invigilators joking around. They wondered how they could convince Wen Yuan to cook some beef for them too... if he wasn't going to be constantly hogged by the invigilators to be their personal chef.)

They could all imagine a scenario where You Huo stopped Zhou Jin from answering so quickly; You Huo grabbing the sick man's arm, pointing at 922 who was busy cooking, and the awkwardness that would ensue as everyone was forced to wait as You Huo hovered over 922, forcing him to give up his food.

Poor 154 would probably give up invigilating at that point. They weren't too sure how 001 would react... but he'd most likely be amused.

The System on the other hand... it would be pissed as fuck. But it wasn't against the rules for an examinee to steal an invigilator's food, right?

Just thinking of Qin Jiu's face…

You Huo touched his earring. His mood was poor.

Qin Jiu snorted in amusement.

"My dear, if you're really that hungry, then I'll treat you to meal when we get back." He smiled.

Gao Qi had given up at that point. Qin Jiu was just a fucking menace. He'll save his anger for when Qin Jiu was at the height of his annoyingness; treating a colleague to a meal was hardly the worst thing he could do... and it wasn't like they hadn't tried treating You Huo to meals before.

"I'll even cook for you myself!" Qin Jiu finished.

"..."

"Do you even know how to cook?" You Huo snorted with a blank expression, "Because every single time I've seen you dealing with fire, you're burning something down."

There was silence.

The invigilators all choked with laughter. You Huo was cracking another joke!? They knew they shouldn't be surprised... but it really was rare for their Head Invigilator. They were all glad he was slowly loosening up and relaxing; if anyone deserved it, it was him.

Qin Jiu just laughed despite being the butt of You Huo's joke, "If it's for you, I'll learn how to cook!"

And so, the moment the staff at the front desk looked up, he was greeted with his cold expression.

Front desk: "…"

The staff at the front desk was a young and skinny man. He fell silent for a few seconds before turning around and shouting: "Boss! Someone's here!"

Everyone burst into laughter. You Huo was just terrifying the poor invigilators.

None of the invigilators recognized the front desk staff, so he must be a new invigilator, like 154. Hopefully, the boss of the place was one of them... though the fact that they got punished and banished to such a remote location didn't exactly put a good taste in their mouth.

Just what did they have to do to be sent to such a place?

But maybe, if the boss was someone they didn't recognize... maybe one of them should take the fall and piss the System off and get punished. Then they could stay at the rest stop and hopefully fill You Huo in on any information that he may need.

"What are you shouting for? If someone's here, can't you greet them?" The person who answered was a female. Her voice was crisp, and you could feel the force in her voice even through the door.

"..."

The invigilators stared hesitantly at Chu Yue. Why did the voice sound like hers?

Chu Yue, You Huo and Qin Jiu briefly shared a look. They already knew that You Huo and Qin Jiu had their memories erased by the System because of the failed plan... was Chu Yue sent to this rest stop as punishment as well?

"I'm afraid of scaring them away." The front desk glanced at You Huo and spoke timidly.

The examinees, unaware of the short-circuiting brains of the invigilators, and also not familiar enough with Chu Yue to recognize her voice, all laughed.

Scaring the examinees away, your mum.

The front desk was just fucking terrified of You Huo.

"In a damned place like this, where can they run off too?" The door along the corridor opened and a short haired woman walked out while wielding a kitchen knife.

"Z... what are you doing there?" Gao Qi hesitantly asked. There was no heat behind his words... almost like he was still unable to process just what was going on.

"..."

Then it hit them.

"WHAT IS Z DOING THERE!?"

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!? Z!?"

"THE MANAGER OF A REST STOP!?

The invigilators weren't sure whether to be surprised or horrified.

"WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE SYSTEM!?" Zhao Jiatong asked, completely overwhelmed. Because the System had not just kicked out one of its Head Invigilators, but also demoted her to being the boss of the worst rest stop!?

With both Head Invigilators out of commission and the current (future) head being a fucking amnesiac, what was going on in the Invigilator's District? Who was dealing with all the affairs with glitches and malfunctions or anything of that magnitude!? Was the System breaking down without anyone taking charge in the control center to fix any issues, and that's why all sort of people were getting dragged in for no fucking good reason!?

And why Chu Yue of all people? She wasn't the type to do anything, even in meetings; she just let You Huo deal with all the issues between the hardliners and the moderates. She's always taken a backseat to You Huo, and it wasn't like she acted out like GIN.

So why was she the manager of a rest stop!?

The front desk was startled. Even You Huo was stunned.

They knew that You Huo was more stunned about the fact that a random redhead lady was waving a butcher's knife around, more than the fact that it was Chu Yue (because he had no memories), but seriously, what the fuck!?

What was going on in the future!?

Was it also related to whatever issue had gotten You Huo kicked out? Because they still couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that he had been kicked out when he was one of the biggest supporters of the System.

With GIN also getting his memory wiped, the invigilators were inclined to think that it was some fight between You Huo and Qin Jiu that had resulted in such an outcome... but with how amicably the two were, it was a real possibility that You Huo and Qin Jiu really had nothing against each other, and their own hostility in meetings might be a similar situation to how the moderates banded together to shut the hardliners down in an attempt to prevent the System from smiting them.

But if Qin Jiu and You Huo weren't actually enemies... then just what had happened that had gotten the System to interfere with them both!? And it was something so serious that it made the System wary of even Chu Yue, another fellow Head Invigilator, and demoted her!?

"Is this really some kind of power play!?"

"Did the System really just destroy both its Head Invigilators!?"

"Kicked A out and demoted Z..."

None of them could wrap their heads around it. Even 154, who was more familiar with the System (even if his understanding was more of the old System rather than the current System, or even the future System), couldn't figure out just what the System might be thinking.

"Boss, what are you doing?"

"Oh, it's nothing." The short haired woman said: "I didn't want to eat at the cafeteria today, so I got some things from next door to make something myself."

"Hmm..." Chu Yue peered at her future self, "I think I look quite good, don't I, A, GIN?"

"..."

"Awesome. 10 out of 10!" Qin Jiu grinned, while You Huo nodded alongside him.

Seriously, was that your only thought!? Not the fact that the System would actively sabotage you guys in the future!? The invigilators, and even some examinees internally yelled. The System is actively working against you, demoting you, kicking A out of the System and giving him eye problems, erasing and brainwashing GIN to the point where he can even become the new Head Invigilator, and all you can comment on is about how you look in the future!?

After all this, how can You Huo and Chu Yue still be so relaxed about it!? Or even Qin Jiu, who was presumably close enough to the both of them (much to their surprise) for Chu Yue to drag him along with You Huo during the break to talk about... something.

She lowered the knife and smiled at You Huo: "Wow, a handsome guy! Just finished an exam? Let Xiao Hu register you down."

They were ready to throw hands at this point. Did the System wipe Chu Yue's memories too!?

They all looked at You Huo pleadingly. At least if he didn't care about himself, and maybe he didn't mind too much as long as Chu Yue was safe, even if she had been demoted... but surely he would be bothered at the fact that Chu Yue didn't remember him!?

You Huo barely moved a muscle.

"Handsome guy, am I right?" Chu Yue laughed. Qin Jiu leaned closer to You Huo and rested his head on his shoulder, "Mhm. Totally a handsome guy."

He remove his head before You Huo smacked him. Gao Qi, as well as everyone else, was far too flabbergasted to even comment on Qin Jiu making a move on You Huo.

How are you guys still so chill!?

But Chu Yue really saw no point in commenting how she ended up at a rest stop. She already knew the reason why, and she knew that You Huo didn't want to involve the other invigilators in the plan, precisely because of this; if they failed, at least they were the only ones who had to suffer for it.

No point in bringing everyone else to crash and burn along with them.

And they already knew that Chu Yue didn't exactly have her memory wiped. Ever since entering the System, Chu Yue had let her hair grow out. She's never cut it, and the most she's done was just trim it to ensure that there weren't any split ends. Her hair, just like her life, had remained stagnant as she worked behind the scenes and in You Huo's shadow.

She sliced her hair as a reminder. A reminder that just because her environment was now new and stagnant, filled with nothing... she couldn't afford to sit back and do nothing too. In her opinion, her two allies, one of which was akin to a brother to her, had been completely wiped out.

One had gone missing, presumably killed by the horrible, horrible System that had stolen their lives, and the other had been brainwashed into becoming the new Head Invigilator.

Despite that, she couldn't do nothing. She still held that pain in her heart, and she had to get rid of the System in some way. Even if it took months, or even years, she had to finish what they had started, to ensure that everything they had gone through wouldn't be in vain.

As for her pretending to not know You Huo... it probably was her way of protecting him. If the System hasn't yet been made explicitly aware that its former Head Invigilator was back, there was no point in drawing more attention to him when he still hadn't gotten his bearings on the true situation yet.

With the boss behind his back, the front desk Xiao Hu said to You Huo: "Can I get your name? Let me see how long you guys can stay."

Despite the seriousness of the fact that holy shit, Z actually got demoted, why is the System trying to hurts its two biggest supporters, some people couldn't help laughing that poor Xiao Hu only dared to deal with You Huo because of Chu Yue.

But then again, considering that he had tied up 154 and tossed him into a confinement room, and was most likely able to intimidate 922 into giving him his meal...

Old Yu and the others walked in while rubbing their hands. Hearing their words, his expression wasn't great.

"Just finished an exam? How did you know… "

The examinees all sighed. It wasn't surprising for them to be wary. All of them had been wary and afraid of the first rest stop they ever came across (or was led to); was it just another trick by the System?

Surely with such cut-throat exams that pretty much demolished at least half of the examinees in each group, a place to rest and recuperate was too good to be true...

The boss raised her elegant eyebrow. She smiled like a mountain monster: "Those words are really strange. Please take a look at this line here, okay?"

"A mountain monster?" Chu Yue pouted, "Am I that scary?"

"Considering the last person they met with a knife was a cannibalistic NPC... I'm not too surprised..." Someone sweatdropped.

Chu Yue wasn't usually scary, but she shared the same Head Invigilator position as You "I literally make Invigilators scared of me" Huo; there was no doubt that if she wanted to be scary... she could be scary.

She used her knife to tap at the front desk. The front desk Xiao Hu obediently moved aside to reveal the complete wall. It read: "Examinee's Rest Stop."

Examinee's rest stop?

Everyone's expression had turned even more ugly.

Zhou Jin murmured, "I thought…"

"Urg..."

"They probably thought that they were done with all the exam bullshit."

"It's understandable... the first exams are brutal for those not expecting it..."

"And they just get worse..."

Everyone's mood dropped. The exams were just going to get more difficult from here. Even with You Huo... could he really keep everyone alive?

The boss didn't find this reaction strange: "You thought you weren't far from the city? That's normal. It must be your first time going to a rest stop? Everyone's like this."

Old Yu asked: "Also, what do you mean taking a look to see how long we can stay? We can't decide how long we can stay?"

The boss laughed even harder: "You wish."

Old Yu: "…"

Everyone sighed again.

They could only pray that the System would give them more time because their group was weak, consisted of five poisons. It just wouldn't be fair... but the System was rigid in its rules.

They'd just have to make do with what they were given, despite the severe disadvantage right from the start.

"Alright! No more jokes!" The boss said, "After you complete each exam, you will be given an allocated number of days to rest. These are all in the rules. It's not a matter of staying here as long as you want. Stop wasting time here and hurry up and report your names! Don't block the door."

The tattooed man was unhappy when he heard this. He exploded aggressively: "Fuck this stupid place! It's clearly wanting us to die. You can stay here if you want, I'm leaving!"

"..."

All of them facepalmed.

Of course this tattooed guy was going to be fucking stubborn. They could understand his suspicions... but was he really going to abandon the only respite they had before the next exam?

They couldn't help but feel bad for him. Hopefully, if he really does leave... he could still come back and check-in; standing outside in the snow for a bit might help cool his temper.

What they didn't expect was that the boss was even more aggressive.

She slammed the kitchen knife into the front desk causing Xiao Hu to jump almost three feet high.

Everyone jumped; they weren't expecting that from Chu Yue.

Yep. If she wanted to be scary... Invigilator Z could really be scary.

"Go. If you don't go, then you're my grandson."  The boss said this to the tattooed man and pointed at the door.

Tattooed man: "…"

He glared at her angrily, tightened his collar, pulled up his zip until it reached his mouth and turned out and left.

Someone whistled, "He actually left."

It was rather impressive; like the others in You Huo's group, most people would just follow the strongest person. There was strength in numbers, and by doing something that everyone else was doing, if there were any consequences, at least there was a higher chance for them to figure out a way out of it (at the cost of several sacrifices).

The fact that this short-tempered guy was able to stick to his gut and leave the group... he definitely wasn't a coward. It was actually respectable, in some way, even with Chu Yue's challenge. Many of the examinees didn't think they'd even have to guts to say something out loud to a knife-wielding Chu Yue, let alone act on it.

"Can he... still come back?" An examinee squeaked.

It was sad; despite his short fuse, and his weapon hoarding in the first exam, the tattooed guy really wasn't too bad. He wouldn't make such a bad teammate if he was able to warmup to the group and learn to trust them.

Plus, they didn't want him to die; freezing to death in a snowstorm sounded horrible.

The invigilators all shook their heads.

"Nope..." One of them sighed, "If he still stays within a certain radius of the rest stop, then maybe... but that's unlikely. Registering at the rest stop is what temporarily ties you down to that location. Now that he's left, and he doesn't even have an examinee card... he might have to wait at the crossroads for a bit until the next exam."

They felt even worse for the hot-headed tattooed guy. Sure, he was creating problems for himself... but to be at such a disadvantage even before the second exam...

"But you know how time works different for everyone." Another invigilator cheered them up, "Some people can have an exam lasting two days and others can have an exam lasting two weeks, and still start and end at the same time. Hopefully, the tattooed man would have a shorter stay outside than A and the others at the rest stop."

There was strong tension at the front desk.

The others looked at the kitchen knife lodged in the front desk.  It wasn't a good idea to leave and it also wasn't a good idea to stay. Only You Huo reported his name without a change in his expression.

Some people snorted.

Of course You Huo wouldn't give a shit if some pretty boss lady just slammed a knife into a table a few inches for his face.

He was probably just annoyed that he had to wait even longer for the whole commotion to die down in order to get food, and regretted even more that the answer had been submitted too soon so he couldn't take 922's beef.

Xiao Hu tapped on the keyboard and said: "Found it. You can stay here a total of seven days.

"Seven days. Not too bad." Zhao Jiatong commented.

Everyone else agreed with her. At least, it should be sufficient time for the elderly, Zhou Jin and the twins to fully recuperate. And maybe they could actually procure some proper winter clothing... hopefully without using any points.

Though with how sadistic the System was, there was a high chance that if they actually bought clothes from the store, the next exam they'd be dumped into would be in a fucking volcano or something.

Plus, points were rather valuable, and the difference in one point could be the difference between passing and actually leaving, or dying. None of the examinees knew about it, so hopefully someone would explain it to them soon.

From this moment- "

He turned to look at the clock on the wall: "From 3:12pm.

"That's not right...?" Someone muttered.

The examinees tried to do some calculations.

"The exam started at 5.30pm."

"12 and a half hours, so it ended at 6 in the morning."

"There's no way its already 3pm..."

The invigilators all coughed, "Remember what we said about time being different for each area..."

The examinees response with understanding noises.

You can check out at 3:12pm seven days later. This is your room card."

You Huo received his room card.

The room number was written on the front. You Huo was staying at 404.

"..."

"Wow. Double fours."

"It's an error code."

"How unlucky can you get?"

"It would be even worse if he got 444."

You Huo ignored the superstitious whisperings of the examinees, despite Qin Jiu doing his best to try an muffle his laughter.

The boss glanced at it and added: "Oh that's right. Here we don't avoid any numbers so if you are assigned numbers like 404, 414… It's all life so don't take it too personally. Afterall, even if you don't stay in a room with the number 4, it doesn't mean you won't die, right?"

"..."

"Is it bad that... she makes total sense?"

Everyone blanched at just how casually Chu Yue said that. She truly was on a whole different level compared to them.

Those words of hers comforted everyone there until their faces turned green.

You Huo didn't look up. He turned the card over.

The first line on the back wrote:

Examinee's Rest Stop. Manager: Chu Yue

Below that was something that looked like an examination ticket:

Name: You Huo

Ticket Number: 860451-10062231-000A

"...A?"

The examinees all pulled out their own examinee cards an started to compare them.

Shu Xue didn't take hers out, but Wen Yuan did, and she and 154 peered over to look at his.

Despite the complete variation of completed subjects and total points, one thing was for sure; none of them ended with a letter.

Understanding their confusion, Qin Jiu pulled out his own examinee card, "Mine ends with GI. The letters are used to differentiate invigilators from examinees."

"..."

"So the System totally knows that it's Invigilator A!?" Someone yelped.

Some of the invigilators frowned at that. Clearly the System was aware of You Huo's identity, or it wouldn't have tagged on the A on the back of his examinee card, especially after the code re-shuffling.

So why hadn't it taken action against him yet? Clearly it's had past experience with Qin Jiu being mind wiped and kicked out, only to return and somehow get involved in yet another incident that cause him to be interfered with again...

Was it that confident in its own interference? Did it think that You Huo had suffered enough? Or now that You Huo was officially classified as an examinee, the System couldn't do shit against him, lest it go against its own rules...

If only he would just peer over at Yu Wen's card to check the points or something and noticed his weird ticket number... Sadly, they knew that You Huo didn't care for details like that... especially if he was still hungry.

Completed subjects: Physics

Total points: 19

Boss Chu Yue finally revealed a surprised look: "You got 19 points in one subject. Amazing!"

With the examinees all staring at their own points, they couldn't help but think that You Huo really was amazing. Sure, they already knew it... but You Huo had gotten more points in just one subject than some of them even had after three or four exams.

It was also very depressing; even someone like You Huo could only get 19 points in one subject... those who had already finished four exams were screwed. They didn't even have to finish their last exam to know that no matter how well they did, they were still going fail.

You Huo coldly looked up.

Chu Yue: "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just praising you. Praising that you have a face that brings calamity. You have a good name!"

You Huo: "…"

You Huo raised an unamused eyebrow at Chu Yue, "Really?"

"God of Misfortune, eh?" Chu Yue winked, "But not for the examinees. For the System."

"And us." 154 muttered, and Wen Yuan nodded. Considering what You Huo had done in just his first exam... God of Misfortune indeed.

She didn't wait for You Huo to speak and proceeded to return to back into the house while laughing loudly.

Xiao Hu thought for a moment and told You Huo his rehearsed lines: "Hot water is available, and heating is in place.

"Finally!" Everyone yelled.

The group had been standing in the entrance for far too long in their inadequate clothing.

For those who have just entered, don't rush to heat up your hands and burrow in your blankets. In a moment, I will bring you a bucket of snow and alcohol. You should warm up the exposed arms and legs first before entering.

"... Why? Wouldn't a fire be more effective?" A younger examinee asked. They've heard about using alcohol to heat up the body first... but they never really understood it.

"Ah. Because of frostbite. In severe cases, your skin and underlying tissues can freeze, and is extremely fragile and numb." A more experienced examinee explained, "If you sit near a fire or a direct heat source, it can cause burns or further injuries without you even knowing or feeling it, depending on how bad the frostbite is. The alcohol just makes the skin less brittle."

The meals will be served at 7am, 11am and 5pm. The dining room is on the first floor around that corner. The meal time will go for two hours and it will be stopped at 9am, 1pm and 7pm. The chef has a bad temper, so he won't serve you before or after that."

Some people snorted. Bad temper or no, if You Huo was hungry, he was still going to get his food somehow.

Plus, this Xiao Hu was pretty nice. He explained the layout of the rest stop, and even warned them of the chef's bad temper.

"That has to be one of the nicest rest stop workers I've seen." An examinee admitted.

"Would you be happy being stuck in one place, explaining things over and over again to every single batch of examinees, knowing that it was unlikely that they were going to even survive the next exam?" An invigilator grumpily stated.

They had no intention of being rude, but there was a reason why invigilators preferred to just stay within the Invigilator's District when they weren't being forced to invigilate; looking at so many examinees, some of them still hopeful that they could be free... and knowing that it was unlikely that more than 30% would survive the next day.

It was just fucking depressing.

Still, that was no reason to be rude to the examinees. It wasn't their fault they were stuck inside the System. They all made mental notes to be kinder to the examinees... and prayed that if their future selves were to appear, they wouldn't be such fucking douchebags.

Likewise, the examinees, all understanding of the invigilators' situations and mental states... chose not to hold it against them. After all, most of them had been stuck inside this hellhole far longer than they had.

You Huo heard this and nodded: "Anything to eat?"

Of course, despite being directly told that he wasn't going to be served... the very first thing You Huo would do was to ask for food.

Xiao Hu: "…won't serve you…"

You Huo looked at him.

He looked at You Huo.

Two seconds later, Xiao Hu turned his head and shouted: "Boss! The guests want to eat!"

Everyone burst into laughter. You Huo had only looked at him, hadn't even glared, and poor Xiao Hu had just given up!

The issue was if Chu Yue would cook for them too... if she knew You Huo, there was no doubt she'd help him out. But with her current "amnesiac" state... was she willing to cook for the examinees?

Boss Chu claims to be a superficial person and would do things while taking into consideration other people's appearances.

Fortunately, there was You Huo amongst this group of examinees.

There were some snorts.

Her behavior was a little odd to the invigilators, who never really took Chu Yue as a superficial person... but it was clear that what they didn't know Chu Yue too well, not with how differently she acted in this safe space, far away from the System's eyes. Maybe she could show more of her true self now that she wasn't a Head Invigilator constantly being stalked by the System... or maybe she didn't even remember the System at all.

Who knew at this point? Either way, it was clear that they didn't know her as well as they thought they did, and didn't question her behavior too much.

But to the trio, it was clear that Chu Yue was just happy to see that You Huo wasn't dead, and would probably be trying to feed him even if he wasn't hungry.

And so, they didn't wait long after warming up and they all sat in the dining room eating the dumplings made personally by Boss Chu herself.

Some people whistled. A meal made by Chu Yue, Invigilator Z herself?

What a privilege! That group of examinees was lucky!

Yu Wen shouted saying that he wasn't hungry, but he ate like crazy.

Some people laughed. Yu Wen really was adorable! Good for him! He probably was still growing.

On the other hand, You Huo ate slowly and cleanly. It almost wasn't like he was the one that was hungry to the point where he was considering stealing a meal from an invigilator.

With hot food filling their stomachs, their tense mood finally relaxed.

Everyone started to feel a little drowsy and they leaned against each other in daze.

It really was a rather heartwarming sight, especially the twins looked like they were on the verge of falling asleep by their grandfather's side, but it was also a painful sight.

The fact that such a normal scene like having a normal, calm meal was considered something precious. The System had robbed these children of their lives... because it was very unlikely that they would be able to leave the System alive.

The kids neither had the experience nor the physical power and stamina to keep up with an exam made for military training. They were lucky that they were with You Huo in their first exam, but considering how the examinees for each exam were always being shuffled around...

They didn't want to think about it. It was really just too depressing.

Chu Yue said: "This group of examinees' is very interesting."

You Huo looked at her.

On a snowy day like this, Chu Yue was holding onto a glass of cold beer. She took a sip and explained: "The group that checked in yesterday morning only had three people. Oh–"

"Only three!?" Some people shrieked.

Just what kind of hellish exam had that group encountered!? Sure, maybe they had an exam that had a smaller number of examinees... but from the tone of Chu Yue's voice, she was clearly indicating that it was an exam that had roughly the same number of people as You Huo's exam.

She pointed at the roof: "Except for meals, they basically don't come out at all. They don't even come out for all the meals and would just eat a few mouthfuls. Sometimes they would just sit there in daze or cry."

They all knew that feeling.

A large group of more than ten shredded down to only three... the amount of guilt those people must feel, knowing that they were only able to live because the others had died... the sheer amount of blood they must have seen... having a direct, close-up view of those who had died...

And maybe, they even had to complete their exam while the dead, bleeding corpses of their fellow examinees stared at them with wide, unseeing eyes...

"Three people? What exam did they take? How many people were there when they went in?" Yu Wen asked.

"The same as you." Chu Yue answered as a matter of factly: "Recently all the people staying here at my place have taken the same exam."

"The same one..." Some people muttered, "The hunter one?"

Maybe there was more of a reason why they had been dazed. Perhaps, out of fear the hunter would kill them too, or ha given in to hunger... they had eaten the food that the hunter had given them. Knowing that it was a the flesh of a fellow examinee... or even one that directly died by the hunter's hand some time prior...

Y u Wen: "… Same exam? The hunter one? Only three people left?"

Chu Yue said: "Three people is actually a little few. But at most it's usually five or six people. That's the norm."

Some people shuddered. The norm was five or six surviving out of twelve. A good half of the examinees usually died in the first exam, sometimes, even less.

And You Huo had gotten out with only one casualty. It really was a reminder that Invigilator A was amazing...

"How many groups have you received?" Yu Wen recalled the bald man turning into the hunter and rubbed the goosebumps that formed: "Doesn't that mean that there are lots of hunters?"

Chu Yue said: "Of course not. When I said the same exam, I meant the same exam center. You can only go in after they're done."

They paused.

They thought it would be at least be reasonable or understandable (they couldn't find the proper word, because cannibalism was just too much) for the hunter to have to kill if the examination center was a rarely used one and he only got rarely got food.

But the examination center had been used recently. Twelve people had been cut down to three in the previous group. And yet... the hunter had still complained about not getting food, had still tried to kill a person in the exam despite having maybe five more bodies to eat.

They were ever so glad that You Huo had kicked that nasty piece of shit of an NPC to his death. This wasn't even about survival or hunger anymore. The hunter was killing them for the fun of it.

They should let Qin Jiu loose on that mountain and let him fucking destroy it. He'd probably enjoy it, despite the punishments that came with wrecking an examination center.

She lowered her voice and said secretively: "Did you know? In some exam centers, you can still find some traces left by previous examinees. Last time I heard someone picked up a finger bone and there was also another person who picked up a ring."

"You can give it a try."

"..."

What the fuck was that supposed to mean!?

Everyone looked at Chu Yue. Some were horrified, because who the fuck wanted to go around looking for finger bones... or any bones for that matter... while others were confused because was Chu Yue trying to hint at something?

Did she recover some memories and was trying to pass a message to her fellow former Head Invigilator? Did she think that You Huo's group was interesting and thought it was helpful advice that could help pass the exams, like looking at the traces of past examinees to see where traps might be?

Or did she mean that literally and wanted them to find a ring or something?

Chu Yue shrugged, "It's the future. How would I know?"

...

It was a good point.

Pity it wasn't a very helpful point.