Chapter 9 Am I going to die

Ruan Qing's running speed wasn't particularly fast, not even as fast as a normal child, yet he was already finding it difficult to catch his breath.

But Ruan Qing dared not stop. That eerie feeling was haunting him, and every cell in his body was screaming at him to flee. It was as if stopping would bring about something terrible.

Ruan Qing didn't forget that he was the target of the Terror Live Room. Once chosen, he wouldn't survive for three days, let alone seven.

Moreover, he had been selected before he entered the game, meaning he had been targeted for at least seven hours.

He didn't believe that the killer hadn't found him yet, nor did he believe that the killer would spare him just because he was pitiful.

The alley wasn't particularly long, but it wasn't short either. Further ahead was the bustling street near the entrance of the Elegant Bar.

Although it was midnight, this area was known as the sleepless city, and there were still many people walking around on the streets due to their irregular schedules.

As long as he reached the main street, even a murderer wouldn't dare to act so easily in broad daylight.

It had been a long time since Ruan Qing had engaged in such intense physical activity. His heart was starting to feel uncomfortable, his body was breaking out in a cold sweat, but he didn't stop.

The alley was pitch black, with the light from the street lamps in the distance barely illuminating the path.

But the vigorous exercise made breathing difficult for Ruan Qing, and his heart began to beat rapidly, as if it couldn't bear the strain. It was probably due to lack of oxygen, and his brain began to feel congested, making his vision blur.

In this state, Ruan Qing could barely see the road ahead, and he had to rely on his instincts to run.

"Thud."

"Thud."

"Thud."

The rhythmic sound came from the darkness, much closer this time, as if it was right next to him, making his scalp tingle inexplicably.

This time, Ruan Qing finally confirmed that he wasn't imagining it.

It was... footsteps!

Ruan Qing's heart sank, but he didn't dare to look back. He even increased his speed and ran forward.

But even if Ruan Qing wanted to speed up, his worn-out body couldn't support it. Because of the intense exercise, his heart began to ache violently.

Unprepared, Ruan Qing slipped as if he had stepped on something, and his body fell forward.

His pupils contracted, his eyes widened, and he fell directly to the ground. The next second, he felt intense pain in his hands and knees.

He probably scraped them.

Tears filled Ruan Qing's eyes from the pain, making him look pitiful.

But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He tightly covered the location of his heart, his fingers turning white from exertion, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain in his heart.

This kind of pain was all too familiar to Ruan Qing.

It was the precursor to a heart attack.

Gasping for breath, Ruan Qing coldly asked the system in his mind, "I'm having a heart attack. Am I going to die?"

Ruan Qing had a heart condition.

Since he was a heart patient, he would naturally have medication on him.

But this was just data generated by the system using his body. It wasn't his real body, and the original owner didn't have a heart condition, so there couldn't be any medication for treating heart disease.

Having a heart attack without medication was an extremely dangerous situation.

The system's voice remained calm and emotionless, "No, this body is just generated based on your body's data. But this won't directly cause your death. The game gives everyone a fair chance."

Ruan Qing sneered silently. Wouldn't lead to direct death? Indeed, experiencing heart pain and collapsing wouldn't directly lead to death, but it could become the indirect cause of his death!

Since it wouldn't directly cause death, Ruan Qing gritted his teeth against the pain and stood up, intending to continue running forward.

However, as he knelt on the ground, trying to get up, he felt a cold, hard sensation behind his head.

Circular.

Ruan Qing wanted to believe it was an iron rod, but before he could process it, he heard the sound of a mechanical hammer being triggered, which could be lethal.

In this situation, all it took was a gentle pull of the trigger on the device, and he would be instantly killed.

Ruan Qing's expression froze instantly, his body stiffened in place, not daring to make any movements.

The person behind him didn't seem to want to kill Ruan Qing instantly. After Ruan Qing remained still, the trigger wasn't immediately pulled.

Ruan Qing's face was almost devoid of color. He tightly pursed his lips, saying nothing and not struggling, as if awaiting a final verdict.

The distance to the street was less than five meters now, and the streetlights were enough to faintly illuminate this dark alley.

If someone looked closely, they could vaguely see a man holding a wooden club aimed at a girl sitting on the ground.

The man smirked lightly, calmly speaking with a hint of elegance in his voice, "See, this is much better."

The man's voice sounded familiar to Ruan Qing. In the instant the man spoke, Ruan Qing remembered who he was.

It was Ji Yan, the man he had knocked unconscious with a vase in the room just moments ago.

Ruan Qing lowered his eyes, saying nothing.

The silence of the girl didn't anger Ji Yan. He ruthlessly grabbed the girl's hair, pressing her fiercely against the wall, with the club against her waist.

Though his actions were merciless, his tone remained unchanged, as if having a normal conversation with Ruan Qing, "Do you know the outcome of the person who hurt me last time?"

Ruan Qing glanced at the man without saying a word.

The early autumn night wasn't cold. The moon, which had been obscured by dark clouds, was gradually revealing itself, casting a silver glow.

Finally seeing the girl's face, Ji Yan, who had been following her, was momentarily stunned by her fierce expression.

Perhaps because of the rush just now, the girl's face was flushed, sweat dripping all over, even soaking the hair scattered on her forehead.

But she didn't look as disheveled as one might expect. Instead, the sweat made her exquisite face appear pure and seductive, with a hint of allure.

It was as if she was a mandala flower blooming on the road to hell, emitting a decadent aura, so beautiful to the bone, enticing people to willingly fall.

Ji Yan had been quite angry about being hit just now, but at this moment, the strangeness made him less angry.

But the person in front of him seemed to never learn.

First, she provoked Gu Zhaoxi and ran away. Now, she provoked him and wanted to escape.

He wasn't someone who would give others a chance to escape.

Ji Yan smiled, a smile that made people feel uneasy.

He put the wooden club back in his pocket and took out a short knife instead, then flipped the girl over to face him.

Whether it was the club or the knife, Ruan Qing had no confidence in escaping from this man's hands, so he didn't struggle, just stood stiffly.

Ji Yan used the knife to sweep away the hair stuck to Ruan Qing's cheek.

Perhaps because the knife was too sharp or because of excessive force, a few strands of hair were cut off.

Ruan Qing glanced at the knife on his cheek, fear and anxiety evident in his beautiful eyes. Subconsciously, he wanted to retreat.

But there was a wall behind him, and there was no way out.

As the knife slid down Ruan Qing's face, its icy temperature deepened Ruan Qing's fear. Tears streamed down his cheeks like pearls, but he stiffened his body, not daring to move, because any movement would surely result in the knife cutting his skin.

Ruan Qing's exquisite appearance made him look like a fairy from a painting. When he cried, it seemed like the whole world was wrong, making people unable to resist wanting to comfort him. But seeing Ruan Qing's tears, Ji Yan didn't feel any pity. Instead, it excited him.

The knife continued to slide down, carrying an indescribable meaning, directly picking off the first button on Ruan Qing's coat.

Then the second.

The third.

The fourth.