Hunter's Game 2: Terror Valley - Chapter 6

One week earlier.

“Li Mo, this game in Terror Valley is different from the ones before it.”

Lu Yu’ang, my boss and friend, sat opposite me with a grave expression.

I lounged comfortably on the sofa, looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the glittering city at night.

Hunter Corps headquarters occupied the seventy-ninth floor of a downtown tower, high enough to command a view of the entire city.

Hunter Corps was a company devoted to training professional players for Black Goat.

Black Goat itself was a live-action bounty-hunting game that had exploded in popularity around the world in only a few years.

And I was one of the professional players Hunter Corps had trained—a so-called “hunter.”

“There’s no time limit and no player limit for Terror Valley,” Lu Yu’ang continued. “According to our intelligence, players began entering the valley half a month ago.”

That finally pulled my attention back to him.

He handed me an agreement. “This is the informed-consent form. Read it.”

I took it, lit a cigarette, and leaned back on the sofa, turning the pages carefully as smoke curled around me.

“Terror Valley was originally called Katre Valley. It is a real place, but it belongs to no country. It is a world unto itself.”

“Katre Valley has no civilization and no law, only the ancient law of the jungle.”

“This game contains seven classes of stages ranked by difficulty, from one star through seven stars.”

“A player who clears a stage receives a badge matching its difficulty. Clearing a four-star stage, for example, awards a four-star badge.”

“Games of four stars or below may not be repeated. Failure results in immediate elimination and a one-million-dollar fine.”

“To prevent veteran players from revealing game content, every game of four stars or below is offered only once. Seven days later, Black Goat will release a new game at the same difficulty with different content.”

“Five-, six-, and seven-star games permit a second attempt. However, the player must sign a life-or-death wager and have a microbomb implanted in the brain. If the second attempt also fails, the system detonates the bomb and the player dies.”

“Regardless of whether anyone clears the second attempt, the game will be removed afterward. Seven days later, Black Goat will release a different game at the same difficulty.”

“Note that games above five stars carry no financial penalty, but a second attempt stakes the player’s life.”

“Star badges are vitally important. Ten stars may be upgraded into a scepter badge, which unlocks six- and seven-star stages.”

“Players who possess star badges are called hunters in Katre Valley. Three stars make you a three-star hunter; nine stars make you a nine-star hunter.”

“A player who obtains a scepter badge receives the title of Priest. Anyone who clears all seven difficulty levels—twenty-eight stars in total—earns the title of High Priest and the High Priest’s Treasure.”

“In addition, a High Priest receives a five-hundred-square-meter presidential garden suite at Katre Valley’s Starry Sky Hotel, with lifetime usage rights. Sale, rental, and all other transfers are prohibited.”

“There is no time limit for Terror Valley. The game lasts indefinitely. However, players who enter may not leave at will. Only those who obtain a scepter badge and the title of Priest may freely enter and exit.”

“Katre Valley has one currency: Katre coins. They cannot be exchanged for currencies from the outside world and may be used only within the valley. Players earn coins by clearing stages.”

“If a player dies in Katre Valley, Black Goat bears no legal liability and will pay no compensation.”

“Finally, Katre Valley has no law. All criminal acts are permitted.”

“This is the game’s informed-consent agreement. Please sign.”

I read it carefully, then signed my name.

Lu Yu’ang raised an eyebrow. “You’re really going?”

I nodded. “Remember the zombie game? Someone left me a note. He insisted I enter this game and retrieve a finger bone.”

“A finger bone?” Lu Yu’ang frowned.

I drew a note from my pocket—the message Li Keji had hidden inside a doll and passed to me.

“Li Mo, I wrote this in haste and hope you find it. There is no time to explain. Please enter the next Black Goat game. It will be an escape game. Find a place called Wali Village and seek out the One-Eyed Witch. Give her a bottle of strong liquor, and she will take you to a hidden crypt. Inside is a skeleton. I need you to cut off the bone of its left ring finger. Once you have it, I will find a way to meet you.”

Lu Yu’ang looked utterly baffled. “Who is Li Keji?”

“A brilliant scientist at Black Goat’s experimental base on Moran Island.”

That only confused him more.

With a sigh, I played him the video of Jiang Peng and Zhou Lili’s secret conversation.

“Black Goat was hiding something this enormous?” Lu Yu’ang exclaimed when the video ended. “This Li Keji looks formidable. But why does he want that finger bone? What does it do?”

“I don’t know. If I want answers, I have to go to Terror Valley.” I carefully put the note away.

“No wonder you’re so eager this time. I knew something was up.” Lu Yu’ang gave me a teasing look.

I laughed awkwardly.

“Oh, one more thing. According to our intelligence, a wanted serial killer has slipped into Terror Valley. Be careful. The place is outside the law and has no extradition treaty.”

“A murderer?”

“Yes. They say he’s a master of disguise. His nickname is Charlie the Magician.”

“All right. I’ll watch out.”