Hunter's Game 2: Terror Valley - Chapter 9

Seeing Eugene’s name did not surprise me as much as I had expected.

Eugene—the sole survivor of the previous Witch’s Liquor game.

He had suffered injuries, but nothing serious. His current record stood at ten stars.

Ten stars could be exchanged for a scepter badge, granting the title of Priest and the right to stay at the Starry Sky Hotel.

To be honest, his record did surprise me. Terror Valley had not been open long. Reaching ten stars so quickly marked him as an expert.

The player database offered little beyond names, photographs, and records.

No one knew what had happened in the previous Witch’s Liquor game, what the six players had experienced, or how it had ended with five dead and one injured.

It seemed I would have to enter the forest to clear the fog before my eyes.

Out of curiosity, I searched for Aku too. His record was four stars, so before Eagle Eye he had evidently cleared a one-star game.

After checking the information, I called Lu Yu’ang.

“Hello. I need your help with something…”

I spent five days resting at the Cloud Hotel and explored every corner of Wali Village.

Naturally, I also saw the famous Starry Sky Hotel.

It occupied a vast tract in the center of the village. Its 109 detached suites each had a pool and private courtyard, all screened by tropical vegetation.

There were also ten five-hundred-square-meter presidential garden suites. Anyone who cleared all seven classes of stages and became a High Priest received permanent usage rights to one of them.

The hotel was strictly managed. Only players bearing the title of Priest could stay there.

A mere hunter like me had to remain obediently at the nearby Cloud Hotel.

Not far from the Starry Sky Hotel lay Wali Village’s shopping district.

I strolled through it with my hands behind my back, growing more astonished at every turn.

Just as the staff member had said, Katre Valley sold advanced technological products found nowhere else—but at ruinous prices.

In one weapons shop I saw laser guns, plasma shock cannons, laser pyramids, and all manner of devastating weapons.

Unfortunately, such black technology was far too expensive. Most items started above five hundred coins.

I also visited pharmacies and item shops. In short, nothing sold on this street could be found in the outside world.

That was probably one reason Terror Valley attracted so many players.

Katre Valley, a land free from legal oversight, was fertile ground for unrestricted trade.

On the evening of the sixth day, Eugene invited Aku and me to dinner at an upscale local restaurant.

I took a car there. The instant I entered the private room, Eugene approached warmly with a raised glass.

A scepter badge glittered brilliantly on his chest.

“Hey, buddy, welcome! Tomorrow we enter the Misty Forest. Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight. Once we’re in there, we may not get another drink.”

I accepted the glass and took a cautious sip.

I had no idea whether this dinner was a trap. But I had already boarded the pirate ship. I might as well let events unfold and counter whatever came.

Aku sat inside and greeted me politely.

Soon the three of us were gathered around the table, eating heartily.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but as I leaned back in my chair, I felt pleasantly tipsy.

Still, I forced myself through the haze and addressed my companions. “There’s something I’ve been wondering. Do either of you know about it?”

“Know about what?”

Full and content, Aku answered lazily, his words arriving in my ear through the simultaneous-translation headset.

Since entering Katre Valley, I had removed that headset only to sleep or shower. People here spoke languages from every corner of the world. If I could not understand them, I might miss vital information.

“I heard six people entered the first Witch’s Liquor game. Only one left the Misty Forest alive. The other five died, and no one cleared the stage.”

Aku nodded. “I saw that trending video too. Roger Lewis—the outdoor adventurer. He had hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers. Hard to believe he… died here.”

“Do you know who survived?” I asked, eyes half narrowed, though I already knew.

“Me.” Eugene swirled the wine in his glass and smiled meaningfully.

I stared straight at him. “How did the other five die?”

My bluntness made him pause.

After a long moment, he sighed. “I wasn’t hiding it maliciously. I was afraid you’d be too scared to go if I told you.”

“Something is wrong with the Misty Forest. It’s like a maze. I kept hearing animals growl, but I never saw one. I wandered for three days and found nothing. By sheer luck, I made it out.”

“I didn’t know the other five. Everyone went their separate ways. Only after I escaped did I learn I was the sole survivor. Ah…”

Regret crossed his face.

I did not believe a word.

Roger Lewis had said clearly in his video that the six players had vanished one after another until only he remained.

If they had no connection and traveled separately, how could Lewis have known they disappeared? Eugene’s story contradicted itself.

“Under Terror Valley’s rules, a second attempt at a five-star game requires a life-or-death wager and a microbomb implanted in your brain. Are you really so sure you’ll win this time?” I pressed coldly.

Eugene took a confident drink. “It’s my second attempt, so naturally I’ve prepared. Besides, there’s something in the witch’s graveyard that I want very badly.”

“What?”

He smiled mysteriously. “One of the treasure chests contains a hidden Terror Valley stage.”

“A hidden stage?” Aku and I exclaimed together.