Players, Please Board the Train

”We were looking for Jia Xuyang,” Huang Junjie sighed. ”Who knew we’d run into the Headhunter Demon instead.”

”What was that idiot thinking crawling into tunnels anyway?” Wan Zhikang grumbled, rubbing his forehead where he’d bumped into walls twice underground.

”He was probably hiding from the Headhunter Demon,” Xu Huo said. ”Trying to wait out the game somewhere safe.”

”No wonder he took so much food this morning - he already knew about the secret passages,” Zhang Xiong sneered. ”Served him right for going alone.”

”Did you really see the Headhunter Demon just now?” Wang Wei eyed Xu Huo’s group skeptically. ”Don’t take this personally, but you’re the only ones claiming to have encountered it while everyone else just heard rumors.”

”You think we’re lying?!” Yuan Yao exploded. ”Look at Brother Xu’s neck! Nearly got strangled to death - still bleeding!”

”It’s true, absolutely true!” Abel stammered in his excitement. ”No head! No legs! Floating! Strong! Couldn’t hold it down!”

The livid bruises on Xu Huo’s neck were visible to all. While Wan Zhikang and Zhang Xiong muttered about countermeasures, the Rich Kid and Liu Yuanyuan exchanged glances without speaking.

For safety, Huang Junjie proposed everyone remain in the main hall, which met no objections. They settled in to wait for nightfall. Xu Huo, his neck injury barely helped by the healing potion, stayed apart from the Headhunter Demon discussions, leaning against the doorway while smoking and flicking his lighter.

In the tunnels, he’d deliberately thrown the lighter once before using the Arsonist’s Tools. As expected, the black cloak was a special item that couldn’t be ignited. The Headhunter Demon appeared tall, but removing the floating head and invisible legs revealed a normal male height. Though unable to touch its body during the strangling, Xu Huo confirmed someone was inside that cloak - later proven when Abel pinned it with the large cross.The unaccounted players during the attack were the Rich Kid, Liu Yuanyuan, Zhang Xiong, Wan Zhikang, and Wang Wei - meaning the Headhunter Demon’s player was among them. Xu Huo’s gaze swept over the five until Liu Yuanyuan suddenly gasped, leaping up to point at the entrance: ”Headhunter Demon!”

Xu Huo spun to see a black shadow lunging through the doorway, smashing the chandelier! Glass rained down as players scattered. Amid the chaos, Zhang Xiong roared: ”Bring it on, bastard!” The Headhunter Demon crashed to the floor before slithering into the right corridor like a snake.

Seeing Zhang Xiong land a punch, Huang Junjie rallied the group: ”Quick! Don’t let it escape!” Several gave chase. Xu Huo followed, watching Zhang Xiong sprint toward the storage room before cutting off Abel, who was hefting his cross. ”Stop chasing.”

”Why?” Abel asked as his cross dissolved into foam again. Under everyone’s deadpan stares, he scratched his head awkwardly. ”It’s my prop ’False Cross’ - duration’s unpredictable. But the Headhunter Demon isn’t that strong! We cramped in tunnels, but here-”

”Forget it. Back to the hall.” Xu Huo turned without a glance toward where Zhang Xiong vanished. Yuan Yao and Abel looked baffled, but Huang Junjie suddenly realized: ”Why didn’t the others come out?”

”Maybe circling around...” Yuan Yao began when Liu Yuanyuan came running, face bloodied, screaming: ”Headhunter Demon’s in the hall!”

”What?!” The group sprinted back. The hall lights were dead, corridor illumination barely revealing the sprawled bodies and expanding blood pools. Xu Huo’s flashlight showed Wan Zhikang and the Rich Kid in gruesome repose - necks nearly severed by a single cut, connected only by flaps of skin, eyes wide with dying horror.

”How?!” Huang Junjie’s voice shook. ”If the Demon was here, who were we chasing?”

”Where’s Wang Wei?” Xu Huo’s light pinned Liu Yuanyuan’s face.

Sobbing into her hands, she whimpered: ”I don’t know! Didn’t he go with you?”

”...My fault! If I’d stayed to help... But I panicked when Zheng told me to run...”

Xu Huo cut off her weeping coldly: ”Dead men don’t need tears. Find Wang Wei and Zhang Xiong.”

”Here!” Wang Wei called from outside, entering to gape at the carnage. ”What happened?”

Ignoring the question, Xu Huo demanded: ”Why were you outside?”

”When you all chased it, I tried flanking through the courtyard...then realized I was alone.” Wang Wei forced a laugh. ”Got scared by myself.”

Xu Huo’s expression hardened. ”Find Zhang Xiong!”

Huang Junjie’s group hesitated. ”Given this...Zhang Xiong’s probably dead too. Wait till dawn!”

”And if we meet the Headhunter Demon...” Liu Yuanyuan shrank back fearfully.

Xu Huo gave her a icy look. ”Stay if you want.”

Her face froze as she sought support from others. Yuan Yao stayed silent. Huang Junjie wavered, but Xu Huo’s determination and the mysterious deaths decided him. With four of six going, Liu Yuanyuan and Wang Wei had to follow.

They found Zhang Xiong quickly in the storage room - same death as the College Student: slumped against the wall, head missing.

”Impossible!” Yuan Yao gasped. ”Does it clone itself? Killing Zhang Xiong while murdering the others?”

Huang Junjie eyed Liu and Wang suspiciously. ”Unless there’s multiple Headhunter Demons?”

”What’re you implying?” Wang Wei scowled. ”That I killed them?”

”You claim you went to flank it, yet returned alone after Zhang Xiong died.” The tunnel attack’s shock had distracted Xu Huo earlier - all players were underground but not together. Someone could’ve killed Jia Xuyang first then ambushed them.

”Think about the game mission: ’Protect our heads.’ ’Our’ doesn’t mean individual players - it’s factions. If there’s ordinary players, there must be a Headhunter Demon faction!”

”Meaning you and Liu Yuanyuan...are on the Demon’s side!”