Doomsday Carnival Chapter 7

7th Eight person roundtable game and Vote

He was killed. Strangled to death.

His eyes were protruding, three black fingerprints appearing on his neck shows the murderer’s neat actions

Lin Yi Ning saw bruises in his arms indicating that he may have struggled. He is a person who is not willing to die but then his situation is more terrible that what he imagined– when there is no possibility to struggle when he encountered the ghost.

He stood, went to the gangster, and let his eyes shut.

“Do you know fake compassion now?” The referee’s child like voice echoed and full of malice: “I killed him, no, it’s you who obviously killed him, you know? I’m going to kill two people next time if you’re going the play the game like this.”

“It’s your fault!” The number four girl loudly cried, beating her boyfriend’s chest and said: “I told you that the houses in this parts are not clean, but you wanted to live somewhere cheap and now we’re going to die! What should I do?”

The boy did not contradict her and pulled his girlfriend into his arms.

“It’s a half-time break. You can digest all of this.” The referee said.

Lin Yi Ning tried to calm himself down and look around.

If he is not mistaken, this is a living room of a residential area. The walls are painted in a fresh, light blue color with cultural tiles on the background of the TV. The room’s interior is fresh and clean with details that are full of ingenuity, so that people will get a bright and refreshing feeling.

The place where they sat now should be the dining table. He shifted his gaze to the floor-to-ceiling window where the view was excellent and seems to be high-rise.

High-rise, 33 floor?

Almost subconsciously, he linked the two clues together.

“Dang~ dangdang~ dangdang~” The referee interrupted Lin Yi Ning’s thought. “Think well. If you think about it, play the game well.”

The remaining seven people could not help but breathe tightly.

“The next clue. When it died, it was not just one person.” The referee said. “Oh… you should like this theme, prove to them that you are not a ghost.”

The first one to speak is the number two, that is, the middle age man. He scurried and said: “I live on the third floor ah. You should all know me, Xiao… Xiao Lin…” He was referring to Lin Yi Ning: “I helped you when your father died!”

Indeed, during Lin father’s funeral, he came to take advantage of it. Lin Yi Ning is not willing to say anything on this topic, and did not pay attention.

The number three and four is a couple who lives on the same floor as Lin Yi Ning, whose feelings are quite good. The first one who speak was number three who took the keys and papers from his pocket and threw them on the table.

“My girlfriend and I can prove each other. We have been together since 3 PM and have not separated since then.”

The papers are his ID card and driver’s license. The rest of the people circulated the documents to each other and nobody expressed dissent.

Number five wore a salesman uniform. Following the number three, he also took out documents in his pocket, pulling out a cellphone and said: “My registration information is online, I really received orders to come here.”

Number three raised his hand, and the referee snorted and motioned for him to speak.

“Which one are you sending the take out?”

“401.” Said number five.

“Who opened the door?”

“The door was not closed. I pushed open the door and arrived here.” Number five motioned at them to look at the corner where a piece of noodles was placed. “The order information is written by Ms. Lou, the telephone number is 1324565423.”

Number three raised his hand again and indicating that his question has been answered.

Number six a taciturn otaku. He thought for a moment and said: “I was out to throw the garbage then go back home. I did not bring my ID or cellphone so I don’t know how to prove myself.”

Followed by number seven, a beautifully dressed woman in her early thirties. She took out her ID in her hand bag and pushed it in the middle of the table. “My job is special. I often go out early and return late. As for my proof…” Her eyes turned to circle the group and laughed: “I accidentally bumped into number two, big brother should have a lot of peaches.”

The face of number two rose to the color of a pig liver.

The last is number eight, Lin Yi Ning.

He opened the Wechat page in his phone and pushed it to the middle: “The owner.”

Its now time of deliberation after the eight speakers are finished. This time, the referee did not say time limit.

The first one to say his mind is number three, he asked: “Want to vote?”

“Vote! Of course we’ll vote! If we vote, one person will die. If we do not vote, two person will die. Why will you not vote?” The middle-age man hurriedly said: “Maybe we will catch the ghost. Who is it?”

“If its not caught, then aren’t we sending someone to die?” The girl in number four questioned loudly.

“What are you yelling at me for? We have no other way around this thing!” The middle-age man stood up and scolded back: “Since you are so kind, then this time why don’t you die! Go!”

The girl’s boyfriend took a hold of her.

The boy’s gaze turned to Lin Yi Ning: “I want you to explain what you know now.”

Lin Yining said: “Have you ever played a game? The system can’t be said.”

“Well, then I propose that all the people in here will vote for you. You have experience. If we have to choose a person to sacrifice, you have a higher likelihood of surviving compared to others.”

“If you say so, then I suggest the same to everyone. The person who started the game will dominate the flow and want those who have a significant clues to die. Isn’t that the purpose?”

The boy sneered: “Don’t shift the topic.”

“Can’t say what can’t be said.” Lin Yi Ning said indifferently. “Instead of fighting with each other now, its better to analyze the existing clues. I know the second, you, and the fourth. Then the remaining three people has a greater chance of being the ghost, don’t you agree?”

“I agree!” Seeing Lin Yi Ning exclude him, the second hurriedly followed.

“I disagree!” Said the sixth otaku.

“How do you know that the ghost did not kill someone and then took their place? You and that things looks very familiar with each other, I also think that you’re the most suspicious one.” The otaku said.

The middle-age man, number two butted in: “Are you even qualified to say that when you don’t even have any evidence to prove yourself?”

Number six took Lin Yi Ning’s phone and logged in to his account: “I would not have said that if I knew that a group could be used as an evidence.”

He signed in to his account which showed his information in the owner’s group.

The middle-aged man was speechless.

The beginning of their topic was completely lost. Now, they are not analyzing the currently situation, but climbing over each others head. The whole scene is a mess.

During their quarrel, Lin Yi Ning withdrew from the war. He opened the tablet and looked at the records of their words.

He now currently in the most dangerous situation at the moment. Number three has clearly shown dissatisfaction with him, number four is a girl who have no idea and will most likely follow her boyfriend’s choice. Number two is the wall grass that will sway towards the direction of the wind, and sitting next to him is number three whom if the number two saw the two people voting for Lin Yi Ning, he may not follow suit.

Just because there are a total of six votes, if three choose Lin Yi Ning, then he is absolutely safe.

(T/N: whaat? How is 3 out of 6 safe??)

Now he needs more convincing evidence to prove himself.

He looked around again. The ghost on the 33 floor. This place is also pretty high up. Does that mean that this is home of the ghost? Or is it a home before the ghost?

But none of the six people have the temperament that matches the house.

So that means the ghost died here?

The clock on the wall ticked, and the time shows that its now 10 o’clock. This is not the time when Lin Yi Ning came in, so what’s the importance of this time?

Suddenly, Lin Yi Ning noticed a detail.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling window, he saw a ferris wheel.

The city has a ferris wheels, but what he saw is something he is most familiar with. The ferris wheel, which can be called a landmark of the city, was demolished on the year he graduated from high school.

“Gentlemen.” Lin Yi Ning stopped their quarrel: “Can I have a look at your cellphone?”

“Why?” Number three asked him: “You want to wash white the suspicion on yourself?”

“Yes…” is what Lin Yi Ning just wanted to say but was interrupted. Its the referee.

“A clever idea.” The child chirped: “But the time is up. You can do the planning on the next round.”

This time, the voice is different from the illusionary state it was before, being more clear. Lin Yi Ning’s line of sight followed the sound to a small table by the floor-to-ceiling window, where there was a glass water cup with a clear red lip print on it.

[T/N: a woman? Or the clown?]

“Well,” he went on and the referee’s voice rang again, “Please start voting. If you do not vote this time, you will see the ghost directly.”

The burnt smell that gradually dissipated returned once again around everyone, scaring people to shiver.

Lin Yining thought for a moment and wrote down number seven.

Failing to prove himself placed him in a tight spot and now he can only hope that they will not be emotional. The small couples prove themselves so they are excluded. The evidence that number five gave is complete thus being excluded. The rest are the number two, middle-age man; the number six, otaku; and the number seven, gorgeous woman. No, the second gave him a sense of familiarity so he is convinces that this wretched old man is really himself. There are more that one owner group in the account of number six, the ghost will not have such a new game.

When everyone finished voting, the lights went dark again. This time is not like the previous one. It shows boundless darkness, like its two or three o’clock in the morning of a cloudy day, with the darkness outside.

“Let us announce the results of the votes.” The referee said: “This time, the one who receives most of the votes is… Yes, that’s right, number eight!”

Lin Yi Ning had a premonition about the results and did not feel much surprise. He quietly observed the expression of all the others at this moment.

Number two looks relieved, and the rest are indifferent with a little expectation. Only the number four seems a little nervous and guilty. She couldn’t look at Lin Yi Ning.

Lin Yi Ning has no other feelings. When the referee announced the result, he felt like he was in a void. In this space of nothingness, because of the silent darkness, you will not be able to see anything.

In such a space, a faint fire from the corner lit up and then the burning becomes larger and the whole space was swallowed up. Within the flames, a petite figure crept up.

The ghost is a woman. This is Lin Yi Ning’s first reaction, and then the second one was– she was burned to death?

At first, the ghost crawled slowly and then it moved faster and faster, almost rushing with the flames, its wide mouth screaming as if in pain, or excitement.

My bow–

He shouted in his heart, but he was trapped in the rules of the game, and he can’t even lift a finger.

Now out of the range of the fire, the female ghost stood up and slowly came towards Lin Yi Ning and he can feel the heat of her body. Her burning skin was crackling and the thought of the sensation that he touched before suddenly made him realize.

Was the one he met before a charred corpse?

He felt that he was a little calm now. Trying to take out his bow and arrow again, yet he still failed with no result. At this time, he felt something in his trousers pocket.

A small round bead.

What the hell is this?

When the flames of the female ghost almost burned Lin Yi Ning, he suddenly felt that his eyes went dark, as if he was transported to another space in general. When he went back, Lin Yi Ming felt that now he can finally move.

He quickly retreated, and a broken bow appeared on his hand.

The surrounding flames were constantly absorbed by the bow and arrow, and the female ghost was enraged.

Lin Yi Ning clearly felt that the energy within the bow gradually filling up, gathering into his hands, and then—

Boom!

The female ghost was blown into a broken corpse.

“Congratulation on your compression of the the skill, Hydrogen Long Arrow. Skill description: a long arrow made up of hydrogen. As long as there is a spark next to it, it may cause a big explosion, but usually there is no egg to send out”

“Your painting style has always been hydrogen~” [T/N: "您的画风一直也很氢气呢~" I have no idea what this means.. anyone??]