Free Web NovelChapter 938: Chapter 890: The Wildlife Protection Act Last Appeared Three Years Ago
"Group Three entered the tired square as soon as the first round began, halting for one turn. They couldn’t act again until the third round." Liu Ruyan recalled the situation in the first round, "Back then, the instance had just started, and the four groups hadn’t lost any players yet. Because the players were unfamiliar with the instance, they hesitated a lot and took almost until the countdown ended to make a move."
In this situation, stopping for one turn...
"Each round, both the Chess Player and the pieces have a one-minute action countdown. In the earlier rounds, every group’s hesitation time added up to one and a half minutes, which totals to six minutes for four groups in one round. Additionally, there was one minute of rest time during each round. After Group Three entered the tired square, their time in the square should be two rounds plus two rest periods, equaling fourteen minutes." Liu Ruyan calculated the time Group Three’s pieces stayed in the tired square, "Of course, this calculation isn’t entirely accurate, and there’s bound to be some error, but the error shouldn’t exceed four minutes."
That would mean the pieces of Group Three stayed in the tired square for over ten minutes right from the start, which contradicts the rules stated.
The game rules clearly state that pieces aren’t allowed to remain in a room for over ten minutes, but the time spent in the tired square has clearly exceeded the limit.
"Speaking of the mechanics of the tired square, we should have noticed this from the beginning." Liu Ruyan suddenly squinted, "The rules clearly state that pieces cannot stay in a room for over ten minutes, yet Group Three encountered the tired square in round one, requiring a halt. Why didn’t we question this inability to stay for ten minutes? Neither of us is stupid, so why didn’t we think of this?"
Not only did Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan fail to consider this, but even 007 in the starting room didn’t realize it.
Liu Ruyan continued, "It’s strange, as if from the very beginning we subconsciously blocked the issue of the tired square and the ten minutes conflict from our minds. This rule about not staying in a room for ten minutes seems like a superficial rule, like it was temporarily added, and violating it doesn’t really have any punishment."
If it’s useless, why add it?
"Rules can be temporarily added, but the board layout can’t be changed quickly, leading to conflict. And the instance has somehow made us subconsciously ignore the conflict." Liu Ruyan glanced around the room they were in.
After observing for a while, she continued, "Another curious thing is that every time we encounter the tired square, 007 always rolls a two, conveniently moving past the tired square to the next grid. The instance doesn’t seem to want us... no, it doesn’t want you to linger in the tired square.
"When Group Two’s pieces entered 007’s room, a ghost wanted to assist her, probably because the instance feared 007’s death would leave no one to command us. If the Chess Player died, you would remain in a room indefinitely.
"In summary, it seems the instance doesn’t want you to stay in a room for over ten minutes. That ten-minute rule was perhaps hastily added out of panic upon seeing you enter, but it’s pointless and serves only to intimidate you."
Did that really intimidate me? Gu Mian felt filled with questions.
As if noticing Gu Mian’s thoughts, Liu Ruyan added, "Anyway, the instance just doesn’t want you to remain in a square for over ten minutes."
Actually, when the third round ended and the instance went into maintenance, the time each piece on the board spent in the squares exceeded ten minutes, including Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan.
But at that time, the instance seemed to use some strong shielding method, severing all connections with the outside world, making even special items unusable.
During the maintenance pause, Gu Mian remembered there was an announcement—
"While the instance is paused, game time will also pause. Please do not worry about the rule forbidding more than ten minutes in a single room."
At that time, it was a complete severance from outside connection...
According to the instance, when completely severed from outside contacts, it’s acceptable to stay in a room beyond ten minutes; when not severed, it’s prohibited.
Gu Mian suddenly spoke, "I think the Evil God might not be in this instance at all."
"Have you thought of how to find him?" Liu Ruyan asked.
While the two were talking, a door appeared on the wall from where they came.
This round, Group Four could take action—Hao Laoshi had arrived.
And it looks like the Chess Player of Group Four didn’t make Hao Laoshi follow their exact path but instead chose a shortcut directly down and then left into their square.
Upon entering, Hao Laoshi patted his chest with relief, "Scared me to death. Last round I saw you leaving through a door on another wall, but this round our Chess Player didn’t have me follow the path you left, opting for another direction. I thought I wouldn’t run into you at all. But I ended up moving two squares into empty rooms, so lucky!"
When leaving Hao Laoshi’s room, Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan first moved right, then down, followed by two squares left.
This time, the Chess Player of Group Four rolled a two and led Hao Laoshi directly down and left, taking a shortcut to Gu Mian’s room.
"It seems Group Four’s Chess Player is quite considerate, not planning to send their pieces ahead of us to grab the treasure chest." Liu Ruyan looked at Hao Laoshi, who arrived in the room.
"Huh?" Hao Laoshi was confused, looking at Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan questioningly.
As Gu Mian wanted to clarify the situation in the tired square, Hao Laoshi arrived, so he asked directly, "Can you use special items while in the tired square?"
But then, considering Hao Laoshi might not need special items in the tired square and thus wouldn’t think to take them out, Gu Mian changed the question: "Can you open your game panel in there?"
Gu Mian was merely trying to confirm whether other players are cut off from the outside in the tired square, just like during the maintenance.
But Hao Laoshi might not have attempted to open his game panel inside...
"I can." Hao Laoshi answered.
"You can?" Gu Mian was surprised, not expecting Hao Laoshi opened his game panel to check inside the tired square.
"After you left, I was alone in there feeling quite scared, so I wanted to check the friend list to give myself some courage... My family is still in the list, and even though I know the list is grayed out in the instance, knowing something is there gives some peace of mind..." Hao Laoshi scratched his head.
Gu Mian remembers Hao Laoshi once told him that he had family, and for them, he desperately entered instances to earn Game Coins.
Now, Hao Laoshi’s family should also be with him in the big organization led by Guigu.
"When you need to stay in a square for more than ten minutes, the instance will cut off the connection between this place and the outside world, but when other players stay in a square for more than ten minutes, the instance doesn’t care at all." Liu Ruyan looked at Gu Mian, "You seem quite special; if you stay for more than ten minutes, it might attract some monsters, hmm, are there any messages in the group?"
Liu Ruyan looked at the group chat with new messages, only to find that the new message was sent by Gu Mian.
[Gu Mian]: 007, try to drag the prescribed route to the countdown almost ending in the next round.
[007]: Okay, now four 605 squares have been covered, I see you’ve encountered two empty rooms again; are there still no Evil Gods in the new squares?
[Gu Mian]: No, but I have a rough idea of how to find him now.
didn’t say much and asked them where they want to go in the next round.
Gu Mian said anywhere is fine.
"You intend to stay in this square for more than ten minutes," Liu Ruyan saw through Gu Mian’s plan, "the condition that instances can’t stay for ten minutes is clearly a rule meant to fool you."
Gu Mian is very suspicious that the Evil God is currently not in this instance, but is outside using a special item similar to [Big Data Search] to find him, but the Evil God needs him to stop moving for ten minutes to locate him.
And this instance clearly knew this from the beginning and does not want him to be found by the Evil God, so it set the rule of not staying in one square for more than ten minutes and used some unknown means to make them unaware of the conflict between this ten-minute rule and the tired square.
At the same time, the instance sent ghosts to assist 007 when the second group of pawns attacked 007, fearing that if 007 died, Gu Mian would stop moving.
And during the ten minutes of maintenance, the instance also deliberately cut off the connection between this place and the outside world, preventing the Evil God from accurately searching for his location.
But this instance seems unable to cut off the connection between here and the outside world for a long time, otherwise, it would not need to set the ten-minute rule to confuse people.
Which world’s instance is this? Gu Mian frowned.
Is the Evil God an entity of the Low-Dimensional World or a key figure in the Paradise World, why would this instance obstruct the Evil God, who is also from the Low-Dimensional World?
Moreover, the Evil God could also be blocked by this instance...
It could be considered a "god," but being blocked by this instance for so long without being able to enter, could the designer of this instance also be someone of very high status?
"Huh?" Hao Laoshi watched Gu Mian from the side, "Are you not leaving, are you stopping? But, but we have a countdown, if we don’t leave within a minute after the Chess Player has selected the route for us, I’m afraid something terrible will happen."
Yes, if the countdown ends without leaving, who knows if the instance will send ghosts to kill them or directly erase them.
If ghosts come, it’s still manageable, but if they are directly erased...
Gu Mian isn’t worried about the Low-Dimensional World erasing him, but if Liu Ruyan and Hao Laoshi don’t move, they might be in danger.
From entering this room until now, he has already stayed here for five minutes, and ten minutes have already half passed.
By the time the next four group starts moving, ten minutes will be almost up.
It’s just unknown how the Evil God will appear when ten minutes are up, and whether the instance will be shut down immediately after the Evil God appears.
Gu Mian thought, taking out a piece of paper from his pocket.
Liu Ruyan immediately recognized the paper: "Wildlife Protection Act?"
[Wildlife Protection Act]
[Introduction: "The moment it gets stuffed into the mouth, the Wildlife Protection Act takes effect!"]
[Function: Fill in the player name in the ’Wildlife’ section of this regulation, and the player will be immediately added to the wildlife protection list. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, all pursuits and harm targeting that player will be restricted shortly. Each player’s name can only be filled in once.]
[Supplement: The player who fills in another’s name is the enactor, the higher the enactor’s intimidation level, the stronger the effect of the Wildlife Protection Act, and the longer it lasts.]
This is a special item Gu Mian obtained in the Old World, and he shared origins with Liu Ruyan.
The "Wildlife" section can fill in ten names in total.
Previously, when Chu Changge, 007, Xiao Qiao, and the Fortune-teller were pulled into the Twilight Gods World, Gu Mian had filled in their names in the Wildlife Protection Act, and now only six spaces were left in the name section of the protection act.
Although the surroundings may all be empty squares, just in case, Gu Mian still took out a pen and filled in Liu Ruyan and Hao Laoshi’s names, as no one knows if the ghost that left nearby has returned.
As soon as Gu Mian finished writing the names, a door appeared on the wall in front.
