Chapter 19: Hopscotch

No thanks. Uncle is already playing a game, one called Weird Tale, an especially crappy and especially scummy game.

It took considerable effort for Zhou You to suppress those words. Then he racked his brains trying to remember how his various aunts used to coax children, and began imitating them convincingly.

“Little brother, what game do you want Uncle to play?”

Unfortunately, the child paid absolutely no attention to his performance. In fact, it seemed not to care about his answer at all. Instead, it smiled and shouted into the alley.

“Someone else has come to play a game! Everybody, let’s see what we’re playing this time!”

As a result,

Numerous heads began emerging from the charred walls.

At first there were only children’s faces, but very quickly the appearances became increasingly varied. There were old people and young people, men and women. In the blink of an eye, faces covered the entire alley.

And every single face shouted the same phrase in unison.

“Play a game!”

“Play a game!”

The cries rang endlessly in Zhou You’s ears.

Although they were all shouting “play a game,” what he felt from them was a different meaning entirely.

Namely:

“Join us.”

“Player has triggered side quest: Escape.”

“Requirement: Pass through this ‘Locust Tree Alley’ by any means necessary.”

“Reward: Based on the player’s performance before this scenario, the player will receive a corresponding green talent.”

Hearing the system notification, Zhou You muttered to himself,

“What is this? The mandatory mini-game that every legendary RPG comes with?”

“Uncle, what are you talking about?”

The man immediately curled his lips.

“Nothing. Uncle was just complimenting you for being kind, adorable, and handsome.”

“Really?”

The child tilted its head as though unable to understand.

But very quickly, that innocent yet cruel smile returned.

“Then, Uncle, do you not want to play a game with us?”

The instant those words fell, the temperature in the alley suddenly soared.

It felt as though a furnace had been ignited without warning. Intense heat began roasting the surroundings, and even Zhou You’s skin started to sting from the burning sensation.

Meanwhile, all the faces gathered within the ashes turned toward him simultaneously.

Every one of them revealed an expression of eager anticipation.

Clearly, they were very much looking forward to hearing his answer.

But Zhou You completely ignored them.

He glanced at the charcoal-like hand gripping his arm, then displayed an even friendlier smile.

“How could that be? Uncle here loves games more than anything. Really, from the bottom of my heart. I just don’t know how you’re planning to play.”

“Hmm...”

Resting its chin on its hand, the child seemed to ponder seriously for a while before turning toward the wall covered in countless faces.

“I’m having trouble choosing. What do all of you want to play?”

“Live Dissection!”

“Hide-and-Seek!”

“The Prestige!”

“Chinese Chess!”

“Hopscotch...”

“Hopscotch...”

All the voices gradually converged until they became a single shout.

“Hopscotch!”

“All right, it looks like everyone has decided.” The child smiled. “Uncle, then please play hopscotch with us.”

Zhou You smiled back.

“No problem at all. I just don’t know how you want to play.”

“It’s very simple.”

The child pointed at the alley ahead.

“There are lots of squares beneath this alley. Uncle only needs to jump onto the correct ones and keep going until he leaves the alley.”

“...That’s all?”

“That’s all~”

“Then... aren’t you going to sing?”

The innocent smile instantly cooled.

The child stared at Zhou You for quite a while with its pitch-black hollow mouth hanging open and an incomparably cold gaze fixed upon him before finally saying,

“It seems... Uncle has already received some information in advance. But I should tell you beforehand as well. Even if you know the rules, this game won’t be so easy to clear. Please prepare yourself.”

“Remember, I will sing. But after I finish, Uncle will only have five seconds.”

As soon as it finished speaking, the floor of the alley underwent a sudden transformation.

And Zhou You immediately understood what it meant by “not so easy.”

Numerous faces surfaced from the ground as well.

Unlike those on the walls, every face on the floor bore a picture.

And every one of them had already opened its mouth wide.

Those pale eyeballs stared fixedly at Zhou You, eagerly anticipating his making a mistake...

Then having them bite down with a Crunch and sever him in a single mouthful.

The next moment, the song began.

“A man has died,”

“A man has died,”

“A worthless man has died,”

“Too lazy to bury him in a grave,”

“His head rolled beneath the bed.”

“His limbs lay scattered throughout the room.”

Mother Goose rhymes? This question is practically being handed to me.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou You jumped forward and landed on a face depicting a dismembered man.

The face indeed did not bite down.

Instead, it let out a miserable scream and immediately retreated back underground.

A chorus of disappointed sighs rose from all around.

The child did not seem to care.

After pausing for roughly five seconds, it continued singing.

“A crooked man,”

“Walked along a crooked road,”

“Holding a crooked sixpence, climbing a crooked stair,”

“He bought a crooked cat, the cat caught a crooked mouse.”

“They all lived in a crooked little house.”

Still Mother Goose rhymes.

This time, Zhou You unhesitatingly jumped onto a slanted and misshapen face.

“Very impressive, Uncle. But now I’m going to increase the difficulty.”

The burned child cleared its throat before speaking again.

“The orphanage is filled with laughter and joy.”

“The director and the aunties are gentle and kind.”

“There has never been pain or crying here.”

“All disobedient children will be sent into the operating room.”

Zhou You froze.

This one was not a Mother Goose rhyme.

But it was not any nursery rhyme he knew either.

Nevertheless, the moment the song ended, he quickly found the corresponding image, a head with a surgical knife stabbed through its eyeball, and jumped onto it without hesitation.

He remained completely unharmed.

But the song behind him grew increasingly rapid.

“Each day there is less food and water.”

“Each day the aunties’ scolding becomes more frequent.”

“There are no longer any sweet dreams in the orphanage.”

“Among countless wounds,”

“The remaining bones are so cold.”

Zhou You swept his gaze around rapidly.

Finally, he found a face depicting a morgue and forcefully leaped onto it.

Fortunately, he landed safely.

Yet the singing continued.

“But one day, a great lord visited this place.”

“He was dressed in luxury, adorned with gold and silver.”

“He stood in stark contrast to the pitiful children.”

“The great lord said to the children,”

“I have delicious food.”

“I have warm rooms.”

“Who wishes to come with me?”

“The children raised their hands high.”

“Me, me, me!”

“But no one knew what a miserable fate awaited them.”

Zhou You jumped onto a face painted with a tragic mask.

But before the next nursery rhyme could begin, he raised his head in confusion.

Wait.

This nursery rhyme...

It doesn’t seem to exist solely to make things difficult for me?