Die Now Episode 8 Recap
> Die Now Recap
Returning to his hospital room, Xia Chi discovers several missed calls and realizes he hasn't seen Qing Zhi in two days. He rushes to find her in the park, where Qing Zhi, upset by his long disappearance without contact, makes him promise never to be unreachable again. They pinky swear. During Xia Chi's time in the game, Seventeen will wait outside for him. The third game officially begins as Xia Chi re-enters the End Brain game.
He and other players find themselves in a small forest, each with a silver suitcase. The GM greets them, and Xia Chi, noting the GM's "naughty" way of speaking, wonders if he is Meng Qin's split personality. The GM introduces the rules for this round, an 11-player "team vs. individual standard battle." Ten players form a survival team, and one player acts as the killer.
The first victory condition for the team is to have at least two players survive after nine days, earning everyone five points. The second victory condition is to identify the killer with irrefutable evidence within nine days, earning everyone nine points. If the number of team players drops below two within nine days, the team fails, and everyone loses five points. Players are forbidden from revealing personal information (violators are eliminated) and from investigating personal information (investigators are eliminated).
Team members cannot attack the killer (attackers are eliminated). Any accusation against the killer must be supported by "ironclad" evidence; mere speculation or inference is insufficient. As players discuss the rules, Player 6 (male) mentions he has played eight times and this is his first time encountering a one-versus-many scenario, implying the killer is formidable. Immediately, the GM announces Player 6's elimination for leaking personal information, stunning the group with an early loss.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Player 11, Bo Bian (male), the killer, stands up with his suitcase, a refined smile on his lips. Back with the team, Player 8 (male) is the first to open his suitcase, finding only daily necessities. As he checks and lists the items (two bottles of mineral water, a food bag, tissues, and an emergency light), the GM announces his elimination for leaking personal information.
Player 7 (female) bravely volunteers to experiment, confirming that opening the suitcase is safe as long as it's done with one's back to others. Xia Chi opens his suitcase, finding only two bottles of water. He secretly realizes this amount is insufficient for nine days, deducing that the killer's best strategy might be to remain hidden, forcing the team to reduce their own numbers to conserve dwindling drinking water. He concludes that "team survival" is a facade.
Xia Chi attempts to address the group, but Player 7 stops him, pulling him aside to discuss the water situation. Player 7 tells Xia Chi that demanding certain players sacrifice themselves for water would be unacceptable to anyone at this point. Player 2 (male), an explorer, calls out to them, dismissing their private discussion and proclaiming the forest has abundant food, which he can find. He leads the team to a stream, where they joyfully set up camp.
Player 2 collects a bucket of spring water, but after taking a sip, he dies. Panic ensues. Xia Chi (Player 10) steps forward, asserting that such game rules are normal, but is criticized for his "cold comfort." Player 7 intervenes, calming the group and suggesting they pair up as it's getting late. Player 7 and Xia Chi (Player 10) form a pair. Player 6 (male) and Player 9 (male) form another pair. The remaining three girls form a separate group.
Later that evening, Player 1 (female) approaches Xia Chi, regretting her participation, constantly fearing for her life. She claims she would sacrifice herself for the team if internal conflict arose. Xia Chi, however, distrusts her, speculating that if conflict erupts, the male players would likely form an alliance, leading to the probable elimination of all female players, who might then seek protection prematurely. He observes that everyone is looking out for themselves.
Early the next morning, Player 6 prepares a self-defense weapon, and Player 7 offers him a cup of water. Another player dies abnormally, found with a poison needle in the neck. Player 9 (male) discovers the body and swears he saw and heard nothing. When it's time for the two on duty, Player 9 gets up to find Player 7, but Player 6 suddenly collapses.
Player 7 speculates that the steel needle was fired by a weapon, its silence indicating it's a projectile weapon. Xia Chi counters that even projectile weapons have a range limit for accuracy and force, with ten meters being the maximum. Player 7 interrupts, suggesting the killer must be nearby and they should stay together, as acquiring proof of the killer's identity could end the game early.
Xia Chi agrees, also concluding that the killer is aggressive and not waiting for them to self-eliminate. By the seventh day, Player 9 (male) becomes extremely paranoid after Player 6's death, screaming that a squirrel is the killer and refusing to move. He shouts for the killer to reveal themselves, calling them a coward. Player 7 goes to the toilet. Soon after, Player 9 also suddenly declares he needs to go to the toilet.
A system prompt quickly announces another player's abnormal death: Player 9 has been killed. Player 7 cries, stating it was a close-range throwing knife. Xia Chi thinks of Bo Bian and sees a playing card, concluding that Bo Bian is indeed the killer. Player 7 suggests they all split up, believing the killer won't be able to find them all within seven days. She and her team head in the opposite direction.
From his separate location, Bo Bian looks at his phone, which displays the "perfect dead body shape," and ominously says, "Little darling, wait for me." After Player 7 leaves alone, Xia Chi contemplates the vastness of the game's available space. He realizes the killer could have killed Player 7 but didn't, inferring a system rule that limits the killer to one kill per day. As night falls, the cold night feels desolate to the group.
Xia Chi instructs the other girls to sleep while he stands guard, devising a plan to lure Bo Bian into killing. In the early morning, Player 3 (female) and Player 4 (female) go to the toilet. Player 3 is gagged with a towel over her mouth and nose, while Player 4 is knocked unconscious with a wooden stick. When Xia Chi and another girl wake up, they only find Player 4, who has purple lips, indicating poisoning. Xia Chi deduces that Player 3 must have been kidnapped by the killer, ensuring the killer doesn't exceed their one-kill-per-day quota.
