Chapter 2: Regarding my attempt to team up to fight wolves but finding that the dungeon seemed to be incorrect.

“Coming.”

Bai Linlin responded softly, her small hand pressing against the rough wooden door panel before pushing it open.

The light outside was brighter—a simple living room that doubled as a kitchen.

A woman wearing an apron, with a kindly face (though her specific features were indistinct, probably the system’s default “Mom” template), stood beside a wooden table.

On the table sat a vine-woven basket covered with a blue-and-white checkered cloth.

“Did you sleep well, my little darling?”

Mom walked over and naturally reached out to adjust the hood of her red cloak, her movements gentle and practiced.

“Come here, listen to Mom. Grandma is sick and needs something nourishing to help her recover.”

“I baked the most delicious cake, and I also packed a bottle of wine. They’re both in this basket.”

Mom lifted the basket and handed it to her.

It was heavier than expected—Bai Linlin’s arm dipped slightly when she took it.

“You be a good girl now. Follow the little path behind the house straight into the forest.”

“The way isn’t far, but remember: don’t stray from the path, don’t play in the forest, and absolutely do not talk to strangers. Go straight to Grandma’s house, understood?”

Mom bent down, gently patted her head, eyes full of earnest instruction.

Bai Linlin hugged the heavy basket and nodded—while internally speed-running a roast.

Classic lines, incoming.

“Don’t leave the path” — flag planted.

“Don’t talk to strangers” — foreshadowing an immediate stranger encounter.

“Go straight to Grandma’s” — guaranteed something will happen on the way.

“Alright, off you go. Give Grandma my regards. Be careful on the road.”

Mom finished, turned back to the stove, and began wiping nonexistent dust.

Her movements had become slightly repetitive and mechanical—like an NPC who had completed their key dialogue segment.

Bai Linlin picked up the basket and pushed open the back door of the cottage.

A well-trodden dirt path stretched ahead, winding into a forest that looked deep and densely overgrown.

The trees were tall, branches thick; sunlight only filtered through in scattered patches, leaving the woods dim.

The air carried the mingled scent of soil, leaves, and humus.

Her little red shoes (no idea when they appeared) made soft “tap-tap” sounds on the earth.

The basket really was heavy. Not far in, her slender arms already felt sore.

“What kind of death game is this? They didn’t even optimize the inventory weight system? One-star review!”

She muttered, switching the basket from her right hand to her left.

The surroundings were very quiet—only the rustle of wind through leaves and her own footsteps.

Too quiet. It made her scalp tingle.

According to the script… shouldn’t the Big Bad Wolf be showing up soon?

She began seriously considering a very important question.

When she meets the wolf later—what should she do?

Beg for mercy? Act pitiful? Tell him she has too little meat and isn’t tasty?

As she thought, an even more horrifying idea suddenly crashed into her mind. Her footsteps halted abruptly.

“Wait… this is a ‘death game’.”

“Game… so I can’t be the only ‘player’, right?”

“Since I can play ‘Little Red Riding Hood’… is it possible… that the Big Bad Wolf is also being played by a player?”

The thought sent a chill down her spine, yet at the same time, a faint, absurd glimmer of hope appeared.

If the wolf is a player—a human, not a real beast—then maybe she could communicate? Negotiate?

Her brain instantly started playing out little scenarios:

Scenario 1: Pitiful loli begging technique.

She (teary-eyed, voice trembling):

“Mr. W-Wolf… please don’t eat me… I’m so small, I won’t taste good… My quest is just to deliver cake. Maybe your quest is only to scare me a little?”

“Let’s cooperate and clear the stage together, okay?”

Wolf player (stroking chin):

“Hm… makes sense. You’re pretty cute. I could let you go. But you have to give me half the cake.”

Happy End? Possible?

Scenario 2: Cold, hard reality slap.

She (attempting negotiation):

“Brother Wolf player, let’s talk? My quest is to deliver stuff and… uh, kill the wolf. What’s yours? Maybe they don’t conflict?”

Wolf player (grinning, showing sharp white fangs, speaking human words):

“What a coincidence. My main quest is ‘eat Grandma’ and ‘eat Little Red Riding Hood.’ Side quest: ‘avoid the hunter.’ Little sis, look—don’t our quests kind of… cancel each other out?”

Bai Linlin: “…”

Then what the hell is there to talk about! She might not even be able to run!

The other party has four legs!

Her own stubby legs and combat power of 5—she’s barely a toothpick snack!

Survival instinct and gamer brain both ran at full speed.

Direct confrontation? Impossible.

Negotiation? Likely useless.

Then… call for backup?

What’s in the fairy tale? The hunter.

Right—the hunter!

The one who eventually cuts open the wolf’s belly and saves Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood!

If the wolf can be a player, why can’t the hunter be one?

What would the hunter’s quest be?

Very likely “protect Little Red Riding Hood” or “kill the Big Bad Wolf”!

That aligns perfectly with her own goal!

Natural teammate!

“Find the hunter!”

Bai Linlin made the decision instantly.

Rather than pinning hope on the wolf player’s “mercy,” finding a teammate with the same objective was far more reliable.

The problem… where is the hunter?

In the story, he only appears after the wolf has eaten Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood.

Right now the wolf hasn’t appeared yet (or is hiding somewhere), and Grandma hasn’t been eaten—so would the hunter be nearby already?

She continued walking along the path while warily scanning the surroundings, hoping to spot a figure in hunting clothes carrying a rifle.

The basket felt even heavier.

After walking for perhaps ten or fifteen minutes, the path curved around a bend, revealing a small clearing.

In the clearing lay a fallen dead log.

On the log sat a person.

A man.

He looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in dark brown leather hunting attire, an old-fashioned double-barreled shotgun leaning against his leg.

He was looking down, wiping a dagger with a cloth. His side profile had sharp, hard lines.

Bai Linlin’s heart gave a violent thump.

Hunter!

He actually appeared!

And so early!

She took a deep breath, adjusted her expression to look like an innocent (and urgently needing help) little girl, and walked toward the clearing.

“Um… excuse me, are you Mr. Hunter?”

She spoke, deliberately softening her voice.

The man looked up at her.

His gaze was first alert and assessing—sweeping over her red cloak and the basket in her hand, seeming to confirm something.

“Little Red Riding Hood?”

His voice was low and deep.

“That’s me.”

Bai Linlin nodded, while staring intently into his eyes, trying to determine whether he was an NPC or a player.

She decided to go straight to the point, lowering her voice to a volume only the two of them could hear.

“奇变偶不变?” (Qí biàn ǒu bù biàn?)

The man’s hand wiping the dagger froze.

He looked up, one eyebrow raised, a flash of obvious astonishment—and a trace of… absurdity?—crossing his face.

“…符号看象限?” (Fúhào kàn xiàngxiàn?)

He replied hesitantly, in a tone that screamed “what the actual fuck.”

Yes! Player!

Bai Linlin almost cried with joy—the excitement of “finally finding my people” surged up.

But she forcibly steadied herself and continued probing.

“宫廷玉液酒?” (Gōngtíng yùyè jiǔ?)

The man:

“…一百八一杯?” (Yī bǎi bā yī bēi?)

“地球是圆的还是平的?” (Is the Earth round or flat?)

“Round, but some idiots online think it’s flat.”

“耶斯莫拉!” (Yes mora!)

“…What the hell is that? No clue. But ‘Aoli give, just do it’—that I understand.”

Confirmed!

Definitely not an NPC!

A living, breathing player!

Bai Linlin almost rushed forward to grab his hand (but held back). She asked urgently:

“What’s your quest? Is it to protect Little Red Riding Hood, or to kill the wolf?”

The man—Hunter player—slid the dagger back into his boot, stood up.

He was much taller than her and had to look down.

“My main quest: ensure ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ survives, and kill the ‘Big Bad Wolf.’”

“Side quest: investigate the root cause of the forest anomaly.”

He was concise.

“And you? Deliver the cake, and then… kill the wolf?”

“Yes!”

Bai Linlin nodded vigorously, like she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

“I’m Bai Linlin, combat power 5. Basically just cute and useless. Killing the wolf is 100% impossible for me alone. Team up?”

The hunter player studied her small frame; a trace of helpless amusement flickered in his eyes before he quickly hid it.

“Lin Yan, 21. Combat power… never mind, a bit higher than yours.”

“Teaming up is fine. But my quest is to keep you alive—so in theory, you listen to me and don’t run off on your own.”

“No problem!”

Bai Linlin agreed instantly.

Big thigh to hug—being obedient is nothing!

“We head to Grandma’s house now? According to the story, the wolf might be lying in wait there, or might already be on the way.”

Lin Yan nodded and shouldered the shotgun.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk with you. You go ahead; I’ll follow a distance behind to avoid alerting anyone. If something happens, I’ll handle it.”

The plan was solid.

Bai Linlin immediately felt much more secure.

She picked up the basket and set off again down the path.

Lin Yan followed leisurely about ten meters behind, his sharp gaze constantly sweeping the surrounding woods.

The rest of the journey felt… strangely off.

Too smooth.

No “Mr. Wolf” jumping out to chat.

No odd noises.

Not even the trace of any large animal.

Only wind in the leaves, birds chirping, insects humming.

Sunlight danced through the branches in shifting spots.

Bai Linlin started feeling uneasy.

Something’s wrong.

Where’s the wolf?

Even if the wolf player decided to go straight to Grandma’s house and wait, why is the atmosphere along the path so unnaturally peaceful?

Does this game not have forced plot triggers at the start?

She secretly glanced back at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan was also frowning slightly—clearly noticing the anomaly.

He gripped the shotgun tighter, growing even more alert.

In this inexplicable calm, they arrived at a small wooden cabin deep in the forest.

The cabin looked quite old. No smoke rose from the chimney; doors and windows were tightly shut.

The little garden in front had flowers that were somewhat wilted.

This was “Grandma’s house.”

Bai Linlin stopped outside the picket fence, her heartbeat speeding up uncontrollably.

The basket handle was damp from her sweaty grip.

Calm often means the silence before a storm.

The wolf was very likely already inside the house—or watching from somewhere nearby.

She turned her head and mouthed silently toward Lin Yan’s distant position:

“Arrived. Should I go in?”

Lin Yan nodded. Concealed behind a large tree, he raised the shotgun, its barrel subtly aimed toward the cabin’s door and windows.

He gave her a “be careful” gesture, then pointed to himself—indicating he would cover her.

Bai Linlin took several deep breaths.

Scared. Still very scared.

But remembering the shotgun behind her, and a teammate (even if only temporary), a little courage returned.

She pushed open the creaking fence gate, walked the short gravel path, and arrived at the cabin door.

The door was tightly closed.

She reached out; her small palm pressed against the cold, rough wood.

Her heart pounded like a drum.

She looked back once more toward Lin Yan’s hiding spot and received a firm nod from him.

Then, she gently knocked on the door and called out in the sweetest, most in-character voice she could manage:

“Grandma, are you there? It’s Little Red Riding Hood. Mommy sent me to bring you cake and wine.”