Chapter 41

Chapter 41

After two hours of torment in the escape room, the fourth night finally drew to a close.

Luo Xi sat in a daze for a moment. Once he had recovered a bit of strength, he began to wander around again.

Although his body was on the verge of exhaustion, this critical moment—without the ghost nun and the lion on patrol—was the perfect time to scout out others’ situations.

…All the more so with a cloaked traitor stirring up trouble behind the scenes; letting one’s guard down would come at an even greater cost than expected.

Luo Xi carefully hid the small pistol in the back waistband of his little dress pants, trying to move silently through the shadows.

He hadn’t been lurking long when two strange noises came from behind him.

Luo Xi immediately ducked behind a cabinet, frowning as he peeked out.

It turned out to be Du Li and Wu Junhong, who had just been ejected from the instance.

Both of them were injured, but Du Li was in worse shape. Supporting her bleeding leg, she climbed up from the floor and sneered, “This time I finally beat you. Admit it or not?”

Wu Junhong’s gaze was dark. “…All my shards were stolen. Now I only have two left.”

Du Li shot back, “So what? You think I have a lot on me? And even if I did, I wouldn’t give you any!”

With that, she walked away smugly, limping along.

The more Wu Junhong thought about it, the more dire his situation seemed. Suddenly, he lunged at Du Li from behind.

Du Li was caught off guard as he covered her mouth fiercely. Terrified, she struggled madly and even stabbed at the back of Wu Junhong’s hand with the sharp edge of a gem.

Blood spurted instantly from Wu Junhong, and he recoiled in pain.

Du Li shouted in panic, “What are you trying to do?! You’re the traitor, aren’t you?! Were you trying to kill me?!”

Wu Junhong, panting, reached out with a cold glare. “Give me the shards.”

“In your dreams!” Du Li turned and fled.

Unfortunately, her injured leg made her easy to catch, and Wu Junhong barely had to exert any effort to close the gap.

Hidden in the shadows, Luo Xi deliberately nudged a wooden plank by his foot.Wu Junhong, caught completely off guard, stumbled and nearly fell.

Du Li turned around in a panic, staggered a few more steps forward, and saw that her Pinocchio doll, which was patrolling for her, had just arrived from ahead. Desperately, she scrambled toward it in distress. “Hey! I’m over here!”

Wu Junhong, having regained his strength, stopped in frustration. By the time he looked around again for anything suspicious, Luo Xi had already slipped quietly away from the scene.

The long, dark night had finally passed. Only one day remained before the fate of each streamer would be decided.

Although only Luo Xi, Xi Yu, Du Li, Wu Junhong, and Fei Ling remained alive, with two undiscovered traitors still lurking in the shadows, the situation was volatile and no one could afford to relax.

The morning sun shone on their young faces, only to reveal a heavy gloom.

Half-awake, Xi Yu clutched his festering stomach and crawled over to Luo Xi with difficulty. He gave a weak smile. “You okay? Find anything?”

Luo Xi stared blankly into his big eyes, not saying a word.

Xi Yu asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Actually, Luo Xi had always remembered the dream he had while in shock—amid the raging flames, someone who called him “A-Yu” had risked everything to save him.

Who was that person? Could it be Xi Yu standing before him now?

After all, Xi Yu had been the first to say the name “A-Yu.”

Could it be that they had known each other before?

Could it be that Xi Yu… had once liked him? Otherwise, how else could that spring dream be explained…

Luo Xi’s expression grew even stranger.

Xi Yu, confused, jabbed at him. “Are you possessed or something?”

Luo Xi finally snapped out of it, suppressing the emotional waves inside, and responded with a strange smile.

Xi Yu, clearly in pain from his wound, had no energy to say more. With no answer, he limped off in an attempt to rest nearby.

Luo Xi hurried to support him. “Didn’t you take hemostatic medicine? Why are you still so crippled?”

“I thought you weren’t going to say anything normal today.” Xi Yu replied lightly, “The bleeding’s stopped. It just looks inflamed. It’s fine—I’ll manage.”Luo Xi gritted his teeth. “With what little hope I have left, I’m begging you one last time—don’t leave the safe house tonight. If you can’t gather enough gems, just kill me.”

Xi Yu rejected the goodwill. “There’s a vote tonight. No need to hide.”

Seeing the two of them walking farther and farther away, the dazed Fei Ling quickly caught up and said, “Wait, we should talk this over.”

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow.

Fei Ling’s eyes were puffy as she spoke in a small voice, “We should talk about who we’re voting out.”

Xi Yu supported Luo Xi’s arm. “Alright, if you’re both up for a discussion, I’d like to hear what everyone thinks too.”

Du Li was the first to speak, showing obvious hostility toward Wu Junhong. “Who else could it be? It’s obviously this guy! Think carefully—he’s never had good intentions toward anyone since the start! Even those who followed him, like You Xue and Wang Qi, ended up dead because of him. And us—who here hasn’t suffered at his hands?”

Wu Junhong responded in frustration, “Those were all legitimate strategies. If I were a traitor, how would I have lost my gems?”

Du Li shot back, “Who knows if that was just a staged act?”

Wu Junhong immediately pointed at Fei Ling. “Then maybe she staged it too.”

Fei Ling shook her head frantically. “I didn’t! Luo Xi searched me—I’m definitely innocent.”

Luo Xi stood off to the side, grinning, not taking part in the argument.

Meanwhile, Xi Yu scanned each person slowly with a suspicious expression.

Fei Ling pressed him, “What do you think?”

Xi Yu finally spoke calmly, “Let’s sort through the facts—the traitors number two. Besides being unkillable, meaning they can’t be eliminated, they also have the ability to help the nun intercept us. Yesterday, I saw it with my own eyes—a traitor was wearing a little black cloak. If I’m not mistaken, only traitors who died in the mini-games end up dressed like that.”

Fei Ling nodded vigorously. “Exactly! Guan Sheng and I were attacked by someone like that. And I’m pretty sure it was a man! If Luo Xi hadn’t rescued me, I’d still be hanging there right now.”

Xi Yu responded with a sound of agreement. “First question—did we all encounter the same traitor? In other words, have both traitors already died in the mini-games?”

Du Li snapped, “How are we supposed to know that? Stop talking nonsense, will you?”

Xi Yu continued, “A dead traitor can’t participate in the games, that much is clear. So, second question—besides the gems they carry when they die, do they have any other way to earn points?”

Wu Junhong looked serious. “If they do, it must be related to helping the nun catch us. But that’s just speculation.”Xi Yu nodded. “So, the true motivations of the traitors are unclear. Without evidence, anyone who firmly claims someone else is the traitor is just acting on personal grudges.”

“Heh, so what you’re saying is…” Du Li spat. “We just don’t vote?”

Xi Yu looked toward Luo Xi.

Luo Xi finally stepped forward. “Actually, it’s simple—we do have a way to prove things. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Fei Ling thought for a moment and said softly, “At the very least, the traitor did steal my shard! If we all take out our gems now and explain exactly how we got each one, then naturally… we’d be able to clear suspicion from the five of us.”

Wu Junhong protested. “Revealing that info does more harm than good.”

Luo Xi replied, “Then we’re out of options—just gotta guess.”

Fei Ling grew very uneasy. “Then who are you planning to guess?”

Luo Xi blinked. “Well, based on my observations, I’m pretty willing to rule the five of you out. So the people I’m still suspicious of are three. First, Zhao Zhusheng, that dead bastard—he threw the game, acted smug before dying. If he wasn’t a traitor, I’ve lived for nothing. Second, You Xue—her behavior was suspicious. You could say it’s because she was timid, but can a coward really make it to the advanced rounds? For any experienced streamer, the ultimate goal in these games is to win. The fear of being eliminated and reset outweighs everything. So what was she afraid of? If you ask me, she really was trying to steal all five shards and make it to the final day…”

Du Li protested, “I don’t believe it! She wouldn’t be that dumb!”

Xi Yu immediately countered, “Dumb? If you started the game as a traitor, knew you could steal every day, and had a safe house you could hide in indefinitely, wouldn’t the optimal strategy be stealing and hiding?”

Fei Ling lowered her head in thought. “Makes sense. So who else?”

Luo Xi crossed his arms. “Obviously Guan Sheng.”

Fei Ling’s beautiful eyes widened. “Just because he saved me?”

“Yeah, just because he played hero.” Luo Xi shrugged. “I don’t find that kind of choice logical—especially coming from a Yuntai artificial human.”

Fei Ling slowly clenched her fists. “Could you try being a little bit good and kind for once?”

Luo Xi scoffed.

Fei Ling immediately pointed at Xi Yu. “Then what about him? Why are you always protecting this rookie streamer? If Xi Yu were the one in danger like I was, wouldn’t you want to sacrifice yourself?”

Xi Yu answered calmly, “Of course he wouldn’t. Who would? Honestly, I think Luo Xi’s suspicion makes sense. Guan Sheng probably knew he was a traitor—dying didn’t matter to him. But the way he felt about saving you wasn’t fake either.”

Fei Ling couldn’t argue logically, but her mind was full of the look in Guan Sheng’s eyes when he was taken away. She mumbled, “I just know he wasn’t.”"After all that talk, each person only gets one vote. So what's the conclusion?" Wu Junhong countered. "The vote with the most tallies will count, right?"

Du Li glared at him and spat, "Quit pretending. Just wait."

Wu Junhong suppressed his anger.

Luo Xi said, "Anyway, don’t forget what the demon said—if we vote correctly, we get to split the traitor’s gems. No matter what, we should vote for the most suspicious person with the most gems."

Fei Ling: "You Xue?"

Luo Xi curled his lips into a smirk. "If you and Wu Junhong really had your shards stolen, I don't think you'd question my conclusion. Five shards is the highest possible number. Everyone else has been actively playing the games and gaining rewards. She’s the only one who stood out—it’s just too obvious."

Wu Junhong relaxed his shoulders. "I agree."

Du Li immediately snarked, "If this Wu guy is actually the traitor, he’s probably thrilled right now."

Luo Xi shrugged indifferently. "Then I guessed wrong—so what?"

Then he added, "Alright, Xi Yu needs rest. I'm done wasting time with you all."

Xi Yu silently let Luo Xi pull him away.

In the cold wind blowing through the corner of the ruins, Luo Xi took off his jacket and tossed it to Xi Yu. "Get some sleep."

Xi Yu shook his head. "I’m not tired. You should sleep—your eyes are bloodshot."

Luo Xi: "I’m not injured."

Xi Yu replied seriously, "Could you dial back the macho act in front of me? Even if it’s coming from a good place."

Luo Xi: "Right back at you. Honestly, you’re kind of overly straight sometimes."

Xi Yu: "...I’m not."

...

...

So it’s true, huh—was this guy into me before his reset?Luo Xi once again fell into repeated speculation about “A-Yu,” and then found it completely incomprehensible: why would a superstar from Yuntai, someone who could cover the sky with one hand, like a disfigured, barely-passing junior streamer?

Xi Yu had no idea what was going on in the head of the person next to him and added, “I just think being independent is more reliable.”

Luo Xi rested his chin in thought.

Only then did Xi Yu catch sight of the gun hidden at Luo Xi’s waist. “Where did that come from?”

“Shh.” Luo Xi finally came back to himself. “Secret weapon. Can eliminate a traitor from the game.”

“Looks like you had quite the haul last night.” Xi Yu blinked his big eyes and suddenly said, “Actually, I’m the traitor.”

Luo Xi was momentarily stunned.

Xi Yu laughed again. “Got a little scared for a second, didn’t you?”

Luo Xi came to his senses. “…Still joking around, huh. Look at your little smug face. Stop wasting energy talking. Tonight we vote for You Xue.”

Xi Yu lowered his gaze. “Actually, I’m pretty sure she’s one of the traitors. Last night, when I was being chased by the nun, I ran into a really strange traitor. They didn’t hurt me—instead, they pointed me in the right direction.”

Luo Xi: “So you think the one who just died in the paint pool was You Xue? She helped you because you were the only streamer who was even a little bit nice to her?”

Xi Yu didn’t answer.

Luo Xi crossed his legs and shifted into a more comfortable position. “Alright, alright, our little saint Xi Yu thinks she doesn’t deserve to die. Then who do you think does?”

Xi Yu almost blurted out Zhao Zhusheng’s name.

Luo Xi knew what he was thinking and said softly, “Nipping it in the bud might be good—but if you nip the bud, a lot of things get cut off too.”

…That’s right. If Zhao Zhusheng really had some deeper motive, and he gets eliminated just like that, then his goal would be completely buried.

More important than the game is Yuntai—the past, not just the win or loss in front of them.

Leaning against a stone wall, Luo Xi said, “So voting… really is pretty difficult.”

Xi Yu’s gaze regained clarity. “Let’s vote for You Xue. No one deserves to die. The streamers she stole gems from don’t deserve to die either. Until we can break the rules, we have to follow them.”

Luo Xi looked at him seriously for a moment, then suddenly placed a hand on his head. “You’ve matured. I’m truly pleased.”Xi Yu immediately swatted his hand away and leaned weakly against the wall, eyes downcast. “Get some rest. You'll need your strength tonight.”

Luo Xi, with a faint smile, gazed at the low-hanging sea of clouds in the distance. His thoughts were churning, but he felt not the slightest trace of sleepiness.

Daylight passed quickly, and the night of reckoning finally arrived.

That evening, before entering the orphanage, indeed no one shouted about missing any gems.

At Xi Yu's strong insistence, Luo Xi entered the safe house to eat and restore his strength, while Xi Yu picked up a ragged piece of black cloth from the ground and was the first to head off and hide in the small chapel.

As a key voting location, every player would make an effort to show up, making it the prime site for traitors to use the nun to ambush their targets.

Time ticked by, minute after minute.

Sure enough, Wu Junhong was the first to sneak in.

But strangely, instead of heading straight to the vote, he chose to hide beneath the seats in the front row.

Xi Yu frowned—was this bastard’s identity really not so simple? Or…

Moments later, Fei Ling rushed in, panting heavily. She scribbled a name hastily on the platform, then quickly ran off.

Wu Junhong remained still.

Thinking back on the day's events, Xi Yu couldn't help but suspect that Wu Junhong was targeting Du Li. The rising tension between the two had been obvious. He crouched and began to sneak closer from the rear of the chapel.

Just as he was about to reach Wu Junhong, Du Li—limping—finally appeared.

As Xi Yu had predicted, Wu Junhong suddenly rose from behind the second-row seats, leapt over the chairs, and charged straight at her!

Caught completely off guard, Du Li was struck to the ground with a club. Bleeding from the head, she clutched her wound and tried to flee in a panic.

Wu Junhong growled viciously, “It's obvious I'm not the traitor. You insisted on messing with me—now you’re gonna pay for it!”

“You robbed me first! I don’t care if you’re a traitor or not, I won’t forgive you!” Du Li angrily dodged behind the platform. “After all this time, you’re the most shameless player I’ve met. Calling yourself some high-IQ genius—screw you.”

Brandishing the wooden club and using his size to intimidate her, Wu Junhong crept forward with a grim face. “Hand over your fragments. I don’t want to kill you—but if you make me, don’t blame me for it.”

Du Li: “Screw you!”As she spoke, she scribbled Wu Junhong’s name down in a hurry and turned to slip away.

Wu Junhong, furious, followed after her. Just as he was about to pin the little brat Du Li to the ground again, a terrifying small cloak suddenly leapt out from the shadows!

The cloaked figure was ruthless, plunging a knife straight into Wu Junhong’s stomach!

Wu Junhong was clearly someone with high intelligence but poor physical strength; after a brief struggle, he was mercilessly subdued.

Du Li took the opportunity to flee the scene in a panic.

Not wanting to get caught in the mess, Xi Yu held his breath and slowly backed away.

The small cloaked figure pulled out a rope, tightly bound Wu Junhong, and coldly snorted, “I wasn’t planning to deal with you, but they found the gun—I’m not letting this drag out any longer!”

Wu Junhong screamed, “Who the hell are you?! Yu Xue? No—no, she couldn’t do this! You’re Zhao Zhusheng!”

The cloaked figure sneered and stuffed a rag into his mouth, then dragged Wu Junhong straight out of the small chapel.

Only then did Xi Yu quietly reveal himself and begin following at a slow pace.

By now, among the streamers, some were dead and others injured. Most of the wandering dolls were gone, making the orphanage corridors eerily quiet.

The cloaked figure walked with firm steps and clear direction—clearly knowing exactly where the nun was located.

Xi Yu kept a significant distance, carefully tailing them. He was sure that once traitors died, they turned into these mysterious forms. Though they also had to seek out players themselves, they had a way to know the nun’s exact location, which made them perfect accomplices.

Accomplices… don’t help for free...

So how many points is this worth?

Surely many of the ones who died had fallen because of Zhao Zhusheng—this reward score could directly affect the final outcome!

Xi Yu’s expression grew grim.

Sure enough, the ghost nun’s sobbing began to echo faintly ahead.

Getting eliminated meant a 20-point penalty. With his serious injuries, Xi Yu wasn’t about to take any risks. He immediately found a cabinet and climbed on top of it, wanting no part in Wu Junhong’s fate.

He watched as the cloaked figure dragged Wu Junhong around a corner and out of sight, leaving only a long trail of blood on the floor.Moments later, the nun’s laughter and Wu Junhong’s muffled screams echoed through the empty corridors of the orphanage.

Xi Yu tilted his ear to listen, and only when the noise grew more distant did he jump down from the cabinet and sprint toward the hallway, shouting, “Zhao Zhusheng!”

The small cloaked figure, who had been about to leave, turned back, revealing a pitch-black face and a blood-dripping dagger in hand.

Xi Yu frowned. “I know it’s you. Back at the guesthouse, you got the highest score without lifting a finger. Dying like this is way too easy for you!”

The small cloaked figure was silent for a moment, then let out an unpleasant chuckle. “So what if you know it’s me?”

Xi Yu said, “Why did you target me?! Were you the one who used the snipe card?!”

The cloaked figure crossed his arms. “You rejected my olive branch. Seeing you as a worthy opponent was the highest form of respect!”

Rage surged in Xi Yu’s chest. “I’m talking about Yuntai. Were those incidents your doing? Other than you, there was no one else suspicious around me!”

Zhao Zhusheng didn’t answer.

At that moment, a blood-red glow flashed before Xi Yu’s eyes.

The broadcast system issued a stern warning.

[This segment will not be streamed]

[Streamer Xi Yu, please cease baseless accusations against the company and your colleagues]

[Repeat offenses will result in immediate elimination]

Xi Yu bit his lip in frustration.

Zhao Zhusheng let out another low laugh and stepped forward with the knife. “Do you really think I’m that powerful? In any case, I think it’s time for you to get some rest.”

Staring at the flash of silver from the blade, Xi Yu stood completely still.

His strange lack of movement made Zhao Zhusheng hesitate mid-thrust.

And in that instant—a gunshot rang out.

A bloody hole bloomed in the small cloaked figure’s chest. Zhao Zhusheng staggered with the knife still in hand and collapsed like a sack of flesh onto the floor.Xi Yu let out a breath of relief and said quietly, “The company won’t let me ask those questions… I wonder if getting Zhao Zhusheng eliminated like this means he’ll be reset.”

Luo Xi stepped out from the shadows. “Probably not. You Xue died late. Aside from Qi Shui on the first day who was tricked by Wu Junhong, Lan Yu, Guan Sheng, and Wu Junhong all died by his hand. That’s a lot of points.”

Xi Yu said, “Then your gunshot didn’t really matter.”

Luo Xi shrugged. “At the very least, it’ll make things difficult for him in Yuntai. Isn’t it satisfying to think about?”

Just as Xi Yu was about to say something, the announcement broadcast finally came on.

[Regretfully, little Wu Junhong has left us forever…]

[The demon has finally received its meal…]

[Oh, an unexpected message! A servant of the demon has been assassinated and eliminated!]

Luo Xi tugged on Xi Yu’s arm. “Come on, let’s go vote and earn some gems.”

Xi Yu glanced back at the place where the small cloaked figure had vanished. “Looks like the game is ending. I thought there’d be a final showdown.”

“Most streamers are too impatient and die because of their own recklessness,” Luo Xi shrugged. “It’s true the tension of not knowing who’ll live or die is hard to endure—but if you want to win, you have to. If this were an expert-level match, no one would show up at the chapel to die before the final moment of voting.”

Xi Yu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

However, before they even reached the chapel, the demon’s low murmur buzzed above their heads.

[This will be the final feast…]

[On the eve of this approaching dawn… let me deliver some good news…]

[The lucky one who has gathered five gem fragments… will have the chance to exchange them for a skill token…]

Xi Yu looked up in confusion. “What’s a skill token?”

Luo Xi replied, “Each game lets you pick one token. Those are usually one-time use, like our team-up token or the one Fei Ling had that let her see values. But skill tokens can be used repeatedly—they’re usually weaker buffs.”

Xi Yu didn’t care much for those things and just nodded indifferently before running into the chapel first.

Luo Xi followed behind, watching as Xi Yu quietly wrote down You Xue’s name, and then did the same himself.The moment the pen left the paper, the broadcast once again shattered the night’s silence.

[The children have completed their voting, and three of them have correctly identified the traitor.]

[Now, the gems on the traitor will be divided among the three of you.]

As the voice faded, Xi Yu and Luo Xi were transported into a pure black, strange space.

In front of them, aside from the five sparkling gem fragments suspended in mid-air, Fei Ling stood, having been transported there as well.

Fei Ling blinked and smiled wryly, relieved. "It really is You Xue. I was still somewhat skeptical..."

"No need to be sentimental. I have four, take one," Luo Xi said as he grabbed a gem. "The rest, you two divide. Everyone’s happy."

He said this with consideration for Xi Yu, as Xi Yu still had three gems, meaning he could easily win.

Fei Ling’s gaze flickered for a moment. Unable to find a reason to negotiate further, she could only nod.

To everyone’s surprise, Xi Yu took the initiative and said, "If two gems aren’t enough for you, I’ll give you three."

Fei Ling’s eyes widened in surprise.

Luo Xi immediately intervened, “No, there are a lot of high scores now. You don’t need them—"

Xi Yu said, "I want to go resolve our conflict with Du Li. If both of you have five gems, you won’t be able to participate in the game anymore. Fei Ling, could you use your token ability to help me find a duo dungeon?"

Since Guan Sheng’s death, Fei Ling had lost her fighting spirit, and of course, she nodded immediately. “Sure, sure!”

Xi Yu took one gem fragment and smiled faintly. “Then it’s settled. Thanks.”

Luo Xi looked at Xi Yu in surprise but quickly accepted his decision, shaking his head helplessly as if giving up on insisting.

Although the welfare center produced five new gems every night, they had to be earned through playing the game.

Among the remaining four, only Xi Yu and Du Li hadn’t collected five gems yet. Based on estimation, it could be guessed that Du Li had between three to four gems in her possession.

So, she could still play a duo challenge with Xi Yu, but most likely, it would be in the final challenge of the pure welfare center.

After all, once Xi Yu wins and gets five gems, Du Li would no longer be able to find a teammate and could even potentially die.Fei Ling, having received five gems due to Xi Yu’s generosity, relaxed her tense mood significantly. Given that there wasn’t much danger in the welfare center, she quickly helped Xi Yu find a duo game in the reading room.

Luo Xi, standing nearby, frowned. “What’s the death rate?”

Fei Ling whispered, “...Fifty percent, sorry, there are no lower death rate options tonight.”

Xi Yu, on the other hand, was very relaxed. “It’s fair for the two of us to play ‘you die, I live.’”

Fei Ling took a step back. “Then... I’ll leave. I wish you good luck.”

Xi Yu nodded and smiled at Luo Xi. “Wait for me to come out.”

Luo Xi didn’t say a word, sitting cross-legged by the bookshelf, looking dissatisfied.

Xi Yu then turned to the NPC in the corner, who was messing around with children's books, and said, “Hello…”

The NPC was a delicate short-haired girl who shyly responded, “Are you here to play a game with me?”

Xi Yu replied, “Yes, do you have any gem fragments here?”

The girl immediately brightened up, standing up excitedly. “Of course! Please follow me!”

As she spoke, black mist rose around her, pulling Xi Yu into a brand-new game room.

Inside the game room, the reading room was still a mess, with decaying books and broken toys scattered all over the floor.

Xi Yu, exhausted from the pain of his injuries, sat down wearily and said softly, “Bring my opponent too.”

The girl thought for a moment, scratching her chin, then grinned. “Okay, I found her!”

No sooner had she spoken, Du Li, limping, dropped from the sky.

She hurriedly got up and frowned. “It’s you…”

Xi Yu remained calm. “Who did you think it was?”

Du Li cautiously kept her distance. “You three won the vote. Didn’t Luo Xi help you get enough gems? What are you afraid of with Fei Ling?”

Xi Yu said coolly, “I voluntarily gave hers to her. I want to play another round with you.”Du Li clenched her fists angrily. "What exactly did I do to you?!"

"No, it's just that you acted as the dealer and harmed other players. Did you never consider that you'd be targeted? I don't think I did anything wrong," Xi Yu looked at her red eyes, speaking slowly, word by word. "And I don't want to continue this conflict. If you feel wronged last time, then no matter who wins or loses this time, no complaints allowed. Is that okay?"

Du Li looked displeased and refused to answer.

Xi Yu said, "Your temper is useless. You know very well, it would have been more appropriate to vote for You Xue, so why waste the opportunity?"

Du Li snapped, "Because Wu Junhong kept targeting me! I want the person voted out to be unlucky!"

Xi Yu was silent for a moment. "…The rules never said anything like that. I honestly don’t know how you’ve made it this far."

"Hmph, because I have great luck," Du Li scoffed. "Luck is something real for artificial people."

Xi Yu looked at her, interested. "Go on."

Du Li smiled proudly. "There are many things in the game that rely on random draws and random identities. When they created us, the company set our luck values. Players with higher luck values get weighted advantages in the lottery process, so I naturally end up getting better things. Understand?"

Xi Yu thought for a moment, then said, "That’s not luck, that’s cheating."

He then turned to the little girl NPC and said, "I hope you have a game that truly tests luck."

"Of course! Isn’t luck an interesting element in games?" The little girl blinked her innocent big eyes. "Let’s play rock-paper-scissors!"

With that, she immediately raised her hand.

Xi Yu and Du Li were quickly tied up by the system, facing two bookshelves, with only their hands able to move.

Above their heads, huge hammers, scissors, and spiked iron nets hung!

Du Li, who had always been afraid of pain, immediately grew uneasy.

Xi Yu, however, remained unbothered. "Explain the rules."

The little girl smiled. "Each of you will get three scissors, three rocks, and three papers. You’ll randomly choose one in each round! The loser will be punished!"

With the weapons prepared above their heads, the punishment needed no further explanation.

Xi Yu smiled. "It can't be that simple. What else?"The little girl walked to the middle of the two players. "How can good friends take a game so seriously? So, before starting, the winner from the previous round has to play first, and must say a true statement related to their hand of cards. Of course, saying something like 'I still have a few useless cards' is absolutely not allowed!"

Du Li swallowed. "So, does that mean we don't need to say anything for the first round?"

The little girl shook her head. "No, even the first round requires something to be said."

"Fine, actually, there are plenty of ways to talk nonsense," Xi Yu said, looking at Du Li. "I just hope you'll agree to my request. Let's settle our grievances in this round. If you keep bothering me after this, I won’t let you off the hook. Got it?"

Du Li was silent for a moment. "...Fine."

The little girl looked around. "What are you two talking about? I’m not finished yet! I have a gem fragment here, and the winner of the game can get it. As for the loser... Hehe..."

She laughed maliciously. "They’ll only get their head left to keep me company!"

Winning gets a gem, losing means being out of the game — at least a 30-point difference either way. This could definitely settle their grudges.

Du Li took several deep breaths and gritted her teeth. "Got it. Let’s start."

The little girl clapped her hands, and immediately, nine shuffled cards flew before them, each one showing the rock-paper-scissors symbols.

Xi Yu quickly picked a card. "I’ll take a small loss. I won’t let the lady go first. The card I’m playing is the one I have the most of."

The little girl nodded and looked at Du Li.

Du Li also reluctantly picked a card, mimicking Xi Yu. "The card I’m playing is the one I have the least of."

The two cards flew into the air and revealed their answers.

Du Li chose paper!

The little girl immediately smiled at her. "You lost!"

At the same time, the scissors above Xi Yu's head flew down and stabbed into Du Li’s thigh!

Du Li gritted her teeth in pain, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Xi Yu looked at the blood dripping onto the ground and said without hesitation, "I won. I’ll go first again. After this card, the card I have the least of will still be the least."

The little girl nodded repeatedly, and Du Li stared in fury with wide eyes: This was all nonsense.After the first round, Xi Yu had three stones, three papers, and two scissors left. No matter what he played this time, scissors would definitely be the least.

However, the NPC didn’t speak, and Du Li had no way to argue. She hesitated for a moment and picked a card to respond.

The cards were exchanged, and Xi Yu had paper, while Du Li had scissors.

The little girl sighed. "The wheel of fortune turns, huh..."

Xi Yu closed his eyes and let Du Li's scissors fly over and stab into his waist wound. He gasped for several seconds, struggling to breathe, before he shakily said, "Hurry up and continue."

The little girl nodded. "Yeah, yeah, hurry up! Or you'll bleed out!"

Du Li narrowed her red eyes and picked another card, continuing to mimic Xi Yu's words. "After this card, my most frequent card will still be the most frequent card."

She still had three stones left, so no matter what she played this round, stone would definitely be one of her most frequent cards.

Xi Yu didn’t pay attention to her words but instead thought to himself: the game had been fine so far, but later on, victory would depend on deducing the opponent's remaining cards. So, as long as you had a bit of a brain, you had to ensure the number of your cards was more balanced. Du Li probably knew this as well, and her straightforward nature led him to gamble that she would play stone.

After thinking it through, Xi Yu picked a paper.

Just as he expected, Du Li played stone!

The iron net above Xi Yu’s head immediately swept down and deeply scratched Du Li, sending up countless pieces of cloth and blood!

So far—

Xi Yu: Three stones; two scissors; one paper.

Du Li: Two stones; two scissors; two papers.

No matter what Xi Yu did, he didn’t want to play too many of the same kind of card. Holding the mindset of losing one round, he threw away a stone and said, "After this card, I’ll only have one paper left."

Du Li slyly squinted her eyes and picked another card.

Xi Yu smiled. "Is it paper?"

As if to confirm his words, Du Li’s paper slowly moved toward Xi Yu.

Xi Yu was immediately slashed all over by the iron net coming toward him.Du Li was dissatisfied with his calm demeanor and said anxiously, "There aren't many strategies in this game! As long as we control the numbers, in the end, it's still all about luck!"

Xi Yu blinked his beautiful eyes and replied, "Isn't that what you want, to gamble on luck? This just fulfills your wish."

Du Li was speechless.

The little girl NPC immediately pointed at her: "Hey! Hurry up! It's always you who delays the time!"

The more Du Li acted this way, the more she suspected that Xi Yu had already figured out a strategy. She hesitated for several seconds before playing a card: "After this card, I’ll only have one paper left."

Her paper was already one, and she definitely didn’t dare play it now. She must have picked up enough stones or scissors, and to win against him, she had to correspondingly play paper or stone.

She also knew very well that Xi Yu still had two stones, two scissors, and one paper, so she was absolutely afraid of casually playing paper...

But Xi Yu unexpectedly chose paper and smiled at her. "Thanks for the easy points."

After being stunned, Du Li saw her stone against his paper and urgently said, "But you don’t have paper anymore!"

Xi Yu smiled.

The iron net once again slashed at the anxious Du Li, leaving her bleeding.

The little girl NPC watched eagerly: "Now it’s 3:2! Keep going!"

Xi Yu, as usual, didn’t think much and threw out a card: "I don’t have paper anymore!"

Du Li gritted her teeth in pain: "You always had paper, and now you're—"

The NPC blinked: "He's telling the truth."

Xi Yu smiled: "So what should I say? That I played stone?"

At this point, he indeed only had stone and scissors to play. He had to use paper and stone to counter, and now that Xi Yu no longer had paper to beat stone, playing stone was the safest option...

Du Li furrowed her brows.

Xi Yu deliberately spoke in his soft voice: "Didn't you notice? You have the most scissors, but I have no paper left."

Du Li became more and more flustered, suddenly throwing out a stone.

The little girl NPC raised her hand: "Two stones, it's a draw! Xi Yu still has the first move!"

Xi Yu said, "Ah, you don’t have any stones left."

Saying this, without thinking, he threw another card: "After this one, my stone will be the least."

Du Li, indeed not skilled in this type of game, and with the pain in her body confusing her, gritted her teeth and couldn't make a decision.

Xi Yu said, "We both still have two scissors. Your paper can beat my stone, so we can tie if we both play scissors. Let’s use them up and start over."

"Stop lying to me!" Du Li immediately threw out her paper.

Xi Yu's card slowly moved toward her, and the scissors on it seemed to mock her openly.

Xi Yu sighed, "I already told you."

At this moment, the seventh round ended. Xi Yu still had one stone and one scissors, while Du Li only had two scissors. The winner was already decided.

Du Li collapsed and struggled: "You tricked me!"

"Actually, you're afraid of me. As long as you're afraid of me, you’ll never win against me." Xi Yu quietly looked at her. "Don’t forget our agreement."

Du Li was clearly not the type to accept defeat gracefully, panting and glaring at him.Xi Yu leisurely fiddled with his remaining cards: "I'm well aware that you won't keep your promises, but for me, if I end you next time, you won't have any regrets. I've already given you a chance to reconcile. Hey, you don't need to play anymore, do you?"

The little girl blinked: "Indeed, the outcome is already decided! So this gem is yours!"

As she spoke, the large scissors above Xi Yu's head immediately flew mercilessly toward Du Li.

There was a snap, and a head fell.

Xi Yu didn't look at the unbearable sight but gently sighed and tightly grasped the gem.

Still waiting in place, Luo Xi saw what happened and immediately supported him: "How is it?"

Xi Yu stood upright: "If I'm still alive, doesn't that mean the result is clear?"

At this moment, the final broadcast echoed in the dark.

[Unfortunately, Du Li has permanently left us...]

[The three remaining children have all reached five gems. The game is over.]

[Please collect your skill tokens.]

The unexpected early end caused Xi Yu to blink in surprise. He supported Luo Xi's arm, and the two were swept away by the wind, directly transported to another space!

It was a cemetery.

Philing, who had been hiding somewhere, also fell down, startled by the cemetery full of gravestones.

Xi Yu squatted down first to inspect: "These seem to be children's graves. You can see there are photos on them."

Philing trembled: "Indeed, but what does this have to do with drawing tokens?"

Xi Yu wiped the dirt off one of the gravestones and then took out a gem fragment: "There’s a groove, it can be embedded in here. Exactly five are needed."

"Another one of the planners' terrible designs." Luo Xi wandered through the desolate graveyard, observing: "Which one should we choose?"

Philing pondered for a moment and quietly said, "I played a music game, and I liked the one that could sing."

Xi Yu noticed she had already started moving to search and then looked at Luo Xi.Luo Xi suddenly snapped his fingers: "I got it."

Xi Yu was puzzled.

Luo Xi looked around twice, then pulled him to a spot and said, "Let’s choose these two little weirdos."

It turned out to be the twin sisters.

These two NPCs were related, and perhaps the tokens' effects would also be connected.

This was a very reasonable guess.

Xi Yu was somewhat surprised: "Do you still want to team up with me?"

Luo Xi replied: "If you can be a little more obedient, I’d consider it."

Xi Yu silently glanced at him: "…Arrogant."

At this moment, Luo Xi didn’t hesitate anymore, crouching down to embed the gem.

Actually, Xi Yu was curious about what the two sisters would bring. Seeing that Luo Xi had already embedded the gem, he quickly took action as well.

As the ten gem fragments formed the shape of two flowers, a pair of transparent little ghosts floated out from the depths of the graveyard, the same little girls that had brought endless suffering to the streamers.

The older sister, slightly older than the younger one, spoke first: "Thank you for returning our souls to us."

The younger sister nodded: "This is our token of gratitude."

The older sister handed over two glowing tokens: "You must always be together."

The younger sister happily added: "Yes, always be good sisters."

Xi Yu: "……………"

Luo Xi, who never liked hearing these dialogues in the game, quickly took the tokens and tossed one to Xi Yu.

Xi Yu immediately heard the broadcast prompt.

[Half of the Golden Orchid Token: Can team up with the player who holds the other half of the Golden Orchid Token to enter dungeons. Even after death, the soul can accompany them and finish the game.]Xi Yu couldn't help but speak: "…This is too unlucky, right?"

Luo Xi: "…"

Xi Yu: "If you hadn't touched it, maybe the effect wouldn't have been like this."

Luo Xi: "…"

Xi Yu: "Please don't gamble anymore, okay?"

Luo Xi finally couldn't hold back and messed up Xi Yu's soft silver hair: "Stop complaining, let's go do a dungeon and sleep!"

At this moment, Fi Ling also finished picking up her token.

The broadcast announcing the end of the dungeon finally rang out across the graveyard.

[Ranking Dungeon #00008 has ended.]

[Peak audience: 27,635 viewers.]

[Announcing streamer results.]

[Xi Yu: 60 points; Tips: 34,812 Yuntai Coins.]

[Fi Ling: 60 points; Tips: 98,627 Yuntai Coins.]

[Luo Xi: 60 points; Tips: 103,843 Yuntai Coins.]

[Zhao Zhusheng: 42 points; Tips: 1,256 Yuntai Coins.]

[Du Li: 20 points; Tips: 6,783 Yuntai Coins.]

[Wu Junhong: 8 points; Tips: 102 Yuntai Coins.]

[Guan Sheng: 8 points; Tips: 9,872 Yuntai Coins.]

[You Xue: 6 points.]

[Lan Yu: -6 points.][Wang Qi: -16 points]

[Gao Ke La: -20 points]

[Qi Shui: -20 points]

[Wu Junhong and Guan Sheng have the same score, audience voting will decide.]

[Vote completed: Guan Sheng wins.]

[Congratulations to Xi Yu, Fi Ling, Luo Xi, Zhao Zhusheng, Du Li, and Guan Sheng for clearing the dungeon.]

[Game copyright and final interpretation rights belong to Cyber Information Technology Co., Ltd.]

[Thank you for watching.]