Chapter 13: The Surprise Came Too Suddenly
“Wood, if you dare touch my goddess, I’ll destroy you.”
“We’re all survivors. Under the current circumstances, anyone with a brain would cooperate. Wood won’t do anything.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
The audience buzzed with discussion, while inside the nightmare world’s maze, Roshi was confronting Wood.
The maze was a network of interconnected passages, with walls on both sides and rock ceilings over ten meters high, making it look like a series of crisscrossing, intricate corridors. Torches on the walls burned, making the maze stiflingly hot.
“Wood, all your suggestions are pointless. Splitting up is the best option now. Only by spreading out can we find more lock plates.”
Roshi furrowed her delicate brows, sensing that Wood had ill intentions. As fellow survivors, she guessed he wouldn’t do anything drastic.
“If we split up, the Life Hunters will pick us off one by one. As a show of good faith, I’ll tell you a secret.”
“What secret?”
“Before the game started, the original Life Hunter gave up their role and transferred it to Kukulin Bai Ye of Reincarnation Paradise. In other words, the current Life Hunter is Bai Ye.”
Wood didn’t hesitate to throw his teammate under the bus. As long as he dealt with Roshi and the others, the Life Hunter’s true identity was irrelevant. Besides, no one was stupid—after a little analysis, they’d all figure out it was Su Xiao.
Wood’s reasoning was that with hundreds of thousands watching, he couldn’t take all the blame afterward. As a teammate you could “entrust your life to,” everything had to be shared, including the blame.
“Ridiculous. If Bai Ye is the Life Hunter, then let him show himself before me.”
“?”
Wood had never heard such a strange request, but he could oblige.
“Roshi, listen.”
Wood gestured for Roshi to listen carefully. Sure enough, she heard the clinking of chains, growing closer.
Roshi turned and fled, but after just a few steps, she stopped abruptly. Zuiyasi had somehow blocked the path ahead.
This section of the maze was carefully chosen by Wood. It was a straight corridor with walls on both sides and no branching paths. Now, he and Zuiyasi had each sealed off one end, trapping Roshi and Yanqi Sawyer in the middle.
“What the hell is wrong with you two? Didn’t you read the game rules?”
Yanqi Sawyer spoke in a deep voice, his face cold and his gaze hostile.
Wood, who usually loved to spout nonsense at his enemies, was unusually silent. Or rather, his usual rambling wasn’t just chatter—it was part of his ability.
Seeing Wood charge at him, Yanqi Sawyer’s expression darkened. A demon dared to rush at him, seeking close combat? Was this an insult to him as a spellcaster?
Wood and Sawyer lunged at each other. Wood’s withered hand reached for Sawyer, but in the next instant, Wood’s vision blurred as his back slammed into the wall, his right arm twisted.
Sawyer raised both hands naturally in front of him, fingers relaxed. Fire elemental energy gathered in his palms. Even with this nightmare body, he could forcibly summon some elemental power, though it was minimal.
*Boom! Boom!*
Sawyer’s two palms struck Wood’s chest. The impact was unimaginable. Wood wasn’t a melee fighter; charging at Sawyer was practically asking to be beaten. It was lucky Sawyer didn’t have his staff—if he did, it wouldn’t just be a few broken bones.
“Impressive, Yanqi. But how will you defeat the Life Hunter?”
Wood pointed behind Sawyer. Before Sawyer could react, a tremendous force struck his side.
*Boom!*
Su Xiao’s side kick sent Yanqi Sawyer crashing into the wall, nearly embedding him in it. Su Xiao flipped his hunting axe, grabbed the blade, and thrust the handle at Sawyer.
*Pfft.*
Yanqi Sawyer’s eyes bulged as Su Xiao pinned him to the wall with the axe handle.
Su Xiao’s gaze shifted to Wood, who was staggering to his feet after being knocked down.
“Bai Ye, you did that on purpose.”
“No, I slipped.”
Su Xiao walked down the maze corridor. Ahead, Roshi and Zuiyasi were locked in combat.
Roshi couldn’t understand how things had escalated to this point. She was overwhelmed with information, some true and some false, leaving her confused. Had Wood and Zuiyasi betrayed her? Why? Wasn’t the goal of this game to win?
Full of doubts, Roshi knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on them. She wasn’t skilled in close combat, so she could only block with her arms. Each punch she took sent a nauseating pain through her. Why did it feel so sickening?
The clinking of chains behind her grew closer. Roshi knew she couldn’t delay any longer. In her current state, even dealing with Zuiyasi was difficult, let alone the Life Hunter.
A crystal slid out of Roshi’s sleeve. She gripped it and aimed it at Zuiyasi.
Zuiyasi’s vision went white. His nightmare body was subjected to an unavoidable control. He stumbled back a few steps, frozen in place, unable to move for a short time.
The crystal in Roshi’s hand shattered. She had hesitated to use it earlier, wanting to save it for the Life Hunter, but now she had no choice.
Roshi lunged forward. A thumb-thick chain flew past her, its tip a sharp hook.
As agile as a cat, Roshi pounced around a corner, her feet hitting the wall. Straightening her legs, she leaped behind the turn.
*Bang!*
Su Xiao slammed into the wall at the corner, moving too fast to turn. He shook his slightly sore left arm and decided to take it slow. The “black cat” ahead was fast, but her stamina was lacking. She wouldn’t last much longer.
Roshi ran ahead, reaching another corner. Mimicking Su Xiao’s wall collision, she hit the wall but nimbly bounced off, reducing her speed loss. Before turning, she glanced back at Su Xiao, a smirk on her rosy lips.
“Damn it! She’s mocking us! Bubu Wang, let’s chase her together!”
“Woof?”
Bubu Wang gave Baha a look of pity. Chase Roshi? Was Baha out of his mind?
Bubu Wang was right. As followers entering the nightmare world, their base strength and agility were 20 points—10 points lower than the survivors. On top of that, their abilities were weakened.
When the survival game started, Su Xiao became the Life Hunter, which weakened Bubu Wang and Baha further. After two major nerfs, they could barely chase anyone.
Inside the maze corridor, the air was stifling. Roshi ran quickly, having already discarded her robe-like outer garment. She wore a black form-fitting suit, her curves accentuated. Sweat plastered a few strands of hair to her forehead. The maze was not only hot but also low on oxygen. Her full-speed sprint left her feeling oxygen-deprived.
[Insight Eye] followed Roshi the entire time. After her outfit change, many drowsy spectators in the arena suddenly perked up, their eyes widening. This was an eighth-rank female spellcaster with a special status in Arcane Eternal Star.
“Huff, huff.”
Roshi slowed her pace, trying to steady her breathing. The footsteps behind her told her the enemy hadn’t given up—they were still following.
Half an hour later, Roshi stopped abruptly, greedily gulping air. The maze’s hot, low-oxygen environment, combined with her 30-point stamina and 37 minutes of full-speed running, left her drenched in sweat. Droplets dripped from her chin, and she was severely dehydrated.
“The Life Hunter actually ran into a wall. How unexpected.”
Roshi stood up, desperate to rest but unable to. She needed to leave the maze quickly—the conditions here were terrible. But before she could catch her breath, a metallic clink sounded behind her.
Gritting her teeth, Roshi continued fleeing.
An hour later, a pale-faced Roshi leaned against the wall. Every breath sent a burning pain through her chest. The maze’s environment was truly awful.
Two hours later, Roshi crouched low, her calves weak and trembling.
Three hours and nineteen minutes later, Roshi sat slumped against the wall, dehydrated, her eyes dull.
Footsteps approached. Roshi lifted her head with difficulty.
“You… don’t think… you can humiliate me. I represent… Arcane Eternal Star.”
Roshi raised her arm. Blood dripped from her index finger. Cuts marked her arm arteries, carotid artery, and leg arteries. Despite her cold, elegant appearance, Roshi had a stubborn, mule-like temperament.
This scene was broadcast to the arena. Among the spellcaster seats, the new generation sat in solemn silence, their expressions practically shouting: “See? This is our new generation of spellcasters. No worse than the previous ones.”
The arena’s dozen large screens went black. The audience grew restless, with some young viewers expressing dissatisfaction. They wanted to see the revived Roshi, especially the moments before she dressed.
Dozens of seconds later, the screens returned, showing the Rebirth Plaza. To the disappointment of many young viewers, Roshi was already fully dressed.
“I failed once, but I’ve already located three lock plates. I’ll go find my partner now. In two hours, we’ll settle this.”
Roshi spoke, addressing the spellcasters in the arena. As she walked, she thought about who to cooperate with. First, she thought of Lilim, then of Apocalypse Paradise’s Yueshitu and Molei. She had a favorable impression of Apocalypse Paradise.
Thinking this, Roshi’s mood improved slightly after being chased nearly to the point of despair. The air even felt fresher. She stepped through the exit of Rebirth Plaza.
*Click!*
The sound of a metal mechanism activating came from beneath Roshi’s feet. All expression vanished from her face in an instant.