Chapter 322: Soul-Snatcher
Round twenty-seven.
Everything was unfolding just as Chen Junnan had predicted. The iron ball had been smashing its way from "-2" toward "3," slaughtering all the "even numbers" in its path. Now it had swept past the "White-clad Girl" and was hovering above the head of the person to her left.
In the room opposite Chen Junnan, a woman in white sat holding a phone, a faint smile on her face as she waited.
Not long after, she spoke up and asked, "Big brother, what was your name again?"
"I... I'm called Zhong Zhen..."
"Not a bad name, big brother." The White-clad Girl nodded. "What are you choosing this time?"
Zhong Zhen clenched his teeth, his lips pale, and asked, "Can't you stop tormenting me...?"
"How could that be?" The White-clad Girl laughed. "You can keep choosing 'no' if you like. If you don't believe me, we can try again."
The White-clad Girl covered her mouth with a giggle, and at the same moment, Zhong Zhen in the other room also covered his mouth.
"I believe you... I believe everything..." Zhong Zhen nodded frantically. "I'll agree to whatever you say. I can't die yet... Don't make me choose 'yes' again..."
"How could that be?" The White-clad Girl frowned with a smile. "Big brother, look for yourself. You're the one choosing 'yes.'"
Zhong Zhen looked down and instantly wore an expression of utter despair.
His left hand had somehow extended itself, moving toward the "yes" button.
"Miss... please... I can't die right now..." Zhong Zhen said in terror. "Let me 'Resonate' first... As long as I can kill someone I know, dying will be fine..."
"Oh...?" The White-clad Girl stroked her long hair. "Then pull your hand back quick, or you'll press it."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Zhen threw the phone down and used his right hand to yank his left hand back with all his strength.
His left hand seemed possessed, charging stubbornly toward the button. He barely managed to hold it back with all his might, but the next second, his entire body began to lurch forward.
*Slap.*
A crisp sound. His left hand finally pressed "yes."
Zhong Zhen's face slowly darkened... What the hell was this thing?
Was there really such a domineering "Resonance" on this land?
"Big brother, want to say your goodbyes?" The White-clad Girl smiled. "Looks like we don't have much time left to chat."
Zhong Zhen sat blankly in his chair, picked up the phone again, and asked in a daze, "Why can you control your 'Resonance' so well? Every time without triggering the bell toll... How much memory have you retained?"
"Ha, big brother, what makes you think I'd reveal my trump card to you?" The White-clad Girl shook her head. "On this land, the number of people who can freely use their 'Resonance' without triggering the bell toll can be counted on one hand. That's exactly our way of survival."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Zhen pressed his lips together tightly. "So that's how it is... If possible... I really don't want to forget your existence. With someone as terrifying as you in the 'Land of Finality,' I should always stay on my guard."
"But you won't be able to anymore." The White-clad Girl's smile remained sweet. "That's exactly why I never kill 'Resonators.' Now that you're dead, you're dead."
"Then how about this..." Zhong Zhen forced a bitter smile. "Since I'm about to die anyway, can you at least tell me what your ability is?"
"Does it matter?"
"I don't know." Zhong Zhen shook his head. "But maybe, just maybe, there's a one-in-ten-thousand chance... I'll remember you."
"Fine." The White-clad Girl nodded. "Big brother, since you're at death's door, I'll let you die with clarity. I am the 'Soul-Snatcher.'"
"Soul... Snatcher...?" Zhong Zhen's face twisted into an ugly smile. He never expected to be up against a three-word "Resonance." "What method do you use to control people...?"
"That I can't say. Sorry."
The girl reached up and smoothed her hair. Eerily, at the same moment, Zhong Zhen in the other room also reached up and smoothed his nonexistent long hair.
"You used this ability to control the people around us, forcing them all to make their choices?"
"I'm not that strong, so my range is limited." The White-clad Girl said. "Besides my 'Resonance,' I also rely on my intelligence. When both come into play, I can dominate all ground-level games."
"Truly impressive." Zhong Zhen finally showed a relieved expression. "If I manage to survive... I'll find a way to kill you first thing."
"Is that your dying wish?" The White-clad Girl stretched out her hand to examine her nails, speaking calmly. "Even you yourself chose 'yes.' How likely do you think it is you'll survive this round? Even if there's a one-in-ten-thousand chance, it would take some 'Resonator' suddenly appearing. But you're the one dying this round. Theoretically, aside from yourself, no one else's 'Resonance' will be triggered."
"Haha!" Zhong Zhen let out a bitter laugh, then unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. "But maybe there's always an exception. Since this is a life-or-death gamble, I naturally have to grasp every sliver of opportunity. Granted, no new 'Resonator' will appear, but isn't there still a 'Resonator' hanging on the leaderboard right now?"
The White-clad Girl pondered this for a moment. There was indeed a 'Resonator' on the leaderboard outside, named "Scapegoat."
"You're counting on this 'Scapegoat' to show up and save you?" The White-clad Girl covered her mouth and laughed out loud. "Good heavens, why are you so optimistic?"
"That's what you call a 'lifeline,'" Zhong Zhen said. "When a person loses all hope, they naturally pin their hopes on these intangible straws."
"In that case, I wish you a firm grip on that straw."
The White-clad Girl put down the phone, closed her eyes, and sat quietly. Not long after, a slow smile spread across her face. "You can all go to hell... because the 'Jidao'—that's the only real path here."
On the other side of the arena, Yun Yao's room.
She had been frozen in place for a long time.
Chen Junnan's words during their phone call had completely baffled her.
"Great star, I've figured it out. Our biggest enemy is the White-clad Girl across from me. If I'm not mistaken, she's about to kill the person to her left."
"Then that's already beyond our control, isn't it?"
"No, quite the opposite..." Chen Junnan said. "In this arena, I'm not the only one who can control the iron ball. There's also me."
"You...?"
"Would you believe it if I told you that from now on, I can ignore all rules and make the iron ball land wherever I want?"
"What?!" Yun Yao didn't understand Chen Junnan's meaning for a moment. "Do... do you have that kind of ability? But what's your goal in doing that?"
"I'm going to save the person on the White-clad Girl's left." Chen Junnan grinned. "If I save him now, he might become your strongest ally."
"Become 'my' ally...? What are you up to?"
"Can't say that. If I say it, it might fail."
"This..." Yun Yao's face showed concern. "How sure are you?"
"Sure?" Chen Junnan rolled his neck. "Your boy never operates based on 'sureness.' If I succeed, call me Boss Chen and we'll meet in Dubai. If I fail, call me a certain C and we'll meet in ten days."