Chapter 1140: The Magician
"Whose item is this?" The yellow-haired player looked around, then turned his gaze to Xu Huo, who was still sitting in his seat. But Xu Huo wasn't looking at him; he was staring at the last row of the cabin—where an extra person had appeared.
That person hadn't been there before the plane took off. He had appeared after the aircraft left the ground.
And no one had noticed!
Following his line of sight, the other players also saw the man in the tall top hat sitting in the corner of the last row.
Suddenly, the hat moved. Every player in the cabin felt as if a flash of light had streaked before their eyes. By the time the light vanished, the young master's item had already failed, and the man who had been sitting in the last row was now standing right in front of them.
He wore a black top hat, a black tailcoat, and a metal eye mask shaped like a moth. The exposed lower half of his face was pale with a faint pearlescent sheen, as if caked with thick powder. His lips were painted a grayish-black, and on top of that, he had exaggeratedly stuck some colorful rhinestones.
This "dazzling" appearance made the players' hearts sink in unison. Not to mention his sudden, unnoticed arrival, his flashy outfit alone fully indicated he was a troublesome character—because normal people usually kept a low profile in the game. Only madmen and psychopaths would go to such lengths to attract attention, as if being watched gave them a mental climax.
The painted man slowly curled his lips, suddenly pulling out an exaggerated grin. Then he spread both hands horizontally, holding them as if supporting two boxes on either side. After startling the players into retreating and using defensive items, he raised his right hand to tip his top hat and said in a high-pitched tone, "It's an honor to borrow this fine venue for a magic show. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the Magician from the C9 wormhole point."
"Due to professional requirements, I cannot reveal my name, but you may call me Magician."
"The items I discovered on you esteemed audience members earlier were just a little joke I played with everyone. Please take your seats; the performance is about to begin."
"Hey, wait! Who are you?! You say perform, and we just perform? I don't want to watch!" The yellow-haired player, stuck between two rows of seats, quickly spoke up while trying to squeeze out. But before he could get out, the white paper box he had touched earlier opened automatically. Then, a force enveloped him, and he was uncontrollably pulled to stand between the two boxes, directly opposite the top-hatted man.
"It seems a friend is already impatient." The Magician's smile didn't change. He said to the crowd, "No need to rush. Today is a special performance. Every audience member can participate in the magic. If it's convenient, could this friend please move to the front?"
His brown eyes fixed on Xu Huo.
The Magician had originally been sitting in the last row, and Xu Huo was also in a rear seat. When the Magician had made his appearance, aside from him and the yellow-haired player, everyone else had retreated to the front of the cabin. The yellow-haired player had become the audience participant in the magic, leaving only Xu Huo still in the back.
Magician... Xu Huo's gaze swept over the other's eye mask and the moth-shaped brooch on his chest. What a coincidence—the gift box on the "Magician's Gift" playing card also used a moth pattern.
That should have been a single-use item. Even if Mr. Kang was one of its recipients, the item should have expired by now... But it seemed the game's description wasn't always accurate.
Although he didn't know why this Magician had targeted Mr. Kang, the focus had clearly shifted to him now. He just didn't know if he was the original owner of the cube space.
Xu Huo had been carrying the cube space with him all along.
As instructed, Xu Huo moved to the front.
The Magician's smile widened. Then he shifted his gaze back to the yellow-haired player. "I didn't announce the rules of the performance earlier. Now, everyone, look at my hands."
He raised his right hand twice, and after the second time, a small yellow ball appeared in it. He said, "This small ball will only appear in one box during each round of the performance."
With that, he placed the ball into the white paper box. Then, his fingers flicked the boxes, and both boxes began spinning rapidly, constantly swapping positions. As they exchanged places, the colors of the boxes also changed.
"Keep your eyes on the box hiding the ball," the Magician reminded the yellow-haired player after a few seconds. "The participant's task is to pick the correct box."
The yellow-haired player's eyes had long since lost track, but his body couldn't move. He quickly asked, "What happens if I pick wrong?"
The Magician smiled and said, "What a pity. You won't be able to participate in the next round."
"What kind of rule is that..." The yellow-haired player urged, "Stop spinning, stop spinning! My eyes are dizzy. I'll choose now!"
At the Magician's gesture, the two boxes returned to their original positions, with the right one white and the left one black. He still held his hands as if supporting the boxes and said, "Please choose the box you believe contains the ball."
Without hesitation, the yellow-haired player slapped the black box. But with the Magician's "What a pity," the box opened to reveal nothing inside.
"How is that possible!" The yellow-haired player shouted in shock and disbelief. "How could I have been wrong!"
Not just him, but the players behind him also showed the same expression. Although the boxes' positions and colors had changed, the ball hitting the box made a faint tapping sound, still within audible range. Their judgment matched the yellow-haired player's. If he was wrong, it meant they wouldn't have chosen correctly either.
"I couldn't have chosen wrong. You definitely cheated!" the yellow-haired player yelled at the Magician.
But the Magician revealed a strange smile. "In a magic show, disappearing is very common."
With that, he snapped his fingers, and the yellow-haired player vanished before everyone's eyes.
He truly disappeared. No corpse, no bloodstains, and of course, no breathing or heartbeat to determine if he was still alive.
This was at an altitude of ten thousand meters. The plane was only so big. Where could he have gone?
A few people cast glances out the window.
"Young master, the ticket can't be used," a bodyguard quietly said to the young master.
That went without saying. Some had already tried using the ticket when the Magician made his appearance.
When a ticket can't be used, it usually means they're in an instance or on a train. But so far, they hadn't received any game notifications, indicating this wasn't an instance. Nor was it a dimension train. The only remaining explanation was that the Magician had done something they didn't understand.
"Clap! Clap!" The Magician lightly clapped his hands twice. "Although we've lost one lucky audience member, there are still enough audience friends here to continue this performance. I look forward to the next lucky audience member's show!"
As he spoke, a burst of confetti exploded behind him out of thin air. As colorful strips of paper fell, he performed a theatrical spin on the spot, arms wide and body leaning slightly back, using his chin to face the players in front. Without looking, he rotated his right hand and pointed at one of the players.
(Chapter End)