Ten people were paired up in twos. Everyone turned to look at their opponent. Once both sides confird, the Sli laughed and started bouncing around.
【Alright, alright, interesting, very interesting. Then it’s settled. I’m sure you all understand.】
【Now, in order to ensure the gas are independent and don’t interfere with each other, we’ll be opening up individual rooms.】
【Are you all ready? Okay, if you’re ready, let’s change locations.】
As the words fell, a flash crossed the eyes of the ten people, and they vanished from the spot.
Lu Ce and Xie Antong entered a purple room. The two stood facing each other, roughly ten ters apart.
The room’s furnishings were very simple—just a table in the middle, two chairs, and the rest… you could say it was completely bare.
A very minimalist design, purely a space opened up for the purpose of gambling.
But the entire room—the walls, the furnishings—everything was purple!
The sa shade of purple as the Lust Mask on Lu Ce’s face, clearly a case of special treatnt without the slightest attempt to hide it.
“Looks like we’re going to have a match,” Lu Ce said casually, showing no sign of unease. He strolled toward the table. “Long ti no see. Why’d you rush off in such a hurry last ti?”
Pulling out the purple chair on his side, Lu Ce sat down with complete ease.
Xie Antong, however, was clearly filled with a sense of fear. Her brows were tightly furrowed as if lost in thought, and she still hadn’t moved toward the table.
【Oh oh oh, looks like the two of you are ready.】
Just as the atmosphere between them started getting awkward, a ridiculously cheeky voice piped up—Sli appeared in the room out of nowhere.
【Mm, excellent. The person with the highest star count going up against the one with the highest star consumption. I really nailed this pairing.】
Xie Antong twitched at the corner of her mouth, looking speechless as she stared at Sli.
Do you perhaps have so fundantal misunderstanding of the words “excellent pairing”?
“I just want to ask—is the ga’s rules set in stone from the start, or can you adjust them on the fly depending on the situation?” Xie Antong asked.
【What are you saying! What kind of question is that!】 Sli instantly got flustered.
【All the rules and setups in the ga follow the principle of fairness and impartiality—but not transparency. There’s absolutely no problem.】
【Alright, go ahead and sit down. I’m about to explain the rules.】
【Or do you have so special request? Not planning to sit?】
Xie Antong stepped forward, pulled out the chair, took a deep breath, and sat at the gambling table.
Seeing the two seated, Sli nodded in satisfaction.
Then he said:
【The ga between you two is actually very simple.】
【Rock-paper-scissors.】
As he spoke, nine cards appeared in front of both players.
Lu Ce looked down and noticed the nine cards on his side were face-down, while the nine on the opposite side were face-up.
They each had different symbols on them—clearly showing “rock,” “scissors,” and “paper.”
The order was completely random, with no discernible pattern, but each had three cards.
【Alright, you both should see it clearly now, and I’m sure you’ve noticed sothing.】
【Why are your own cards facedown, while your opponent’s are face-up?】
【Simple. Because from the other side’s perspective, it’s the sa. There’s no difference. It’s my special setup—you can both see your opponent’s cards, but not your own.】
【Play will be alternated. The rules are just standard rock-paper-scissors, which I’m sure you’re both familiar with.】
【Whoever wins five rounds first wins the overall ga.】
【Alright, take a mont to think. Once you’re ready, you can begin.】
As the voice faded, both of them looked down to examine their cards.
This version of rock-paper-scissors was pretty weird. Since they alternated turns, each person could see what the other was going to play—but had no idea what their own card would be.
Which ant it was highly likely to be a psychological ga, or perhaps strategy based on the distribution of rocks, papers, and scissors.
Sitting at the table, Xie Antong’s brow had twisted into a literal “川” character. In Lu Ce’s mory, his old desk-mate had never shown such a distressed expression.
And through the Lust Mask, he could clearly sense that her emotions were now completely engulfed by fear, hesitation, and tension.
Lu Ce furrowed his brow.
“I don’t think there’s much need to think about rules or strategy.”
Lu Ce was the first to break the silence, sliding his chair half a ter back and lounging against the backrest lazily.
“This ga doesn’t need to continue. You’ve already lost. Use the Exit Token. It’s pointless.”
“Anyone who steps up to the gambling table with fear in their heart will never get a pleasant surprise.”
The Lust Mask showed a trace of a mocking smile. Facing Xie Antong, it was as if Lu Ce didn’t regard her as a threat at all.
But hearing those words, Xie Antong actually cald down a little, straightened up slightly, and said:
“You’re right. Losing courage before the battle—there’s no point in fighting anymore.”
“But fear is sothing humans inherently need. When a sheep faces a lion, the one that doesn’t know fear is always the first to die.”
“So,” Lu Ce leaned back again, almost putting his feet up on the table, “if you know you’re a sheep, then just get lost.”
“I think you’ve misunderstood sothing,” Xie Antong took a deep breath, like she’d made so kind of decision.
“What I ant was—I need to beco another lion.”
With that, she pulled out several syringes again and injected them into her neck and temples.
This was clearly an even heavier dose than last ti. At the sa ti, she took out two golden discs and stuck them onto her temples.
She fiddled with her helt, and the All-Seeing Eye shifted form—the back of her head was now completely exposed.
Her waterfall-like black hair floated freely in the air, moving without wind as if she were subrged in the ocean. It even seed to have grown longer.
Through the Lust Mask’s perception, Lu Ce noticed her emotional aura vanish in an instant like lting snow—now completely undetectable.
Lu Ce gave a slight smile and sat up a little straighter, leaning over the gambling table.
It was still the sa person, but her expression and gaze had changed completely. Facing the smiling Purple Mask, she now wore a matching smile.
“Apologies, Mr. ‘Sin’.”
“Thank you for your goading tactic, and your patiently delivered mockery.”
“That little girl from earlier probably disappointed you, huh?”
“Let’s reintroduce ourselves. Shall we begin now?”
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