Chapter 181: Chapter 181: The Game Is Only Just Beginning, But People Are Dying Too Slowly

“Hehehe……”

In Chiyo Eine’s eyes, “Sin” was now walking slowly toward them, stepping on scorched earth ravaged by flames, wearing a twisted smirk on his mask.

“So you’re not a player in this game… makes sense. Everything makes so much more sense now……”

He mumbled things the others couldn’t understand, then looked toward the dumbfounded Xie Antong standing off to the side.

Rippling lights swirled on his mask as he spoke:

“Emmm... the game’s only just getting started, don’t get ahead of yourself. Otherwise, what’s the fun in that....”

Xie Antong looked at him in confusion. She recognized that mask — Greed, ruthless in pursuit of maximum profit.

But had he just thrown her under the bus earlier, only to save her afterward?

Chiyo Eine, seeing the two “schemers” exchanging glances, felt alarmed and immediately stepped forward to confront “Sin”:

“When did I hurt civilians?” Lu Ce spread his hands, the expression on his mask puzzled. (´･ω･`)?

“……Then what about the damage to the buildings here!”

“Wasn’t that all done by Sun?!” (Φ皿Φ)

Chiyo Eine: ……

Lu Ce took a step forward, smiling, towering over Chiyo Eine.

“Stop trying to distract from the real issue. I’ll tell you a secret.”

“I have mind-reading!”

Xie Antong: ?

Like h*ll you do!

“From the moment I arrived and noticed you, I’ve known everything you were thinking. Hehehehe……”

Chiyo Eine’s expression barely changed. She said calmly:

“You’re bluffing.”

“Eh?” Lu Ce froze, pointed at Chiyo Eine, then turned to Xie Antong and said, “Isn’t this chick supposed to be dumb?”

“How come I lie to her and she doesn’t fall for it?”

Xie Antong: ……

“Because if that were true, your abilities would overlap,” Chiyo Eine said coldly.

“She’s the one who has mind-reading, which is why she stays hidden in the dark observing everything. You wouldn’t have the same skill.”

“I don’t have mind-reading…” Xie Antong felt completely innocent.

“Hey.” Off to the side, the masked “Sin” stopped her. “No point denying it once you’ve been figured out. Let’s not beat around the bush.”

“We all know your strength isn’t as simple as it looks — you’re probably at least second in the world, am I right?”

Xie Antong: ?

What kind of b*stard is this guy!!

Did she offend him in a previous game or something? Is that why he’s doing this?

She groaned inwardly, but quickly recovered in rational mode, looking at “Sin” with confusion.

Up to now, she really wasn’t sure whether this guy was hostile or friendly toward her.

And why did they always end up in the same game? Was he also investigating the game’s true nature?

Also……

“Why?” Xie Antong looked up at him. “You should know the things you’re saying are wrong — or at least what the game wants us to believe.”

“That’s not the game’s true purpose. I just want to know what you’re doing?”

Xie Antong had now found the best solution for dealing with Lu Ce’s unpredictability — just ask directly.

“Ah… that question, actually, is pretty simple.....”

“Because the game’s only just begun — but the death rate is too low, and too slow……”

Hearing such an absurd reason, Xie Antong was stunned, but then thought about it — and yeah, it kinda did fit his personality.

While Xie Antong was lowering her head in thought, she didn’t notice the flickering lights on the mask staring at her with a hint of confusion.

Because he had more information than Xie Antong, since the last game instance, he had already been highly suspicious of why they kept getting matched together.

Now that he saw her again in a third game, he felt that suspicion could be upgraded to confirmation.

First of all, he didn’t think Xie Antong had the power to manipulate the game herself — so it had to be a flaw in the game’s matching system.

While Xie Antong was watching him, he had also been watching her, searching for any suspicious clues.

Until just now — when she fired that shot, he smelled a fleeting, strange, yet familiar scent.

But it disappeared too quickly, leaving him wondering if his Bloodhound nose was just being too sensitive.

“Have you thought about how to end this?” Xie Antong looked up and asked. She felt like this guy always started gambling before he even knew how things would turn out.

“Listen.”

“Sin” raised a single finger, as if listening for something.

Right then, all the players began faintly hearing the system elimination sound — “Player eliminated.”

Clearly, Lu Ce’s strategy of stirring things up in the city had worked.

“Listen to what?” Xie Antong pretended to be confused, then looked toward Chiyo Eine.

“Did you hear that?”

In that split second of distraction, Xie Antong confirmed her earlier theory.

Chiyo Eine looked conflicted for a while, then suddenly turned to “Sin” and said:

“I do have one more ability I haven’t used — but it has a big cost.”

“My condition is that you protect me. Guarantee I won’t be killed in this game — that I’ll survive to the end.”

“In exchange, I’ll use that high-cost ability. I… can locate the position of all contestant players.”

“Oh?” Lu Ce was slightly surprised, glancing subtly up at the night sky.

Those All-Seeing Eyes… they can really split into hundreds?

Is she evolving too?

“But… hehe.” Without any warning, the expression on “Sin”’s mask suddenly turned twisted. What he said next was completely incoherent.

Normal people say something and then but — this guy starts with but, and no one knows what kind of crap he’s imagining.

“Rejected, because I already know how to find the other contestants.”

“So your offer is invalid. No way I’m protecting you — and you don’t need it either. I know your strength. You can wipe the floor with people in seconds~.”

Just then, Chiyo Eine finally snapped back to reality, wiped the blood from the corner of her eye, and said coldly:

“You two clearly planned this from the start — but aren’t you treating me a little too lightly?”

“No no no, it’s not about you, Echo Bro. Honestly, I don’t take anyone seriously in this game,” Lu Ce turned around, shrugged, and smiled.

“Is that so?” Chiyo Eine narrowed her eyes. “Then how do you explain hurling that Fire Boy over to interrupt my spell? Weren’t you saving her?”

“Oh, that? Total coincidence. He wanted to fly over here.”

“Bllsht!!” From the ground, Fire Boy cursed loudly.