"What did he just say?!"
Perfect Life had been clapping moments ago, but upon hearing those words, he froze in shock.
There was more to this? Who invited him?
Wasn't this the East Sea Debate?
"He... actually said it out loud?"
By the seaside, Chiyo Eine—who had just ordered her family members to take Chiyo Ji away and was currently regulating her breathing—also paused in surprise.
She knew about Xie Antong's situation, having learned of it through rather unsavory means.
She had assumed someone like "Sin" would never actually step forward.
Now, seeing his unexpected openness, though still jealous, she found her hostility diminishing slightly.
Meanwhile, the Creator watched with approval, swirling energy forming a vortex in his palm.
Countless petals gushed forth endlessly from his hand.
"Need some atmosphere enhancers?" he chuckled, then glanced at the extravagantly decorated surroundings. "Tsk, capitalism at its finest."
Among the gathered players, reactions varied between those who knew bits of the truth and those completely unaware—but all shared the same curiosity and shock.
Yet, the most stunned person wasn't among them.
At the top floor of a skyscraper, behind floor-to-ceiling windows, Xie Antong stared blankly at the familiar figure emerging from the explosion's epicenter.
He came?...
Who brought him here?!
How did he know about this? And who was this "invitation" referring to?
Her?
Her expression darkened instantly as dreadful suspicion flooded her mind.
Pressing fingers to her temples, she mentally reviewed her recent words and actions—had she slipped up somehow?
She'd guarded against mind-reading techniques, so that seemed unlikely.
Mind control then?
But she could account for every minute of her recent days through conscious recollection—precisely to check for any mental manipulation gaps.
For someone as cautious as her at home, this was already extreme vigilance.
"You... did you even read my messages back then?"
Xie Antong muttered helplessly, gazing at the distant beach figure with complex emotions.
In dreams, she'd often wished for his appearance, but through the game, she'd gradually realized—birds and fish ultimately swam different paths.
"Did it never occur to you that something might be wrong here..."
Mid-thought, she suddenly stiffened.
Wait...
It never occurred to him?
Memories of past game sessions flashed through her mind.
No—impossible!
His thinking might be eccentric, but it always cut to the core. When had he ever truly been played? Fallen into someone's trap?
Attempting to channel his perspective—to think like "Sin"—her mind briefly synchronized with his wavelength.
"Wearing that mask... you're not Lu Ce right now. You're still player 'Sin,' aren't you?"
"Could it be... you're treating this as just another unusual game?"
As her reasoning progressed, a faint smile emerged.
Regardless—he was here, wasn't he? That scenario she'd once fantasized about.
The reason that had given her courage to escape everything in flat shoes had still appeared—just with different motives, processes, and likely outcomes.
"Thank you..."
......
"What an impolite place."
The purple Lust mask maintained its haughty demeanor, perpetually tilted upward.
Its wearer scanned the sky aimlessly while muttering:
"All of you, only daring to watch from shadows like peeping toms."
"You embody every inferior gene. No matter—just enjoy my performance then. A sight you'd never foresee in your lifetimes..."
Tilting the mask higher, he strode forward unabashedly toward Lovers' Island's center—as if walking into a storm.
Far away, the elder council—who understood most truths—shifted uncomfortably at Lu Ce's words.
Peeping toms? Who was he referring to?
The Grand Elder watched the live feed silently before finally speaking:
"This time... it was foolish."
The room stayed quiet until a gruff voice interjected:
"Foolish? I think it's great!"
"At least it shows heart!"
"Someone with heart is trustworthy! I'd hate our nation's strongest being some cold-blooded monster."
The Grand Elder responded impassively:
"Heart is one thing, but he lacked consideration."
"There were better approaches."
"Announcing his purpose so publicly before the world—he's handed his weaknesses and cared-for people to enemies."
"He acted rashly this time."
The other elders' silence implied agreement.
Only the elder who'd previously suggested nuking the players narrowed his viper-like eyes.
Was it really just rashness?
......
Lu Ce advanced steadily, receiving salutes from numerous seemingly distinguished onlookers.
The entire Lovers' Island had been transformed into a luxury resort—metal parasols dotted beaches and streets, casting expansive shade.
Here, elites networked and traded resources amidst leisure.
High society always invented customs and etiquette as wealth moats to exclude outsiders.
Lu Ce ignored all decorum, yet with each step, his raised purple mask made others feel he was the island's true nobility.
By comparison, everyone else seemed provincial. Some attendees grew visibly tense under his aura.
Among them lurked those whose casual demeanors couldn't hide their tracking gazes.
"Perfect... he took the bait already!"
Hidden shadows buzzed with gleeful whispers through earpieces.
"That girl's quite the actress... almost had us believing she really had no ties to the top player..."
"Team Four, the prey has entered—commence hunting!"