[...]
[What a pity.]
The game's voice appeared once again, unexpectedly making such an unusually subjective remark.
Xie Antong sneered and looked up, saying:
"From the looks of it, you must be some kind of entity."
"You don't sound like pure game background narration."
[That's none of your concern.]
The game's voice returned to calm, but clearly still maintained that sense of communicating with players.
[In any case, this game isn't over yet. This is a contest between players.]
[Since hide-and-seek is so fun, if you're unwilling, then someone willing must be chosen.]
[In this game, some must lose for others to win.]
Then its tone shifted noticeably, clearly targeting Xie Antong as it teased:
[Like just now, if you had really killed him...]
[Though outside game rules, I could have given you a point~]
Hearing this, Players Seven through Nine shuddered instantly, even backing further away.
What kind of talk was this!
How could this be allowed.
Didn't that mean they were in danger now? Couldn't the top players here theoretically win by killing others?
That would mean no rules at all - is this what defines a life-or-death battleground?
"Don't say things even you don't believe," Xie Antong said flatly.
"This game can't possibly have such rules. If I'm not mistaken, formal victory conditions must be established first."
[Oh? What nonsense are you guessing at? I am the rules, so naturally what I say goes.]
"I said, don't repeat things even you don't believe."
"You're not the rules themselves - at best you represent them."
"Frankly, I'm starting to think your authority is pathetically limited, lacking any real power to punish or eliminate players."
"How... useless for a rules system."
Xie Antong had already discerned much, now openly insulting it without reservation.
She might as well have been daring it to prove her wrong by killing her.
Perhaps from the recently injected serum, or her foul mood from earlier events, she'd become razor-sharp, drawing everyone's attention.
Previously in games, "Sin" had been the most extreme one, making "Blank" seem exceptionally calm and meticulous.
Now with "Sin" finally asleep, had their personalities completely swapped...
Faced with such disrespect, the game fell silent before responding calmly without anger:
[Oh, what a clever one, seeing through me.]
[But not everything I said was false.]
[At least one thing was completely sincere - you could indeed compete against him separately for points.]
[If you both agree to a deathmatch, the winner gets points~]
Chiyo Eine immediately tried to stop this - how absurd! Have Blank fight that man to death now?
She absolutely mustn't act impulsively!
Yet her concern proved unnecessary.
Xie Antong's serum enhanced rational thinking, not impulsiveness.
Behind her seemingly more reckless actions lay calculated intent.
From that last statement alone, she'd discerned another limitation.
"'If you both agree'? I see... so you can't even decide this."
"Now trying to manipulate him into killing someone you dislike? Warning - he might disgust you more."
"Still, I do have a 'deathmatch' idea."
[Oh?]
The game perked up immediately.
[Good! Let's hear it.]
"Do you have a coin here?"
"The kind that functions like a causality weapon - when flipped, guarantees exactly 50% heads, 50% tails probability."
[Simple. Nothing can interfere with this coin.]
[What? A battle of wits using probability? Explain.]
"Close enough." Xie Antong nodded.
"One flip. Heads I die, tails he dies. How's that?"
Game: ?
[...]
What?
[You... call that a deathmatch?]
"Isn't it? Doesn't someone still die?"
[...This rule won't do. No competitive aspect, anyway...]
Xie Antong thought "Got it" - this game's governing rules were utterly worthless.
Its authority and power were far too limited.
It couldn't even enforce elimination through game outcomes - she'd confirmed her suspicions.
......
Outside, in the Dragon Group's Elder Council, everyone listened intently.
The most hot-tempered elder sighed:
"Ah, proposing such a lethal gamble... this girl's hatred runs bone-deep. She's completely willing to die if it means his death."
Grand Elder: ...
"She's probing the system. At your age, shouldn't you grow some brain to match those muscles?"
"But..."
"This conflict has truly reached such a point... it feels schismatic."
Meanwhile, the perpetually gloomy elder had been staring intently at Blank from the start.
Something felt off about these coincidences and emotional shifts.
How had she survived?
Wasn't this love-to-hate transformation too seamless?
"Regardless, maintain contact with Jiu Tian," the gloomy elder said.
"Have him cooperate more."
......
Back in the game, the rules voice kept speaking persuasively until Xie Antong raised a hand to interrupt.
"Enough. I understand your limitations now - no need to pretend."
"We have two straightforward options: First, we mutually agree on game rules to proceed."
"Second, you set the rules but must grant each of us one condition."
[Your conditions!?]
The voice cracked.
[What gives you the right to demand conditions.]
"Your own words - rules require mutual agreement. So you must accept this, or I won't comply."
[...]
The voice seemed genuinely speechless now - if it had a face, it would be gnashing teeth.
Xie Antong continued:
"Let's state our conditions first so you can assess feasibility."
"If acceptable, we'll proceed directly to the next game."
"As for the sleeping one... well, someone that lazy probably won't make meaningful demands anyway. Adding his condition later won't matter..."