Was this their first time participating in a confrontation against the very essence of the game?
Even their trash talk phase was so conservative and polite.
If his mask today had been golden, he probably would have directly declared the game's win rate to be zero.
Somehow, she actually looked forward to seeing Pride's personality engage in dialogue with the game.
After all, all game voices carried a condescending tone when facing players—only Pride treated everything equally.
—Equally looking down upon the game, gods, and players alike.
Moreover, hearing how Lu Ce had managed to recognize all the rules without any prior awareness made her realize: Laziness couldn't possibly be just a side-effect mask!
The strongest player still existed! Variables still remained!
The condition she had specifically reserved for Lu Ce had truly served its purpose.
This game's announcement voice was clearly related to the Divine Selection—she just didn't know which one it was or how powerful.
But perhaps after playing so many games with Lu Ce, she had become disillusioned with things that seemed invincible.
Sin's actions were unpredictable, but after Xie Antong learned the face beneath that mask, she chose to believe in his true nature.
He was never truly cruel, malicious, or bloodthirsty.
Those were just his masks, his methods, the deals he made with the deepest demons of his soul.
He only had one true face—the pursuit of ultimate strength!
And in this process, he would always choose the riskiest path, the one that seemed most unreasonable.
Because the steeper the path appeared, the faster one could ascend.
Thus, he would drag the game into the fray and shatter what seemed like the most unsolvable zero-sum game between players.
This should have been a predicament belonging to humanity, to all players—yet it was this man, the least righteous of them all, who broke it.
Perhaps he never consciously considered this, but his extreme actions had already paved the way for everyone.
This should have been an unconventional contribution, yet he was labeled a madman.
As for this danger, most players would undoubtedly reject it!
The All-Seeing Eye captured every player's expression. Xie Antong saw clearly—Players 7 and 8, those in later positions, all wore unusually grim expressions after hearing these conditions.
Many even shot Sin looks of hatred and confusion.
They must be thinking: Dragging the referee into the game would only lower their chances of winning, their odds of survival.
They must be thinking: Sharing a game with Sin was the worst luck imaginable.
Thus, this act—breaking the zero-sum game among players, creating an escape from mutual slaughter—would be seen as heresy.
But...he didn't have to do this.
Xie Antong's eyes lowered slightly, not wanting others to see her expression.
Perhaps after learning who lay beneath that mask, the "Sin" in her eyes was no longer the embodiment of fear and death, but the man who had walked into her heart three years ago.
He didn't have to do this. If he hadn't dragged the Divine Selection into the game, who would benefit most? The later-positioned players?
Wasn't it him?!
Without opposing the game, who among them could truly defeat him?
Perfect Life?
The probability seemed low to her.
Game 2.0, player competition mode, civil war.
This should have been his paradise. With strength surpassing all global players, he could have easily harvested perfect clears in every game, accumulating power.
Just like the nobles at the pinnacle of every dynasty in history.
Just like what her own family had done.
But he didn't. He chose the hardest path, challenging the game again and again, voluntarily stepping into danger. After becoming invincible, his first move was to look toward the heavens.
Clearly, he was the correct one.
Clearly, he was the one who turned the spearhead toward the game itself.
Sin didn't wallow complacently in his identity as the strongest—he kept swinging his blade at greater challenges, as if something behind him kept pushing him forward.
Yet for this, he was labeled a madman, a brute, even a scapegoat whenever the game showed the slightest disturbance.
If it were Perfect Life, the world's strongest player, would he make such choices?
Would he reject easier paths and actively raise the game's difficulty like a death wish, dragging the game's rules into it?
As she pondered, she glanced up at Perfect Life.
No.
He would never do this!
Because he was perfect—his blood didn't carry such irrational, dangerous impulses.
And thus, he was already imperfect.
The truly perfect player was someone else.
......
Perfect Life: ?
He felt strange—did that woman called "Blank" just glance at him?
He distinctly sensed scrutiny and... superiority in that look?
Huh?
What did that mean? Was she sending some message? He didn't get it!
[Good! Since that's the case, I'll join the fun. The game's rules are set—keh keh keh~]
Perhaps because it was setting its own rules, the game's voice now sounded more relaxed and at ease.
"Uh, wait a second, I have a question."
Player 7 suddenly spoke up, as if making a last-ditch effort.
"I mean no disrespect to 'Sin,' but shouldn't the previous conditions require consensus among the rest of us too?"
"This... having the referee itself join the game, isn't that a bit—!"
[Game mode generated!]
The game's voice cut him off, utterly ignoring him!
Player 7's face turned ashen, then his footing gave way—he plummeted straight into a glowing gate.
[All players, enter your designated areas. The new game has begun!]
One gate after another materialized beside the players.
Perfect Life and the others stepped through without hesitation.
When Xie Antong entered, only she and Lu Ce remained on the field.
Abruptly, without context, she said:
"I hope you won't regret your decision."
[Don't worry, he definitely will, ahahaha!]