After Lu Ce finished speaking, the voice on the other end of the phone instantly fell silent.
Although she really wanted to ask what exactly this so-called "that kind of qualification" referred to, she already knew it would be pointless.
He would never voluntarily abandon the game to engage in such "weak" behavior.
It was just that after imprisoning Pleasure's power and receiving one divine baptism, her spirit and perception had undergone an unusual enhancement.
She could just feel it—this game was beginning to harbor immense malice toward that masked figure!
Yet she also understood "Sin," understood Lu Ce, and knew what his most likely choice would be.
After letting out a long sigh, she smiled wistfully, as if having thought of something.
"The seven deadly sins represent the most evil and primitive malice in human nature."
"But the point is, there's no fear among them, right?"
"Perhaps," Lu Ce replied. He had never given much thought to this question. "Perhaps fear itself is a kind of virtue for the weak."
On the other end of the phone, Xie Antong nodded silently and withdrew many of the words she had originally wanted to say.
On his end, Lu Ce paused for a few seconds, as if pondering something, then continued hesitantly:
"Additionally, the game will definitely try every means to intensify conflicts among people, forcing them to chase after the game fanatically."
"The conflict between old players and new players is also a form of opposition."
"The next game will likely claim many lives. If you're afraid, you shouldn't participate."
Xie Antong: "..."
After exchanging a few more casual pleasantries, the two hung up.
After ending the call, Xie Antong rubbed her temples, feeling her mental state was quite poor.
How many years of human history had passed? The oldest "old players"—who knew how far back they traced!
Without even needing to think hard about it, she knew the next game would be terrifyingly difficult.
For a moment, the mystery of the game, the unknowns of old players across vast stretches of time, and those "gods" pressed down on her heart like three great mountains.
It gave her an exceptionally weak feeling—the more power she possessed, the more despair she felt instead.
Unconsciously, she now wanted to touch that power belonging to Pleasure, as if only that could calm her and give her a sense of security.
She knew the hidden erosion and corruption that power exerted on her... might have already begun!
Fortunately, while advising Lu Ce, for some reason, her own state of mind had gradually calmed.
It was like trying to gaze into another profound abyss while being influenced by the abyss within her.
"Fear is a virtue for the weak."
"Hah, feels like he was scolding me."
"Next game... really not participate?"
In the empty room, she murmured softly to herself, as if trying to hold a conversation with herself.
......
The game's rest intervals were gradually becoming regular—exactly three days—which seemed to indicate an accelerated rhythm compared to before.
It just gave players enough time to recuperate before directly participating in the next game.
CHOSEN'S PARADISE! was invading and modifying every corner of the world, making people adapt and become accustomed to it.
In just these few short months, CHOSEN'S PARADISE! had gone from being a casual topic in people's lives to something habitual, and now it seemed to have become the most important thing.
Starting from the second day, whenever you opened any website page, the only topic being discussed was the news about old players returning.
"I really never imagined that people have been participating in this game since long ago?"
"So you're saying our society has actually been hiding a group of superpowered individuals all along? Truly unimaginable."
"Old players—how old are the oldest? With so many years of accumulation, how powerful must the strongest be? Are they stronger than the current top-ranked 'Sin'?"
"Nonsense! Haven't you read fantasy novels? When sect ancestors return to their peak, how could they not surpass rising stars?"
"Emmmm... if old players win, can they also ascend to immortality?"
On ordinary social media sites, similar discussions emerged endlessly, but these mostly came from ordinary people or spectators.
In other words, they were all amateurs!
If you shifted your gaze to pay attention to the game's internal chat channels, you would discover...
The professionals were even more outrageous!
The game's internal trading system was exceptionally active at this time, as if a group of people had mysteriously appeared worldwide, starting to purchase goods on a large scale.
Game points were being traded like Pleasure Beans on the market, with all kinds of items being exchanged, as if everyone was frantically enhancing their strength.
That's right—most old players were still relatively wealthy.
They had accumulated plenty of points in the past, and from the perspective of the secondary black market, each of them had substantial assets and resources. The Illuminati in particular controlled the economic lifelines of multiple countries!
Using money to directly trade with some ordinary players was also a simple matter.
What Xie Antong could do, they could naturally do as well.
Moreover, rumors from unknown sources within the game suggested that in this old players' return operation, those who defeated "Sin" might receive special benefits!
People analyzed this with vivid detail, from how "Sin" had defied the game multiple times, to the game previously telling Perfect Life that defeating "Sin" would allow ascension.
It all seemed to indicate that being able to defeat the current number one would certainly be a great opportunity!
Furthermore, multiple organizations had already stopped pretending, especially the Illuminati, who were being exceptionally high-profile.
They had already developed grievances last time, and now that they had returned to the game with their strength fully restored to peak condition, they were all eager and ready for action.
The black market even directly opened betting pools—whether "Sin" would participate in this game.
And if "Sin" participated, whether he would directly die in the game!
Meanwhile, on the game's discussion pages, a group of people began frantically provoking, trying to pressure "Sin" to join the game and not be too scared to participate.
By the last day before the game, similar discussions had become so rampant that even Lu Ce, who usually paid little attention to such matters, noticed it.
Lu Ce: ?
Is this... starting to treat me like Tang Monk's flesh?
Heh...
After thinking for a moment, he began editing text for the second time on the game's discussion page, posting his response!
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