Ye Chong. Tian Li. Xiao Qi.

Bear. Leopard. Wolf.

Bai Youwei had always been wary of Ye Chong—not only because of his White Gloves, but because inside those gloves seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of tools.

She looked at the three men before her, thought for exactly one second, then turned and ran!

Ye Chong’s voice cracked like a whip: “After her!”

Tian Li and Xiao Qi flanked her from both sides in pursuit! Bai Youwei leapt down the hillside and fled into the depths of the forest!

Though she had been enhanced by three labyrinth upgrades, the strength in her legs was still below average. She was quickly overtaken by Tian Li, whose speed was extraordinary!

“Don’t run!” Tian Li threw himself forward and grabbed her by the shoulder!

Bai Youwei stopped abruptly. In one fluid motion, she reached back and slapped the capture key on her wrist directly onto Tian Li’s chest!

Tian Li’s eyes flew open in stunned disbelief. Before he could say a word—he vanished.

Xiao Qi, who had been following close behind, stood frozen, staring blankly at Bai Youwei.

“Human instinct really is fascinating…” Bai Youwei smiled at him. “You saw me running and automatically gave chase, without stopping for even a moment to think about what kind of animal I actually am.”

Xiao Qi’s face drained of color. He took half a step back.

The corners of Bai Youwei’s mouth curved gently upward.

“So then—what exactly are you?” Ye Chong emerged from behind Bai Youwei like a phantom, his voice unhurried. “…A lion? A bear? Or an elephant?”

Bai Youwei’s expression tightened. Cautiously, she turned to face him. Xiao Qi in front of her. Ye Chong behind her. Both paths of escape—sealed.

From the distance came the rapid sound of approaching footsteps. Yu Chaohui and A’Long were rushing toward them.

Bai Youwei said in a low, measured tone, “Whatever I am—do you really think you can still win? You… only have two people left.”

Ye Chong laughed coldly. “Even if it comes down to just me, the one who wins will still be me.”

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Xiao Qi’s face immediately contorted with terror. “No… No, please, don’t—”

Without any apparent tool being visible, Ye Chong triggered something—and Xiao Qi’s body began to inflate. Like a balloon being filled with air, he swelled larger and larger, rounder and rounder.

Bai Youwei watched, horrified. Even having already cast Ye Chong as a demon who committed every atrocity imaginable, she had never once imagined he would be cruel enough to turn a living human being into a tool.

“Don’t misunderstand—this is actually an exceptional tool.”

Ye Chong watched Xiao Qi swell beyond all human proportion, his voice completely detached.

“There’s no pain whatsoever. In a short time, one becomes a balloon—and then floats lightly up into the air. Drifting upward… effortlessly crossing a river, a mountain…”

Of course Xiao Qi didn’t float—the forest was dense with trees. He was wedged grotesquely between them, his clothing shredding apart, his skin stretched so thin it was translucent, the faint blue of veins visible beneath.

Bai Youwei could no longer see Xiao Qi’s head. She could only hear him—wailing and sobbing and pleading.

“Have you ever tried to find the bugs in the game’s tools?” Ye Chong moved to Bai Youwei’s side and spoke into her ear with intimate softness. “If you haven’t, you really should—it’s tremendously entertaining. I wouldn’t even call them bugs, really. More like additional value built into the game. For instance, this balloon—if it were to come into contact with something high-temperature, what do you think would happen?”

Bai Youwei’s expression changed in an instant. She raised her wrist and spoke in rapid succession, “Fall back! Everyone fall back! Yu Chaohui, A’Long, do not come any closer!!!”

Before she could finish speaking, Ye Chong looped his arm around her throat from behind with brutal force and dragged her away!

At the same time, he flung something into the distance—trailing sparks, edged with gleaming light, unstoppable—hurtling directly toward the human balloon!

Bai Youwei squeezed her eyes shut.

—BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion ripped through the entire forest, like a thousand hydrogen balloons detonated at once! Every shrub and tree within range erupted into roaring flames!

Bai Youwei opened her eyes.

In the distance, as far as she could see—a sea of fire.

…