Within the scattered starlight, a sword appeared inside the scabbard.

Still — a ruby.

Vilard stared blankly for two seconds before a self-mocking smile curved at the corner of his lips.

He had recruited forty-five subjects — all those people — and in the end only brought back a single sword. The opposing team, a mere four people, had seized four swords. This was truly laughable.

Before him, Bai Youwei was slowly drawing the sword.

“This is the last sword.” Vilard’s lips twisted, making no effort to conceal his mockery. “Think carefully… Your body has six positions. Two have already been struck. That leaves your chest, abdomen, left leg, and right leg. How will you choose?”

Bai Youwei gripped the sword and said nothing.

The wound on her abdomen had not yet healed, and Vilard’s arms were still soaked in blood. Beneath both thrones, a pool of fresh blood had quietly spread across the floor without anyone noticing…

Both were in terrible condition. At this point, it was simply a contest to see who could outlast whom.

Vilard smiled faintly and said: “Would you like to try the abdomen again, to make up for the disappointment of the last round?… Ah, but what if you hit a second shield? In that case, wouldn’t you be forced to stall here with me indefinitely?”

Bai Youwei said coldly: “You’d place a shield in the same spot?”

“Guess.” Vilard smiled. “Maybe I placed it on my chest — so that once you try to strike a vital point, you’d only give me another shield?… Or perhaps, thinking in reverse, I placed it on my leg. Who knows, hm…”

Bai Youwei studied him slowly…

*Where would it be? The shield.*

There were six swords in the game.

Vilard had obtained one, striking her abdomen. Then she had obtained two, striking Vilard’s left arm and right arm in turn. Then she had obtained the third, but struck a shield.

A shield could only sustain three rounds, so in the first round, Vilard presumably had not used his shield. The newly added shield could be placed in any one of four locations: abdomen, chest, left leg, or right leg.

Of course, considering that this was the final decisive moment, to ensure his own survival, there was a very high probability that Vilard had placed the shield on his chest or abdomen.

But then again — perhaps through reverse thinking, he had deliberately placed it on his leg?

…No, that didn’t quite work either. He might try reverse thinking in earlier rounds, but this was a critical moment. Could he afford to gamble?

He couldn’t.

He would have placed the shield on either his chest or his abdomen, because those two locations — particularly the heart — once struck, would be beyond saving.

She had to avoid the shield. She could not allow his shields to keep increasing.

Bai Youwei’s gaze drifted slowly downward, settling on Vilard’s legs.

So… left leg, or right leg?

His legs should be safe. Choosing either one at random shouldn’t matter, should it?

He was already weakened from his burns, his body far more frail than hers, and with both arms now injured, he was losing a great deal of blood. One more strike — even if she couldn’t immediately take his life, it would certainly hasten his death.

And the legs also contained major arteries. She might not be able to hit one precisely, but it was still an opportunity.

“Have you decided?” Vilard gave a malicious smile. “Maybe I placed it on my legs — one of two legs. You have a fifty percent chance.”

*Don’t listen to him.*

*He only wants to throw her off.*

It didn’t matter how much he said. With only one sword, there was absolutely no way he could beat her — because he had no opportunity to attack at all!

Bai Youwei breathed steadily, composing her thoughts.

She currently held an overwhelming advantage. There was no need to rush, no need to panic… Among those four positions, the probability of hitting a shield was only twenty-five percent. As long as she avoided the shield, she would inevitably win.

As long as… she avoided the shield.

Chest, abdomen, left leg, or right leg?

He was such a cunning person. Where would he hide the shield?

Bai Youwei closed her eyes.

If she were Vilard… what would she do?

—