Seven players remained on the field.

Because they had promised to distribute items to those who lost, players number 6, 7, 14, and 24 — who should have been eliminated — remained in the game.

The inspector announced: “This game has three winners: numbers 3, 11, and 15.

Twenty-five players eliminated.

Two deaths.

Distributable puzzle pieces: 42.

Distributable items: 38.

Reward settlement will now begin——”

As the words fell, a dazzling orb of light appeared before each player. The orbs floated gently, containing puzzle pieces and items — anyone who reached out could easily take them.

Inside Bai Youwei’s orb were 14 puzzle pieces and 6 items.

She couldn’t help but feel moved. She had been collecting for so long and had only gathered 23 puzzle pieces — yet now, in just a single game, she had obtained 14 more. It truly lived up to its name: the War Qualifier.

The others also wore expressions of relief.

The four eliminated players had lost their puzzle pieces, but had kept their items and even received new ones — undeniably the best possible outcome.

Only Yu Chaohui looked despondent, his face devoid of any joy.

The stone sphere on the rooftop rotated a full turn, and the eye totems on its surface disappeared one by one. After the four eliminated players collected their items, they too vanished.

Only the three winners remained in the plaza: Bai Youwei with her red eyes, Yu Chaohui with his blue eyes, and a blond-haired Westerner with yellow eyes.

——According to the rules, there should have been five winners, yet only three remained.

This made the sphere somewhat displeased. But regardless, the game had concluded smoothly, and it had reaped considerable gains. Satisfied, it rolled once in a circle and said:

“Congratulations on winning this game! Your victory also marks the official beginning of the Maze War——

This will be a prolonged competition. Kings must strive to expand their territory; subjects must choose excellent rulers; and only when ruler and subject work together in unity can victory ultimately be achieved.

The detailed rules will be explained to you by other inspectors once you return to the rest hall.

You now have three minutes of preparation time — a special privilege for the winners~”

Three minutes of preparation time.

After all, with so many puzzle pieces and items in hand, anyone who wanted to conceal their strength couldn’t afford to return to the rest hall immediately.

The yellow-eyed Westerner had received a long branch among his items — difficult to hide. He hurried into the forest and rolled around in the dirt, returning covered in grime with dried leaves caught in his hair. The branch in his hand, at least, no longer looked conspicuous.

Yu Chaohui’s items were all fairly small. He carelessly stuffed them into his pockets or simply held some in his hands. Fang Yu’s death had dealt him a heavy blow — his entire state of mind seemed off, his thoughts clearly far away from the game.

Seeing him like this made Bai Youwei uneasy too.

Though they were just two inconsequential people, little better than strangers — still, given that one degree of connection between them, it was hard not to care.

And besides, her rabbit had always been used purely for deterrence. Unless she was dealing with monsters within the game, she had never gone for the kill.

This was the first time… she had caused a person’s death.

Bai Youwei glanced at Yu Chaohui, feeling increasingly unsettled. She walked alone into the voting booth, opened her dollhouse, and tossed the puzzle pieces and items inside all at once. When she emerged, she was holding nothing but a rabbit.

A massive square exit appeared in the plaza, radiating pure white light.

The inspector was nowhere to be seen.

The three players walked through the square exit one after another, stepped into the white light, and when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves back in that extraordinarily vast white room.

So this place was called the rest hall.