Ye Chong stared at her for a long moment.

He and his teammates had passed through those flower beds so many times, so many times—and not once had they grown suspicious. Whenever they felt tired and drowsy, they had simply assumed it was from a shortage of food and water.

Who would have thought he’d be undone by a tool like this…

And who would have thought that after killing so many people, he, too, would one day face death? The thought made the corners of his mouth curl involuntarily. He wanted to laugh.

He closed his eyes and asked Bai Youwei, “Right now, even though I don’t have much strength… I won’t die for a while yet. Why not eliminate me directly? Aren’t you afraid of letting trouble drag on?”

Bai Youwei laughed coldly, straightening up to look down at him. “From the very beginning, I never intended to eliminate you. I’ve been thinking all along about how to kill you.”

“Oh?” Ye Chong opened his eyes. “Why?”

Bai Youwei said, “Those people in the preliminary rounds—you killed them, didn’t you? The preliminary rounds average around thirty players each. Assuming each person holds two tools, as the sole winner, you would have at least sixty tools in your hands.

“Setting aside your puzzle pieces and just counting the number of tools you have—how could I not be wary? Add to that your ruthless style, and I thought there was no reason to give you any chance for a comeback. Letting you die here is the best outcome.”

Ye Chong smiled—a faint, shallow smile. “You’re right… I have many tools. Now that you’re pushing me into a corner, aren’t you afraid I’ll drag you down with me? Someone with this many tools usually has a backup plan.”

“Don’t try to bluff me.” Bai Youwei smiled. “All your tools are stored in the gloves. Even if you wanted to use them, the precondition is that your hands can turn over…”

She held that radiant smile at the corners of her lips, pressing her feet hard against his hands—ruthless, brazen, and vicious, like a beautiful yet poisonous witch.

Ye Chong let her stamp and grind at him without changing expression.

Life drained away rapidly. He closed his eyes and reflected on his life—how he had been imprisoned for serious crimes, then escaped when the world transformed, until today. Everything that had happened felt like a dream…

A beautiful dream. The sensation of ending another person’s life was so wondrous. Even now that it was his own turn, he felt the same sense of beauty.

To him, death was a poetic journey. And if someone could accompany him on that journey, all the better.

Ye Chong said slowly, “You know I can retrieve things from the gloves by thought alone. So… do you know that the gloves can also store things?”

Bai Youwei’s expression flickered. Instinctively she looked down.

Ye Chong’s hands were pinned firmly beneath her feet—and beneath his hands, some unknown moment, half of a rope’s end had been pressed flat!

The other end of the rope was connected to Bai Youwei’s hands, bound behind her back!

Bai Youwei gasped and spun to run!

But it was too late!

A massive suction force ripped her off her feet! The rope was pulled into the white gloves’ spatial pocket—and Bai Youwei’s hands were sealed fast against the gloves’ palm!

“Damn it!!!” Bai Youwei screamed.

Behind her, Ye Chong exhaled two rattling laughs, as if satisfied, and then fell silent.

Bai Youwei struggled desperately, even hauling Ye Chong’s body forward—but her hands remained completely fixed to the white gloves, utterly immovable!

“Bastard! Bastard! Bastard bastard bastard!!!” Bai Youwei raged. No matter what she did, she could not break free! Her strength was draining too—the flowers damaged not only Ye Chong; they damaged her as well!

That was why she had warned her teammates again and again not to enter the northern forest!

That was why she had made not a single attack, only receiving blows each time!

Aside from Tan Xiao being captured, everything had gone according to plan—and now, of all moments, was she to lose her life right here?!

“Aaaaah!!!” Bai Youwei screamed in fury. “Yu Chaohui! A’Long! Is anyone there?! Is anyone still alive?!”

—