In such a short span of time, three more companions were lost.
Max and Ken wore matching expressions of grim worry.
Lucia cried without stopping.
Tan Xiao looked at one, then the other, still utterly at a loss.
Max finished one cigarette and lit another. “We should split up after all. Staying together, we’re heading toward a complete wipeout at this rate. Even if we can’t get the sword, at least we should keep ourselves alive.”
Ken paused, and couldn’t help looking at Max with some puzzlement.
He thought Max’s logic was odd—the safest approach should be to ensure everyone stayed together at all times, shouldn’t it?
But just as he was about to raise an objection, he caught Max giving him a deliberate look.
Ken held his questions and watched Max in silence.
Max turned his head toward Tan Xiao, not far off. “Hey. We’re down to three people on our side now. Want to join up? Two groups of two—first one to get the king’s sword wins.”
Tan Xiao scratched his hair. “Sure, but… who am I supposed to pair with?”
Max dropped his cigarette butt and ground it out casually, then said in a composed tone, “Ken and I know each other better. How about you pair with Lucia?”
Tan Xiao frowned. “Oh, I get it—you two think she’ll slow you down, so you don’t want to bring her along, right?”
Max gave no response, neither confirming nor denying.
Tan Xiao shot them a disgusted look, then turned to Lucia and thumped his own chest reassuringly. “Don’t worry. From now on, your big brother Xiao has got you covered!”
Max glanced at Lucia with a mild smile. “This arrangement works for you?”
Lucia’s eyes still glistened with tears. She had no opinion of her own, and gave a meek little nod.
Max clapped Ken on the shoulder. “Let’s go. We’ll have another look around and see if we can find any clues.”
Ken hesitated, glancing back at Lucia and Tan Xiao with a slight frown, then followed Max.
The two of them headed up the staircase. At the landing, Ken couldn’t hold back any longer and called out: “Hey, is this really a good idea? Everyone splitting up—if something actually goes wrong, one person alone can barely survive, right?”
Max looked back over his shoulder.
“I just want to run an experiment,” he said.
Ken: “What kind of experiment?”
“See whether that fool ends up dead or not.” Max smiled faintly.
“You mean…” Ken hesitated. “Lucia is suspicious?”
“Both incidents—the people who died were in her group.” Max said at a measured pace. “Of course, that’s only one piece of it… Let me ask you something: in your memory, did Vilard recruit any female subjects?”
Ken froze. “Now that you put it that way… I don’t think I ever saw a female subject. When I first saw her, I just assumed Vilard had recruited so many people I’d simply missed her.”
Max smiled. “When we first entered the game, everyone scattered. She could have taken someone’s place. After all, none of us knew each other. And don’t forget—Lucia’s hair is also golden.”
Ken listened, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettled his expression became. “You’re right… the rules prohibit players from killing, but what if Lucia isn’t a player? Then that rule has no effect on her at all!”
“So, let’s wait and see.” Max lowered his voice and said slowly, “If that fool ends up dead too, then it isn’t a coincidence. At that point, we won’t need to say a word—we go straight for her. The key to this game is definitely hidden in the princess.”
“Understood.” Ken gripped the sword in his hand. “We’ll do exactly as you say!”
—
Down a long corridor—windows on one side, doors on the other.
Tan Xiao peered into each room in turn, finding neither the so-called princess nor any trace of weapons.
“I should’ve picked a combat game,” he said, searching as he chatted with Lucia behind him. “Finding things doesn’t suit a man as full of masculine energy as me. Hey, Lucia, do you know what masculine energy is? It means being a real man. I’m a real man through and through. A real man would never abandon a woman—now that you’re with me, you can relax completely…”
Against the wall, the shadow of a woman had begun to twist and distort…
—