Yue Shi stood in the shadows of the ruins, acting as a spectator.
The number of players steadily decreased as time passed and skirmishes broke out.
From ten to seven, then five...
With every death, the victor grew stronger.
Those mirror-type abilities, which had focused on different aspects, were forcibly fused from their originally scattered states.
When the number of players dropped to two, the game initiated the final showdown.
Only greed and the will to survive remained in their eyes; their power far exceeded what it had been when they first entered the instance.
The loser had only death awaiting them.
The winner would take all.
One player continuously created mirror clones, which soon swarmed the game field. The combat power of these clones was identical to the original body.
The other player could project the scenes he saw, creating mirror phantoms that made the battlefield a dizzying blur.
In the end, the player who could create clones emerged victorious.
The cloning ability was more versatile to begin with, and he had killed more players previously, making him stronger.
However, it was a pyrrhic victory. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
Soon, a fluctuation rippled through him, like boiling water.
The fragments of seventeen abilities from the same source were fusing within his body, piecing together a more complete and powerful form.
His eyes held both exhaustion and a sense of extreme excitement.
Having obtained such immense power, he could essentially do whatever he wanted from now on, whether in the real world or in the game.
As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole waits behind.
Yue Shi had finally waited for this fruit to ripen; it was time to pluck it.
He was just about to move.
Without warning, a beam of pure white light descended from the center of the sky, enveloping the final winner.
At first, the player thought it was the normal procedure—the game ending and teleporting him back.
But soon, the expression on his face froze.
The ecstasy of obtaining great power turned into shock.
Before he could even react, his figure rapidly faded and became transparent within the light beam, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
All that remained was the deathly silence of the ruins and the dust stirred up in the air.
Yue Shi wasn't discouraged.
If the forbidden zone master was also collecting Authorities or something similar, it truly wouldn't be easy to snatch food from a tiger's mouth.
However, he could go back to the past, change it, and snatch the fruit a little earlier.
Clack, clack, clack.
The sound of clear, steady footsteps came from behind Yue Shi.
Yue Shi turned around.
About ten meters behind him, a figure stood quietly.
It was a strange young man.
The reason he was strange was that his attire was completely out of place in this wasteland scene—in fact, it was out of place with any known realistic style.
It was too exaggerated.
He looked like a character from a trashy web game in a pop-up ad.
His upper body was covered in a set of extremely intricate golden half-armor with upward-curving shoulders.
His lower body, however, consisted of tight black combat pants made of a strange material and polished metal boots.
His short, silver-white hair was styled into a spiky anime look, and his pupils were a rare heterochromia—gold on the left and purple on the right.
He held a staff that was as tall as he was.
“I’ve finally found you, intruder.”
The young man spoke condescendingly, his voice cold.
Yue Shi looked him up and down, a hint of pure curiosity appearing in the depths of his eyes.
“Who are you?”
“I am the GM, the game administrator.”
The man tilted his chin up slightly, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Yue Shi’s eyes lit up.
“Game administrator? Then you must know a lot about this Supernatural Game Show?”
“How does it operate? Who is the ruler?”
“What is the nature of these bubble instances?”
The GM was slightly surprised by Yue Shi’s attitude. Instead of fear, the man was firing off questions like a machine gun.
The arrogance on his face did not diminish; if anything, it grew stronger.
The GM didn't answer any of Yue Shi's questions. He simply tapped the ground lightly with his staff, producing a crisp metallic clink.
“You have illegally intruded into the core game area through unofficial channels.”
“You have interfered with the normal operation of the instance. Your actions have seriously violated the game’s security regulations.”
“I have the right to arrest you and throw you into the punishment instance with the highest mortality rate in the show.”
The GM’s voice was stern as he pronounced Yue Shi’s crimes.
He took a step forward. The gem at the top of his staff flared with light, and an invisible pressure spread out, attempting to lock onto Yue Shi.
“Now, give up your futile resistance.”
“If you are lucky enough to survive the punishment instance, perhaps your crime of illegal intrusion can be pardoned.”
“This is the only mercy the Supernatural Game Show will grant you.”
Yue Shi listened quietly to the GM’s declaration, his face showing not even a ripple of emotion.
“Are you finished?” he asked.
The GM frowned, about to speak again.
Yue Shi moved.
“Now that you’re finished, it’s my turn.”
He never bothered with a wind-up when he struck.
He simply raised his right hand toward the GM, spread his fingers, and pressed down gently.
The GM’s flashy armor suddenly grew dull, as if he had been forcibly dragged into a grayish-white space isolated from his surroundings.
He discovered to his horror that his connection to the game show’s backend had been crudely severed. The crystal at the top of his staff stopped glowing.
His mouth fell open in shock, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
Boom!
A muffled thud echoed.
Yue Shi’s foot was planted firmly on the GM’s face—which was now filled with shock and disbelief—stomping him into the cracked asphalt ground.
Debris flew as the GM’s ornate golden armor was violently crushed, leaving clear dents.
Yue Shi leaned over slightly and ground his heel down.
“Now, answer my questions.”
“Who exactly created this game show?”
“Let go of me first!”
The GM snarled.
“I admit you have some skill to be able to defeat an administrator like me.”
“But you are certainly no match for the entire Supernatural Game Show.”
“Attacking a game administrator is an even greater crime. I advise you to be smart and let me go. Perhaps I can give you a chance for a reduced sentence.”
Yue Shi clicked his tongue. “I hate people who show off the most.”
“I already have you under my boot, and you still dare to talk big?”
“Who gave you the courage!”
The GM sneered. “The master of the Supernatural Game Show, of course!”
“I have people backing me. What can you do to me?”
“No matter how powerful you are, do you really think you can contend with a forbidden zone master!”
The corners of Yue Shi’s lips curled upward. “How will we know who wins or loses if we don't try?”
The GM’s eyes widened. “What boastful talk! Do you even know what the words ‘forbidden zone master’ represent?”
Yue Shi nodded. “Of course I know. Since they could cultivate a little brat like you, they must be the king of all jerks.”
“You!”
The GM glared at him. He scanned Yue Shi from bottom to top, wondering if this man was truly ignorant or just incredibly bold because of his power.
In the end, he could only snap back, “You’re the one who’s a jerk. Just looking at you makes me sick!”
Yue Shi applied more pressure with his foot until he heard the sound of the GM’s facial bones cracking.
“It’s only right that you’re sick of me.”
“It would be a real problem if you actually liked what you saw.”
Rate on N.U.
