Volume Two, The Devil's Game, Chapter 56: Distributing the Rewards

Checking himself and finding no tangible changes, Lu Yi muttered to himself, "If all else fails, I'll just toss this talent aside and play by my own rules."

Just then, another notification echoed in his mind: "Commencing reward distribution."

Lu Yi felt the scene before him distort, and a massive golden egg appeared. He tilted his head back, staring at it in stunned silence. "At this size, even a formal team's inventory space couldn't hold it."

"Good person, good person!" Jade Toad called out, waving a hand in front of Lu Yi’s face.

Lu Yi snapped back to reality. Shen Yixue looked at him, asking, "Lu Yi, what just happened to you?"

Knowing his expression had been strange, Lu Yi waved it off. "It’s nothing. I saw that the rewards have been distributed."

At the mention of rewards, Shen Yixue’s eyes lit up. She looked around eagerly. "Where are they?" Realizing, she added, "Right, I suppose only you can see them again."

She gave him a gentle nudge. "Go on then."

Lu Yi walked up to the egg and reached out. A prompt appeared: "Confirm use of this egg. Once used, you must shatter it within 1 minute to obtain the reward; otherwise, it will be destroyed."

*If I don't use it now, am I supposed to pack it up and carry it away?* Lu Yi rolled his eyes and confirmed. The next moment, he was pulled inside the egg.

He stumbled into a pitch-black space. Floating before him was a watermelon-sized, iridescent egg. As his gaze swept over it, its information appeared in his mind.

It was an egg crafted by a demon using special means, connected to a storage warehouse. The egg projected the items within, constantly cycling through them. Lu Yi would receive the item corresponding to the projection at the exact moment he shattered the shell. The quality of items in the warehouse ranged from Purple to Gold.

"I only unlocked a one-in-ten-thousand skill; did you have to target me like this?" Lu Yi grumbled internally. He focused on the egg, knowing he only had a few dozen seconds left.

With the help of his Magic Eye, Lu Yi peered through the prismatic light to see the shifting projections—or rather, outlines composed of points of light. They flickered rapidly between blades, armor, and more. Without the Magic Eye, even if he could see through the outer glow, he would only see chaotic specks of light.

Squinting, he muttered, "With my current strength, I can't even clearly distinguish every item. No wonder they didn't bother with deeper concealment."

After observing for a while and realizing there was no way to cheat, he shook his head in resignation. With no reason to wait further, he raised his hand and struck the egg.

It shattered instantly, leaving a crystal in his palm.

"Name: Magic Contract Stone; Quality: Tier 1 Gold; Category: Consumable; Contractor: Lu Yi; Contractee: [Empty]; Effect: When a living being is in a critical state, you may, with their consent, form a contract. They will transform into a Contracted Demon Man/Woman/Beast linked to the contractor and gain additional abilities corresponding to their status. Note: The contractor and contractee cannot be the same person; one stone can only bind one being. Description: This is a special upgrade reward created by the Demon Game for those who achieve milestones. By city-level standards, it cannot fully be considered a Gold-tier item. Achievements: 'Slaying the Warden,' 'Killing Four Wardens,' 'This Guy Isn't a Warden, He's the Prey and I'm the Hunter,' 'I Call the Shots on How This Game Plays.'"

Once Lu Yi finished reading, the stone melted into his body. He wasn't alarmed, knowing the stone would reappear when he signed a contract with another being.

"Life-saving and provides extra abilities. No matter how you look at it, it’s an item meant to help new members increase their strength and survivability," Lu Yi analyzed briefly. He then picked up the three other items that had spilled out from the shattered egg and walked out.

"Shen Yixue, Jade Toad, these are rewards equivalent to sealing the Warden. Pick one each," Lu Yi said, placing the three items on the ground.

Almost simultaneously, both women locked their eyes on a thin, transparent soft armor and lunged for it.

"Good person, good person! I saw this one first!" Jade Toad cried out while tugging at it.

"What? Lu Yi clearly promised I could pick first!" Shen Yixue retorted, refusing to back down.

They both looked at Lu Yi. To be fair, even Lu Yi found the item tempting.

"Name: Trickle Soft Armor; Quality: Tier 1 Purple; Weight: 170g; Equipping Requirements: None; Effect: Self-cleaning, releases a cooling sensation in high temperatures. Trickle Spiral: Increases the wearer's energy absorption speed. Water Shield: Slightly reduces damage from external attacks; when activated, releases a water-based shield that reduces the power of all enemy attacks, with extra mitigation against fire-based attacks. Duration: 30 seconds; Cooldown: 3 hours."

Lu Yi felt a headache coming on. He should have established an order. He picked up another item. "Don't be impatient, look at the others first."

He held up a bracelet strung with pearls. "Name: Deep Blue Water Rhyme Bracelet; Quality: Tier 1 Purple; Weight: 120g; Water Rhyme Spirit Bead: Creates a non-defensive bubble that provides enough air for the wearer to breathe for 10 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour. Deep Blue Impact: Releases a high-speed water jet in a straight line. Duration: 3 seconds; Cooldown: 30 minutes. Deep Blue Healing: Consumes stored energy to heal the wearer's wounds. As long as energy remains, the wearer will not die from internal or external injuries, excluding lethal strikes."

As for the final reward, Lu Yi glanced at the description and gave up on pitching it.

"Name: Azure Spirit Fluid; Quality: Tier 1 Blue; Type: Material; Description: Used in conjunction with other materials to create clones or spirit-imbued items."

As Lu Yi read the attributes, the intensity of the struggle over the armor waned. After a moment, Shen Yixue took the bracelet, and Jade Toad happily donned the armor.

With the spoils distributed, Lu Yi put away the Azure Spirit Fluid and headed toward Tan Weiwei, with Shen Yixue following closely.

"Good person, what are you doing?" Jade Toad hopped along behind them.

"I intend to see if I can wake those three up." Lu Yi returned to the spot where Tan Weiwei and the others were still lying motionless.

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Streamer, did you find a way from the Warden? Didn't the Warden say they forgot the solution?"

Seeing the comment, Lu Yi nodded. "That's right, the Warden did say that. But just because the Warden doesn't provide a way doesn't mean I can't find one."

He looked at Shen Yixue and Jade Toad. "I am going to enter their illusions. There won't be another Warden arrival for an hour. However, Deng Yuqi’s situation is complex, and if the Zhufeng squad shows up, things might get messy. I need you both to keep watch."

"Good person, I understand," Jade Toad said.

"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on the surroundings," Shen Yixue added.

Lu Yi took a deep breath and sat down. He performed a series of gestures and placed a palm on Liang Feisong’s forehead, his head tilting as he entered the illusion.

In a world of churning blue waves and sky, a black speck suddenly appeared, descending rapidly before stopping and landing on a cresting wave.

Lu Yi looked around and muttered, "The ocean? This isn't great. I can't exactly go fishing for people in a real ocean."

He had chosen Liang Feisong because he was in the best condition, hoping to use his illusion to deduce the state of the others.

Meanwhile, at the broadcast site, the host shouted excitedly, "Ladies and gentlemen, the moment of truth has arrived! I must say, this group of contestants has brought us massive surprises, especially the one named Lu Yi, who has repeatedly set new records."

"However," the host’s tone shifted, "overall, this is the worst group of contestants yet, as they have yet to seal a single pillar. As punishment, they will face the strongest of Wardens. Now, let us remove all balls below the third color and add five black balls. Each one represents an incredibly powerful Warden."

As the machine churned, a black ball was finally ejected. The host grabbed it, displaying the text to the audience. "It’s here! He is here! He is the witness of history, gazing upon the life and death of billions in the void. His intellect is vast, and any technique he has seen becomes powerless before him. His strength reverses time and space; all who dare resist turn to dust. Today, a fragment of his power descends in this game. Will he end this game with his invincible grace? Who among the contestants will become the pillar to resist him? Can the brilliant Lu Yi rely on his luck to survive?"

Amidst the roaring crowd, the host slammed the black ball onto the magic circle. The sand table in the air trembled violently, and a black cloud engulfed it.

The Warden whispered mysteriously, "Everything is about to be revealed."