Volume Two, Devil’s Game: Chapter 59: The Warden Shows His Might

The violent aura released from the massive black palm instantly disrupted the Watcher’s abilities, causing everything it had been manipulating to drop to the ground.

After landing, Lu Yi caught sight of the Ring of Fortune that had manifested automatically and felt a surge of joy; he knew that with the ring’s assistance, he had successfully unleashed another "Demon Strike."

The massive black palm clenched into a fist and slammed toward the Watcher. The Watcher’s expression shifted slightly, its previous look of disdain vanishing instantly. It pushed both hands forward, and a translucent crystalline barrier immediately materialized in front of it.

When the fist made contact with the barrier, a deafening boom echoed out. The ground cracked and spiderwebbed outward from the Watcher’s position. Shards of concrete were sent flying, propelled by the powerful energy, and after a brief struggle, the crystal wall began to shatter in large patches. Lu Yi, as the one who had unleashed the attack, was blown backward by the sheer force of the rebound.

Then, the Watcher’s expression changed once more. The power of the black fist surged again, forcing the Watcher to retreat steadily, leaving two deep trenches in the ground behind it.

The Watcher let out a roar, the veins in its neck bulging. The energy generated by their clashing skills grew increasingly intense. Yet, less than a second later, a faint, barely audible sound of crystal fracturing rang out, and the black fist slammed heavily into the Watcher’s chest.

The Watcher was instantly sent flying like a streak of light, piercing through the house behind it and vanishing into the sky.

Lu Yi felt no joy at this sight; instead, his expression grew even more grave. The previous Watcher had perished directly under such an attack, but this one had managed to resist for a time and was ultimately blasted away. It was hard to say whether the final damage had been sufficient to secure a kill.

Undoubtedly, Lu Yi hoped to hear a kill notification. Once a "Demon Strike" was unleashed, the Watcher’s abilities would inevitably be enhanced, so it would have been better to earn a period of safety. Conversely, if there was no kill notification, it meant this Watcher’s strength was truly terrifying.

Just then, an aged but resonant voice echoed in Lu Yi’s ear: "An eye for an eye, blood for blood."

"Hm?" Lu Yi was momentarily stunned. The next moment, he felt an irresistible force strike his chest, and he was sent flying backward, his body curled in agony.

Lu Yi crashed heavily into a wall, punching straight through it without the slightest resistance. The impact left his head spinning, but he gritted his teeth, fighting to stay conscious. He knew that if he lost consciousness now, and the force continued to slam him into more buildings, he would never have a chance to wake up again.

He channeled all his water-elemental energy to his back. Just as the energy coalesced, he was pushed through the other side of the building, continuing to smash through four or five more structures before finally skidding to a halt against a wall.

Lu Yi collapsed onto the rubble and spat out a mouthful of blood. His body was curled in pain, his muscles twitching uncontrollably. With trembling hands, he reached out to grasp a stone, gritting his teeth in an attempt to drag himself away, but the exertion only made him cough up more blood.

At that moment, he saw his Prankster Phantom Bracelet manifest automatically, and before his eyes, a layer of crystal began to encase it.

"Name: Prankster Phantom Bracelet (Crystal Seal; unusable until the end of this trial)." Seeing this notification, Lu Yi’s eyes widened.

"Sweetheart Yiyi: What’s going on? Why did the streamer fly away for no reason, and how did he get so badly hurt?"

"Black Phosphorus Sauce: It must be the Watcher. Only the Watcher could have that kind of power. But this move is insane—the Watcher isn't even in sight, yet it severely injured the streamer like this."

"Phoenix: It must be some kind of retaliatory ability. After the Watcher takes damage, it reflects that damage back onto the attacker. Look at the way the streamer flew—isn't it exactly the same as how the Watcher was sent flying?"

"Damage reflection! An eye for an eye, blood for blood. What a terrifying ability." The hexagram in Lu Yi’s left eye spun rapidly; it was the only thing keeping him from passing out from the intense pain.

"Sweetheart Yueyue: There’s an ability like that? What can we do? It already has such bizarre powers, and now, normal attacks don't even work on it. Strong attacks just end up hurting the attacker. Does that mean we can only run? Oh wait, running just gets you trapped in the fog. This is a dead end. Are we just supposed to rely on luck and pray the Watcher doesn't find us?"

"Warm-hearted Guy: It’s the attacker who has to suffer the final damage the Watcher received. If it were the initial attack, the streamer would surely be dead by now."

"Sweetheart Yiyi: Sigh, the point is what to do now."

"I have to leave. If the Watcher follows the trail of shattered buildings, it will definitely find me here." Lu Yi’s magic eye spun frantically. He stumbled to his feet, every inch of his body screaming in agony. Standing was only possible through the sheer force of his magic eye and mental fortitude. The box that held his paper talismans had been lost during the repeated collisions with the walls.

Lu Yi leaned against the wall, swaying with every step. After walking a few dozen meters, he felt he could no longer hold on. He forced himself into a room, closed the door, and collapsed, falling into immediate unconsciousness.

Fortunately for Lu Yi, the Watcher and he had been sent flying in opposite directions. The two were now quite far apart, and the Watcher did not make a deliberate effort to track him down.

"Captain," Deng Yuqi whispered weakly. She looked around, dazed, and realized she was being carried on Yang Tonghua’s back as the team moved.

"Yuqi, you’re finally awake," Ge Wendong said, offering a rare smile.

"Sister Yuqi, you’re finally up! It’s all my fault. I got distracted for just a second, and you disappeared," Yang Tonghua said, his voice filled with remorse.

"It’s okay," Deng Yuqi shook her head. "Where are we?"

"Sister Yuqi, you don't know—that previous Watcher was eliminated by someone else. Now, this final Watcher can only stay for an hour and five minutes. If we can just outlast this time, the trial will be over," Yang Tonghua explained rapidly. "This last Watcher just dropped from the sky, and the Captain led us away as soon as he spotted it."

"Oh," Deng Yuqi replied, leaning her head limply against Yang Tonghua. Suddenly, her body stiffened, and she said weakly but urgently, "Stop. Everyone, stop."

"What is it?" Ge Wendong asked immediately, though he realized the answer the very next second.

Not far from them, a rectangular frame made of crystal was spinning and expanding. When it grew to the size of a doorway, the Watcher stepped out, hands behind its back, wearing a look of utter calm.

Had Lu Yi been able to see the Watcher now, he would have known that his attack had not caused the Watcher a shred of damage.

"Retreat," Ge Wendong ordered in the team channel. The others turned to run in the opposite direction, while Ge Wendong stepped back, facing the Watcher.

The Watcher raised its left hand, and a powerful suction force immediately enveloped the Windchaser Team. Caught in the pull, Ge Wendong stumbled, and the others felt the strain, though they continued to back away.

The Watcher narrowed its eyes, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Cowards." With a flick of its left hand, a transparent ripple swept over the team.

Ge Wendong, who had been leaning back to resist the pull, was suddenly hit by a powerful repulsive force and fell to the ground alongside his teammates.

"Pathetic," the Watcher said with utter disdain, watching motionless as the team scrambled to their feet.

"How is it this strong?" Hua Yanghui exclaimed in the channel. Though it was only a simple pull and push, they could already feel the massive chasm in their strength.

"We’ve been played," Wang Gao said, looking as if he had just woken from a nightmare. "That team-wide vote before was a trap. That option corresponded to this type of Watcher. It’s precisely because it’s so powerful that its stay is shortened."

Ge Wendong wasn't a fool; hearing Wang Gao’s words, he understood immediately. A layer of sweat broke out on his forehead as he frantically searched for a way out of their predicament.

Seeming to sense Ge Wendong’s waning courage, the Watcher sneered. "This world never leaves a place of comfort for the weak. It has been so since ancient times, and it will remain so in the future."

The team members exchanged glances, but only Ge Wendong’s expression darkened further.

Yang Tonghua scratched his head. "Hey, this old guy is lecturing us? Isn't he afraid we'll run?"

The Watcher’s expression remained unchanged, unmoved by Yang Tonghua’s words. It raised its right hand and pushed gently. "If there is no will to fight, then perish."

A gale swept over the team. After the wind died down, Yang Tonghua looked back. "Sister Yuqi, why did you let go?"

But as he turned, his face changed. The other four were already three meters away from him.

"Hey! Are we just running? I think we could try fighting," Yang Tonghua’s voice trailed off as he saw his teammates standing perfectly still, a substance like crystal encasing them from the feet up.

"Yang Tonghua, run! It’s a trap, we’re no match for it!" Ge Wendong shouted in the channel.

"Go, Yang Tonghua! Come back to save us later!" Wang Gao roared as well.

"The foolish cannot be saved, the weak cannot be forgiven," the Watcher said, staring at Ge Wendong and the others.

The next moment, a blue circular portal appeared beneath their feet. Countless gray, mist-like substances descended within it, and Ge Wendong and his team slowly began to sink.

Yang Tonghua scratched his head. "Dammit, you're sinking! Where am I supposed to find you?" He grabbed his axe and charged at the Watcher, swinging it down with all his might.

The Watcher didn't even look. It casually extended its left hand, grabbed Yang Tonghua’s arm, and brushed him aside with effortless ease. Yang Tonghua slammed into a wall.

Finished, the Watcher turned away. A crystal rectangle spun before it, clearly intending to leave.

"Don't you run!" Yang Tonghua roared. His double-bladed axe was wrapped in an earthen glow. He charged a distance, then slammed the axe into the ground. Earth flew, and a fissure raced toward the Watcher.

The crack’s progress suddenly slowed. At the same time, Yang Tonghua felt the world around him shift; the flying debris suddenly seemed to move in extreme slow motion.

A second later, a foot stepped onto his axe, driving half of it into the earth. The same foot then kicked Yang Tonghua in the chest, sending him flying to embed himself in a wall.

With that done, the Watcher headed toward the rectangular light gate. Even as reckless as Yang Tonghua was, he finally understood the chasm between them.

His chest heaved, his heart filled with shock. But when he saw his teammates’ knees already sinking into the bizarre portal, his fighting spirit ignited once more.