Let's Play a Game

Yue Shi felt offended.

What was with those looks?

Perhaps their status as the Audience had kept them in a god-like perspective for so long that they simply didn't know the meaning of fear. Even after a brutal beating, they still hadn't learned their lesson.

Fortunately, Yue Shi was a "kindly" soul who never held a grudge against those about to die.

Thinking of this, he smiled maliciously. "How about we play a game too?"

No one responded. The Audience members stood where they were, each preoccupied with their own panic, like a group of rats suddenly dragged from their nest, not yet understanding what was happening.

Yue Shi took a step forward, and the Audience members instinctively backed away. "Since you love watching others play games so much, why don't you step onto the field yourselves today and be the players for once?"

Without asking for anyone's opinion, Yue Shi immediately began explaining the rules. "This is a very simple question-and-answer game. I'll ask, and you'll race to answer."

"A successful answer earns 1 point. A failed attempt earns no points. Anyone who refuses to play will receive a random punishment."

"Ten points can be exchanged for a pardon card from this god."

"Those with a pardon card can receive a special pardon from me. As for the rest..."

Yue Shi paused intentionally, his malicious gaze sweeping across the room. "As for the rest, your fate will be based on the survival game scripts you wrote yourselves. Whatever punishment the eliminated players in those scripts receive, you will receive the same."

In the crowd, an Audience member swallowed loudly.

"Now, the game begins." Yue Shi gave no one time to prepare and jumped straight into the first question.

"First question: Does anyone among you know about the Deep Red Continent?"

Collective silence.

The Audience members either lowered their heads or looked at those next to them, but no one spoke.

Yue Shi counted down five seconds. When the countdown ended, a hint of disappointment colored his voice, like a teacher finding that the entire class had turned in blank papers.

"No one knows?"

Still no answer.

Yue Shi sighed. "If you're going to be like this, I can only view it as you playing the game passively. That won't do. Failing to take the game seriously requires punishment."

"Next is the punishment phase. Your punishment is... random death."

Yue Shi closed his eyes and raised his hand, pointing randomly as if playing a game of eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

When he opened his eyes again, his finger was pointing at a man in a grey jacket—Audience Member 4265.

Before the man could react, his body was seized by an invisible hand and flung from the crowd. He slammed into the wall of screens behind him, collapsing into the shards, motionless. A large pool of blood quickly began to seep out from beneath him.

No one dared to go and save him; the Audience was still paralyzed by shock.

They had been "gods" for too many years, yet they lacked a god's power. They were utterly incapable of handling a situation like this.

"Alright, the first question was just to familiarize you with the process—killing the chicken to warn the monkeys, so to speak."

"Now for the second question: Does anyone know about the Bewitching Beauty Painting Workshop?" Yue Shi's voice remained cold and steady.

Someone in the crowd was trembling. They huddled together, shoulders touching, trying to gain a sliver of security from one another.

At this moment, they finally realized the reality of their situation. Just as they had once used scripts to toy with actors, the actors' lives were now at their mercy—and now, their own lives were on the line.

Yue Shi began the countdown: "5, 4, 3..."

The countdown ended, and still, no one spoke up to answer.

Yue Shi's face darkened. "Universal passive play. Entering the punishment phase: randomly killing half of the total number of people present..."