Chapter 295: The Night’s Magician, A Mad Performance!
The loli girl seemed to have completely let herself go. After all, since she had the power, she figured she could just kill anyone she deemed a bad guy.
She appeared to be getting drunk on the thrill of her newfound strength, the smile at the corners of her mouth growing more and more ferocious, and her confidence beginning to skyrocket.
Especially under this moonlit night, her jagged, saw-like teeth glinted with a chilling light, making her look absolutely terrifying.
The two S-rank demons were, by nature, the type to rob and kill, so they had no issue with this kind of thing at all.
If the master gives the order, we’ll make our move.
However, if the master ever gets the crazy idea to send us to kill that guy walking his dog up ahead, we’d rather just kill ourselves.
Those two S-ranks had already eaten up a lot of the loli girl’s luck. The ones that followed were all A-rank demons.
Watching her keep summoning demon after demon, the audience was genuinely impressed. As expected of someone so young, she had plenty of lifespan to burn and didn’t seem to care one bit!
Zhang Yangqing didn’t encourage her to keep drawing cards, but he didn’t stop her either.
It’s not my life she’s using, so she can do whatever makes her happy.
At this stage, most of the Chosen Ones were starting to expand their teams, adding one or two helpers here and there.
These helpers might just end up saving their lives by sacrificing themselves at a critical moment.
A few had added more than three.
Two Chosen Ones, however, had gone way overboard. The Chosen One from the Iron Tower Nation, Xiao Hei, was the unluckiest person in the entire arena, bar none.
He had drawn seven times, and aside from one C-rank, everything else was D-rank.
That meant, apart from the guaranteed A-rank demon he got at the very start, the rest were basically useless in a fight.
This had completely dumbfounded him. Furious, Xiao Hei grabbed the Key Demon by the collar and yelled, “Are you messing with me? Believe me, I’ll tear you apart right now!”
The other Chosen Ones, though cursing the Key Demon’s ancestors in their heads, still showed him superficial respect, since they still needed him to clear this stage.
But Xiao Hei was beyond furious at this point; he didn’t care about any of that.
He felt that, forget S or A ranks, if the damn thing had just given him one B-rank, he wouldn’t be wanting to chop it to pieces.
The Key Demon, acting like an unfeeling gacha machine, just shrugged and said, “Master, it’s all just luck. If you don’t believe me, just keep drawing. You’re bound to get one eventually.”
This made Xiao Hei grind his teeth in anger, his nostrils flaring wide.
I’ve already drawn eight times! How many years of my life is that? And you still want me to keep going? What, you won’t be satisfied unless I drop dead right here?
I’m done playing! This crappy gacha system—do you even care about us Chosen Ones?! Screw you! Give me my money back!
Honestly, the audience could understand Xiao Hei’s anger.
This was stuff you paid for with your life. Who wouldn’t be furious if the quality was this shoddy?
The other Chosen One who’d gone overboard was from the Cherry Blossom Nation.
He’d drawn ten times: two B-ranks, three C-ranks, and the rest were D-rank or lower.
The drop rates had turned his face green with anger.
He felt like his heart had been stabbed ten times over. This is all my lifespan we’re talking about!
“Baka! At least give me a guaranteed A-rank after ten draws! There’s no pity system at all, what the hell is this game?!”
He strongly demanded that the Key Demon change the drawing mechanism and stop churning out these useless demons.
Or, at the very least, if he drew three of the same kind, let him combine them into a two-star or something!
What the hell use were demons below B-rank anyway?!
Hearing the Cherry Blossom Chosen One’s complaints, the Key Demon gave him a blank stare, as if to say: Do you think you’re playing a strategy game?
Still, the Key Demon replied in that same emotionless tone: “Master, it’s all just luck. If you don’t believe me, just keep drawing. You’re bound to get one eventually.”
Honestly, if it weren’t for the need to clear this stage, the Cherry Blossom Chosen One would have strangled him right then and there.
It pained him deeply to waste his lifespan, but he had no choice. He had to continue.
He needed at least an A-rank to feel safe, otherwise, this ragtag group of demons behind him wouldn’t be worth squat if they ran into any real danger.
Xiao Hei of the Iron Tower Nation drew because he was addicted, but the Cherry Blossom Chosen One drew because he had to.
His A-rank demon had been sacrificed in the last battle, so he had no choice but to keep wasting his own life.
Over in the Dragon Nation’s camp, Zhang Yangqing’s group might no longer be the largest in number, but they had the highest quality.
Forget D-ranks; Zhang Yangqing’s team only had one A-rank, and it was even being looked down upon.
Actually, the audience didn’t find this luck all that surprising. After all, Zhang the Celestial Master didn’t rely on luck to get by.
Besides, it wasn’t even his luck being used.
What the audience found most absurd was that Zhang the Celestial Master hadn’t done a single task.
By now, many of the Chosen Ones had already earned some tradeable currency through various tasks.
They were just waiting to find items like [Raincoats] and [Umbrellas] to exchange.
Was Zhang the Celestial Master planning to just steal them?
But stealing would count as ‘free’ acquisition, wouldn’t that conflict with the rules somehow?
However, more people felt that even if Zhang the Celestial Master did steal, he wouldn’t be afraid of the anomalies attacking him, which was exactly why he couldn’t be bothered to waste time on tasks.
Time ticked by, and the Chosen Ones, hungry and pushing forward.
Some of their stomachs were beginning to growl.
They’d been walking for almost two hours, and part of the road had been uphill. Of course they were tired!
Not just the Chosen Ones, even the guide dogs were starting to pant heavily, their tongues lolling out.
Just then, the Chosen Ones suddenly stopped in their tracks.
This time, they didn’t need their guide dogs or demons to warn them; they could all hear a commotion up ahead on the main road.
It sounded like some kind of carnival or celebration up ahead.
There seemed to be quite a large crowd—maybe a hundred or so.
And all of their presences felt anything but ordinary.
The loli girl, ever the chatterbox, acted like a commentator. Before Zhang Yangqing could even ask, she started explaining the situation ahead.
It looked like some kind of performance was going on. A crowd of crazy fans were cheering wildly below the stage.
The performer had set up a massive stage, plunked right in the middle of the road, incredibly conspicuous.
The lights were bright, and a magician clad in a black tuxedo appeared on stage, his expression mysterious and strange.
His eyes, in particular, were perpetually squinted shut, never opening.
Right now, this black-suited magician was performing a signature trick: the ‘Human Separation’ illusion.
The Chosen Ones had vaguely heard of this trick—it usually involved a box and two people inside coordinating to create illusions through clever positioning.
In theory, anyway. But this live performance was absolutely insane.
The magician in black invited a frenzied audience member onto the stage.
Then he locked the audience member inside a box and started sawing wildly at it with a chainsaw.
The screech of the chainsaw was ear-piercing, sparks flying everywhere.
And the audience member inside the box was ‘cooperating’ spectacularly, constantly screaming in pain and yelling, “Stop!”
But the black magician paid no heed to his cries, continuing to slice the box apart.
Until the box was chopped into four or five pieces, and the head of the person inside had turned deathly pale, falling completely silent.
Then, the black magician tossed the pieces of the box behind him, took a bow, and declared his performance complete!
He never put the box back together, nor did he show any intention of restoring the dismembered audience member.
As far as he was concerned, his performance was the sawing of the box, which he called a “magic trick.”
“Whoa, what kind of magic trick is that?! That’s straight-up murder, man!”
Many Chosen Ones complained after hearing the description from their A-rank demons.
They were glad they couldn’t see; otherwise, they’d be scarred for life.
But the audience seemed possessed, finding it incredibly thrilling and cheering wildly.
Even the front-row spectators, now splattered with blood, were still cheering for him to continue!
Whether these people genuinely didn’t realize he was just cutting a person up for fun, or whether they simply enjoyed watching it, was anyone’s guess.
Still, the Chosen Ones experiencing this eerie scene late at night couldn’t help but feel a chill run down their spines.
Though the Chosen One from Argentina, Ramirez, wasn’t exactly a good person, he wasn’t that cruel.
He didn’t find it amusing, and since he couldn’t see, he just wanted to slip away from the side.
But one sentence from the black magician made Ramirez and the other Chosen Ones stop in their tracks.
“Since I’m a bit short-handed, anyone who volunteers to participate in the performance will receive a special reward!”
The Chosen Ones had been tiptoeing carefully, worried the black magician might drag them up on stage.
But the mention of a reward made them sit up and take notice.
After all, this was a major checkpoint, and the black magician seemed like a tough customer. What kind of reward would he give?
The problem was, this magician was clearly out to kill. Cooperating with him was basically a death sentence.
Ramirez fell into deep thought. He wasn’t about to trust that his head would be reattached neatly after being chopped off.
How was he supposed to get the reward? That was probably the real challenge of this stage.
And the one who reacted the fastest wasn’t Zhang Yangqing, but Xiao Hei of the Iron Tower Nation.
A lightbulb went off in Xiao Hei’s head. These useless D-rank demons were worthless anyway, so why not offer them up to the black magician for his act?
Even if the magician killed them, so what?
Maybe the whole point of these useless demons was just to be sacrificed.
Besides, he was the master of these useless demons. They were his property.
If his property participated in the performance, shouldn’t the reward go to him, right?
With that thought, Xiao Hei had his A-rank demon protect him while he pushed an emotionless D-rank demon forward.
With a volunteer now provided, the black magician’s next performance was “Pierced by a Thousand Arrows.”
It was clear from the get-go that this black magician never intended for his volunteers to survive.
These “magic tricks” were just elaborate ways to kill the volunteers to entertain the audience, like some kind of bizarre ritual sacrifice.
On stage, the lights still blazed. The magician in black muttered an incantation, then began thrusting knives one by one into the box.
Blood seeped out from the box, driving the audience into another frenzy, like they’d all been injected with adrenaline.
The flickering shadows were hypnotic and unsettling.
If someone could actually see it, they’d probably be drawn in, caught up in the madness themselves.
That was likely the reason the Chosen Ones had been struck blind.
What Xiao Hei didn’t notice was that, even though the D-rank demon had no emotions, it still shot him a resentful glare before it died.
Soon, the performance ended. The black magician came down from the stage and handed Xiao Hei a gold chain.
He then asked if Xiao Hei wanted to participate again, hinting that the rewards would only get better from here on out.
Xiao Hei was hooked. According to his A-rank demon, this was a real gold chain—it had to be worth a lot, right?
Anyway, he still had six “useless” demons left. He only needed to keep his A-rank and one B-rank, so why not trade the rest for cash?
Just thinking about all the rewards he was about to get made him ecstatic.
Back in the Iron Tower Nation’s command center, the experts saw this and their faces turned ashen.
“Oh no. Xiao Hei is in serious trouble. Not only will we miss the hidden rewards this round, we might not even clear the stage at all.”
“What do you mean? He didn’t break any rules! How is he unable to clear it?”
“Think about it. What’s the first rule for this road? You can only travel it at night; daytime brings danger. He wasted a ton of time summoning seven demons, and now he’s going to waste even more watching six performances—each one takes a while! That’s just asking for trouble!”
“I see. Even if he gets enough tradeable goods, he won’t be able to walk out in time. If it turns daylight, the danger multiplies. Whether he survives until the next night is anyone’s guess. Is there really no solution?”
“If I’m not mistaken, the only way out is to find a house with its lights off before dawn and take shelter there. But the problem is, entering a house with the lights on means certain death!”
Hearing this analysis, the Iron Tower Nation’s audience looked utterly defeated.
Xiao Hei was just too greedy. If he’d left earlier, he probably would have been fine.
Meanwhile, the Chosen One from the neighboring Stick Nation, Kim Jeong-ki, suddenly came to his senses right after getting his second reward—a gold watch. He immediately told his guide dog to pull him along and run, fleeing the area around the stage.
Ramirez also left after his second reward, but in his case, he simply took what he got and wasn’t greedy.
Sidney, being fast, managed to snag three golden items before also taking off.
But the black magician just stared in the direction the Chosen Ones had fled, a smile on his face.
He didn’t try to stop them.
His expression seemed to say: Take your time leaving. We’ll meet again sooner or later.
Or maybe: The road ahead isn’t necessarily safer than here~
Seeing this, the audience suddenly remembered something and quickly flooded back to the Dragon Nation’s screen.
They figured that the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master must have predicted there’d be an important task here, which was why he didn’t bother with the earlier small tasks. Wasn’t that a huge time-saver?
But how did he know? The audience had no clue.
However, upon thinking it over, that logic seemed off. The magician needed volunteers for his performance, after all.
While Zhang the Celestial Master did have eight demons, they were all high-ranking—things the other Chosen Ones could only dream of.
Would he really be willing to sacrifice them?
But to Zhang the Celestial Master, what difference did a demon make? If it needed to be sacrificed, then it got sacrificed.
And if he just stole things, wouldn’t that be free anyway?
One popular theory in the bullet comments was that Zhang the Celestial Master would simply use his immense physical durability to survive the performance and claim the reward.
After all, there was no way those stage props could hurt him.
But someone quickly shot that down. This was the world of rule-based horror. What if the props had instant-kill properties?
The comment section was filled with all sorts of guesses, but no one had a definite answer. After all, Zhang the Celestial Master had pulled off too many wild stunts before.
As the audience was debating their theories, Zhang Yangqing’s group also arrived in front of the stage.
The loli girl didn’t seem particularly disturbed by this kind of performance. Maybe, in this world, this was considered normal entertainment.
Just as she finished giving Zhang Yangqing the rundown, the bloody performance on stage came to an end.
The black magician began soliciting volunteers from the audience again, but no one seemed to step forward.
He then looked toward Zhang Yangqing, as if this was exactly the person he’d been waiting for.
Then, a ‘familiar’ sound appeared—the flapping of wings from birds and beasts.
The black magician had somehow materialized right beside Zhang Yangqing. He squinted his eyes, a smile on his face.
“Sir, would you like to participate in our performance? There’s a generous reward waiting for you once it’s over!”
He seemed to believe that no one could resist a generous reward, especially not some passerby trying to get through this area.
The S-rank demons behind Zhang Yangqing sensed the danger.
After all, this ‘performance’ essentially meant instant death, right?
Zhang Yangqing snorted coldly. “If you all get out of my way, I might consider not killing you.”
These words not only silenced the audience, but also instantly made the crazed fans on stage change their expressions.
They bared their fangs and claws, like a hundred demons emerging at night, exuding a terrifying aura.
The most frightening part was that these auras combined and resonated with each other.
An overwhelming pressure blanketed the area, making even the two S-rank demons gulp nervously.
If they had to go up there, they wouldn’t even be sure they’d survive, let alone fight back.
Still, they loyally shielded the loli girl and asked their master if they should retreat first.
This was the kind of behavior you’d expect from demons with consciousness.
Facing the menacing mad fans and the black magician, whose squinty eyes had now snapped wide open…
Even the other Chosen Ones would have felt a chill run down their spines. Even the audience watching through the screens could feel the sheer force of that oppressive aura.
But Zhang Yangqing didn’t care. No matter how many ants there were, they were still just ants.
Rewards? What rewards? Did I need rewards?
Detour? Not happening. When I walk this path, I don’t make way for anyone!
His words completely enraged the mad fans, who came charging at him with roars.
As they turned to face the screen, the audience finally saw the horrifying truth.
These people had hollow pits where their eyes and mouths should have been, like mummified corpses.
The stage lights made their shadows loom even larger and more menacing, like monsters charging in.
The black magician returned to the stage, elegantly watching the melee unfold.
He murmured to himself, “They’ve got some skill, but how long can they hold out?”
Hearing that, Zhang Yangqing felt like laughing.
It felt like the black magician’s words were the funniest joke he’d heard in a long time.
You’re not talking about me, are you?
Since he still needed to make time, Zhang Yangqing had no desire to waste his breath on small fry like this.
He’d give them one warning: listen and live, ignore and die.
Just as the two S-rank demons were about to unleash their aura, they saw a blinding, golden light!
They instantly knew their intervention wouldn’t be necessary.
Zhang Yangqing waved his hand, and an immense, vast energy surged forth, shaking the heavens and earth.
A giant golden palm carved a terrifying arc through the sky.
It sent tremors through the eight directions, causing the four corners of the world to quake!
All the anomalies ahead were pinned down by the overbearing pressure, unable to move an inch.
Boom!
The golden palm slammed into the stage, and the entire earth shook as if a catastrophic apocalypse had descended.
Every trace of energy before them was erased into nothingness.
Whether it was the black magician enjoying the show, or his fanatical followers, they all instantly evaporated.
That single palm strike could shake the sun, moon, and mountains!
In that moment, the black magician attempted to escape using a substitution technique, but the space around him was already locked tight. He couldn’t move a muscle. Only sheer terror remained on his face as he awaited death.
Perhaps he was a hidden boss, perhaps he still had many tricks up his sleeve, but it all meant the same to Zhang Yangqing.
As long as I decide to act, all your abilities are meaningless!
Thankfully, the magician died quickly, without much pain.
Compared to how he’d butchered those random passersby, this could be considered a merciful end from Zhang Yangqing.
The obstacle on the road was indeed dispatched without breaking a sweat, but his teammates? They got caught in the blast.
If Zhang Yangqing hadn’t grabbed the guide dog’s leash on pure instinct, it would have been sent flying by the shockwave.
When that intense energy erupted, Zhang Yangqing was holding onto the dog like a kite string.
The poor guide dog felt like it was about to take off.
Since it at least had Zhang Yangqing to hold it back, the ones behind them fared far worse.
When that golden energy exploded, the two S-rank demons standing in front were sent flying dozens of meters back, feeling like their very bones were about to shatter.
Several A-rank demons crashed straight into the pavement, knocked unconscious.
The loli girl didn’t fare much better. She tumbled and rolled a dozen times across the ground before finally stopping.
When she finally scrambled to her feet, she was a total mess, not looking like a young lady at all.
But as she stood up, her big, doll-like eyes were filled with sheer shock.
Those two S-rank demons? Before, they were just afraid of Zhang Yangqing. Now, it had become a deep, visceral terror.
Zhang Yangqing’s move seemed meant to take down the enemy, but it worked pretty well at intimidating his teammates too.
I was wondering how I’d show them how strong I am, and you guys just handed me the perfect chance, didn’t you?
