Deceitful Game

Chapter 205 Death is Imminent

Chapter 205 Death is Imminent

They continued onward, heading deeper and deeper into the ever-darkening hell.

A strange, damp, musty smell began to fill the air, mixed with a faint metallic rust.

Mingpo stepped on something, making a faint cracking sound under her feet.

He didn't look down, nor did he need to.

Because the answer is self-evident.

Those are bones.

What else could bones be found in a place like this?

So Mingpo secretly perked up, and his footsteps became lighter and quieter. After Mingpo changed his footwork, Shen Yiqi behind him noticed this, so he slowed down and stopped following Mingpo so closely.

Clearly, he was afraid that some traps would be triggered by Mingpo, and then Mingpo would dodge them, only to be devoured by him.

Mingper certainly noticed this detail, but he didn't say anything. Because it made perfect sense.

Although "The Silence of the Lambs" is not a title of the realm of power, "The Pioneer of Machines" is clearly a deceiver of the realm of wisdom.

The fragile mage should just stay in the back. If something really happens, Mingpo will have to save him. It's already a good thing if he doesn't cause any trouble.

—Smack!

It was accompanied by a crisp snapping sound.

For a fleeting moment, Mingpo's steps suddenly became hurried and disordered, and his center of gravity leaned slightly forward.

But then, Mingpo tumbled a few steps on the ground with seemingly chaotic steps, then regained her balance and nimbly jumped over.

It was a trap disguised as flat ground, seemingly a very fragile piece of glass covered with mud, completely unnoticeable on the downhill slope. Mingpo had already stepped through the cover on the ground, but instead of slowing down much, she jumped right over it!

Snapped!

The sound of glass shattering on the ground came from below.

Shen Yiqi suddenly braked.

Fortunately, he was far enough away from Mingpo that he didn't fall.

He instinctively reached out, trying to grab Mingpo. But Mingpo didn't back away; instead, she moved forward, leaving him with empty air.

Mingpo turned around and saw Shen Yiqi's gesture.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks," Mingpo said.

Shen Yiqi did not respond.

He squatted down seriously, observing the pit.

The pit wasn't deep, about two meters, but there were upright metal spikes at the bottom. The heads of those spikes were rusty and appeared to be covered in blood.

I wonder how long it waited here, and how many people it met.

Shen Yiqi frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't say it.

He pressed his fingers on the ground.

Like an alchemist—the blue glow of the Wisdom Realm spread from his fingertips, like the rapid expansion of the patterns on a circuit board, clearly outlining the terrain ahead in the darkness.

The traps are not limited to this one spot on the ground.

On the walls on both sides, on the ceiling in the distance, and on the ground even further away.

These traps were all highlighted after the scan.

"—Is this also a drone?"

Mingpo tilted her head and asked.

"This is the active effect of the title."

Shen Yiqi casually remarked, "Theoretically, this should be nanobots. But I wouldn't object if you called it magic. Anyway, there are plenty of unscientific aspects to this deceptive game, so one more won't make a difference."

"Can you jump over here?"

Mingpo reached out her hand from the other side of the pit and asked, "Want me to lend you a hand?"

The trap was about 1.9 meters long, which Mingpo estimated was about the same height as himself. Theoretically, given the Deceiver's skills, he should be able to jump over it with a running start.

"it is good."

But Shen Yiqi didn't mince words and readily agreed.

He reached out, took two running steps, and leaped across the air, grabbing Mingpo's hand in mid-air.

He didn't quite manage to jump over completely, but his toes reached it. Using Mingpo's momentum, he pushed off with his toes and staggered forward.

"Should the following actions be triggered?"

Shen Yiqi turned to Ming Po and asked, "If we need to turn back later, maybe we can run faster."

"No, keep it."

Mingpo said without hesitation.

He glanced at Shen Yiqi, and considering that this teammate was relatively reliable, he generously offered additional explanations.

"We have no way back. Even if we did, we'd be going back to the fork in the road from the deepest point, taking the outer loop to enter other passages. That old man was right—and we haven't even seen that fork in the road yet."

Do you think he's a designer?

Shen Yiqi asked.

The reason he asked that question is very simple.

He clearly realized that the game was very "fair." This meant that it was very likely a game from the Balance Realm.

In other words, the person present who most resembles Hengzhi is very likely the game's designer.

He undoubtedly has the deepest understanding of the game, making him the most likely and dangerous enemy. You absolutely cannot let the person most familiar with the game remain in the final rounds—this is very basic common sense.

This is also why Shen Yiqi had to reveal his acquaintance with Mingpo right from the start—he saw that Mingpo's title was "The Silent Lamb," but there were too many possibilities for this title, and he was unsure whether Mingpo was a charlatan in the Hengzhi Realm.

He intervened to prevent Mingpo from being targeted by others.

Shen Yiqi didn't know anyone else in the game, so it was very likely that Mingpo was his only assigned teammate. Even for his own benefit and safety, he had to protect Mingpo from being maliciously attacked by the others.

The saying goes, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." Smart people understand this principle.

"perhaps."

Mingpo shook his head: "But [Azure Edge], [Black Flame's Contractor]—and even that [Exploding Bomb Pirate]..."

"These could all be within the realm of balance."

"Are you Lu?"

"Obviously."

"That makes four, exactly half."

Shen Yiqi didn't ask Mingpo why she was named Lu, but simply said softly, "Truly 'balanced.'"

The implication is that there are four suspects in total. And coincidentally, there are suspects in the other groups as well.

"Isn't this a luxurious four-choice option?! Hahahaha!"

Shen Yiqi laughed heartily, "I never thought I'd be able to experience a scene from a detective movie one day!"

"Choose what you want."

Mingpo chuckled, her gaze lingering: "Why not just kill them all? Four people would make eight eyes."

Although the Moon Watcher is Time Key's father, his relationship with Ming Po is indeed not very close.

He was someone Mingpo had met more than a decade ago, and Mingpo didn't even know his name. If helping him out casually could save his life, then Mingpo certainly wouldn't hesitate to offer that "casual help."

But what if it turns out that he was the designer of this game?

Mingpo, of course, wouldn't hold back either.

He would never gamble on the possibility that the other party might choose to let him go and help him because they were neighbors more than a decade ago.

The essence of the game of deception lies in the word "deception".

While Mingpo wouldn't call herself overly suspicious, she was certainly not naive either.

Shen Yiqi did not respond to Mingpo's words.

They stopped talking and silently quickened their pace, no longer as cautious as before.

Shen Yiqi's ability was like a sonar, constantly detecting traps ahead. Every time they landed, it was safe.

They went from being one in front of the other to walking side by side without anyone noticing.

Like two fish swimming side by side in a dark ocean current.

Suddenly, Mingpo paused in her steps.

Their steps paused for less than half a second.

But Shen Yiqi noticed it.

Shen Yiqi also stopped warily: "Hey, you—"

Then, Mingbo paused again.

This time, he stopped abruptly, covered his mouth with his hand, and almost vomited.

Mingpo was finally convinced.

He has health problems.

A strong wave of dizziness came without warning.

The world spun around her, and her senses were reeling. It felt like someone had punched Mingpo hard in the chin, but Mingpo was certain that no one had secretly punched her.

The momentary sense of disorientation made Mingpo feel nauseous.

He seemed to hear a crisp "click," and the entire world before his eyes suddenly shifted one space to the left.

It blurred "one grid", then immediately returned to center. Then it shifted to the right again, then returned to center.

It was a bit like when you're getting your glasses fitted, and there's an invisible kid constantly fiddling with the red dial markings on Mingpo's glasses. The intense dizziness made Mingpo afraid to run forward.

Mingpo finally understood why some elderly people had such a peculiar smile.

Because they can "sense" it. They can sense—the arrival of that moment.

Mingbo has never been more aware of this than he is now.

He was about to die.