Whether that woman would regret it in the final stage, whether she would be heartbroken, was no longer something Lu Ce needed to consider.
Now, Lu Ce was feeling a little regretful instead.
Perhaps greed was at work. Seeing that the game was about to end, he felt that his gains were a little too meager.
Was there only one leg-sawing punishment? Shouldn't there have been several more tortures, repeated torment, roasted from both sides?
And this was supposed to be Hell difficulty? The imagination was seriously lacking. It simply wasn't twisted enough.
Just as he was thinking that, the familiar sensation of data flowing did not appear. It seemed that after vanishing from the platform, the game had not settled directly.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an incomparably bright space.
The four people he had rescued earlier were also sitting in chairs with terrified expressions, anxiously looking around.
The game wasn't over!
This hellish torment actually seemed far from over! They had emerged in ecstasy, thinking it was finally finished, only for reality to strike them squarely in the head.
After Lu Ce appeared, four pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison. It seemed the game had been waiting for everyone to arrive.
Everyone was fixed to a chair, seated in a perfect pentagon. In the middle stood a pentagonal column whose top could not be seen at a glance. It was empty inside, and no one knew what it was for.
Unlike the others, Lu Ce was rather happy to see that the game was not over. As long as it continued, he still had more to gain.
His mindset was clearly different. After the previous game, he was even getting a little addicted to playing.
Patting the mask that kept displaying a smile, Lu Ce muttered to himself:
"I knew it couldn't be that unimaginative. A game has to be more twisted than this."
"Control yourself..."
Although he enjoyed the feeling of reaping rewards, Lu Ce was still keeping himself in check. He could not let himself become completely immersed in the mask's rhythm.
The mask merely amplified his corresponding emotions. It could not be allowed to control him completely.
All participants have arrived. Welcome, survivors of the Hell game.
After Lu Ce appeared, that mechanical voice, which had been silent for some time, returned to the space.
When the voice appeared, the other four people actually shuddered. It was impossible to tell whether it was from fear or pain.
You seem very happy. That is not normal.
Suddenly, the voice changed direction. After a moment of confusion, everyone realized that it was speaking to Lu Ce!
The controller of this game was actually taking the initiative to speak with a player!
Lu Ce raised his head, looked around, and asked:
"Really? That's nice."
"So, is there any reward?"
What the hell do you mean, reward? Are you addicted to fleecing me?
This is a Hell difficulty game, not some charity case!
Lu Ce's simple sentence directly broke the game controller's composure. It remained silent for a long while.
Then, the lights around the five people suddenly dimmed out of nowhere. The gloomy lighting further accentuated the lonely, horrifying atmosphere.
Screech—creak, creak...
A sharp and strange sound rang out. Under everyone's puzzled gazes, black water began slowly rising within the enormous barrel-shaped space in the center.
When they looked closely, someone immediately cried out.
That was not black water at all. It was an uncountable, overwhelmingly massive swarm of insects!
One bug piled atop another, one swarm stacked upon the next. No one knew where they had come from as they surged upward from below!
Moreover, none of the insects were anything people normally saw. Every single one looked revolting.
Some resembled scorpions, yet each was half a meter long.
Some were covered in barbs, their long tongues constantly curling and writhing.
Some soft-bodied bugs kept squirming, even bursting from the pressure and squeezing out thick fluid.
Within the enormous barrel-shaped space, the insects continued piling higher. Their creaking chirps filled the entire area, making people want to vomit just from looking at them.
Before long, the column-shaped space in front of them was completely filled!
It was a massive column five meters in diameter and at least a dozen meters tall!
It had been stuffed full of insects. By rough estimate, there had to be at least a hundred million of those otherworldly bugs inside.
The four people seated around the column had faces as pale as wax. Even Lu Ce could not help clicking his tongue.
Perhaps some people in this world were unafraid of ferocious beasts, but upon seeing such a swarm of insects, aside from the gu masters of Miaojiang, probably no one could remain calm.
This was absolutely the limit of both physical and psychological endurance. It was not something a normal person could face.
Especially since these seemed to be alien insects.
:Holy shit, bro, please no. That's way too disgusting. :I can't watch this at all. I'm leaving to check out another stream. :Honestly, this is a little too intense. :I don't want to live anymore. Being a viewer is better. Never become a player!
The livestream viewers were also pouring out their complaints. The sheer number of insects had already shattered the lower limits of grotesqueness.
Then everyone noticed that the only thing separating that space from their room was a specially made glass window, fifty centimeters by fifty centimeters.
Looking at that window, they were nearly frightened into fainting. That meant those insects would be coming in soon!
"When is this ever going to end? Just let me die!"
Nearby, a man could no longer bear the pressure. He slammed his fist hard against the glass, producing a dull bang.
But at this moment, his anger could do nothing.
Looking at those insects, the thought that surfaced in Lu Ce's mind was—this seemed like another chance to earn Pain points.
Players, shouldn't you feel honored? The game should have already ended.
However, because there are too many surviving players, which does not conform to the concept of Hell difficulty, there will be a small additional test.
Originally, this player held the game's lifeline in his hands. He could have made himself the sole survivor. In that case, this additional test would not exist, and he would once again become a player with a perfect clear.
That's right. He is the only one among you who obtained the perfect-clear title in the novice stage.
And because of his softheartedness, the current situation has occurred. Come on, everyone should applaud his performance~
The organizer's voice rang out again. As the lights in Lu Ce's room turned on, everyone knew exactly whom it was referring to.
But this time, both the wording and tone carried an unmistakable note of mockery. It was thought-provoking, and no one knew whether Lu Ce had somehow offended it.
Clap clap clap~
Clear applause rang out, echoing through the space and intertwining with the insects' shrieks.
And the only person applauding at this moment—was Lu Ce himself!
"Mm, not bad, not bad. By your account, I'm pretty damn amazing. I think I should applaud myself too."
"So it's still the same question. With such an outstanding performance, is there no extra reward?"
Before you continue