Brotherly "Affection"

When the young wife and the high school student died, the Exorcism Talisman once again came into Lone Supporter's hands. However, just like last time, he failed to hold on to it properly, and it disappeared.

"Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the item Exorcism Talisman."

"Item Description: This is a peachwood plaque protected by the Gods. Rather than protecting you, it dislikes cold and sinister auras and will prioritize attacking anything it dislikes."

Yimo discovered that this item could be stored in or taken out of the system. There was no point hiding it from Lone Supporter now, so he simply took it out.

"It's in my hands now."

"What do we do next?"

Yimo had noticed long ago that once the game began, the nicknames displayed above their heads had already disappeared.

Although he had never exchanged a word with the dead high school student or young wife, he still remembered that they had been called "My Baby Is the Handsomest" and "Strolling Afar."

Lone Supporter suddenly laughed when he heard this.

"Although I don't know who the killer is, it definitely isn't the young wife or the high school student. Waiting here for her to choose between the two is meaningless now."

"We'll take the initiative!"

"Right, give me the Exorcism Talisman."

"Don't misunderstand. The effect of this Exorcism Talisman should still only work on you. It belongs to you. I'm just using it to trick the killer."

Yimo had read the game rules countless times already, so he said nothing more and handed the Exorcism Talisman to Lone Supporter expressionlessly.

Lone Supporter carefully untied the red cord around the Guanyin Jade Pendant on his neck, threaded the Exorcism Talisman onto it, and hung it around his neck, hiding it beneath his short sleeves.

To be honest, because he was so fat, the lump beneath the shirt at his chest was actually visible.

If one looked closely.

Lone Supporter thought for a moment, held the Guanyin Jade Pendant in his palm, and repented for a while before handing it to Yimo.

Yimo asked, "Aren't you keeping it?"

Lone Supporter said, "I'm the kind of person who feels bad if I take something from someone without giving them something in return."

"I've taken off this pendant I've worn for more than ten years. It probably can't protect me anymore, so I might as well give this blessing to you."

"Keep it. It only cost a few hundred yuan. It's not expensive."

Seeing that Lone Supporter had said so much, Yimo stopped being polite. He took the Guanyin pendant and placed it in the small pocket at his chest. "If you feel bad, why not give me that T-shirt of yours?"

Lone Supporter's eyes lit up at that. He patted Yimo on the shoulder and said, "Good eye, kid!"

"Sorry. Although we get along well, that's my faith and my wife. I can't give them to you!"

Yimo made a retching face when he heard this and looked at him. "Brother, you're beyond saving!"

"Hahahaha!" Instead, Lone Supporter gave Yimo a thumbs-up, looking thoroughly proud of himself. "Let's go meet that killer."

"Right, if you're the one who survives, remember to follow Mizuhoshi once we get out."

"Watch it when you're tired. It's pretty stress-relieving."

Lone Supporter had already stood up. With his back to Yimo, his voice carried a hint of emotion.

"Yeah, don't worry... Your chances of surviving are higher than mine." Yimo used the transparent plastic cord he had found in the room earlier to tightly bind his slippers to his feet, making it easier to run. Then he looked up at Lone Supporter's broad back. "By the way, is your SR Card powerful?"

Lone Supporter paused. Then, without turning around, he shook his head and sighed. "Heh. Just like the dozen-plus games I've participated in, it was a lie I made up to lure people here."

"What kind of luck would I have to draw an SR Card?"

"It was nothing more than a useless N Card—a deluxe hamburger combo, that's all. It's completely useless in this game..."

"Shall we go?"

Yimo looked at his tightly bound slippers without raising his head, his eyes hidden beneath his broken bangs.

A moment later, he raised his head and revealed a smile. "Let's go!"

In the pitch-black mine tunnel, Twilight held a cleaver and looked at Lone Supporter and Yimo, who were squatting at the bend and chatting as if they had been waiting for her. She said nothing and walked toward them step by step.

"Clack... clack..."

The sound of the cleaver's blade knocking against the stones followed her.

The nearly one-meter-long cleaver was heavy and solid!

After seeing that Twilight was the one who had survived, Lone Supporter suddenly taunted her. "Yo, yo, yo. Dying beneath peonies and becoming a happy ghost."

"Hey, but I still prefer the two-dimensional world. Even if you brought out a pink-haired girl with red eyes, she still wouldn't do it for me!"

Being extremely smug, he patted Yimo on the shoulder and said, "Brother Kirito, I was right from the start, wasn't I?"

"This woman becomes fiercer than anyone once she picks up a knife!"

Yimo was sizing up Twilight. He hadn't personally witnessed how the previous players had been killed, so it still didn't feel real to him, and he wanted to try talking her down.

But he felt it would be useless. Besides, the meaningful look Twilight gave him made him far too afraid to act as cocky as Lone Supporter.

"Hey, there are only three of us left now. Guess who has the Exorcism Talisman."

"There's a fifty-fifty chance. Guess wrong and you'll die!"

Lone Supporter looked arrogant, but he was actually quite nervous, as could be seen from the sweat on his forehead.

His idea was simple. He was deliberately acting especially smug, drawing the killer's hatred and making her think the Exorcism Talisman was on him, so she would attack the quieter Yimo.

Moreover, Twilight had survived until now, so she definitely wasn't simple. Perhaps she could see through his plan.

But... even if she saw through it, wouldn't she still wonder whether he was deliberately acting this smug to make her think he didn't have the Exorcism Talisman?

Against someone a little more simple-minded, this might not be very useful.

But this simple mind game was particularly lethal against an intelligent, suspicious person!

Once their mind was thrown into chaos and they began to hesitate, they would be not far from death!

That was what Lone Supporter thought.

But Twilight ignored him completely. Her gaze remained fixed on Yimo as she walked toward them step by step.

The closer she got, the more nervous Lone Supporter became.

The initiative was in the other party's hands after all. He really didn't want to gamble on this fifty-fifty choice!!!

Her silent, unhurried attitude placed tremendous pressure on him!

Finally, when Twilight was five meters away from the two of them, he suddenly said to Yimo, "Mine... heh... the Exorcism Talisman is with you, right?"

At Twilight's words, both Yimo and Lone Supporter froze.

How... how did she know?

Twilight had no idea. But after seeing their instinctive reactions in that instant, she had already made her judgment. She leaped forward, raised her cleaver, and swung it at Lone Supporter.

"Fuck!" Lone Supporter reacted extremely quickly. After cursing, he suddenly shoved Yimo from behind.

Yimo had never expected Lone Supporter to push him at a time like this. He instinctively fell toward Twilight, and the bright cleaver was already chopping toward him!

His strength was greater than expected!

Twilight had no choice but to dodge Yimo as he fell toward her. She turned sideways, retracted her cleaver, and chased after Lone Supporter, who had already run several meters away.

Her speed was astonishingly agile. Lone Supporter had no chance of shaking her off!

As for Lone Supporter?

He knew he couldn't get away, so he suddenly turned around, yanked the Exorcism Talisman from his neck, and shouted, "SR Card activated—Copy!"

"Select the only item in this game: Exorcism Talisman!!!"

As he roared with laughter, another wooden plaque identical to the Exorcism Talisman appeared in his hand. He then said to Twilight, who was less than two meters away, "I've got great luck! No matter who you cut today, you're dead!!!"

"I originally didn't want to waste my card on you, but you're too powerful!!!"

"Hehehe... I'll survive and become the only person to clear the game!!!!"

Twilight looked at him and let out a soft snort. Without the slightest hesitation, she swung her cleaver directly into Lone Supporter's neck.

"You... Ah!!!!"

Lone Supporter had just been about to say, "You're finished," when he suddenly felt a chill and excruciating pain. Then something began surging out of his body. His vision abruptly tilted, and his body no longer had the strength to hold itself up as he collapsed toward the ground.

Clatter...

One Exorcism Talisman fell to the ground, while the other was still clenched tightly in his hand. Even as the light gradually faded from his eyes, they still held confusion.

He could no longer... speak.

"The Exorcism Talisman never had any effect. The only thing that worked was being a survivor selected by the system."

"Heh... the blessing of the Gods... It's laughable..."

"They're clearly devils, yet they call themselves Gods..."

Twilight completely ignored Yimo behind her. With a mocking tone, she raised the cleaver again and brought it down toward Lone Supporter, who had already lost consciousness...