Is there really no privacy at all?!
Just as Chu He was grumbling to himself, a cold voice rang out over the field without warning, drowning out everyone's chatter in an instant.
"Attention, all survivors."
"The second-stage trial begins now."
The field fell silent at once. Everyone jerked their heads up, the faint relief on their faces at having survived the night freezing in place.
As the voice spoke, a figure gradually materialized out of thin air.
The bizarre creature had an extraordinarily strange appearance.
Its skin was a slick, dark green, like moss that had never seen the sun—a green goblin, through and through.
It wasn't tall, and was even a little scrawny, but its head was disproportionately large.
Its most striking features were its eyes and ears.
Its eyes were enormous, taking up nearly half its face. The irises were a pure, pale gold, and their movement gave the impression that they could see right through a person.
Its ears were even more absurdly large, drooping limply on either side of its head. The edges were as thin as cicada wings, covered in web-like blue veins that quivered faintly, as if they could pick up the sound of every heartbeat around it.
It looked as if someone had sewn the all-hearing ears and far-seeing eyes of legend onto a goblin.
Then it continued speaking.
"Trial objective: stay awake."
"From this moment until the next announcement, no one may enter a state of sleep, by any means."
"Everyone, lie down on the ground at once! Keep your arms and legs shoulder-width apart."
"Hold the position for two hours."
"Evaluation criteria: the moment I detect any player entering a state of sleep, no matter how briefly..."
"—elimination."
When the voice fell silent, the entire field was dead quiet.
Every survivor was stunned.
They had just endured a full night of physical and mental torment. Everyone had heavy bags under their eyes, bloodshot eyeballs, and bodies and minds on the verge of collapse.
What they needed most now was sleep!
At least standing up helped them stay a little more alert!
Now they had to lie on the ground and hold a spread-eagle pose!
How the hell were they supposed to do this?!
"No sleeping... Are they trying to wear us down until we die?" The beautiful contestant from Kimchi Country turned pale, her body trembling slightly.
"My God, is it joking?"
"It's over... I feel like I could fall asleep standing up..."
"Seriously, is this something a person could do?"
"Funny thing is, it really isn't human!"
Hearing the cruel rules, Chu He wore an equally complicated expression.
He hadn't suffered the same fear and disgust as everyone else, but the result was the same—he was exhausted.
The moment this inhumane rule was announced, the livestreams of every surviving country were instantly flooded with a tsunami of comments.
"FUCK! What kind of dogshit rule is this? They won't let people sleep? They're trying to drive us to our deaths!"
"Insane! Whoever designed this instance is a complete psychopath! They've just endured a whole night of horror, and now they're at their most mentally vulnerable!"
"It's over. Our contestant already looks like he's about to fall asleep standing up, and now he has to lie down!"
Dragon Country, USA, Cherry Blossom Country, Eagle Country, Gaul Country, Kimchi Country... The livestreams of nearly every country were filled with anger, despair, and curses directed at the rules. On camera, their contestants all looked ashen and dazed, clearly knocked completely off balance by this sudden trial.
Though they complained, their bodies were honest. They obediently lay down as instructed!
But that wasn't all. The big-eared, big-eyed judge somehow pulled a large, rechargeable speaker from somewhere on its body.
After a burst of harsh static, a soothing piece of music drifted out, the sort played in massage parlors or hypnosis centers. Its monotonous melody looped over and over, like a demonic chant.
Lying still had already been torture. With the music added, it was even worse!
Sleepiness washed over Chu He's mind like a rising tide.
His eyelids felt as heavy as iron, and the faces of the other players around him began to blur.
He could even hear the USA contestant beside him breathing heavily, a faint snore slipping into each breath. A second later, the man jolted awake with a choked gasp.
Damn it.
Chu He cursed inwardly. If this weren't the time and place, he could have fallen asleep on the spot.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the judge playing the music. A thought surfaced before he could stop it.
Should he... just use the "Eye of Nirvana" to erase it?
This creature gave him about the same feeling as the sexy dorm supervisor. If they actually fought, he might not lose.
And even if he really did it, Xia Yao probably wouldn't blame him.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a familiar, cool fragrance quietly drew near.
Chu He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Xia Yao had appeared beside him at some point, soundlessly, as if she had always belonged there.
She had changed into a clean school uniform, the same style as before. But on her, it no longer carried yesterday's icy, lifeless air. Instead, it gave her a touch of youthful vitality.
Her cheeks held a faint flush, and she looked bright and refreshed—a world apart from the dark circles and haggard faces of the survivors on the field.
She stood beside Chu He, looking down at him.
Even from the perspective of death, she was flawless.
She really was beautiful from every angle.
Her pure black eyes clearly reflected Chu He's exhausted state.
Xia Yao furrowed her brows slightly, seeming displeased.
She slowly crouched down. Her cool strands of hair fell, lightly brushing Chu He's cheek.
"You're tired."
Chu He didn't even have the strength to lift his eyelids. He gave a vague "Mm."
Xia Yao's gaze shifted to the judge playing the hypnotic music nearby, and the warmth in her eyes dropped to freezing.
The judge seemed to sense something and stiffened.
"I'm changing your rules."
Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it clearly, as though it had sounded directly inside their minds.
At her words, the judge practically scrambled over from beside the speaker. On its goblin-like face, it forced a fawning smile more ghastly than a grimace.
"Lord Xia Yao! You... you may change them as you please! I... I have absolutely no objections!"
Its eyes, which could see into people's hearts, didn't even dare look at Xia Yao.
With everyone watching, Xia Yao knelt beside Chu He.
She extended her fair, jade-like hands, moving with an incredible gentleness. Carefully, she lifted Chu He's head from the grass and then... settled it on her lap.
Soft, cool, and carrying the unique fragrance of a young girl.
W-what was she doing?
He could feel all the gazes from every direction, each one seeming ready to carve him into pieces, instantly fixing on him.
Xia Yao didn't care in the slightest.
She looked down at Chu He, nestled against her, his face exhausted and a little stunned. The furrow in her brow eased. Then she raised her eyes to the crowd and, in her cool voice, announced a rule that no one could have expected.
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