Don't Sleep Last

"From now on,"

"The test content has been changed to: falling asleep."

Falling asleep?

The players looked at each other, wondering if their ears were hallucinating from lack of sleep.

Xia Yao's gaze swept over everyone, seeing their confusion and bewilderment. Finally, with a tone that was almost like a pronouncement, she added details to the rules.

"The first one to truly fall asleep..."

She paused, seemingly enjoying the shift in expressions from bewilderment to terror on everyone's faces.

"...passes the test."

"And the last one still awake..."

"...will be obliterated by this Chief Judge! Oh, and this Chief Judge really wants to taste what humans are like!"

Everyone felt utterly shocked upon hearing this. It was completely the opposite of the rules, and it seemed only one person would be eliminated!

It was the last person to remain awake!

As soon as these words were spoken, some people's nerves inexplicably tightened!

The more they wanted to sleep, the more tense they became.

But if they couldn't sleep and became the last one, their fate would be to be treated as a snack by this big-eared, big-eyed ghost king!

This was practically a paradoxical torture! Some rejoiced, while others despaired. Those contestants who were already on the verge of collapse secretly cheered, while others, who became more alert the more nervous they were, turned pale.

Regarding these altered rules, the Adjudicator was unwilling in a million ways, but meeting Xia Yao's gaze, it didn't dare to utter a word. It could only comfort itself obsequiously, thinking that at least there would be one human to taste!

"Now," Xia Yao's voice rang out again, like the final death knell.

"Begin."

As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered her head again, looking at Chu He, who was resting on her lap. The ice that could freeze everything in her eyes instantly melted, turning into a pool of spring water.

She extended her slender, fair fingers, and with her cool fingertips, with a hint of caution that even she didn't notice, she gently stroked his tired eyes.

"Sleep."

Her voice was as soft as a dream, coaxing him.

This simple sentence was like a magical command.

Chu He's tense nerves completely relaxed upon smelling the familiar, reassuring scent emanating from her.

His eyelids felt heavy as a thousand pounds.

And he, resting on her cool, soft jade legs, smelling the maiden's fragrance, peacefully drifted into dreams.

In the live broadcast rooms, the viewing screens from all surviving countries worldwide seemed to have been paused.

The silence lasted only for a tenth of a second.

The next second, a tsunami of comments instantly flooded all screens!

[Dragon Country Official Live Broadcast Room]

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! What did I just see! Leg... leg pillow kill!"

"Calm down, brothers ahead! This is the official live broadcast room! But... well done, God Chu!"

"I knew God Chu's dark circles last night were off! Look at the other contestants, that's exhaustion from fear, their eye bags are dragging on the ground! Look at our God Chu, that's fatigue after being refreshed, understand? It's weariness, not despair!"

"You upstairs, you're like a microscope! Translate: Others were up all night fighting monsters, God Chu was up all night fighting... cough cough!"

""Experts: Everyone, look, this shows that contestant Chu He, through his extraordinary personal charm and superb communication skills, has initially gained the trust and... affection of an SSS-Class anomaly."

"Yes, yes! Everything the experts say is right! They communicated all night, their skills must be superb!"

"This wave, this wave is called sacrificing oneself for the country!"

"Tears are welling up, God Chu, you've given too much for Dragon Country!"

[Eagle Country Live Broadcast Room]

"FUCK! Cheating! This is blatant cheating!"

"That Dragon Country guy is sleeping with the BOSS's thigh? This is unfair!"

"Shit! I knew there was something wrong with his line 'She's very clingy and strong'! That cunning liar!"

[Cherry Blossom Country Live Broadcast Room]

The viewers in Cherry Blossom Country fell into a peculiar frenzy.

"Sugoi! So this is the real 'strategy' route?"

"Chu-kun, he has accomplished a feat that no male protagonist in a harem anime could achieve!"

"Did you notice, when Chu-kun was picked up, his waist seemed unable to straighten... The battle last night must have been incredibly fierce! He is a role model for us!"

"This is no longer a national destiny game, this is About Me Entering a Horror Dungeon and Accidentally Turning the SSS-Class BOSS into My Girlfriend!"

[Kimchi Country Live Broadcast Room]

"Shit! That female ghost must be blind!"

"Why! The most beautiful contestant from our country was harassed by a tentacle monster all night, but that Dragon Country person... Ahhh, I'm so angry!"

"I announce that contestant Chu He has a quarter of the bloodline of our Kimchi Country! The reason he could conquer the female ghost is because he inherited the unyielding spirit of our Korean people!"

As soon as these words were spoken, even the Kimchi Country's own audience couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey, upstairs, have some shame..."

On the sports field, all the other survivors, every single one of them, stared fixedly at Chu He with a complex gaze mixed with jealousy, resentment, envy, and fear.

Last night, they were still holding a "Misery Competition," where everyone thought they were the unluckiest person in the world.

Now they finally understood.

It turned out that true torment wasn't being chased by anomalies or sleeping with monsters.

It was watching someone else treat the "torment" you longed for as actual torment.

This felt worse than killing them!

But there was nothing they could do, especially since Chu He could conquer an SSS-Class anomaly!

Everyone's hearts churned with sourness, but they could only suppress it.

Jealousy was jealousy, but survival was paramount.

The first to fall asleep were the people gathered around Chu He.

They only felt a faint, cool aura pass by, like a wisp of fresh breeze on a scorching summer day, sweeping away all the anxiety and tension in their minds. Their eyelids grew heavy, and they drifted into dreamland.

They didn't know that this was the result of Xia Yao's power spreading unconsciously, a gift unique to Chu He.

Finally, a contestant from Kangaroo Country was the last one on the field who hadn't fallen asleep.

He thought that if he just kept his eyes shut, nothing would happen, and no one would be able to tell!

However, whether they were asleep or not, the Adjudicator with the big ears could tell the details with a single listen and glance.

The Adjudicator silently appeared beside him, its large ears twitching slightly, a greedy and eerie smile on its face.

"Your heartbeat... is so full of life." It extended its slick tongue, licked its lips, and amidst the Kangaroo Country contestant's terrified screams, dragged him away and disappeared at the edge of the field.

"Clang--!"

At half-past eleven in the morning, a piercing bell sound jolted everyone from their slumber.

One by one, they got up, all ravenously hungry, their stomachs rumbling like thunder.

"All survivors, gather at the cafeteria before twelve o'clock!"

The cold notification voice sounded again.

Xia Yao had already stood up at some point and gently tugged at Chu He's clothes, reminding him, "Let's go to the cafeteria. My uncle is there."

Uncle?

Chu He was startled.

"Remember," Xia Yao's expression turned a bit more serious, "no matter what food you choose later, you must finish all of it. My uncle... he hates it when people waste food the most."

Chu He's heart sank upon hearing this.

Good heavens, even eating was a test.

He subconsciously rubbed his lower back and tentatively asked, "Can you...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xia Yao shook her head directly, interrupting him.

"I can't beat him," she said bluntly, without any concealment.

Chu He's heart trembled.

Someone even Xia Yao admitted she couldn't defeat?

He lowered his voice, "Is his level even higher than yours?"

"The same as mine," Xia Yao replied, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "But, there's a gap between SSS and SSS. That... we'll talk about it later."

Chu He wanted to ask more, but Xia Yao just looked at him, and for the first time, a complex emotion he couldn't understand flickered in her pure black eyes.

After a long moment, she added.

"In short, don't make him angry."