"From now on,"
"The trial's objective is changing to: falling asleep."
Falling asleep?
The players looked at one another, wondering if staying up all night had made them hear things.
Xia Yao's gaze swept over them all, taking in their confusion and bewilderment. Then, in a tone almost like a sentence being passed, she added the details of the rules.
"The first person to truly fall asleep..."
She paused, seeming to enjoy the change in everyone's faces from confusion to terror.
"...passes the trial."
"And the last person still awake..."
"Will be killed by the Chief Judge! Oh, and the Chief Judge really wants to know what humans taste like!"
Everyone was stunned. This was the exact opposite of the usual rules, and it seemed only one person would be eliminated!
The last one still awake!
At those words, some people inexplicably grew tense.
The harder they tried to sleep, the more on edge they became.
But if they couldn't fall asleep and ended up being the last one awake, the big-eared, big-eyed ghost king would turn them into a snack!
It was torture straight out of a paradox! Some were happy, while others were worried. The contestants who had already been on the verge of collapse were secretly delighted, while the ones who grew more alert the more nervous they got had gone deathly pale.
The Chief Judge was a thousand times unwilling to accept these altered rules, but when it met Xia Yao's gaze, it didn't dare so much as fart. It could only console itself obsequiously: at least it would get to taste one human!
"Now," Xia Yao's voice rang out again, like the final toll of a funeral bell.
"Begin."
As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered her head again and looked at Chu He, who was resting his head on her lap. The ice in her eyes, cold enough to freeze everything, melted in an instant, turning into a pool of spring water.
She reached out with her long, pale fingers. With her cool fingertips, and a care that she herself didn't even notice, she gently stroked his tired brows and eyes.
"Go to sleep."
Her voice was so soft it seemed almost like a dream, a gentle coaxing.
Those simple words were like a magical command.
Chu He's taut nerves finally relaxed when he caught the familiar, comforting scent around her.
His eyelids weighed a thousand pounds.
And there he was, resting his head on her cool, soft lap, breathing in the girl's fragrance as he drifted peacefully to sleep.
In the livestreams, the broadcasts from every surviving country around the world seemed to freeze.
The silence lasted just 0.01 seconds.
The next instant, a tsunami of comments swept over every screen!
[Dragon Country Official Livestream]
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! What am I seeing?! Lap...lap pillow!"
"Everyone, calm down! This is the official livestream! But...nice work, God Chu!"
"I knew God Chu's dark circles last night looked off! Look at the other contestants. They look haggard from being scared; their bags are practically on the ground! Now look at God Chu. He's tired after getting a good night's rest, get it? He's sleepy, not worn out!"
"Buddy, are you Sherlock Holmes? Let me translate: the others stayed up all night fighting monsters, while God Chu stayed up all night...ahem!"
"'Expert': Everyone, as you can see, contestant Chu He has already begun to earn the trust and...affection of an SSS-Class ghost through his extraordinary personal charm and superb communication skills."
"Exactly! The experts are always right! After a whole night of communication, his skills must be superb!"
This time, he really was laying down his life for his country!
"I'm in tears, God Chu. You've sacrificed so much for Dragon Country!"
[Eagle Country Livestream]
"FUCK! Cheating! This is blatant cheating!"
"That Dragon Country guy is sleeping with his head on the BOSS's thigh? This isn't fair!"
"Bullshit! I knew there was something up with his line, 'She's clingy and really strong'! That crafty liar!"
[Cherry Blossom Country Livestream]
The viewers from Cherry Blossom Country were swept up in a strange kind of fervor.
"Subarashii! So this is the real clearing route?"
"Chu-kun has accomplished what every harem anime protagonist could only dream of!"
"Did you notice that when Chu-kun was picked up, he could barely straighten his back...? Last night's battle must have been incredibly fierce! He's an example for us all!"
"This isn't a game of national destiny anymore. It's 'How I Accidentally Turned an SSS-Class BOSS Into My Girlfriend After Entering a Horror Dungeon'!"
[Kimchi Country Livestream]
"Shibal! That female ghost must be blind!"
"Why?! Our country's most beautiful contestant was harassed by tentacle monsters all night, while that Dragon Country guy gets... Aaaah, I'm so mad!"
"I hereby declare that contestant Chu He has one-quarter Kimchi Country blood! He was able to conquer a female ghost because he inherited the indomitable spirit of the great Korean people!"
At those words, even the viewers from Kimchi Country couldn't stand it.
"Have some shame, buddy..."
On the field, every one of the other survivors stared fixedly at Chu He, their complex expressions a mix of jealousy, resentment, envy, and terror.
The previous night, they'd held a "Who Had It Worst" contest, and each of them had thought they were the unluckiest person in the world.
Now they finally understood.
The real torture wasn't being chased by ghosts or having to sleep beside monsters.
It was watching someone else treat the "torture" you dreamed of as actual torture.
That was worse than being killed!
But what could they do? Chu He had managed to win over an SSS-Class ghost!
Everyone was green with envy, but could only keep it to themselves.
Jealousy was one thing; staying alive was more important.
The first to fall asleep were the people gathered around Chu He.
They felt a faint, cool breeze brush past them, like a refreshing wind on a scorching summer day. It swept away all the agitation and tension in their minds. Their eyelids drooped, and they sank into sleep.
They didn't know that this was the unconscious spread of Xia Yao's power, a gift meant only for Chu He.
In the end, a contestant from Kangaroo Country became the last person on the field who was still awake.
He thought that if he kept his eyes shut tight, he'd be fine. No one would be able to tell!
But the big-eared Chief Judge could tell at a glance who was asleep and who wasn't.
It appeared beside him without a sound. Its enormous ears twitched slightly, and a greedy, eerie smile spread across its face.
"Your heartbeat...is so lively." It stuck out its slick tongue and licked its lips. As the contestant from Kangaroo Country screamed in terror, it dragged him away and disappeared beyond the edge of the field.
"BONG—!"
At eleven thirty in the morning, a piercing bell jolted everyone awake.
One by one, they got to their feet, ravenous, their stomachs rumbling like thunder.
"All survivors, gather in the cafeteria before twelve!"
The cold announcement rang out again.
At some point, Xia Yao had stood up. She gently tugged at Chu He's sleeve and reminded him, "We're going to the cafeteria. My uncle's there."
Uncle?
Chu He froze.
"Remember," Xia Yao said, her expression growing more serious. "Whatever food you choose later, you have to finish all of it. My uncle...hates people wasting food."
Chu He's heart sank when he heard that.
Good grief, even eating is a trial.
He rubbed his lower back without thinking and asked tentatively, "Then could you..."
Before he could finish, Xia Yao shook her head and cut him off.
"I can't beat him," she said bluntly, without trying to hide it.
Chu He's heart jolted.
There's someone even Xia Yao admits she can't beat?
He lowered his voice. "Is his rank higher than yours?"
"He's the same rank as me," Xia Yao replied, seeming to choose her words carefully. "But there are differences even between SSS-Class entities. We'll talk about it later."
Chu He wanted to ask more, but Xia Yao only looked at him. For the first time, a complicated emotion he couldn't understand surfaced in her jet-black eyes.
After a long while, she added one more thing.
"In short, don't make him angry."
Before you continue