Alice's Hell (25) - Does It Hurt?

Yu Xing wanted to say no, he didn't want to hug, but he felt a weight on his shoulder and was enveloped in cold air. A pair of small hands reached out from the side of his neck, and he heard a child's clear laughter, as if a child had climbed onto his back.

The teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll symbolizing good weather) changed back to a smiling expression with the laughter. Yu Xing silently weighed the things on her back and slowly turned around.

A pair of large, clear black and white eyes were almost touching his face, staring at him without blinking.

What a close-range kill!

"Can you hug me?" the child with the bluish-purple face said, his cold little hands hugging Yu Xing's neck, as if he wanted to stay on him forever.

The small face drew closer and closer, and the large, bell-shaped eyes, possessing both childlike innocence and demonic cruelty, made the face appear almost like an insect's—the eyes were so large they took up nearly half of the cheek.

Instead of screaming in terror and falling to the ground crying madly as it had expected, Yu Xing merely exchanged a glance with the child ghost and then clicked his tongue.

He reached out to try and tug at it, but his hand passed right through the ghost child's body, as if the ghost child were just a non-existent illusion. In reality, the weight behind him was getting heavier and heavier, as if the ghost child was gradually growing up, while Yu Xing was getting more and more tired.

"It feels like it's absorbing my life force to enhance itself..."

He pondered for a moment, then ignored the ghost child and stepped into the room.

In the dark, all the furniture could only be seen in outline. Yu Xing looked around and found that the layout here was no different from the sculpture classroom next door, except that there was an extra chair in the center of the room.

Han Xinyi seemed to be absent, but Yu Xing knew this was just a smokescreen; she was right there.

Carrying the child ghost created by the teru teru bozu doll, Yu Xing walked towards the chair, her mind wandering to other things.

Offerings for psychological manipulation, a throat-slitting knife, a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll), a substitute sacrifice, and the offerings she used to attack Yu Jiaming in reality... Han Xinyi already had five offerings that Yu Xing had seen.

There are currently only three ways to obtain offerings: First, find them yourself during the simulation. Second, receive a system reward for fulfilling certain conditions during the simulation. Third, engage in free trading between simulation participants, exchanging points or equivalent value, or giving them away.

Regardless of the reason, it's enough to prove that Han Xinyi has adapted well to the Absurd World. Putting aside her deductive abilities, she must be extremely skilled at killing and seizing sacrificial offerings.

Yu Xing rubbed his heavy shoulders, feeling his strength constantly draining away, making his already limited stamina even worse. His limbs were a little numb, and his head was feeling dizzy, while the teru teru bozu was becoming more and more active, and even its body was beginning to solidify.

He approached the chair and could see that it was exquisitely crafted, its style completely out of place in the sculpture classroom.

"Hehehe... hug!" The child ghost seemed unable to say anything else; when it was excited, it could only say "hug." Seeing Yu Xing's increasingly worse condition, the child ghost left two dark marks on Yu Xing's neck with its little hands.

Yu Xing glanced at it unhappily, and seeing that the child ghost's body seemed to be materializing, he reached out to touch it again. This time, he successfully grabbed the child ghost's arm and lifted it up.

"Can you hug me? Hug me!" The child ghost's face was ferocious as it struggled with tremendous force. Yu Xing could feel his hands being shaken painfully. If it were a normal person, they would definitely lose the strength struggle.

Fortunately, Yu Xing's attribute points were ridiculously misplaced. Although stamina was a major weakness, his arm muscles were no joke when it came to strength.

He steadied the child ghost, then threw it away, sending it flying in an arc before it slammed to the ground with a thud, just like Han Xinyi had kicked his doll away.

Yu Xing: Holding a grudge. jpg

After throwing it out, he gasped for breath and clutched his chest, which felt stuffy. The next moment, he heard deliberately light footsteps behind him. Yu Xing raised an eyebrow and bent over to brace himself with his knees.

"Huh? Are you already tired? I thought you were such a good fighter, you must have a lot of stamina."

Sure enough, Han Xinyi's voice came from behind him. He pretended to be startled, suddenly straightened up, and turned around.

Han Xinyi stood smiling less than two centimeters away from him. While he was "stunned", a soft hand covered his chest and suddenly pressed down hard!

Yu Xing fell backward with the force of the fall, and behind him was that special chair. The fall caused him to sit directly in the chair.

The moment Yu Xing collapsed to his seat, a dark green light suddenly shone in the darkness, enveloping his entire body. He looked down and saw that many glowing, palm-sized vengeful spirits had emerged from the chair. They danced in the air, forming a long string that encircled Yu Xing's waist and his wrists resting on the armrests, as if they were some kind of restraint.

... His intuition was correct; the system notification appeared the next moment.

[You have been attacked by the rule-based sacrifice "Forbidden Chair". You cannot leave the chair, use any sacrifices, or use any items for thirty seconds.]

[A data error was detected in the offering... It has been corrected. A rule-level offering has been detected. The offering's rule level is higher than that of the Forbidden Chair, thus ignoring the Forbidden Chair's abilities.]

[The offering "%*&%*#" (data error) can be used normally]

Upon discovering he was imprisoned, Yu Xing initially only intended to watch the show, curious to see how Han Xinyi would kill him.

Among the prompts, one word caught his attention.

"Rule level"?

What does "rule-level offering" mean? Is it different from other offerings? It seems I've stumbled upon some incredible information...

Yu Xing was happy.

Ever since he became a Deducer and saw the extra sacrifice within the Persona Mask, he had received no information about it, and his search for the truth had stalled. But then, at this unexpected moment, he made progress!

Han Xinyi was also very happy. She only saw the handsome young man sitting on the chair, unable to resist, and her heart was full of smiles.

See? This is the consequence of not agreeing to her request. She's just a newbie who recently advanced, but her previous tolerance seems to have made this newbie arrogant. She actually thinks she can defeat her alone.

The Forbidden Chair emitted a dim light, casting intermittent shadows on Han Xinyi's face, which wore a sweet smile. Yu Xing looked up at Han Xinyi's smile and heard her sigh in a superior tone.

"It's a regrettable choice, Yu Xing."

With the outcome seemingly decided, Han Xinyi appeared much more relaxed. She stepped onto an overturned stone sculpture, toying with the teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll that had been hanging on the door) in her hand, her pupils reflecting a firefly-like green as she smiled and stared at Yu Xing.

"I know you don't want to be with the darkness, but it's not up to you. That's just how domineering we Fallen Path Ones are. Live with me in the mud, or die and be buried in filth. You chose the latter."

Han Xinyi said in a sweet tone, "You're right. It seems I've always loved people like Han Yan. I thought you could replace him, but you're not as filthy as him. I can only see a false light in you, not a true match. It's a pity, if only you were a little more filthy."

"I'm really sorry about that." Yu Xing tried to move, only to find that the little vengeful spirits had completely frozen him in the chair. "Actually, I think you're complimenting me."

"Haha, maybe." Seeing that he showed no fear, Han Xinyi produced a syringe in her hand.

With ten seconds left, she shook the strangely colored reagent in the syringe. "Well then, my souvenir, enjoy the taste of fear before you die!"

[Offering: Withered Reagent]

[Form: Medical syringe]

[This offering has fused with "Persona Mask? Throat Cutter," and its fusion abilities are: ① Injecting the withering liquid into a human body causes the flesh to wither, turning the person below the head into a dried-up corpse. This process is irreversible and continues until death. After one use, this offering cannot be used again in the current deduction instance. ② Injecting the withering liquid into oneself grants a Ghostification state. This process is irreversible and continues until the deduction ends. After one use, this offering cannot be used again in the current deduction instance.]

[Description: This is a highly malevolent reagent, ineffective against ghosts. Therefore, the effect of this offering merging with the Persona Mask of the Throat Cutter can reflect the Throat Cutter's malice towards their own kind.]

[Note: The liquid needs to be completely injected into the body for it to be effective, so you need to act when the target is unable to resist.]

This sacrificial item is exceptionally powerful, but unfortunately, it has too many limitations when used against enemies, greatly reducing the overall usability of the reagent. Therefore, Han Xinyi did not use it as a primary means of attack, but only used it when the opportunity arose.

The Withered Reagent was just right for Yu Xing.

Even if she dies as a dried-up corpse in the simulation, she will die in a different way in reality. As long as she is quick after the simulation ends, she can cut off Yu Xing's head when Yu Xing dies and keep that face with her forever.

Yu Xing to break free of the Forbidden Chair, Yu Xing silently watched as Han Xinyi injected the reagent into her body.

A burning, destructive force surged from the injection site, as if strong sulfuric acid had been poured directly into his internal organs. His pupils contracted, and a muffled groan escaped his throat.

He didn't know what kind of offering it was, but based on his own feelings, he guessed it was probably something that would directly kill someone.

This is the last offering in Han Xinyi's offering list.

The final few seconds passed quietly. Although the vengeful spirit of the Forbidden Chair did not retreat back into the chair, its binding power had dissipated.

Han Xinyi stood there, quietly appreciating the scene before her—even with the restraints lifted, the young man in front of her couldn't stand up, because his legs had turned to bones, and his flesh and blood were silently disappearing.

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, then from his nostrils, ears, and eye sockets. Due to the thorough damage, he was now bleeding from all seven orifices, his whole body trembling with suppressed pain, as if he would rather die than show his ugly side to others.

"Does it hurt? If it hurts, just yell it out!" Han Xinyi's smile grew increasingly sincere. "Watching yourself wither away, heading towards death, doesn't that feel good? I'll allow you to yell it out; it's an extra privilege I give to someone I like~"

Isn't she so kind?

She couldn't bear to slit Yu Xing's throat, she couldn't bear to let him experience the pain of his throat being torn open!

Yu Xing's forehead was covered in cold sweat. The aura carried by the reagent was surging through his body, activating his curse as well.

At this moment, a strong corrosive sensation surged forth, bringing pain that even he found terrifying. But the other reason for his trembling was a familiar, chilling aura—an aura that pierced his soul, ever-present, a recurring nightmare.

"Cough cough cough..." Her throat was also parched. Han Xinyi's voice reached Yu Xing's ears. He struggled to lift his head, his voice hoarse and barely audible, "To be honest... the last thing to ask me if I was in pain was a mirror..."

"You... cough cough cough... do you know what happened to it afterward...?"