The Fear of the Lord of Bliss

Purple mist became shackles, binding Yang Xiu's limbs.

He felt as if he were pinned to a sheer cliff thousands of feet high. The Lord of Bliss only had to raise a finger to send him tumbling into the abyss.

The pressure on his soul kept mounting, making every breath difficult and leaving a coppery taste in his throat.

Yang Xiu gritted his teeth and stayed conscious.

He wasn't afraid of dying. The players' resurrection mechanic gave him confidence.

But Black Snake, Wind Breaking, Brute Strength... the lives of everyone on the Fate Squad were entirely in the Lord of Bliss's hands.

If their secret came to light, A Le would certainly eliminate everyone connected to it.

"Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

A voice laced with mental suggestion rang out in Yang Xiu's mind, echoing in an endless loop.

The echo grew deeper and deeper, like an icy awl boring into the depths of his consciousness.

The purple haze in the space churned along with it. An invisible pressure squeezed in from all sides. Yang Xiu's bones creaked, and blood began to seep from his skin. He opened his mouth, but couldn't form a complete sentence.

"I don't understand... What do you mean?"

He knew he couldn't admit to anything. Only by stubbornly denying it could he have a chance of survival.

Hearing his answer, A Le's indistinct figure said nothing more, hovering quietly in the center of the space.

The silence made the pressure on Yang Xiu mount.

After a long while, the Lord of Bliss's voice rang out in his mind again, reminding him:

"On the Glacial Battlefield, you used an item that wasn't part of the Death Space system. Explain yourself."

In truth, it had seen similar potions used on members of the Player Race.

But