Act 5: Quirky Bones-Worn to the Bone

[Part 1: Moving an Inch Is Difficult]

"Is your turn over, Parker?"

When the Old Bones asked that question, the butler's expression turned extremely ugly.

It seems that neither General of Tears nor Derek intends to follow the rules, a situation extremely rare in the gambling contract established by Lady Gloria, and a very serious violation.

At first, Sirius Parker thought that Mr. Bu Liuxing had only come to the dressing room to take away his weapon and that he would obediently go back to his room to prepare for tomorrow's performance, so that Lady Gloria could also sit in the casino owner's seat and watch a delightful duel.

But later, when the General of Tears inquired about Gloria Sebastian's daily life, Parker realized during his meeting with Mr. Derek that this wasn't preparation; it was an assassination attempt on Gloria.

"Two guests."

Before Parker could finish speaking, a loud castanets rang out from the dry, stuffy dressing room.

Old Bones, a fellow who loved watching the drama unfold, immediately activated the divine power of [The Power], causing everything to slowly come to a standstill, with only Bu Liuxing able to move freely.

"Your elemental abundance far surpasses that of everyone present. This powerful physique has earned you the first strike, Nameless General of Tears —now is your turn, your turn." The Old Bones crossed his arms and tapped his castanets at a frequency like the second hand of a clock. "Come on! Make your choice!"

A Xing finally came to his senses and stared intently at Derek Jokic in the entryway of the walk-in closet.

He remained silent, afraid that uttering even a single unnecessary word would further deplete his precious energy. He focused all his attention back into his body, carefully observing the structure of his opponent's vital essence.

The elderly man in front of me is 185 centimeters tall, but his arm span exceeds 192 centimeters. He has very long arms and stands upright without any sense of defense.

Based on his eyesight, he estimated the distance to Derek to be about eighteen paces, enough for him to carry Berloberg and execute the charge and slash.

But is this guy really Blood-giving Monster? Is he an enemy that must be killed?

"It's too far away, I can't confirm that," the meteor thought.

"Time is slipping away," the Old Bones reminded him. "Hesitation will rust the sword in a warrior's heart, and cause tumors to grow in a brave and resolute mind."

Despite the arbitrator's warning, Meteor hesitated at this crucial moment.

He tossed aside his sword sheath, drew his gleaming blade, but made no attempt to find a high point to gain leverage, nor did he intend to charge forward. The old tailor looked far too thin and frail, too emaciated, and had little in common with the vigorous ogres. If this fellow were considered a blood-granting unit, his master probably wouldn't even grant him a full meal.

Moreover, Derek Jokic was followed by a weak, seemingly dying girl. If he were to draw his sword and charge, Meteor couldn't guarantee what would happen next. He didn't know why Derek had brought this girl to the appointment. Judging from their positioning and physical characteristics, the distraught girl was likely Derek's daughter.

Meteor cannot kill her father in front of her daughter; he cannot.

Unlike his Ming Ge, if Xue Ming had confirmed Derrick Jokic's friend or foe, he would have treated this seemingly weak and helpless girl as the enemy's Achilles' heel and sent the old man and the child to Gongdelin together.

"A very brilliant start. Your guarded stance with your sword has the elegant style of a medieval knight," Old Bones commented. "Furthermore..."

"Old man, I don't want to fight you." Meteor shouted at Mr. Derek, "At least not now. Tell that little girl behind you to get out of the way—how about we find a more spacious place?"

"You're trying to persuade this warrior who's contemplating murder," the Old Bones' fiery eyes gleamed with a mocking light. "Will it work? We'll see!"

Time began to flow again, and a die fell from Derrick Jokic's sleeve—

--When it landed, it threw a simple, weak, and powerless [2].

Meteor breathed a sigh of relief, thinking there was still room for negotiation.

The moment the color-coding result took effect, the old tailor held up the knife with a ferocious expression, his face embodying nonviolent non-cooperation.

"What nonsense is this guy spouting?! Is he insulting me? Insulting my precious daughter? Old Bones! It's my turn!"

"What?!" Bu Liuxing looked at the Arbitrator with a face full of confusion, completely bewildered by what had happened.

Why doesn't the color result count? Derek only rolled two dots in the face of Meteor's persuasion; that should count as a failure! He should have listened to her!

--Why?!

"Sir Knight, you seem to have forgotten something very important." Old Bones could no longer favor Meteor and could only whisper a reminder: "You did not drink Lady Goelia's blood, so when Mr. Derek responded to your lobbying efforts, he rolled the opposing die—as long as it wasn't [1], and not the worst possible failure, it could be considered a success."

"Without officially joining this game, one can only passively take the beating."

"Your persuasion has failed, and Mr. Derek Jokic has no intention of wasting words with you. He came here under cover of darkness to take your life. Now he is enraged—it's the old tailor's turn!"

At this moment, Meteor could no longer move. He could only watch helplessly as his body gradually stiffened and everything around him lost its color—except for Old Bones and Derrick Jokic, no one else could move.

"Ming De warrior, let me show you the incredible power of [The Grand Design]!" Mr. Derek declared his attack. "You seem to not quite understand Gloria's divine power yet, and haven't had time to adapt to the Great Hunter King's soul power—but it's alright, I assure you, before you breathe your last, you'll experience a pain worse than death."

Hunter King?

Meteor can still hear and see the sounds and images of this frozen space-time.

A fresh and strange word popped out of Derrick Jokic's mouth.

What is he saying? The Hunter King? Is the Cat Tree Lady here? Is Isoragi Chinatsu nearby?

What does that mean?

Could it be that...

The Old Bones interrupted, "Mr. Derek Jokic, your efficiency is like fine sand in an hourglass; it's crystal clear, but it's slipping away little by little."

"[The Grand Design]!" the gaunt old man roared, and a pitch-black spirit emerged from his body.

It was moving so fast! So fast that the shooting star was almost invisible! Under the light of the dressing room, A Xing felt his body tilt, and his head immediately hit the wooden board of the dressing table. Then, something strange happened!

His face was pulled so hard it was almost sewn to the wooden cabinet!

Half of his body became weak and powerless, as if his bones, nerves, and muscles were misaligned and knotted.

Upon regaining his freedom, Meteor looked incredulously at his sword-wielding arms—

He felt an indescribable, excruciating pain.

His travel clothes were made of synthetic fabric, and at this moment he could see that these finely woven fabrics had become riddled with shocking, bloody holes, from which flesh and muscle fibers of his forearms emerged, covered in patches of blood. They seemed to have been cursed by a strange psychic energy, completely turned inside out, and transformed into bright red threads that wrapped around Meteor's fingers and tightly bound to Berloberg's blade.

Half of his face, along with this powerful spiritual energy, was completely sewn onto the wooden counter. The beard and hair on his chin and left cheek dripped with a patch of crimson blood, like mineral oil from a sewing machine, which, along with the masseter muscles of his jaw, burst into a bright petal, transforming into a sturdy stem that pressed Meteor's head firmly against the door.

Eighteen steps is nothing to Derrick Jokic's Soul Power.

--[The Grand Design] completed this Soul Power attack with ease. Since Meteor did not consume Gloria Sebastian's blood and there was no retribution phase for the anti-dice, the old tailor's offensive effect was outstanding.

"Things have taken a sudden turn for the worse," the Old Bones shook his head, his spine making a strange cracking sound. "Tsk tsk tsk. Nameless General of Tears, it's your turn now."

A Xing's mind was in turmoil; he had no time to pay attention to the "Hunter King" the old tailor had mentioned.

He couldn't think about so many things; the pain was almost robbing him of all his sanity.

Pain originating from the dermis and muscle fibers can also affect the nerves in the gums, and even cause the heart to clench. Over time, this can lead to myocarditis.

He still had to keep thinking, to find a way out of this pain. He struggled and writhed, trying to raise his body and gradually approach the bench in the changing room, to reach his backpack and find Lady Goelia's holy blood.

"Very good eyesight!" The Old Bones tapped his castanets approvingly. "Pain has not defeated you; it seems to follow you closely. I have seen many heroes, but very few can overcome pain and conquer their bodies."

[Part ②: Borrowed Power]

"Hiss!" Meteor tried to free one hand, but his arm was still connected to Berloberg by flesh and blood. He loosened his grip slightly, and the pain contorted his face as cold sweat poured down his back.

A burning sensation came from my forearm. Without the protection of some skin and muscles, large areas of fascia were exposed to the air. They quickly became infected and inflamed. Friction and collision with the clothing, coupled with the traction of the twisted and deformed skin and muscles, caused the capillaries and large blood vessels to rupture with the slightest movement, spurting out even more blood.

"Pfft!"

Meteor regained control of his left arm.

"Removing the arrow will leave a wound! The price will be 280 milliliters of blood," the Old Bones reminded him. "You are growing weaker and weaker; time is no longer on your side."

The cabinet door was forcibly pulled open by A Xing's face, and crimson blood spread and splashed out along with the pain, landing on the Old Bones' face, staining the skeleton red, as if it had come to life, as if life force was about to burst out from the bones.

Meteor finally managed to shift his position, his fingers just touching the bottle containing holy blood. Before the assassination and sneak attack began, he had already divided the blood into thirteen portions—he remembered clearly that these reagent bottles were in the outermost tool bag of his carry-on.

But the bloodied fingers had already touched the bottle, and were slowly unscrewing the cap—

The bright red blood on the back of his hand had turned gray; his turn was over, and he had no more chances.

Derrick Jokic remained frozen in place, his arrogant grin still on his face. The old tailor's eyes held a peculiar greed and cruel glint in them; victory seemed so close, an honor that belonged only to him.

Lady Goelia would certainly reward him handsomely; the Church of Dionysus would add another book to its collection to tell the story of how Derek defeated the General of Tears —even if the process wasn't particularly interesting or difficult, and the enemy seemed to have no chance to retaliate.

This is the Duchess's power! Overwhelming! Unsurprising! A one-sided victory!

"Don't rush!" Old Bones returned to Parker and said to the motionless tailor, "It's not your turn yet."

The moment the housekeeper regained her freedom, she suddenly began to experience workplace anxiety.

He explained the rules and details to the Old Bones, and discussed the importance of the bet.

"Gloria will be angry! It was supposed to be tomorrow! Now look what's happened! General of Tears is going to die! -- What are you showing Gloria? How am I supposed to explain this to her?"

"The loyal steward still thinks of his master." Old Bones, like a witty announcer, showed no respect whatsoever for the Immortals's lackey. "The warriors who risked their lives are bleeding; these two lives are worthless to Mr. Parker."

Sirius Parker protested, "I'm going to report you to Gloria! You disobedient possession! You'll be thrown into the trash heap one day and never come back to life!"

In the time it took to say those two sentences, the Old Bones grew impatient, then struck his clappers and fell silent.

Parker's turn is over, and it's Derrick Jokic's turn to act.

The Old Bones kindly advised, "Mr. Tailor! You heard me clearly! You see it clearly! This young steward doesn't take you seriously. To the Church of Dionysus, to Gloria Sebastian, you are nothing more than a machine of violence."

"At the beginning of the story, in the very first round of the duel, the challenger had a precious first-strike opportunity, yet he did nothing to harm you, and was even thinking of your daughter."

"Although you have consumed the holy blood for a long time, even Blood-giving Monster can regain its human form and heart, and rediscover its humanity and compassion."

"As the arbitrator, as a fair and impartial judge, whether you are inside or outside the situation, I implore you to be lenient and give this matter a second thought, even if it is just this."

Before the words were even finished, the dice had already landed on the ground.

A die of fate fell from the Old Bones's wide sleeve.

Simultaneously, the opposing dice are thrown from Derek the tailor's hand.

Old Bones' dice roll result was [14].

Derek's dice roll result was [20].

This was a crushing defeat; fate was not on Bu Liuxing's side.

The psionic power of [Sing For Me] is simply too overwhelming; Old Bones is no match for it at all.

At the moment the lobbying against the dice produced the result, Derrick Jokic was filled with determination!

His morale soared, his smile widened, and a murderous intent suddenly arose within him.

"I don't care about all that! First round? First strike advantage? This guy will pay for his naivety! He'll pay the price! The price is simple—death!"

"[The Grand Design]! This time, attack his head! I'm going to flip his scalp inside out! Let this ungrateful bastard see his own brains! I'm going to take his skull as a trophy!"

A dark shadow once again burst forth from the tailor's body—

It's still so fast! So deadly!

But this time, it could no longer reach the target eighteen steps away. In a flash, a bright red spirit sprang out from the Old Bones's body.

It is [Mr. Wei Meng Rap], a god who crawled out of the crimson blood on the face of a crystal skull.

Time froze at that moment. The dark spirit of [The Grand Design] was struck as if by lightning. Halfway through its charge, it was hit by the fierce punch of the One-Horned Warrior and instantly returned to its original form!

A tangled mess of spiritual threads, like a bristling sea urchin, first slammed into the cabinet door. Unable to fully absorb the immense force, it rolled down the corridor toward the toilet floor tiles, smashing deep cracks into the floor.

Derrick Jokic was affected by the Gate of Death effect; at the moment his spirit was struck, his jaw muscles dislocated due to stress, causing him to cry from the pain!

He couldn't understand why a strange spirit would appear inside the Old Bones's body!

"You cheated?! Hunter King! You're going to help him?"

The Old Bones shook his head, quickly disclaiming any involvement. "I did not favor either side. This is the spirit left on my crystal skull by General of Tears in the previous round, using his blood as a spiritual energy catalyst."

"How is this possible! He didn't drink blood! He didn't use dice! How could he hurt me?!" Derek's words were incoherent, half of his jaw was dislocated, he covered his swollen face, his eyes filled with fear—familiar rules no longer worked, the safe environment was gradually becoming dangerous, and the pain of being beaten as a spirit was weakening his will.

"The dice have landed." Old Bones pointed to the floor tiles beneath his feet.

The old tailor looked over and screamed in alarm—

"--These are your dice?!"

[Mr. Wei Meng Rap] uses Old Bones as his guardian, and Meteor's blood is attached to Old Bones' skull as a catalyst. In this psychic state, he can borrow Old Bones' dice—similar to how Duran shared his [Timeline] ability with his companions.

[The Grand Design] When intercepted, the result of the counter dice is [5].

[Wham Mr. Wei Meng] goes all out, and the borrowed dice result is [15].

This direct confrontation between the spirits caused Derek Jokic to suffer the full psychological damage from the spirit's attack. His jaw was dislocated, most of his fighting spirit was destroyed, and he fell into a state of mental frustration, panic, and confusion.

"A brave warrior will always find a glimmer of hope in adversity." The Old Bones recounted his stale thoughts. "If he remembered what was written in 'The Great Rift of All Things,' he could seize victory!"

"Bu Liuxing! It's your turn!"

The moment he regained his mobility, Meteor grabbed the vial of holy blood and gulped it down.

He was so weak; the pain had drained him of too much strength.

A scalding, burning warmth seeped into his stomach, and a sharp pain immediately shot through his lower abdomen—it was Gloria's holy blood gradually transforming him.

The game has only just begun once you get the dice.