In the darkness, Qi Si flipped the chessboard after losing another game.
With a wave of the contract's hand, the black-and-white board and chess pieces shattered into fragments, dispersing into a thin gray mist.
Smiling, He remarked, "You really are a terrible sport."
"I never waste energy on games I don't like," Qi Si said.
After a pause, as though recalling something, he asked, "Do you remember the question you asked me after the Double Happiness Town Instance ended?"
He snapped his fingers, and silver-white words appeared in the void.
"Suppose a madman wanted to compete with you in killing people. Whoever killed more within a set time limit would win.
"If you won, nothing would happen. If you lost, he would destroy the entire world. What would you choose?"
The question seemed absurd, yet it truly ran throughout the Eerie Game.
Across countless eerie Instances, four million people had become involved over the past thirty-six years. Every choice they made revolved around one question:
Could the majority be saved by sacrificing the minority?
If one killed tens of millions to save the world, was such a person a savior—or a sinner?
"I remember you already told me your answer," he said, lifting a speck of light with his index finger. A scene from the past unfolded before them.
In a dim temple, bizarre golden motes drifted and swayed. Amid strange visions of days rising and moons setting, tides receding and surging, the Qi Si of the past threw back his head and laughed recklessly. "Remember to tell me before you destroy the world. I'll find somewhere with a good view and watch while eating popcorn."
The present Qi Si curled his lips into a brilliant smile. "Back then, I wouldn't have hesitated to sacrifice everyone for even the slightest