28: Chapter 28 The dice have no eyes, but I do.

The withered figure of Gui San Niang stood atop the high platform, resembling a statue from hell. Her hoarse voice, amplified by the formation array, scraped against the eardrums of everyone present like sandpaper: "Welcome to the Cave of Severed Fates! Here, blood is the only bargaining chip, and life is the final prize! The losers turn to ash, the victors become kings! Now, the first round of gambling—Maze Flag Capture—begins!"

The moment her voice fell, the metal floor beneath Chen Fan's feet abruptly retracted, and he, along with the other nine players, plunged into the deep, dark maze below.

Icy stone walls replaced the clamorous stands, and the air was thick with the pungent, mixed odor of rust and gore.

Bang! Bang!

Almost the instant he gained his footing, two dull gunshots echoed from not far behind him, followed by the horrifying sound of bones shattering and a shrill scream.

From the corner of his eye, Chen Fan glimpsed a terrifying, three-meter-tall figure in the shadows—the Six-Armed Serpent—twisting two players who reacted too slowly into mincemeat with its slime-covered tentacles.

The monster's six arms ended in a horrifying combination of firearms, sharp blades, and chainsaws. Its scarlet compound eyes scanned the maze, searching for its next prey.

With the threat of death pressing against his back, Chen Fan dared not pause. He immediately pressed his body tightly against the cold wall, using the shadows for cover, and hurried toward the depths of the maze.

He had only one goal—the flag located in the center of the maze.

Soon, he reached a three-way fork.

The left passage was bottomless and utterly silent. The entrance to the right passage was covered in fine holes on the wall, steadily spitting out pale green poison mist. The middle passage was wide and bright, appearing the safest, like a broad avenue.

Just as he was about to make a decision, the system mark on his chest suddenly emitted a faint burning sensation, and a line of illusory text flashed before his eyes: [Key Path Determination Required. critical hit system preparing to intervene...]

This feeling... Chen Fan's heart jolted!

It was exactly the same premonition as before the automatic defense critical hit triggered in Gray Alley!

His brain worked at full speed, adrenaline surging.

His intuition told him the middle path was definitely a trap.

In a flash of lightning, a fragment of memory he had ignored exploded in his mind.

It was from the previous round of gambling. He had unintentionally overheard Gui San Niang sighing softly to Mo Thousand Hands beside her: "So boring. Ninety-nine percent of newcomers will unhesitatingly choose that middle path. Human nature is always like this..."

That was it!

Chen Fan hesitated no longer. He gritted his teeth fiercely, abandoning the seemingly safe middle passage and the right passage that would require time to dispel the poison mist. He shot out like an arrow leaving a bow, charging toward the seemingly dead-end left passage!

Just as his body was about to smash into the stone wall at the end of the left passage, he gathered all his strength into his legs and fiercely kicked toward a barely visible, broken gap between the stone wall and the ground!

Almost simultaneously, the burning sensation inside him erupted violently, like a volcanic eruption!

[Movement Speed Determination Critical Hit × 2!]

An immense, irresistible force instantly coursed through his limbs and bones. Everything around him seemed to slow down.

His figure left a blur in the air, indistinguishable to the naked eye. He actually managed to slip through the gap, which only allowed one person to crawl through, in the 0.1 second before the heavy wall mechanism slammed shut!

Rumble!

Behind him, the left passage sealed completely. At the same time, in the "safe" middle passage, countless steel spikes burst out from the ceiling and floor, instantly impaling the few players who had just stepped in into bloody hedgehogs.

Chen Fan didn't even have time to catch his breath, because ahead, the scarlet flag symbolizing victory was already within reach!

However, right in his line of sight, another figure had burst out from another fork even faster than him. That person had a look of ecstatic joy on his face, and his skinny fingers were just about to touch the flagpole!

"Don't even think about it!"

Chen Fan roared, squeezing the residual speed granted by the critical hit to the extreme. His body lunged forward like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.

His fingertips drew a sharp arc in the air, and just half an inch ahead of the other person, he firmly grabbed the flagpole and yanked it down hard!

Whoosh!

The entire venue instantly erupted in an uproar. All the gamblers in the stands stood up, looking in disbelief at the figure who had fought his way out of the dead end.

On the high platform, Mo Thousand Hands, who had been leaning languidly against the back of his chair, sat up straight for the first time and clapped his hands, chuckling lightly: "Interesting... Very interesting. Gui San Niang, how did he know the way to life was behind that blocked wall?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Gui San Niang's cloudy eyes, and she replied hoarsely, "I don't know... Perhaps it was luck?"

"Luck?" Mo Thousand Hands shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Fan in the arena, "No, this isn't luck."

Before everyone could recover from their shock, Gui San Niang's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of cold excitement: "First round over! Congratulations to the victor! Now, the second round begins—Mirror House Shadow Slaying!"

The ground beneath Chen Fan's feet shifted again, and he was teleported into a circular room made up of eight giant mirrors.

Under the refraction of light, the mirrors reflected a total of nine identical 'Chen Fans,' including himself.

Every 'Chen Fan' moved and showed expressions in perfect synchronization with him, without any flaw.

"The rules are simple," Gui San Niang's voice echoed in the mirror house. "Among the nine of you, only one is the true body of the enemy hidden within the mirrors. Find him and kill him. However, if you kill the wrong one, your own meridians will instantly burst, resulting in immediate death!"

In the corner, the Six-Armed Serpent, having just finished clearing the area, let out a human-like cold laugh and slowly retreated into the shadows. Its scarlet compound eyes seemed to have already seen through everything, as if waiting to enjoy the bloody scene of Chen Fan self-destructing.

Chen Fan's heart sank.

This was a hundred times more dangerous than a straightforward fight!

He cautiously surveyed the 'selves' in the eight mirrors, attempting to make subtle movements, but every reflection perfectly replicated him, even the rise and fall of his breathing was exactly the same.

Time ticked by, and cold sweat slid down his temples.

Just as he was about to fall into despair, the communication talisman in his sleeve, which carried the hope of Xiao Lin's life, suddenly transmitted an extremely faint vibration.

It was Su Shuang! She was still using her last bit of strength to contact him!

"...Chen Fan... be careful... the one in the mirror isn't a reflection, it's a living person... Use your system... look... right three... her... her blinking frequency... is wrong..."

Su Shuang's voice was intermittent and so faint it seemed it could extinguish at any moment, but every word struck Chen Fan's mind like a thunderclap.

Chen Fan's gaze snapped to the third mirror on the right.

He stared intently, forcing himself to calm down, concentrating all his attention on the 'self' in that mirror.

Sure enough!

During a synchronized blink, the corner of the mouth of that 'self' showed an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible stiffness, which didn't pull the corresponding facial muscles at all!

This was a flaw a woman could hardly conceal when imitating a man!

Found him!

He no longer hesitated. He gripped the dagger he had picked up from the first deceased person and fiercely charged toward the third mirror on the right!

The moment he swung the knife, that familiar burning sensation erupted again from the system mark!

[Skill Hit Rate Determination Critical Hit × 2!]

This strike seemed to be endowed with the law of inevitability!

The blade ignored the slight deviations in distance and angle, tearing through the air with pinpoint accuracy, shattering the mirror surface, and stabbing fiercely into the heart of the 'Chen Fan' in the mirror!

Crash!

The mirror shattered in response, but what splashed out was not glass shards, but scalding hot blood!

The true body behind the mirror let out a woman's scream and collapsed, revealing the face of a strange female player wearing the same clothes. To her death, she never understood how she was seen through.

"Beautiful!"

On the high platform, Mo Thousand Hands slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His eyes no longer held appreciation but a look of near ecstasy!

He was like someone who had discovered a peerless piece of uncut jade, and his voice trembled slightly: "Good! Well done, Chen Fan! Third round—Wheel of Life and Death! Start immediately!"

Before his words faded, the scene before Chen Fan switched again, and he was teleported back to the center of the arena.

Above his head, six weapons emitting an ominous aura appeared out of thin air and slowly rotated: a rusty cleaver, a broken spear, a heavy chain, a dagger coated in green poison, a clumsy great hammer, and... a terrifyingly shaped giant axe with serrated teeth covering its blade!

"Rules are assigned randomly! You and your opponent will use the weapons granted by the wheel to engage in a timed duel! The one who survives takes everything!" Gui San Niang's roar ignited the atmosphere of the entire venue.

Chen Fan's opponent was a burly man as massive as an iron tower. He licked his lips, his eyes filled with bloodthirsty greed.

Chen Fan slowly closed his eyes, ignoring his opponent and the surrounding clamor.

His right hand pressed tightly against his chest, feeling the outline of the damaged bell through his clothes—it held the life of Xiao Lin.

He shouted wildly in his heart with all his will.

Give me... give me that Broken Fang Axe! Only that one! I need absolute power!

He had never craved so intensely as he did now, craving to control that mysterious critical hit power!

The system mark on his chest seemed to perceive his iron will. The burning sensation instantly climbed to an unprecedented peak, as if it were about to burn through his chest!

[Willpower Determination Passed... Fate Interference Activated...]

[Weapon Acquisition Determination Critical Hit... Fated!]

Buzz!

The six weapons suspended in the air shook violently!

Just as the wheel stopped spinning and the weapons were about to fall, the rusty blade, broken spear, chain, poisoned dagger, and heavy hammer—as if repelled by some invisible force—all skewed sharply toward the burly man!

Only the heaviest and fiercest weapon, the Broken Fang Great Axe, ignored all random rules, and with a sound that tore through the air, it crashed down with a bang, falling precisely into Chen Fan's open palm!

The moment the axe handle entered his hand, a heavy and violent sense of power spread throughout his body.

The entire venue fell silent.

The greed on the burly man's face instantly froze, turning into endless terror.

Gui San Niang's voice cracked for the first time, and she hissed: "Critical Hit... This is a Critical Hit Fated Assignment... He won... He won everything in the first round!"

Mo Thousand Hands slowly stood up and walked step by step to the edge of the high platform, looking down at Chen Fan, who held the giant axe.

The ecstasy in his eyes had faded, replaced by a scrutiny that was unfathomably deep.

He slowly removed an ancient jade ring from his thumb and held it in his palm.

"According to the rules, the final victor must sever one finger to show reverence to the 'Cave of Severed Fates' before taking the 'Bronze Core.'"

All eyes focused on Chen Fan, waiting to see how he would choose.

Would he submit to the rules and use that giant axe to chop off his own finger, or...

Chen Fan weighed the heavy Broken Fang Axe in his hand. The ferocious serrations on the blade reflected a chilling cold light under the lamps.

He raised his head, met Mo Thousand Hands' gaze, and a cold curve appeared on his lips.

"My critical hits," he said, enunciating every word, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the entire silent arena, "never sever fingers."

As soon as the words fell, an extremely cold killing intent erupted from the shadowy corner of the arena.

The terrifying figure that had been lurking for a long time, the Six-Armed Serpent, locked its scarlet compound eyes firmly onto Chen Fan. Its six savage mechanical arms slowly rose, emitting a grating metallic friction sound.

Clearly, Mo Thousand Hands' rule was not just talk.