Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Listen, kid, what are you talking about? I just wanted to check if there was any other information on the cards, that’s all.”

Lolita’s explanation was weak and hollow.

After realizing he had been played, the Scarred Man shouted in a fit of rage, “This isn’t fair! You two have to play again with me. No, other people might have cheated too. I demand that everyone starts over!”

But no one agreed to his demand.

“Poor little sacrifice, you should know that no one is going to risk their own neck just to play the game with you again.”

The Cheshire Cat spoke with a massive, grinning face, voicing the thoughts of everyone present.

I felt the same way.

In a life-or-death situation like this, an overflow of sympathy does no good; one’s own safety is the top priority.

Seeing that no one was taking his side, the Scarred Man seemed to give up the argument and picked up the purple potion from the table.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly lunged at the Old Lady without warning.

“You’re so old you’re going to die soon anyway, so you might as well drink this for me!”

He forced the Old Lady’s mouth open, attempting to pour the potion down her throat.

Slow to react and too weak to resist, the elderly woman was no match for the Scarred Man.

At the critical moment, a lithe and agile figure flashed forward.

With a sharp crack, the Chubby Boy twisted the man’s wrist. The Scarred Man collapsed to his knees, howling in agony.

In the chaos, the potion bottle rolled into the corner.

The Bespectacled Man, who was closest to it, seized the opportunity to grab the bottle and pull out the cork. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he didn’t hesitate for a second before splashing the liquid onto the Scarred Man, who was still writhing on the floor.

The Scarred Man inhaled the poisonous potion through his nose and mouth. His skin began to melt and dissolve; within seconds, a healthy human being had been reduced to a pile of blood-stained clothes.

There was no miracle.

So, this was the consequence of the poison.

But in that same instant, I thought of a way to get the key.

“Don’t look at me like that! He was supposed to drink the potion anyway, and he tried to kill someone else. I just helped him fulfill his obligation!”

While the Bespectacled Man was busy defending his actions, I snatched the bottle-which still had half the potion left-and lunged at the Cheshire Cat in the corner. I poured the poison into its wide, grinning mouth.

“Meow! Meowww!! Clang-”

The Cheshire Cat vanished into thin air, and the key that had been inside its belly dropped to the floor, slick with blood.

Lolita covered her eyes. “The Cheshire Cat was my favorite character.”

Tsk.

She hadn’t looked like that when a living person vanished right in front of her just now.

I picked up the key, inserted it into the lock, and successfully opened the door of the wooden cabin.

Standing outside the door was Mr. White Rabbit, clutching a pocket watch.

“You lot are certainly slow. Hurry up and follow me to the next location.”

“Hmm… let me count. Is one person missing? It seems the Mad Hatter will have one less tea set to prepare.”