Chapter 33
Chapter 33
A successor?
“The last time someone tricked me into becoming a successor was in elementary school, when they tied a red scarf around my neck for the first time.” Qin Lan’s expression turned solemn. “My future has been bleak ever since.”
“And right now, it feels even bleaker.”
After listening from the sidelines, Han Chan could no longer contain himself.
“Wait. Why do I feel like you just mocked something extremely dangerous? You should keep your core values a little more positive, Qin…”
Qin Lan shot him a sidelong look.
“My teacher once told me I was a pillar of the future, a flower of the United Government… Then I discovered that even among flowers, some are wildflowers growing from cow dung by the roadside, while others are carefully cultivated ornamentals in a greenhouse.”
“The wildflowers exist so passersby can trample them and make the greenhouse flowers look brighter and more delicate by comparison.”
“Oh, and by the way, the pile of dung I relied on to survive was set on fire not long ago and burned until nothing remained.”
“If I hadn’t been lucky, I would have turned into spring mud and nourished those flowers along with it.”
Han Chan looked alarmed.
“Damn, Qin. Think before you speak!”
“The United Government will drag you off for ideological education if you keep voicing such negative opinions!”
Qin Lan sneered but did not respond.
He walked to the gambling table and stared at the kindly white-suited dealer.
“All right. What are we betting on?”
The elderly dealer extended its right hand. A glossy black leather glove covered it. With that hand, it placed a dull gray dice cup on the table.
[Death has challenged you to a wager.]
[Your soul has been converted into gambling chips.]
A pile of black-and-white chips suddenly appeared before Qin Lan, each one printed with his face.
They were not made of metal. Their surfaces felt faintly rough and they were very light, though the workmanship was exceptionally intricate.
When Qin Lan ran a hand over them, he could even sense some kind of connection between himself and the chips.
“How strange…”
It felt as though losing these chips would condemn him beyond all hope of redemption.
“You have escaped every design I created… Therefore, I believe mere death is no longer enough to command your respect.”
The elderly dealer delivered the coldest words in the gentlest voice.
“If you lose, you will remain in this world and experience death without end, providing entertainment for my viewing pleasure.”
Qin Lan stared at it with dead eyes.
“How terrifying… Do you think my life before this was any different?”
“You really think I haven’t died enough already?”
The dealer ignored his complaints and continued slowly.
“If you win…”
“You will become my successor–a Backup Reaper.”
“You will wield the power to weave fate and draw strength from death.”
“You will become a creator of worlds and a maker of rules!”
“No living being will be able to defy your will. Your name will become taboo throughout the world, an eternal terror none dare discuss!”
By the end, the dealer’s arms were raised high and fanaticism covered its face.
It gazed at Qin Lan expectantly, waiting to see his shock or excitement.
But after listening for some time, Qin Lan could not help turning toward Han Chan.
“Han, are you sure you brought me to the right place?”
“This doesn’t feel like Death. It feels like the head of a pyramid scheme.”
“We aren’t in some overseas scam compound, are we?”
Han Chan glanced at the visibly disappointed dealer and rubbed his eyes.
“Uh… I’m certain.”
“Its curse is practically blinding me…”
Qin Lan sighed.
“All right…”
“Old man–I mean, Lord Death. What are we betting on, and how do we play?”
The elderly dealer pointed at the dice cup. A crafty glint flashed through its eyes.
“Guess the numbers.”
“There are three dice inside this cup.”
“If you correctly guess the numbers facing upward, you win. If your guess is wrong… you lose.”
Qin Lan’s first reaction was not to guess, but to sneer.
“You’re still trying this routine?”
His expression plainly asked whether Death thought he was an idiot.
“Three dice with six faces each can only produce so many combinations. If this depended on luck, even a dachshund might win.”
“But you would never design a wager based purely on luck.”
Displeasure filled Qin Lan’s face.
“Some bastard once asked me to find the one bowl of beef noodles among three bowls made with human flesh. I’m not falling for this trick again.”
“For all I know, your dice are ridiculous seventy-two-sided things, or perhaps one face has a hundred and eight pips.”
“If you wanted to be even more shameless, you could carve a few words onto them and insist those were the numbers.”
“Only an idiot would guess.”
The dealer stared at Qin Lan for a moment, then threw back its head and roared with laughter.
“Hahahahahaha… You little brat… Hahahaha…”
Tears gathered at the corners of its wrinkled eyes.
“Interesting… How very interesting…”
The next instant, the elderly dealer’s expression changed violently.
An extraordinarily terrifying chill swept through the casino.
Qin Lan felt as though he had sunk into a swamp, where some unknown thing had seized his ankles and was dragging him deeper.
Despair so dense that he could barely breathe enveloped him.
Only now did Death truly resemble Death.
“Correct. I intend to cheat.”
“Even though you know I have tampered with the game, you must still participate.”
“Your soul is already on the table. This is the fate you cannot escape!”
The old man–no.
[Death] gazed down upon Qin Lan. Its former kindness and warmth had vanished, replaced by lofty contempt.
From beginning to end, Qin Lan had been nothing more than an “interesting toy” in its eyes.
No matter how many deaths he escaped, [Death] remained the absolute superior.
“This method of guessing is indeed unfair to you… which is why I actually gave you assistance.”
[Death] curled its lips into a cruel smile.
“Do you remember the passenger on the bus? That panic-stricken man?”
“He saw everything–every death, every disaster, including the outcome of this wager…”
As it spoke, [Death] resembled a child preparing to pour boiling water into an anthill, both excited and full of anticipation.
“You can try asking him for help. Let us see whether a dead man can do anything for you.”
“Asking questions of the dead… Hahahaha… What an excellent joke. I must remember to tell the others next time…”
“Hahahahahaha…”
Qin Lan finally understood why the man had made that expression as he fled.
After seeing Qin Lan and Han Chan’s faces, the man had tried to say something, only for the steel cable to turn him into a cloud of blood.
That was the “assistance” [Death] had mentioned.
“Oh, so that’s the game you’re playing.” Qin Lan looked deeply disappointed. “You’re no different from a brat in preschool.”
[Death]’s smile froze.
“What… did… you say?”
Qin Lan had grown impatient.
“I said you’re childish.”
“You think the deaths you design are works of art. The moment someone escapes one, you throw a tantrum and insist on killing them anyway.”
“But you’re obsessed with appearances, so you arrange a wager to make yourself look magnanimous…”
“In reality, it’s a completely unequal death game.”
Qin Lan picked at his ear.
“What you really want is to see me despair, right? That’s why, after I exposed your little trick, you told me I ‘once had a chance to win.’ You wanted me to feel helpless.”
[Death]’s expression turned ugly.
But it soon regained its calm.
“Even if everything you said is correct, what difference does it make?”
“Your only chance to win has vanished–along with that man’s life.”
“At this table, you have no chance of victory.”
“Even if the goddess of fortune stood behind you, you could never guess the numbers on the dice. I alone know them!”
[Death] spoke each word with deliberate force, trying to crush Qin Lan’s psychological defenses.
Qin Lan merely rubbed his temples wearily and muttered, “What a pain… This timeline is so long. Running through it all over again will be exhausting…”
The next instant, Qin Lan exploded into motion and drove a fist into Death’s nose.
[You challenged Death. You lost. Killer: (Death)]
[Constitution permanently increased…]
“If you win…”
“You will become my succe–”
Qin Lan punched it again.
“Fuck your succession!”
[You struck Death. Death struck you back. Killer: (Death)]
[Strength permanently increased…]
“You have finally arrived.”
Han Chan stared at Death across the gambling table. He was about to warn Qin Lan, but Qin Lan had already charged forward–
Qin Lan unleashed a kicking technique famous throughout the entire universe.
“Damn! That’s a textbook Leo Flying Kick!”
Han Chan was stunned.
[You attempted to undermine Death’s authority. You failed. Killer: (Death)]
[Speed permanently increased…]
…
[A bullet helped you become exceptionally open-minded. Killer: (Death)]
[No attribute increase.]
…
[Who threw that flowerpot? Killer: (Death)]
[No attribute increase.]
…
[This dog is very fond of you. Perhaps you resemble an oversized chew toy… Killer: (Death)]
[No attribute increase.]
…
The severed steel cable cracked with a piercing sonic boom as it whipped toward Qin Lan.
Luan Zimo reacted instantly. She flashed forward, golden flames leaping in her eyes as bone armor materialized over her hand.
Curse power surged within her body. She reached peak combat readiness in an instant.
But Qin Lan, whom she had shielded behind her, shoved her aside and charged directly into the cable’s path.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
Luan Zimo was horrified.
[You are now scattered in pieces. Killer: (Death)]
…
…
A broad, surging river flowed below the bridge, its violent current churning like a roaring tiger.
Far away, a construction crew in orange uniforms was performing maintenance on the bridge.
Han Chan approached from behind and patted Qin Lan’s shoulder with concern.
“Qin, where should we go next?”
Qin Lan shuddered and looked at him. Han Chan’s eyes remained as tranquil as a lake.
Without a second’s hesitation, Qin Lan answered, “The passenger from the bus! We have to save him!”
Han Chan paused briefly, then comprehension dawned on his face.
“Oh… So this is the right attempt, is it?”
“No problem. Leave it to me.”
Before Qin Lan could react, Han Chan vanished.
That speed was absolutely impossible for someone whose physical strength had been suppressed by the instance.
Seeing it, Qin Lan gained an entirely new appreciation for Han Chan’s strength.
So when this man had sprinted awkwardly beside him across the bridge, he really had been acting.
Had he deliberately played the fool to mislead Luan Zimo and keep her from learning anything?
What a schemer.
Qin Lan’s mouth twitched.
Luan Zimo was still completely lost.
When Han Chan vanished, she assumed he intended to attack her. She immediately activated every cursed artifact on her body. A dazzling collection of extravagant effects erupted around her as she vigilantly scanned the area.
“What are you doing?!”
“If you want a fight, I’ll give you one!”
Han Chan reappeared with another person dangling from his right hand.
It was the man who had frantically rammed the bus door in an attempt to escape.
The man was terrified, but the instant he saw Qin Lan’s face, astonishment replaced his fear.
“You… Aren’t you–”
Qin Lan stared into his eyes and cut him off.
“Tell me!”
“What is the outcome of the wager?”
Still in full combat mode, Luan Zimo stared blankly. She had no idea why Han Chan had brought this man over.
Qin Lan’s baffling question nearly overloaded her mind.
“What are you talking about? What wager? What outcome?”
Qin Lan heard the answer he needed and waved dismissively at her.
“This no longer concerns you. Go play somewhere else and look for your special class mission.”
“I still have work to do.”
…
When he arrived before the gambling table once more, the elderly dealer smiled kindly.
“There are three dice inside this cup.”
“If you correctly guess the numbers facing upward, you win. If your guess is wrong… you lose.”
Qin Lan stared at the dice cup for a long time.
Then he stared at the dealer for just as long.
Finally, he spoke in a quiet voice.
“You’re far too old to be playing little tricks like this…”
“The numbers on the dice are–”
“You–will–die.”
Qin Lan pronounced the three words slowly and distinctly.
As shock and disbelief appeared on the dealer’s face, notifications surfaced in Qin Lan’s mind.
[You have won the wager initiated by Death.]
[Special class obtained: Backup Reaper.]
[Special class information has been updated. Please review it carefully.]