Chapter 183
Chapter 183
[2. Tears in the fairy-tale world will invite misfortune. Remember: do not become a crying child.]
[3. The killer is a Rabbit with red eyes, but you may not kill the Rabbit.]
[4. This round of the game will last two hours. Survive until the end, and you will be deemed to have cleared the game.]
Please note: if you die in the fairy-tale world, you yourself will die as well.
Wishing all you little cuties… a delightful game~”
After listening to the broadcast once, Jiang Li was the first to get up and choose a prop.
At the front of the waiting hall, every prop was neatly arranged on low shelves.
Jiang Li noticed that the props the players could choose were connected not only to fairy-tale characters, but also to the fairy-tale maps.
One prop represented one character.
But these props were placed on the left and right sides.
Players who chose props on the left would primarily be active in the First Fairy Tale World: the Cabin and the Misty Forest.
Players who chose props on the right would primarily be active in the Second Fairy Tale World: an ancient medieval castle.
Jiang Li observed them carefully.
Most of the props could clearly be assigned to either the First or Second Fairy Tale World.
Only one prop had been placed right between the two worlds.
That prop was a translucent, glowing violet Crystal Ball.
The Crystal Ball might represent a Witch.
This Crystal Ball appeared in both fairy-tale worlds. Could it be some kind of important prop?
While Jiang Li was considering whether to choose it, the four people behind her also stepped forward one after another and began picking the props they had their eyes on.
Zhao Qingqing was drawn to Little Red Riding Hood’s Big Red Cloak.
She shook the cloak open and draped it over her shoulders.
Zhao Qingqing’s body instantly turned invisible.
Liang Chen chose Cinderella’s Crystal Shoes.
The moment she put on the beautiful high heels, Liang Chen changed in the blink of an eye into a gorgeous, noble blue ball gown with a full skirt.
Xu Haoran chose a Knight’s Sword, increasing his stamina and multiplying his combat strength several times over.
Zhang Jiang chose the King’s Scepter and gained the ability to make others obey him unconditionally.
The props Jiang Li and the other four chose corresponded to five characters.
Some came from the Misty Forest of the First Fairy Tale World, while others came from the ancient medieval castle of the Second Fairy Tale World.
As everyone tested their props, Jiang Li also began testing the Crystal Ball.
Holding the Crystal Ball, Jiang Li glanced at the instructions on its label.
[Witch’s Crystal Ball – Instructions]
[1. Close your eyes, visualize the player’s appearance, and silently recite their name to foresee that player’s future.]
[2. Once the future has been measured, it cannot be reversed or changed.]
Beside her, Zhao Qingqing was playing with the Big Red Cloak, turning invisible one moment and visible the next, laughing happily all the while.
Jiang Li looked at her, held the Crystal Ball, closed her eyes, silently recited Zhao Qingqing’s full name, and recalled Zhao Qingqing’s face.
The next second, a distorted, rippling image appeared in Jiang Li’s mind…
In the dark Misty Forest, pale moonlight filtered through the trees.
Amid a disorderly thicket of shrubs, Zhao Qingqing lay there motionless, her eyes wide open.
Zhao Qingqing’s chest rose and fell faintly. It seemed she still had a weak breath left in her.
The Little Red Riding Hood cloak on her body had been stained with blood and tossed aside like garbage.
The viewpoint moved forward.
A right hand wearing White Gloves gripped a blood-dripping dagger and approached Zhao Qingqing.
The dagger reached out and neatly cut open Zhao Qingqing’s chest cavity.
The killer rummaged through Zhao Qingqing’s chest for a long time.
After taking out that fresh heart, still going “thump, thump, thump, thump,” the curve of the killer’s mouth was reflected on the silver gleam of the dagger’s blade.
Then the killer put away the dagger and left, satisfied.
In the final image, those rain boots stained with black mud left a trail of footprints behind them, vanishing into the dark forest.
Only Little Red Riding Hood Zhao Qingqing remained, her belly hollowed out, her intestines spilling across the ground, her eyes wide open in death…
The prophecy ended!
Jiang Li’s eyes flew open as she jolted awake from the vision.
“This Invisibility Cloak is seriously amazing! Old Xu, do I look good in it?” Zhao Qingqing’s cheerful voice rang out.
Xu Haoran burst out laughing beside her.
“Pfft-hahahahaha! You’re invisible, how am I supposed to see you? I told you ages ago your brain doesn’t work right, hahahaha!”
Zhao Qingqing and Xu Haoran, the young couple, were happily fooling around.
But the moment Jiang Li thought of Zhao Qingqing’s gruesome end, a chill crept up from the bottom of her heart.
Jiang Li raised her wrist and checked the time. It was still early.
Early enough for her to test a few more people’s futures.
Jiang Li glanced at Xu Haoran beside Zhao Qingqing, then closed her eyes again and predicted Xu Haoran’s ending.
It was the same Misty Forest, the same bright Moonlight.
The only difference was that Xu Haoran, dressed in a knight’s outfit, was walking toward a deep pool as if he had gone mad.
His eyes were scarlet, his state frenzied and deranged.
He raised his sword high and slashed hard at the center of the pool.
Grief-stricken curses burst from his mouth.
The reflection of the full Moon in the water was split apart by Xu Haoran, then closed again, split apart again, then closed again…
Xu Haoran’s rage surged like a flood, and he hacked tirelessly at something no one could see.
Beneath the pitch-black pool, a vague shadow drifted toward him.
Then Xu Haoran’s body began to sink.
He struggled, but whatever was below dragged him into the water.
When Xu Haoran floated up again, his belly had already been cut open.
His abdomen was split, his intestines spilled, and his heart was missing.
Bright red blood poured from Xu Haoran’s body.
The red blood and the dark pool water merged into one beneath the Moonlight.
Xu Haoran’s corpse drifted alone in the pool.
His eyes stared at the pure white Moon hanging on the horizon…
The prophecy ended!
Jiang Li’s breath caught, and her eyes snapped open!
She clutched her chest and dragged in two rough breaths.
Although it had only been a prophetic vision, that suffocating sensation had felt terrifyingly real.
Behind her, Liang Chen, dressed in Crystal Shoes and an evening gown, noticed Jiang Li’s abnormal state with sharp concern.
She lowered the skirt she had been lifting and came over to Jiang Li.
“What’s wrong, sis?” Liang Chen held Jiang Li steady. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Jiang Li shook her head and gave Liang Chen a long, searching look.
“Give me your hand. Let’s try something.” Jiang Li took Liang Chen’s fingers and placed her palm on the Crystal Ball.
“Close your eyes, silently repeat your name, and recall what you look like,” Jiang Li said.
Liang Chen did as she was told, confused, and Jiang Li followed along with her.
Two seconds later.
Liang Chen’s future appeared in both of their minds.
In a dim, desolate castle ballroom, tables, chairs, instruments, and red wine glasses were scattered all over the floor.
At the center of the dance floor, a noblewoman with all four limbs cut off lay alone in a pool of blood.
The woman’s eyes had been gouged out.
A bloody hole gaped in her chest, and her heart was nowhere to be found.
The image zoomed in.
The viewpoint crouched before the woman.
Beside the woman’s head, one of the bloodstained Crystal Shoes lay on its side, the surface of the shoe giving off a faint glimmer.
Just then, the ballroom doors creaked open.
Inside the empty, ancient castle ballroom…
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Elegant, unhurried footsteps crossed the solid wood floor.
A tall, slender figure approached the woman.