[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste":3,"chapter-pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-chapter-140":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Pain Immunity: Worried the Villains Aren’t Twisted Enough",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},687924,922,"Chapter 140: Provocation—Seeking a Worthy Opponent","pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-chapter-140",140,"\u003Cp>Ten people were paired up in twos. Everyone turned to look at their opponent. Once both sides confirmed, the Slime laughed and started bouncing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Alright, alright, interesting, very interesting. Then it’s settled. I’m sure you all understand.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Now, in order to ensure the games are independent and don’t interfere with each other, we’ll be opening up individual rooms.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Are you all ready? Okay, if you’re ready, let’s change locations.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words fell, a flash crossed the eyes of the ten people, and they vanished from the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ce and Xie Antong entered a purple room. The two stood facing each other, roughly ten meters apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room’s furnishings were very simple—just a table in the middle, two chairs, and the rest… you could say it was completely bare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very minimalist design, purely a space opened up for the purpose of gambling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the entire room—the walls, the furnishings—everything was purple!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like we’re going to have a match,” Lu Ce said casually, showing no sign of unease. He strolled toward the table. “Long time no see. Why’d you rush off in such a hurry last time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pulling out the purple chair on his side, Lu Ce sat down with complete ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Antong, however, was clearly filled with a sense of fear. Her brows were tightly furrowed as if lost in thought, and she still hadn’t moved toward the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Oh oh oh, looks like the two of you are ready.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the atmosphere between them started getting awkward, a ridiculously cheeky voice piped up—Slime appeared in the room out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Mm, excellent. The person with the highest star count going up against the one with the highest star consumption. I really nailed this pairing.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Antong twitched at the corner of her mouth, looking speechless as she stared at Slime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you perhaps have some fundamental misunderstanding of the words “excellent pairing”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just want to ask—is the game’s rules set in stone from the start, or can you adjust them on the fly depending on the situation?” Xie Antong asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What are you saying! What kind of question is that!】 Slime instantly got flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【All the rules and setups in the game follow the principle of fairness and impartiality—but not transparency. There’s absolutely no problem.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Alright, go ahead and sit down. I’m about to explain the rules.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Or do you have some special request? Not planning to sit?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Antong stepped forward, pulled out the chair, took a deep breath, and sat at the gambling table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two seated, Slime nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The game between you two is actually very simple.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Rock-paper-scissors.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, nine cards appeared in front of both players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ce looked down and noticed the nine cards on his side were face-down, while the nine on the opposite side were face-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They each had different symbols on them—clearly showing “rock,” “scissors,” and “paper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order was completely random, with no discernible pattern, but each had three cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Alright, you both should see it clearly now, and I’m sure you’ve noticed something.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Why are your own cards facedown, while your opponent’s are face-up?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Simple. Because from the other side’s perspective, it’s the same. There’s no difference. It’s my special setup—you can both see your opponent’s cards, but not your own.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Play will be alternated. The rules are just standard rock-paper-scissors, which I’m sure you’re both familiar with.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Whoever wins five rounds first wins the overall game.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Alright, take a moment to think. Once you’re ready, you can begin.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the voice faded, both of them looked down to examine their cards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This version of rock-paper-scissors was pretty weird. Since they alternated turns, each person could see what the other was going to play—but had no idea what their own card would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant it was highly likely to be a psychological game, or perhaps strategy based on the distribution of rocks, papers, and scissors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting at the table, Xie Antong’s brow had twisted into a literal “川” character. In Lu Ce’s memory, his old desk-mate had never shown such a distressed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And through the Lust Mask, he could clearly sense that her emotions were now completely engulfed by fear, hesitation, and tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ce furrowed his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think there’s much need to think about rules or strategy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ce was the first to break the silence, sliding his chair half a meter back and lounging against the backrest lazily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This game doesn’t need to continue. You’ve already lost. Use the Exit Token. It’s pointless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyone who steps up to the gambling table with fear in their heart will never get a pleasant surprise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lust Mask showed a trace of a mocking smile. Facing Xie Antong, it was as if Lu Ce didn’t regard her as a threat at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But hearing those words, Xie Antong actually calmed down a little, straightened up slightly, and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right. Losing courage before the battle—there’s no point in fighting anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But fear is something humans inherently need. When a sheep faces a lion, the one that doesn’t know fear is always the first to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So,” Lu Ce leaned back again, almost putting his feet up on the table, “if you know you’re a sheep, then just get lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think you’ve misunderstood something,” Xie Antong took a deep breath, like she’d made some kind of decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I meant was—I need to become another lion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, she pulled out several syringes again and injected them into her neck and temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly an even heavier dose than last time. At the same time, she took out two golden discs and stuck them onto her temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fiddled with her helmet, and the All-Seeing Eye shifted form—the back of her head was now completely exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her waterfall-like black hair floated freely in the air, moving without wind as if she were submerged in the ocean. It even seemed to have grown longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the Lust Mask’s perception, Lu Ce noticed her emotional aura vanish in an instant like melting snow—now completely undetectable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ce gave a slight smile and sat up a little straighter, leaning over the gambling table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still the same person, but her expression and gaze had changed completely. Facing the smiling Purple Mask, she now wore a matching smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apologies, Mr. ‘Sin’.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for your goading tactic, and your patiently delivered mockery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That little girl from earlier probably disappointed you, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s reintroduce ourselves. Shall we begin now?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1095,"2026-06-02T09:03:27.233Z",1,"novelbin.me","8b60c3111f004697d974861c3aed549ad045826b01ac32605acfc120b7b410b5","pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-chapter-141","pain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-chapter-139",867,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpain-immunity-worried-the-villains-aren-t-twiste-cover.jpg"]