Chapter 930: Survival

Alice’s figure vanished quickly, having entered the fourth floor.

On the third floor, the man with gold-rimmed glasses and Detective Xiao Luoli leaned back on the sofa; the pressure of the third game weighed heavily on them, as they could be killed by Alice’s clones at any moment in the dark.

“Is the fourth game a survival competition?”

The captain of the national team wore a serious expression, his gaze shifting to the second and third brothers. After a few seconds of eye contact, all three smiled—smiles that faintly revealed a hint of sleaziness.

“Finally, it’s our specialty—survival games, we’re experts.”

“Big brother, it’s time to unleash our ultimate move.”

“Let’s go.”

The three fools of the national team strode confidently toward the fourth floor; the puzzle games on the third floor had left them deeply frustrated.

“As long as it’s not a puzzle game, we’re fine.”

Su Xiao rubbed his temples; he’d burned through countless brain cells on the third floor. It was clear he wasn’t good at puzzle games—had the clues not been obvious and had Alice been less eager to kill him, he likely wouldn’t have deduced who she was.

“If it’s survival, I’m equally skilled.”

Pi Pang also headed toward the fourth floor; Detective Xiao Luoli and the man with gold-rimmed glasses exchanged glances.

“How about… we team up?”

Detective Xiao Luoli suggested. The man with gold-rimmed glasses’ eyes flickered, yet for some reason, he had a persistent feeling that Detective Xiao Luoli wasn’t as frail as he appeared.

“Perfect—I agree. But neither of us is strong in combat; in a survival game, we must be cautious.”

“Right, then it’s up to you, Wash.”

“I’d love to say I’ve got this covered, but I don’t have that kind of ability.”

The two began discussing the details of their temporary team, and from their tone, they intended to recruit Pi Pang as well.

Su Xiao had no interest in their temporary team; if these two teamed up, they’d likely stir up some chaos. The man with gold-rimmed glasses was a Charm specialist—most Charm specialists had bizarre abilities with countless branches.

As for Detective Xiao Luoli, though he looked frail, he was deeply hidden. So far, Su Xiao still didn’t know his combat style. The idea that he was purely a support? Don’t make me laugh. A pure support couldn’t have survived the second game’s Poison Dragon Meat—even with a Golden Substitute item, it wouldn’t have worked. Eating Poison Dragon Meat inflicted percentage-based true damage, terrifyingly potent. Detective Xiao Luoli was the first to finish all of it. Could such a Contractee really be a pure support?

Su Xiao ignored their scheming and stepped toward the fourth floor. If they teamed up to scheme against him, it was simple: kill them. If they survived, that was their skill.

Su Xiao stepped onto the stone stairs. The moment he did, that sensation of piercing through a membrane returned; behind him, Bubu Wang sneezed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Wang.”

Bubu Wang sniffed, then shook his head, indicating nothing was amiss.

The instant Su Xiao passed through the membrane, his senses changed. The scent of damp earth after rain filled the air, and the atmosphere grew distinctly fresher.

A gentle breeze brushed his face; a few leaves were blown into the archway ahead and landed softly on the stone stairs.

Seeing the emerald leaves and breathing in the crisp air, Su Xiao made an initial guess about the fourth floor’s environment—if correct, the area must be vast.

Footsteps came from behind: Detective Xiao Luoli and the glasses-wearer, now officially teamed.

Su Xiao continued forward, stepping out of the archway—blinding sunlight flooded his vision.

His pupils adjusted rapidly. Before him stretched a vast forest, trees sparsely spaced, leaves rustling in the breeze.

The grass on the ground was uniformly trimmed, as if meticulously maintained.

Su Xiao looked upward—the blinding sunlight wasn’t natural. It came from a golden fireball suspended above. The fourth floor held an artificial sun.

Had the archway behind him not reminded him he was still inside the Demon’s Ancient Castle, he might have believed he’d entered a real forest.

“Gentlemen, welcome to the Ancient Castle’s fourth floor: the Forest of the Strong.”

The Wolf Steward stood before a towering ancient tree. Pi Pang and the three national team fools were nearby. Alice’s clones had vanished.

Not far from the Wolf Steward stood a small wooden cabin. Before it rested a wooden stump, upon which the Demon Servant sat, carving a wooden figurine.

“Galu, Galu…”

The Demon Servant muttered “Galu,” his lifeless eyes fixed on the carving in his hands. The figurine was only half-finished, but its shape vaguely resembled a castle.

“Have the ‘guests’ been released, Galu?”

The Wolf Steward’s tone was cold; he seemed to harbor clear hostility toward the Demon Servant.

“Galu~”

The Demon Servant nodded, not lifting his gaze to the Wolf Steward.

“Good. If those ‘guests’ break the rules, you’re responsible for eliminating them.”

“Galu.”

After receiving the Demon Servant’s reply, the Wolf Steward turned to Su Xiao and the others.

“Each of you, the fourth-floor game is simple: survive in the Forest of the Strong for five days. Inside that cabin are your supplies—food, fresh water, medicine. Quantities are limited.”

The Wolf Steward led everyone toward the cabin. As Su Xiao approached, he saw seven black leather backpacks inside.

The Wolf Steward entered the cabin and tossed each backpack to the participants in turn.

Su Xiao caught his backpack, untied the cord at the top, and found inside a wooden barrel holding roughly 0.2 liters of water—the volume of a large soda bottle. Alongside the water were several large strips of dried meat and a small iron box.

Opening the iron box, he found a milky-white ointment. Judging by scent and composition, it was an alchemical topical ointment, effective against cuts and burns—likely offering no healing or life restoration, only wound treatment.

Food, water, wound ointment—that was all the backpack contained.

Seeing these items, Su Xiao felt both confusion and unease. The setup felt familiar, so he instinctively opened his storage space.

His storage space functioned normally—Su Xiao exhaled in relief.

“Each of you, these are the only resources you can obtain over the next five days without risking yourself. But survival alone would make the fourth game too dull. Queen Alice won’t be satisfied.”

Seven participants are in this game, but only six will pass the fourth round.

This forest contains not only you seven, but also numerous other creatures—some strong, some weak. Killing them grants game points.

When the five-day limit ends, if seven remain alive, the participant with the lowest game points will be eliminated. There are three ways to earn points.

One: kill the creatures from various planets within the forest—each grants 1 to 2 game points.

Two: kill the ‘guests’ within the forest. These ‘guests’ are recent captives taken by Queen Alice. If they kill you, they regain freedom. So even if you don’t seek them, they’ll come for you. Killing these ‘guests’ grants 2 to 3 points.

Three: kill Alice’s clones—each grants 1000 game points.

Of course, besides these three methods, you may also eliminate rivals. If any one of you dies, the six passing slots are sufficient. But…

The participant with the highest game points may choose any single treasure from the castle’s vault—any treasure at all, as long as it’s inside. By the way, Queen Alice’s collection contains 582,043 items.