Chapter 112: Hormones

As he displayed his phone, Li Cheng also kept an eye on the TV screen. The scrolling comments didn’t find anything odd about Asuka and Rei’s photos; instead, they lamented how hard his life was and voted for him generously.

【Sigh, I’ve heard similar stories before, a few years ago】

【Yeah, but now we’re in the age of space exploration—tragedies like this won’t happen again】

Li Cheng watched the comments fly by and raised an eyebrow. What do you mean, it’s only been a few years since the age of space exploration?

Also, after the nuclear war, EVA didn’t survive, but the entire Fast & Furious film series did? Or is it…

【Mr. Fly?】

Little Red Riding Hood interrupted Li Cheng’s thoughts, nervously asking: “What talent should we show?”

With Leonardo’s help, his piano playing reached world-class levels; Harley’s singing was no less impressive.

Will and Anne both had excellent physical conditioning and precise control over their muscles. Even without any rehearsal, their dance steps were crisp, fluid, and sharp—as if they were professional dancers.

Even Jin Huiying took out an easel and canvas, sketching the dancers in the ballroom with professional precision—no one knew what skill she used, but her drawing was lifelike, and her vote count steadily rose.

Shouldn’t it be no surprise, given this is a death match task? Everyone’s got a few tricks up their sleeves.

“With Harley as a singer, choosing to sing would be unwise,” Li Cheng whispered to Little Red Riding Hood. “What can you do?”

Little Red Riding Hood looked embarrassed. “Uh… I can make coffee and prepare Western-style omelets, egg fried rice—I saw the ingredients in the fridge.”

? Are you working at a maid café?

Li Cheng’s expression twisted—he’d actually been taken by Han Letian to visit a maid café in Yin City.

But whether the café owner had a weird mindset or modern society suffered from labor shortages and poor staff training, all the maids spoke with strong local dialects.

【Two male guests! Please come in~ Watch your step!】

【Dude, what do you wanna eat?】

【Why ask if you like it? Just drink if it tastes good!】

It’s not that dialects are bad, but after that, Li Cheng lost all romantic fantasies about maid cafés.

“Skip the coffee and egg fried rice.”

Li Cheng rubbed his temples. Not only would the audience probably not appreciate such a talent, but even if they did, he couldn’t choose it—everything here felt off. Who knew what the show’s organizers had mixed into the fridge’s ingredients?

Don’t want to end up mutating into a three-headed, six-armed monster after eating.

“Just dance, like them.”

“But I don’t know how,” Little Red Riding Hood fretted.

“Don’t worry—I’ll lead you.”

Li Cheng rolled up his sleeves, took Little Red Riding Hood’s hand, placed her left hand on his left shoulder, let his gaze grow distant, wrapped his left arm around her back, and clasped her right hand with his own.

Experience Roleplay Mode: Activated.

His entire demeanor shifted instantly—from casual and carefree to elegant and composed. The character he embodied was the blind retired officer from the film *Scent of a Woman*, portrayed by Al Pacino.

Li Cheng guided Little Red Riding Hood through a tango, matching the music with steps that alternated between fast and slow, still and dynamic, all with graceful poise.

Will and Anne, dancing on the other side of the living room, noticed the commotion and exchanged glances: ‘Take them out?’

‘Take them out.’

According to the rules, each viewer had only one vote per round, and once cast, it could not be changed.

Since both couples chose to dance, they would inevitably split each other’s votes.

Will and Anne locked eyes, their expressions tender, their steps subtly shifting southeast.

Whoosh!

Anne spun sharply, her red skirt flaring up and blocking one camera lens.

In the blind spot of another camera, Will’s hand materialized a large syringe, silently stabbing toward Li Cheng’s spine.

At this distance, drawing a 170mm straight blade was too slow—Li Cheng barely extended a Tangbiguren from his forearm and blocked the syringe’s needle.

He’d anticipated Will’s interference; rolling up his sleeves was for this exact moment.

Bone blade versus needle—over a dozen clashes erupted in a flash.

As the red skirt slowly settled, Will quietly retracted the syringe into his sleeve and casually wrapped his arm around Anne.

Anne leaned close to Will’s ear and whispered: “He’s just a Lv6 lone wolf player—how did you fail to take him down?”

Will knew he was at fault. He shook his numb arm slightly and muttered: “His physical stats are definitely above Lv6. This guy’s from some major guild.”

“No excuse is valid for failure. I’ll handle it.”

Anne turned and, during the musical interlude, moved toward Little Red Riding Hood like a waltz partner exchange.

This time, Will deliberately blocked the camera’s view.

Clang!

Anne’s fingers sprouted sharp claws, slashing toward Little Red Riding Hood’s arm.

Her timing and angle were perfectly calculated—unseen by the camera, while Li Cheng’s entire body remained exposed, making it impossible for him to intervene.

(If he attacked, Anne could instantly retract her claws and feign a helpless victim, successfully framing him again.)

At the last moment, Little Red Riding Hood dropped into a crouch, hugged her head, and was surrounded by a faint glow.

【Title Name: Head-Hugging Defense】

【Activation: Active】

【Effect: Authority Protection. After crouching and hugging your head, your entire body is treated as a single unit, with damage calculated based on your highest-defense body part. Lasts 5 seconds.】

【Cost: 20% of total Spirit Energy capacity】

【Cooldown: Maximum two uses per 24 hours】

【Note: In nature, some creatures react to danger with instinctive behaviors—turtles retract their heads and limbs into shells, red pandas stand upright and spread their arms to appear larger, and a certain unnamed vampire lord of the Red Magic Mansion performs Head-Hugging Defense.】

After activating this title skill, Little Red Riding Hood’s entire defense rating equaled that of her highest-tier equipped armor—her fine-quality lacquered leather shoes.

These shoes’ effect: absorb energy from the earth to temporarily boost their defense and weight.

When combined with the title skill, they produced a 11>2 synergy.

Anne’s claws struck Little Red Riding Hood’s head like hitting a steel plate—not only did they fail to penetrate, but several claw segments shattered from the impact. Her face twisted in pain.

The background music shifted, and mechanical arms repositioned the cameras. Anne had no time to strike again and had no choice but to collapse into Will’s arms.

Li Cheng pulled Little Red Riding Hood up, and they moved away from Will and Anne as if nothing had happened.

Ilfan, previously eliminated, had physical stats far beyond normal humans—yet the mechanical arm still impaled him without mercy. No player dared test what happened if they killed directly in front of the cameras.

Will’s arm ached, Anne’s fingers bled, and both moved stiffly. On-screen, the voting had reached a fever pitch—everyone’s vote counts were nearly identical, impossible to determine who’d be eliminated.

Snap!

Will suddenly extended his foot beneath Anne’s. As she was about to step on it, her pale, long leg beneath the red dress sharply lifted and hooked backward.

She showcased her curves to the camera while avoiding her high heel crushing Will’s foot.

【Heh.】

Anne cast Will a sultry glance—everything was in her eyes: 【You want me to step on your foot, make viewers think I messed up my dance, and lower my impression score? Too naive.】

They were temporary allies—sudden betrayal was only natural.

【Is that so?】

Will smirked inwardly, spun her around several times by her waist, and brought them directly beneath the central air vent.

The villa used a central air conditioning fresh-air system—the vents hidden in the ceiling. Will stood with his back to the airflow, which passed beside him and blew straight toward Anne.

A scent—indescribably pleasant or repulsive—shot straight into Anne’s mind. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily, her eyes grew hazy.

Caught!

Anne instinctively tried to pull away, but Will gripped her hand tightly.

【Try to escape? Do you think you can break free of my control?】

My title is 【Universal Rival】.

Will’s lips curled slightly as he gazed at her with deep affection.

He was employed by Gen-Sys Biotech, and unlike players hired after becoming Chosen Ones, he’d been a company employee from the start—a true insider, thoroughly cultivated by the corporation.

The company implanted multiple hormone- and pheromone-regulating glands into his body using biological tech recovered from the Killing Fields.

These glands could aid combat and enhance physical performance, and at need, release hormones triggering the spontaneous production of phenylethylamine, dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine, oxytocin, and vasopressin in those nearby.

Making them unconsciously develop a certain fondness for Will.

Combined with his naturally high charm stat and charm skills, he could manipulate NPCs into aiding him in countless scenario missions—bloodlessly achieving his goals. That’s the origin of his title skill.

【Humans aren’t as advanced or transcendent as they imagine. The body is merely the vessel for the brain, and the brain is objectively regulated by biochemistry.】

【In the end, humans are merely slaves to biochemistry.】

Will held Anne’s hand and smiled warmly as he fully activated his skill. He didn’t expect her to fall in love with him—he just wanted her to lose composure and humiliate herself on camera.

Will had deduced the three rules of this mission. One: Ensure you’re not eliminated.

Two: On top of rule one, prioritize eliminating players of the same gender.

Three: If you can’t eliminate a same-gender player, target and eliminate the most attractive opposite-gender player. If all else fails, eliminate anyone at random.

The first two rules are clear. The third stems from game theory: suppose three men each have a charm value of 90, and four women have charm values of 90, 90, 90, and 95.

Then the woman with 95 holds the strongest “bargaining power,” able to manipulate, incite, and ensure her own survival.

Huh—

The gentle breeze from the central air conditioner carried pheromones through the room.

Merely smelling the faint scent made Jin Huiying blush, Little Red Riding Hood dizzy and clutching her thighs motionless, while Li Cheng felt nothing—his body had been fundamentally altered by the Worm Lord’s infection.

As for Anne.

She stiffened, then slammed her high heel hard onto the floor, using Will’s momentary distraction as he fully unleashed his skill. She wrapped her arms around his waist, spun them forward several times, and repositioned them directly in front of Leonardo and Harley.

What the hell?! You weren’t supposed to lose bladder control immediately?!

Will’s heart jolted; Annie’s lips curled into a cold smile as she whispered against his ear: “Don’t forget, I’m with the Witch Coven.”

In the early days of the Killing Field game, there was a guild called the Witch Coven, founded roughly at the same time as the Demon Scientists Alliance—a veteran powerhouse whose power system centered on potions, astrology, tarot cards, and witchcraft, accepting only female players.

In the second year and half of the Killing Field’s opening, its guild leader, Dir, vanished without explanation, leaving the guild leaderless and unable to seize the critical strategic resource, the Hidden Chamber, plunging it into decline.

After the second leader took over, she enacted sweeping reforms, introducing a new cultivable power system that reversed the guild’s decay and renamed it the Witch Coven.

Outsiders assumed it was just the usual new-leader-three-fires routine, unaware of the essential difference between witches and witch-coven members—the former required innate biological femaleness, while the latter could be transformed from biological males.

Will struggled to break free, but his continuous skill use had drained his strength; his hand was firmly gripped by Annie, impossible to wrench away. Her gaze was eerily familiar.

“Trying to run? Do you think you can escape my control?”

Annie, transformed into a witch-coven member, had long consumed various drugs; her hormonal regulation logic differed entirely from that of a normal person. Will’s skill attacks had no effect on her whatsoever.

Annie gave Jin Huiying a glance, then dragged Will in a circle to the piano. Strong pheromones drifted through the air; Leonardo and Harley, who were singing together at the piano, suddenly changed expression.

The former instinctively leaned forward, covering his pants. The latter, who had been leaning on the piano to sing, lost her footing and collapsed face-first onto the floor.

Though she immediately pushed up with one hand and leapt to her feet like a fish, the camera captured her clumsy posture and the ugly expression on her face at the moment of impact—perfectly displayed on the television screen.

“Sorry, my hand slipped.”

At this point, loud protest was meaningless—the audience couldn’t smell the room’s odor. Harley forced a faint smile, her resentful gaze sweeping over Will and Annie before turning to the TV screen.

This scandal gave her vote count a reprieve, dropping her to last place among the remaining seven.

The broadcast voice sounded just then: “Unfortunately, Ms. Harley failed to secure enough votes and is eliminated.”

Boom!

Harley extended both hands, interlaced her fingers, forming a triangle with her thumb and index finger, and blasted a bolt of lightning from it, shattering the broadcast speaker in the ceiling corner and forcibly cutting off the narrator.

(End of Chapter)