Chapter 458: The Fisherman's Gain

But just now the Gray Puppet personally said, this thing is used to determine who dies each round.

Everything is laid out before us; only how to judge with this thing remains.

Even a toe could figure this out! How else could it be judged? Obviously by entering the circle!

Having figured this out, the short-haired woman, after a kiss from Cheng Shuili and Qing Qing, turned her gaze to the stalwart man lying on the ground.

He still lay on the ground, blood seeping from his back, looking as if he were lying on a bright red sheet.

If it weren't for the stalwart man's chest still rising and falling, everyone present would have thought he was dead.

The short-haired woman anxiously patted the man beside her, urging: 'Quick! Quickly lift him into the circle!'

The man she patted instinctively obeyed her order; only when he walked up to the stalwart man and saw clearly the miserable state of the person lying on the ground did he suddenly shudder, snap back to his senses, turn his head and angrily curse: 'Even though people are dead, you won't let him rest, you woman, what a vicious mind!'

'Dead? Who said he's dead! Whether he's dead or not is none of my business; I only know that if you don't listen to me again, we'll all be killed by your stupidity!'

The short-haired woman burst into angry shouts, her voice distorted by extreme fear and urgency: 'His chest is still moving, he's not dead yet! Throw him into the circle—maybe…maybe the judgment will fall on him! Then we might survive this round!'

Her voice was urgent, yet her words were clear, instantly making the remaining two understand her intention!

Find an unresisting scapegoat, stuff him into the Blood Ring, to take the place of the death quota that might randomly land on our own heads!

The man who had been scolded paused, then immediately reacted; without any hesitation, he gritted his teeth, bent over, and went to grab the stalwart man's arm.

He was decisive enough, but the argument with the short-haired woman had already wasted too much time.

The short-haired woman, anxious, pushed the older man standing beside her again: 'Hurry and help him! If we don't throw this guy into the circle in time, someone will definitely die!'

She spoke urgently, but the older man's face was full of disdain: 'You go, I'm not going back.'

Seeing the older man still unable to prioritize even now, the short-haired woman stopped saying more; her mind was fixed on quickly throwing the stalwart man in, without even glancing at what the two terrifying women were doing, she herself stepped forward to lift the stalwart man.

Although the stalwart man couldn't move, his height and weight were there.

The two of them expended great effort, and only before the countdown ended did they throw the stalwart man into that circle.

The short-haired woman let out a long breath, wiped the sweat that had rushed to her forehead, and while relaxing, she shot a resentful glance at the older man standing aside watching the show.

She had thought the person helping her move the stalwart man was already stupid enough, but at least he understood the stakes.

The older man, unlike the two women over there who had strength, still wanted to learn to stay aloof like them…

'Really asking for death!'

The short-haired woman gritted her teeth and whispered, her eyes like a poisoned blade, she fiercely gouged the older man with a glance.

She no longer paid attention to that self-conceited fool, abruptly turned her head, and fixed her stare on the Blood Ring at the stage's center and the stalwart man thrown inside the circle.

At the moment the countdown ended, everyone's hearts rose to their throats.

Time, as if frozen at that moment.

A few seconds later——

Hum……

The Blood Ring's light flared up intensely without warning! It illuminated the entire ring as if fresh blood had just been splashed and was boiling, the thick, nauseating stench of blood instantly permeated the whole theater.

'Ugh ah!!!'

The stalwart man lying in the center of the Blood Ring suddenly arched his body, letting out a shrill scream unlike a human voice!

His originally ordinary wound on the back, at this moment, seemed torn apart by an invisible force and widened, blood gushed out like a fountain, but instead of flowing to the ground, it was greedily sucked in by that blood-colored halo.

That halo, like a beast that loves blood, devoured all the blood!

The stalwart man's skin withered at a visible speed, his muscles atrophied, his eyes bulged.

In just two or three seconds, a originally stalwart man, before everyone's eyes, turned into a skeleton wrapped in slack skin.

And the Blood Ring, having absorbed all his blood and vitality, its light reached a peak, crimson like a blood diamond, then……

It gradually faded, returning to the faint glow it originally had, like mere stage decoration.

On the ground lay only a corpse completely devoid of life's breath, and the air was thick with an inseparable stench of blood.

The man who helped carry him went weak in the legs, plopping straight onto the ground, his crotch quickly becoming soaked.

And the short-haired woman clapped a hand over her mouth, forcibly suppressing the surging gastric fluid.

Her face turned as pale as paper, her body trembled slightly, but her eyes held a near‑mad sense of relief.

She guessed right!

She traded another's life for her own safety this round!

Qing Qing's kiss slowly crouched down, raised a hand to support her own chin, as if studying something, her gaze fell on the stalwart man and she couldn't look away for a while.

Cheng Shuili's face showed no expression; she merely looked again at the Gray Puppet that had sunk back into silence:

'So, the way to determine who dies is to place the character inside the Blood Ring before each round ends; those not judged are automatically promoted to the next round, until only one remains, right?'

The Gray Puppet's dry skull slowly nodded up and down.

'Click.'

A faint joint sound, in the silent theater, was clear enough to send chills down one's spine.

Cheng Shuili frowned, suddenly lifted her foot to nudge the stalwart man's corpse, she looked up at the Gray Puppet and asked: 'Are there no more detailed rules? For example……'

'If several people step into this circle at the same time in one round, who would be the one to die in the end?'

Hearing this, the short-haired woman felt a chill, she swallowed saliva and trembled as she turned around.

Now only five people remain alive.

The woman who can command the Gray Puppet and the woman wielding a dagger are both extraordinarily strong; either one alone could take care of the three of them.

If we don't think of a plan, the final survivor will definitely be one of those two women.

And we three……will all become desiccated corpses like the stalwart man!

The short-haired woman couldn't accept this ending.

She didn't move much, but her eyes would occasionally glance furtively at Qing Qing's kiss.

If we could persuade any one of those two, and join forces with our three, to deal with the other one.

No matter who wins or loses, the three of them can all reap the fisherman's profit!

Most importantly, the rules are laid out here; only this way does she have a sliver of hope!