Chapter 465: Watchdog

Qing Qing's Kiss moved her wrist, the dagger flipping at her fingertips, a cold light flashing.

She didn't speak, but the meaning was obvious.

The older man and the obedient man saw her action, shuddered, instinctively shrank back, but bumped into the chair leg, looking miserable.

After being stubborn and taking a few extra punches, the two surviving male players finally agreed to join the short-haired girl, hand in hand, stepping together into the Blood Ring.

Cheng Shuili gripped Night Hunt, standing behind the three and counting coldly: "Three, two..."

The three short-haired girls gripped each other's hands tightly, their knuckles whitening from the force, their bodies trembling like leaves in the wind.

Their eyes were fixed on the edge of the scarlet circle beneath their feet; this was no ordinary place—in their eyes, it was the Gates of Hell.

The older man and the obedient man's lips trembled, emitting a discordant whimper.

The short-haired girl bit her lower lip hard, her eyes mixing madness with a hint of ruthlessness she herself hadn't noticed.

Either way it's death; better to drag a backup, or...

Just as Wu Ya said, let's completely ruin this play! Bring out the puppeteer!

Why can these agile humans only be puppets, while the puppeteer—a monster that can't even control its own limbs—gets to pull all the strings behind the scenes?

Cheng Shuili's countdown sounded like a death knell, yet the short-haired girl's expression grew ever more resolute.

"One!"

At the instant the word 'One' fell, the three lifted their feet in unison, stepping into the Blood Ring.

Their movements were stiff from fear, yet they indeed acted simultaneously under Cheng Shuili's command.

Just as their toes were about to touch the edge of the Blood Ring——

The Blood Ring's light flashed without warning!

The blinding red light instantly engulfed the entire stage center, even staining the front-row seats with a layer of blood.

An irresistible, icy and viscous repelling force erupted from the Blood Ring like an invisible wall, slamming hard into the three.

"Ah!"

The three short-haired girls screamed, being shoved back by the force, stumbling and falling backward in a heap.

Their hands remained tightly clasped, but the action of stepping into the Blood Ring was forcibly halted.

"What's going on?!" Qing Qing's Kiss stared in disbelief, gripping her dagger, looking toward Cheng Shuili.

Cheng Shuili furrowed her brow, her eyes locked on the Blood Ring.

The flashing red light didn't die out immediately, but fluctuated like breathing; the Blood Ring itself seemed to have come alive, its scarlet patterns wriggling faintly like veins.

Even more chilling, the hitherto motionless Gray Puppet began to emit a rapid 'gek-gek-gek' from its body, as if all its internal parts were shaking wildly.

In its hollow eye sockets, for the first time, two pinpricks of scarlet light flared!

Under everyone's gaze, the Gray Puppet suddenly lifted both arms.

Its aura surged instantly, its previous stiffness and sluggishness vanishing, replaced by a brutal killing intent that locked onto the three short-haired girls who had just tried to step into the Blood Ring, as well as Cheng Shuili and Qing Qing's Kiss standing behind them.

Before anyone could react, the Gray Puppet launched its first attack—its movement so fast it left only an afterimage on the retina, aiming straight at the older man who had just gotten up!

The Gray Puppet's arm was like a scythe of the grim reaper, tearing the air with a piercing shriek as it thrust straight at his throat.

This time… no one would save him.

The older man's pupils suddenly contracted.

He didn't even have time to let out a full cry; he felt a chill in his throat, then a spurt of warm liquid gushed out, blocking all sound.

His vision darkened rapidly; the Gray Puppet's stiff face was the last thing he saw before his consciousness sank into darkness.

"Thud."

The corpse collapsed to the ground.

The smell of blood was like a stone tossed into calm water, instantly sending out stronger ripples.

The obedient man went limp on the ground, his crotch soaked with warmth; he desperately opened his mouth but could utter no meaningful sound, only a ragged 'huh-huh' from his throat.

The short-haired girl was closest to the older man; a few drops of warm blood spattered onto her face.

She didn't scream or break down; she simply wiped the blood off fiercely with the back of her hand, the madness and ruthlessness in her eyes igniting fully, burning away the last trace of fear.

"Look! It moved! It killed someone!" she shouted hoarsely, "Puppeteer! Do you see this?! Your puppet's out of control! Your show's ruined!"

Her voice came out suddenly, and because she shouted so loudly it startled Qing Qing's Kiss into a jump; before the short-haired girl's words even finished, she muttered to Cheng Shuili, "What's wrong with her?"

Cheng Shuili ignored her, her gaze fixed on the Gray Puppet, wondering why it had suddenly erupted, and…

…whether it would attack her.

But seeing how indiscriminate it was, it probably wouldn't let her off.

The Gray Puppet slowly withdrew its arm, viscous blood dripping down its dark gray fingers.

It ignored the short-haired girl's clamor; the two scarlet points shifted slightly, locking onto the next target—the obedient man lying limp on the ground.

"Save me… save…" the obedient man wept tears and snot, scrambling backward with hands and feet, but his speed was laughably slow.

With him like that, there was absolutely no way he could escape the Gray Puppet's pursuit.

The Gray Puppet's movement had no hesitation; it stepped forward with stiff yet swift steps, closing in on the obedient man.

Just as it was about to strike——

"Clang!"

A pitch-black dagger precisely blocked the puppet's thrusting arm, sending up a few sparks.

Qing Qing's Kiss stepped in front of the obedient man, her thumb and index finger numbed from the shock; she gritted her teeth and cursed:

"What are you standing there for?! Get to the back!"

The obedient man, as if waking from a dream, scrambled and crawled behind an overturned chair.

The Gray Puppet seemed enraged by Qing Qing's Kiss's obstruction, emitting a strange sound from its throat as its arms lashed out like a storm, each move vicious and direct, aimed at vital spots.

Qing Qing's Kiss relied on her agile footwork and dagger to barely hold on, but she was clearly at a disadvantage, several close calls leaving her clothing slit in several places.

"Wu Ya! Did you see anything? What's going on with this guy!" she shouted urgently.

What else could it be?

For things that subordinates can handle, the puppeteer naturally doesn't need to personally deal with them.

This Gray Puppet... is just the most typical watchdog.

Cheng Shuili gripped her long blade tightly, "Kill it, and the puppeteer will have to show up!"

Qing Qing, in the gap of a kiss, turned her head to glance at Wu Ya; seeing her grip the long blade, she thought she was finally going to get on.

She hooked the corner of her mouth, her face hinting with excitement, took a breath and said: "If that's the case, Wuya Lao Da, you, this closing act performer, should also make a dazzling appearance, right?"