Chapter 39: This High-Stakes Game!

This is a high-stakes game!

Bed, desk, chairs, floor-to-ceiling windows, balcony.

A warm breeze crossed the window frame and leapt into the room, curiously inspecting every corner, brushing the curtains, tugging at hair, warmly intoxicating.

The strands of hair tickled Cheng Shi, making him suddenly open his eyes—he found himself lying on a soft bed.

This is...

A hotel room?

He sat up in surprise, glancing around—the room was spacious, but empty inside.

Just him!

Cheng Shi’s heart skipped a beat; he frowned slightly.

This was the first time in any trial he’d woken up without seeing anyone.

As always, any change meant new risk.

Cheng Shi didn’t dare slack off—he quickly got out of bed and carefully inspected every inch of the room.

Only when he confirmed there were no arrays or traps did he exhale softly.

During his inspection, he thought he heard faint movement from the next room.

Could it be... everyone gets their own room this time?

Thinking this, Cheng Shi quietly climbed back onto the bed and pressed his hand against the wall beside it.

But the moment he pressed his ear to the wall, listening for what was on the other side, he heard a faint, almost imperceptible breathing sound.

!!!

Right now, on the other side of the wall, someone else was eavesdropping on his room!

Cheng Shi’s pupils shrank sharply!

Though startled, he felt no fear.

Because he knew—if he were the one eavesdropping, he’d hold his breath completely, not letting out a single sound.

Since the other side had made a slight noise, it wasn’t eavesdropping—it was a probe.

The person next door is almost certainly another player.

And a clever, scheming one at that.

The best way to deal with someone like that? Go straight for the jugular.

Cheng Shi mentally simulated a single exchange with the empty space beyond the wall, then pressed his lips to the wall and whispered softly:

“Imperial Jade Wine?”

The breathing next door instantly halted.

But instead of the response he expected, there came a loud “Bang!”—a sharp dagger pierced through the wooden wall and thrust itself before Cheng Shi’s eyes.

The gleaming blade hovered just 0.1 cm from his Adam’s apple.

Precise control, perfect distance, astonishing burst power!

Cheng Shi didn’t dare swallow his saliva, afraid even a twitch of his throat might scrape off a hair.

But he didn’t move either—he sensed no kill intent from the other side.

The other side truly had no kill intent.

It was just a greeting.

The dagger turned slightly, its flat side tapping Cheng Shi’s neck, then slowly withdrew.

The next instant, through the small hole the dagger had made, a delicate, boneless white hand squeezed through, fingers spread open.

Fingers like white scallions, tips like tender bamboo shoots, crimson nails like painted lips.

Nice manicure!

Cheng Shi smiled and gripped the cold little hand firmly.

“Pleasure to meet you.”

He spoke the words, but his eyes never left the narrow slit in the wall.

Calling it a “hole” was an exaggeration—it was barely a crack.

The dagger was slender; the gap it left was less than 2 cm tall, and the width? Nearly nonexistent.

Yet through this nearly invisible slit, a normal adult’s arm had slipped through as if flattened into two dimensions, then expanded into a soft, pale hand.

Expert.

That was Cheng Shi’s first impression of the person next door.

After these two exchanges, the other side finally responded.

“Pleasure.”

Definitely a woman.

But her voice was nothing like what he’d imagined.

Not the clear, sweet tone of a neighborhood girl—instead, low and husky, a classic smoky contralto.

This...

Sister, your voice and image are seriously out of sync.

Cheng Shi wasn’t some pervert—he let go of her hand immediately and smiled:

“You can sense my position precisely?”

The other side fell silent for a long moment, then gave a soft “Mm.”

“Alright, everyone’s got secrets, right? So what now?”

No sooner had he spoken than a knock came at his door.

Not just his—knocking echoed from the next room too.

Both doors knocked at once?

Cheng Shi frowned but stayed quiet; the girl next door simply shouted:

“Get lost!”

The knocking paused for a moment, then a snort of laughter came through.

“Come out—you two are the last ones.”

?

Players?

It didn’t sound like a lie.

But to keep a backup plan, Cheng Shi tapped the wooden wall and whispered to the next room:

“I’ll open the door first. Don’t move.”

She spoke first last time—he acted first this time.

That’s the most basic cooperation and discipline in a trial.

When it came to seeking cooperation, Cheng Shi never played dirty.

But the dagger girl next door ignored him entirely—she jumped off the bed and ran straight to open the door.

Cheng Shi sighed helplessly and got up to open his own door.

Pushing open the door, three men with striking presence stood in the hallway.

Their aura was hard to describe precisely, but one look told you they were warriors forged in battle.

Unlike ordinary soldiers’ grit, their eyes carried an unshakable air of superiority.

Cheng Shi glanced at them once—he knew he was definitely safe playing the fool here!

All experts!

Two of them had clearly changed into the hotel’s provided clothes—Cheng Shi had noticed them on the table during his inspection, but out of caution, he hadn’t changed.

Now it seemed these two players were really into character.

The man closest to Cheng Shi, seeing him open the door, wrinkled his nose and sniffed, slightly disdainful:

“Pointless caution.”

?

Was he being judged?

Cheng Shi shook his head and smiled, saying nothing.

The girl next door stepped out too—Cheng Shi looked at her and remembered nothing except the bold, flamboyant tattoo on her arm.

Tight cropped top, tactical cargo pants, dagger tucked at her waist.

Clearly an assassin.

The man standing in the middle of the hallway, seeing both had emerged, glanced over the railing down to the floor below, then smiled:

“A fresh challenge—but still rigid faith, isn’t it?

Let me introduce myself: Fang Jue, Lawbringer, 2437.”

!

Lawbringer—the Singer of [Order]!

Cheng Shi had just witnessed the death of a Lawbringer NPC in his last trial—now here was a real one.

More importantly, this guy had 2437 points!

What a beast!

In this game, high-stakes play is completely different from low-stakes play.

It’s said that players above 2400 points immediately introduce themselves upon meeting, completely ignoring ideological opposition—completely different from how the “weaklings” under 1000 points play the game.

This is probably what the legend means: all fear stems from lack of confidence in one’s own strength.

At this rank, no one believes they can be easily killed by an enemy.

They all have sufficient confidence.

This confidence may come from experience, or from caution, but mostly from the blessings of their respective patrons.

They already possess enough and strong enough talents to support their thoughts and actions.

And most importantly, players at 2400 points gain one additional blank talent slot compared to those at 2000 points.

At the start of the [Faith Game], everyone receives one initial Faith Talent and one initial Career Talent.

Upon reaching 1200, 1600, 2000, and 2400 points on the Path to Divinity, each player gains an additional blank talent slot.

This blank slot can be replaced with either a Career Talent or a Faith Talent.

And talents, without doubt, are the players’ greatest reliance in this insane game.

This Lawbringer was one of the two players who changed clothes—he wore a commoner’s outfit from Hope Continent, yet the “noble” aura on him could not be hidden at all.

More than a Lawbringer, he now resembled a wandering bard.

Fang Jue, [Order], Singer, 2437

Aside from Cheng Shi, the others didn’t seem surprised by the Lawbringer’s score; the man beside him who had knocked on the neighboring door adjusted his glasses and smiled too:

“I love all forms of support, especially Lawbringers. Du Qiyu, Memory Traveler, 2502.”

Wait!

How much?