[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-76":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Gods' Foolish Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2361204,4617,"Chapter 76: Life and Death on a Thread","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>Life and Death on a Thread\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current was accelerating further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the players were completely scattered, swept one after another into deeper depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before them, the blue seawater was gone—replaced by torrents of bright yellow liquid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very moment the two clearly demarcated liquids met, Cheng Shi felt an inexplicable force pressing in from all directions, rapidly corroding his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acid!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is this possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such vast volumes of seawater flooding in, how could there be acid this concentrated?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The beast’s stomach fluid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! This isn’t acid! This is the pull of the Void!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Void Tendrils Devouring Swine!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is this possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re the favored creatures of the [Void], born at the boundary between reality and the Void—how could they appear here!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could they possibly die!!??\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gao Yu’s cry, Cheng Shi’s heart jolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Void Tendrils Devouring Swine had some connection to Cheng Shi, for they were subordinate to the [Void], born at the boundary between reality and the Void—the “Reality-Void Frontier”—and existed to devour [Existence] for the [Void].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They bore two invisible tentacles atop their heads, capable of sensing where reality was weakest, then traveling through the Void to consume it, turning it into new Void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything swallowed by them would gradually vanish under the Void’s pull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for how such a thing straddling reality and Void could die...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorry, don’t forget—this is the [Annihilation] trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For beings that blur the boundary between [Existence] and [Void], perhaps life doesn’t exist—but Annihilation certainly does...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of this matters now; there’s no time to think about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi had no time to ponder—he immediately cast two healing spells on every teammate visible in his dim vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the dire situation didn’t improve because of these two spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vines on the bamboo raft began rapidly decomposing; the players’ skin started to ulcerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Void] was dissolving them into new Void—in the only way they could understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t go further! The Void’s pull is intensifying!! Everyone, break out toward the outside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian roared, his body turning crimson and blazing hot, his hands spinning wildly like propellers as he pushed himself back the way they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cui Lao, stick close to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian responded instantly, clinging to Zhao Qian—but his speed was clearly slower, not just due to lower rotation, but because he dragged a dead weight behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Yi Da!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s companion had somehow collided with Cui Dingtian and never let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi and Gao Yu were also struggling, but clearly, at this moment, mages were far less effective than warriors and hunters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with all their might, their spells couldn’t alter their being dragged deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s condition was now dire—not only had their clothes vanished, but their hair and skin were Damianji  ulcerating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Void’s pull was like a razor blade, carving its marks into them with no pattern, no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pull me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu panicked, shouted, and pulled out a piece of metal, hammering it furiously in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi was right beside him; her face unrecognizable, she gritted her teeth, grabbed him with one hand, and summoned nearby objects with the other—but these external objects corroded faster than she could cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurry! I can’t hold on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi screamed desperately; Gao Yu’s eyes turned bloodshot, his speed increasing by a third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small hammer was also vanishing under the Void’s pull, yet he kept striking, mixing blood with the metal until he forged it into a long-shafted spiral drill, jamming it hard into the beast’s inner wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The pressure’s too great—we can’t swim up! Come on! Let’s dig our way out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They evolved from the Void, unlike conventional life—their bodies are thin; there’s hope!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The underwater healing effect was about to expire; the ulcers on everyone’s bodies accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few ahead who had been pushing forward now felt overwhelming resistance and reluctantly turned back toward Gao Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi seized the chance, grabbed Gao Yu’s foot, then snatched Tao Yi—who was being swept deeper by the current—and unleashed a healing spell with all his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Gao Yu’s inefficiency, Cui Dingtian snatched the drill from him and began drilling furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian pressed close to the beast’s inner wall, trying to tear open another path with his bare hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet neither his hands nor his tools inflicted any meaningful damage on the beast’s inner wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this intense exertion made their condition deteriorate even faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Healer!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian screamed desperately, hoping Cheng Shi could give more—just enough to keep them alive until they carved through the beast’s wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cheng Shi didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his teeth, gave no healing spell—instead, he used his legs to clamp Tao Yi, freeing his right hand, ready to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Healer!!! Heal me!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“F***, I’m busy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi roared, made up his mind, and threw a punch straight at the “wall” before his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t trying to outmuscle Zhao Qian—he had a trick!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3.5S Divine Artifact:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ring of Bone Servant Lele’er!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the blood-red swirling ring on Cheng Shi’s finger touched the beast’s inner wall—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“BOOM—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderclap of apocalyptic force exploded in everyone’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning roared from his hand, instantly piercing the “thin-skinned” beast and briefly illuminating its entire cavity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by the thunder, the others saw fresh seawater gushing into the breach—elation surged; they summoned their last strength and charged toward the gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s broken!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi silently breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you, teammates, for your abundant fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you, Fear Mother Tree Lele’er—first job, saved my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the gap so close, Cheng Shi didn’t move yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he cast an underwater healing spell to stabilize everyone, then struggled to summon several mana-restoring spells and poured them all into Cui Dingtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Because he noticed that, while everyone else was nearly skeletal from ulceration, Cui Dingtian had almost no wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Void’s erosion seemed to slow on his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But precisely because of that, Cheng Shi knew he had to heal him first!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everyone’s sinking in mud, the first person you save isn’t the one about to be swallowed—it’s the one most likely to reach solid ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then can that person find a way to pull everyone else out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard those in the mud struggle, it’s nothing compared to one strong pull from the shore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian instantly felt his condition surge—he understood Cheng Shi’s intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stifled a cough, swung his right hand, and hurled a long, thin white rope beyond the bloody breach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his left hand whipped out too; with rapid flicks, another white rope shot out, binding Cheng Shi and the two others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before Cheng Shi’s grip would snap Gao Yu’s ankle and crush Tao Yi’s waist—before all three plunged deeper—their ropes were wrapped into a bundle by Cui Dingtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Qian, grab on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian shouted and surged outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian heard him, twisted his body, and kicked hard against the inner wall, using the recoil to rush toward the old man and clamped his arms around his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment his hands touched the old man’s waist...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt no skin on Cui Dingtian’s abdomen—like the Void had already pulled it all away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just moments ago, he’d clearly seen Cui Dingtian unharmed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this be!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian looked up in shock—Cui Dingtian’s entire body was now swimming forward with nothing but exposed muscle and fascia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a sliver of intact skin remained on his wrists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the other end of that skin...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared in disbelief down at the bundled trio:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white ropes binding them were right before his eyes—taut and straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even through the murky water, if you looked closely, you could see—they weren’t ropes at all, but a long, thin...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian had peeled off his entire body’s skin, winding it into cords to wrap everyone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was the extreme length of his skin or the rock-hard flesh beneath, he seemed able to resist some of the Void’s erosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold on tight! The old man’s about to push!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leather rope thrown beyond the gap seemed to find a solid anchor; the old man’s face lit up, and every muscle in his body tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With rapid muscular contraction, Cui Dingtian dragged everyone against the torrent’s crushing force, surging toward the gap’s exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the void’s pull gradually fade, the three bodies pressed together exchanged a bitter, near-death smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Can .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The excessive void pull had torn their wounds down to the bone; rotten flesh clung together, indistinguishable whose was whose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi, drained from overexertion, still forced himself to cast a healing spell on the two before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skin, muscle, and hair visibly regenerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the wounds begin to heal, Gao Yu’s tense face finally relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But contrary to this, Tao Yi’s expression turned strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed tightly against Cheng Shi’s back, slowly regaining sensation in her flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheng Shi... you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi had been under extreme mental strain, not daring to slacken for a moment; now that he finally caught his breath, his nerves relaxed instantly, and he didn’t realize what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled faintly, thinking Tao Yi was concerned about his condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m fine. I can still hold on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... never mind...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi paused, suddenly realizing Tao Yi might have been afraid of the [Birth]’s gaze. He let out a loud laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Relax. You won’t get pregnant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as he said it, he realized he’d misunderstood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the effect of Shared Divine Grace, sensation in his own back was slowly returning—a peculiar pressure came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu, bound in front of Cheng Shi, naturally knew nothing of what happened behind. He noticed both their expressions had turned odd and lifted his head nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi curled his lips, barely holding back a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was just thinking—some stars look great on TV, but in real life... words fail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t this what you’d call padding to deceive the customer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu seemed lost by Cheng Shi’s erratic train of thought—but behind him, Tao Yi’s tense mood dissolved completely because of this remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You like that star?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t follow her. Don’t know her. Can’t say I like or dislike her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then there you go—if you’re not part of the audience, why care so much?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, honestly—none of my business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was just whistling for the masses misled by the fanbase. If you’re not that star, then stop pinching me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu wasn’t stupid. When he heard these two talking nonsense, his expression turned just as strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The books were right—disaster is the catalyst for love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn kid, what the hell do you know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the three were awkwardly lightening their moods, the old man’s shout came again from ahead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watch out—we’re breaking the surface!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1818,"2026-06-21T06:05:06.137Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3e97918dad801ece092a002a8d6367b4e538f033c6e498673bbc7df901386f0e","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-77","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-75",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]