Chapter 3756: The Interrupted Card Game

If all thirteen seals were to be dealt with by the five Story Actors, then three should have handled three and two should have handled two. But now, aside from Stela, the Priest, and the Follower of the God of Misfortune breaking two seals, Mr. Motis and Old Man Zarathustra each only dealt with one.

For the remaining five seals, although Eliy broke four of them, Xia De at the card table actually had no clear idea of the exact number.

But regardless, his Inspiration was now warning him that the world beyond this card-table area was undergoing drastic changes. All thirteen seals had been dealt with; even if Mr. Snake didn't leap out of his seal the very next second and come knocking for a death match with Xia De, that snake was going to break free eventually.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first phase of the card game has ended. The adventurers in the story who risked everything to seize the starring role on the stage have, after a night of running about, finally on this snowy night found and shattered all thirteen seals upon the snow mountain.

Now they have each received different blessings and powers, and with the seals broken, the pitch-black great serpent — which once left its mark in the myths of the ancient era but was sealed here by the God of Fate for hundreds of thousands of years — is about to struggle free of its bindings."

Ms. Wright's tone was very calm. Xia De had expected her to feel wistful or relieved when this long mission finally reached its end, but she seemed to possess no such emotion at all:

"Next, the adventurers in the story will rush to the story's final stage, to complete the last tale in the second phase of the card game.

In this phase, each player may only draw one new hand card per round. You must use the cards remaining in your hand to get the character each of you controls to the ruin atop the mountain — the Peak of Fate — and seek out the 'Upper Spring' hidden within the ruin.

The character and player who first reach the spring's location win. And during the second phase of the card game, the sealed great serpent will, on specific rounds, release its power to interfere. You must complete the second act within those specific rounds, or the card game fails.

The maximum number of rounds in the second phase — that is, the time remaining before the sealed Pantanal Pantanal Xiewu returns to the material world — is......"

She picked up the ordinary die she had been using, intending to cast it, but with the die in her hand, Ms. Wright went utterly still.

The players knew perfectly well why she had stopped. Amid the ear-splitting scrape of chairs being shoved back and chair legs sliding across the floor, all five of them leapt to their feet at once. Xia De pulled Lady Reinhart and Ms. Erfurt behind him, while Prince Samuel Anjou and Baron Gerald Rogers forced themselves to stay composed through their terror.

In the dim light of the tavern that served as backdrop, a hand seemed to tear through the curtain of the stage scenery and press directly onto Ms. Wright's shoulder. Then that pale face — with serpent pupils but no nose — emerged from the blurred tavern scene and appeared behind Ms. Wright.

Even if the others didn't know Mr. Snake, the creature's bizarre appearance alone was enough to tell them it was absolutely not human; even the most talentless ordinary person could sense the strange power emanating from this being, as though it meant to swallow the entire world.

"The Seventh Act has not officially ended — this isn't the true body!"

Although it wasn't the true body, the psychic influence it brought with it upon appearing had already nearly caused the two ladies behind Xia De to faint — and this was with Ms. Wright's power continuously shielding everyone.

At this moment, the only one still seated at the card table, Ms. Wright, did not turn around:

"Snake, the story of the Seventh Act has not yet ended. According to the program Mr. Ring left behind, even if you are only an avatar, you should not leave the ruin area atop the mountain and come here."

"But isn't it precisely an unpredictable stage of fate that that gentleman wished to see?"

The snake standing in the darkness asked:

"Besides, if everything truly proceeded according to that gentleman's arrangement, how could a sixth Actor possibly appear at tonight's card table? She hasn't even manifested her fate upon the serpent's shed skin."

Ms. Wright's reply remained very calm:

"Regardless, you should not be here at this moment."

The snake behind her laughed, neither releasing the hand resting on Ms. Wright's shoulder nor making any further move. And Xia De noticed that black, ink-like scars had already appeared on Ms. Wright's white robe.

After a brief silence:

"I'm very sorry, but I think this card game can only proceed as far as here."

Ms. Wright said to the five people standing together:

"What happens next is no concern of yours...... The card game is over. According to the number of seals broken and the order in which the final five Actors reach the Upper Spring, each of your wishes will be granted to varying degrees. Turn around and leave this place; you will return to where you ought to be."

Within the tavern scenery that had existed only as backdrop, the narrow path connecting the card table to the tavern's front door, and that door itself, became real.

Those who knew the supernatural understood that even staying behind would accomplish nothing further, so all five turned and ran along that path toward the tavern's door.

"Ladies first."

Xia De said, letting Lady Reinhart and Ms. Erfurt pass through the tavern door first. They did not return to the docks; Ms. Wright sent them somewhere safer. Then Baron Gerald Rogers and Prince Samuel Anjou likewise departed through the door in turn. But when it came to Xia De's turn, the tavern door before him once again became illusory, like part of the backdrop.

The snake's power had transformed the scene from reality into part of the backdrop. Xia De was not at all surprised; he had stayed behind precisely to prevent the others from being implicated and unable to leave.

Looking back now at the card table they had come from, Ms. Wright seated at the table and the snake in the darkness behind her were both waiting for him to return.

As long as the candidates had not reached the Upper Spring, the Seventh Act was not over, and the snake absolutely could not unleash its full power. So Xia De was not particularly worried about the situation.

Even if it had disrupted the card game, that merely meant the five candidates had lost the players' support and become like Eliy — who was probably shivering with cold somewhere right now — having to rely entirely on themselves to complete the rest of the journey.

Therefore, after heaving a sigh, Xia De returned to the card table beneath the lights, pulled out the chair opposite Ms. Wright, and sat down.

The tabletop still held wine glasses and dishes, and the playing cards that had been dealt earlier were scattered about the table. But Xia De paid no heed to these; he looked at the figure behind Ms. Wright:

"Want to start a fight with me right here?"

Xia De had no doubt whatsoever that Mr. Snake knew his true identity.

"Of course not. Although I can break through certain rules and forcibly intervene in the Seventh Act's story, as long as the final act has not yet begun, I cannot use too much power.

Summoner, even I cannot help but praise you. What you've done all along has truly been excellent. Even now, in this era when the ninth Chosen One is about to be selected, the world's rules remain so clear and complete. I have imagined countless times what the world would look like when the story finally took place on this island, and the current situation is the worst possible environment for me that I could have foreseen.

So, I have now broken into the Seventh Act, wanting to make a deal with you."

The serpent pupils fixed on Xia De's eyes, and Xia De asked:

"What deal?"

"It is now 11:45 PM on Friday night. Before 1:00 AM early Saturday morning, you may not, in any manner or in any sense, leave this tavern. Of course, you also absolutely may not forcibly alter or transfer the tavern's current location."

"What's in it for me?"

"In exchange, before 1:00 AM early Saturday morning, I will not personally kill any life that enters the Peak of Fate ruin atop the mountain, and neither party may violate this agreement through loopholes in wording.

You needn't worry I won't keep the agreement — after all, killing people you know won't benefit me; it would only make you angry. The agreement is meant to constrain you, but it benefits you too. At least before 1:00 AM, you don't have to worry about losing anyone, do you?"

Xia De looked at Ms. Wright, and she explained:

"The snake wants to stop you from using the Seventh Act as a chance to approach the Upper Spring. Although the card game has been suspended, the Seventh Act continues until the candidates reach the Upper Spring. So if you had just now voluntarily abandoned the card game to head for the mountaintop, or if you leave here now to seek out the candidates, there's a high probability you could still reach the hidden Upper Spring.

It doesn't want you to obtain a new Ring of Fate. Once the Seventh Act ends, the power it possesses will be enough to conceal or destroy that spring once more. It fears you gaining new power."

The snake did not dispute this assessment:

"Summoner — Xia De Hamilton — if you agree to this agreement, I will even let this Ms. Wright leave here safely. This is quite a good deal, isn't it?"

But Xia De said:

"May I take it that your shedding plan isn't complete yet, and that what you really want is to stall for time?"

The snake laughed softly. Unlike the hoarse, rough laughter of that demon, its laughter had an offensively slick, oily quality:

"Yes, I am shedding, completing the transformation of my own identity. And during this period, I don't wish to be disturbed by you. So we each put up stakes: I stay on the mountaintop, guaranteeing the safety of your friends; you stay at the foot of the mountain, not disturbing what I am doing. We each wait for the arrival of 1:00 AM Saturday. This is very fair."

In Xia De's view, things generally called "very fair" were absolutely not fair.

With a soft laugh, after closing and opening his eyes, Xia De's figure appeared behind Ms. Wright. He gave his answer with action.

This was the first time he had seen Mr. Snake so closely—the pale-skinned man was, in Xia De's eyes, clearly a snake dressed in human clothing.

The purple halo and the white halo on the back of his right hand had both ignited, and the moonlight slash he now struck with his right hand was thus dyed with a hue utterly unlike any before.

But the moonlight passed through Mr. Snake's body as if through a phantom:

"Summoner, I have long awaited our clash. Even if this is not yet the final battle, since you reject my fair offer, then come!"