Then she died… But love, whether reciprocated or not, is a personal emotion. At least Su Yao didn’t sympathize. She had sacrificed her youth for love, spending her best years in front of a cold computer screen instead of dating. Only someone who has stood shoulder to shoulder with another can discuss love, she thought, and even if she didn’t get what she wanted, she never regretted it… Love was never something one could force, and if it’s not there, it’s not there. Why should Luo Zishang, an outsider, interfere? She had just reunited with Qin Chuan, her Grim Reaper, after six years, and now, when they could finally be happy, why did Luo Zishang have to come out with all this? The series of bold, alarming question marks and exclamation points ignited a nameless fire in Su Yao. She launched into her skills, combos, and ultimate moves, her December Fire Whip Chain whipping through the air with fierce winds and flames. She aimed her most ferocious attacks at Luo Zishang, wanting to silence him. What dead ex-girlfriend? No!
She just wanted to love Qin Chuan, love her Grim Reaper, and she didn’t want to know anything about the past!
This time, Luo Zishang took the challenge. He was still dashing in his white attire, his fan blade flashing with brilliance, calm and composed. On the other hand, Hong Yaotang was making mistake after mistake, growing anxious and angry, her fingers fumbling over the keyboard, causing her health to drop significantly in just a few hits from Luo Zishang’s fan blade. All the tactics, combo moves, positioning judgments, and thieving strategies that she used to handle as naturally as eating and drinking, now scattered and chaotic in her mind, turning into a tangled mess. She could only rely on her instincts to make offensive and defensive moves.
Suddenly, Su Yao remembered the God of Death standing under the spotlight six years ago, the God of Death who apologized to her, the God of Death who escaped from all the splendor, the God of Death who hid in the darkness. For all these years, according to Luo Zishang, it has been ten years—has he been living in hiding all this time? What kind of painful past would it take for him to achieve Twilight of the Gods?
Watching Hong Yaotang being pushed back by Luo Zishang, almost reduced to just a sliver of health, Qin Chuan hastily typed in a message. [Private Message] “San Tu Chuan”: Kill me! Quick! Kill me to gain health!
Seeing Hong Yaotang’s indifference, Qin Chuan sighed and executed an “Eagle Strike Sky” combo. San Tu Chuan, he once loved this alias so much, hiding behind layers of prosperity and aliases where Luo Zishang could not find him. However, he was still caught. Meeting Yao Yao again was enough for this life.
Like a meteor falling in the night, Hong Yaotang swung her Flowing Fire Chain just as the assassin’s figure approached. He charged straight into her attack range! The unleashed skill could no longer be retracted. Su Yao watched helplessly as Qin Chuan’s assassin died under her own Flowing Fire Chain. The flames on the chain swept away Luo Zishang’s blood and San Tu Chuan’s life.
Luo Zishang, health reduced by 20%.
San Tu Chuan, eliminated.
Hong Yaotang, health increased by 10%.
On the screen was his last message, [Private Message] “San Tu Chuan”: Yao Yao, cheer up, don’t lose, get the artifact, be happy. No… it wasn’t supposed to be like this…
There once was an assassin named San Tu Chuan, with black clothes and black hair, in the vast desert sands, full of courage and sharpness. There once was an assassin named San Tu Chuan, with the keyboard as his blade, each step a life, unseen by others, behind the mask, outside the Eternal Palace, Hong Yao knew for whom she lived.
After killing San Tu Chuan, her health increased by 10% due to game rules, making her once again on par with Luo Zishang. Under her relentless attacks, Luo Zishang was also in disarray. Originally, he could endure one more hit while ensuring Hong Yaotang’s health was depleted, but now, with her health increased by 10%, Luo Zishang hesitated.
Luo Zishang didn’t dare, but Su Yao did. She unleashed a torrent of Flowing Fire upon him. Su Yao bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down. She had to defeat Luo Zishang, had to kill him! Having inherited San Tu Chuan’s life, how could she let herself panic and make mistakes again?
Su Yao had never seen such a formidable Luo Zishang, and Luo Zishang had never seen such a frenzied Hong Yaotang. Five minutes later, with only 18% health left, Hong Yaotang finally cornered Luo Zishang at the edge of a cliff, with rolling lava below; he had nowhere to retreat. Before him was Hong Yaotang’s sweeping Flowing Fire Chain, which he dared not touch. Hesitating, Luo Zishang finally jumped into the lava.
Just as Su Yao breathed a sigh of relief, she saw words popping up in the chat box in the lower left corner of the screen. In this game, when a player’s character dies, they either use a scroll to return to the nearest city to revive or use an in-game currency item to revive on the spot, but during a competition, once dead, one is out. Some players, however, would continue to float there as a corpse, able only to chat but do nothing else. But for Luo Zishang, this was enough.
He died? Good, very good. Since Qin Chuan wouldn’t cooperate, he could now reveal everything. He remembered the night he talked with Qin Chuan on the rooftop. Luo Zishang pretended nothing was wrong, but in his mind, he had already devised a hundred ways to kill him. As a born strategist, this was his forte.
Now, ha, Hong Yaotang killed him, perfect. He wasn’t here for the artifact; he was here to destroy Qin Chuan. He could now type with peace, with no one to stop him.
Qin Chuan, let me expose everything you’ve hidden for ten years! You’ve been hiding like a dog for ten years, the mask that has grown on your face, now torn off. Will the blood and pain soothe the soul of Xuan Yan in heaven?
No one will forget this day, the day of the Human World Artifact Finals, broadcasted to the whole nation, even the world, watched by countless professional and amateur players. Luo Zishang, this man with a weathered young face, driven by hatred, typed words that shocked all players.
**[Local] “Luo Zishang”: To everyone watching the screen, the media reporters waiting, watch closely. The truth you’ve always wanted to know, the e-sports myth, the most mysterious God of Death, THANATOS, who won seven consecutive world championships, he is none other than the assassin San Tu Chuan you just saw—]
**[Local] “Luo Zishang”: Surprised, aren’t you? Let me slowly peel back the layers of this man for you. First, let me introduce myself. I have tracked his misdeeds for ten years. Yes, you read that right, this seemingly honorable world champion, the idol you follow and worship, you can’t imagine how dirty he really is.
Now, let me strip away his disguise.**
[Local] “Luo Zi Shang”: First, he has many more aliases. This is to escape and survive in this world with numerous pieces of evidence. The first, the most famous, Chang Sheng Dian. Didn’t expect that, did you? Players of this world, the revered city lord of the past, Chang Sheng Dian, is him!
[Local] “Luo Zi Shang”: Second, anime fans should know, the famous illustrator known for his sci-fi style, DTH, is also him!
[Local] “Luo Zi Shang”: Third, this leading domestic gaming forum with millions of registered users, and I bet most of you are in front of your screens right now? Haha, let me tell you, the elusive and enigmatic site master known as the ‘Mystery of God,’ is him!
[Local] “Luo Zi Shang”: Fourth, the Electric Fan Weekly, a game magazine with millions of readers, the well-known feature columnist, Death Mask, is still him!