Eldritch Horror Theatre

Hunting down the one with the heaviest sin?

The hall was unusually quiet. Fu Qian furrowed his brow.

Though he wasn’t sure how strong the Sin Seeker was, it likely wouldn’t be easy to deal with.

Its existence would obviously prevent anyone from snowballing too easily.

According to the introduction just now, the more The Prisoners killed, the heavier the Sin Fire on their bodies would become.

As long as they could endure the pain and chose not to purify it, they could easily enter a state where the strong only got stronger, turning the situation into a one-sided slaughter that would quickly grow boring.

But with the presence of the Sin Seeker, accumulating an advantage wouldn’t be so easy.

Anyone who went on a killing spree would face dual pressure from both the other participants and the Sin Seeker.

Under these circumstances, the variables in this slaughter game had undoubtedly increased.

There was another point. When William explained the rules earlier, most people had remained completely unfazed, clearly familiar with how things worked.Yet the introduction had made it very clear: only one person could survive this slaughter game each time.

It can’t be that there are this many repeat offenders, can it?

And he mentioned ”other audience members”?

Fu Qian glanced around, almost as if he could see countless hidden cameras.

A live broadcast of a real-life battle royale?

Fu Qian considered the possibility.

Even if I don’t know how they pulled it off, I have to admit these people really know how to play!

Sure enough, in a place with no regulations, human creativity is infinite.

Still, it was understandable.

As a disguised method of executing villains, it would lose its meaning entirely if it couldn’t be broadcast to the public.

This wasn’t good news. As everyone knew, spectators were players too.

Watch enough matches, and you inevitably grow familiar with the content.

In comparison, he was completely in the dark.

This didn’t just mean more danger; it was highly likely to bring him unnecessary trouble.

As Fu Qian thought, he casually wiped a hand over his face, making a few slight adjustments to his features.

If there really were a large audience, considering his multitude of identities, it would be better to keep a slightly lower profile.

His slightly adjusted appearance still looked similar at first glance, but his overall aura had undergone a massive change.

”I completely understand how all of you are feeling right now. Watching your life enter a countdown is not a very pleasant experience.”

On the stage, Sir William let out a string of emotionless chuckles.

”But please believe me, nothing is more beautiful than hope, no matter how slim the chances.”

”Do you know what the best part is? Three days from now, someone will definitely manage to seize this fleeting hope. That is always something to look forward to.”

”Alright. The rules have been read, and dinner has concluded.”

He looked down at his Wristwatch.

”In five minutes, the Goddess of Sins’ blessing will arrive. You may use this time to leave.”

”Hide yourselves, set traps, explore the unknown—do whatever you please. Danger and rewards coexist within the Ruins.”

”Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t leave...”

”Good luck, you villains!”

After his final farewell, he bowed to The Prisoners in the hall, stepped off the stage, and quickly left through a side passage with his entourage.

Almost the moment his back disappeared, the people around the round table made their move.

In less than ten seconds, more than half the people in the hall vanished in a rush.

They really know what they’re doing!

Fu Qian, who remained seated, nodded as he observed them.

With a full three days, this game was going to be very long.

Hiding and waiting for the right moment to strike was a highly logical strategy.

Not to mention the threat of the Sin Seeker.

The meaning behind William’s earlier words was simple: they didn’t have to leave, but this place was by no means a safe zone, and not everyone here had a clear head.

Fu Qian scanned his surroundings. About a quarter of the people in the hall had yet to move.

The remaining Prisoners kept an eye on the directions the early movers had taken while simultaneously sizing each other up to evaluate the threats.

Soon enough, Fu Qian became the focal point for quite a few gazes.

On one hand, it was because he was looking around blankly, looking every bit the clueless newcomer.

On the other hand, even though many hadn’t left, he was the only one in the entire hall who was still sitting.

He stood out entirely too much.

Many looked at him the way wolves look at fresh meat.

”This one’s mine.”

In less than half a minute, a man strode forward with a sinister grin.

It was a muscular man with brown hair. Though not tall, his build was exaggeratedly stout, almost as wide as he was tall, with three parallel vertical scars beneath his left eye.

”A friendly piece of advice: don’t run around. Just enjoy your last few minutes,” the muscular man said to Fu Qian, coming to a stop a short distance away and crossing his arms.

After speaking, without waiting for Fu Qian’s response, he looked around, his gaze turning instantly chilling.

Damn it! This guy beat us to it!

Several people immediately looked away in resentment.

So they really did take me for the easiest target, huh?

Fu Qian sighed and extended his arm straight out.

Under the muscular man’s bewildered gaze, he aimed right between the man’s eyebrows.

It was obvious this guy had quite a reputation and wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Bang!

The next moment, as if a grenade had gone off inside a watermelon, the muscular man’s massive head blew apart. Red fluids exploded into a bloody mist, splattering in all directions.

All sounds fell silent.

The hall, which had been slightly restless just a moment ago, instantly quieted down.

Everyone’s gaze locked onto the space between Fu Qian and the muscular man. Even the people nearby, who had been splattered across their faces and bodies, momentarily forgot to wipe the blood away.

Thud!

It wasn’t until the muscular man’s headless corpse collapsed onto its back that heavy gasps finally echoed through the room.

Just as I thought!

Fu Qian withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened.

Even though he had killed someone, the rumored Fire of Sin did not appear on his body, nor did he feel any pain.

Just as he suspected, only under the Goddess’ blessing would killing bring about sin.

That’s probably why this guy wanted to wait a few minutes before making his move, right?

After all, killing an opponent right now offered no benefits whatsoever. Doing so to a free kill like him was simply recklessly wasting heaven’s gifts.

Glancing at the corpse on the ground, Fu Qian calmly looked away and remained seated, unmoving.

This guy...

For a moment, everyone who witnessed this scene felt their hearts pound with terror.

Quite a few of them were acquainted with the man on the ground. Though brutal and cruel, as a lone wolf and a fierce killer, his strength was undeniable.

Yet an existence like that had been instantly killed in a single strike.

While carelessness had played a part, the man sitting there was definitely at least a Mid-Tier Transcendent. He had clearly just been playing the pig to eat the tiger.

There was another point. Playing the pig to eat the tiger wasn’t strange, but what was the point of killing him right now?

Not only was there no reward, but he had even lost an indirect bodyguard who could have helped eliminate danger.

Sure enough, appearances can’t be trusted. Are the ones who look the most gentle actually the most cruel and insane on the inside?