The moment the words left his mouth, the black-robed figure froze.
Then the terrifying pressure and fear rapidly receded like a falling tide.
The red flame in the oil lamp floating behind Lin Qian, which had dimmed before, flared up with a roar, shooting high into the air.
"Hiss!!!"
The sudden red glare seemed to hurt the black-robed figure. It let out a chilling hiss and hurriedly retreated to its place.
Lin Qian's card lay faceup on the table. It was a one, the lowest number.
He stared at the figure, panting heavily, but the bone-deep chill was gone.
The red flame crackled fiercely behind him, warming his stiff body.
With a soft slap, a tentacle turned over the card in front of the figure.
It was a one as well...
At the sight, Lin Qian's tense expression relaxed. All the strength seemed to drain from him, and he wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the floor.
"Hee hee hee~"
A long while passed before the black-robed figure laughed again, though its earlier smugness was gone.
Seven cards rose into the air, then turned into black mist and dispersed.
Lin Qian glanced at them. Every one was a one.
"Good... Very good..."
Muttering to itself, the black-robed figure slowly stood. The hem of its robe rippled as though it were searching for something inside its body.
"You won this wager. As agreed, you may choose one item from my collection to take with you."
Lin Qian was surprised. The game had been a sham, but the stakes were real?
He couldn't help wondering: if he had admitted defeat, would he really have lost only an eye?
"One wrong step and I'd have been doomed..."
Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Lin Qian looked hesitantly at the items the black-robed figure had brought out.
"Not a single honest word comes out of this bastard's mouth. Are these things really safe?"
As though it could read his thoughts, the figure flicked a tentacle impatiently.
"Hurry up and pick one. What are you dithering for?!"
Lin Qian quickly stepped forward and began examining the items in earnest.
Of course, he wasn't reassured by the figure's words, but by the system notification that had appeared in his mind.
[Ding! Task completed: Fiend's Wager: Courage. Please select your task reward.]
"Thump-thump~"
"Thump-thump~"
Lin Qian's gaze was drawn to the bizarre heart beating in the center of the round table. He reached out and touched it lightly, and information immediately appeared before his eyes.
[Wolf Demon's Heart: Upon successful transplantation, gain the Trait—Rapid Regeneration.]
He then looked at the irregular, walnut-sized crystal glowing purple on the left and gently tapped it with a fingernail.
[Armor Core: Upon consumption, gain the ability—Armor Transformation.]
On the right was a translucent card about the size of his palm.
[Warden Identity Card: Upon use, gain the identity—Warden.]
Lin Qian's breath caught when he saw the description.
"Warden?"
If he remembered correctly, he had seen that word in the Survival Guide at the very beginning.
"After lights-out, Wardens will patrol outside..."
After a long moment of thought, Lin Qian made his choice.
"This one!"
[Ding! Obtained special item—Warden Identity Card.]
To be honest, the Wolf Demon's Heart was enormously tempting. Just seeing the words "Rapid Regeneration" brought all sorts of movie scenes to mind.
But the condition of a successful transplant had put him off. He had no idea whether there was even anywhere he could get the thing transplanted, and even if there was, it sounded like an operation, with a chance of failure.
The Armor Core, on the other hand, clearly stated how to use it: he only had to swallow it.
But there was far too little information. Who knew whether Armor Transformation had any prerequisites? Its effects were a complete mystery, too.
By comparison, Lin Qian knew the most about the Warden Identity Card.
Once he had made his choice, a tentacle swept across the table and whisked the other two items back beneath the black robe.
At the same time, the display cabinets behind him rattled, finally revealing the hidden door.
Relieved, Lin Qian put away the card, turned, and left without a trace of hesitation.
He didn't want to spend another second in this damned place. It was far too creepy.
After he had taken only a couple of steps, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Get lost, clever boy!"
Lin Qian instinctively looked back. The black-robed figure flicked a tentacle, turned, and silently headed deeper into the darkness.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but its retreating figure looked a little lonely.
For some inexplicable reason, he stopped and asked, "Can I come back here again?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Qian regretted them. He wanted to slap himself across the face.
Sure enough, the figure suddenly stopped and turned around with an eerie, mechanical pivot.
"You... would come back?"
Lin Qian hurriedly waved his hands, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"No, no..."
Before he could finish, the figure's laughter interrupted him.
"Hee hee hee~"
"You really are special. Many have passed the test of courage, but you're the only one who dared to ask me that..."
It seemed to realize it had interrupted him and added, "What were you about to say? No what?"
Lin Qian's expression turned solemn, and he puffed out his chest as though a Young Pioneer's red scarf were fluttering in the wind around his neck. "No doubt about it!!"
"Excellent!"
"I acknowledge your courage!"
A hint of delight entered the figure's voice. It slithered over to Lin Qian, rummaged with a tentacle, and held a translucent card out to him.
"If you miss me, just come over. Don't be shy~"
Lin Qian accepted the card with a stiff expression. The next instant, its description appeared before his eyes.
[Fiend's Wager Teleportation Card: Upon use, immediately teleports the target to the Fiend's Wager room.]
"Huh?"
Lin Qian raised an eyebrow, instantly realizing that the card might be more useful than it seemed.
"Teleports the target here... Does that mean if I run into an enemy I can't handle, I can...?"
"Besides that, if I'm in danger, I can teleport here and take shelter."
"Even if I don't know what the next wager will be, at least it buys me some time before I die!"
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and his eyes lit up.
"What a treasure! An absolute treasure!"
When he looked at the "Fiend" again, he even felt a trace of affection.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He carefully chose his words and said, "Um... I was wondering... what will the next wager be?"
After asking, he held his thumb and forefinger a tiny distance apart.
"Just a little... A little hint will do. You know, I'm easily scared..."
Silence.
Even the air seemed to grow still.
After a long while, the black-robed figure spoke.
"I cannot reveal the contents of a wager to anyone."
Its voice was cold, as though it were angry, and it slowly turned away.
Lin Qian couldn't help sighing. He had been too naive. He turned to leave.
Then he sensed that something wasn't quite right.
He looked back at the figure, lost in thought.
It was creeping along as slowly as a snail. In all that time, it had slithered no more than half a step.
"Is it hinting at the rules of the next wager?"
Lin Qian's eyes lit up, and his heart began to race.
Suddenly, a red light flashed—not from the oil lamp, but from the watch on his wrist.
Less than five minutes remained on the countdown. Lights-out was almost here.
"That soon?"
Lin Qian was surprised. Although every second of the wager had felt like an eternity, it shouldn't actually have taken that long.
He had better get back to his room first.
"I get it. Thanks!"
He turned and hurried toward the door, making sure to thank the figure for the hint.
He twisted the handle and pulled hard. The dazzling light briefly blinded him.
When he looked back into the room, he saw nothing but darkness. The oil lamp's red flame had vanished too.
It made Lin Qian wonder whether what he had experienced had really happened.
"Whatever. I'd better get back!"
The door slammed shut.
In the darkness, a long silence passed before the sound of writhing tentacles finally returned, gradually fading into the distance.