Volume Two, The Devil's Game Chapter Thirty-Eight: Making Enemies and Saving Someone in Passing

The water bubble expanded and contracted with Peng Kai’s every breath, gradually inching closer to his nose, while he remained deeply trapped in the guardian’s illusion.

Once again, the bubble swelled, this time engulfing Peng Kai’s nose. Suddenly, it expanded explosively, and the sky seemed to shift, signaling that a notification was about to appear.

At that moment, a right hand reached out, grabbing Peng Kai by the hair and pulling him upward slightly, while the other hand held a Talisman of Release, which emitted a faint glow as it approached the water bubble.

As the faint light emanated, the bubble immediately calmed, though it still showed signs of potential expansion. However, the glow from the talisman was noticeably weaker than when Lu Yi had freed Yuchan.

“What’s going on?” the man murmured, “Could it be because this person is in a special state?”

Speaking thus, he released his grip on Peng Kai’s hair and then slapped him hard with the back of his hand, the sharp smack echoing through the room.

Clearly, the guardian paid little attention to the underperforming Peng Kai, as the man’s slap was enough to provoke a reaction.

Peng Kai blinked and opened his eyes to see a person standing before him—yes, a person, not the eerie guardian. Before he could fully process this, another, louder slap rang out, and Peng Kai felt his face swell with pain.

“Are you crazy? I’m already awake, and you still hit me that hard!” Peng Kai glared fiercely, eyes blazing with anger.

The man, dressed neatly and wearing stylish sunglasses, showed no concern for Peng Kai’s words. After delivering two slaps, he casually shoved his hands back into his pockets. This was Lu Yi.

After the three of them banded together, they had expected the guardian to arrive shortly. But despite their preparations, the guardian delayed. Left with no choice, Lu Yi resorted to his old tactic: going out to draw the guardian’s attention.

The flashy sunglasses Lu Yi wore weren’t mere decoration—they were a tool from the training world, allowing him to see the outline of trainees through certain obstacles. Because of these glasses, Lu Yi was able to rush into the house and stabilize the situation temporarily.

A twitch appeared at the corner of Lu Yi’s mouth as he thought, “What a waste... I didn’t expect this prankster combo bracelet to come with a phantom combo attack right from the start.”

Indeed, the second slap wasn’t actually delivered by Lu Yi but was an additional attack caused by the phantom combo effect. Being a close-range slap, its force was increased by thirty percent.

The effect was undeniable; Peng Kai yelped in pain and instantly flew into a rage.

Yet Lu Yi was far from satisfied. Inwardly, he grumbled, “If I’d known the equipment granted an extra hit, I wouldn’t have used my hand. I could’ve taken off my shoe or found something else just to save that hit. How on earth am I supposed to save up five energy attacks?”

Despite his thoughts, Lu Yi maintained a calm tone, unaffected by Peng Kai’s words or the earlier events. “Are you looking to die? Then I’ll go all out.”

Peng Kai glanced around, then forced a flattering smile. “Big brother, save me. That slap was perfect—not only did it snap me out of it, but it also sparked a flash of insight in my mind, clearing up many confusing questions. It felt like being reborn.”

What a joke! Peng Kai had been trapped twice; who knew if the timer counted each instance separately or the total time? If it was the total trapped time, he’d be dead by now. So, reputation meant nothing—life was all that mattered.

Lu Yi was stunned by Peng Kai’s exaggerated expression. Just imagine a man with a swollen face forcing a smile and saying something like that.

“Big brother, big brother, don’t stay silent—save me, save me!” Peng Kai struggled violently inside the water bubble.

“Alright, I get it,” Lu Yi waved his hand impatiently. Even if Peng Kai hadn’t apologized, Lu Yi would have saved him anyway—more people meant more strength, and if things went south, he could always shift the guardian’s attention.

“Sweetheart Yiyi: One slap sounds like two. Streamer, how do you do that?”

“I’m a Husky: I can do one slap with two sounds too, but not without force. Streamer, let’s swap secrets; then we can make three sounds with one slap.”

“Phoenix: This guy is shameless, giving me goosebumps. Streamer, slap him a few more times.”

As the chat buzzed, the glow on the talisman brightened, and with a brilliant flash, the water bubble surrounding Peng Kai vanished.

“Ouch!” Peng Kai tumbled to the ground. “Thanks, big brother, thanks.”

Using his sunglasses, Lu Yi surveyed the surroundings and found no one else nearby.

Cautiously, Peng Kai crept close to Lu Yi. “Big brother, can we make a deal?”

“Hm?” Lu Yi gestured for him to speak while heading out.

Peng Kai put on a sly face. “I bet you got reward points for saving me. Look how long I was trapped by the guardian. Have some pity and give me half your reward points.”

Lu Yi’s steps faltered momentarily, then he said nothing and kept walking.

“Big brother, come on, let’s negotiate. If not half, then a third, no, a quarter will do. This is my second time being caught; have some mercy on me.” Peng Kai persisted relentlessly.

“Sweetheart Yiyi: So shameless. What good is saving him?”

“Phoenix: Yeah, just looking at him annoys me. Let him die in the bubble.”

The audience in the livestream had no idea what reward points were, but they knew about rewards—someone being saved and then shamelessly asking for a reward? Ridiculous.

“Rewards are settled at the end. I don’t even know how much you’re worth,” Lu Yi said, annoyed by Peng Kai’s nagging.

“How could that be?” Peng Kai, who contributed nothing, was surprised to hear this. “Then big brother...”

“Shut up,” Lu Yi interrupted, flashing a small knife before Peng Kai’s eyes.

Seeing Peng Kai wisely quiet down, Lu Yi asked, “Are you alone?”

“No, there’s Guo Fu, my big brother Wang Xun, and the Zhufeng squad,” Peng Kai said proudly, as if to boast that his big brother was a trainee with awakened talents.

“Oh? Which way did you come from?” Lu Yi’s interest piqued. The guardian hadn’t gone after him but must have pursued others.

Following Peng Kai’s direction, Lu Yi found Guo Fu also trapped in a water bubble, but unlike Peng Kai, Guo Fu was fully conscious.

Seeing Guo Fu enclosed in the bubble, Lu Yi thought, This bubble clearly hasn’t reached the critical time point, meaning Guo Fu was captured much later than Peng Kai. Could the guardian still be nearby?

With this in mind, Lu Yi tossed a Talisman of Release to Peng Kai, nodding toward him. “You don’t believe me? Then you save this guy.”

Peng Kai’s eyes lit up. “Big brother, are you serious?” As he spoke, he already pressed the talisman against the bubble, which soon emitted a faint glow.

Lu Yi rolled his eyes and looked around.

“Sweetheart Yiyi: Ah, streamer, why would you leave this to him?”

“Black Phosphorus Sauce: Exactly, why help someone like him?”

Lu Yi smiled faintly. Helping Peng Kai was out of the question. He did it because he judged Peng Kai to be useless in a fight—he’d panic when confronted by the guardian.

If Lu Yi used the talisman himself, the guardian might ambush him. Counting on Peng Kai was a pipe dream, so Lu Yi chose safety over potential gain.

At that moment, a large cloud drifted across the sky, and heavy rain poured down briefly. Peng Kai cursed loudly, but the rain vanished as quickly as it came while he babbled on.

“All right,” Peng Kai’s face brightened, then fell again, “No rewards after all.”

Lu Yi looked on helplessly. Turning his head, he noticed a droplet-laden weed sway slightly. His expression changed instantly, and he leapt backward.

Landing, Lu Yi grabbed a handful of dirt and hurled it toward the direction. The dirt slowed abruptly, descending slowly.

“Ah!” Peng Kai and Guo Fu screamed, dashing behind Lu Yi.

“Oh? How did you find me?” The ground twisted suddenly, and the guardian appeared.

“Nothing, just a coincidence,” Lu Yi said casually.

“Coincidence? Not bad. I just sent those five running with their heads down, and now I run into you here—it’s quite the coincidence,” the guardian nodded.

Lu Yi shook his head slightly, then smiled brightly. “Finding you is coincidence, but I came here on purpose.”

“Oh?” The guardian’s voice carried slight surprise. “You want to have a go?”

“A go?” Lu Yi was puzzled.

“The five just now wanted to test my skills but were no match,” the guardian said, shaking his head. Then, looking at Lu Yi, “Can you handle it alone? Wait, what’s that scent on you?”

A trace of delight crossed the guardian’s face. “Ah, so you’re the strongest prey. My apologies.”

The guardian bowed slightly to Lu Yi. “Those two weaklings beside you aren’t your friends, I suppose.”

Strongest prey? Lu Yi froze, then his expression darkened. Could sealing or killing a guardian be detected by others later? That was bad news.

The guardian straightened and continued, “Regardless, let me deal with those two first, then we’ll start our game.”

With a sneer, the guardian extended his right hand toward Peng Kai and Guo Fu.

“Save me! I can’t be trapped again!” Peng Kai shouted and turned to run, but his legs trembled. After a few steps, he twisted his ankle and fell hard.

“Sweetheart Yiyi: This guy is unbearable to watch.”

“Black Phosphorus Sauce: Twisted his ankle running—what’s wrong with him?”

Though Lu Yi didn’t turn back, the chat told him what happened. He sighed in resignation.

The guardian lowered his hand, mocking, “Pathetic.”

Peng Kai grimaced, clutching his ankle and nodding repeatedly. “Yeah, just treat me like garbage and let me go.”

Guo Fu didn’t flee but leaned against a tree trunk, his trembling hands gripping it tightly.

Lu Yi glanced back quickly, judging that these two were utterly terrified and essentially useless except for numbers.

Peng Kai and his group were both lucky and unlucky. Lucky to avoid pursuit by the guardian’s normal form, unlucky to face the guardian’s final five-minute berserk state during their first encounter.

They suffered the guardian’s ultimate attack, several vines piercing through, barely escaping death, then being dragged back and thrown into the purification process.

Though eventually rescued by the Zhufeng squad, the guardian’s image as an invincible executioner was deeply etched in their memories.

Take Wang Xun, who had awakened talents—he was hit by the ultimate attack and then hovered near the Zhufeng squad, too afraid to approach. Wang Ge had to intervene with a notebook to save his comrades.

Similarly, Shen Yixue, also awakened, was chased by the guardian. When the guardian unleashed the ultimate attack, she was grazed and severely shaken, unable to recover for a while.

If Lu Yi hadn’t stepped up and defeated the guardian, Shen Yixue might have been psychologically scarred.

This mission was designed to intimidate newcomers by showcasing the guardian’s strength, so trainees who knew they’d be pursued by such a powerful foe felt immense pressure. Suffering setbacks might crush their spirit.

Why wasn’t Lu Yi afraid? Because his first training was a near-death experience for all three of them, and the difficulty kept rising, culminating in a boss fight.

That experience made Lu Yi unflappable when pursued—he could afford to be reckless before hiding.

Apparently annoyed by Peng Kai’s whining, the guardian roared, “Trash, disappear! Execute them!”

Lu Yi’s face changed. “Stop!” he shouted, slapping his palm out. The prankster combo bracelet appeared, manifesting a giant purple hand instantly.

“Action!” the host at the live event exclaimed passionately. “The guardian just gained a new ability, colliding with the brightest contender. How will this clash unfold?”

Before anyone could guess, the purple hand closed in on the guardian.

The guardian froze, lowering his hand from attacking Peng Kai and Guo Fu. He looked curiously at the giant hand. “Your attack has no ripple. What do you intend with it? You’re not planning to kill me with that, are you?”

Lu Yi smiled lightly and nodded inwardly, “No ripple is the point. I’m just drawing aggro. Faster than a taunt.”

As if echoing Lu Yi’s thoughts, the purple hand made an “OK” gesture before the guardian, prompting Lu Yi to frown—it wasn’t a harsh enough taunt.

Unbeknownst to Lu Yi, his Fate Ring glowed faintly on his hand.

The guardian pointed at the purple hand. “You think this thing can make me stop?”

Feeling insulted, his tone edged with anger, but before he could speak further, the purple hand flicked its index finger, releasing a thunderous blast.

Lu Yi saw the guardian shattered by the finger’s strike, the ground scorched with a crater dozens of meters wide. A crystal-like fragment flashed in the air before breaking apart.

“Damn you, I’ll remember this,” the guardian roared in frustration.

As the guardian’s voice faded, another voice announced, “Guardian entering resurrection phase. Resurrection time: 4 minutes 59 seconds.”

Lu Yi’s expression turned odd. He intended only to draw aggro, but he had pulled it too hard—and he didn’t even plan to kill the guardian.