504: 8.104 Another Loophole*

8.104 Another Loophole*

Warning: a small dose of gore1

***

The ground trembled and screams rang out from all directions. Debris fell from the ceiling and the antique chandelier crashed down, breaking into thousands of pieces. The lightbulb flickered on and off, again and again, adding on to the distraught air that shrouded the hall.

Just a moment ago, this place was a beautiful and elegant hall. Yet in a blink of an eye, it had almost turned into ruins. Tables and chairs were overturned and the floor was scorched black. 

Lu Yizhou's broad stature covered Ellen from head to toe, shielding him from the stray stones and debris. It took a few seconds for Ellen to snap to his senses before he started to struggle. Even then, his ears were still ringing from the aftermath. "Lu–Lu Yizhou! Let me go! You… What do you think you're doing?!"

Of course, Lu Yizhou did not let go. First he lifted his head to check the situation. They were seated close to the door hence the damage did not affect them very much. The only thing they had to wary of was the collapsing building, which unfortunately would not happen at the moment.

However, in the middle of the hall where the source of the explosion… it was a purgatory on Earth. 

Screams of pain and despair reverberated through the air, the hellish cacophony rang out one after another, forming a horrifying symphony that would form the greatest nightmare. The players who reacted in time had dodged or used their skill cards to protect themselves. As for the innocent guests… They were not so lucky. Thick stench of blood wafted out, and broken limbs were strewn everywhere. Some lost an arm or a leg, while the worse ones had directly been blasted by the explosion. 

But the worst thing was… they didn't die. Even as their body was scorched black, they still retained a breath of life and could only cry for help. Their desperate and weak voices were akin to the call of wronged spirits that crawled up from the depth of Hell.

"Help…"

"Save me… Please save me…"

Ellen had had enough of being pressed to the ground. He kept himself still, ready to throw Lu Yizhou off him when the man lowered his guard, but before he could do it, the weight above him suddenly disappeared. And then, his arm was grabbed and he was pulled to sit up. Stunned, Ellen could not react for a few moments before his vision abruptly turned black. 

Lu Yizhou had covered his eyes with a broad and warm palm. Not only that, he also tugged Ellen into his arms, his other hand slipping to the back of Ellen's head to press his head into the crook of his neck.

The man's cool and heart-throbbing scent entered Ellen's nose. Deprived of his vision, the scent seemed to suffuse into every part of him. Ellen's heart fluttered like it was being tickled by a feather and he sputtered, "W–What—"

"Don't see," the low voice whispered softly into his ear. "Just stay still and breathe into my clothes, okay?"

Ellen's lips opened but in the next moment, he understood Lu Yizhou's meaning. No matter how hard Lu Yizhou tried to cover it, the faint cries and screams of injured guests still drilled into his ears. Ellen could not help but snort. "Do you think I have never seen something like this before? Have you forgotten what kind of place I used to live in?" 

Instead of letting go, Lu Yizhou's grip tightened around him, sending Ellen's heartbeat further into disarray. Did Lu Yizhou not hear him? Ellen had gone through something worse before. There was no need to shield him like this! Didn't he know how bad his gentle and protective gesture was to Ellen's heart?! 

His mouth muttered out a few weak complaints but in the end, Ellen relented and tucked his nose deeper into the crook of Lu Yizhou's neck, inhaling. He would not look at a gift horse in the mouth. Now that Lu Yizhou had offered himself, Ellen might as well enjoy this while he still could. His hands moved to grip the side of Lu Yizhou's shirt. Fortunately… Lu Yizhou was too distracted to notice his hot and red ears. 

Ellen had never received this kind of treatment before. Ever since the very first second he came into existence, he had always taken the role of protector because he was the strongest one; because Ella and Ellie needed him. He was powerful, he did not need anyone to protect him. 

He was certain that Lu Yizhou knew it too. Nevertheless, Lu Yizhou still treated him so carefully like a fragile porcelain… Ellen pursed his lips as the tightness on his chest made it hard for him to breathe. It was weird… but unexpectedly, not bad. Ellen finally knew what it meant to be cherished in the cusp of someone's heart…

His lashes fluttered wildly as a resolution solidified in his heart.

…He did not want to lose this warmth. Ever.

Upon sensing Ellen burrowing himself deeper into his arms and how he suddenly fell silent, Lu Yizhou only thought that the little leopard was scared and hugged him even tighter, one of his hands rubbing the man's back in an attempt to comfort. 

His eyes flashed coldly as he observed the surroundings. 

Ji Yan and Olivia had escaped unscathed despite being one of the closest people to the blast. However, their faces did not look good, most likely because of the grotesque sight of the victims in front of them. Many people had not encountered such a terrifying sight before and hastily rushed to the nearest corner to empty their stomach. Meanwhile, Chu Lingshe had directly fainted but because she was protected by her manager, she did not seem to suffer any injuries. 

Captain Rong struggled to get to his feet. His uniform was stained with dust, soot and blood. His heroic face was almost covered in black. He coughed, wiped the blood on the corner of his lips and declared coldly, "Men, come and take her away!"

The young girl, who was the very source of the chaos, seemed to have lost her mind as she stared blankly at the grim sight around her. Hearing the captain's words, she snapped her head up and tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. "I didn't… I didn't mean to do this… I'm sorry! I am very sorry…!" 

Alas, it was no use crying over spoilt milk. If everything could be resolved with a mere apology, then human lives wouldn't be lost. The ship crew was merciless as they dragged her away, rougher than they did with her teammate, into somewhere unknown. Her cries echoed desperately along the way.

Lu Yizhou's face was solemn as he withdrew his gaze and finally made eye contact with Cyrus across the room. They did not speak, but they understood each other's meaning. Cyrus offered him a nod and then whispered something into Luan's ears. In the next second, Luan disappeared abruptly on the spot to trail after the ship crews who were dragging the werewolf away. He was so fast that even Lu Yizhou was slightly taken aback.

…Indeed, nothing was more reliable than powerful teammates.

If Cyrus and Luan were not here, then Lu Yizhou would first take Ellen into a safe place before he caught up with the ship crews. By then, who knew where they could have gone? 

Eliminated. That was currently the most important thing Lu Yizhou wanted to confirm. Did it mean instant death or…?

After this incident, one of Lu Yizhou's suspicions had come true. The werewolves were not helpless even when they had been chosen by voting. The first young man had not done anything most likely because he feared that he would trigger some hidden punishment. However, the girl was different. Her mentality was already on the verge of collapsing to begin with. And when she was backed into a corner, she took desperate measure and tried to escape by setting up a mini bomb. Perhaps… she also did not foresee that the result would be so terrible. 

But at least this proved one thing.

Lu Yizhou's expression was solemn as he opened his system panel.

[Remaining guests: 441]

[Remaining guests: 436]

People died one after another without timely treatment and finally, the number stopped at 433. In less than five minutes, the girl succeeded in killing 29 people before she was eliminated. 

As of now, 67 guests had already died. 

The same realization dawned on every player inside the hall, whether they were werewolves, guests, doctors or seers. They showed various reactions. Some had a joyful look on their faces, but most put on a somber look.

The girl's elimination had informed everyone of an obvious loophole to the rule. 

—It was not impossible to kill the guests in broad daylight.

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