When Chen Xiao opened his eyes again, he was already standing in the steel corridor of the Ghost Gate Pass. Cold hung in the air and the lights were dim and murky. This time, however, no monsters appeared — only silence. It felt like a waiting room. But he was not alone. Beside him stood his Huaxia teammates: A Yao, Jiang Ling, Zhang Longqi, Zhao Yuanhang, and Cao Linxuan.
They were separated by invisible barriers — able to see and hear one another, but unable to fight. A proper little "lounge."
"You finally made it out, Brother Chen Xiao!" A Yao blurted."Boss Mad Ghost, what's happening? Why are we back in this hellhole?" Zhang Longqi demanded at the same time.
Chen Xiao shook his head. "Wait and see. I'm guessing there are still people who haven't left the game…"
Jiang Ling frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be the last one out?"
"Not necessarily." Chen Xiao answered calmly. "The National Fortune Game is full of surprises. There could be someone hiding down there who's immune to the heat. What can anyone do about that?"
Cao Linxuan spoke slowly. "The only regret I have from this game is that I never got to see the Underground Furnace myself…"
No one answered. Chen Xiao let out a short, cold laugh. "Cao Linxuan — did you really think I'd let you off just because the game ended?"
Cold sweat broke out across Cao Linxuan's face. "Mad Ghost Butcher, we're all from Huaxia. We fought for the same cause in the Game. Why turn on one another? Wouldn't our strength be better used against the New Humans?"
Chen Xiao sighed. "You've made too many mistakes. Not even the gods can save you now…"
A dark glint flashed in Cao Linxuan's eyes. "Mad Ghost Butcher, you're being arrogant. Do you think you're some kind of god? My performance in the final stage was no worse than yours. If I hadn't killed Little Zeus, you would have let him get away!"
"Your performance?" Chen Xiao echoed, flatly.
Cao Linxuan lifted his chin. "Of course. I killed many people in the final stage. I'm about to awaken my second animal form — the point gap isn't that big. What if I awaken something terrifying? I'll make you pay."
Chen Xiao turned and fixed him with a cold stare. "Are you threatening me?"
The question made Cao Linxuan take an involuntary step back. Rage churned inside him, but the weight of the Rules' barrier held him rigid. He didn't know when fear had crept in, but it was there now. He clenched his teeth and said nothing.
Time passed, and the game still had not fully ended. Chen Xiao replayed the Underground Furnace in his head. Earlier, when he had scouted with the Wrist Watcher, he had seen no one near the Furnace. Something felt off.
Then it hit him. He closed his eyes and visualized the blistering, warped landscape at the cave mouth. The Wrist Watcher still monitored the area — he could use it to see exactly who finished last. He was curious.
Not long after, a tall, dark figure flashed, moving at absurd speed. It dove into the Underground Furnace in the blink of an eye. The figure was too fast to make out clearly with distance. Later it climbed back up; its face finally came into view on Chen Xiao's Watcher feed.
What Chen Xiao saw rooted him to the spot: the dark figure was Kawakima Aki.
Delicate features, a slit dress with torn seams, the same curve he remembered — the woman he had impaled. How could she still be alive?
Kawakima Aki crushed her fire seed and vanished in a flash. Only then did the familiar voice echo through the corridor:
[All participants have completed the game][Calculating performance… distributing points][Global Rankings]
1st Place — Huaxia Camp: 93,500 points2nd Place — Euro Alliance: 18,800 points3rd Place — Samba Homeland Camp: 16,500 points4th Place — Combat Nation Camp: 15,500 points5th Place — Free Nation Camp: 15,000 points6th Place — Sakura Camp: 7,200 points… and so on.
The Huaxia team erupted. "Amazing! Brother Chen Xiao — Huaxia is first by a landslide!" "Does this mean our territory will be paradise for awakeners now?" People cheered and joked; pride spread through the group like wildfire.
Only Cao Linxuan sat in a deep, cold haze. No one could explain why Huaxia always pulled so far ahead in points. A dawning, icy dread spread through him.
The voice chimed again: [Distributing Survivor Rewards] This was the central moment — the tangible prize every player lived for.
A Yao turned solemn. Zhang Longqi and the others held their breath. Cao Linxuan clenched his fists, imagining a last chance to overtake the Mad Ghost Butcher.
The listing began:
Global Survivor Rankings1st Place (Huaxia) — Creature ID: 230001 — 80,500 points2nd Place (Huaxia) — Creature ID: 233900 — 2,100 points3rd Place (Huaxia) — Creature ID: 251111 — 1,500 points4th Place (Huaxia) — Creature ID: 270098 — 1,300 points…7th Place (Euro) — Creature ID: 499098 — 700 points8th Place (Samba) — Creature ID: 1099098 — 650 points9th Place (Sakura) — Creature ID: 765011 — 630 points…
As the rewards rolled out, the Huaxia team exchanged looks — elation, relief, and something harder to name. Outside they'd secured not just territory but an avalanche of opportunities. Inside, personal ambitions and fragile loyalties twisted and burned. Cao Linxuan's jaw clenched until it hurt.
Chen Xiao watched them all with an unreadable expression. The game had ended — but the world it reshaped had only just begun.