"Yes. I accept."
All the Carnival lights faded. The red and white lights dimmed until only darkness wrapped around the grounds.
Click!
Then a single spotlight flickered to life, illuminating a tall, slender, almost inhumane figure.
Her pale body towered above everyone, her heels echoing. Her outfit clung to her frame in layered white, gothic fabric, corset laced tight enough to squeeze her ribs forward. A thin black funeral veil rested beneath a small tilted hat, draping down her cheeks while her lips curved upward into a thin smile.
Half her torso was ruined.
Her ribcage was split and gaped open. The flesh had dried around the break, leaving a clean exposed bone.
She walked until she stood directly in front of Fèi Míng. Even with the obvious decay, she held an elegance none of them had. A beautiful rotting decay of art.
Her long fingers extended. The joints moved slowly, each knuckle bending with audible tension. When she lifted her arm high above her head, a gush of heat burned the surrounding air.
A sphere of light swirled into existence above her palm.
The faint red energy churned inside the sphere while bands of blinding white wrapped around it and tightened, forcing the chaos into a perfect circular rotation.
A Game Core. Fei Míng recognized the density. It was almost the same size of the cores he had eaten from his number of kills. Although this was slightly bigger for a S-tier core, it should be almost the same to the ones he ate. His tongue pressed flat inside his mouth as saliva filled his jaw. His hand moved forward before he even thought about it.
He could eat this.
He could bite through it and test what RiaKai promised. Just one sip. Just one swallow. Just—
Something metal hit him from the side. A hook? A spine? A layered fragment of her weapon caught him by the waist and dragged him forward. He stumbled. Her other hand came up, cupping the back of his head with surprising strength.
Her veil brushed his skin, her breath pushed cold into his pores and her lips crushed into his mouth with full force, kissing him.
Pinboy blinked rapidly from where he stood. "Oh. She's passionate."
Fei Ming stood there, unable to even move his limbs.
Just as quick as the kiss, everything dissolved into nothingness.
Marrow Lass' grip on his waist disappeared and he felt a wave of nausea hit him in the guts. He tripped over his own feet, blinded by an intense brightness of light that flooded his vision.
"Ah… shit." His lips were still wet. "Tell me I didn't just kiss a corpse and enter into another cosmic entity's domain."
When he opened his eyes, he was standing inside a throne hall. There were no walls in sight. Nothing but an endless polished floor stretching into an unseen horizon. A red decorated throne sat directly ahead, elevated high with steps stretching downward.
On the throne sat a man.
Long bright red hair spilled over his bare shoulders and down his back. A flimsy paper crown rested crookedly over his head. His chest was exposed, lean build carved with visible abdominal tension whenever he breathed. Although his eyes were still closed, he raised a wine glass lazily to his lips and swallowed the thick dark liquid inside.
And when the man opened his eyes, an extreme pressure crashed into Fèi Míng's lungs. His heart tightened hard enough to sting.
Pupils constricting, his legs weakened as instinct screamed to back away from whatever existence stared at him now. Every bone inside his ribcage suddenly felt smaller, as if the hall shrunk around him.
Oh. Great.
"Why do I keep meeting all these cosmic slugs…" The corner of his lip twitched. "I didn't mean it literally when I said I'd kill a god, you know. I was pissed. Still am." He raised his thin arms. "But being a weak mortal is limiting. I can't do shit."
Furrowing his brows, the god lifted a single finger, and instantly, Fèi Míng's knees slammed into the ground. His palms hit the bright floor hard enough to burn.
[ "Oh myyyy… you won my little game." ] His voice shrewd and cold.
[ "Now I see it. The Third Master really outdid themselves." ] The black liquid in his glass cup swirled. [ "I tried testing you to feed on your fear and only a little taste… nearly drove me to climax." ]
He took another drink and sighed. [ "I see why RiaKai wants you. Haaa… Risking their position for a mortal just to rebel. I don't really care. Just a taste of your fear brought the thrill out of me. I want more." ]
Fèi Míng stared at him. The joints in his hand bulged under his skin. So the insane whack‑a‑mole nightmare was amusement to this bastard? He wasn't even trying to gain information from him, but to brew up fear in his heart.
And he knew.
He knew about RiaKai.
Yet as he saw it now, this cosmic vomit cared nothing less than to entertain himself through human fear.
It disgusted him.
[ "Now," ] the god said, leaning his cheek lazily on his hand. [ "What do you want? A new skill? Wealth? You have a Path that would lead to your doom. State your reward, little mortal, and I, Wrath, shall name my price." ]
After a long pause, he turned his gaze toward the space where Fèi Míng had been kneeling.
But no one was there.
[ "Hmm?" ] he paused. A flash of silhouette caught his eye and he whipped his head back.
Somehow, impossibly, Fèi Míng was already there.
Right in front of him.
Close enough the god finally saw every little detail of his face.
Fei Ming stood right in front of the god's knees, chest rising with thick, angry breaths. His brows dragged downward sharply. The muscles at the base of his jaw flexed hard enough to show shape beneath the skin.
[ 'I have never seen such human emmit such rage… I want it. I want it! I want to have it.' ]
BAM!
His fist smashed into the god's cheek.
The cosmic entity's head snapped sideways.
Another punch hammered into his nose. His crown tilted and his mouth opened with a startled groan.
Fèi Míng then hit him with an open‑palm slap to the face. Wham!
Over. And over again.
"I've been needing to hit any of you Forces. If I can't kill one. I can at least do this, right?"
The god shrieked. His voice lost composure as he shoved Fèi Míng backward with both hands and stumbled forward.
[ "YOU INSOLENT BEING— ! Why hit me in my human form?" ]
Fei Ming fell onto the floor, heaving out loud. There wasn't even a dent in this god's face. Not even a smear of blood on his fist. In fact… he stared at his bruised knuckles. He had been the one injured instead.
'Ah…' he sighed. 'So this is the strength of a god.'
[ "Fight me in my true radiant form, you fateless mortal." ] Rising from his throne, his face twisted into pure disgust. [ "I desire no more to have anything from you. I wonder how RiaKai endured your rudeness—" ]
The lights suddenly exploded and everything vanished in a quick flash.
The wave of heat and pressure dissipated into a silent warmth that crawled on his skin.
When his eyes flew wide open, he gasped. Sucking in air back into his lungs.
He was standing back in the Carnival game realm.
Pinboy was crouched in front of him, face inches close, eyes wide and mouth pulled tight with visible panic.
"Hey hey hey— are you okay?! Marrow Lass lady left you speechless and you just… stood there."
Fèi Míng blinked. Sweat slid down his temple. His jaw clenched to keep his breathing stable as he wiped off his body fluid.
[Congratulations, Fateless! You Have Won The Carnival Game!]
[The Heart Of The Carnival Has Been Gifted To You!]
[Congratulations To All Players! Prizes will be distributed soon~]
His system's notification popped up.
[Prizes won!]
[Cat Toys!]
[One week clean water supply!]
Fei Ming internally groaned. 'I'm no longer surprised about the shitty prizes they throw in the box for me but… cat toys? Why?'
[We wish to see you in the next Game!]
Pinboy elbowed him. "Hey. Soooo, Fateless, hmm? Wanna trade prizes? That shiny core for a sword?"
"No, Keres."
"Eh." Pinboy shrugged. "I tried."
Olive stood a few meters away from them.
His shoulders were stiff, arms tight at his sides, and he kept his chin lowered just enough to avoid locking eyes with him.
His lips pressed together for a second.
Then he gave a single nod.
He turned slightly, keeping him inside his vision but refusing to fully face him. 'Guess I won't be reporting him. Not after what he confessed last question. Somehow, it'll be a bad move to report him.'
Pinboy blinked twice. "Tough crowd." He scratched his cheek, the metal pins in his shirt softly dangling. "But hey! You still got me!"
Suddenly, a soft cough echoed and Mr Light walked toward them. His white blood-stained suit swayed gently with each step.
Mr. Light stopped in front of Fèi Míng and smiled.
He dipped his head in a respectful tilt and held out a single card between two fingers.
A premium neat white card, embossed in gold writing.
"For you," he said. "Your performance today was remarkable. Especially during the puppet show game. And the Ferris wheel answer of yours."
He studied Fèi Míng's face closely.
"You possess impressive potential." His lips curled a little higher. "My faction would value someone like you. If you ever desire stable ground and strategic support, contact me."
Fèi Míng took the card.
He held it between his fingers, humming without saying a thing.
Mr. Light waited a second longer. His eyes searched for something on Fèi Míng's face, but the young man's blank face remained.
So he adjusted his cuffs, and stepped away. "I'll be expecting your call."
A broken-down building nearby rattled. The chipped bricks and cracked walls stood out as the Carnival's game exit.
Out of a hundred people, only 9 survived.
For an S-tier Game, that wasn't so bad as it seemed.
Three men were already running and screaming towards the broken building's direction.
The hands reached out, palms pressing against the building's rough surface. A man screamed: "I Just want to leave! I WANT TO LEAVE—hic— LET me OU—" He then disappeared almost instantly, teleporting out of the game realm and back to where he came from.
Nyx planted her hand with a long exhale. Olive did the same.
Mr. Light was already gone, dissolved into the exit earlier.
Eris stood still.
She looked back at Fèi Míng.
Her throat bobbed once. Her palms squeezed around the air without touching anything yet. She inhaled sharply, shoulders lifting before they slowly lowered.
She stepped toward him.
Her boots stopped right in front of him.
Eris lowered her head.
Her hair slid forward, covering the side of her cheek. She bent her upper body in a small bow.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "For hitting you. I acted out of anger. It was rude of me."
Her hand touched Nyx's arm gently afterward.
She pulled Nyx along as she turned away, not waiting for a reply.
They pressed their hands to the cracked wall, and the light wrapped around them.
FLASH.
They vanished.
Fèi Míng stared at the empty space they left behind. His face stayed completely straight.
'They made up?' His forehead wrinkled slightly.
'That's weird. They shouldn't have. Wasn't Hwag—Nyx mad at her? … Human emotions can be weird at times.'
Pinboy nudged him with his elbow.
"Ah! Before you leave… When do I get to see you again? If you trade that Core for a Citadel zone ticket, you'd get to live a peaceful life and even see my cool cousin! When I pawn off my prizes, I'll get enough cash to just buy a ticket."
Hmm. Fateless thought. Now that he had the very core of a S-tier game… What should he do with it?
'Well, it's obvious. I'm eating it.'