"Aah!"

In the darkness, a scream echoed.

"Is anyone there?"

"Help! Where is this place?"

Both men's and women's voices filled the air, each brimming with panic.

Above them, a series of overhead lights flickered on in succession, illuminating the entire space as brightly as daylight.

Below, many people shielded their eyes, unable to adjust to the blinding light.

Jiang Yu stirred from a deep sleep. Slowly, he squinted, peering through his fingers as he surveyed his surroundings.

It was a vast space, several hundred square meters in size, resembling the interior of an abandoned factory. Aside from the glaring lights overhead and a raised platform at one end, the place was eerily empty.

There was a spiral staircase leading up to a second floor, and large speakers were mounted in each of the four corners of the ceiling. A giant electronic screen was displayed on one of the walls.

But there were many people here.

Across the floor, dozens of individuals lay scattered in every direction. Only a few remained unconscious; the majority had already regained their senses, and like Jiang Yu, they were curiously observing their surroundings.

Each person wore a standard-issue green tracksuit, with a red circle and white numbers emblazoned on the front and back.

A metallic collar adorned each person's neck, blinking with red lights and displaying strange, shifting numbers.

Jiang Yu glanced down at his own outfit, noting his number: ⑥. Similarly, a heavy metal collar rested on his neck.

He tried to remove it, but it was futile. It seemed to be crafted from some advanced technology, a single solid piece.

Jiang Yu sat on the ground, disoriented. He was just a failed horror writer, his last book had been a flop, earning him only a few dozen yuan.

As a result, his wife, Zhou Qingqing, had a fierce argument with him and took their five-year-old daughter, Yin Yin, back to her parents' home.

Like any other day, Jiang Yu had napped, then forced out two thousand words for his novel, before going out to buy two meat buns for dinner.

After eating, he had slumped back at his computer, only to fall into a restless sleep. The next thing he knew, he was here.

"Damn it, where is this?"

Nearby, a young man with bleached hair looked around, equally confused, and cursed aloud.

"I don't know, but we must have been kidnapped..." A girl, about eighteen or nineteen, with a ponytail, furrowed her brows and said.

"Who would dare do this? In Dragon Country, who would kidnap dozens of people at once? Aren't they afraid of the death penalty?" A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses shouted angrily from a distance.

In the corner, a young man with silver hair leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets. He seemed indifferent, quietly waiting for something.

However, most of the people were on edge, unsettled by the unfamiliar surroundings and the ominous atmosphere.

Jiang Yu strained his ears, listening to others' conversations, trying to gather any important information.

Just then, a voice from behind rang out, filled with shock and excitement.

"Jiang Yu! What are you doing here?"

Jiang Yu turned around, his eyes widening in disbelief. Standing before him was none other than his wife, Zhou Qingqing—the woman he had shared his bed with day in and day out.

How was she here? Didn't she go back to her parents' house?

She too was dressed in the same green tracksuit, her number 16 written across her chest. A metal collar adorned her neck, emitting a soft beeping noise.

"Honey, I'm so scared..."

Zhou Qingqing, usually quick-tempered, now looked like a helpless girl. She rushed into Jiang Yu's arms, tears streaming down her face.

"How did you end up here? Do you know where this place is?" Jiang Yu gently patted her head, brushing her disheveled hair as he comforted her.

"I don't know," Zhou Qingqing sobbed. "Yin Yin was drawing in the living room. Mom went out to the park. I was in the bedroom sleeping, and the next thing I knew, I was here."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'll protect you," Jiang Yu reassured her softly.

Their hands tightly clutched each other, both wearing matching silver rings, the ones they had crafted for each other years ago.

Though they often bickered, and despite Zhou Qingqing having stormed back to her parents' house after their last fight, Jiang Yu still deeply loved her. Seven years together had forged a bond that was unbreakable.

"There's a door! Help!" A voice shouted from the distance. Several people scrambled to their feet and rushed toward the sound.

Jiang Yu took Zhou Qingqing's hand, joining the crowd as they arrived at a large iron door, completely wrapped in chains, and locked with several heavy padlocks.

People desperately tugged at the door. Some pounded on it, while others attempted to find something to break the locks, but it was all in vain.

At that moment, a loud click echoed from the high platform. The crowd was drawn to the sound, and they gathered around the platform once more.

"Clack, clack, clack..."

The sound of leather shoes echoed as a man in a black suit, wearing a pig-faced mask, appeared before them.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his cold, detached gaze peering down at the crowd from beneath his mask—his presence as imposing as a deity.

Behind him stood several men in military-style uniforms, muscular and imposing, all wearing bull-head masks. Each of them held a gun.

"Who are you people?" someone from the crowd yelled.

"Let us go! What are you doing here?"

"This is illegal! Aren't you afraid of jail?" another shouted.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, with some people looking ready to charge the platform. Others stood by in silence, observing.

The man in the pig mask raised his right hand. One of the men beside him immediately handed him a small black remote, which he took and pressed a button.

Instantly, the giant electronic screen flickered to life, displaying the faces of all fifty participants, each accompanied by a corresponding number.

"Welcome, everyone!" The man's voice boomed through the speakers, amplified several times. "You must be wondering why you're here. Well, that's because I've invited you all to join an interesting game. By the way, here, I am God, and the rules come second to me. I enjoy peace and quiet. So now, everyone, please be quiet."

His voice echoed through the loudspeakers, cold and merciless, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Ahead of Jiang Yu, a burly man with a thick beard, clearly enraged, pointed at the pig-faced man and yelled, "You pig! Let us out now! Do you know who I am? I swear I'll—"

Before he could finish, the man in the pig mask, with an indifferent expression, pressed a button on his remote.

The next instant, a blaring alarm came from the bearded man's collar, followed by a massive explosion. The man's body was blown apart, leaving only a mangled mess.

Screams and cries erupted throughout the room. Blood splattered across the floor, and Jiang Yu was drenched in it, his face streaked with crimson. Blood dripped from his nose, mouth, and ears.

He stood frozen, his mind blank, his body trembling uncontrollably.

This... this is supposed to be an "interesting" game?

The pig-faced man's voice rang out once more.

"I told you to be quiet. Now, I will demonstrate how this game works. This is a lesson on how serious the consequences are for failing. Pay close attention."

The crowd fell silent, their fear palpable. Every eye was fixed on the screen, and the air grew still, as if the entire room had been sealed in a coffin.

Zhou Qingqing, standing beside Jiang Yu, wiped the blood from his face with her sleeve. Despite her own fear, she gently hugged him.

"Next, I will randomly select three lucky players to participate in a game," the man in the pig mask said, his voice tinged with twisted amusement.

A sinister laugh escaped him as he pressed the remote once more.

The screen displayed a selection box that rapidly cycled through the faces of the participants. It quickly settled on three faces.

"Congratulations to number 6, number 16, and number 34. Please step to the left. The rest of you, move to the right. If any of the selected players refuses to participate, they will be eliminated just like number 46!"

Jiang Yu's heart sank. He glanced down at his own number—6. He had been chosen.

Wait, number 16? That was Zhou Qingqing's number.

"Honey, I'm scared…"

Zhou Qingqing clutched Jiang Yu tightly, trembling.

"It's okay, I'm here," Jiang Yu reassured her, gently patting her back.

A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, his face pale, nervously checked his number—34—and moved toward Jiang Yu.

The others shifted to the right, clearing a path for the three of them. Some whispered among themselves, curious about the relationship between Jiang Yu and Zhou Qingqing.

No one knew what the man in the pig mask was planning, but they all saw the horrific demonstration earlier. It was clear—this man was a psychopath, and they had no idea what he might do next.

The three of them—Jiang Yu, Zhou Qingqing, and the boy—stood in a triangle, all trembling.

"Next, I will reveal the game," the masked man announced. "It's a simple game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The rules are straightforward. When I count to three, all of you must throw your hands at the same time. The last person standing will be the loser and eliminated from the game. Oh, and if anyone hesitates even a second to make their move, they will be eliminated immediately!"

The man with the pig mask sounded impatient, his voice trembling with excitement.

The other participants exchanged confused glances. What they had expected to be some elaborate and challenging trial was, in fact, a simple game.

The rules were clear: Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beat Paper, and Paper beats Rock. In the event of a tie, the game would continue until one winner emerged.

Without giving anyone time to think, the masked man began his countdown.

"One!"

Suddenly, the young boy raised his head, his bright eyes locking with Jiang Yu's. He spoke with sincere urgency: "Brother, could you let me go first? I don't want to die... I'll choose Scissors."

Jiang Yu stared at the boy in front of him, a cold shiver running down his spine. He could no longer tell if the boy was speaking the truth or deceiving him. His mind raced. The boy's plea might be a ploy to make him choose Rock, assuming Jiang Yu wouldn't want to let him down. But if that were the case, the boy might throw Paper to counter Jiang Yu's Rock. If he chose Rock, the risk was considerable.

"Two!"

The countdown echoed in Jiang Yu's ears. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. What if the boy was telling the truth and would indeed choose Scissors?

Still, choosing Paper didn't feel any safer.

"Three!"

The final countdown rang out, and Jiang Yu had no more time to ponder. In an instinctive reflex, he chose Scissors.

The results were swift: Jiang Yu and Zhou Qingqing both threw Scissors, while the boy threw Rock.

The child looked up at Jiang Yu, blinking innocently, and said, "Thank you, Brother. You're so kind."

Jiang Yu felt a chill snake up his spine as the boy's words struck him like a dagger. The child, once so sweet and innocent, now seemed to Jiang Yu like a demon.

"Good. Now, it's down to two: Number 6 and Number 16," the masked man said with satisfaction, nodding.

The boy stepped back into the crowd, taking his place beside a burly, dark-skinned middle-aged man. Jiang Yu and Zhou Qingqing stood facing each other, and for a brief moment, Jiang Yu felt a surge of disbelief. How could this be happening?

He was just an ordinary man—a former orphan, abandoned by his biological parents, with only a butterfly-shaped birthmark near his navel to remind him of his origins. He should have lived a simple, mundane life, aging gracefully, experiencing the full circle of life. Yet tragedy always seemed to follow him. His adoptive parents died early in a freak accident, and yet somehow, he had met Zhou Qingqing. She was the love of his life, the one person who had given him warmth and joy.

They had met in college, united by a shared love for writing. After graduation, they moved in together, dreaming of becoming successful writers, joking about how one day they would become famous, and the other would have to hold on to them for dear life.

Zhou Qingqing used to laugh and mock him, telling him his writing was rubbish, that no one would ever read it. "When I start earning, I'll support you instead," she would tease.

Recalling those days filled him with warmth, but now, in this bizarre, terrifying situation, they were forced to face this deadly game together.

He couldn't bear to imagine the punishment awaiting the losers. He didn't want to think about it.

"One!"

The pig-faced man crouched down, his eyes gleaming with malice as he began the countdown.

Jiang Yu snapped back to the present, looking at Zhou Qingqing with deep affection. He took a long breath and smiled, whispering, "Qingqing, I'll throw Paper. You have to live. Live for me, and promise me you'll raise Yinyin well."

"Two!"

The masked man's voice was cold, like the ticking of a death clock.

Zhou Qingqing covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with despair and pain. Her whole body trembled.

"Three!"

The final number sounded, and they both extended their hands.

Jiang Yu threw Paper.

Zhou Qingqing threw Rock.

Jiang Yu stared at her in disbelief.

Why? Why did she choose Rock?

He had already prepared himself for death. He had hoped that, if they were both to continue the game, he could at least give her the chance to survive. He wanted her to live with his will, to carry on his dream.

But now… now, he could only watch as his wife—the one person he loved most—was destroyed before his eyes.

Her body exploded.

Once again, blood splattered across Jiang Yu's body, dripping from his face, down his nose, mouth, and earlobe. He stood frozen in place, unable to cry, unable to move.

A storm of despair and fury churned in his mind. His entire body shook with the weight of helplessness.

The crowd stood still, in eerie silence.

Everyone understood. Just as they had feared—being eliminated meant death. The collars would explode, instantly ending the lives of the unlucky ones.

This was a death game, a deadly wager between fifty people.

"Well, well," the pig-faced man clapped with delight. "The first round has ended successfully. I trust you all now understand the stakes of the game. This was just a warm-up, a demonstration of how serious the consequences can be. The next games will be even more exciting. Now, let me announce the rules in detail."

As Jiang Yu stood there, dazed, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Ding! The system has detected that the host has entered a death game and lost his most beloved one. The strongest death gamble system has been activated. Binding system... ]

[System binding successful... ]

[Reward rule: Each time the host participates in the death game, they will randomly gain a BUF (boost) buff, such as IQ boost, luck boost, physical boost, etc. At the end of the game, this BUF may be converted into a permanent BUF.]

[Punishment rule: If the host refuses to participate in the game, the system will revoke the permanent BUF. If the host skips two consecutive games, the host will die a non-natural death.]

Jiang Yu was stunned. As a horror writer, he knew exactly what the system meant. It hit him like a ton of bricks.

What kind of gambling system was this? It forced him to keep playing, knowing that if he chose to stop, death would be waiting for him.

And every round… was a gamble for his life.