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Chapter 500 - 497: "Duel.

Chapter 500: Chapter 497: "Duel.

The girl in the white dress seemed to possess an innate divine quality, which, combined with her original charm value, produced an effect similar to a charm skill.

However, a beautiful woman does not always make everyone shift their gaze. Mainly..., it seemed as though she was standing in the second position.

Realizing this, a horrified expression involuntarily appeared on the players’ faces.

"...Noel’s sacrifice is a bit too great," Lu whispered to Bei Wang, who was standing beside him.

"It is no wonder he is the second player, he indeed has such a generous spirit."

"...this indeed requires some mental preparation."

"However, I vaguely feel like he seems to enjoy it..."

However, the discussion about Noel was brief, and soon someone changed the subject to something more pressing.

"What’s going on?" Anniev, a fire series player, looked towards the vacant third position as if he had seen a ghost: "It’s only the fourth day early morning, and Edward is already out?"

Beside him, a smiling, plump middle-aged man, Joy, looked over at Su Ming’an standing opposite him.

"...Perhaps he failed while collecting the Silver Stars, after all, everyone here is no fool," Joy’s gaze was brief, apparent only to the perceptive.

Now that the platform was quiet, Anniev and Joy’s voices stood out even more.

"Edward’s guide is none other than the third-ranked ’Time Controller’ Migael, such a powerful alliance, and yet they’re out within the first three days..." Miu Wen’s uniquely flirtatious voice sounded.

"The difficulty of this instance is indeed high; perhaps he didn’t manage to find the Soul Stone in time."

"...I have never seen Migael’s capabilities, but I was fortunate enough to see the Time Controller, Dian Si, in action from a distance. With a flaming sword, he could level a mountain with a single swing. I wonder what kind of peril could kill such a being."

"Miss Mizushima Kawa Sora has drawn a good card this time."

As Old Boss Rabbit had yet to appear, this group of players began talking amongst themselves.

After all, it was the Exile Conference, not the opening ceremony. To clear any suspicion, some would deliberately speak up to express their stances. Clever people always like to take the initiative, and the scene was not lacking in those who enjoyed controlling the conversation.

Even some players deliberately shifted the topic to other players, like one who was desperately bootlicking Mizushima Kawa Sora.

"Miss Mizushima Kawa Sora, you have a great chance of winning this time. With Judicator Dian Si’s unbeatable flaming sword, combined with Miss Mizushima’s Shadow Kill, I believe..."

As he piled on the flattery, Mizushima Kawa Sora didn’t even lift an eyelid; she just stared at the ground, lost in thought and not participating in the players’ discussions.

Just then, a pink light wave lit up.

Everyone stopped talking and looked towards the center, where a plump white figure appeared.

"—My dear players—good—morning—to—everyone!"

The chubby white rabbit extended its arms, warmly embracing these players who clearly showed no interest in it.

Its bright red eyes first fixed on Su Ming’an.

This time, however, it did not seem as enthusiastic about making flirtatious remarks; it just continued to provoke the players.

"—Players, how have these days been? Are you having fun?" It started with this line.

On the platform, some players who were so weak they could barely stand, and even some missing arms or legs, blood flowing ceaselessly, all glared angrily but dared not say a word.

The organizers always enjoyed being sarcastic; they were used to it.

But Old Boss Rabbit’s annoying ability seemed to have grown even stronger than before.

"Is the instance in our Qiongdi world providing everyone with a unique playing experience?—This game is a pioneering experience. Do you like it, this thrill of inserting delightful little instances in the midst of intense, exciting adventures?" Shadow excitedly shouted, raising its plump white hand: "If you like it, please shout my name—come—3—2—1—!"

Silence.

Atop the platform, players watched it playfully without engaging or responding, as if watching monkeys at a zoo.

However, Shadow didn’t feel embarrassed. When someone has no bottom line, nothing can make him feel ashamed.

"So, in the midst of everyone’s enjoyment, I have gathered you all here for an important matter!" Having had his fun, Shadow finally started to speak normally, "Next—I will announce the rules of the ’Exile Convention’—"

As he finished speaking, a deep blue panel slowly appeared in front of everyone.

Su Ming’an didn’t rush to read the rules; he first turned his head to look at a spot not far from him.

That spot was empty.

Although he had anticipated this outcome yesterday, seeing that Lv Shu really hadn’t been summoned, he still felt some regret.

It was indeed dangerous to venture out at night without a Soul Stone, and perhaps that was why Lv Shu had died.

He then looked at the spot where Yamada Machiichi was supposed to be. Indeed, Yamada Machiichi wasn’t there either, possibly entangled by the tentacles of the castle’s monsters, losing consciousness and therefore not needing to come.

He looked at the rules.

...

[Rule 01: Before the formal exile, all players have five minutes to discuss. If any player believes they have substantial evidence, they can volunteer to be a "Judicator." The position of "Judicator" is limited to three, and each "Judicator" will have an additional minute to speak after the discussion time ends. Voting correctly will reward an extra Silver Star.]

[Rule 02: During the exile, the player with the highest number of votes will enter the "counterattack segment."

Counterattack segment: The player with the highest votes can debate or directly duel with each "Judicator" for three minutes and must achieve three victories. During the duel, a player on the brink of death will be forcibly maintained at one Health Point and will not result in death.

If the "counterattack segment" fails, the player will be formally exiled (eliminated). If the "counterattack segment" succeeds, the player will receive a reward and will no longer be a target for voting.]

...

Simple rules.

These rules not only provided a platform for those who held substantial evidence to speak up but also allowed those who were exiled a chance to fight back. As long as the exiled players could win three times, whether through debate or combat, they would be completely safe afterward.

"So—" Shadow turned around, positioning himself in an empty space on the platform as if eager to watch a play:

"—Five minutes of discussion time, starting now!"

A ghostly image of a clock appeared in the vast sky above, like a screen, and the countdown was indeed five minutes.

As it began ticking, a row of hands shot up on the platform.

"—I apply to become a Judicator!"

"—I apply!"

Su Ming’an thought he had raised his hand quickly, but others were faster than him. As soon as the timer started, about twenty hands shot up rapidly, more than half of the present players.

...

[Wow, such quick reactions from this group!]

[Why are they competing to be Judicators? Do they all have accurate information about the villains?]

[Being a Judicator should be very risky, right? They will definitely be challenged by the player with the highest votes; aren’t they afraid of encountering types like Su Ming’an’s Noel?]

...

The audience members were starting to understand. In fact, there was a lot they didn’t understand.

The players, each raising their hands, were not willing to show any weakness.

They were experts at grasping the rules; they judged that the role of a Judicator was mostly advantageous and harmless.

The mere point of "correct voting, extra reward of one Silver Star" was enough to tempt them. Moreover, since players wouldn’t actually die during the counterattack segment—only be pushed to the brink of death—the risk was worth taking for them.

Moreover, the rule that Boss Rabbit has just mentioned seems to have overlooked a very important point.

That is... What happens when the Judicator and the person with the highest number of votes coincide in identity?

Is exile directly abandoned, or is the number of challengers reduced?

"Whirr whirr whirr—"

Three beams of white light struck down, and the first three to raise their hands and complete their speeches became the Judicators.

Su Ming’an glanced at them, and they were a tall female with obvious scars on her hands, a middle-aged man wearing an old straw hat, and... Bonnie, a Flame Lolita dressed in a red skirt.

"So, should the three Judicators first present the evidence they hold to narrow down our discussion scope?" The first to speak was a Player with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the three Judicators, but the tall woman merely adjusted her sleeves, and Bonnie even turned her head away, refusing to speak.

They vied for this position just to snag a Silver Star, actually having no accurate clues.

It was the man in the straw hat, resembling an old farmer, who spoke up.

"Atlanda." He looked toward a player with his hands in his pockets, carrying a casual demeanor. "Has anyone bought information from you recently?"

Atlanda was considered the "Prophet" among the high-ranking players, his special status provided him opportunities to preview the plotline, and many players actively traded information with him.

"What? You’re a Judicator, yet you’re asking me for information?" Atlanda said, feigning surprise in a sarcastic tone. "God Almighty, what were you rushing to raise your hand for just now? I thought you were all running for president."

Wei Yaxin, the man with the straw hat, frowned.

"Let me think..." Atlanda mocked casually, but seeing everyone looking at him, he restrained his smile. "The person who bought information from me recently... Edward."

"Really?" Wei Yaxin nodded as though he only got to know about this fact then.

Su Ming’an silently watched this scene unfold without saying a word, sensing that these people were putting on an act as if to set a trap.

"What did Edward ask?" asked another man adorned with numerous earrings.

"Well, something about the First Tribe," Atlanda said.

"The First Tribe, huh," the man with earrings glanced at Su Ming’an as if trying to imply something or perhaps nothing at all.

Su Ming’an’s movements weren’t hidden; many knew he had been spotted near the First Tribe in recent days.

"It seems there has been an anomaly in the First Tribe recently. Monsters that have been contaminated appeared in the central ancient castle," a woman’s voice chimed in.

"I mean, there’s no need to mention this type of information anymore, our five minutes of discussion time isn’t meant for exchanging such information," said a man with dyed blonde hair. He glanced at the three Judicators who hardly said anything, "Does nobody have any useful information? Hey, you’re really just here for the Silver Star, aren’t you?"

The three Judicators ignored him.

They mentioned off-topic things, talking about some ghostly clues.

"...Near the Second Tribe, a small instance has been destroyed."

"Then tell us who it was."

"I honestly don’t know... It seems someone saw Sofia’s figure..."

Watching these people either diverting the topic or remaining silent, Su Ming’an suddenly understood what they were doing.

He didn’t speak out, merely watching the performances of these few people as if to say, "please, continue your performance."

Until the five minutes of discussion time ended, these forty or so people didn’t produce any decisive evidence.

After all, it was only the fourth day of the competition; many had only participated in one or two Silver Star instances, and the malefactors hadn’t been too obvious, leaving only a few suspects mentioned, like Isabella, Alger, and Yulia, among others.

The whole process was like a seminar, where people either watched coldly from the sidelines or rambled aimlessly without truly vying for leadership, creating an exceedingly harmonious scene.

In a sense, those top-ranking players who embraced selfishness really did appear quite indifferent.

Then came the individual speaking segment of the Judicator.

...Suddenly, someone began to reveal their fangs.

"This is a video I recorded." The tall woman, Qin Chunyao, produced a video.

Through the video footage, people saw the ancient castle at the very center of the First Tribe, now leaking tar-like black sludge, with many disgusting tentacles spreading from its windows.

"This is an anomaly of the First Tribe; I asked many NPCs, and they told me, it’s a monster transformed from a Guide named Xiber, the only Believer of the Evil God in Qiongdi." Qin Chunyao said, "Xiber wears a red robe and possesses a Soul Stone, an image that I believe everyone can associate with her Guide."

As soon as she finished speaking, it was Wei Yaxin’s turn.

"—She is the Guide of the Number One Player," he said.

The players’ expressions changed slightly.

"Regarding the background of Qiongdi, I believe everyone should have figured out by now that it’s a confrontation between the Righteous God Bai Shen and the Evil God Jiu Shen," Wei Yaxin said. "I know there must be more to this, but since we cannot identify who the malevolent perpetrator destroying the instance is, we might consider it from the perspective of ’alien’ jurisprudence. After all, the game mechanics wouldn’t leave us without any clues."

His words seemed far-fetched, but they received approval from most people.

In fact, whether Su Ming’an was a malevolent said, didn’t matter.

Qin Chunyao and Wei Yaxin were merely taking the opportunity to remind them of the special identity issue of the Number One Player.

In normal instances, the Number One Player would use his high-status identity to subvert the instance, even driving the situation across the entire instance world. Wei Yaxin was subtly reminding people that the Number One Player had already penetrated deep inside the First Tribe, and if they let him continue, the situation would be extremely dangerous.

They were just looking for an excuse to eliminate the greatest threat. It wasn’t specifically targeting anyone, but merely the identity of ’the strongest.’

If it had been Edward becoming the Number One, they would also attempt to exile Edward.

As for the "Counterattack Segment," they definitely had it considered – perhaps they had some special PK props that could prevent the Number One Player from winning outright.

Noel inquired with his eyes if Su Ming’an needed help, after all, they were now unable to speak, not even to rebut.

But Su Ming’an just shook his head.

The next moment, during the voting segment, three votes hung over his head.

As for the others... not a single person voted.

Mistaken voting results in a deduction of one Silver Star, and even knowing Su Ming’an was a threat, no one would risk voting. It’s best just to leave such matters to those who would stick their necks out.

And those three "scapegoats" intended to force a vote, at the cost of one Silver Star each, to eliminate the greatest threat.

It must be said, these people really did react very quickly, pushing the rules to the extreme in just a matter of five minutes.

They even managed to achieve this situation without a single word exchanged between them, as if performing a delicate mime orchestrated by clever minds.

—Su Ming’an became the person with the most votes.

This was the result they wanted to achieve.

...

"Ding Dong!"

[You have received the highest number of votes and will enter the "Counterattack Segment."]

[You may choose to refute the three Judicators in turn or opt for a direct duel to avoid punishment.]

...

"Duel," Su Ming’an said without hesitation.