When Chen Ling opened his eyes again, a familiar light filled his vision.
"Back again..." Chen Ling adjusted to the brightness of the spotlight and slowly scanned his surroundings.
The old stage, the black curtain, the fully occupied audience seats—he was back in this nightmare.
"It seems that as long as I fall asleep or die, I return here." Chen Ling concluded this based on his experiences so far.
Since he had regained control of his body, the "audience" members who had left had returned to the theater. Although their gazes seemed displeased, they showed no intention of intervening again.
Chen Ling's gaze naturally shifted to the screen at the center of the stage:
[Audience Expectation: 24%]
From the historical records, the moment he regained control of his body, the expectation value automatically rebounded to 20%. After his battle of wits with the enforcers, the expectation value increased again, eventually stabilizing at 24%.
"Last time I died, it directly deducted 50% of the expectation value. If the expectation value drops below 50% the next time I die... what will happen?"
Just as Chen Ling was about to look away, he suddenly noticed a small, trembling treasure chest in the lower right corner of the screen.
He clearly remembered that this chest hadn't been there the first time he entered the theater.
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Ling tentatively reached out and tapped the chest...
Deng deng deng deng—!
The moment Chen Ling's fingertip touched the chest, a melody erupted from the speakers on both sides of the stage.
The sudden music startled Chen Ling. In the next moment, several spotlights shifted behind him. He turned around and saw a table materializing in the center of the stage.
It was an ordinary wooden table, somewhat old and worn, blending seamlessly with the wooden floor of the stage. The spotlight illuminated the table, and a piece of paper reflected a pale glow.
Chen Ling walked straight to the table. Two spotlights converged, eventually merging into one.
At the top of the paper, a few lines of text were written:
"Detected that the audience expectation value has exceeded 60% for the first time. Achievement unlocked—'Mostly Positive Reviews'!"
"You have gained an additional draw opportunity."
"Upon use, a random character skill from all the characters in this performance will be drawn for you to learn."
Chen Ling's eyes scanned the text. Before he could react, the white paper vanished, replaced by a deck of cards spread out on the table.
These cards came in various colors, mostly white and gray, with a few blue ones mixed in. The patterns on the cards ranged from simple to intricate. The more vibrant the color, the more advanced and precious the card appeared.
In the next moment, all the cards flipped face down, revealing identical backs. Then, they shuffled at an astonishing speed, eventually spreading out neatly across the table.
Chen Ling tried to track the blue cards, but the bizarre shuffling method made it impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"So there's a lottery system too... It seems not everything in this theater is bad."
Chen Ling took a deep breath and randomly selected a card in front of him, flipping it over onto the table...
It was a blue card.
Once Chen Ling made his choice, all the other cards disappeared. At the same time, a few lines of text appeared on the blue card:
"Skill: [Dance of Slaughter]"
"Affiliation: Path of the Soldier God, [Judgment] Path, Third Tier."
"Character: Han Meng."
Seeing Han Meng's name, Chen Ling's mind automatically conjured the image of the trench-coated figure who had fought evenly with the red paper monster last night... At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind.
This is a jackpot!
Since Chen Ling had transmigrated, Han Meng was undoubtedly the most powerful person he had encountered. Although Chen Ling didn't understand what "Path of the War God," "[Judgment] Path," or "Third Tier" meant, there was no doubt that he had drawn the best possible option available to him.
The blue card dissolved into nothingness, and Chen Ling felt something profound and mysterious awaken within him.
"Thank you for the gift." Chen Ling now felt a bit awkward.
He had essentially stolen—no, learned—this skill from Han Meng. In a way, Han Meng was his benefactor... but just a few hours ago, he had beaten up his "benefactor" and even knocked him out with a sneak attack.
That blow... probably didn't kill him, right?
He felt a pang of guilt.
---
The crimson Calamity danced wildly above,
Its terrifying aura making hearts tremble;
A slender hand extended from within the Calamity, pressing down on his head... like the hand of a god descending from the heavens, ruling over the mortal world.
On the hospital bed, Han Meng's eyes snapped open, and he nearly jumped out of bed.
"Ugh—"
The sharp pain in the back of his head made him grimace. His vision blurred, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
"Brother Meng!" An enforcer who had been dozing beside him was startled and immediately supported him. "Brother Meng! What are you doing? Don't move around, or you'll tear your stitches..."
Han Meng lay on the bed, finally regaining his senses, and asked in confusion:
"Where is this?"
"The hospital!"
"That long-armed... no, that red Calamity... where is it?"
"It..." The enforcer hesitated. "It probably escaped. When we arrived at the scene, we only saw you lying there..."
Fragmented memories flooded Han Meng's mind. He couldn't help but touch the back of his head, wincing in pain.
This Calamity... likes to ambush from behind?
"How's the situation? Any other casualties?"
"None so far. After fighting you, the Calamity hasn't appeared again. It must have been severely injured by you."
"I..."
Han Meng wanted to say that he hadn't actually injured it at all, but after a moment's hesitation, he swallowed those words.
He needed to maintain his image in front of his subordinates.
"What time is it?"
"6:50."
"...Help me up."
"Brother Meng, the doctor said you need to rest..."
"Rest my ass!" Han Meng gritted his teeth and stood up. "That Calamity is cunning. If we let it roam free, it'll cause a disaster sooner or later!"
"Cunning? Brother Meng, do you mean dangerous..." The enforcer was well-traveled, but this was the first time he'd heard someone describe a Calamity as "cunning."
"Dangerous, but even more cunning!"
Han Meng subconsciously touched the back of his head. "And I suspect it might have truly merged with a human..."
"A fusion?" Hearing these words, the enforcer's face turned pale. "Should we notify Aurora City immediately?"
Hearing the latter half of the sentence, Han Meng gradually calmed down. "No, not yet. I need to investigate further... This is just my speculation for now, with no theoretical basis."
"Then what should we do now..."
"Head to headquarters first. The new recruits should be arriving soon. We'll discuss the details on the way."
"Understood."