Lin Ran watched from the cave, utterly stunned, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat.
Though he had known these kids were formidable, he now felt absolutely certain of his own inadequacy.
In a face-to-face rules-based competition, he might have stood a chance.
But when it came to life-and-death combat, he was convinced any one of these children could obliterate him in an instant.
Luo Shuigou’s palm was suddenly pierced by the girl’s thrown dart, the sharp point embedding deep into his flesh. Blood gushed out instantly.
The searing pain forced a muffled groan from him, and in his agony, his grip on the rope loosened reflexively, sending the girl plummeting downward.
At the same time, Luo Shuimao had already leaped from the tree, landing steadily on the ground, his gaze cold and calculating as he waited for the falling girl.Follow current novels on N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
Midair and having already used her dart, she had no chance of countering.
The moment she hit the ground, Luo Shuimao didn’t hesitate—he drew a steel needle from his waist and drove it straight into her abdomen.
“Ahhh—!” The girl’s shrill scream echoed through the woods, a sound saturated with unbearable agony.Meanwhile, the enemy sniper had been subdued by Luo Yao. A long-range attacker by nature, he stood little chance against an assassin like her once she closed the distance.
Luo Yao moved like a shadow, sticking to him relentlessly, leaving him no room to retaliate.
“Do you surrender, or do you wait for death?” Luo Shuigou demanded through gritted teeth, his voice trembling slightly but laced with the relief of impending victory.
Yet the two opponents remained silent, their eyes filled with venomous hatred, as if they wanted to tear them apart limb by limb.
Luo Yao felt no such relief. The rules of this skirmish were clear—three against three.
Only two enemies had shown themselves. Where was the third?
A sudden unease gripped her. Realization struck, and she jerked her head up, her eyes widening in alarm.
“Move!” she shouted, but it was too late. Three branches shot toward them like arrows, too fast to evade.
One pierced clean through Luo Shuimao’s chest, the sheer force sending his body flying backward—along with the girl he had pinned.
Blood sprayed from their wounds, staining the grass crimson.
Without hesitation, Luo Yao yanked the sniper in front of her as a shield.
“Traitor. Now we’ve each lost one. Shall we continue?”
From the shadows, a figure emerged slowly.
Luo Shuigou stared at his brother and the girl, skewered together like kebabs. His eyes burned red, flames of fury igniting within them.
“Brother…” His voice cracked, his body trembling with grief and rage.
But Luo Shuimao, impaled through the chest, was already as pale as death, his lips quivering faintly. There was no saving him.
In this merciless world, the brothers had endured two years of hardship side by side.
They had faced countless dangers, teetering on the edge of life and death each time. Though they knew the odds were against them both surviving, they had clung to a sliver of hope—that somehow, a miracle might come.
And now, in an instant, his brother was gone. The sight was a nightmare, carving into Luo Shuigou’s heart like a blade.
Madness overtook him. Reason shattered.
He charged forward like an enraged bull, his mind consumed by vengeance.
The enemy’s makeshift super-crossbow was a single-use weapon, now useless. With no other option, he braced himself for Luo Shuigou’s onslaught.
Luo Yao’s eyes narrowed, her gaze turning icy as winter frost. One thought anchored her: she had to survive. Not just for herself, but for the promise she had made to that older brother.
Luo Shuimao had been no weakling—his fight had been fierce, evenly matched.
Then Luo Yao moved. Like lightning, she darted forward, a weapon flashing in her hand with lethal precision.
It sliced through the enemy’s vitals like a scythe of death.
The man’s eyes bulged with terror and disbelief. He opened his mouth, but only a choked, gurgling sound escaped as blood filled his throat.
Then he collapsed, limp as a ragdoll, his lifeblood spreading across the ground like a cursed flower blooming in hell.
Together, Luo Yao and Luo Shuigou turned on the last enemy.
Exhaustion weighed on him, and under their relentless assault, he too fell. (Originally more graphic, but censored.)
His body hit the dirt with a heavy thud, blood seeping from multiple wounds, painting the earth a vivid red.
They had won. Yet there was no cheering, no celebration.
Their faces held no triumph—only sorrow and exhaustion.
They stood there, silent as statues drained of life, staring at the corpses of Luo Shuimao and the others.
Six had fought. Only two remained. Such was the cruelty of Luo Yao’s world.
Here, there was no mercy, no compassion—only the brutal calculus of survival. Every battle was a nightmare, and this nightmare was all too real.
Back in the cave, Lin Ran’s eyes were red-rimmed.
Tears welled up, threatening to spill over. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His heart ached as if crushed by an invisible hand, the pain stealing his breath. He wanted to rush out, to comfort Luo Yao, to change this merciless reality.
But Xiao Hei held him back.
[“Lin Ran, think carefully. If others discover you, what will happen to Luo Yao? At least wait until you’re alone with her.”]
[“Acting recklessly could doom her.”]
[“Remember—never interfere lightly with fate here. The consequences could be dire.”]