"No? This isn't right either... This is also wrong!"

Lily's face was pale as she stared blankly at the shattered Potion Bottles on the ground.

No matter which method she tried, there was no stopping the silver flames spreading inside his body.

It was as if the most crucial block had been pulled from a stack of Jenga pieces; collapse and doom had become inevitable. This was an inherent limitation. He was self-destructing. No matter how many life-prolonging Potions she administered, it was like adding fuel to the fire, utterly useless against this inevitable self-destruction.

Perhaps, just as the Stigma Genealogy stated, unless a God truly bestowed mercy, there was no salvation for him. Perhaps from the start, he was never destined to receive so-called redemption... No, it should be said that the redemption promised by The Church had long been implanted within his marrow, along with the blessed silver and Sacred Relic. All it needed was a small signal, and the fatal chain reaction would purify the Vampire's original sin along with the Vampire... Death was the ultimate release. As for whether the ethereal Gate of Heavenly Kingdom would open for him, that was beyond The Church's concern.

Without hesitation, Huai Shi could see the health on his Character Card being rapidly depleted.

One point, one point, one point...

Direct erasure from the limit until the instant of Reset, and everything would come to an end.

"Ah, is this the fate of a 'Second fifth'?"

In his daze, Huai Shi murmured softly, feeling drops of water falling on his face.

Someone was still by his side, futilely attempting every method, over and over, until they fell into complete despair.

"Save him, please!"

Lily lifted her head, gazing at her kin, nearly begging as she cried out, "Doesn't the White Crown King have any other Blessings? Anything that can save a person would be good!"

All the crew members were silent, casting down their eyes in pity.

"I'm sorry, child."

The captain averted his gaze, "You need to understand, for Puppets like us, who can't determine our own birth or death, the Power to save others is too luxurious."

Lily looked at him blankly, as if unable to accept it. After a long while, she looked down wearily at her hands, unable to suppress her sobs, "But I have, I already... received life."

No one spoke again, merely averting their gazes.

"I'm not dead yet, so let's not put on such somber faces as if you're ready to lay wreaths, alright?"

Huai Shi tried hard to open his eyes wide, but he heard the sound of fractures at the corners of his eyes; the tiny crackling noise spread across his face. As he propped himself up, more and more noises burst from his shell.

"Help me up," Huai Shi said softly, "I can still deliver."

Amidst everyone's astonished expressions, Huai Shi climbed up from the ground. Leaning on his Axe, he lifted his head with difficulty and looked around.

Then, he took a deep breath.

"Hey, friend! I'm dying, so you should at least come out to see me, right?"

He roared fiercely, feeling his insides shattering, "Or are you going to hide until the very end without showing your face!!!"

In the silence, everyone exchanged glances.

Finally, their gazes shockingly converged behind Huai Shi.

A massive shadow had appeared behind Huai Shi, though no one knew when.

No, he was sitting on the ground. He had been there from the beginning, quietly enjoying it all, seated in a premium spot within arm's reach, watching the drama unfold. Yet no one had noticed, no one had perceived him.

Underneath the hood, a familiar sigh came, "Honestly, I didn't plan to do this. I thought about at least letting you have a last farewell..."

With that, he lifted his hood, revealing that face.

Yue Jun?

Huai Shi was stunned for a moment, frowning.

Could it be Yue Jun, who had been Beheaded on the first night? But that couldn't be right; I had seen his body already, nearly rotted away. Or could it be that with just his head remaining, he could still survive?

No, that's not right. It wasn't Yue Jun.

Even though Ai Qing remained silent now, I can make such a judgment based on the clues she had given me before.

"Who are you?"

"Hmm? I thought you would make the same mistake as Yin Yan."

'Yue Jun' pinched his chin, his eyebrows slightly raised, his voice becoming hoarse and deep, "It's really not polite to meet people with this appearance. Unfortunately, to make you believe I was dead, the original head was damaged too. You see, I've been cobbled together along the way, made a Ship of Theseus out of the Mayflower, until in the end, only the brain was my own..."

He said the joke so leisurely, slightly stroking his hair, showing Huai Shi the fine scars underneath.

Huai Shi was shocked.

"Old Xiao?"

"Yes, it's me."

Old Xiao nodded. The expression on Yue Jun's face was serene; it was unclear if his newly attached head wasn't functioning properly or if he was naturally this calm and composed.

"You killed Yue Jun?"

"Lei Feizhou and I." Old Xiao shrugged slightly. "We formed an Alliance on the first day we boarded the ship, but unfortunately, Yue Jun saw us, you know."

"What about Yin Yan?"

"Also me."

Old Xiao answered frankly, "To complete my secret, I needed the resurrection Magic Potion from Yaga that he possessed, and he wouldn't give it to me."

"Let me guess..." Huai Shi laughed. "The next one is me?"

"Even if I don't make a move, you're going to die anyway, aren't you?"

Old Xiao looked at him with pity, at the flaking pieces on his face. "To tell you the truth, I once considered you my strongest competitor, given your past performances... impressive, utterly unpredictable.

"Moreover, before all this, you possessed the strongest killing power among us all; the Executioner from the Stigma Genealogy paired with you was simply a match made in heaven. I took so many precautions against you, but the one thing I never expected was that you couldn't even complete your own secret."

As if seeing through everything, he calmly stated the facts, "Unfortunately, Huai Shi, you're going to lose this game."

"Should I congratulate you for winning the Second Fifth Competition?" Huai Shi asked indifferently, gripping the handle of his Axe.

"Is what you and I have achieved really important, Huai Shi? You needn't be angry about it, just as I won't be proud of it."

Old Xiao suddenly laughed. "When all is said and done, aren't we just chess pieces? Even if we claim to be Players, we are still bound by the rules, unable to break free on the Gods' chessboard.

"From the beginning, our missions and will have predestined all of this, not by so-called luck or chance. Maybe KP is holding the dice telling you it's all probability, but what he doesn't tell you is—Gods don't play dice.

"Everything has been predetermined, Huai Shi."

He stared at the young man before him, yet it was as if he was looking at Ai Qing beyond the chessboard, telling him word by word, "The ending was there before it all started.

"And now, it's just time for the curtain call. Why be angry or sad?"

"You want to tell me it's all fate, and then what? That makes you feel justified in your actions?" Huai Shi retorted. "Or do you think you're not in control, so you don't need to bear any burden?"

"But that doesn't stop me from winning, does it?" Old Xiao said coldly. "If you have any last words, I hope you make it quick. I'm in a hurry."

"Doing what, eh?" Huai Shi laughed. "Reincarnating?"

Old Xiao laughed as well.

"Of course, it's killing."

In that instant, a dark, beastly malice emerged from that previously calm face, filled with killing intent.

Then, a flash of metallic light burst forth, accompanied by the roar of thunder.

The Axe Blade tore through the air, unleashing a cold light from Huai Shi's hands like never before.

It was as if the pain from the Penalty for Oath Breaking didn't exist. From his shattered visage, dark eyes ignited, fierce and ferocious like the burning flames of Hell.

"How coincidental," Huai Shi said. "Same for me!"

In that moment, all the ready Artificial Humans raised their weapons, aimed at Old Xiao's massive frame, and pulled their triggers. Lethal gunfire erupted like a storm, instantly engulfing Old Xiao.

Countless burning pieces of steel pierced through his flesh, inflicting gruesome wounds, swiftly turning him into a riddled mess of flesh.

With a roar from Huai Shi, the Axe Blade flashed by, Beheading the grinning head.

The massive body thundered to the ground, blood spreading.

"Pah, thought he was something special," the captain spat disdainfully. "Average at best."

"Is that it?"

In the pool of blood, Yue Jun's head rolled slowly, lips parting. "Is there anything else?"

Huai Shi was taken aback.

Then he saw a mocking smile spread across that face. "Guess what my mission was?"

In that instant, Huai Shi saw a dark shadow fly out from beneath Old Xiao's tattered cloak, whistling toward him like a Sharp Blade. Its terrifying speed surpassed even that of a Vampire; Huai Shi's reflexes failed to perceive it, only belatedly realizing he had been attacked from the Afterimage his eyes caught.

When he looked down, he only saw a coiled tentacle slowly retracting.

And on his chest, there was a large hole.

Between the gradually silvering metallic bones, a gaping tear ran from his chest through to his back. The overwhelming blow had shattered all of Huai Shi's defenses in an instant.

Then, the tentacle curled slightly. As if caressed by a gentle breeze and light rain, disregarding the hail of bullets, it swept casually across.

BANG!

The Axe in Huai Shi's hand flew out, spun through the air, and finally landed askew on the ground, cutting into the shattered deck.

Huai Shi was thrown backward, crashing into the ruins. His broken frame spread numerous cracks, like a poorly glued porcelain vase.

About to fall apart.

Through the intense dizziness and daze, Huai Shi heard Old Xiao's words.

He was talking to himself.

Old Xiao slowly climbed up from the ground, bathed in the storm of bullets. He casually picked up Yue Jun's head and put it back on his neck.

As if putting on a hat.

The flesh merged, and no abnormalities could be seen anymore.

"My mission, actually, was quite simple."

He smiled, tearing off the tattered cloak around him and exposing the hideous body hidden in the darkness. "Merely an advancement, that's all."

In that instant, his true form was revealed under the reflection of the Blood Sea.

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