Chapter 162 Arsenal Cards
"No need to greet them," the woman said coolly as she took a seat at the table. "They’re most likely our opponents."
"Oh... is that so?" The man forced an awkward smile. "Is this going to be a card game battle?"
"WONDERFUL!" Terrestrial Chicken suddenly shouted, his voice ringing out like a crack of thunder. "All four players are here! Now let’s announce the rules of the game!!"
Qi Xia, Doctor Zhao, the man, and the woman settled into their seats around the square table.
With a dramatic flourish, Terrestrial Chicken reached out and grabbed the deck of cards. He plucked out five cards and laid them carefully on the table. Everyone leaned in for a closer look. Each card bore a different image—a knife, a stick, a rope, a stone, and a shield.
"My game is called {ARSENAL CARDS}!" Terrestrial Chicken announced, his voice booming with excitement. "You will all participate in the most exhilarating confrontation right here, before ME!"
Qi Xia studied the five cards, his mind beginning to churn. Using cards... to initiate a confrontation?
"For this game," Terrestrial Chicken continued, his voice growing more animated, "only one member from each team may take a seat at the square table! The other member must step into the glass room!"
"The person who enters the room will be known as the {COMBATANT}! The person who remains at the table will be the {STRATEGIST}!" Terrestrial Chicken explained, his excitement palpable as he gestured wildly, unable to contain his glee. "The {Strategist} will play a card each round, and the item depicted on the card will be the tool used by the {Combatant}!!"
‘Now it makes sense...’ Qi Xia murmured, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully as the rules began to take shape in his mind.
"At the beginning of the game, each {Strategist} will draw five cards, and then play one card per round, drawing another after each turn, until the death of one or both {Combatants}!" Terrestrial Chicken explained, his voice full of excitement. "I should also mention, there are two {Vital Cards} and one {Fatal Card} in the deck. You will naturally know their differences when you draw them!"
At this, the expressions of Doctor Zhao and the couple began to shift, their faces slowly contorting with unease.
"Death?" The woman asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "Do you mean that the {Combatants} are really... fighting?!"
"THAT’S RIGHT!" Terrestrial Chicken shouted enthusiastically, "If the game ends in failure, it won’t just be the {Combatant} who DIES!!"
Before anyone could react, a mechanical click sounded, and something abruptly shot out from the backs of their chairs, fastening tightly around their necks.
It was a metal collar.
The collars on Qi Xia and Doctor Zhao’s necks glowed a bright red, while the man and woman’s collars flickered with an eerie blue light.
"The two teams are divided by these colors," Terrestrial Chicken explained, his voice gleeful. "If the collar detects that anyone's pulse has stopped, the collar of the same color—your teammate's—will EXPLODE!"
The group instinctively reached up to grasp the collars around their necks, pulling with all their might. But no matter how much they strained, the collars remained firm and unyielding.
"Doctor Zhao, now we are bound {through both life and death}," Qi Xia whispered, his voice low but steady.
Doctor Zhao didn’t respond verbally, but his tight expression spoke volumes.
Beside them, the tall man couldn’t sit still. His restlessness was evident as he glanced around the room, his nerves fraying. "What’s going on? Why is this game so dangerous?! The previous games were nothing ..."
"Zi Chen (子晨), it’s alright, I’m here..." The woman beside him patted his shoulder comfortingly. "No matter how difficult this game is, we will survive, together."
Zi Chen turned his gaze to the woman, his eyes filled with both gratitude and tension, before he gave a slow nod.
Hearing the woman's calm words, Qi Xia couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity about her. Despite the tension in the room, her composure remained steady. Though she appeared a little nervous, her demeanor was otherwise unshaken, and her sharp eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings and studying the cards on the table. Anyone who could adapt so quickly to such a dangerous environment and consider countermeasures with such poise was clearly no ordinary person.
"Please now decide who will be the {Combatant} and {Strategist}," Terrestrial Chicken announced.
Qi Xia slowly raised his hand and asked, "Can I inquire about how many cards of each tool are in the deck?"
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you that!" Terrestrial Chicken replied, shaking his head vigorously. "That’s something you must figure out on your own!"
"Then how many cards are there in total?" the woman raised her hand and inquired.
"That’s also a secret!" Terrestrial Chicken replied, casting a quick glance between her and Qi Xia. He then gathered all the cards from the table, shuffled them, and placed the deck back in the center. "Now, please assign your roles!"
Qi Xia rose slowly and exchanged a look with Doctor Zhao. Wordlessly, they both moved to a quieter corner of the room.
"Doctor Zhao, do you exercise regularly?"
"N–No way, you want me to go?!" Doctor Zhao stammered, clearly shocked. He stole a nervous glance at the towering 1.9-meter-tall man nearby and whispered anxiously to Qi Xia, "Do you really think I can beat him?!"
"Unless you would prefer..." Qi Xia scratched his head, pretending to wrestle with the choice. "You remain here to strategize, while I go in?""
"That..." Doctor Zhao hesitated, his eyes darting between Qi Xia and the man. Naturally, he knew that Qi Xia’s intellect far surpassed his own, making it the most sensible choice for him to stay behind as the {Strategist}. But the mere thought of having to {fight} that imposing figure made his legs tremble uncontrollably.
"I will be beaten to death by him..." Doctor Zhao muttered, his voice trembling with anxiety. "What if I really am beaten to death?!"
"If you are, I’ll die too," Qi Xia replied, his tone surprisingly calm. "But rest assured, I’ll do everything in my power to avoid such a fate."
"Can you guarantee that?"
"No," Qi Xia admitted, shaking his head with a rueful smile. "I merely wish to experience {Terrestrial Chicken}’s game firsthand. It is said that he and I share a past, yet beyond that, I cannot make promises. You and I may lose our lives at any moment."
"You’re really a lunatic!" Doctor Zhao cursed under his breath, a bitter edge to his words. "Your {experience} is going to get us both killed!"
"Not necessarily?" Qi Xia replied, his voice a cool echo of indifference. "There’s no way out anyway. Why not give it a try?"
Doctor Zhao, after much internal debate, finally relented, his voice trembling with uncertainty. He realized that there was no other choice—if things had come this far, Qi Xia had to remain as the {Strategist}. The decision weighed heavily on him, but it was the only path forward.
As expected, the man and woman were assigned their roles: the tall man as the {Combatant}, and the woman likely as the {Strategist}. The man, though imposing in stature, seemed even more afraid than Doctor Zhao. Both he and his partner stood at the threshold of the glass room, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as they stared at the challenge ahead.
"You two, since you are {Combatants}, there are a few rules you must know!" Terrestrial Chicken said, "Once the {Strategist} has finished playing their card, your props will immediately fall from the ceiling, and you will have ten seconds of action time!"
"Ten seconds..." The two {Combatants} exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions fraught with confusion, before turning their gaze back to Terrestrial Chicken.
"After ten seconds, you must stop your actions immediately," Terrestrial Chicken continued, his tone almost gleeful. "Regardless of whether your opponent is dead or not, you MUST throw your props into the opening behind you!" He nodded enthusiastically, clearly relishing the moment. "And remember—apart from that ten-second action window, any fighting outside of those parameters will be considered a {violation}. Any questions?"
They turned around and, sure enough, a small opening was behind them.
"N–No..." Doctor Zhao stammered.
"Wonderful!" Terrestrial Chicken beamed, clearly enjoying the tension he had created. He then shifted his attention, turning toward Qi Xia and the woman seated at the table.
"AS FOR THE {STRATEGISTS}, LET ME REITERATE THE RULES!" Terrestrial Chicken's voice boomed across the room, sharp and unnervingly loud, making it difficult for anyone to focus. "Each of you will start with five cards in hand. You will play one card per round, and draw another at the beginning of the next round!" His tone was almost triumphant as he continued, "To {PLAY} a card, simply place it on the table. Any QUESTIONS?"
"No." The two said in unison.