Mini World Game Console

Although there were two choices, the "Redemption" option was grayed out!

Red Hood said, "Only Magicians and creatures that have received the power of the Holy Grail can be redeemed. Ordinary people who die completely in the hall will turn directly into Demons! Sacrifice him quickly!"

The other Mysterious Country Warriors also noticed their companion's death. The warrior closest to Zhong Zhou ran over to assess his tragic condition, only to clench his teeth and return to the fight against the Strange Creature.

It was a critical moment for everyone, and the death of their comrades was now inevitable. The Mysterious Country Warriors knew this silver-haired Magician had always been helping them, so naturally, they didn't suspect him of doing anything to the dead.

Ren Suo asked, "Is the Healing Offering also ineffective?"

Red Hood said, "It's effective, but he won't last until you finish Healing him!"

"Then we just need to make him last."

Activating the Offering, "Strong Heart Technique"!

The Magician pressed on Zhong Zhou's heart. This life-saving power, originating from the Ren Family Cultivators two thousand years ago, tenaciously clung to Zhong Zhou's life.

The black vortex beneath Zhong Zhou slowly dissipated. The Magician continuously launched Holy Light Bullets for initial Healing. He then reattached Zhong Zhou's lower body and slowed the blood loss, ultimately pulling him back from the brink of death.

It actually worked. Ren Suo was somewhat surprised—he had only tried it out.

He hadn't expected the Strong Heart Technique to still effectively stave off death in the game.

At that moment, Ren Suo remembered something. He swapped the "Unlimited Fried Chicken Set" in his item bar with the "Goddess Jade Pendant" and immediately returned to the battle.

By then, the Mysterious Country Warriors had mostly emptied their magazines and were all attacking with Spells. Fire and ice filled the air. Only Cheng Wenchao, with his Sonic Blade, could get close to Attack—his speed was considerable, allowing him to barely dodge the Strange Creature's assaults.

Although the Strange Creature continued to damage everyone, it didn't cause dismemberment or near-death situations. The Magician's Holy Light Bullets provided precise, targeted Healing, and no further casualties occurred.

When the Strange Creature's Life Value fell to 25%, the Iron Masked Head screamed again, "I've shed so much blood... why won't you drink?"

The Strange Creature ran back into the pool of blood. The blood plasma enveloped it like a solid substance, turning it into a bloody behemoth! The blood staining the wood and vines deepened in color, and its armor, fortified with blood plasma, became even more robust!

"HAH!"

Red Hood, flashing like the wind, dashed beneath the Strange Creature. She unleashed a Flame Great Axe Attack at its waist. This Attack, which usually ignited and stiffened the wood, only shaved off a small piece this time!

Its vulnerability to flame damage vanished, and the Strange Creature's Defense greatly increased! Red Hood's Attack could no longer stagger it. The Strange Creature transformed the wooden stick in its right hand into blood-colored vine-whips, resembling a broom. With one sweep, Red Hood, unable to dodge in time, was flung away!

The Strange Creature's speed also increased. It became so fast that even Ren Suo, in his Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records Status, couldn't dodge due to his clumsy hands!

The battle instantly grew tougher. By the time the Magician exited the Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records Status, the Strange Creature still had 20% of its Life Value remaining!

The Strange Creature's Attack pattern changed: its wooden stick transformed into a vine broom with a wide sweep. Nearly every Attack injured someone. While 'Clothing' was instantly shattered, it at least mitigated most of the damage.

If not for the Magician's Holy Light Bullets, the Mysterious Country Warriors would surely have bled to death!

Yet even so, both the Magician's and Red Hood's Life Values were gradually falling. The Magician's Mana couldn't keep up; he needed to find a nearby Demon corpse to recover some!

Just as the situation became perilous, Red Hood suddenly said, "Wait, I'll bind the Demon, and you quickly Attack it!"

Binding? Ren Suo immediately asked, "Your damage is higher than mine; let me do it!"

"You still have a future. I came here prepared to die. Dying in battle with a Demon couldn't be better!" Red Hood said. "When the Binding ends, I will use Flame Skin Breath to end this nightmare!"

At that moment, an extremely fatigued Cheng Wenchao, in a daze, failed to dodge from beneath the Strange Creature. He was swept by its vine broom. His 'Clothing' shattered, and he screamed as he fell to the ground.

The next second, the Strange Creature raised the Iron Masked Head in its right hand—this was its most potent Attack. Even the Magician would lose a significant portion of his Life Value if hit!

With his 'Clothing' already shattered, Cheng Wenchao's fate seemed almost certain!

However, at that moment, the Magician teleported in front of Cheng Wenchao, extending his left hand!

The Forbidden Technique "Iron Chain of the Finger" activated for the second time!

Not only that, but orange-red Fiery Flames suddenly burst from the Magician, completely engulfing him. A pain-filled cry, seemingly from the depths of his bones, tore from him!

The Forbidden Technique "Flame Skin Breath" activated!

Red Hood didn't speak, instead taking this opportunity to mercilessly Attack the Palace Demon with her Flame Great Axe!

After a brief Casting, a giant Flame King rumbled into existence above the Magician's head. It was even larger than the headless Strange Creature, and its grand, fiery aura swept through the entire hall!

Just then, a group of Ren Family Cultivators appeared at the hall's entrance. They arrived just in time to witness the standoff between the Flame King and the Strange Creature.

"Die, you bug!"

The Flame King grasped the immobile Strange Creature, pouring endless flames into it and roasting it until its blood evaporated!

With just one move, the Strange Creature's Life Value was reduced to 3%!

The Flame King soon dissipated, but the side effects descended upon the Magician. He now resembled a burnt-out piece of charcoal; not an inch of skin remained, and blood seeped from the scabbed flesh beneath. He looked extremely terrifying.

However, Ren Suo had no time to focus on the Magician's appearance. After the 20-second Binding of the Iron Chain of the Finger ended, the Strange Creature, with just a sliver of Life Value remaining, managed to sweep the Magician. It reduced him to critical Life Value before Red Hood finally killed it.

The Strange Creature screamed as most of its body dissolved into black mist. Only a girl in brown clothing, kneeling on the ground, remained.

Red Hood stood beside the girl, waiting for the Magician's next move.

"Whether you choose 'Redemption' or 'Sacrifice,' it doesn't matter," Red Hood said lightly. "As long as the Magician deals with the Palace Demon, it will not be Resurrected, and this evil... will also be purified."

Ren Suo controlled the badly injured Magician to approach the girl. She turned her head to look at him, her freckled face covered in bloodstains.

He no longer hesitated and directly chose "Redemption," since he was already on this path.

The Redemption of the Palace Demon was utterly different from that of ordinary humanoid Strange Creatures. The screen flashed back, showing the ordinary girl's life:

"An ordinary-looking Gardener girl fell in love with a handsome Knight. Knowing she was plain, she pined for him in secret. During a war, the Knight returned seriously injured and recuperated in the Monastery. The girl felt her chance had come."

"However, many beautiful girls vied to care for the Knight. The Gardener girl, having nothing impressive to offer, picked the most beautiful flower she had cultivated and sent it to him."

"But she saw a woman, more beautiful than her flower, already caring for the Knight. So, she crushed the beautiful flower that had taken her countless hours to cultivate."

"She grew to hate herself more and more—her plainness, her inferiority, her helplessness."

"She just hoped to bring a little help to the person she secretly loved."

"That's when the Holy Grail appeared."

"She offered everything she had. While tending the garden, she accidentally cut herself on a thorn. Her blood spilled into the soil, and golden flowers bloomed."

Indeed, what better help could there be for a patient than Healing?

"So, she found a torture device in the Monastery and squeezed out her own blood. She poured all her yearning into it. It seemed the more blood she extracted, the deeper her love was, and perhaps then she would receive an equivalent measure of love in return."

"Massive blood loss left the girl's face withered and covered in bloodstains. Unwilling to let her secret love see her like this, she donned an Iron Mask. Carrying her bucket of blood, she went to the Knight and appeared before him."

"The Knight, who was in bed, saw her eerie appearance and her 'gift.' He was so frightened that he immediately drew the sword beside him, chopped off her head, and fled through the window."

"The girl, Bewildered and holding her own head, chased after the fleeing Knight. Now, surely because she was constantly running, the wounds on her body bled tears of blood."

Game prompt: "Iron Maiden, Redemption successful."

As the girl on the ground dissolved into light, Red Hood turned and said, "I'll wait for you in the next hall." Then, she left.

Finally, he had cleared a stage. Ren Suo heaved a sigh of relief.

"You better lie down! We're going to get someone to Heal you!"

The Mysterious Country Warriors crowded around, pressing the Magician to lie on the ground. Ren Suo was bewildered.

At that moment, Cheng Wenchao brought a Cultivator who had just entered the hall. The Cultivator squatted down to check the Magician's injuries, saying, "Ninety-nine percent deep burns, and most of the internal organs are..."

The Magician, after using a Forbidden Technique, had been swiped by the Strange Creature. The effects were naturally terrifying. But he had a Life Value bar; as long as it refilled, he would be fine.

However, to normal eyes, this spelled certain death.

Zhong Zhou insisted others help him over. Seeing the disfigured Magician, he couldn't help but shed tears. "Benefactor, if you have any last wishes, just tell me! I will fulfill them for you!"

Zhong Zhou had seen with his own eyes how the Magician saved him when he was cut in two. He felt deeply indebted for his life being saved; such a debt, he believed, should be repaid many times over, a principle especially strong for someone from the military.

At this moment, the "Exit stage" option appeared on the screen, so Ren Suo had the Magician say, "No need."

Yuan Dang, Cheng Wenchao, and the others also said, "Magician Sir, in the battle just now, you protected us all. You even sacrificed yourself to kill that Strange Creature. We all saw it."

"Without you, we would have died at that Strange Creature's hands long ago."

"No matter what, you are our lifesaver. If you have any last wishes, we will try our best to fulfill them!"

At this time, saying he still had a chance of survival seemed a bit like spoiling the mood... Ren Suo's eyes darted around, and he had the Magician say:

"We are Mages Under the World Tree. Our lives are dedicated to the World Tree. Eradicating disasters and saving humanity is our duty. I will not die. I have many compatriots silently fighting. My will shall be passed on through their lives—an Inheritance they carry. We share a common name: Magician..."

After speaking, Ren Suo quickly had the Magician exit the stage. Unexpectedly, the Magician's method of exiting the stage was also very otherworldly—his body actually disintegrated into light, inch by inch, and vanished.

Seeing the screen finally return to the stage selection, Ren Suo let out a sigh of relief.

This boss battle had drained him emotionally and physically. After saving the game and turning off the console, he simply lay on the sofa and fell asleep.

「Later, while sleeping in a daze, Ren Suo heard the doorbell ring and sluggishly went to open the door.」

"Good morning."

Dong Chengling stood outside the door, handing him a thermos. "I made too much red bean soy milk today. Do you want to try some? I added brown sugar, honey, and milk, so it might be a bit sweet."

"Oh... Thank you."

Since he was awake, Ren Suo brushed his teeth and washed his face. Then he opened the thermos and took a large gulp.

Smooth and very sweet.

Freshly made, it really did taste good.

Ren Suo smacked his lips and looked down at the thermos. The dark red liquid swirled within, its color appearing especially appetizing under the light.