Welcome to Rewind World Game

[Meanwhile, the Tower will select 9 individuals from the total of 3,381,902 contestants, endowing them with the might of the Disciple.]

[The might of the Disciple acts like rules; touching them means instant death.]

[Disciples do not know each other's identities and must defeat the other 8 Disciples. Methods include: removing the tattoos of the other 8 Disciples, killing the other 8 Disciples, or rendering the other 8 Disciples unable to act.]

[Ultimately, there will be only one winning Disciple.]

[Non-disciples can help their favored Disciple achieve the final victory, so please choose your alliances carefully.]

...

After the final rule was announced, everyone was in an uproar.

"What does this mean?" Su Luoluo didn't understand.

"The Tower will select nine people among us and give these nine different instant death rules, just like the Angel earlier. These nine can use their instant death rules to kill," her companion Qingqing explained, "The identities of these nine people are confidential; only they know they have been chosen as Disciples, and only they know their instant death rules. They must eliminate the other eight Disciples before the world task is completed."

Su Luoluo looked around hastily but couldn't tell who had been selected as a Disciple.

Su Ming'an descended from the sky, quietly glancing at his palm—a blood-red tattoo appeared, signifying he had been chosen as a Disciple.

...

"Ding-dong!"

[You have been chosen as one of the nine Disciples.]

[The instant death rule you hold is: those who speak lies shall be granted equal death.]

...

...those who speak lies?

Su Ming'an's eyes moved slightly; this instant death rule was quite good, with high versatility. He was often tricked by various small deceivers, but now he could see through them at a glance and even kill them outright.

He didn't know what the instant death rules of the other eight Disciples were. It was best to be cautious now to avoid triggering someone else's instant death rule.

The World Game seemed to have a liking for the number "nine," even making nine Disciples.

Using Xiao Jingsan's figure as cover, Li Mingyue put a pair of black gloves on Su Ming'an, although it might be a case of overacting, there was no better way to conceal it.

"You're not Disciples?" Su Ming'an asked.

"No, we didn't have those tattoos appear on us," said Xiao Jingsan.

Su Ming'an said, "The Tower requires the Disciples to fight amongst themselves; could it be for selection?"

"Who knows." Xiao Jingsan shrugged, "Isn't any promotion route a harsh selection process?"

Xiao Jingsan pushed Su Ming'an away. Even though there were fanatical followers who wanted to get close to Su Ming'an, they were forced back by Xiao Jingsan's ice-cold aura.

"Wait." At this moment, someone flashed in front of Su Ming'an. Her black hair flowed like clouds, and her red silk fluttered in the wind. It was Zou Yuqing, the enchantress of the Demon Sect from Louyue Nation.

People retreated several steps; now Zou Yuqing was no longer seen as a likeable game character in their eyes, but as a competitor from another world.

"Hello, let's form an alliance." Zou Yuqing extended her hand to Su Ming'an.

"Do we know each other?" Su Ming'an said.

Although he was very familiar with Zou Yuqing in the game, he was the Eldest Prince Su Shaoqing at that time. Zou Yuqing could not possibly recognize the current world Su Ming'an.

"I think you must be one of the nine Disciples; after all, the Tower would certainly choose competitive individuals." Zou Yuqing waved both hands, directly tearing off the silk at her shoulder to reveal a bright red tattoo: "I'm a Disciple too, let's form an alliance. Two against seven is better than one against eight, isn't it?"

Everyone was shocked to see Zou Yuqing daringly reveal her identity as a Disciple. The television cameramen hurriedly zoomed in, capturing her tattoo to show audiences worldwide.

[It's really Zou Yuqing! She openly revealed her identity just like that?]

[After all, she is the enchantress of the Demon Sect, never bound by etiquette or order, living according to her whims.]

[Is this young man in the wheelchair really the Deity? I saw three Angels so frightened of him, and he even directly executed the Order Angel Light.]

[Could it be that the Deity took mortal form to experience earthly life, even giving himself a Disciple identity?]

...

"I'm sorry, I'm not a Disciple." Su Ming'an shook his head, "Why ally with a cripple?"

"Really?" Zou Yuqing stepped closer, looking innocent, "Won't you reconsider? Just secretly tell me if you're a Disciple, won't you?"

Her eyes flickered, her lips a bright red, and as she approached, her flawless skin appeared shockingly beautiful.

But Su Ming'an remained expressionless, "I am not a Disciple, Miss Zou."

Zou Yuqing blinked and sighed, twirling her finger in her disheveled hair, then suddenly leaned in close and whispered, "You're smart, always refusing to admit. Do you know? My instant death rule is—[Those who admit to being Disciples in front of me shall be granted equal death]."

Su Ming'an's pupils trembled slightly, looking at the girl so close, her eyes full of laughter, bells tinkling in the wind.

...so there's this kind of instant death rule. It seems not just actions, but words must be extremely cautious.

He felt his palm still icy cold; his instant death rule couldn't be triggered, meaning Zou Yuqing was telling the truth.

"Since you don't wish to form an alliance, I'll be on my way." Zou Yuqing turned and quickly left the scene. Many people hurriedly followed, since Zou Yuqing was the first to publicly declare her Disciple identity, they intended to throw in their allegiance, hoping for rewards.

Su Ming'an glanced back. Mizushima Kawa Sora stood in the shadow of a street-side café. Their gazes met, and Mizushima Kawa Sora's eyes were slightly cold.

...Mizushima Kawa Sora was likely a Disciple as well.

Su Ming'an then looked at the small group of Yamada Machiichi and others, Lu, Mo Yan, Eli gathered together, their expressions were not heavy, nor did they seek Su Ming'an's help, perhaps none of them were Disciples.

So, who would the other six Disciples be?

Su Ming'an was not in a hurry; since he held the instant death rule, the Disciples would ultimately kill sooner or later. When the news of killings spread, it wouldn't be long before the Disciples were revealed.

"I hate this kind of meaningless struggle," Xiao Jingsan suddenly said, "According to a Tower's rules, picking nine people to kill each other... what's the point? Like most exams and selections in this world, they're all destructive. If there were a tool that could instantly measure human qualities, most people wouldn't have to suffer like this every day."

"If you're dissatisfied, then win in the end, and overthrow the Tower," said Su Ming'an.

Xiao Jingsan's gaze lowered slightly, suddenly leaning over, resting on the back of the chair, "I, Li Mingyue, and Chao Yan are indeed not on good terms, our beliefs and ultimate goals are different, but in terms of protecting you, we're all in agreement. Would you consider always standing by my side, Angel?"

"First, drop that unpleasant title," Su Ming'an said.

"Angel, Angel, Angel..." As a result, Xiao Jingsan was quite enjoying saying it, whether out of bad taste or persistence was unclear.

Su Ming'an pretended not to hear.

Xiao Jingsan pushed him away from the square, and into a deserted street where a small sedan was parked by the roadside.

After getting into the sedan, Xiao Jingsan rolled up the window and turned on the air conditioning: "Sleep, now is not the time to remove the control mark on you. I'll wake you when the time is right."

Su Ming'an sat in the passenger seat, the seat back reclined, and the temperature was just right. He had been sleepy for a while, having only slept an hour over the past two days. He closed his eyes.

At this moment, the car radio broadcasted the news. The selection battle of the nine disciples and the fusion of the timelines kept people worldwide awake all night, as the host rapidly reported changes from all over the world, including those ancient buildings and the deceased that appeared out of nowhere.

"Reportedly, District Eight has seen the reappearance of the long-collapsed building, Pearl Tower. All branded jewelry is intact inside. Real estate companies are negotiating with Pearl Enterprise, deciding how to handle these 'long-lost' jewels now."

"Reportedly, no one survived a night in the Ahsente Kingdom palace. Queen Blanche rushed into the Black Mist alone and was never heard from again. Ahsente Kingdom is discussing the choice of heir to the throne."

"Reportedly, Zou Yuqing of Louyue Nation publicly revealed her identity as a disciple. The Union Government is still discussing diplomatic strategies regarding these Otherworld people."

"Reportedly…"

The newscast's voice was so soporific that Su Ming'an quickly succumbed to drowsiness.

"Oh, by the way... I gave you a peach blossom cufflink; shouldn't you offer a return gift?" Xiao Jingsan adjusted the air conditioning and suddenly spoke.

Su Ming'an, who was about to fall asleep, was abruptly awakened by Xiao Jingsan's words.

He squinted his eyes irritably and rummaged through his backpack for a gift—it was a blackbird sculpture. Su Ming'an couldn't remember when it got into his backpack; the players from the Fifth World had given him a bunch of stuff, and this sculpture got mixed in, just an ordinary desktop ornament.

The gift Su Ming'an gave casually became a treasure in Xiao Jingsan's eyes. He observed the blackbird sculpture meticulously, wiping the dust with his fingers, and cradled it in his arms: "I will keep it forever, always..."

Su Ming'an had already fallen asleep.

The warmth blew over his pale face, coloring his parched lips. Outside the car window, a sporadic drizzle began to fall.

People were quickly scattering; now there was much to do. Disciples need to find other disciples promptly, and the faction escorting the girl must locate her quickly. Besides, non-participants are responsible for disseminating news, managing public opinion, government dispatch, diplomacy with Louyue Nation people, online bets, viewership, and other matters.

The drizzling rain continued; only inside the car was it quiet. People didn't know a sleeping disciple lay hidden within a car by the roadside.

Chang Ge kept his eyes tightly shut, afraid to open them. He feared making eye contact with Xiao Jingsan in the driver's seat. Luckily, Xiao Jingsan presumed Su Ming'an was asleep, not noticing Chang Ge.

Chang Ge kept his eyes closed, waiting for Su Ming'an to awaken. Until three in the morning, there was a "ding" sound from Xiao Jingsan's pocket.

Xiao Jingsan took out the phone from his pocket.

Chang Ge discreetly opened his eyes a sliver, glancing sideways to see Xiao Jingsan lowering his head, staring at his phone screen. In the darkness, only the phone screen glowed.

Xiao Jingsan's stern face was illuminated by the white screen light, his eyes deep and severe. Chang Ge covertly peeked at the phone screen, seeing a text message—

...

[Failed. Chao Yan died two minutes ago. She couldn't defeat the tentacle monster by the sea, so the control mark on Su Ming'an could not be erased.]

...

Chang Ge vaguely grasped the meaning of the message—in other words, Su Ming'an could no longer escape the deity's control.

Xiao Jingsan, however, suddenly burst into laughter, his phone slipping out of his hands, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, a smile like crying on his face. His hand covered his face, hiding the tears sliding down.

"Alright, alright... I knew it, I knew it was too late... We still lost, still lost..."

His laughter roused Su Ming'an, who opened his eyes, just in time to meet Xiao Jingsan's bloodshot eyes. The raindrops on the car window and the tears in Xiao Jingsan's eyes fell simultaneously, dripping to the ground.

"Why are you crying?" Su Ming'an almost thought he was mistaken.

Xiao Jingsan picked up the phone, turned his head with a smile: "It's nothing, you can sleep a little longer."

At this moment, Su Ming'an suddenly felt the lines in his palm heating up, scalding hot.

...

"Ding!"

[Someone has violated your Instant Death Rule. Do you wish to kill him? (Touch the tattoo to activate the Instant Death Rule.)]

...

Su Ming'an hurriedly straightened his stiff fingers to avoid inadvertently triggering his palm; his whole body still couldn't move, even stretching his fingers was taxing.

In his vision, Xiao Jingsan had already turned blood-red, indicating he had violated Su Ming'an's Instant Death Rule.

...In other words, Xiao Jingsan had just uttered a lie.

"You lied. What really happened?" Su Ming'an asked coldly.

He hadn't activated the Instant Death Rule; Xiao Jingsan's life was in his hands.

"...It's really nothing, keep sleeping." Xiao Jingsan reached out, adjusting Su Ming'an's seat back.

His brows were heavy with worry, his pupils holding an abyssal darkness.

Once more, Su Ming'an felt his palm heat up—Xiao Jingsan had spoken another lie.

Drowsiness blurred his senses, the rain outside splintering into fragments. The car filled with the soothing scent of incense, lulling one to sleep.

Yet no matter how it looked—Xiao Jingsan seemed on the brink of collapse. His pupils trembled violently, his face marked with the remnants of imminent rupture.

"...Tell me, what happened." Su Ming'an spoke.

Xiao Jingsan remained silent for a while, then whispered:

"Our plan was if Chao Yan could defeat the tentacle monster stationed at the world's edge, she could take you across the world's border, reaching a New World."

"Then, the control mark imposed on you by the deity would break on its own. After that, you would no longer be affected by the control mark."

"But I just received news of her death."

"The control can no longer be lifted; we have no way to turn the situation around."

Su Ming'an understood now; so that's how it was. His brows furrowed slightly.

Suddenly, without warning, Xiao Jingsan's hand struck him sharply on the neck. Before losing consciousness, he heard Xiao Jingsan's trembling voice:

"...Survive, Angel."