"Mm?"

Zhao Jiacheng, who had been lost in his own thoughts, was suddenly startled and turned around sharply, scaring the person behind him.

"His jaw is shattered? Was it caused by the impact?"

"Oh." The woman in blue, responsible for clerical work, responded and pulled out a stack of reports, saying:

"Not sure, so it feels a bit strange."

"After all, the opponent's skull also has cracks, which is more normal and aligns with the angle of impact."

"But, if it hit at that angle, it shouldn't have hit the jaw."

"Maybe there was some friction, or perhaps it was a previous injury."

"He's out of life-threatening danger now. His name is Liu Peng, and after investigation, it's confirmed he's a player in the Chosen's Paradise game..."

Just as the secretary was about to continue her report, Zhao Jiacheng interrupted her.

"Wait a minute!"

He said, frowning as he walked over and picked up the stack of X-rays from her hand, examining them repeatedly.

The secretary, responsible for the investigation, was also stunned. He didn't understand why Zhao Jiacheng was suddenly so interested in this unusual injury.

"The level of this bone fracture seems to be more severe than the head trauma."

"You have to know, at that time, this student's physical strength was quite high, considering he could crash through a wall."

"Although the human skull is harder, such a large discrepancy is still a bit strange. What do you think could be the reason?"

As Zhao Jiacheng asked, he recalled the scene from earlier in the day.

Day turned to night...

That guy clearly lost his mind for some reason, constantly repeating those few phrases.

Repeating them meant his jaw couldn't have been broken before; it must have been from that impact!

"Could it be the friction from the wall? After all, he did crash right through it." The secretary guessed tentatively, thinking Zhao Jiacheng was concerned about the other's injuries.

Zhao Jiacheng: .......

"Possibly."

Zhao Jiacheng didn't refute, just murmured to himself, but in his mind, he kept replaying the scene from earlier, recalling the peculiar behavior of that high school student.

........

Time flew by, and since that unexpected incident, the weekend arrived, coinciding with the school's plans to enhance security measures.

Lu Ce lay quietly on his bed, waiting for the new round of the game to begin.

The past couple of days had been nerve-wracking for him, constantly worrying about whether the people from that strange organization would come to investigate him, or if the family of the student he had taken down would cause trouble.

But fortunately, none of that happened.

[Time until the next game starts: 00:58:43.]

The final hour.

At this moment, he was on a phone call with Xie Antong, discussing the situation of this game.

Xie Antong: "I don't know how you did it yesterday, but your strength must be considerable."

"But no matter what, this game is too dangerous. I strongly suggest you buy an Exit Token before continuing to play."

Lu Ce typed in response: "Got it. Are you joining the game this time too?"

"Yes." Her reply was brief. "Let's play separately for now, and if there's a chance later, we can add each other as friends."

"Also, a reminder: although the in-game clothing is standardized, I've heard that underwear can be brought in directly."

"So... you might want to try bringing something from the real world."

Reading the message, Lu Ce was surprised to realize he hadn't known this little tidbit and wondered what kind of connections his deskmate had.

Ah, having connections is nice. Unlike me, who had to resort to cheating out of sheer desperation...

After thanking her, armed with this new information, Lu Ce lay quietly on his small bed, lost in thought.

He pondered whether Xie Antong was trustworthy. If they were really going to cooperate, he would have to reveal his first-place status.

But given her seemingly complex family background, could such matters be resolved solely on trust?

As he contemplated, feeling the passage of time, he took out a golden business card from his school uniform pocket.

It was given to him by Zhao Jiacheng, who told him to "call when you feel you should."

Looking at the department name he had never heard of and Zhao Jiacheng's contact details on the back, Lu Ce thought for a moment...

And then stuffed the card into his underwear!

Sorry, Mr. Zhao Jiacheng! You'll have to keep my brother company for a while.

Just as Xie Antong suggested trying to bring something in, and since he didn't have anything suitable at hand, he'd use this.

Hmm, the size is just right!

Taking a deep breath, he organized his backpack, packed his achievements and various medicines, and waited for the voice he had been eagerly anticipating.

For some reason, this voice always stirred excitement within him.

[Please make the necessary preparations in advance.]

[Please choose to become a spectator or a player.]

"Player!"

[Hello, player. You have a brief moment to prepare...]

[Game Points:]

[Pain Value: 6]

[Strength: 24]

[Agility: 10]

[Speed: 10]

[Fate: 3]

[Spirit: 1]

[Enhancement Badge: God Slayer (Legendary); System Attacker (Epic)]

......

[Game initialized, ready to start!]

[Welcome to Chosen's Paradise!]

The same dizziness, the same spinning sensation, but this time, Lu Ce was much more accustomed to it.

—It felt like coming home.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a spacious and dimly lit room, with a musty, damp smell in the air, indicating poor hygiene.

As his body swayed slightly, he felt the solid ground beneath his feet, unlike last time when he was suspended in the air.

Lu Ce was slightly disappointed; it didn't feel as thrilling as last time. At least last time, he was hanging in the air, with a chance to saw off his leg.

He touched his face slightly; the mask was already securely in place.

There were a few other players around, but before Lu Ce could observe them, he heard a voice that pleased him greatly.

[Welcome, players, to the Hell Mode of the Chosen Game—Devil's Asylum.]

As the mechanical voice sounded, the clanking of gears echoed, and a tracked robot emerged from the corner.

Upon hearing this voice, all the players' faces changed, growing serious.

They were no longer novices and now understood the horrors of Hell Mode.

How unlucky, to encounter such a situation in only the second game.

But beneath Lu Ce's mask, a satisfied smile appeared.

Hell Mode?

This truly felt like coming home!

To read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com.