Lu Ce looked at the white skeleton in front of him and suddenly thought of the last time, inside the Demon Asylum, Long Wu, Long Liu and the others.

Are these beings really just NPCs? Data characters designed in the game?

If they're data characters, why do they have emotions that can be manipulated by him?

If not, but they’re clearly already reduced to bones, there’s no way they have any vital signs to sustain something like “emotions.”

Or could it be that they were once... players too?

Life is a curse. Immortality now is the real curse.

Maybe what the other party said wasn’t just metaphorical, but literal—his current life and love both exist because of the form of a curse.

Lu Ce thought a lot, but he didn’t say anything. He just smiled, and that smile grew wider and more obvious.

He took a step forward. No one needed to teach him—he wrapped an arm around the other's waist with a courtly gesture.

“It’s an honor to spend this... wonderful evening with you.”

The Purple Mask slowly leaned in, as if about to touch the skull in front of him, like they were about to kiss.

At the center of the grand ballroom, in front of the two was a black sea like an abyss. One wore a mask; the other’s face no longer existed.

“If there’s anything you want to say, say it now.”

The skeletal hand was raised and pressed against the mask on Lu Ce’s face, like stopping the kiss, or pushing him away.

“Stick to your judgment and guesswork. I’m going to fulfill my final value to you.”

After saying that, it turned around and faced the hundred-meter-long crack in front of it, took a step, ignored the black sea below, and walked toward the somewhat ethereal Light Screen.

With one step forward, it stood firmly on top.

Earlier, that cryptic back-and-forth between “Sin” and it had already made the crowd unable to follow. Now that it was up there, they understood even less.

—Wasn’t it said that nothing would happen when others stepped up?

As spectators, Jiu Tian, Xie Antong, and the others couldn’t see clearly for a moment and didn’t quite understand how to proceed.

But based on the conversation between the two, it seemed they were using the Fake Human’s life in exchange for “Sin” to pass the level.

But wasn’t it already stated from the beginning that using a Fake Human to scout the path wasn’t viable?!

“Wanna make a choice? Take a gamble on your luck. You can play this game too.”

Lu Ce still had that devil-may-care tone, looking at the Fake Human stepping onto the first row and said with a smile.

“No need,” the Fake Human replied calmly, then stepped aside a bit, signaling for “Sin” to come stand beside it.

Lu Ce barely tapped the ground with his toe and soared lightly through the air, landing beside the Fake Human.

His feet stood firm, steady without a wobble, and the platform beneath showed no reaction at all.

“Ohhh, looks like you picked the right spot.”

“Seems today’s my lucky day.”

Lu Ce looked at the Fake Human and said.

“It’s my lucky day too,” Fake Human No. 1 replied. At this moment, its skull, which usually looked terrifying, appeared almost gentle.

Without much hesitation, the Fake Human jumped to the next step down.

There was no doubt in its movement. In fact, judging by the white bones’ motion, it even seemed a bit eager.

Li Wei and the others stared dumbly, still not quite understanding what was happening.

And just then, when Lu Ce also jumped to the next step and landed beside Fake Human No. 1—an accident suddenly occurred!

The moment his feet touched the Light Screen, it turned out the screen really was just a light screen—it had never been solid.

Meaning, only now were the true rules of the game revealed.

When non-players stepped on the Light Screen, it was solid. They could walk across it smoothly, like a bridge.

But when a player stepped on it, each row’s screen would instantly become one virtual, one solid—just like Schrödinger’s cat.

The process took no time at all. For Lu Ce, it was as if he had jumped into thin air—there wasn’t any footing!

—In normal circumstances.

But now, Fake Human No. 1 was standing right next to him, giving him something to push off of!

Both began to fall. Inside the No-Flight Zone, Fake Human No. 1 extended its white skeletal arm and gave Lu Ce a shove.

No force needed. No angle required. Just a simple push to give Lu Ce a foothold.

With that single push, Lu Ce could now show the world what top-tier Physical Capability looked like.

With a burst of strength in mid-air, his body twisted like a swallow’s tail in flight—unpredictable—before soaring upward, like a swallow taking flight in a rainstorm.

At the same time, that skeleton’s falling speed suddenly accelerated and plunged into the sea with a splash.

Meanwhile, Lu Ce spun once in the air and landed on the next platform on the other side.

He looked down at the dark, inky sea below, like a giant beast swallowing the fallen skeleton whole.

Silent, without even a splash, wrapped in the crushing weight of the sea—smashed and devoured.

Lu Ce looked down in silence. His mask still bore that unreadable smile, making it impossible to tell what emotion he was feeling.

He bowed slightly to the sea, showing his thanks.

Everyone was stunned. That mid-air one-up-one-down sequence between the two had been an incredible show—movements they wouldn’t even dare imagine.

It was like a rocket taking off, one life falling to lift another to the skies.

【Wah wah wah! Amazing, amazing! That was incredible! Thanks to the strongest player for this thrilling performance!】

【The Life-or-Death Steps—this is the real meaning of the game. A death game, a life-or-death assist—that’s what makes a puzzle level fun.】

【You guys keep dragging things out, calculating who goes first—it’s just boring.】

【Come on, take notes, give them a hand!】

After saying that, the Slime stretched out its hands and clapped hard in front of itself, but due to its gooey body, it couldn’t make any sound.

So it had to dub itself, going “pa pa pa” with its mouth.

But aside from it, no one else seemed to think the scene was fun.

“Why are you always so noisy, fatty.....”

“Then why don’t you come up?”

Lu Ce slightly turned his head, looking at the Slime with a blank expression.