Behind the mask, Lu Ce stared intensely at the Slime’s jiggling body, as if trying to see straight through it.

With the use of the Lust Mask, his ability to read people’s emotions had become sharper and sharper, even gaining a sense of insight into their true selves.

But as time passed, every time he looked at the Slime again, there was always this strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.

It felt like déjà vu, yet also like an illusion. He couldn’t find a match for it anywhere in his mind.

Until just now—feeling that over-the-top excitement and that malicious joy from the other person—he suddenly remembered where that feeling came from.

—That exposed female doctor in his newbie game!

Originally, as the Game Host, Lu Ce had instinctively been comparing the Slime to Tom from before. But as time went on, he realized the two were very different.

As for that female doctor, although their outward appearances and personalities seemed completely unlike, at their core—there was that same twisted obsession with pleasure, that godlike superiority, that disregard for others...

It was exactly the same!

【Otherwise, look—our strongest Player doesn’t even consider you guys Players anymore.】

Slime seemed a little guilty under Lu Ce’s stare, laughing it off, like he was trying to change the subject.

But clearly, Lu Ce wasn’t someone easy to deal with. He immediately cut in and mocked:

“Heh, so you don’t think you, with that ugly face and nonstop yapping, are the biggest buzzkill?”

“Can you shut up when other people are playing?”

【......】

Just as Slime was at a loss for words and trying to say something, Lu Ce suddenly said again:

“Also, you know what?”

“I think I’ve recognized you.”

Lu Ce’s words seemed to have some kind of magical power. Slime instantly went silent, like his whole body froze.

The All-Seeing Eye enveloped the area, and in that moment, Xie Antong felt a powerful sense of discord filling the space.

Slime seemed like a completely different person, but when she looked again, it felt like maybe it was just her imagination.

“Overthinking... hallucinating?” Xie Antong frowned, but she turned her focus back onto “Sin.”

Slime duang, duang hopped off to the side, no more banter, looking a little shut down.

Then, the Ladder of Life continued, one after another. In no time, seven out of eight Fake Humans had already jumped down.

The Players behind them looked ahead in despair, just hoping that “Sin” would get unlucky and all the Fakes would step into thin air and fall.

Especially the last few who were assigned the final spots—their faces looked like they’d just lost a loved one, each of them pale and grim.

They’d placed a bet of four Stars. At this point, never mind handling the First Player—just the loss alone was enough to gut them.

But some were thrilled while others grieved. Not all the Players were miserable right now.

Those ranked near the top had only one thought—pulling victory from the jaws of defeat!

Especially the second and third in line. Watching Lu Ce walk up more than a dozen steps in one go, their hopeless hearts suddenly reignited!

—I still have a chance!

And not just a chance to survive. Maybe... maybe they could even be the first to make it across!

What kind of reward would that be?!

For a moment, those lined up behind Lu Ce started breathing harder.

Meanwhile, Lu Ce kept pushing forward steadily. When the last Fake Human stepped up eagerly, Lu Ce naturally reached out again, trying to grab its rib.

“I should remind you, I used to be a man,” said Fake Human No. 8.

“So what?” Sin looked totally unfazed.

Fake Human: ......

With the last Fake Human jumping down, Lu Ce soared over the Black Sea and landed steadily.

Now, he was already standing on the sixteenth row!

Eight Fake Humans sacrificed to get to the sixteenth row—that actually matched the expected value from a probability standpoint.

But the next four rows would be steps Lu Ce had to take himself.

Lu Ce still had a way forward. In his backpack was someone with autonomy, capable of helping him propel forward.

But suddenly, he turned his head and looked over at the Slime, chuckled, and said:

“You think this is a little too easy?”

Slime: ?

It blinked and looked up, unsure what to say. But it didn’t need to respond. Lu Ce continued, talking to himself:

“Heh, in a game, the unknown and the dangerous... those are what make things truly fascinating.”

“I think it’s time I give everyone what they want to see.”

With that, the Lust Mask twisted into a wicked grin, and then—to the shock of many—he jumped forward!

He leapt to the next row!

Keep in mind, earlier the Fake Humans had all gone ahead to test the way. If the space beneath his feet turned out to be empty, at least he would’ve had somewhere to spring off from.

But this time, there was none of that!

Even with his freakish strength, he couldn’t possibly jump off mid-air!

In other words, he was really putting himself on the Gambling Table as the Stake, betting on that fifty-fifty chance.

A totally irrational move.

But he won the bet. The floor was solid under his feet. He stood firm, not even a wobble.

Before the crowd could even gasp, he moved again—springing forward onto the next row.

Among the spectators, Xie Antong and Jiu Tian felt their hearts tighten. They hadn’t expected that at the final moment, he’d really start gambling with his own life!

And Xie Antong had a gut feeling—he wasn’t doing this out of desperation.

He wanted to do it!

“Ah, looks like my luck’s pretty good,” Lu Ce said to himself with a smile. And now, he was already on the nineteenth row!

He jumped three steps in a row. A one-in-eight chance, and Lu Ce actually hit it.

Right in front of him—was the final row!

But just before taking that last step, Lu Ce suddenly stopped, turned around, and sat cross-legged.

Looking at the gambler who’d been assigned second, the one right behind him, he spread his hands and smiled.

“How’s it feel? Excited?”

“Wanna play a game?”