Whether that woman would regret her choices in her final moments, whether she would scream her lungs out, was no longer Lu Ce’s concern.

Right now, Lu Ce was feeling a bit of regret himself.

Maybe it was greed at play. Seeing the Game nearing its end, he felt like he hadn’t earned quite enough.

Was there really only one leg-sawing torture session? Shouldn’t there have been multiple brutal punishments, repeated torment, maybe a bit of slow roasting on both sides?

And they call this Hell Mode? Honestly, the imagination here was a little lacking—not twisted enough at all.

Just as he was thinking this, the familiar sensation of data flow didn’t appear. It seemed that disappearing from the platform didn’t trigger an immediate Game Settlement.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an incredibly bright space.

The four people he had rescued earlier were also there, sitting in chairs with terrified expressions, nervously glancing around.

The Game wasn’t over yet!

As soon as Lu Ce appeared, four pairs of eyes turned to him in unison. It seemed like the Game was waiting for all of them to arrive.

Each person was strapped to a chair, arranged in a perfect pentagon formation. In the center stood an enormous pentagonal column, stretching so far up that its end was out of sight. The hollow space inside it was completely empty—its purpose unknown.

Unlike the others, Lu Ce was actually pleased to see that the Game wasn’t over. As long as it continued, he could keep earning more.

His mindset was clearly different. After the previous Game, he was even starting to enjoy it a bit too much.

Patting the mask that continuously displayed a grin, Lu Ce muttered to himself:

“I knew it. No way they’d lack imagination like that. A Game should always be more twisted.”

“Gotta stay in control…”

Though he was enjoying the feeling of gain, Lu Ce kept himself in check. He couldn’t let himself be completely swept up in the Greed Mask’s influence.

The mask only amplified his emotions—it couldn’t be allowed to fully control him.

【All participants have arrived. Welcome, Hell Mode Game survivors.】

As soon as Lu Ce appeared, the mechanical voice that had vanished earlier returned.

At the sound of it, the other four players flinched, whether from fear or lingering pain.

【You seem to be quite happy? That’s… unusual.】

Suddenly, the voice shifted its tone. The group froze, realizing that it was speaking directly to Lu Ce!

The Game Host—the entity controlling the Game—was actively engaging with a Player!

Lu Ce looked around before casually replying,

“Oh? That’s great to hear.”

“So, is there a Reward for this?”

【……】

What the f**k kind of Reward? Are you addicted to looting this Game dry?

This is Hell Mode, not some charity handout!

With just one simple sentence, Lu Ce completely stunned the Game Host, rendering it silent for a long moment.

Then, suddenly, the lighting around them dimmed. The eerie glow only emphasized the loneliness and terror of the space.

Creak~ Scree… Screech…

A sharp, bizarre noise echoed as, under the group’s bewildered gazes, the enormous cylindrical void in the center began filling with an inky black liquid.

The moment they took a closer look, someone let out a horrified scream.

It wasn’t black liquid.

It was an unimaginably massive swarm of insects!

Layer upon layer, horde upon horde—countless bugs poured in from below, their origins unknown.

And these weren’t ordinary insects. Each one looked unnervingly grotesque.

Some resembled scorpions, but were half a meter long.

Some were covered in backward-facing barbs, their grotesquely long tongues writhing endlessly.

Some were slimy, wriggling creatures that burst open when squeezed, releasing thick, putrid fluid.

Inside the gigantic column, the swarm kept rising, filling the space with an unbearable chittering sound that made everyone nauseous.

Before long, the cylindrical space was completely filled!

That was a five-meter-wide, over ten-meter-tall structure!

And it had been completely packed with insects.

A rough estimate? There had to be at least a billion of them in this Alternate Dimension swarm.

The four Players seated around the pillar had gone pale as death.

Even Lu Ce clicked his tongue in surprise.

Some people might not fear ferocious beasts.

But this… this was an entirely different kind of horror.

Except for the Gu Masters of Miaojiang, nobody in the world could face this sight without a reaction.

This was both a psychological and physiological nightmare—something no normal human could endure.

Especially since these seemed to be alien insects.

【: Holy sh*t, no, bro, seriously—this is too disgusting.】

【: I can’t handle this. I’m out. Gonna check out another Livestream.】

【: Not gonna lie, this is way too hardcore.】

【: I give up. Watching as a Spectator is fine. Just don’t make me a Player!】

Even the Livestream audience was losing it.

The sheer number of insects was pushing the boundaries of morbid curiosity.

Then, they noticed that separating the swarm from the room was a special glass window, measuring 50 cm by 50 cm.

As soon as they realized this, many nearly fainted.

Because this meant—the insects were coming in.

“When will this nightmare end?! Just kill me already!”

A man nearby, unable to withstand the pressure, slammed his fist against the glass with a loud thud.

But his anger was meaningless here.

Lu Ce, meanwhile, had only one thought—Looks like another chance to rack up some Pain Points.

【Dear Players, shouldn’t you feel honored? The Game should have already ended.】

【However, due to an excessive number of survivors, which contradicts the principles of Hell Mode, we’ve arranged a little extra challenge.】

【Originally, the fate of this Game was in the hands of one Player. He had the power to ensure he was the sole survivor. If he had chosen that path, this extra challenge wouldn’t exist, and he would have once again achieved Perfect Completion.】

【That’s right. Among you, there is only one Player who obtained the Perfect Completion title in the Initial Game.】

【And thanks to his mercy, we now have this situation. Come on, everyone, let’s give him a round of applause~】

The Game Host’s voice rang out again.

At the same time, the lighting in Lu Ce’s section of the room brightened, making it clear who they were referring to.

This time, the tone carried an unmistakable sense of mockery.

Did Lu Ce piss off the Game Host or something?

Clap, clap, clap~

The crisp sound of applause echoed, mixing with the screeches of the insect swarm.

But the only one clapping…

Was Lu Ce himself!

“Hmm, not bad, not bad. According to your logic, I must be pretty damn impressive. I think I should give myself a round of applause too.”

“So, same question as before—since I performed so well, where’s my extra Reward?”