Chapter 20

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 20: The Evil Ceremony

“… Save your energy for later screaming! There’s still a long time ahead for you to enjoy!” one of the shirtless men chuckled sinisterly while sharpening his knife. The blade showed a dark red hue, clearly having tasted blood before. “Don’t blame me; if I didn’t torment you like this, I’d be the next one hanging up there.”

“Boss, we’re at the grand theater here. Are we really going to proceed as before?” another man asked.

“So what if it’s the grand theater? I bet that’s exactly the effect they want,” the boss nonchalantly replied. “Think about it, tomorrow when the main doors open, people will discover a real slaughter staged on the stage itself. Can there be any more sensational news than that? Within hours, everyone in the city would know!”

“They aren’t doing this just for entertainment; someone is orchestrating these murders…” Zhou Zhi murmured, “But why?”

“Maybe to those behind it, this chain of killings itself is their game,” Joe James said with a cruel smile. “I wonder if we can somehow connect with the mastermind.”

“What, you want to get involved?” Tyler retorted irritably.

“Just joking, pal. I don’t have any interest in that kind of thing.”

“I think one might not make it,” Naruko suddenly whispered.

She was referring to the victims tied to the wooden pillars.

“Indeed.” Tyler sighed softly. With the oil lamp’s illumination, it wasn’t difficult to observe the condition of the three bound individuals: The first person had their abdomen brutally sliced open, with blood saturating their torn clothes. Given the severity of the injury, even if they were still breathing, there would be no saving them. The others’ situations were equally grim, showing clear signs of torture and beatings, as evidenced by bloodstains and bruises all over their limbs. It seemed the perpetrators relished this spectacle, laughing and conversing while selecting their instruments of torment. Even a slaughterhouse wouldn’t look much different.

“Oh right, now let me ask Mr. Justice Zhang here,” Joe James sneered, directing his gaze at Zhang Zhiyuan, “Do you still wish to spare these people and leave their judgment to the law?”

Zhang Zhiyuan’s face turned pale.

“However, they’ve gone quite far with this charade. I wonder what the mastermind behind it is after,” the American continued mumbling, “Is the journalist we’re supposed to find among them?”

Tyler squinted for a moment before nodding confirmation. “Found him, he’s the third one.”

At that precise instant, Chaoyang emerged from the darkness and announced, “Mission update: Rescue Kurt Dunn. If you can bring him out alive from the theater, everyone will receive an additional 500 points reward.”

As Chaoyang spoke, he internally sighed with sorrow.

At this stage, the contract’s objective could already be considered fulfilled—after all, Zhu Di had sought information about Dunn’s whereabouts, and “falling into the hands of serial killers and ultimately dying at Sinclair Theater” undoubtedly qualifies as an outcome. As a demon extracting Wish Power, it would have been logical not to invest any further resources. Yet, Chaoyang found himself unable to simply walk away.

Points may be virtual, but the Wish Power used to create tangible objects is genuine. The cost had already escalated significantly by crafting second virtual body, and now distributing these empty promises only compounded the issue. He knew it wasn’t rational, but unfortunately, his instincts were more honest than his thoughts. At best, this contract might just break even.

“Host, I request to exchange points,” Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly said.

“But you haven’t rescued Dunn yet—”

“I’m referring to my initial points. Earlier, I only exchanged for one Translation Tofu, leaving me with 800 points remaining.”

Phew, narrowly avoiding exposure. Chaoyang subtly corrected himself, “Of course, you can exchange for desired items at any time. However, I must remind you that neither the Revival Scroll nor the Healing Card can be used on characters within Paradise’s games.”

This was because he couldn’t genuinely bring the dead back to life.

And players were merely aggregates of consciousness and physical form.

“I’ll trade for two crossbows,” Zhang Zhiyuan stated.

“What, changing your mind?” Joe James taunted sarcastically.

“No, these crossbows are for you.” He glanced at Tyler and Naruko. “There are lights around the stage; it’s impossible to approach silently. Subduing them from a distance is the best option. With nine opponents, one crossbow won’t suffice.”

“I don’t really care; we’re not aiming for a no-damage kill anyway,” the American shrugged. “Either way, I’m gonna charge in and have some fun.”

Another burst of wild laughter echoed from the stage, sounding particularly eerie in the night.

“They’re about to attack the second victim, hurry up!” Zhang Zhiyuan urged.

“Let’s move. Same as before, Tyler and I will go first.”

The Brit regretfully shrugged at Zhang Zhiyuan, “No choice, you’ll have to operate this crossbow again.” With that, he followed Joe towards the front rows near the stage.

Anthony and Naruko formed the second wave, stealthily approaching the central seating area—higher ground offering a clear view of the entire theater stage.

Zhang Zhiyuan gripped the remaining crossbow tightly, his knuckles turning white with exertion. Initially, Zhou Zhi planned to follow Naruko, but upon seeing Zhang’s tense state, he doubled back and stayed near the eastern viewing section alongside him.

A new act was about to unfold, while Chaoyang had already taken his place on the stage, silently observing everything unfold.

The first to strike was Asahara Naruko.

Despite her young age, she showed no signs of discomfort or hesitation. Even though she was using a compound crossbow for the first time, she calmly aligned her target within the sights.

An arrow released from the crossbow, tracing a slightly descending arc through the pitch-black hall, and with precision, pierced straight into a perpetrator’s chest!

There was barely even a scream.

The arrowhead directly penetrated the target’s lung cavity, causing a surge of blood to choke off his intended cry of pain. Only a series of coughs followed by blood spewing were heard before the struck culprit collapsed weakly onto the floor. It took several seconds for his accomplices to notice something amiss.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?!” someone shouted loudly.

*Shuu*, another arrow flew swiftly!

This time, it came from Anthony.

Chaoyang distinctly saw the victim clutching their stomach, letting out a guttural roar as blood sprayed everywhere—the arrow likely severed a major artery, making their dying struggle resemble a fish thrashing in a shallow pool.

Finally, the perpetrators reacted.

“F**k, we’re under attack from someone hidden in the shadows!”

“What’s happening? This isn’t part of the plan!”

“Guys, grab your weapons first!”

While the assailants were disoriented, Joe James and Tyler emerged from the darkness, charging towards the grand theater stage!

“Who are you?! How dare—”

“I don’t understand your gibberish!” Joe leaped from his seat onto the stage, plunging his axe directly into one assailant’s face. The crack of shattering bones echoed distinctly throughout the hall.

Another thug lunged forward, aiming to stab Joe James with his sharp knife. Although it appeared successful, the blade failed to penetrate James body.

Seizing the opportunity, Tyler swiftly struck him down with a single blow!

“Country bumpkin, never seen a stab-proof vest before?” the American taunted triumphantly. “Last time was just for fun; this round, I’m going all out!”

In an instant, four of the nine attackers fell, instilling fear in everyone present.

During life-or-death confrontations, fear only amplifies vulnerabilities.

“Lord Guster, this wasn’t part of our agreement!” the shirtless man yelled towards the sky.

“As I’ve already said, I can’t comprehend the crap you’re spewing!” Joe James capitalized on his advantage, charging into the crowd with superior gear and hacking at anyone nearby. Despite taking several hits himself, cold weapons struggled to breach modern soft armor. By protecting his vital areas, particularly his face, he faced minimal risk.

However, Chaoyang, observing covertly, found Tyler’s performance unexpectedly impressive. He could tell that Joe James relied solely on sheer ferocity during combat, but Tyler was different—he wielded a two-handed samurai sword, striking rarely yet precisely targeting vital points each time. Moreover, he timed his attacks perfectly when Joe had drawn the enemies’ attention.

If this were just a game, it would be inconsequential, but Chaoyang was well aware that their current experiences mirrored real-life combat with no difference. Few people could maintain such calm judgment amidst flying blood and gore.

As one of the partners invited by the Americans, Chaoyang had utilized the network to investigate Jason Tyler beforehand. Various information indicated that Tyler was highly educated, holding a Ph.D. in Biology. He progressed from being a top executive at a pharmaceutical company to eventually owning his own business, now boasting a net worth over billions—placing him within the same social class as Joe James.

It was unexpected that someone like him, not only adept at making money, also possessed remarkably high adaptability to extraordinary situations.

When the fifth assailant fell, the attackers’ morale completely collapsed.

They ceased attempting to encircle and kill Joe and Tyler, instead turning to flee. After all, they still had accomplices outside the theater, so there was no need to stubbornly confront these seemingly invincible madmen here.

Neither Joe nor Tyler bothered to chase them; hacking and slashing is physically demanding work. Although James was enjoying the fray, his stamina was visibly waning.

Moreover, their objective had been achieved—the journalist Kurt Dunn remained alive.