A huge chunk of Desert Tiger’s head was missing due to the Winchester, but the bullet from the sniper rifle was not aimed for the head. The spot Laughing Soul was aiming at was the chest area where Eagle’s Claw had landed earlier. This shot pierced through the armor and hit his energy core.
There was no movie-like explosion, nor did the creature make any last struggle. Like an electronic device whose power source had disconnected, he lost mobility and stopped reacting.
Before Xiao Tan and Laughing Soul could relax, there was another change. The sun in the sky, which was so bright that one could not bear to look at it directly, started to move with observable speed. The moving of the sun caused the shadows on the ground to extend, and the temperature dropped. They lifted their heads to see and saw that the ’sky’ above them was being lifted open. The blue sky was like the lid of a box, and the sun was like a lightbulb installed inside the box. At that moment, the box was being opened…
Outside the ’sky’, somewhere very far away, they could see the ceiling with black and white patterns. Suddenly, the light came back on, but it was from inside lighting. Then, a large and honest-looking face started to appear and blot out the sky, looking down on the two of them.
This was a preposterous scene, but it also explained many things.
A more accurate description would be… This coliseum was actually a rectangular box with a flat bottom. The bottom was covered in a layer of sand, and the ceiling and walls were decorated with paper boards that created the impression that there was a horizonless blue sky. Xiao Tan and Laughing Soul were like two ants placed inside the box, and Desert Tiger was actually something the size of a toy.
The person outside the box, Mr. Yoo, opened the top of the box so that the ants inside the box could see the real ceiling and external light.
The moment Desert Tiger was taken down, the large screen in the studio stopped broadcasting. Mr. Yoo was still standing on the stage; he had not left. But as a Half-God, to appear in two places simultaneously could not have been easier.
When Xiao Tan and Laughing Soul saw what was above them, they were struck speechless. Mr. Yoo smiled at them and then used his fleshy paws to take out two telephone booths from his pocket and placed them in the ’desert’, saying, “Just get in there.”
Then, he replaced the lid, and the ’sky’ returned.
The two in the box looked at one another, and it was Xiao Tan who spoke first. “No wonder Brother Jue told us to follow the rules. The monsters in this scenario are not only numerous, but they are all incredibly powerful!”
Laughing Soul wiped away the sand from her outfit. She put the weapons away and replied, “There are more strange things about this scenario that you haven’t realized. For example, until now, we’ve not received the main quest.”
“Huh? You’re right. If you didn’t mention it, I would have forgotten all about it,” Xiao Tan replied.
“In any case, let’s follow his instructions for now.” Laughing Soul walked to the telephone booth closest to her. “Entering this should take us back to the studio. Phew… this place is so damn hot.”
Xiao Tan also put his weapon away and walked into the other booth. This time both of them were prepared. When the floor gave away under their feet, they did not panic. They slipped back into the dark environment, pulled along by the mysterious force. Sliding down the tunnel, they dropped back into their seats. As the chair spun, they returned to the studio for Death Quiz.
“Welcome back!” Mr. Yoo at the scene cheered excitedly. It was followed by the raucous reception by the crowd.
“Huh? Was it you whom we saw earlier? The super large version of yourself?” Xiao Tan asked.
“Of course, it was me. If I want to, I can appear at many places at the same time, it is not that difficult. But the process of me fetching the two of you back here will not be broadcasted.” As Mr. Yoo answered, he waddled to the camera. “Viewers, if you are interested in how the things here work backstage, please send your messages to the number that appear at the bottom of the screen now or join us on our official website. At the last year of every sixty years, we will select six hundred lucky viewers to receive the limited edition of our show’s recording. They contain extra footage that you wouldn’t see anywhere else!”
After that spiel, Mr. Yoo turned back to the special guests and returned to the matter at hand. “Alright, I wonder what comments our three special guests will have regarding the performance of our two participants in the coliseum.”
The camera panned to Pride, and she concluded succinctly, “All men should die.”
“Hmm, well said.” Laughing Soul acted prideful, crossing her arms before her chest, and nodded in full agreement.
“Hey, what did I do to deserve that‽” Xiao Tan exclaimed.
“There isn’t much to comment about the two’s ability, but Mr. 2’s choices could have been improved at two instances.” Mr. Pestilence’s critique was always objective and trustworthy. “One, you should not have used your bare hands to break the vial. Two, actually, the last shot you aimed at Desert Tiger was a waste. Even if you blew up his head, you would only have ruined his information collection center. The real shots that killed him were the two shots from Ms. 4. The first shot cracked the shield, and the second shot pierced the heart.”
Once Pestilence finished, Hephaestus next to him added, “By the way, kid, it is very dangerous what you did, breaking the vial with your hands. By now, the sand of time has seeped into your wounds…
“The ’time’ that belongs to your left hand has been exhausted. If you do not deal with it, the hand will soon disintegrate into sand.”
“Huh? Is it that serious?” Even though Xiao Tan did not quite get it, it felt like… he was in serious danger.
“It doesn’t matter.” Everyone in the studio, including Mr. Yoo and the special guests, turned their heads to the one who spoke. Feng Bujue continued in a confident voice, “It’ll be cured with a capsule of P-500.”
“Hue hue hue… I should have expected such brilliance from Participant No. 1. He comes up with the solution immediately.” Mr. Yoo smiled. “Now… let’s continue onto the second part of Death Quiz!”
The DJ played a temporary and powerful background music. The spotlights gathered to the middle of the stage. The audience were alive with activity, and the excitement could barely be contained.
“Alright, I’ll need part of the audience to calm down. Do not breathe fire around you or into the air. And the gentleman in seat D3, yes you, spit out the Plant Fairy in your mouth. Don’t think I didn’t notice that! Yes, thank you!” Mr. Yoo maintained the order and then turned to Feng Bujue. “First, Participant No. 1, do you still remember that… I said the participant with the highest score in the first part will receive a mysterious advantage?”