Absolute Death Game

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"Are we just letting them go?"

As the figures of the four disappeared into the night, Yan Zhong found it hard to accept this outcome.

"What else can we do if you haven’t subdued them as I instructed, and even managed to get all the people I sent you killed?" Dugu Han gave Yan Zhong and his two companions a piercing look, leaving Yan Zhong speechless.

But Dugu Han did not continue mocking him and casually said, "Follow me."

"Where to, ’boss’?" Dian Lan asked by the side. Hearing this title, Dugu Han’s lips curled into a smile as he faced away from the three, but his tone remained indifferent, "Of course, to meet your real ’boss’."

"The real ’boss’? Boss, you’re not talking about ’that person’, are you?"

About ’that person’, the legendary figure rumored to control several Great Guilds, the true Controller of Qilin Group—a man whose details were scarce to the members of the Qilin Group. They knew little, not even his name was clear to them. Yet the snippets of gathered information hinted at an unimaginable strength. It was difficult to imagine the commanding Dugu Han, who strutted with a bold air before them, behaving as meek as a mouse before a cat in the presence of ’that person’. The mention of meeting ’that person’ unnerved the trio.

"Don’t you want to be cured?"

As Dugu Han spoke, he glanced at Wang Lei, who hurriedly nodded in a pitiful manner. Yan Zhong and Dian Lan, who also listened, immediately tensed up. Although the two hadn’t shown symptoms, they could tell from the conditions of Lin Beifeng and Wang Lei how terrifying Soul Departure Syndrome was. They quickly nodded as well and followed Dugu Han forward.

An hour later, after a bout of intense dizziness and the gradual fading of a dazzling white light, the four’s vision cleared to reveal their surroundings.

They were in an underground room with a marble floor that bore a strange Array of Runes—presumably the legendary teleportation array, judging by their recent experience.

Even in games, teleportation arrays were extremely rare and typically only transported to fixed destinations. However, this array had moved them directly from the wilderness to this place, which was quite astonishing.

Before Yan Zhong could recover from his shock, Dugu Han was already ushering the three men out of the underground room.

Emerging from the underground room, they found themselves in a bustling city at night. Oddly enough, the neon signs and billboards were all in English—could they no longer be in China? Yan Zhong couldn’t help but wonder.

Several luxury cars were parked outside in the parking lot, each accompanied by a driver. Upon seeing Dugu Han approach, one of the cars opened its door. The driver was a bald African-American man dressed in a white shirt and black suit, wearing sunglasses even in the dead of night and black leather gloves—a look reminiscent of the Men in Black.

"To headquarters."

Dugu Han seemed to recognize the man and issued a direct command before taking the front passenger seat. The three men followed suit, getting into the car with a sense of nervous anticipation as they drove through the city’s traffic.

This was definitely not China; Yan Zhong quickly confirmed this. He saw car models he had never encountered before, and glimpses from the car window revealed mostly Caucasian drivers. Yan Zhong guessed they might be in the United States or Canada, though he was not entirely sure about the precise location due to his lack of knowledge about global time zones. The certainty of being abroad, inexplicably so, mixed feelings of irony and bewilderment within him. Turning to glance at Wang Lei and Dian Lan, he saw Wang Lei looking utterly dejected while Dian Lan gazed out the window, lost in his own thoughts.

Half an hour later, the car finally came to a stop.

As they stepped out, Yan Zhong took in the towering skyscraper before him with a hint of surprise—it seemed the boss’s assets were quite substantial.

It was undoubtedly the most majestic building he had ever seen, making the previous headquarters of Qilin Studio seem like a regular residential building by comparison.

Even in the darkness of night, the skyscraper was brightly lit, bustling with activity. Professionals and office workers of all races moved about, and Yan Zhong even noticed an Indian woman speaking over the phone in a distinctly accented English. As he continued walking, he paid attention to the computer screens around him, noting many graphs and charts, giving the impression that they were inside a financial institution.

Following Dugu Han, people nodded respectfully to him, indicating his high status within the company.

Arriving at the elevator, they noticed a security camera above the elevator door, scanning them with its flashing red light. With a ding, the doors opened.

The four entered, and the elevator ascended swiftly to a high floor. Dugu Han pressed the highest, golden button, and the elevator zoomed upward.

The higher the elevator climbed, the more nervous Yan Zhong felt. He had imagined meeting ’that person’ countless times but never under these circumstances.

A ding broke Yan Zhong’s train of thought, and as the elevator doors gradually opened, his heart tightened. Ahead was a dimly lit corridor with a door at the end, shrouded in darkness.

"Go on in, ’the boss’ is waiting for you," Dugu Han said, not entering himself. The three men walked in, and as the elevator doors closed behind them, their path of retreat was cut off.

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The three of them walked towards the black door, and as if sensing their arrival, the door silently opened just as they approached. Inside was a room akin to a lounge, where two bald attendants in black suits stood by the entrance, their skin a mixture of black, white, and yellow. It was unclear whether this was intentional or not. One of the attendants gestured for the three to sit and wait for a moment, while the other went inside to deliver the message. After a short while, that person came out, motioned for the three to enter.

As the trio made their way inside, they saw an old man standing in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window, pondering the star-studded night sky outside.

Upon seeing the white-haired old man, Yan Zhong was taken aback. He had always imagined that the leader would be like a mafia boss, or a person filled with mystery like a cult leader, or even possibly a woman. What he didn’t expect was that the person before him looked so aged.

The old man glanced at them and said, "So, you are the deserters." His tone was not harsh, but carried an undeniable authority and naturally exerted a suppressive force. @@novelbin@@

Wang Lei was startled, his face turning pale. Yan Zhong reflexively tried to muster his spiritual power to counter, but with just a glancing look from the old man, Yan Zhong’s heart skipped a beat. Despite maintaining a calm exterior, his mind was in turmoil. He was unable to gather any spiritual power, feeling as insignificant as a small boat facing a towering wave, overwhelmed by a profound sense of powerlessness that prevented any thought of resistance.

Dian Lan stubbornly held her head high, showing no sign of shrinking back, yet her trembling right hand betrayed her inner panic.

The old man turned away from them, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated as if it had never been there.

Relieved, the three exhaled privately, only to hear the old man say, "I can understand why you did what you did. Had I been in your place, I might have made the same decision. However, understanding does not imply forgiveness. You will still be punished, albeit not too harshly. Are you willing to accept my judgement?"

Though it was phrased as a question, his voice carried an air of unchallengeable authority.

"Yes, Mr. Chairm...," Yan Zhong hesitated, unsure of how to address the other.

"You may call me Guild President. Soon, you will formally join my guild," he said.

"Yes, Guild President, I accept your judgement," Yan Zhong said sincerely.

After this, the old man suddenly asked, "According to previous reports, there were four of you. Why is one missing?"

"One died, I suppose it was Soul Departure Syndrome," said Yan Zhong somberly, and then he briefly recounted what had happened. The old man nodded, "It is about time. Monster Shamans are prone to such symptoms." Hearing this, Wang Lei’s face showed a glimmer of hope. "So, Guild President, you know how to cure this sickness?"

The old man nodded, "But treatment must start only after the symptoms appear."

Wang Lei eagerly raised his hand, "I have it, I have it."

Turning back toward him, the old man’s gaze fixed on Wang Lei, then suddenly, without warning, his right hand plunged into Wang Lei’s chest. It was as though it went into an expanse of mortal world, with no blood spilling, yet indeed his hand was inside Wang Lei’s body. All three were taken aback, Dian Lan instinctively reached for her knife, but Yan Zhong firmly held her shoulder — joking aside, if she actually struck, they’d be doomed.

Wang Lei’s face twisted in pain and shock, then contorted hideously as he spoke with malevolent force, "If I go, he dies too."

The old man scoffed coldly, "You cannot kill him, just as you cannot kill me — come out now!"

With a fierce pull, he yanked a semi-transparent figure from within Wang Lei. At first glance, the glowing shadow bore a strong resemblance to Wang Lei, but as it hovered in the air, it gradually shrank and condensed into a basketball-sized orb of energy, vaguely revealing a ferocious face. It struggled and roared, "No! No, you can’t do this, foolish human, you have no idea what kind of entity you’re dealing with." The figure screamed madly, its echoes filling the room, causing Yan Zhong and the others to reel from the reverberating cries.

The corner of the old man’s mouth curled into a cold smile. "I’ve known what you are for some time." He then shot out a jet of pure white flame from his hand, and the face on the sphere let out a piercing shriek as it dispersed into smoke within the flames.

Wang Lei knelt on the ground, coughing in agony, "Thank you... Thank you, Guild President," he gasped. Find more to read at NovelBin.Côm

But the old man shook his head, "Don’t thank me. This is just the beginning."

PS: The following is a free word count.

Firstly, my apologies to the readers for the recent lack of updates. Due to work commitments, I’ve been unable to maintain a steady writing schedule and have repeatedly broken promises, for which I truly apologize.

After much contemplation, I’ve decided to leave my current job and become a professional writer. It wasn’t an easy decision to make and carries quite the pressure, for being a writer is not the most stable job, and my family doesn’t fully support it. However, writing is my passion, and it’s not easy to find a job that I love. Additionally, divided attention doesn’t produce quality writing, so I’m betting it all on this.

I’ve handed over my work responsibilities these past few days, and from today onwards, I’m officially free. Starting from tomorrow, updates should stabilize at a minimum of two chapters per day.

I hope readers will subscribe and support me in this decision, so I don’t regret making it today. Another update is coming tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)