"Two hundred and fifty years The sky has turned red, yet you all remain utterly unchanged. "
He gazed down at the cluster of people frozen stiff, their vacant pupils filled with the lingering resentment of their final moments.
Their skin was stark white, with faint blood seeping from the deep internal wounds of the corpses.
The frozen faces of these statues displayed wide, red pupils and stretched, gaping mouths, clearly capturing the chaos and sheer physical terror they endured before dying.
The strange figure gently patted one of the contorted faces with an amusing smile. "What did they think of that, hmm? A good little corpse collector, a darling boy," he murmured affectionately, hugging the statue-like corpse comfortably, as if it were a favorite doll.
But a sound from the distance disturbed his lovely moment, making his face twist in a frown.
"Ah, the little red one is hungry. It seems the meal placed above him is just out of reach."
His tone sounded slightly pitiful.
–Haurhhh!
Haurrhhhh!
haurhhhhhhhhhhh–
Opposite the horrifying statues, a thick iron cage occupied a corner. Through a small gap, a bizarre specimen writhed and struggled inside, roaring like a cow and crying like a bird.
Beside the specimen, several dangling humans stared through the terrifying dark gap, hissing through their mouths.
The sound of pounding hearts and tense muscular twitches filled the air. The available light revealed the dreadful smile of the figure standing before them.
Watching the man approach them, holding a bloody scalpel, he calmly gazed at the thousands of cocoons tied to the ceiling, keenly aware that every eye looked upon him as if he were the Devil himself.
Did these cameras suddenly decide to start a photoshoot session!
He returned their gaze with a smile and a silly, comforting gesture, like a circus clown, hoping to diffuse the situation. But all he saw were burning, desperate stares.
In the victims' eyes, he was no comforting, calm clown.
Was he merely a lunatic who stared at them for ten hours without blinking? What did they truly think of him?
A murderer who let his prey breathe a little longer before death, hoping they would adapt to the darkness of hell.
Was he truly the Devil?
The real Devil's smile widened, his razor-sharp teeth sealing tight like a zip tie.
He could only stare up at the invisible "cameras" in the air, a finger pressed lightly against his lips.
He began speaking softly to the unseen sight before him.
The gleaming cameras.
"Shhh. Don't go telling anyone who I really am now, will you?" he whispered.
Feeling the thousands of cameras hadn't answered, he decided they must want to see him dance better.
So he began.
With strange, twirling footwork and wildly spinning arms, and a chaotic arc of the blood-stained dagger in the air, he launched into a frenetic, crazed dance.
Like a Devil dancing upon a scorching floor, he began to squeak happily.
In his perspective, he could only see the cameras following him, smiling back.
But to the humans above, the scene was different. They saw only the demon preparing a ritualistic dance of slaughter.
Those who had witnessed this dance for the week they were held captive knew it was repeated often.
Every time this chaotic dance ceased, ten people inside the cocoons would formally become food for the strange creature in the cage, leaving no body parts intact.
They hoped the dance would end quickly.
But what hope could they possibly have for the kindness of a Devil?
They concluded kindness was merely a mental illness—schizophrenia—afflicting the demons.
The lost man began to feel his entire body pulled down from below, and the ten people above him felt it too.
A powerful tug pulled the entire crushed group from the ceiling down into the dark opening of the large black cage below.
Haaaaaa–
The immediate screams echoing in the large room were suddenly lost to the sounds of chewing, humming, and strange cries from inside the cage.
The cameras in the man's view seemed to stop following him. He concluded they no longer wished to record him, so he complied.
In response, he began to wave his arm toward the dimming cameras before him.
Farewell!
---
Post–Credit Scene: [Skip/Continue]
"Choose skip," a lazy voice sounded from the illuminated monitor screen. A bored young man leaned back and moved the cursor to click.
The Credit Scene view instantly vanished, returning to the main lobby.
[Character Selection ???]
Click—
With the sound of the vibrating cursor, the monitor screen went black and ended the session. The reflection on the screen showed a face with a messy beard, dark pupils, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Smoke and sour odor permeated every corner. "Hahh… What do I need to do now," a voice filled with a sigh.
The stagnant young man's name was Han Mu, a top-graduate student with an overly zealous obsession. After graduation, Han Mu became lost in the internet world, spending his free time there.
With hot instant noodles on his computer desk, his current thought was dwelling on the game he just played: Devil In Disguise.
This wildly popular role-playing game was simple: find the Devil, make a contract with him, play his role as a prince in the human world, and conquer the entire demonic plot line to reach the peak ending of 90% Worldly Evil.
However, all players consistently failed to find that main ending. The game capped the Sanity Limit of the Devil Princes within. Just like the scene moments ago, Han Mu also failed, resulting in his character suffering severe schizophrenia.
Han Mu could only offer a wry smile. Beyond the hype, Devil in Disguise offered cash prizes for players who successfully loaded various endings throughout the game.
1. First Prize : 10 Million Yuan.
2. Second Prize : 1 Million Yuan.
3. Third Prize: 100 Thousand Yuan.
He was the player who won the first prize for the disgusting minor ending (schizophrenia) he had just achieved.
Han Mu had spent that money on dates and paid for over 100 days of non-stop partying, which was enough to make him vomit thousands of times overnight.
With the money gone, Han Mu felt regret.
Wouldn't that much money have been better invested?
"Bzzz."
The dark monitor screen hissed and lit up with a faint, dark red image.
The red light made Han Mu think his computer was under a virus attack. He planned to unplug the internet connection before it was too late.
But before his fingers could touch the cable, a familiar, unmistakable voice interrupted him.
Wasn't this the voice of the game's AI!?
> [ Congratulations to Player Han Mu, your playing ability has been selected by the Game, as the first player to get a great opportunity to participate in the challenge to find the Final Ending Quest from Devil in Disguise. ]
[ Challenge Requirement: ??? ]
[ Reward: 1,000,000,000 Yuan (One Billion Yuan). ]
[ PARTICIPATE / REFUSE ]
[ Wise Warning in Choosing. If the Player Chooses the Refuse option, the Player will never be included again. ]
Seeing the alluring view of the red screen before him, Han Mu couldn't resist. Han Mu's previously lazy eyes now gleamed with the insane obsession he once held.
The screen shimmered and displayed the option Han Mu immediately selected.
[ PARTICIPATE! ]