In the end, in the dark alley, Zhang Tao, who had been thoroughly beaten, lay unconscious and covered in bruises. Of course, Lu Ce, who left, was also black and blue.

  However, the injuries on his body were mostly self-inflicted.

  He was quite skilled at this sort of thing by now. It didn't hurt anyway, and with both of them looking similarly injured, and him being an orphan with no property concerns, the police usually just let it slide.

  But this time, when he fought, Lu Ce instinctively sensed the opponent's vulnerability. If he wanted to, there were countless ways he could have killed him!

  Of course, he didn't do that.

  Lu Ce had a clear understanding of his position. He knew his current strength was far from being able to act with impunity.

  Hurriedly returning to his small room, he pulled out a piece of paper and began writing down his observations about the Chosen of Pain.

  1. Self-harm doesn't count; hurting oneself doesn't add Pain Value.

  2. The most direct way is through the opponent's harm and torture, which is the simplest way to gain points.

  Moreover, even if he had the ability to escape in such situations but chose not to, it wouldn't be considered self-harm. Lu Ce thought this was a bug.

  After pondering for a long time, Lu Ce wrote down a third hypothesis:

  3. If, due to the opponent or enemy, he was forced or indirectly harmed, it could also add points!

  In the previous game, he had broken his own nails to escape, and just now, he had met the opponent's thrown object with his fist, which also worked.

  After putting down the pen, Lu Ce took a deep breath, looking at the summary in front of him.

  "In short, that's about it.

  My system doesn't even have a beginner's tutorial or anything, I have to figure it out myself.

  For now, these are the rules of the Chosen of Pain. I'll add more as I discover them..."

  Placing the paper under his pillow, Lu Ce lay down, trying to rest, though his mind was far from calm.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  His reliance was now complete, which meant...

  [Time until the next game starts: 29:24:43.]

  ***

  [Time until the next game starts: 00:30:23.]

  A day and a night passed quickly. Lu Ce didn't join in his classmates' discussions; his mind was already in the game.

  As time passed, the subtitles changed, and a voice echoed in his mind at the same time.

  [Thirty minutes until the game starts.]

  [Please make the necessary preparations in advance.]

  [Please choose to become a spectator or a player.]

  Looking at the two options in front of him, Lu Ce recalled what Xie Antong had suddenly and earnestly said to him the day before.

  "Heh, thanks for the warning."

  "But you're right, how could I give up such an opportunity?"

  "When fate arrives, all choices are not choices..."

  "Player!"

  [Player identity loaded.]

  [Chosen's Paradise welcomes you, may your courage lead you to the skies!]

  ***

  Half an hour later, a stream of data enveloped Lu Ce's entire body, and his figure disappeared from the small room.

  [Welcome to the game, your current dungeon difficulty is: Hell-Level!]

  [You have five minutes to make initial settings.]

  Watching the rapid data stream load, a data panel representing his player status appeared in front of Lu Ce.

  [Game Points: 3000]

  [Pain Value: 7]

  [Strength: 10]

  [Agility: 10]

  [Speed: 10]

  [Luck: 3]

  [Spirit: 0]

  [Enhancement Badge: God Slayer (Legendary)]

  [Equipment: None]

  [Backpack: Initial Backpack]

  [You have a reward to claim]

  Seeing his panel, he was surprised to find his Pain Value was also displayed and could be used to add points to the values below.

  Not knowing which value was most important, he decided to deal with the point allocation later.

  "Claim!"

  [Your reward has arrived.]

  [Obtained Sealed Artifact: A-007, Soul of the Seven Deadly Sins.]

  [Seven Deadly Sins Effect: Amplifies the user's corresponding human weaknesses, but also grants a massive corresponding boost.]

  [Please set initial appearance.]

  As the voice fell, a gray stream of air appeared before Lu Ce, without a fixed shape.

  Lu Ce had a sudden inspiration and said, "Shape it into a fluid mask."

  The stream slowly formed into a mask, fitting onto Lu Ce's face without any sensation of wearing it.

  [Please set form: Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Lust]

  Lu Ce thought for a moment and chose one that seemed relatively easy to control.

  "Greed!"

  The mask twisted and then turned deep blue.

  [Please set mode: Normal/Overload.]

  "Normal!"

  [Preparation time is over, entering the game.]

  His vision blurred, and a feeling of weightlessness came over him. The next second, Lu Ce was already in the game.

  As soon as he opened his eyes, Lu Ce was surprised to find that the dizziness hadn't disappeared. He felt top-heavy, and the surrounding environment was extremely hot, as if he were placed in a steamer.

  Realizing his situation, Lu Ce noticed he was now hanging upside down in the air, a chain binding his left ankle.

  Below him, dozens of meters down, was boiling, bubbling lava!

  "Ahhhh!"

  Suddenly, a woman's scream pierced the air beside him, and Lu Ce realized he wasn't the only one in this second game.

  Including himself, there were ten people hanging here, like ducks roasting in a fireplace.

  "Didn't they say it was a game? What's going on? Why am I hanging here?"

  "So hot, so scalding, how do we get down!"

  Among those hanging beside him, some were already panicking. The incredibly realistic sensations were making them anxious.

  Lu Ce glanced around briefly and then ignored them. These people's abilities were clearly limited, whether as enemies or friends, it didn't matter.

  [Welcome to the game, unfortunately, you've been selected for Hell Mode, but at the same time, you're quite lucky.]

  [Beneath each of you is a platform, and below that platform is rising lava.]

  [You need to escape in time, or else... well, that's really unfortunate...]

  [Next is the first escape tool.]

  A mechanical voice echoed in this hellish furnace, and then, in the middle of the ten people, a rope descended.

  Tied to it was a saw!

  A saw covered in crimson rust, with jagged, broken teeth!

  Looking at this object and the rising lava below, the ten people instantly understood what "escape" meant.

  Instantly, an uncontrollable chill surged through everyone's hearts.

  —Except for one person.