Everyone froze in shock, staring up at the sinister man. Yet no one dared meet his gaze. His eyes radiated an utter coldness that pierced straight to their souls, as if sucking their spirits away.

Seeing the silence below, his voice turned even icier. "You still haven’t answered my question. How do you want to play this game?"

Lucy, Nora, and the third felt the man’s oppressive aura above. Only true powerhouses could fly through the air like that.

Anjuro forced a smile. "Mighty one, we’re just humble adventurers. We have no interest in games. Please spare us—"

Before he finished, a shockwave slammed down.

Nora instinctively shouted, "Watch out!"

But weak adventurers stood no chance against him. Anjuro vanished instantly—erased completely from this world.

"No one disobeys my words," the sinister man declared. "And I despise beggars."

Qin Jun watched with a faint smile. He’d considered saving the man, but thought better of it. This was mercy; later suffering would be worse. Revealing himself too soon would ruin the fun.

Below, they felt his overwhelming power. He could slaughter them all in seconds.

Nora felt a trace of sadness for Anjuro. Though he’d betrayed her, they’d fought together once. She was sentimental.

Lucy and Angelo stayed silent, heads bowed low in terror.

The sinister man spoke again. "Well? Your answer?"

"What game do you want to play?" His voice deepened with frost.

Nora glanced around, sighing inwardly. She had to step up. A combat game? Impossible. Only a contest of wits might work.

She said, "How about a word game?"

He shook his head. "No. I’m no good at mental contests. It must test strength."

*What’s the point?* Nora thought. *You don’t want to kill us outright—you want to toy with us to death.*

She met his gaze directly. "No game lets us win against your strength. Just kill us now."

He didn’t rage. Instead, he laughed. He liked her tone—neither submissive nor arrogant, unlike a weakling.

"Set rules to bind me," he told Nora.

"Like sealing your power to match ours?" she asked.

"Yes," he smiled. "But I choose the game."

Nora weighed this. Sealed strength made the game type less critical.

"I need to hear the game first," she said.

His grin widened. "You’ll like it. A chase game. Run now. I devour whoever I catch. Escape the Monster Forest, and I free that one. How about that?"