Without any warning whatsoever, the light from the crystal chandelier went out.
Darkness pressed in from all directions, cloying and impervious to sight.
Apart from Zong Jiu, there were also those with vampiric lineage who discovered the abnormality.
Vampires presided over the darkness of the night. Their night vision was unrivalled; no one could even come close. However, if even they couldn’t see in the thick darkness blanketing the banquet hall, not even one silhouette, then the vision that everyone else had would be not much better. An almost tangible darkness blocked all prying eyes.
[What’s going on here? Why did the lights suddenly go out? Have I entered the wrong live broadcast room?]
[Replying above, you are not in the wrong place. The system is pulling a censorship op today for some reason. Therefore, we, the live broadcast viewers, cannot see the banquet hall; we only have audio.]
[I can’t believe the system. What the heck, we clearly have no way to get in touch with the trainees in the live broadcast, so I don’t get why we can’t watch. It’s so stupid.]
[Precisely. What’s the point of only being able to listen in? There are over a thousand trainees there, our ears won’t be able to catch shit.]
Unlike the angry cursing of the contenders watching the live broadcast, in the darkness of the banquet hall, all noise was reduced or amplified, clearer than ever before.
As for Zong Jiu, however, it was a flurry of being pressed and pressing back with every step.
He was able to ascertain one thing from the recent bout.
No. 1 surrounded him with at least seven puppets, though he still couldn’t be sure if the man himself was amongst them.
The other really was doing as he liked with numbers on his side.
Behind the mask, the brows of the white-haired young man drew downwards, yet he still wore a sneer on his face, like a chess player just before facing an opponent that interested him.
This costume brought many unexpected gains, yet also mishaps that Zong Jiu couldn’t anticipate.
He’d initially planned to lure the Devil with it, but it was beyond his expectations that No. 1 didn’t change out of his usual outfit. What made it even funnier was how each of the innumerable fans who claimed to be his avid followers actually got them mixed up—exposing the fact that they were fake fans.
If even Zong Jiu could hear them, he didn’t believe the Devil couldn’t.
As long as No. 1 did, Zong Jiu’s goal was accomplished. It was a nemesis’ greatest goal to antagonise his adversary.
However, something he didn’t expect was the system would actually go the full mile and shut the lights.
In the pitch blackness, everyone danced wildly on the dance floor, unable to distinguish one from another.
It was just at this moment that the system released another series of announcements.
[The clue has been released. If a trainee manages to find the instructor in the dark, the third stage will begin.]
[At the ball, the system will randomly drop clues about your dance partner. If you guess the identity of your partner, you will obtain 1,000 survival points. If your identity is discovered, 900 survival points will be deducted. If your identity is not revealed by the end of the dance, you will obtain an additional reward of 5,000 survival points. You can freely change partners after each dance.]
The rest of the trainees were eager to have a go.
There would be some difficulty if one hoped to find the instructor in the dark, but it was another story when it was instead someone they knew. A majority of the remaining trainees were veterans in the infinite loop and as familiar as people could ever be. Even if they weren’t, they would minimally have heard of the other before, for most here were figures with some renown in the infinite loop.
As newcomers would be disadvantaged in the Masquerade Ball, the system appended another rule to protect and support them: If no one successfully guessed their identity from start to end, they could obtain a reward.
Qtja Ibcu Ale cffvfv ab vb cbk kjr ab olcv atf gfji Rb. 1 jwlvra atlr jwyert bo atf Gfnli jcv tlr qeqqfar. Coafg atja… kfii… lcnlaf tlw ab j vjcmf…
Dea jii lc jii, atf lcnlajalbc ab vjcmf kjr vfolclafis cba atf qblca. Ktf qblca kjr jmaejiis ab, joafg atf vjcmf, nlmlberis fzqbrf Rb. 1’r lvfcalas jr atf lcragemabg lc ogbca bo fnfgsbcf!
Since the Devil had provided him with the stage, well of course Zong Jiu also dared to accept the challenge.
So he kept his composure without flinching away and was even in the mood to sneer and scoff at the other.
“I have to say… you have some nerve to have dressed in my likeness.”
Unlike the processed voices of the other trainees, this voice was deep and mellow, hinting at a danger that couldn’t be ignored.
It instantly came from far away yet nearby.
Would it be from the left or the right?
Zong Jiu abruptly whipped his head over.
Covered by darkness, he couldn’t care less about exposing his own identity, thus sweeping the Holy Sword of Physics behind him.
But it didn’t land.
Not only did it not land, but the soft laughter even shifted behind him, staying ever elusive.
It was like a game of cat and mouse. Like a seasoned hunter closing in on the prey it had locked onto, occasionally even extending a paw to bat it, the man hidden in the darkness maliciously and curiously played with Zong Jiu in the palm of his hands.
“You dressed up well. But some spots are lacking.”
The Devil stared intently at the body with a high resemblance to him in the dark, pleasure heavy in his voice, “Do you want to know what they are?”
He started listing them, heedless of Zong Jiu’s opinion.
“First, your skin is too pale.”
In the darkness, the Devil’s hand slid along the Magician’s slender wrist, pausing for a few seconds on the faintly pulsing vein, then pulling away.
Zong Jiu’s pupils constricted. While keeping the rules of the system in mind, he stepped in the dance pattern of a waltz, making a sudden spin, conveniently dodging this hand.
“Your shoulder width is off.”
At the same time, the other hand glided down the white-haired young man’s slender neck to his shoulder, the touch intimately close.
Zong Jiu grabbed that hand and tried to pull him into a shoulder throw, but the contact lasted no more than a second before disappearing silently into the shadows.
There were no gloves. That wasn’t No. 1’s hand.
The Magician paused, noting down this position in his mind before spinning again.
“Your waist is too slim.”
Another pair of hands appeared, effortlessly circling the waist hidden beneath the black suit and vest, roving across the contours, full of subtle implications.
Zong Jiu didn’t move; he couldn’t. He was only able to follow the hands and the body behind him through another sequence with the beat of the music before he was pushed to the next person.
Rather, he had shut his eyes. He had no intention of moving at all.
For this also wasn’t the body he was looking for.
High above, the deep timbre of a cello entered the composition, rising and falling with the harp.
On the dance floor, everyone was spinning and dancing in the dark.
“Your chin is a bit too sharp.”
The next one smoothly stepped up. Coarse fabric skimmed the beautifully shaped jawline, then gripped the pointed tip between two fingers.
Zong Jiu didn’t try anything this time but directly opened his mouth and bit in the direction of that hand.
“So fierce.” The tone was slightly teasing and surprised. “Fingers, yes, your fingers.”
Icy fingers were stuffed into Zong Jiu’s gloves, the rough scars and the Magician’s slightly calloused fingers fitting together, wrapping tightly and inseparably in the black half-finger glove.
The other hand also swam over the edge of the Magician’s slightly parted lips, scraping them roughly and caressing the incisors almost tenderly.
The white-haired young man’s eyes snapped open, and a flash of light rippled through his pale pink eyes.
However, limited by their positions, Zong Jiu did not act rashly and startle the enemy. Instead, he used the momentum to violently dislodge the hand, turning elsewhere in the darkness.
“Of course… the most important is still—”
Countless hands appeared from the darkness, clasping his waist and resting on his neck.
Smiling, the Devil, or maybe his puppet, rested his chin on the Magician’s shoulder, inhaling deeply.
“Your unique scent.”
The scent of cedar laced with frosty wood tones poured into his chest, intoxicating his mind.
The music gradually became extraordinarily soothing, suggesting the song was nearing its end.
The Blue Danube died down. Whereas others changed dance partners at the end of a song, Zong Jiu had instead already gone through seven partners.
“The next time you dress up like this, remember to pay attention to these details. Perhaps you will surprise me even more, then.”
Zong Jiu icily said, “Oh? Is that so?”
In a fleeting moment, the Magician jabbed his elbow backwards and twisted his entire body at an incredible angle, breaking free from the fetters of the man behind him. Without a look over his shoulder, he slammed askew towards the dark recesses.
“There won’t be a next time.”
The man in the darkness was startled, but he didn’t evade. The smile on his face widened, and he spread his arms open.
And so he was directly knocked into a madman’s embrace.
[A trainee has locked in the instructor’s identity. The third segment will begin promptly.]
Other trainees: ???
The live broadcast viewers: ???
Everyone apart from the two in the middle was dumbfounded.
[What’s happening now? We just finished a waltz, it’s been less than ten minutes. How has someone managed to lock in the instructor’s identity?]
[Holy crap. The announcement shocked me. Ten minutes, how awesome is that guy? Is the instructor that easy to find? If I must say though, I’m a little suspicious of the penguin that stood on the dance floor and ignored everything around him… Don’t you guys find it weird he was the only one who barely reacted?]
[The dance comes after the instructor is found. Then they are going to reveal his identity, right? Ahhhhh, can the system hurry up and turn the lights back on? I want to see who did it, and also who the instructor dressed up as?!]
[There’s no rush. Locking in the identity is only the first step; there’s no reward for guessing wrongly. But I strongly support your request for the system to turn the lights back on.]
All noise was muted in the dark banquet hall.
The dead silence was eerie.
At last, in the silence, the concertmaster standing midway across the stage let the bow glide across the string.
A melody aloof yet charming, arrogant and unapproachable, trickled from the oblique angle that the bow met the string.
Zong Jiu immediately recognised it from the starting strains.
Por una Cabeza.
It was the famous tango music used in Scent of a Woman.
Without any warning whatsoever, the light from the crystal chandelier went out.
Darkness pressed in from all directions, cloying and impervious to sight.
Apart from Zong Jiu, there were also those with vampiric lineage who discovered the abnormality.
Vampires presided over the darkness of the night. Their night vision was unrivalled; no one could even come close. However, if even they couldn’t see in the thick darkness blanketing the banquet hall, not even one silhouette, then the vision that everyone else had would be not much better. An almost tangible darkness blocked all prying eyes.
[What’s going on here? Why did the lights suddenly go out? Have I entered the wrong live broadcast room?]
[Replying above, you are not in the wrong place. The system is pulling a censorship op today for some reason. Therefore, we, the live broadcast viewers, cannot see the banquet hall; we only have audio.]
[I can’t believe the system. What the heck, we clearly have no way to get in touch with the trainees in the live broadcast, so I don’t get why we can’t watch. It’s so stupid.]
[Precisely. What’s the point of only being able to listen in? There are over a thousand trainees there, our ears won’t be able to catch shit.]
Unlike the angry cursing of the contenders watching the live broadcast, in the darkness of the banquet hall, all noise was reduced or amplified, clearer than ever before.
As for Zong Jiu, however, it was a flurry of being pressed and pressing back with every step.
He was able to ascertain one thing from the recent bout.
No. 1 surrounded him with at least seven puppets, though he still couldn’t be sure if the man himself was amongst them.
The other really was doing as he liked with numbers on his side.
Behind the mask, the brows of the white-haired young man drew downwards, yet he still wore a sneer on his face, like a chess player just before facing an opponent that interested him.
This costume brought many unexpected gains, yet also mishaps that Zong Jiu couldn’t anticipate.
He’d initially planned to lure the Devil with it, but it was beyond his expectations that No. 1 didn’t change out of his usual outfit. What made it even funnier was how each of the innumerable fans who claimed to be his avid followers actually got them mixed up—exposing the fact that they were fake fans.
If even Zong Jiu could hear them, he didn’t believe the Devil couldn’t.
As long as No. 1 did, Zong Jiu’s goal was accomplished. It was a nemesis’ greatest goal to antagonise his adversary.
However, something he didn’t expect was the system would actually go the full mile and shut the lights.
In the pitch blackness, everyone danced wildly on the dance floor, unable to distinguish one from another.
It was just at this moment that the system released another series of announcements.
[The clue has been released. If a trainee manages to find the instructor in the dark, the third stage will begin.]
[At the ball, the system will randomly drop clues about your dance partner. If you guess the identity of your partner, you will obtain 1,000 survival points. If your identity is discovered, 900 survival points will be deducted. If your identity is not revealed by the end of the dance, you will obtain an additional reward of 5,000 survival points. You can freely change partners after each dance.]
The rest of the trainees were eager to have a go.
There would be some difficulty if one hoped to find the instructor in the dark, but it was another story when it was instead someone they knew. A majority of the remaining trainees were veterans in the infinite loop and as familiar as people could ever be. Even if they weren’t, they would minimally have heard of the other before, for most here were figures with some renown in the infinite loop.
As newcomers would be disadvantaged in the Masquerade Ball, the system appended another rule to protect and support them: If no one successfully guessed their identity from start to end, they could obtain a reward.
Qtja Ibcu Ale cffvfv ab vb cbk kjr ab olcv atf gfji Rb. 1 jwlvra atlr jwyert bo atf Gfnli jcv tlr qeqqfar. Coafg atja… kfii… lcnlaf tlw ab j vjcmf…
Dea jii lc jii, atf lcnlajalbc ab vjcmf kjr vfolclafis cba atf qblca. Ktf qblca kjr jmaejiis ab, joafg atf vjcmf, nlmlberis fzqbrf Rb. 1’r lvfcalas jr atf lcragemabg lc ogbca bo fnfgsbcf!
Since the Devil had provided him with the stage, well of course Zong Jiu also dared to accept the challenge.
So he kept his composure without flinching away and was even in the mood to sneer and scoff at the other.
“I have to say… you have some nerve to have dressed in my likeness.”
Unlike the processed voices of the other trainees, this voice was deep and mellow, hinting at a danger that couldn’t be ignored.
It instantly came from far away yet nearby.
Would it be from the left or the right?
Zong Jiu abruptly whipped his head over.
Covered by darkness, he couldn’t care less about exposing his own identity, thus sweeping the Holy Sword of Physics behind him.
But it didn’t land.
Not only did it not land, but the soft laughter even shifted behind him, staying ever elusive.
It was like a game of cat and mouse. Like a seasoned hunter closing in on the prey it had locked onto, occasionally even extending a paw to bat it, the man hidden in the darkness maliciously and curiously played with Zong Jiu in the palm of his hands.
“You dressed up well. But some spots are lacking.”
The Devil stared intently at the body with a high resemblance to him in the dark, pleasure heavy in his voice, “Do you want to know what they are?”
He started listing them, heedless of Zong Jiu’s opinion.
“First, your skin is too pale.”
In the darkness, the Devil’s hand slid along the Magician’s slender wrist, pausing for a few seconds on the faintly pulsing vein, then pulling away.
Zong Jiu’s pupils constricted. While keeping the rules of the system in mind, he stepped in the dance pattern of a waltz, making a sudden spin, conveniently dodging this hand.
“Your shoulder width is off.”
At the same time, the other hand glided down the white-haired young man’s slender neck to his shoulder, the touch intimately close.
Zong Jiu grabbed that hand and tried to pull him into a shoulder throw, but the contact lasted no more than a second before disappearing silently into the shadows.
There were no gloves. That wasn’t No. 1’s hand.
The Magician paused, noting down this position in his mind before spinning again.
“Your waist is too slim.”
Another pair of hands appeared, effortlessly circling the waist hidden beneath the black suit and vest, roving across the contours, full of subtle implications.
Zong Jiu didn’t move; he couldn’t. He was only able to follow the hands and the body behind him through another sequence with the beat of the music before he was pushed to the next person.
Rather, he had shut his eyes. He had no intention of moving at all.
For this also wasn’t the body he was looking for.
High above, the deep timbre of a cello entered the composition, rising and falling with the harp.
On the dance floor, everyone was spinning and dancing in the dark.
“Your chin is a bit too sharp.”
The next one smoothly stepped up. Coarse fabric skimmed the beautifully shaped jawline, then gripped the pointed tip between two fingers.
Zong Jiu didn’t try anything this time but directly opened his mouth and bit in the direction of that hand.
“So fierce.” The tone was slightly teasing and surprised. “Fingers, yes, your fingers.”
Icy fingers were stuffed into Zong Jiu’s gloves, the rough scars and the Magician’s slightly calloused fingers fitting together, wrapping tightly and inseparably in the black half-finger glove.
The other hand also swam over the edge of the Magician’s slightly parted lips, scraping them roughly and caressing the incisors almost tenderly.
The white-haired young man’s eyes snapped open, and a flash of light rippled through his pale pink eyes.
However, limited by their positions, Zong Jiu did not act rashly and startle the enemy. Instead, he used the momentum to violently dislodge the hand, turning elsewhere in the darkness.
“Of course… the most important is still—”
Countless hands appeared from the darkness, clasping his waist and resting on his neck.
Smiling, the Devil, or maybe his puppet, rested his chin on the Magician’s shoulder, inhaling deeply.
“Your unique scent.”
The scent of cedar laced with frosty wood tones poured into his chest, intoxicating his mind.
The music gradually became extraordinarily soothing, suggesting the song was nearing its end.
The Blue Danube died down. Whereas others changed dance partners at the end of a song, Zong Jiu had instead already gone through seven partners.
“The next time you dress up like this, remember to pay attention to these details. Perhaps you will surprise me even more, then.”
Zong Jiu icily said, “Oh? Is that so?”
In a fleeting moment, the Magician jabbed his elbow backwards and twisted his entire body at an incredible angle, breaking free from the fetters of the man behind him. Without a look over his shoulder, he slammed askew towards the dark recesses.
“There won’t be a next time.”
The man in the darkness was startled, but he didn’t evade. The smile on his face widened, and he spread his arms open.
And so he was directly knocked into a madman’s embrace.
[A trainee has locked in the instructor’s identity. The third segment will begin promptly.]
Other trainees: ???
The live broadcast viewers: ???
Everyone apart from the two in the middle was dumbfounded.
[What’s happening now? We just finished a waltz, it’s been less than ten minutes. How has someone managed to lock in the instructor’s identity?]
[Holy crap. The announcement shocked me. Ten minutes, how awesome is that guy? Is the instructor that easy to find? If I must say though, I’m a little suspicious of the penguin that stood on the dance floor and ignored everything around him… Don’t you guys find it weird he was the only one who barely reacted?]
[The dance comes after the instructor is found. Then they are going to reveal his identity, right? Ahhhhh, can the system hurry up and turn the lights back on? I want to see who did it, and also who the instructor dressed up as?!]
[There’s no rush. Locking in the identity is only the first step; there’s no reward for guessing wrongly. But I strongly support your request for the system to turn the lights back on.]
All noise was muted in the dark banquet hall.
The dead silence was eerie.
At last, in the silence, the concertmaster standing midway across the stage let the bow glide across the string.
A melody aloof yet charming, arrogant and unapproachable, trickled from the oblique angle that the bow met the string.
Zong Jiu immediately recognised it from the starting strains.
Por una Cabeza.
It was the famous tango music used in Scent of a Woman.
