Reincarnation Paradise

"Let me... out..." The gloomy man's face turned red as he strained against the chains, which creaked under the pressure. With a final effort, he shattered the chains and staggered forward, clearly having used some kind of overexertion skill. He glanced at the man with gold-rimmed glasses, who had somehow freed himself from the chains without making a sound.

"Um... can someone help me out?" the detective girl cried, clearly a support type.

"As a gentleman, how could I refuse a lady's request?" The man with the glasses approached, placing a hand on the chains. They began to tremble as if experiencing unimaginable pain. With a clatter, the chains fell apart, freeing the detective girl.

"Thank you," she said, sighing relief and nodding at him.

"We're partners; it's just a small favor."

All nine people had now broken free from their chains, but the sharp blades continued to approach. Compared to the chains, Su Xiao felt that these blades would be much harder to destroy. The faint golden glow on them suggested they might be of golden quality.

With a swish, a stone door rose on one of the walls, likely as the exit. The nine approached the door, which gaped like a black maw, ready to devour anyone who entered.

"Time is running out. Everyone, this is another choice we must make." The man with the glasses, Walsh, pushed his glasses up his nose with his middle finger. Mr. Pi stepped forward, taking out a microcomputer. Several tiny robots crawled from his collar as he operated it and rushed into the doorway. Moments later, Mr. Pi put away his microcomputer and walked into the doorway, followed by Walsh and the detective girl. The gloomy man hesitated but then followed suit, vanishing into the darkness.

The cat girl glanced at Bubt, then walked into the doorway.

"Long time no see, Brother Bai Ye," the eldest of the National Football Team approached as the blades drew near.

"Long time no see," Su Xiao replied, releasing his Alchemy Raven to scout the doorway. Although it appeared that the others had entered directly, they had used various methods. The Alchemy Raven flew into the doorway, and Su Xiao closed his eyes to use its vision. He saw only darkness but sensed no immediate danger.

He stepped into the doorway, followed by Bubt. The National Football Team remained behind, seemingly discussing something. As Su Xiao entered, he felt a spatial force envelop him. After a flash, he found himself in a small room, already seated on a chair.

This room was much better than the previous dark, damp environment. In the center was a metal round table surrounded by nine chairs. Su Xiao sat on one of these chairs, made of metal with armrests, a soft cushion, and a high backrest.

The walls were lined with wooden shelves filled with various equipment—golden, light gold, dark purple, purple, blue, and green, numbering in the hundreds. Most of them bore dried bloodstains. A faint scent filled the air. Nine seats, nine players, all seated. But squatted beside Su Xiao; the lack of a seat for it was a good sign, meaning it didn't have to participate in the game.

"What kind of game is this? No restrictions? It seems like it has high freedom," Mr. Pi said. He tried to stand but found he could leave the chair, though he chose to sit back down.

"Players, welcome to the Devil's Castle. Here, you will become true strongmen." A confident male voice drew everyone's attention to its source—a figure in a black tailcoat and bow tie.

Seeing this wolf-headed figure, Su Xiao remembered the wolf butler mentioned in the world introduction.

"You are on the first floor of the Devil's Castle. The game here is about fate. Sometimes luck is also part of one's strength. This isn't just talk. Everyone, accept your fate's test." The wolf butler approached the metal round table, pulling out a golden revolver.

"This is the Fate Dominator. For each of you, it holds only one bullet. Pick it up and pull the trigger. To avoid death, choose your fate," the wolf butler said, inserting the revolver into a slot on the table. His actions were precise and practiced as if he had done this countless times before. He then stepped back.

"Russian roulette? Wolf butler, this is a bit absurd," the cat girl laughed. The wolf butler didn't respond, staring straight ahead.

"It might not be. 'It holds only one bullet for each of you.' That statement is interesting," Mr. Pi observed the revolver in the table's groove, tapping the table lightly.

"Everyone, we share the same goal: to obtain the Proof of the Strong. This game likely tests our qualification to become strong. Who will go first?" Walsh, the man with the glasses, looked around.

Click... The metal table began to spin.

"Fate, begin," the wolf butler announced. Su Xiao focused on the gun. It exuded a threatening aura. He felt that pulling the trigger would almost certainly result in a headshot. This gun was a high-rated golden item.

Looking at the weapons on the shelves, Su Xiao guessed their origins. They were left by those who failed the game, serving as 'souvenirs' for Alice.

Click. The table stopped, and the golden revolver was before Su Xiao.

"Pick it up and pull the trigger," the wolf butler appeared behind Su Xiao. Ignoring him, Su Xiao considered the wolf butler's neutrality; if he didn't violate the game rules, the wolf butler wouldn't attack.

Defying the game rules could have been more wise. Not only was Alice, near-god in this castle, still unseen, but the wolf butler alone was formidable. Su Xiao had never felt such a powerful and profound aura. Approaching this wolf butler would be fatal. ṚÄ

After a moment of thought, Su Xiao picked up the golden revolver.

"Pull the trigger against my head?" he asked.

"Correct."

Su Xiao gained some insight from the response. The wolf butler would answer questions about the game.

Holding the gun in his right hand, finger on the trigger, Su Xiao prepared a defense before pulling the trigger. A golden shield appeared around him as he pulled the trigger.

Bang! The gunshot echoed. A bullet hit the secondary invincible shield, deforming it but failing to penetrate. The bullet bounced away.

A hand struck, shattering the shield into shards of light. The wolf butler had pierced it with a hand chop; though the shield wasn't invincible, this feat was impressive.

The wolf butler had only shattered the shield, not attacked Su Xiao.

"You chose... to control your own fate. A good choice," the wolf butler took the gun from Su Xiao and placed a rune card on his chest.

Su Xiao's pupils constricted slightly. This was an incredible boost—permanently increasing luck by one point was significant.

He became more interested in the Devil's Castle game. Despite the danger, it offered great opportunities.

The game tested his qualifications for strength and provided the means to become strong if he survived.

"Wolf butler, are all the games in the Devil's Castle like this?"

The wolf butler answered questions about the game.

"The first three games have fixed rules. After that, explore on your own."

The wolf butler placed the golden revolver back in the table slot. The table spun, and the others gulped, having sensed the gun's power.

Click. The table stopped in front of the third brother of the National Football Team. He shivered.

"Wolf butler, can I switch guns? I brought my own," the third brother's thinking was peculiar. He pulled out a white-quality revolver, surprising everyone, including the wolf butler. Such a situation had never occurred before.