Chapter 65: Original Sin Mask, Wrath!

【Game difficulty confirmed: Hell Mode. Praise your courage, strongest player.】

Since this is Challenge Mode, there are still some differences compared to previous normal games.

After all, in past level-clear games, even if there was competition between players, most of it was about rewards and benefits. In truth, everyone was teaming up to fight monsters. The real “villain” was the game itself.

But this time, some of the “difficulty” was targeted specifically at Lu Ce as the challenged player.

In ranking battles between players, the one being challenged could choose to accept or not.

But if you didn’t accept for too long, there might be some hidden penalties.

If you accepted the challenge, the difficulty level of the game would be chosen by the challenged player.

Hard: Both players face the same difficulty. A direct confrontation, a war, to decide the winner.

Nightmare: The challenged player faces greater disadvantages, but if they win, their reward will be better than the challenger's.

At the same time, the challenger will suffer backlash and receive a penalty.

Lu Ce barely read the first half of the descriptions — he skipped straight to the latter parts.

This Hell Mode is the one to go for!

Most importantly, there's also the backlash. You want to challenge me and walk away scot-free if you lose? I lose my top ranking, and you lose nothing? Not happening.

【Both players confirmed. Game difficulty set to——Hell Mode!】

On the other side, when Park Bu Seong saw this game notification, he laughed so hard he nearly p*ssed himself.

“You really chose Hell Mode?! You looking down on me?!”

Park Bu Seong’s expression twisted as he smashed the confirm button. He never imagined that this “Sin” would actually make such a move.

“Then let me step on your head as I rise to become number one in this world...”

“When I’m about to finish him off in the game, make sure to record how he begs for mercy!”

That last sentence was directed at the viewers in his livestream.

Da Han Mingguo had already begun officially promoting this tournament. Right now, his stream had no shortage of viewers.

If the strongest player ended up being one of their own, it would greatly enhance Da Han Ming Country’s cohesion and international confidence.

Might even raise their global standing.

Meanwhile, the game rules also popped up on the players’ screens.

【This mode is a Competitive Challenge Mode. Since players are on opposing sides, messages in any livestream about the opponent will be invisible to the players.】

【Victory conditions for both sides will be determined by the specific game.】

【If either side uses an Exit Token, the other side is declared the winner.】

【Ten minutes until the game starts. Please prepare your equipment and potions...】

Lu Ce noticed that the game had fixed a few bugs. Honestly, that made things even easier.

Why is this game working so hard to help me out, huh? (￣m￣）

He opened his backpack, thought for a moment, and then bought a few supplies from the shop.

Strategically, he looked down on the opponent. But tactically, he still needed to show a little respect — especially if it aligned with his playstyle...

Last time, he burned through way too many potions in one go. So Lu Ce spent a few thousand Reward Points and stocked up: ten bottles each of Basic and Intermediate Healing Potions.

As for Advanced Healing Potions, he’d been too stingy to use them before — but now, he bought five.

Should be enough to pop during the fight, right?

As long as he had potions, unless he got instantly killed, he was basically invincible.

Next were all the miscellaneous Achievements, Weapons, Sealed Artifacts — packed them all.

When it came to his Mask, the familiar system prompt popped up again.

【Original Sin Mask — please select: use currently unlocked “Greed” or “Gluttony”?】

“No!” Lu Ce denied. “Unlock a new one. Random selection.”

【Initialization complete. A random selection will be made from among the still-locked emotions.】

Lu Ce had always been clear about one thing — he hadn’t fully tapped into the power of the Original Sin Mask.

While it was still early in the game, his goal was to unlock as many emotions as possible. That was what he needed to focus on right now.

And right on cue, some clueless moron had come to challenge him...

【Game ready...】

【Initializing...】

【Hell Game loaded. Good luck, players — Seven Wonders of the School!】

The next moment, everything went black. Lu Ce entered a new scene.

As he raised his groggy head, it felt like he’d just enjoyed a nice nap during a senior year Chinese class, and now the school bell had rung.

Looking up, no joke — this classroom setup really did resemble his high school homeroom a lot.

Almost identical segmented blackboards, almost identical desk layouts, and even the same single desks in the front rows on either side...

Lu Ce was starting to wonder if maybe he’d fallen asleep in class before, and all this Chosen’s Game stuff had just been a dream.

Seeing the familiar surroundings, he instinctively glanced around at the other “classmates.”

As he turned his head, he immediately spotted someone wearing what looked like a helmet. Lu Ce recognized them instantly.

Even though one eye was covered by a faint blue light screen, and the other was sealed by the helmet, with the chin and mouth wrapped up too — everything else was just too obvious.

Lu Ce wasn’t Dong-ge — he wasn’t face-blind.

“This is my challenge, right? Who are you?”

Xie Antong hadn’t expected this either. She had just received a random match notice when Challenge Mode opened and decided to participate.

After all, compared to normal Game Mode, Challenge Mode was relatively safer.

But who knew the moment she entered, she’d be hit with a Hell Mode alert?!

Her brain froze on the spot, and after several moments of choking back panic, she finally pressed confirm.

Someone seriously had nothing better to do and chose Hell Mode for her? Who the hell did she get matched with?!

Then she saw the masked person sitting next to her.

And in that instant, when she saw the light green mask in front of her — everything made sense.

Xie Antong immediately recalled the various games this guy had participated in, and all his wildly irrational and brutal performances.

At that moment, she felt like half her life had already slipped away.

“Challenge Mode isn’t a solo instance. Both challenger and challenged will be assigned relevant personnel. I’m your teammate...”

Suppressing her fear and nerves, Xie Antong tried to answer as calmly as she could.

Lu Ce: .......

So that’s how it is. No wonder she assumed that earlier...

D*mn, are there seriously this many people challenging me?

Right now, what he really wanted to ask was —

Since you're here too, did you actually help me call in sick or not?

Lu Ce said:

“So, what’s your role?”

Hearing that cold tone, Xie Antong felt the pressure spike.

She had analyzed his abilities across several games and made a few guesses.

If she wasn’t wrong, the mask he was wearing right now was... light green.

Among the Seven Deadly Sins, light green — Wrath (GUMI)!