Whispering Poems

Chapter 3802 The Interrupted Card Game
If all thirteen seals were to be broken by the five story actors, then it should have been three people breaking three seals and two people breaking two seals. But now, apart from Stella, the priest, and the follower of the God of Misfortune breaking two seals, Mr. Mortis and Mr. Zarathustra each only broke one seal.

Of the remaining five seals, although Ellie had broken four, Shad at the card table didn't actually know the exact number.

Regardless, his intuition was reminding him that the world outside the card table area was undergoing dramatic changes. All thirteen seals had been dealt with, and even if Mr. Snake didn't break free of the seals in the next second and come looking for a fight to the death with Shad, the snake would eventually be freed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first phase of the game has ended. The people who risked their lives to compete for the lead role in the story have finally found and broken the 13 seals in the snow-capped mountains on this stormy night after a night of hard work."

Now they have each received different blessings and powers, and with the seal broken, the colossal black serpent, which once left its mark in ancient mythology but was sealed here by the god of fate for hundreds of thousands of years, is about to break free.

Ms. White's tone was calm. Shad had expected her to feel melancholy or relief as this long mission finally came to an end, but she seemed to have no such feelings at all.

"Next, the adventurers in the story will head to the final stage of the story and complete the final chapter in the second phase of the game."

During this phase, players can only obtain one new hand card each turn. You need to use the remaining hand cards in your hand to guide your respective characters to the mountaintop - the Peak of Destiny Ruins, and find the 'Upper Spring' hidden in the ruins.

The first character and player to reach the fountain location wins. During the second phase of the game, the sealed serpent will unleash its power to disrupt the game on certain turns. You must complete Act Two within those turns, or you lose the game.

The maximum number of rounds in the second phase, which is the remaining time before the sealed evil returns to the material world.

She picked up the ordinary die she had been using and tried to throw it, but Ms. White remained motionless with the die in her hand.

The players knew exactly why she had stopped. With a loud thud as the chair was overturned and its legs slid across the floor, all five of them stood up at once. Shad pulled Mrs. Reinhardt and Mrs. Erfurt behind him, while Prince Samuel Anjou and Baron Gerard Rogers tried to remain calm despite their shock.

In the dim light of the tavern, which served as the backdrop, a hand seemed to tear through the curtain of the stage backdrop and pressed directly on Ms. White's shoulder. Then, a pale face with snake eyes but no nose emerged from the blurry tavern scene and appeared behind Ms. White.

Even if others don't recognize Mr. Snake, they can tell from his strange appearance that he is definitely not human. Ordinary people without any talent can feel the strange power emanating from him that seems to want to devour the whole world.

"The seventh act is not officially over yet; it's not the real thing!"

Although it wasn't the real thing, the mental influence it brought upon itself was enough to almost make the two ladies behind Shad faint, even with Ms. White's power protecting everyone.

At this moment, Ms. White, the only one still sitting at the card table, did not turn around:

“Snake, the story of Act VII is not over yet. According to the play arrangement left by Mr. Huan, even if you are just an avatar, you should not have left the ruins area on the mountaintop to come here.”

"But isn't what that gentleman wants to see precisely the unpredictable stage of fate?"

The snake standing in the darkness asked:

"Besides, if everything really went according to that gentleman's plan, how could there be a sixth actor at the poker table tonight? She didn't even reveal her fate through the molted snake."

Ms. White's response remained calm:
"No matter what, you shouldn't be here right now."

The snake behind her laughed, neither releasing its hand from Ms. White's shoulder nor making any further moves. Shad, however, noticed that black, ink-like scars had appeared on Ms. White's white robe.

After a moment of silence:

"I'm sorry, but I think this game can only go this far."

Ms. White addressed the five people standing together:

"What happens next is none of your business. The game is over. Depending on the number of seals broken and the order in which the last five actors arrive at Shangquan, your wishes will be fulfilled to varying degrees. Turn around and leave. You will return to where you belong."

The tavern's interior, which was originally just a backdrop, now comes to life with the narrow path connecting the card table to the tavern's entrance and the door itself.

Those who knew the extraordinary knew that there was nothing more they could do even if they stayed, so the five of them turned and ran down the path toward the tavern's door.

"Lady first."

Shad said that Mrs. Reinhardt and Mrs. Erfurt should leave through the tavern doors first; they were not returning to the docks, but Mrs. White had taken them to a safer place. Then Baron Gerald Rogers and Prince Samuel Anjou also left through the door, but when it was Shad's turn, the tavern doors in front of him once again transformed into a phantom image, like the background.

The snake's power transformed the scene from reality into part of the background, which did not surprise Shad at all. He stayed at the back to prevent others from being implicated and unable to leave as well.

Looking back at the card table he had come from, Ms. White, sitting at the table, and the snake in the darkness behind her, were both waiting for his return.

As long as the candidates do not reach Shangquan, Act VII will not end, and the serpent will never be able to unleash its full power. Therefore, Shad is not too worried about the current situation.

Even if it disrupts the game, it only deprives the five candidates of the support of the players, turning them into someone like Ellie, who is probably shivering from the cold right now, who has to rely entirely on herself to get through the rest of the game.

So, after a sigh, Shad returned to the card table under the light, pulled out the chair opposite Ms. White, and sat down.

The wine glasses and dishes were still on the table, and the cards that had just been played were scattered all over the place. But Shad ignored them; he looked at the figure behind Ms. White:

"Do you want to start a war with me here?"

Shad had no doubt that Mr. Snake knew his true identity.

"Of course not. Although I can break some rules and forcibly intervene in the story of the seventh act, I cannot use too much power until the final act begins."

Summoner, even I must commend you. You have consistently performed exceptionally well. Even now, as the ninth chosen one is about to be selected, the rules of the world remain so clear and complete. I have imagined countless times what the world would be like when the story finally unfolds on this island. The current situation is what I can foresee, the worst-case scenario for me.

So, I've now entered Act Seven, and I want to make a deal with you.

Snake Eyes stared into Shad's eyes, and Shad asked:

"What deal?"

"It is now 11:45 p.m. on Friday night. You are not allowed to leave this tavern in any way or in any sense before 1 a.m. on Saturday. Of course, you are also not allowed to forcibly change or move the current location of this tavern."

What benefit would I get from doing this?

"In exchange, I will not personally kill any life that enters the Destiny Ruins at the summit before 1 a.m. on Saturday, and neither party shall violate the agreement by any means of negligence."

You don't need to worry about me breaking the agreement. After all, killing someone you know won't benefit me; it will only anger you. The agreement is only meant to bind you, but it's also good for you. At least until 1 a.m., you don't have to worry about losing anyone, right?

Shad looked at Ms. White, and she explained:
"The snake wants to prevent you from getting close to Shangquan during Act 7. Although the game was interrupted, Act 7 is still ongoing until the candidates arrive at Shangquan. Therefore, if you had given up the game to go to the mountaintop just now, or left here to look for the candidates now, you would most likely have been able to reach the hidden Shangquan."

It doesn't want you to gain a new Ring of Fate, because once Act VII ends, it will possess enough power to cover or destroy that spring again. It fears you gaining new power.

The snake did not object to this statement:
“Summoner Shad Hamilton, if you agree to this deal, I can even let this Ms. White leave here safely. Isn’t that a good deal?”

Shad said:
"Can I understand that your molting plan is not yet complete, and you are actually trying to delay the process?"

The snake chuckled softly, unlike the demon's hoarse and rough laughter; its laughter had a repulsive, slippery quality.

"Yes, I'm shedding my skin, completing the transformation of my identity. And during this time, I don't want to be disturbed by you. So we each put up our bargaining chips: I stay on the mountaintop to ensure the safety of your friends; you stay at the foot of the mountain and don't disturb what I'm doing. We're both waiting for 1 a.m. Saturday, which is fair."

According to Xia De, things that are generally considered "fair" are absolutely unfair.

With a soft chuckle, and after closing and opening his eyes, Shad appeared behind Ms. White, providing the answer through his actions.

This was also the first time he had seen Mr. Snake so closely. In Shad's eyes, the pale-skinned man was clearly a snake dressed in human clothing.

The purple and white halos on the back of his right hand lit up together, and the moonlight that Shade slashed out with his right hand this time was tinged with a completely different color than before.

But the moonlight passed through Mr. Snake's body, as if passing through a phantom:
"Summoner of the Gods, I have long awaited our duel. Even though this is not the final battle yet, since you do not agree to the fair deal I proposed, then let's begin!"