In the dimly lit dressing room, only a single wall-mounted screen emitted a soft white light, but the words that appeared on it were anything but warm...
'The game begins...' The black text stood out starkly against the white screen.
"What does that mean?! What game?" Kiana said, looking at the screen, completely baffled.
"Kiana, don't you get it? We're trapped here, which means the game has started..." Li Xuan said seriously. As expected, it was best not to touch things that appeared due to space-time anomalies, because they were usually traps...
"So what game are we playing?" Kiana asked, looking at the screen.
"...I think the game is playing us..." Li Xuan said helplessly. After all, who would lock you in a dark room just to play a happy game with you? Unless they were brain-damaged...
The sentence on the white TV screen suddenly changed...
'Honkai Carnival... Each person must select an outfit from this room, then go on stage together to perform...' The sentence ended there... without any further details.
"What?! Change clothes? Choose from this room?" Li Xuan was stunned. This room was full of girls' clothes. He had scanned the clothes in this dressing room... undeniably, they were all girls' clothes!!
As a man who stood tall and proud, although Li Xuan's face was as handsome as a girl's and his facial features were soft, giving him a gentle appearance. But! As a real man, a tough guy! (in his own opinion) how could he possibly wear a dress?! And he had to go on some stage to perform?! The level of shame was about the same as forcing him to drink poison... (anyway, with his current constitution, drinking poison probably wouldn't kill him...)
"No! I refuse to change clothes!" Li Xuan said to the white display screen, righteous and firm. Even if he needed a performance outfit, the 'Xuanyuan Festive Garb' he was wearing was more than sufficient! As for wearing a dress... sorry, I really can't do it!
'...Objection overruled.' As if hearing Li Xuan's words, a response quickly appeared on the screen.
"Damn it!" Li Xuan looked at the response on the screen in frustration. Did they really want a strapping seven-foot man to wear a dress?! This would become an indelible shadow and stain on his life...
So... as they say, where there is oppression, there is resistance.
Li Xuan flipped his right hand, and a somewhat cumbersome, long weapon appeared out of thin air. A gray-silver launch tube, a delicate optical scope, an oval-shaped rocket at the top, and four protruding golden extensions...
This was the five-star Divine Weapon—'Tyr's Wrist', a veritable personal rocket launcher. He refused to believe that even a Divine Weapon couldn't break through this wall.
Li Xuan ignored everyone's stares, directly shouldered 'Tyr's Wrist', aimed at the wall, and his index finger tensed, ready to pull the trigger...
Just then, Li Xuan's expression suddenly changed. 'Tyr's Wrist', which he had been holding steady, suddenly fell from his hands, crashing heavily onto the floor.
"Ugh..." Li Xuan's face turned red. He knelt on the ground, clutching his neck, looking like he couldn't breathe. His face started to turn blue...
"Li Xuan?! What's wrong?" Raiden Mei was startled by Li Xuan's sudden reaction. Seeing his pained expression, she quickly rushed over to support him.
"According to the system database, the assessment is... this is a state of hypoxia," Bronya Zaychik said, connecting to her system's database. A string of data flashed in her eyes, and a trace of worry appeared on her expressionless face.
At this moment, Li Xuan's originally fair face was completely red, and the veins on his forehead were bulging. That's right, just as Bronya Zaychik said, he couldn't breathe at all right now. Raiden Mei and Kiana stood by, helpless... An adult can die from suffocation if they don't breathe for three minutes. As the minutes ticked by, Li Xuan's consciousness began to fade. Past experiences flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern... The last images were of his phone exploding, and of his adopted younger sister Yaoye-hime turning into fluorescent light and disappearing between heaven and earth...
How can I die?!... I can't fall here...
Just as Li Xuan was about to lose consciousness, a breath of fresh air suddenly appeared... saving his life.
'This is the punishment... Punishment complete...' Another line of text flashed across the white screen.
Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Kiana Kaslana's face getting closer and closer. "...What are you doing?" Li Xuan blinked. Perhaps it was because he had become calmer after his near-death experience, or for some other reason, but he calmly reached out and pushed away Kiana's face, which was still getting larger in his vision.
"Eh?! You're awake?" Kiana said in surprise. Then, the great Miss Kiana, in a rare display, blushed... "Uh... it's because you suddenly couldn't breathe, so Raiden Mei was insisting on giving you artificial respiration..." "..." Okay, say no more. You saw your wife about to give someone else artificial respiration, so you decided to do it yourself, right?!
"Li Xuan?!... Sob~ I'm so glad you're okay!" Raiden Mei, only just now noticing that Li Xuan was no longer in pain, rushed over, her eyes red.
"Yeah... I'm fine." Li Xuan looked at the varying expressions on everyone's faces and felt a warmth flow through his heart.
'Game continues...' New text appeared on the white screen in front of them.
"..." Li Xuan glared at the white screen with resentment. Just let me find out who you are! If I do... I will definitely kill you! "I'll wear it!..." Li Xuan said through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and took a deep breath...
His slightly long hair hid his expression. He stood up and walked towards the dressing room full of girls' clothes, his back looking like that of a warrior about to march into battle. A single drop of water fell to the floor...
It was the tear of a man's humiliation...
(End of Chapter)