Upon hearing this, Qiao Jiajin immediately withdrew his hand.
But the slight force he had just applied to the rope was already enough to break that eerie balance.
A massive chain sound erupted from one of the holes, causing the rope to tremble violently.
Qi Xia swiftly picked up a tabletop from the ground and shouted, “Han Yimo, get behind me!”
Han Yimo hurriedly ran behind Qi Xia and hid, gripping his clothes nervously.
“Murphy’s Law…?”
Holding the tabletop, Qi Xia kept moving away from the hole, with Han Yimo shuffling along behind him.
Logically, Qi Xia and the hole were no longer aligned, so any harpoons fired from it shouldn’t have been able to reach them, let alone harm Han Yimo behind him. Yet, Qi Xia felt an inexplicable unease.
Standing beside the hole, Qiao Jiajin watched Qi Xia’s actions with confusion. He glanced at the rope, then back at Qi Xia, and asked, “What are you doing, trickster?”
“Stay away from there, Qiao Jiajin! There’s another harpoon—watch out!” Qi Xia replied sternly.
No sooner had he spoken than a deafening roar erupted from the hole, and two harpoons shot out simultaneously.
The first was the intruder that had misfired into the hole earlier, while the second was clearly the real deal, primed and ready.
*Whoosh!*
Everything happened in a second.
The first harpoon flew out of the hole and weakly embedded itself into the ground.
The second, however, shot with full force in the opposite direction from Qi Xia.
Relieved that the harpoon wasn’t heading his way, Qi Xia suddenly saw it strike the standing clock in the room with uncanny precision.
For a long time, that clock had been their only way of tracking time. Now, it had become a springboard for death.
A metallic clash rang out, sparks flying everywhere.
Miraculously, the clock—made of some unknown material—remained standing despite the violent impact. But the harpoon ricocheted off it, changing direction mid-flight.
Like a viper spotting prey, it abruptly turned and lunged straight at Qi Xia and Han Yimo.
The harpoon flew low, almost skimming the ground. Qi Xia shoved Han Yimo back and raised the tabletop to block it.
Given its trajectory, the harpoon should have hit the tabletop before reaching Han Yimo.
But just as it was about to strike, the harpoon clipped the ground, bouncing upward with a sudden jolt.
This bizarre trajectory sent it soaring over Qi Xia, only to hit the ceiling and ricochet again—this time, straight toward Han Yimo.
To everyone watching, the harpoon moved like a zigzagging bolt of lightning, dodging every obstacle to zero in on its target.
As Han Yimo had predicted, he *would* be hit.
The harpoon’s path was unnatural—its target had always been Han Yimo.
Qi Xia knew there was no way he could reposition the tabletop in time. Despair flickered across his face.
No one could save Han Yimo now. The only slim chance was if he dodged it himself.
But given how he trembled in fear, he probably couldn’t even move a step. Death seemed inevitable.
When the harpoon was mere inches away, Qiao Jiajin—still by the hole—suddenly grabbed the rope inside and yanked it backward.
A single tug affected the entire system.
His reflexes were lightning-fast. The harpoon, mid-flight, wobbled like a flower caught in a gale before losing all momentum.
With a final, reluctant shudder, it clattered to the ground.
The sheer intensity of the moment left everyone breathless.
After a long silence, Han Yimo collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat.
Qiao Jiajin glared at the rope in his hand and cursed, “Was this damn harpoon here to party? Bouncing around like a lunatic—what the hell?!”
Qi Xia set the tabletop down and approached Han Yimo, helping him up. “You okay?”
“I’m fine… really fine now. You saved my life. Thank you… Qi Xia, you’re my savior.”
Qi Xia paused, noticing Han Yimo’s hands had stopped shaking.
“So that’s how it is…”
He nodded silently. He was beginning to understand what “attracting calamity” truly meant.
“Are you still scared?” Qi Xia asked.
“A little… but not as much.” Han Yimo forced a weak smile. “Knowing you’re here for the next game… it makes me feel safer.”
Hearing this, Qi Xia was certain he’d made the right choice in saving Han Yimo.
Though the full extent of Han Yimo’s ability remained unclear, he could evidently foresee impending danger.
If Qi Xia brought him along in future games against the Zodiacs, he could gauge the level of danger based on Han Yimo’s fear. With luck, he might even predict whether betting their lives was viable.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking for now. The priority was keeping Han Yimo alive.
From this moment on, Qi Xia no longer needed to save those who didn’t matter.
For the upcoming “Death from Above” and “True or False,” even if only a few made it through, so be it.
“Officer Li,” Qi Xia called out. “What were you saying about the harpoon?”
“Oh—right!” Officer Li snapped back to attention. “There’s writing on this harpoon. Come take a look!”
Qi Xia pretended to examine it before declaring, “I see. The game master this time is ‘Human Sheep’ again. But ‘Human Sheep’ can lie…”
He laid out his deductions plainly to the group, then walked directly beneath the central hole in the room.
He knew the floor would collapse in minutes, and they’d need to cling to the ceiling to survive.
His intention had been to save only a select few.
Yet, to his surprise, everyone believed him without question.
The first to join him under the hole was Xiao Ran.
She gazed at Qi Xia with admiration, her trust in him absolute.
Perhaps his flawless performances had kindled something more in her.
“Brother Qi, I don’t know why, but I trust you completely!” Xiao Ran fawned.
Qi Xia smirked coldly. “Well, thanks for that.”
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