NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: Always Keeps Smilling
"That prophet waited until we were bleeding out." Wang Zichen's knuckles turned white, the leather steering wheel cover squeaking beneath the pressure of his grip. "Then, his team crawled up to rob us of our victory!"
"Player killing is against server laws!" Ethan retorted.
"He took full blame." Wang's voice scratched like rusted metal. "Under Seer Protection Laws... just paid compensation..."
"How much?" Wan'er leaned between the seats.
"A couple hundred million."
Ethan's throat tightened. My life savings wouldn't buy you a parking spot in this hellhole.
"...I would have taken that insult." He muttered under his collar.
"Other prophecy users?" Ethan decided to change tactics, staring out the rain-slashed, bulletproof windows. "Any other prophecy users other than that fucking guy?"
"There are only two S-ranks." Wang's tone changed, morphing into one of reverence. "America's Oracle... and China's Chang Yeqing."
Ice poured down Ethan's spine. That frail old man with the viral Weibo posts? "Always Keep Smiling," his final message.
Click.
The truth clicked into place.
"The rule!" Ethan clutched his seat in disbelief. "Monsters wear plastic smiles! Master Chang told us!"
"S-ranks expect a future apocalypse. A-ranks only see active games." Wang's eyes flared at him.
Ethan swallowed audibly.
My Eyes of the Doomed…
SSS-rank.
It showed me death a week from now… before the game even started…
"Yours is A-rank, right?" Hope strained Wang's voice?
"You want it to be?"
"Yes." The raw pain seeped into the world. "S-ranks become government property. No teams. No freedom."
BRRING-BRRING!
"MOM" was bright on Ethan's phone. He smashed the reject with knuckles sponging white.
No more pretending. Not to that skin-wearer thing.
Wang stomped the gas. "BRACE!"
The armoured car EXPLODED from a restroom tunnel. Pedestrians froze—
—then SKIN SWELLED AND RIPPED.
GREEN FUR. SWOLLEN MUSCLE. EYES BULGING ON STEMS.
A MASS OF CLAWS charged toward them.
"FLOOR IT!" Wan'er's voice cracked.
"[ROAD MASTER] ENGAGED!" Wang wrenched the wheel and the vehicle RIPPED through cars like tin cans.
7 minutes until Eyes of the Doomed recharged.
7 minutes until I get another death vision.