Chapter 11: Judgment
1205 Words
The moment these words fell, Han Meng pulled the trigger.
Click—
The hammer struck, but no bullet was fired.
At the same time, the ground in front of Han Meng instantly disintegrated—soil and rubble vanishing into nothingness, as if an invisible bullet had shattered the material down to its molecular structure!
That "deconstructing" bullet flashed in front of the red-paper monster in just a fraction of a second!
Under this invisible force of destruction, the floating red-paper tentacles were forcibly torn apart, and in the next instant, a perfectly round wound, a full meter in diameter, pierced straight through the monster's body!
Through the massive circular wound, Han Meng could even see the distant streets of District Three—this single shot had obliterated nearly two-thirds of the creature's body.
Just as Han Meng was about to lower his gun, a sudden change occurred!
The red-paper monster, despite the gaping hole in its center, did not die. Instead, as if completely unscathed, it continued to extend its crimson tendrils.
It spread wildly in all directions, and within just two seconds, not only had it repaired the gaping wound, but its body had also swollen to more than three times its original size!
Now, it resembled a colossal, paper-crafted red sun, with countless twisted sheets of paper hovering above the desolate wasteland.
[Audience Expectation -1]
[Current Expectation: 14%]
Han Meng's pupils shrank slightly!
Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired three more shots into the sky, tearing three massive holes into the red sun.
Through the openings, fine rain began to drift down, splattering against Han Meng’s tense face—cold as ice.
Whoosh—
A dense swarm of razor-sharp paper shards suddenly descended, like a crimson rainstorm, piercing the wasteland below.
In the blink of an eye, the entire battlefield was reduced to a blood-stained beehive.
Han Meng fired frantically, barely managing to tear open a narrow escape route amid the downpour—just enough to save his life.
"Damn it…" Sweat soaked through Han Meng's back.
He could feel it now—he was no match for this calamity!
Somehow, the monster's aura had surged again—from an early-stage Level Five to the absolute peak of Level Five—just a hair’s breadth from stepping into the terrifying realm of Level Six!
At that moment, a hand clad in a theatrical robe suddenly emerged from within the red-paper creature.
It moved with unsettling grace, pressing lightly and precisely onto Han Meng's head.
“Hee-hee.”
A soft chuckle echoed in his ears.
The next moment—Han Meng was slammed to the ground with a single palm!
BOOM—!!
The earth shattered.
At the point of impact, Han Meng spurted a mouthful of blood and collapsed, motionless like a broken doll.
The battle had ended.
The endless red paper returned to the monster’s body, and a fine drizzle fell over the ravaged land.
Just as the red-paper monster was about to leave, the theatrical-robed arm that had emerged from within it suddenly clawed at the red-paper body, tearing at it violently—
As if something inside was struggling to break free…
.........................
Five Minutes Earlier.
"The audience… is beginning to intervene in the performance?"
Chen Ling’s heart went cold as he saw the final line of text.
He immediately looked up toward the stage.
The countless scarlet eyes in the darkness still stared at him, but in one corner of the audience seats…
Several wooden chairs were now completely empty.
Some of the audience members had vanished.
Boom—Boom—Boom!!
The shadows in the audience began stomping their feet in unison, producing deep, rhythmic echoes throughout the theater.
The thunderous sound rumbled endlessly in the confined space, and those scarlet eyes locked onto Chen Ling, filled with rage and interrogation.
Boom—Boom—Boom!!!
Under their synchronized stomping, the entire stage trembled.
The spotlights above flickered, swaying slightly, as if they wouldn’t hold for much longer.
Chen Ling quickly pieced things together.
His real-world self had been axed to death, causing the stage performance to come to an abrupt halt.
The interruption infuriated the audience—but they couldn’t communicate with him directly.
So instead, they protested like this.
Threatening him.
"...So that means… I'm not actually dead?"
Chen Ling stared at his own hands, stunned.
"But if my consciousness is here… then who's controlling my body right now?"
A thought flashed through his mind.
He turned his gaze toward the back of the stage—a massive black curtain blocked the rear half of the theater.
Chen Ling grabbed a corner of the curtain and yanked it open.
A flood of images poured into his mind!
He saw himself turning the dining knife into paper.
He saw himself terrifying Li Xiuchun and Chen Tan into unconsciousness.
He saw himself fighting against two enforcers.
It felt strange—like watching a third-person movie of his own life.
But in this film, the "protagonist" was no longer him…
Instead, it was the "audience" that had seized control of his body!
The audience was interfering in the performance.
[Audience Expectation -1]
Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Ling saw the text flicker on the screen—
And in the next moment, another batch of audience members vanished.
"The lower the expectation level, the more the audience intervenes…"
Chen Ling murmured to himself, lifting his hands.
His body was gradually becoming transparent.
"...And at the same time, my very existence is being erased?"
Of course.
If the audience completely took over as the ‘protagonist,’ then what need was there for him?
Chen Ling's heart plummeted into despair.
He had to do something.
Chen Ling took a deep breath and reached toward the flickering ‘screen’ behind the curtain.
He had only two choices:
Take back his body.
Or die.
His fingertips touched the curtain—only to be met with resistance.
It wasn’t an impenetrable wall…
It was more like a "membrane"—soft, yet incredibly resilient.
Chen Ling pressed harder.
With some difficulty, one of his fingers squeezed through.
"I can do this!" His eyes flickered with determination.
Using all his strength, he pushed through his palm.
Then his forearm.
Then his elbow…
But then—
[Audience Expectation -1]
The text flashed again.
Expectation dropped to 14%, and another group of audience members vanished.
Chen Ling felt the barrier becoming even firmer.
His body… becoming even fainter.
It wasn't the barrier that was getting stronger—
It was him that was getting weaker.
Chen Ling clenched his teeth, pushing forward inch by inch—
At this rate, if the expectation level dropped to 10%, he might never be able to cross this threshold.
Finally, with sheer determination—one full arm broke through the curtain.
In the flickering image, he saw Han Meng barely surviving under the red rain.
After a brief hesitation, Chen Ling reached out—
And with a swift motion, slammed his palm onto Han Meng’s forehead.
Knocking him unconscious.
This way, no one would witness his return to reality.
With both hands now gripping the curtain—
He tore it open.
And then—he dove back into his body.
- Writer
