He saw that his right eye was no longer the original crystalline sphere, but a mass of tightly entangled black threads!

　　Pa!

　　William Green instinctively covered his own eye.

　　His vision instantly narrowed by half.

　　He slowly moved his hand away and looked at his right eye again. This time... he saw an ordinary, unremarkable human eye. The iris was dark brown, the whites slightly bloodshot at the edges—so normal it couldn’t be more normal.

　　What was that just now? A hallucination?

　　There was absolutely nothing about this in his awakened consciousness...

　　For a moment, even William Green was completely baffled.

　　However, since others could see it, it clearly wasn’t just a simple illusion. Fortunately, the lighting in the stairwell was dim, so the other person must have mistaken it for some kind of colored contact lens.

　　William Green spent another half hour in front of the mirror, but that strange pupil never appeared again. It seemed the earlier incident was just a fluke.

　　Damn, this is truly cyberpunk now.

　　William Green let out a slight sigh.

　　This place was clearly no longer suitable to stay in. Even though the delivery guy hadn’t really seen his face, who could guarantee the guy wouldn’t suddenly remember at some point and find it all very strange?

　　Ever since he’d found a new way to survive, he rarely stayed in the same place for more than half a month. Renting had become the norm. Even though he’d just returned from abroad a few days ago and had only just rented this apartment, if it was time to leave, he had to go. Luckily, he was no longer in the same situation as before—he had plenty of spare cash and didn’t have to feel bad about the few months’ rent he’d paid in advance.

　　But what William Green didn’t understand was, he’d used his ability many times before—why had this only happened now? Could this also be an effect of traveling between two worlds?

　　From a safety perspective, he should figure out the reason before making his next move, but time waited for no one. Not only was he bound by a contract, but the consumption of willpower wouldn’t give him any chance to rest.

　　Besides, he was currently unable to sever ties with the other world.

　　The huge gap in willpower meant he had to travel frequently between the two places.

　　William Green took out his phone, opened a pre-written message, and pressed send.

　 Strings of characters, under his control, climbed onto the main network, flying across the world like streaks of light—

　　A new round of the Paradise Game was about to begin.

　　……

　　In a high-end bar somewhere in Jiangcheng.

　　Dazzling neon lights cast people’s shadows in red and blue. Fast-paced music filled the ears. In this ever-changing, gorgeous play of light and shadow, men and women pressed close together, each hunting their own targets. Compared to the cheap bars outside, there wasn’t much difference here, except the drinks were pricier, the entry requirements stricter, and the girls younger and prettier.

　　David Carter was a regular here—or rather, all the rich kids in Jiangcheng treated this place as a gathering spot. Whether for picking up girls or killing time, it was a decent choice. In the past, David Carter had been enthusiastic about this, but today was different. For the first time, he found the dynamic music grating and irritating, and the influencer girls who’d been invited no longer interested him at all.

　　“Mr. Carter, what do you think of that girl in purple?”

　　“I heard she’s from out of town, has a lot of fans online.”

　　“So what? As long as Mr. Carter makes a move, he’ll definitely get her.”

　　People around him flattered him. This was the opening move of the “game”—everyone picked an outstanding target, then bet on who would win her over. David Carter had played many times, and had even won a few. For him, the result didn’t matter; the process was the real fun.

　　“I’ll pass. Not interested today.” But this time, he didn’t take the bait.

　　“What’s wrong? Not in the mood?”

　　“If you’re not going, I will.” Another companion winked at him.

　　David Carter waved his hand, signaling to do as he pleased.

　　“I get it, you’ve got serious business tonight, that’s why you’re not interested.”

　　“Oh, is it about the club?” someone immediately chimed in. “I heard Mr. Walker is coming later? I’m not qualified to join, so I’ll just have to watch from the sidelines.”

　　David Carter neither confirmed nor denied this, but only he knew the real reason. Now, whenever he closed his eyes, that scene would replay in his mind—

　　A towering horse charged at him, and the two of them fell together into mud reeking of fish. A dagger sliced open his belly, and his abdomen suddenly felt much lighter. But even on the verge of death, he couldn’t take his eyes off Ethan, locked in combat with the enemy—her every move was filled with an indescribable beauty. Even when her neck was slashed by a sword, her sharp gaze was still chilling.

　　Looking back at these scantily clad, posing women, he only felt bored.

　　No, it wasn’t just the women.

　　Hadn’t his former self, lingering here, been just as pale and tasteless as chewing wax?

Chapter 10: A New Round of the Game

　　Suddenly, a commotion arose in the crowd. The swaying people all stepped back, making way for a path. A man in his thirties, surrounded by a group of men and women, walked toward the couch where David Carter was sitting.

　　“Sir Walker.” David Carter stood up and greeted him.