Pain Immunity: Worried the Villains Aren’t Twisted Enough

Chapter 374: Top-Tier Defense, A Gentleman Restrained by Righteousness

"I know, so what?" Laziness replied with good temper, answering this meaningless chatter with kindness. This seemed to have entered his comfort zone—after all, spouting nonsense without using his brain also counted as rest.

"What I mean is..." Perfect Life tried to organize his words. "Do you realize what you look like right now? I mean, your original appearance?" He even began to suspect whether "Sin" had originally intended to disguise himself as a passerby but failed for some unknown reason. Though it seemed highly unlikely for the world's number one player who surpassed him to make such a mistake, he couldn't think of a better explanation at the moment.

"No," Lu Ce replied calmly.

"What do you mean?" Perfect Life frowned.

"I'm wearing a mask right now. Can't you see it?"

Perfect Life: ?

"Then why are you wearing a mask?" He blurted out before quickly shaking his head, realizing something was off. "Wait, no! Hold on—you don't actually think I haven't recognized you, do you? Even with the color change, isn't this a bit too perfunctory?" Perfect Life was starting to get genuinely agitated. "Do you think your current appearance differs greatly from your normal state?"

"Don't know. Can't be bothered to think," Lu Ce shook his head as if already drifting into a daze. He was honestly exhausted, both mentally and physically from walking.

Perfect Life: ?

His earlier confusion surged back like an inescapable shadow. What was the other party's motive for acting this way? Was this intentional? What exactly was the other doing right now? He stared gravely at the dark green mask before him, an odd sensation spreading through his chest—like during an exam when answers inexplicably appeared before him without any proctors intervening. The stench of conspiracy was overwhelming."Can I ask you a few questions?"

"I don't think you need my permission for whatever you want to do," came the reply from behind the mask, the eye slits appearing half-closed.

"What were you doing earlier? Capturing anyone?"

Lu Ce remained silent for a solid thirty seconds.

"Speak?!" Perfect Life's composure was cracking. Even with his cultivated patience, he was reaching his limit. His game time was rapidly draining away—what was this nonsense?!

"Huh?" The mask wore a blank expression, as if its wearer had been spacing out. After all, he'd said to ask freely, but never promised to answer...

Perfect Life: #@……%￥%……@.

His expression darkened. A disturbing possibility emerged—what if this wasn't "Sin" at all, but some puppet or doppelganger? And why hadn't the system registered a successful capture? That condition [Force the hider to perform identity-revealing behavior]—had he failed to fulfill it? But how was he supposed to force anything when the other wasn't even hiding?!

His original assumption was that the target might transform into buildings or vehicles, requiring him to force the target to flee, change form, or retaliate—that would count as a successful capture. But this guy wasn't even pretending! He'd strolled right up without any disguise!

"Do you realize I've already captured you?" Perfect Life's eyes narrowed to slits as his right hand gripping the other's shoulder began applying pressure.

But the next instant, he felt like he was squeezing solid rock—the physical resilience was terrifying! Then "Sin" suddenly lowered his head and went completely still, even leaning into the grip as if using the pressure to remain standing while asleep!

Perfect Life: ?!

Fury bubbled up but was quickly suppressed with a deep breath. "Then... pardon my offense."

Lu Ce didn't respond because, in fact, he had fallen asleep. The ten-minute limit had passed—he'd lasted eleven minutes! Chatting with Perfect Life this long was already showing tremendous face. Now he'd entered passive sleep mode.

Seeing his opponent's breathing deepen, veins bulged on Perfect Life's forehead. Without further ado, he channeled energy into both palms and struck out with a hammer-like blow to the chest!

THUD!

Braced for an epic battle, every muscle taut for a full-power assault, his preparations proved meaningless. The world's strongest player offered zero resistance, his body hurtling backward like a ragdoll from the impact.

BOOM!

The figure smashed through multiple walls and windows of a nearby building before coming to rest in the rubble. Screaming pedestrians scattered as chaos erupted on the streets.

Perfect Life gave no quarter, charging forward to loom over the prone figure in the wreckage. "Why no counterattack? Are you looking down on me?"

Lu Ce: zZZ......

He was sleeping—deep sleep, in fact. Which meant his defensive capabilities had skyrocketed while his presence diminished to near-invisibility, giving the appearance of a corpse.

"What's this?" Perfect Life frowned at the lack of response. "Playing dead?" After a moment's scrutiny, he gradually smiled. "Heh. Are you... pretending to be a casualty? Though you've made no actual changes, you're acting like a bystander so I can't fulfill [Force the hider to perform identity-revealing behavior]? Now you play dead without fighting back, pretending I killed you?" His grin widened. "Not sure if I'm right, but if I am... heh, this method is truly disgraceful."

Lu Ce: zZZ

Done with words, Perfect Life materialized a halberd. "This is Hell Mode. I won't hold back—I'm sure you understand." With that, he drove the weapon through Lu Ce's thigh in a gush of blood!

[Chosen of Agony, Pain Points +4!]

The system announcement played, but without pain or mortal danger, Lu Ce slept peacefully.

"Ruthless!"

Expression unchanging, Perfect Life began systematically torturing the prone man with the halberd. Blood streamed through rubble crevices like crimson creeks. The metallic puncturing of flesh set teeth on edge, yet the victim remained corpse-like.

After countless strikes, Perfect Life raised his weapon again but hesitated, face darkening.

A gentleman is restrained by righteousness.

Never before today had he attacked someone who'd ceased resisting...