It was unclear whether it was because the questioner had excessively high authority, or because the question was sharp enough, but the main system responded quickly.

“Rank division is indeed related to elimination. After each round of sub-competition is re-evaluated, the current lowest rank will be eliminated,” the golden-red phantom replied, “Trainees eliminated due to their rank will be thrown into the punishment instance. If they can clear the punishment instance, they will have a chance to revive.”

“If you die inside the instance, you will not have the opportunity to challenge the punishment instance.”

“Then, one last question.” That voice said coldly, “—Who is the mentor?”

All the veterans’ eyes flashed, their backs tensing.

The main system had just mentioned that the rank evaluation would be completed jointly by the system and the mentor. This meant that the mysterious mentor held the power of life and death over everyone.

In this endless cycle, every powerful figure with a name had signed up for the horror trainee program, without exception. And all this time, aside from the main system, they had never encountered any other existence with absolute authority, or the ability to interfere with life and death.

The main system answered calmly, “The question exceeds your authority. No answer will be given.”

“Wait.”

Hearing this exchange, the previously noisy newcomers were stunned. “Are you kidding? How could anyone die?”

He laughed as he spoke, “Come on, there are so many of us... Even if you managed to bring us here, do you really think you can take our lives?”

“Since you still refuse to face reality at this point,” the main system said, “then use your own eyes to verify everything.”

On the central high platform, the flickering figure of the main system suddenly split apart, scattering into thousands of dazzling sparks that flew onto the previously extinguished candles.

The sealed doors of the studio hall slowly rose from the ground.

To call it a door wasn’t quite right—it was the entire dome of the hall rising. Like a gift box waiting to be unwrapped, the beautiful outer packaging was removed, revealing the cake inside.

All the barriers around were withdrawn, and brilliant sunlight streamed in from outside, casting a layer of golden-red silhouettes on the thick carpet, flowing in delicate fragments.

As eye-catching as the sunlight was the floor outside the corridor, covered in bright red blood.

Unattended corpses lay to the side, faces pale and blue, chests ripped open, their insides pulled out and tossed aside like garbage.

A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, like a scene from hell.

At the end of the gruesome red, only one person was still barely breathing.

The man’s back was drenched in blood, half his spine forcibly pulled out, bits of flesh dripping down.

The studio hall fell silent.

The veterans, having weathered countless storms, took the scene in stride. Only the low-ranked newcomers were so terrified they lost control, doubling over and vomiting with a chorus of “Waa—”.

Amid the retching, someone suddenly asked in terror, “W-wait... isn’t that Charles Bennett? The lead singer of that group, it’s Charles Bennett!”

Almost at the same time, the man crawling on the ground heard the sound of the jack lifting, and, wild with joy, began crawling this way.

His hands clawed at the thick carpet, enduring excruciating pain, his face twisted in agony and madness, eyes bulging, the white bones of his fingertips dragging a long trail of blood across the floor.

“Huh, huh...”

Charles Bennett let out a broken, tuneless sound from his throat, weakly calling for help.

A mere ten meters felt like crawling for a century.

Finally, just as Charles Bennett was about to reach the doorway, his head suddenly fell from his neck, rolling aside like a ball, spilling white brain matter everywhere.

A celebrity who usually only appeared before media cameras and microphones, now utterly powerless, like a fat sheep awaiting slaughter—no warning, no weapon, no unknown assailant, not even knowing how he died.

But he died, just like that, and in front of everyone.

The newcomers all trembled as they watched.

They were scared out of their wits, not daring to go forward.

“This is the consequence of not following the rules, and also the explanation and evidence you wanted.”

“Congratulations, you have taken the correct first step.”

As if in response, the wide dome descended again from the high ceiling.

In an instant, everyone in the hall was pulled into the air by an invisible force.

The main system’s voice echoed through the hall, “Notification from the mentor: the first match originally scheduled for tomorrow morning will be moved up to today. Please prepare yourselves.”

People were shocked, and in the next second, the carpet beneath their feet suddenly changed, dragging everyone into a bottomless darkness.

Chapter Three

The person on the old iron bed opened their eyes.