Ten Day Ultimatum
Chapter 225

Chapter 225 Contract Implementation

An outdated incandescent light bulb hung from the center of the room, suspended by a black power cord, flickering dusky rays of light.

However, the room no longer held its previous tranquility.

As the desk clock atop the table sounded its alarm, the nine individuals seated around the round table began to stir, gradually returning to consciousness.

With the exception of Lawyer Zhang and Tian Tian, the others’ gazes bore a distinct difference from the last instance.

Qiao Jiajin glanced around with some concern, but upon seeing the familiar faces, he finally felt at ease.

Qi Xia also raised his head and looked at his {comrades}.

Except for Xiao Ran, everyone was present.

Perfect, it appears Qiao Jiajin stayed within the rules—he didn’t deliberately provoke {Black Tortoise}.

Qi Xia scanned the room, nodding in acknowledgment to Qiao Jiajin, then exchanging glances with Officer Li and Lin Qin.

Finally, his gaze lingered on Doctor Zhao and Han Yimo.

Everyone’s presence filled him with an unspoken sense of reassurance.

But now, there were three problematic figures in the room. First were Lawyer Zhang and Tian Tian, who had yet to trigger their {Reverberation} and remained in a state of unawareness, as though they had only just arrived.

Secondly, the former tenth individual—now the ninth—the young man who had had his skull shattered twice.

The {Reverberatees} slowly turned their gaze toward him. Except for Qi Xia and Doctor Zhao, no one knew where Xiao Ran had gone. All they knew was that there were indeed {nine people} in the room now, and the question was: would this young man die again?

The young man, as before, wore that strange, desperate smile, staring vacantly at Qi Xia.

Mortal Goat, standing to this young man’s side, also bore an expression that was markedly different from before. Those yellowed eyes, tainted by decay and despair, now oddly glinted with a trace of joy.

Per the terms of the contract, his responsibility was clear: to ensure the complete disappearance of everyone present, leaving the room barren for three full cycles.

People are beginning to disappear—this was a promising development.

{Dong}!!

The sudden toll of the bell echoed through the space.

Qi Xia furrowed his brow. Was this the activation of the {Penalty Proxy}?

But... did it need to be activated under these circumstances?

"Good morning, you nine, I believe it's still necessary for me to provide an explanation," Mortal Goat began, his voice deliberate. "I am Mortal Goat—"

Before he could finish his first sentence, Mortal Goat froze.

He began to tremble, panic washing over him.

A figure in white had appeared in the room at some point. She wasn't sitting at the round table, nor was she restricted in her movements. Instead, she stood in a dark corner, curiously surveying her surroundings.

"Huh?" she murmured, confused. "Where... is this?"

Hearing the voice, everyone turned in confusion.

The figure stepped out of the dark corner. "Why are there so many people here?"

The moment Qi Xia saw her, he felt the last string in his mind snap.

The final straw had arrived, and it came with no regard for reason.

Yet the straw that broke the camel's back had never been the last one—it was every single one of them.

"Xia, you're here too?" Yu Nian'An asked with a smile. "I was just walking down the street, I just blinked and found myself here..."

"An..."

Lin Qin's eyes slowly widened as she stared at the girl before her. This girl... was this the Yu Nian'An Qi Xia constantly talked about?

How could that be?! Even if she truly dwelled at End Point, how could she possibly appear in a room where every action is governed by ironclad authority?!

The expressions of the others shifted into a complex mix of confusion and suspicion. The situation before them was far too strange to comprehend.

"Xia, who are all these people?" Yu Nian'An walked over to Qi Xia, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as she asked, "What are you all doing sitting here?"

Lin Qin turned her head to glance at Qi Xia, her mind racing with unease.

Something was off about Qi Xia's eyes. He was doubting himself now, and it was clear—he was on the verge of breaking down.

"An... you... you're really here?"

Qi Xia felt his mind spinning out of control.

He clearly didn't trigger his {Reverberation}, but Yu Nian'An had appeared.

Then… could this mean the Yu Nian'An before him was real?

Qi Xia was acutely aware that something was off, but the massive influx of details and contradictory clues swirling in his mind left him in a state of bewildered disarray.

"AHH!" Qi Xia let out a strangled cry, his face contorting in realization.

He knew what was wrong—there are exactly ten people in this room at the moment!

According to the Mortal Goat's typical approach, he would have to kill the extra person in the room...

This couldn’t be allowed!

Panic surged through him as he quickly glanced at Mortal Goat, only to find that Mortal Goat didn’t seem to have any intention of harming Yu Nian'An. Instead, he took several steps back and slowly pulled out his handgun.

"According to Clause 3.3 of the contract, no one is allowed to move. If Party B sees anyone moving, immediately distance yourself from them. Ensure your safety before proceeding and commit suicide immediately..." Mortal Goat trembled as he picked up the handgun and retreated to the side, aiming it at his own heart.

"This is bad!" Lin Qin shouted, "Things will spiral out of control!"

Everyone instantly grasped what Lin Qin meant—the game hadn’t even started yet; if the Mortal Goat were to kill himself now, how could the rest of the game proceed?

How would they escape his room?

"Qiao Jiajin!" Lin Qin called out.

Qiao Jiajin immediately understood. At that moment, Mortal Goat had retreated in front of him—if he could seize his handgun, there might still be a chance.

Unfortunately, Qiao Jiajin’s legs were immobile, leaving him with no choice but to lean forward and act quickly. His thumb slid beneath the handgun’s trigger, then he twisted it in the opposite direction, causing Mortal Goat to lose his grip on the weapon.

Qiao Jiajin knew that it was fortunate Mortal Goat hadn’t reacted in time; otherwise, with his strength, he would have had no chance of confronting him head-on.

Seeing his handgun being taken, the Mortal Goat instantly panicked. "Give it back!"

"Nonono…" Qiao Jiajin hastily waved his hands, "Goat Head lad, can you not die yet? At least go through the game instructions first!"

"GIVE IT BACK!!!" Mortal Goat roared, his mental state on the brink of collapse. He had been in the probation room for so long, never once thinking that this clause in the contract would actually be enforced.

But Qiao Jiajin, with the handgun in hand, dodged skillfully, not giving him a chance to retrieve it.

Mortal Goat could barely contain his rage, wishing he could kill this tattooed man right then and there.

Contract Clause 2.4: Party B promises to establish a correct worldview for the participants and ensure that they can be properly guided toward death voluntarily and with acceptance. During this process, Party B shall not indiscriminately kill innocents or seek personal revenge.

Mortal Goat, knowing he couldn’t take a life without cause, stretched his hand out toward the handgun again.

"Hey! Cop!" Qiao Jiajin, quick as a flash, tossed the handgun to Officer Li across the table.

Officer Li, having read through the contract, knew that the Mortal Goat couldn’t kill on a whim. The moment he took the handgun, he swiftly detached the magazine, tossing it to Doctor Zhao with his left hand, then flinging the gun’s body to Han Yimo with his right.

"Mortal Goat! Brief us with the instructions!" Officer Li urged, his voice tinged with anxiety. "If you’re bound to die anyway, why not give us a chance to leave here first!"

Seeing that everyone was working together to outwit him, Mortal Goat completely cracked.

He gave up on the handgun. Instead, he slowly backed away, retreating to a distant corner far from the others.