Surrender

Pain. 

Jack Li clutched his head, trembling violently. Taylor hovered nearby, helpless. Though she'd witnessed this scene before, the rawness of his agony never ceased to unsettle her. 

Luna Snow tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, observing coldly. "Your captain's interesting. Does he always break down like this during cleanup?" 

"It... happens whenever someone dies." 

"And when he kills?" 

"That's different." 

"Different?" Luna Snow's lips curved. "Seems like conditioned pain. A psychological failsafe triggered by grief. Someone really did a number on him." 

Taylor's breath hitched. *Hypnosis?* 

Before she could respond, heavy footsteps echoed. Earth Dog emerged, surveying the carnage—crushed skulls, cooling bodies. "Tch. Amateurs." He crushed Ah Mu's head under his boot with a wet crunch. 

Luna Snow straightened her bloodstained blouse. "Well, my ride's here. Been a—" 

"Wait." Jack Li rose unsteadily, face pale but resolute. "She stays. We're claiming her as our new 'traitor.'" 

Silence. 

Earth Dog's claw paused mid-air. Luna Snow arched an eyebrow. "You realize I poisoned three of your allies last round?" 

"Doesn't matter." Jack Li met Earth Dog's gaze. "Rules allow substitutions, yes?" 

The beastman grunted, tossing a filthy pouch. "Twenty *Dao*. And the corpses. Your *prize*." 

As Earth Dog lumbered away, Jack Li stared at the mangled bodies. "This place... turns everything sacred into a joke." 

Luna Snow scooped up the pouch. "Corpses fetch good trades. Protein bars don't grow on trees here." 

Lawyer Liu suddenly recited, voice hollow: "Article 302—desecration of corpses carries up to three years imprisonment..." 

"Lawyer." Taylor gripped her shoulder gently. "That world's gone." 

Jack Li pushed the *Dao* toward the group. "Split these. I'm out." 

"*What?*" Taylor grabbed his arm. "After everything—" 

"Look at me." He peeled back his blood-soaked bandage. Festering flesh glistened. "Even if Dr. Lee patches this, I'm dead weight. Worse—a liability." 

Luna Snow smirked. "Touching performance. But if you're quitting..." She tossed him a single *Dao*. "For the road." 

--- 

**Chapter 123: The Gambler's Edge** 

The mismatched quartet trudged through ruins—Wendy humming pop tunes, Barrett scratching his dragon tattoos, Candy shrinking into her threadbare sweater. 

"So!" Wendy twirled, rhinestone boots crunching glass. "Team-building time! Miss Candy, ever consider idol training? Your tragic beauty's marketable." 

Candy flinched. "I... I'm not..." 

Barrett stepped between them. "Lay off, sparkles. Not everyone wants to be your backup dancer." 

"Sparkles?!" Wendy gasped in mock outrage. "This is *couture*." She flicked her sequined choker. "Now you—" She jabbed Barrett's chest. "Musclehead with zero fashion sense. Previous occupation?" 

"Professional ass-kicker." 

Wendy snorted. "Useful. And you, Jack Li? Secret agent? Mad scientist?" 

"Retired fraud." 

"Ooh, mysterious!" Wendy's eyes gleamed. "My turn—I bring *luck*." She flourished her hand. Black veins briefly surfaced beneath her skin. 

Jack Li froze. "Your Echo... 'Fortune's Favor'?" 

"Bingo!" She winked. "Probability bends around me. Mostly." 

"Mostly?!" Barrett choked. "What kinda superpower's that?!" 

"Reality's stubborn." Wendy shrugged. "Try rigging a coin toss 100 times. Eventually, it rebels." 

Jack Li's mind raced. A luck manipulator whose power backfired randomly? No wonder she survived this long—and why Ethan kept her close. 

Candy suddenly spoke, voice frail but firm: "I'll take point in the next game." 

Three heads turned. 

"Look, I..." She stared at her cracked nails. "If I'm... disposable..." 

"Nobody's disposable." Jack Li cut in. "But you want redemption? Fine." He tossed her the *Dao*. "Earn it." 

Wendy clapped. "Drama! Betrayal! Growth arcs! This team's ratings will skyrocket!" 

Barrett groaned. "Can we *please* focus on not dying?" 

Ahead, cracked neon flickered—their destination.