Chapter 11: 【Judgment】

## Chapter 11: The Trial

The moment those words fell, Han Meng pulled the trigger.

Click—

The mechanism clicked, but no bullet was fired. Yet, at the same time, the ground in front of Han Meng instantly disintegrated, soil and gravel vanishing into nothingness, as if an invisible bullet had utterly shattered matter at the molecular level!

In a thousandth of a second, this "deconstruction" bullet flashed before the red paper monster! Under this invisible deconstructive force, the red paper tentacles floating in mid-air were forcibly torn open, and then, a circular wound with a one-meter radius completely pierced through the monster's body! Through the massive circular wound, Han Meng could even see the streets of District Three in the distance. This single shot directly annihilated two-thirds of its body.

Just as Han Meng was about to put his gun away, a sudden change occurred! The red paper monster, with a large hole opened in its center, did not die. Instead, it continued to extend more red paper as if nothing had happened. It expanded wildly in all directions. In just two seconds, it not only mended the central void but also grew more than three times its previous size!

Now, it resembled a gigantic paper-cut red sun, with countless paper fragments twisting around it, suspended above the wilderness.

Audience Expectation: 1Current Expectation: 14

Han Meng's pupils slightly contracted! He immediately raised his gun, aimed upwards, and pulled the trigger three times in quick succession. The deconstructive force tore three large holes in the red sun. A fine drizzle drifted down from the three openings, landing on Han Meng's grim face, chilling him to the bone.

Swish—

Countless paper fragments swarmed down like a deluge of red rain, instantly turning the entire wilderness into a hornet's nest. Han Meng frantically fired his gun, but could only barely tear open a gap in the red rain to save his life.

"This is bad..." Han Meng's back was already drenched in sweat. He could feel that he was no match for this disaster. For some reason, the opponent's aura seemed to have surged even further, leaping from an initial Level Five to the peak of Level Five, just a hair's breadth from reaching the terrifying Level Six!

Just then, a hand clad in a theatrical robe emerged from the paper monster and lightly, yet precisely, pressed down on Han Meng's head!

"Hehe." A light chuckle echoed in Han Meng's ears. The next moment, he was pressed down by the hand, his head violently striking the ground!

Boom—!!

The ground cracked. Han Meng, at the center of the impact, spat out a mouthful of blood and lay motionless like a broken rag doll.

The battle had ceased. The sky-full of red paper returned to the monster's main body, and a light drizzle fell upon the scarred earth. The red paper monster was about to leave, but the theatrical-robed arm that had emerged from it suddenly gripped the red paper body from within and violently tore at it, as if something was trying to break free...

Five minutes earlier.

"The audience is starting to intervene in the performance?" Chen Ling's heart sank when he saw the last line of text. He abruptly looked up towards the front of the stage. Countless crimson eyes still watched him from the darkness, but in a corner of the audience seating, a cluster of wooden chairs was now empty... A portion of the audience had disappeared.

Thump—thump—thump!!

The shadowy figures in the audience continuously stomped their feet on the theater floor, creating a rhythmic and dull thudding sound. In the confined space, the sound was like incessant thunder. Their crimson eyes were fixed on Chen Ling, filled with anger and accusation!

Thump—thump—thump!!!

Under their synchronized stomping, Chen Ling even felt the stage shaking, and the spotlight above him trembled slightly, seemingly unable to last much longer.

Chen Ling basically understood. His death by an axe in reality had caused the "performance" on stage to abruptly cease. The show was interrupted, and the audience was furious. However, they couldn't communicate directly with Chen Ling, so they resorted to this method to express their displeasure and threats!

"So... I'm not actually dead?" Chen Ling stared blankly at his hands. "But if my consciousness is here... then who is controlling my body now?"

Chen Ling seemed to realize something and looked back. A large black curtain obscured the latter half of the stage. He pulled open a corner with force, and a series of images flooded his mind! He saw himself turning a dinner knife into paper, frightening Li Xiuchun and Chen Tan unconscious, and fighting with two law enforcement officers... This feeling was strange, like he was sitting in front of a large screen, watching his own actions from a third-person perspective... Of course, the "protagonist" at this point was no longer him, but the "audience" who had usurped his body! The audience was intervening in the performance.

Audience Expectation: 1

Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Ling saw the characters on the screen flickering. The next moment, another group of figures in the audience seating disappeared without a trace.

"The lower the expectation, the more audience members will intervene in the performance..." Chen Ling said, raising his hands. He saw his body gradually becoming transparent. "And at the same time... will my existence gradually be erased?"

Indeed, if the audience completely became the "protagonist," what need would there be for him? Chen Ling's heart immediately sank. He knew he had to do something.

Chen Ling stood before the grand curtain, took a deep breath, and tentatively stretched out his hand towards the "images" flickering behind it... Either reclaim his body and become the "protagonist" again; or die.

Chen Ling's fingertips passed through the grand curtain, as if touching a barrier, and were forced to slow down. This barrier was not rigid; instead, it was more like a "membrane," soft yet incredibly tough. After several attempts, Chen Ling finally managed to push one finger through.

"There's a chance!" Chen Ling's eyes brightened slightly.

He used all his strength to push his hand through the barrier, then his forearm, his elbow... Just then, the characters on the screen flickered again: Audience Expectation: 1. As the expectation dropped to 14, another group of audience members disappeared. Chen Ling felt the barrier becoming increasingly firm, and seeing his body become even more transparent, a thought flashed through his mind. It wasn't that the barrier had become stronger... but that his body had become weaker.

Chen Ling gritted his teeth, yet could only slowly push his arm through the curtain, moving several times slower than before. His heart was filled with anxiety. With the current resistance, he estimated that if the expectation dropped to around 10, he would no longer be able to pass through this curtain.

Finally, with his persistent efforts, one arm fully passed through the curtain. He saw Han Meng struggling under the red rain in the scene. After a moment's hesitation, he casually slapped Han Meng on the forehead, using the power of the red paper monster to knock him unconscious to the ground. This way, no one would witness him passing through the curtain and returning to reality.

He used his arm from the reality side to grab the curtain from behind, then pulled hard, tearing a narrow opening. His second hand emerged from the gap, forcing it wider until it was large enough for his body to pass through. Chen Ling took a deep breath and plunged himself in!