Ten Day Ultimatum

Xiao Xiao effortlessly smashed a table with one hand, then bent down to pick up a broken wooden board embedded with protruding nails. She turned and moved slowly toward Qiao Jiajin, her expression cold and determined.

"Hey!!" Qi Xia's alarm spiked as he realized the gravity of the situation. "What are you doing?! Stop—"
"Their deaths are inconsequential," Xiao Xiao said with chilling calm. "It's no loss if they die. I'll show you."
"Don't!" Qi Xia yelled in panic, "I understand! I'll do whatever you want, just put that weapon down!"

But Xiao Xiao seemed oblivious to his plea, methodically raising the board, preparing to strike.
"I'll agree to all your conditions! You don't need to prove anything to me!" Qi Xia shouted desperately, realizing Xiao Xiao was beyond reason. His voice strained with urgency as he turned to Qiao Jiajin, still lying motionless. "Hey! Qiao Jiajin! Stop playing dead! Get up!!"
But before Qiao Jiajin could stir, Xiao Xiao brought the board crashing down. The nails pierced directly into his skull with a sickening crunch.

"All hail Judgment’s Domain," Xiao Xiao declared, a serene smile spreading across her face.
Qiao Jiajin's body convulsed violently for a few moments before finally going limp.
"Hey… Qiao Jiajin…" Qi Xia's voice trembled, his eyes fixed on the motionless figure before him. His lips barely moved as he spoke, almost pleading.

"Say something, Qiao Jiajin… What the hell are you pretending for… The bear didn’t kill you… how could nails…?"
But there was no answer—only the sickening sight of blood spreading beneath Qiao Jiajin’s still body. Deep down, Qi Xia knew: no one could survive a nail driven into their brain.
Qiao Jiajin was gone.

"Qiao…" Qi Xia whispered, staring in disbelief at his fallen comrade. His mind raced, but one sentence echoed relentlessly:
{You have brains, I have strength, let's team up.}
"Qi Xia, look," Xiao Xiao said with a smile, "Their deaths are inconsequential."

"AHHH————"
A blood-curdling scream tore from Qi Xia’s throat as searing pain erupted deep within his skull. In an instant, his limbs jolted back to life, but all he could do was clutch his head, rolling on the ground, writhing in agony.
Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, seemingly surprised that Qi Xia had regained control of his body.

The excruciating pain lasted far longer than before. Qi Xia felt as though the nail that killed Qiao Jiajin hadn't just pierced his comrade—it had driven itself into his own brain, twisting and ravaging his mind with a torment that made death seem merciful.
Two minutes later, the headache vanished as abruptly as it had arrived. Qi Xia rose to his feet, his face a mask of emotionless calm.
"Amazing, Qi Xia," Xiao Xiao laughed, her tone laced with unsettling delight. "You managed to resist my {reverberation}?"
"I suggest you stop this madness before you go too far," Qi Xia replied coldly, his voice sharp as steel. "If you’ve got something to settle, direct it at me…"

"No," Xiao Xiao countered, her expression resolute. "You need to understand these people are disposable. You can kill them just as easily as I can."
"Why would I ever do that?" Qi Xia's gaze was icy, devoid of warmth. His entire demeanor distant, like a man severed from emotion. "I’m nothing like you lunatics. Don’t compare me to your twisted kind."
"It seems you still don't understand," Xiao Xiao sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. With a flick of her wrist, she yanked the nail-ridden board from Qiao Jiajin's skull. Blood dripped from the nails as she casually shook it off, her gaze shifting to Qi Xia. "Once I’ve killed them all, you’ll understand."

Without waiting for a response, she began walking toward Tian Tian.
"Enough, you lunatic…" Qi Xia muttered through gritted teeth, his voice taut with anger. "We’ve clung to life against impossible odds. What gives you the right to decide who lives and dies?"
"That’s why I keep telling you—it’s all inconsequential," Xiao Xiao replied, raising the bloody board again.

This time, Qi Xia didn’t hesitate. He charged at her with full force, hoping to knock her off balance. But despite the impact, Xiao Xiao remained rooted to the spot, as if his assault were nothing more than a passing breeze.
Realizing brute force wasn’t enough, Qi Xia swiftly changed tactics. He wrapped his arms around Xiao Xiao’s waist—solid as a load-bearing pillar—and tried to shove her backward.
Xiao Xiao was forced back two steps, her expression darkening. "Qi Xia, all I've tried to do is show you the truth, yet you resist. Such a waste," she said, shaking her head. Then, with a brutal motion, she grabbed his neck and tossed him aside like a small, helpless animal.

Qi Xia crashed into the wall with a painful thud, a groan escaping his lips. The woman before him was unnaturally strong—undoubtedly the product of rigorous training.
"All hail Judgment’s Domain," Xiao Xiao murmured with a chilling smile. The wooden board descended once more, the nails piercing through Tian Tian’s skull.
In that moment, Tian Tian's voice echoed hauntingly in Qi Xia’s mind:

{I’m only here because I didn’t belong there.}
The excruciating pain surged through Qi Xia's head once more, forcing him to the ground, clutching his skull, screaming in agony.
Tian Tian was dead.

The unbearable pressure felt like it would tear his mind apart. Darkness swallowed his vision, his thoughts unraveled, and his consciousness slipped away.
Just before the void claimed him completely, he heard the distant echo of a bell tolling.
…

"Xia, look at this!" Yu Nian'An excitedly held up an old, worn-out shirt in front of Qi Xia like a prized possession. "Look what I did."
She pointed to the chest pocket, where a small patch of a cartoon goat had been neatly sewn over a tear.
"I patched the hole in your shirt! How’s that for a job well done?"

"You did great," Qi Xia replied, nodding as he shoveled another mouthful of instant noodles into his mouth. "But why not just buy a new one?"
"To save money, of course!" Yu Nian'An grinned. "Once we have enough, you can buy all the shirts you want. But for now, we have to make do."
Qi Xia paused, setting down his fork. He looked at her thoughtfully and said, "Xiao An, we won’t have to wait much longer. If my plan succeeds, we’ll have two million soon…"

"I believe you," Yu Nian'An smiled and nodded. "Xia, there are many paths in this world. I know you’ll find success."
"Mm." Qi Xia nodded, a sense of calm washing over him. He wanted to say more, to share something deeper with Yu Nian'An, but something outside the window caught his eye.
The sky—a deep red—was eerily lit by a ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) sun the color of dirt.

Qi Xia blinked, something feeling off.
"What’s going on…" he muttered, turning back to Yu Nian'An—only to find her face had morphed into Xiao Xiao’s.
Xiao Xiao smiled, her lips curling into that familiar, sinister grin. "All hail Judgment’s Domain."

The next moment, two haunting figures appeared behind her—Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian. Their faces were ghastly, blood and brain matter oozing from their shattered skulls. Their eyes glared at Qi Xia with fury and deep-seated resentment, their unspoken accusations heavy in the air.
“Y-You all… I…” Qi Xia stammered, dread seizing his chest.
Panic surged through him, and without a second thought, he bolted from his chair, dashing for the door, desperate to escape this nightmare.

This had to be a nightmare.
But as he flung open the door, dread crashed down on him like a tidal wave.
Before him stretched an endless corridor, its oppressive walls lined with thousands of identical doors. Eerie figures in animal masks emerged one after another, flooding the hallway.

…
"Qi Xia! Qi Xia!!" A frantic voice echoed in the distance, pulling him back to consciousness.
His eyes fluttered open. Lin Qin's tear-streaked face hovered above him.

"Lin…" Qi Xia winced as sharp pain shot through his skull. "What’s going on…?"
Lin Qin's eyes brimmed with fear and relief, her voice trembling. "I was so scared… I thought you were dead, like Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian…"
The horrifying memory flashed through Qi Xia’s mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Slowly, he rose, his eyes falling on the lifeless bodies nearby.

His heart sank.
This was no nightmare—it was reality, far more terrifying than any dream.
"Qi Xia… What exactly happened…" Lin Qin’s voice cracked between sobs, her face pale with fear. "Who… who killed them?"

Qi Xia didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lingered on her, expression devoid of emotion. His voice, however, was filled with cold suspicion as he asked:
"Why… are you still alive?"