Death Game: Starting as a Trickster, Pretending to Be a God

Chapter 758: A Battle of Wits, Added Rules

”Ladies and gentlemen, the current match score is one win apiece—both sides are back to square one!”

”For the upcoming match, itʼs ʼRobinʼ versus ʼChefʼ—who will take this round and secure the match point? Letʼs wait and see!”

”Are both contestants ready?”

The hostʼs voice rang out, and Chef God spoke lazily.

”Iʼm all good over here!”

”N-n-n-no... no problem!”

Robin also stammered out a loud reply.

Standing on the spotlighted arena stage clearly made her uncomfortable.

After their responses, the stone bricks beneath their feet rose up once more, transforming into the ”Falling” theme.

Robin stood frozen, gripping her paintbrush, not moving an inch.

Chef, on the other hand, was perfectly relaxed.

He stretched lazily, then pulled out a big white megaphone.

”Hello, hello? Can you hear me?”

Chef spoke into the megaphone, his voice booming across the entire arena.

Robin blinked, then nodded and shouted back, ”I hear you—whatʼs up?”

The two of them actually started chatting on stage.

Chef said, ”Look, friend, since both my teammates got hurt or used up their trump cards in the last two rounds, weʼre going to need a decent Third Tier player in one piece to guide them through the next dungeon. Plus, Iʼm naturally pretty lazy, so... I was thinking, maybe we donʼt have to fight to the death.”

”You Night Watchmen and Order also have heavy responsibilities. If we all exhaust ourselves and burn through every trump card, that wouldnʼt be great either, right?”

As Chef spoke, Robin hesitated.

”But we still have to decide a winner somehow, donʼt we?”

”Iʼm not saying we both forfeit or anything—Iʼm just suggesting we switch from a physical fight to a battle of wits, from a death match to a friendly contest,” Chef said through the megaphone. ”How about we agree on a method we can both accept?”

”In the ʼLand of Certain Death,ʼ we can even ask the host to certify this kind of temporary self-added rule,” Chef added, glancing at Earl on the sidelines. ”Iʼm not wrong, am I?”

Earl nodded and spoke, ”Thatʼs correct. As long as both parties agree and the rule is fair, you can add temporary rules within certain limits that donʼt conflict with the overall rules. Iʼll also certify them within this match.”

”Additionally, Iʼll use my lordʼs ʼAuthorityʼ to verify whether the rules you propose are truly ʼfairʼ—to prevent anyone from playing word games.”

Earl added this remark, but neither of the two on stage seemed fazed.

However, in the audience, Lin Yu, whose eyes had just lit up a bit, now looked disappointed.

”Well, if thereʼs divine authority involved, forget it...”

He sighed inwardly.

The conversation on stage continued.

”Anyway, a classic battle of wits usually involves taking turns making moves—three moves decide the outcome, or one move each, and whoever canʼt take it concedes,” Chef explained, then paused. ”But that could still result in injuries... so letʼs compete with our ʼworksʼ instead.”

”Works?”

Robin looked confused.

”Youʼre a ʼPainter,ʼ right, and Iʼm a ʼChef,ʼ” Chef said seriously. ”So letʼs compare the quality of our works—your paintings against my cooking.”

”This Falling venue is pretty convenient too. The loser just jumps down, inhales some of that sleeping gas, passes out, and that counts as conceding.”

Robin was a bit bewildered.

”I understood the last part, but how do you compare a painting with cooking?”

”Simple. In a moment, Iʼll start cooking,” Chef said seriously. ”You can use anything you paint to interfere with me—attack me directly, attack my pot, whatever. I wonʼt use any items that canʼt be used for ʼcookingʼ to defend or dodge. Within fifteen minutes, if I canʼt make three dishes that are perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and none of them are delicious enough for you to admit theyʼre ʼgood,ʼ then I lose.”

”You could even just try to push me off the stage—that works too.”

”At the same time, as a Painter, as long as you paint any ʼconventional ingredientʼ before I finish the second dish, I have to use it in those three dishes... The upper limit is ten ingredients.”

”Hereʼs a list and encyclopedia of ʼconventional ingredientsʼ—you can look through it first. When you start painting, if youʼre not sure whether your idea counts as a ʼconventional ingredient,ʼ just focus your mind, and this book will tell you.”

As Chef spoke, Robin caught the book he tossed over, stunned.

”But, but that puts the judging entirely in my hands. How is that fair? Even if itʼs delicious, I could just grit my teeth and say itʼs not!”

”Itʼs indeed unfair,” Earl said, raising a scale. The scale tipped noticeably to one side. ”This rule favors ʼRobinʼ more.”

”Itʼs fine. If I canʼt make something delicious enough that you canʼt bring yourself to call it ʼbad,ʼ then I deserve to lose,” Chef said confidently. ”Of course, thatʼs not the whole rule—before we start, you also need to honestly answer three questions from me.”

After Chef said this, the scale tilted slightly, evening out a bit toward Chefʼs side.

But overall, it still favored Robin.

”At this level... since you proposed the rule, it can take effect.”

Robin thought for a long moment, then turned to look at the audience.

Watching the expressions of her Night Watchmen companions, Robin hesitated a bit more before speaking.

”Fine, I accept.”

She said, and Chef nodded.

”Then please answer my three questions.”

”Where are you from, where do you currently live, and are there any dietary restrictions?”

Upon hearing this, Robin replied quietly, ”Iʼm originally from Xiang Province, and I currently live in Spring City.”

”As for restrictions, I donʼt like vinegar or cilantro.”

”I understand,” Chef nodded. ”Then Iʼll trouble the host to announce the start and keep time for us again!”

Earl was more than happy to oblige: ”Alright... the new rules have been confirmed and added. Chef God needs to complete the cooking of three ʼdishesʼ within fifteen minutes after asking Robin the three questions and earn a ʼdeliciousʼ rating from Robin to win. During this time, Contestant Robin can use ʼpaintingʼ to interfere with Contestant Chef God, and before the second dish is finished, any ʼconventional ingredientsʼ painted by Contestant Robin must be used by Contestant Chef God.”

”If Chef God fails to complete three ʼdishesʼ before time runs out, fails to use all ʼingredientsʼ upon completion, or fails to earn a ʼdeliciousʼ rating upon completion, it will be considered Robinʼs victory.”

”The additional rules have been announced. Now... I declare the timer start!”