Edward's golden eyes widened the moment he saw the envelope in Feiyang's hand, his former composure completely evaporating. The mocking smirk on his face twisted into a panic he could not entirely conceal. The heavy sins of the royal family, which he had tried so hard to bury, were about to be dragged into the light by the very pawn he thought would be the easiest to manipulate.
"You... how dare you..." the young prince's voice trembled with absolute fury. The longsword in his hand shook violently as waves of violet-black aura rippled outward, distorting the surrounding air.
**[ Warning: Time 05:58 AM. Two minutes until 'Dawn'. ]**
**[ Outer Castle Gates: 80% Unlocked. ]**
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Feiyang replied, his slender fingers resting steadily over the item confirmation button on his system interface. "You aren't the only one making moves on this chessboard, Edward."
"Die!!"
Prince Edward unleashed his residual power, lunging toward Feiyang with superhuman speed. The colossal blade swung downward in a vicious diagonal arc, aiming to sever the young man's head and destroy the envelope in his hand with a single strike. The sheer wind pressure from the blade sliced across Feiyang's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Feiyang did not cower, nor did he intend to dodge. Yet, the exact moment the blade was about to bite into his throat, a faint smile played at the corner of his lips. He slammed his finger down onto the system confirmation button.
*Hum—!*
The envelope in Feiyang's hand dissolved into a shower of orange light particles, shooting rapidly through the stone ceiling of the subterranean hall. Simultaneously, a system notification popped up before every remaining player.
**[ Secret Quest Item Delivered Successfully: 'Evidence of Royal Conspiracy' has been transferred to the players outside. ]**
**[ Southern Castle Lore Revealed: Prince Edward's legitimacy has been reduced to 0%. ]**
**[ Status Effect: The Ritual Conductor's attack buff has been dispelled, and physical defense has been reduced by 50%. ]**
*CLANG—!*
Edward's sword froze mere centimeters from Feiyang's throat. The young prince collapsed heavily onto the stone floor, coughing up a mouthful of pitch-black blood. The violet magic surrounding him vanished entirely as his legitimacy and the faith in his royal bloodline were shattered by the system.
And at that exact second, the first golden ray of the new day's sun pierced through the gaps in the subterranean ceiling, illuminating Feiyang's face.
**[ Time 06:00 AM. Dawn has arrived. ]**
**[ Notification from Player Zhang Liyin: The outer castle gates are completely open! ]**
**[ Main Quest: 'Escape the Castle Before Dawn' Cleared... Remaining players will be teleported in 10 seconds. ]**
"You... Liu Feiyang..." Edward lifted his deathly pale face, glaring at him with eyes full of venomous hatred as the prince's body slowly turned to stone, inch by inch, from the backlash of the ritual devouring him.
Feiyang stepped back slowly, letting his hand drop from his chest wound. His blood-soaked red dress fluttered gently amidst the white particles of the system light that began to envelop him, preparing to transport him back to the outside world.
"In this game, I win," Feiyang whispered his final words. A moment later, his body dissolved into light, vanishing from the subterranean hall as it collapsed into eternal darkness.
**[ Player Teleportation Complete ]**
**[ Congratulations! You have cleared the hidden realm 'The Southern Castle'. ]**
The sensation of weightlessness dissolved alongside the fading white light. Liu Feiyang opened his eyes once more, finding himself back on the wide plaza in front of the dungeon entrance in the real world. The severe wound on his chest and the bloodstains on his red dress had completely vanished, wiped clean by the post-game restoration system, leaving behind only a trace of mental fatigue.
"Feiyang!"
A familiar voice called out from the side. Zhang Liyin ran straight toward him, her face still carrying remnants of panic. Standing beside her was Player No. 4, the scrawny young man who had narrowly survived. Both of them looked at Feiyang with gazes full of respect and awe.
"We... we really made it out alive, didn't we?" Liyin asked, sinking onto a stone bench, completely drained of energy.
"Yeah," Feiyang replied curtly, raising an eyebrow as his personal system window began calculating his rewards.
**[ Performance Summary for Player: Liu Feiyang ]**
**[ Lore Discovery Rate: 100% (Complete) ]**
**[ Individual Performance Score: SSS-Rank ]**
**[ You have received a Special Reward: Bloodline Seal of the Liu Family (Legendary Grade) ]**
The translucent blue screen blinked out as an ancient bronze medallion materialized in his hand. It was a soul-bound item that could be utilized in future high-level dungeons. Feiyang casually slipped it into his inventory, showing no signs of excitement.
"What's the plan now?" Player No. 4 spoke up after a long silence. "The evidence you sent out at the last second completely altered the main server's storyline. Right now, all the players outside know about the royal family's corruption."
"That is none of my concern." Feiyang turned around slowly, his sharp gaze locking onto the dimensional portal behind them as it gradually collapsed, reverting into ordinary stone ruins. "This game is over. I only came to take back what belonged to me."
He walked away from the plaza without looking back, leaving behind only the legend of the player in the red dress who had successfully flipped the demon prince's entire chessboard in the final minutes before dawn.