Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 259 - I Predicted Your Prediction

Li Xiaoru sent a squad of soldiers charging toward Ace of Hearts, but what unfolded was bizarre.

To everyone watching, the soldiers appeared to be moving backward, getting farther from Ace with every step, even though they were supposed to be advancing.

Seeing this, Ace of Hearts let out an ecstatic laugh. “Hahaha… You’re all here! Which means my dear teammates are all dead! Wonderful!”

Xiao Chuxia, taken aback by his maniacal laughter, whispered, “This guy seems a little... off. His teammates are dead, and he’s celebrating?”

Ace of Hearts, catching her words with sharp ears, sneered, “Little girl, you don’t get it. The position of Black Joker has always been vacant in the Pokers. Joker said that whoever contributes the most in this battle will become Black Joker. Now that all my teammates are gone, guess who’s the new Black Joker?”

Fang Xiu had heard this speech from Ace of Hearts before, and each time, it amused him.

Ace of Hearts wasn’t a traditional fighter—he survived through wits and manipulation.

Fang Xiu had no plans to kill him. A guy like Ace of Hearts, who constantly spilled inconvenient truths and thrived on chaos, could be a valuable tool later.

“You? Black Joker? More like Black Sh*t!” Li Xiaoru snapped back with an insult.

Ace of Hearts immediately flew into a rage. “Old fool! Just you wait! Once I finish off this shut-in, you’re next!”

“Hmph! You've got some nerve boasting such nonsense!” Li Xiaoru spat back, half-drunk and fully heated.

“Bah! Old fool, you have no idea what’s coming!”

Just as it seemed the fight would devolve into a pointless shouting match, Fang Xiu stepped in to stop them. He didn’t have time for their bickering.

“Xiong Tianguang, summon a game hero. Have them charge backward and attack from the left,” Fang Xiu instructed, his voice calm but firm.

Xiong Tianguang hesitated. “It’s no use. Even if you realize the world is inverted, there’s still a reaction delay. Your body instinctively reacts to normal direction for a split second before you can correct it. That delay is enough to get you killed. I can’t land a hit on Ace of Hearts with this setup.”

Fang Xiu remained steady. “I don’t need to react—I see the future. Just follow my instructions, no questions.”

Luo Qingxin backed him up immediately. “Exactly! Fang Xiu helped us take down Ace of Diamonds earlier. His foresight is perfect.”

Li Xiaoru, still riled up, added his own take. “Xiong Tianguang, you stubborn fool! You think Fang Xiu’s some game nerd like you? He’s the Foreseer! Stop second-guessing the right answer when it’s right in front of you!”

With both captains pushing him to trust Fang Xiu, Xiong Tianguang sighed and relented. He might not have enjoyed being berated by Li Xiaoru, but he knew he had little choice.

“Tch!” Ace of Hearts scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “The Foreseer, huh? What’s he gonna do—beat me with just words?”

“Dark Binding, attack at ten o’clock behind you,” Fang Xiu said, his voice calm and precise.

Without hesitation, a blast of dark energy shot toward the ten o’clock position behind Xiong Tianguang.

Though he was a bit of a shut-in, Xiong Tianguang’s reflexes were sharp—honed from countless hours in the video game.

He was a master of strategy, capable of thinking fast and executing even faster. Following Fang Xiu’s instructions was second nature for someone of his caliber.

As Dark Binding shot out, something bizarre occurred.

Though Xiong Tianguang had aimed the attack behind him, it manifested in front of him instead.

The reverse world had shifted once again, flipping directions so that the 10 o’clock position was now in line with Ace of Hearts' current location.

Ace of Hearts smirked, dodging the attack effortlessly, then he charged toward Xiong Tianguang, intending to finish him off.

“Release Wind Wall at 3 o’clock behind you. Send a warrior to charge toward 5 o’clock, and place a Distortion Field 15 meters ahead,” Fang Xiu’s instructions flowed effortlessly, his voice calm and precise.

Xiong Tianguang acted without hesitation. Years of gaming had given him lightning-fast reflexes, and he managed to control five game characters simultaneously, executing attacks and defenses as Fang Xiu directed.

What happened next was astonishing.

A Wind Wall materialized right in front of Ace of Hearts just as he was speeding forward. His sharp reflexes saved him from being decapitated by the energy blades embedded in the wall.

He dodged to the right, only to find himself caught in a Distortion Field that warped the very space around him.

Forced to retreat, he was immediately pursued by a massive warrior wielding a giant sword, aiming for a lethal blow.

Now frantically dodging, Ace of Hearts' mind raced in shock and disbelief.

“Damn it! This is the power of the Foreseer? He’s predicting every move I make! No wonder my teammates are all dead. If this keeps up, I’m finished. But… wait!”

A realization struck him like lightning.

If Fang Xiu was giving Xiong Tianguang these orders based on his foresight, then Ace could hear those orders too. If he knew what Fang Xiu was foreseeing, he could anticipate Xiong’s moves before they happened—essentially turning the tables by predicting Fang Xiu’s predictions.

Eager to test his theory, he grinned as Fang Xiu called out another command.

“Celestial Zone, 3 o’clock, 15 meters. Silence him.”

Ace of Hearts quickly sidestepped out of range, easily avoiding the silencing field. His excitement grew. He believed he had found Fang Xiu’s weakness.

“Steel Tempest, 7 o’clock, 10 meters,” Fang Xiu called next.

Ace of Hearts smirked. “7 o’clock, 10 meters? Easy. I’m at 8 o’clock, so I don’t even need to move. Xiong won’t hit me. Fang Xiu’s foresight must be off—he’s just a fraud!”

Feeling triumphant, Ace of Hearts stayed still, confident he had outsmarted Fang Xiu. But he failed to notice that in his smugness, he had turned his back on Fang Xiu.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

Suddenly, strands of silver hair, like writhing serpents, shot out from Fang Xiu, wrapping tightly around Ace of Hearts.

“What the—!?”

His eyes widened in panic. He looked over his shoulder to see Fang Xiu staring at him calmly.

It finally dawned on him—Fang Xiu had led him into a trap. The false prediction had baited him into standing still, with his back wide open.

Everything before had been a setup.

Fang Xiu had manipulated Ace of Hearts, guiding him to reposition just enough to expose a fatal opening, then pounced when the moment was right.

It was like a master chess player, anticipating moves far in advance, luring his opponent into checkmate.

Ace of Hearts struggled fiercely. He was, after all, a fourth-tier fighter, and Fang Xiu’s silver hair wasn’t enough to hold him for long. But in high-level combat, even a split-second delay could be deadly.

The strands of silver hair began to fray, and it looked like Ace of Hearts might break free. But just as he was about to escape, Fang Xiu’s cold, calculated voice echoed once more, sealing his fate.

“Void Banishment, 8 o’clock.”

In an instant, a swirling black hole materialized right where Ace of Hearts stood, warping and distorting his body as it pulled him in.

“No! Fang Xiu! You’re a coward! Ambushing me in a one-on-one fight! I swear I’ll—"

Before he could finish, the black hole fully enveloped him, swallowing him whole. His words were cut off, his body vanishing into the void, leaving his fate a mystery.