Pain Immunity: Worried the Villains Aren’t Twisted Enough-Chapter 8: Hell Mode! The Mental Influence of Greed

Lu Ce looked at the saw hanging down and had only one thought in his mind.
—Ho! Isn’t this a perfect chance to rack up some Pain Points?
The real world and the game world were interconnected, but in reality, if he got injured, he’d have to go to the hospital, and serious injuries could even leave him disabled.
But in the game, he was well aware that if he met the conditions for Perfect Completion, all injuries would be healed for free. That was exactly why he had to join the game.
The risk was high, but for him, the potential rewards were absolutely maximized.
“What do you mean?! What does this mean?! You call this a game?!”
“Nobody told me about this before! This is straight-up fraud! I’m ing you!”
Hearing the wails and screams nearby, Lu Ce felt completely numb. He turned to look at the woman beside him, who was crying and throwing a tantrum.
them? Where are you gonna them?
Does she not understand where she is?
Lu Ce had already expected that at the start of the game, there would be players who didn’t have a clue, but this level of cluelessness was beyond his expectations.
He opened his Livestream Screen to check if the "spectators" had any information on the other nine players.
But what he saw surprised him—there was an unusually large number of people watching him.
【: So this is the perspective of a Perfect Completion Player? I specifically came to see what a pro-level player is like.】
【: This scene is kinda terrifying. Never seen anything like this before...】
【: Good thing I decided to just observe first, to see what kinds of games there are. Yeah, I think I’ll stick to being a Spectator.】
【: I checked the other nine people. Only three are Completion Players, the rest are all first-timers. Looks like this guy is the only Perfect Completion Player here.】
Lu Ce now understood—their livestreams were randomly assigned but could still be searched by category.
If that was the case, then Perfect Completion Players would quickly be thrust into the spotlight.
That might not necessarily be a good thing… The world would never allow a single individual to have superhuman power unchecked.
Good thing he chose to wear a mask.
Still, his personality and habitual actions might be noticed by someone observant…
“I quit! I quit! I’m not sawing off my own leg!”
“Let me out! I don’t wanna play anymore!”
As Lu Ce continued observing, the woman beside him was still sobbing and wailing, clearly unable to handle reality.
What he didn’t expect was that the air above actually responded.
A mechanical voice echoed from the sky:
【The Shop System will now open. During the Preparation Phase, you can purchase an Exit Token to forcibly withdraw from the game.】
【Using an Exit Token will result in a permanent ban from all future games.】
【The Shop is unavailable during the game.】
Exit Token…
There’s something like that too?
Lu Ce thought to himself but didn’t react much. He already had a plan to exploit the hell out of the Pain Points system.
“What do you mean I can’t quit?!”
“The lava’s rising! I feel dizzy! Let me down!”
As the woman’s shrill screams continued, a sudden metallic screech rang out in the air, cutting through the chaos and despair.
Everyone’s attention snapped toward the source of the sound.
Above the boiling lava, a chain suddenly shook violently, the creaking noise silencing all the commotion.
The chain binding Lu Ce’s right leg was now swinging wildly.
Like an agile monkey, he moved with the momentum, swinging back and forth in midair.
With a snap, Lu Ce grabbed the rusty saw hanging above.
“Heh, the quality of these chains isn’t bad. All that swinging and they still feel sturdy.”
After yanking down the saw, his relaxed voice echoed through the confined space.
The other nine contestants’ pupils dilated as they stared at him in shock.
—He’s insane?! He’s really going to saw off his leg?! With that rusty saw?!
“To be honest, you guys are really too polite.” Lu Ce spun the saw in his hand leisurely. “This is the only tool available, and none of you even fought for it? Just letting me take it like this?”
“Sawing off your own leg to escape—such a cliché method. By the way, did you guys even pay Saw for the copyright?”
Still holding the saw, Lu Ce wasn’t in a hurry to start cutting. He just casually swung back and forth while chatting, completely unfazed by the dire situation.
That inexplicable ease made the others seriously doubt whether he even realized he needed to cut off his own leg to survive.
But Lu Ce himself had realized something from the moment he spoke—
This wasn’t entirely his usual personality.
Right now, his mental state felt like that of a half-drunk man—still in control of his thoughts but subconsciously spewing nonsense that didn’t quite match his usual behavior.
This might be… the effect of the Original Sin Mask he was wearing.
It amplified the corresponding aspects of his human nature, while also granting him certain advantages!
Lu Ce had no intention of resisting it. Greed, talkativeness, cunning—in a cruel game like this, these were exactly the traits he needed!
And in the future, these traits could help prevent spectators from linking his in-game persona to his real-life identity too easily.
Besides, he was really curious to see—
What kind of buffs would "Greed Mode" grant him?
【It seems that someone has taken the first step.】
Amidst the scorching air, that mechanical voice echoed again. But this time, there was an uncharacteristic hint of emotion in it.
【However, simply obtaining the saw doesn’t mean you’ve secured your survival.】
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sawing off my leg, no big deal, it’s not like it’s my first time…”
“I just think this game is lacking in excitement and exploration. It’s really boring.” Lu Ce continued, his tone just one step away from breaking into a manic laugh.
“Since I’m the first one to get the saw, shouldn’t there be a reward or something?”
Lu Ce finally bared his fangs.
Beneath the blue mask, his eyes gleamed with a chilling ambition and greed.
The other nine contestants remained silent, simply watching the figure hanging in midair, haggling for rewards in the middle of a life-threatening crisis.
In this terrifying scenario, he was the only one still treating it like a game.
【There are many hidden achievements and special rewards within the game, but players must explore them on their own.】
“Ugh, so stingy. Not even a hint, huh?”
“I just wanna ask—what if I saw off my leg and still don’t escape? I mean, I’ve been swinging around a lot. If I accidentally fall into the lava after cutting my leg off, what then?”
【That won’t happen. This is not part of the game’s intended challenge. The platform beneath you is extendable. As long as you escape before the lava reaches it, you’ll be fine.】
“So you’re saying… as long as I saw off my leg, I’ll be free?”
【Correct!】
The blue mask shimmered, forming a smirking face, as if a devious scheme had succeeded.
A cold gleam flashed—
The rusty saw pressed against his leg.
He began cutting!
But—
The iron shackle was locked around his right ankle.
Yet he was sawing through his left leg!