Alexander was not one to rely solely on his own subjective judgment. Instead, he preferred to rely on his observations to make decisions. Even though he pretended to be engaged in conversation with Carmen and deliberately ignored the newcomers, he was actually observing them closely.

There were more newcomers this time, about twelve in total. However, Alexander knew that only a few would likely survive the script world.

"I need to ally with those who could be valuable teammates," he thought to himself. As harsh as it was, Alexander wasn't a saint. In the script world, his actions would prioritize his own safety first, then the welfare of his team. With Yulin gone, the role of the strategist and leader naturally fell to him.

"Hey, is everything you said true?" A young girl who looked like a college student approached him timidly, questioning him.

"The information I handed out to you explains everything clearly. It is all true. Of course, if there are any parts of the information you don't understand, feel free to ask me," Alexander replied.

The demeanor of the college girl was much more agreeable than that of the nearby celebrity, Ji Ningyan, who remained dismissive. So, Alexander chose to respond to her rather than completely ignore her.

"Cut the crap! I'm calling my lawyer to make sure you all get sued for this nonsense," Ji Ningyan scoffed, still under the impression that she was on a film set, having participated in many bizarre reality shows before. Deep down, she suspected it was some elaborate prank with hidden cameras.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." A middle-aged woman clung to a rosary, holding hands with a girl who appeared to be in middle school, fervently reciting prayers.

"Don't dawdle, Xiaolan, recite with me. We must hold our faith; our relationship with God, through Jesus, begins now and continues into eternity..."

"Yes, Mom," the girl muttered, her eyes dull and slightly gloomy, joining her mother in the prayer.

"Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen..."

"Ah, shut the hell up!"

A thug with yellow hair and earrings stood up.

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"As soon as I got here, you've been babbling your prayers nonstop. It's so damn annoying!"

The thug was sleazy, with yellowed teeth, and spat vulgarities with every word. The rest of the room frowned at his outburst.

"Stay away from us, you sinner. Peter said, 'Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

The middle-aged woman shielded her daughter, pointing at the thug. "God protects me and those justified by faith. You cannot harm me, for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. But the wicked will stumble into calamity."

"Screw you!" The thug, not understanding the religious ramblings, moved to grab the woman but was stopped by the bespectacled young man who had been quietly observing.

"Hey, this isn’t the place for that," the man with gold-rimmed glasses said calmly, holding onto the thug's arm.

"Don't butt in. Want me to beat you too?" The thug, accustomed to conflict, angrily shoved the bespectacled man to the floor.

"Enough!"

Carmen could no longer stand by and intervened before a fight broke out.

"Everyone, stop, or you'll regret it," Alexander commanded, using the situation to assert leadership—especially when a troublemaker like the thug made an appearance.

"Who the hell are you to command me?" the thug sneered, stepping towards Carmen.

Alexander shot Carmen a glance, and in an instant, Carmen leaped five to six meters forward, landing a whip-like kick. Unlike Alexander's 0.2-enhanced physique, Carmen's body was strengthened to 0.4, making him significantly more powerful.

In the "New Innsmouth Mystery" script world, Carmen had moved with one leg broken, showcasing not just his resilience but also his remarkable strength.

Standing tall and broad, Carmen was imposing. His roundhouse kick was fierce, sending the thug sprawling, spitting out yellow teeth and blood.

The violent spectacle shocked everyone.

As the thug struggled to rise, Carmen delivered another kick, doubling him over like a cooked shrimp, causing him to vomit stomach acid.

"That's enough, Li," Alexander approached and whispered, "By the way, doesn't Evil Spirit Space have any protection measures for newcomers? What if I decide to kill one—would Pinocchio ignore that?"

"There’s only one rule: you can't directly kill teammates. Doing so will cost you 1,000 points," Carmen replied tersely, but the implications were vast.

The rule's wording—"directly"—gave Alexander much to ponder, including Yulin's prior mention of liabilities: "deadweight."

Indeed, for seasoned veterans, inexperienced newcomers were more hindrance than help.

Yet, was he really about to lead these liabilities through the script world's dangers? As rational as Alexander was, he couldn’t entirely shake the headache-inducing prospect.

“Alright, everyone. You may have gaps in your memory, but you're all effectively dead,” Alexander announced, stepping forward to the center of the hall.

“But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we're about to enter a death trial. I have several tracking devices and about a dozen old rifles. Take these with you because soon we'll be transported to a script world.”

“This isn’t a request—it’s an order. If you’re unwilling, you can sit out. But you won’t get another chance to join my team.”

“Opportunity comes once. Choose wisely!”

With a nod from Alexander, Carmen placed guns and trackers on the floor.

“Help yourselves, or get out...”