noveldrama
Chapter 224: Death Game 1
Chapter 224: Death Game 1
Tap. Tap.
The sound of Lin Xian’s footsteps echoed through the dark corridor. He walked for a while, following the glow of the lights stretching ahead, but the passage seemed endless. Something was off—this wasn’t what he expected. As he kept moving forward, water stains began to appear on the floor. The further he walked, the more water there was. The original marble floor had gradually transformed into white ceramic tiles.
Splash. Splash.
The sound of water swishing accompanied his steps. Lin Xian looked down at the white tiles beneath his feet and couldn't shake the eerie feeling that he had just stepped into a swimming pool. As he proceeded, the shallow puddles rose from mere centimeters to completely covering his feet.
That’s when the corridor walls ahead abruptly vanished.
He had reached the end of the passage.
Lin Xian frowned, raising his light to illuminate the area in front of him. What he saw made his expression darken. Before him was an enormous, enclosed swimming pool—easily over a thousand square meters in size. White, pristine tiles covered the surrounding walls, making the space seem eerily sterile.
Just a few meters ahead, the floor beneath the water abruptly disappeared, replaced by a stainless steel pool ladder. Beyond that ladder, the once-clear water turned an unsettling shade of black. It was deep—impossibly deep.
Under the glow of his light, a yellow swimming ring gently bobbed on the dark water’s surface, drifting with the ripples. Lin Xian scanned the area. Other than where he stood, there was no visible way out—only towering, tiled walls enclosing the entire space.
The cold water lapped at his ankles, carrying an inexplicable force, as if something hidden in the depths was trying to pull him in."What kind of nightmare is this...?"
He had already investigated the passageway before entering—there were no complex mechanical structures. He had expected to find something, yet after walking for so long, he’d encountered nothing. Now, at the end of the hallway, all that awaited him was this massive, bottomless pool.
It felt like an entrance straight to hell.
Research Facility - Monitoring Hall
Inside the monitoring room, the research personnel wore complicated expressions. A few turned to look at Security Chief Feng Chun, who sat with a heavy expression, eyes locked on the surveillance screens.
“Chief Feng, the target has entered the Black Pool.”
Feng Chun’s gaze sharpened. “Release Biological Specimen Black Abyss No. 1. Begin water injection. Flood the passageway!”
“What?!” The researchers were stunned.
“This… won’t that—”
“Follow orders. Today, we must obtain valuable data from the target!”
“…Understood.”
The researchers, though tense, began executing the brutal command.
Back in the pool area, Lin Xian positioned a metal support frame at the passage’s edge, extending his light to illuminate a larger section of the water. Moving carefully to the silver pool ladder, he leaned forward to peer beneath the surface.
Whoosh!
A massive, shadowy figure flickered beneath the water, moving like a coiled serpent. Its form was pitch black, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. The sudden disturbance sent a wave rushing toward Lin Xian’s submerged feet, as if trying to pull him in.
“Fk!”**
Lin Xian instinctively stumbled backward, the chaotic splashing of his footsteps echoing unsettlingly in the eerie silence.
Something was in there.
His expression turned grim as he scanned his surroundings. Seconds passed like hours. He needed to find a way out. Looking up, he finally noticed something—about dozens of meters above the pool, a small diving platform protruded from the high wall, with a dark door behind it.
Then, as his light flickered across the water’s surface, he noticed something else—a pathway submerged beneath the pool.
Or rather, pillars—narrow, white-tiled columns barely wide enough for a single foot to step on. They were spaced roughly a meter apart, stretching all the way to the far side of the pool, where a set of wall-mounted ladders jutted out from the tiled wall.
If he wanted to escape, he’d have to step from pillar to pillar, balancing over the pitch-black abyss, reach the wall, and climb up.
Without his light, he would be blindly leaping across an invisible abyss, with god-knows-what lurking below.
And those pillars? They extended deep into the black water. There was no telling what was swimming around them.
Who the hell designed this nightmare?
Lin Xian’s gut twisted. Even he felt a chill creeping up his spine.
A pitch-dark, enclosed space.
A massive, bottomless pool.
Rippling black water.
Unknown creatures lurking beneath.
Anyone’s sanity would be shaken.
Then, suddenly—
The water that had been at his ankles was now up to his calves.
It was rising.
Research Facility - Monitoring Hall
The surveillance screens displayed every angle—the pool’s surface, the ladders, the pillars, and the diving platform above.
“The Black Water is now rising at Level 3 speed. The target has approximately three minutes to reach the wall before we activate Level 5 flooding.”
“Life signs update—target’s heart rate at 105, approaching 110.”
Feng Chun smirked, watching the monitor with interest. “He has to be scared now.”
At three minutes, the water level would make it impossible to stand. He’d be forced to swim.
The corridor itself was like a massive pipeline, extending over the center of the abyssal pool.
Feng Chun’s gaze locked onto the corridor exit. He expected to see Lin Xian frantically leaping from pillar to pillar, desperately trying to escape.
But…
Lin Xian wasn’t there.
Feng Chun’s expression darkened. “What’s going on? Why isn’t he moving? The water is rising!”
“No idea. We don’t have cameras inside the corridor.”
“Did he retreat?”
“No. His vitals are still within the test area.”
Feng Chun clenched his jaw. “There’s only two minutes left. If he doesn’t move now, he’ll never make it.”
Then, one researcher hesitantly suggested, “…Maybe… he’s just waiting for the water to rise and float him up?”
“Impossible,” Feng Chun snapped. “You can’t survive in Black Water for a single minute. Black Abyss No. 1 will devour him instantly.”
“Chief! One minute left! The corridor will be completely flooded!”
Feng Chun’s fists tightened. His gaze burned into the screen, watching as the Black Water swallowed the passage.
But still—Lin Xian didn’t appear.
“Report—target’s body temperature is dropping. Heart rate is now at 80.”
“What the hell is he doing?” Feng Chun growled.
Then, a researcher suddenly shouted, “He—He’s out!!”
“Where?!”
Everyone, including Feng Chun, turned to stare at the corridor exit.
But—
Lin Xian wasn’t there.
“…No one’s there?”
“He’s—he’s above the corridor!!”
Feng Chun’s head snapped toward the secondary monitor.
And then, his pupils shrank.
A circular hole had appeared at the top of the passage.
From that hole, an elevator platform was rising.
And standing on it—
Lin Xian.
Calm. Expressionless. Stepping smoothly onto the diving platform as if nothing happened.
Feng Chun sat in stunned silence. The escape they had anticipated—never happened.
Instead, this elevator—
Where the hell did it come from?!
“Chief… his Mechanical Ability doesn’t match any of our previous research.”
Feng Chun’s face twitched. That wasn’t just ‘mechanical assembly’.
Lin Xian had just created an entire functioning elevator from thin air.
“…Prepare Survival Room No. 3.” Feng Chun ordered, grimly.
If Lin Xian could control machines like this…
They needed to see more.
Unlocking the Final Door
Lin Xian turned his head and saw the two massive liquid chambers. The transparent green fluid inside was slowly draining, as if counting down to something. Realizing the urgency, he immediately activated Mechanical Heart and scanned the door in front of him.
As the scan progressed, his frown deepened.
It was indeed a door—but a highly intricate mechanical lock system. The structure was bafflingly complex, featuring twelve interlinked mechanical locks, each connected to twelve separate internal switches.
The design wasn’t made for functionality—it was built purely to confuse anyone trying to open it.
With that, Lin Xian was finally certain.
This entire setup was designed to test his mechanical ability.
And the two creatures?
They were just here to "liven things up" for him.
"You want me to pick these locks...?"
His chest tightened slightly, but his mind remained calm. Mechanical Heart began to hum.
Wooo—Wooo—
The sirens blared. The green liquid in the experimental chambers continued draining. As it reached the halfway mark, the first containment pod’s sea star-like creature began stirring, its countless black needle-like spines scraping against the glass with a grating screech.
?Countdown: 3 minutes remaining.?
In the brightly lit observation room, several researchers stared intently at the surveillance feed, all eyes locked onto Lin Xian.
“Report the test progress.”
“Escape door progress: 0%.”
“What? He hasn’t even unlocked one?”
“Wait a little longer.”
?Countdown: 1 minute remaining.?
“Escape door progress: 0%.”
“Huh? Did he give up?”
“Quick, notify Ms. Hua!”
Hua Xiaoling’s Arrival
Hua Xiaoling, clad in a black coat, stood before a gleaming silver door—behind it was the room where Lin Xian was trapped.
A subordinate’s voice crackled through her earpiece.
“Ms. Hua, 1 minute remaining. Escape door progress still at 0%. Should we activate the emergency protocol?”
She remained silent, her gaze fixed on the silver door.
?Countdown: 10 seconds.?
“Escape door progress 0%. It’s impossible to open now,” Security Chief Feng Chun said, his face turning pale.
Screech!
Inside the glass chambers, the green liquid had fully drained.
The massive sea-star creature flexed its needle-covered body, emitting a strange shrill cry. The white humanoid monster slowly lifted its head.
Hua Xiaoling’s expression flickered with doubt.
Then, the countdown reached its final seconds.
10, 9, 8...
7, 6, 5...
4, 3, 2, 1...
The instant zero hit—
BOOM.
The silver door disintegrated into ash.
A storm of fine gray dust scattered through the air.
Hua Xiaoling instinctively lifted her hand, catching a speck of ash in her palm—only for it to disintegrate further into nothing.
She blinked in astonishment.
Then, as the dust cleared, a lean silhouette emerged from the doorway.
A voice rang out—calm, but unmistakably sharp.
"We meet again."
A blade pressed against Hua Xiaoling’s throat.
The razor-thin electric edge sliced off a few strands of her dark hair, sending them drifting to the ground.
Click. Click. Click.
In a split second, dozens of armed personnel raised their rifles, locking their aim onto Lin Xian.
The automated turrets in the room zeroed in, red targeting lasers painting deadly dots across his forehead.
Yet Lin Xian’s expression remained ice-cold.
“If I don’t see my teammates in one minute—
you die.”
Hua Xiaoling gazed at him.
Not with fear.
But with a strange mix of admiration and excitement in her eyes.
She raised her hand, signaling her men to lower their weapons. Then, she gestured to an assistant, who pressed a command on a mobile terminal.
A door slammed open behind Lin Xian.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted. Several researchers were sent flying, crashing to the floor with groans of pain.
From the open doorway, KIKI stepped out. Her expression, tense with worry, finally relaxed at the sight of Lin Xian.
“Lin Xian!”
Hua Xiaoling barely spared a glance at the groaning researchers. Her face remained indifferent.
“I extended an invitation to you. Naturally, your teammates are also our guests.”
"Guests?"
Lin Xian let out a cold laugh.
“This is how you treat your guests?”
Hua Xiaoling shrugged.
“Well, technically, you did illegally trespass into our Clearwater Town test facility. But, I’ll admit, we also conducted experiments on you without consent. For that, I apologize.”
She then raised an eyebrow.
“However… our usual partners don’t enter through such unconventional means.”
She smirked slightly.
“Nor do they plant tracking devices on my vehicle.”
Lin Xian’s face twitched slightly before he sighed, lowering his electric blade.
“…You have a point.”
“But you also never told me where you wanted to meet. So, I used my own methods.”
Hua Xiaoling smiled faintly, not seeming offended in the slightest. Instead, she asked,
“Lin Xian, may I ask—how did you unlock that final password door?”
Lin Xian scoffed inwardly.
Password door? Unlock?
What password?
Why the hell would he bother with unlocking it when he could simply devour it whole?
To him, that intricate mechanical structure was nothing more than raw materials—easily consumed and repurposed like scrap metal. It was easier than breaking down a train.
He had no interest in answering her question.
Instead, he got straight to the point.
"Alright. I broke into your facility. You ran all these tests on me. Now tell me—
what do you want from me?"
Hua Xiaoling’s smile didn’t waver.
“I told you—we want to work with you.”
Lin Xian’s voice turned sharp.
“And if I refuse?”
Hua Xiaoling pointed toward a corridor.
“If you don’t want to cooperate, you are free to leave. We have no intention of restricting your freedom.”
Then, she made a "please" gesture.
“Or… if you have time, I could introduce you to our Foundation.”
Lin Xian and KIKI exchanged glances.
Since they were already here, they might as well listen.
So, they followed Hua Xiaoling deeper into the research facility.
Journey into the Underground
Lin Xian underestimated the scale of this facility.
Beyond the surface-level test grounds, the true research center was buried deep underground.
KIKI leaned closer and whispered, “Did they do anything to you?”
Lin Xian shook his head.
What did surprise him, however, was the nature of their research.
Somehow…
Eerie Entities were involved.
“Why isn’t this place visible from the outside?” Lin Xian asked.
Hua Xiaoling explained,
“Our facility is hidden beneath a Sky Dome—a structure with an external reflective surface. Optical projection tech displays an illusion of the surrounding environment, making us invisible.”
KIKI’s mouth dropped open.
“Wait, so from the outside—this entire place doesn’t even exist?!”
Lin Xian narrowed his eyes.
“This facility… It wasn’t built recently, was it? Was it here before Apocalypse Day?”
Hua Xiaoling’s voice was calm.
“This facility was originally a classified international bioweapons research base, developed long before the Great Cataclysm.”
She turned to Lin Xian.
“If you’re willing to stay longer, we can provide any resources or support you need.”
“Because soon—you’ll have to cross the Abyss.”
A faint sound rang out, and the partition glass in the room instantly turned transparent. Everyone was startled, their faces filled with confusion and fear as they looked around at their companions. The shackles on their hands clinked, prompting a woman to let out a sharp scream.
“Ah!!!”
“Let me go!!” A man shouted loudly.
“Qiao Min! Qiao Min!”
Just as the others were still trying to figure out why they were here, a man in his thirties suddenly recognized someone familiar. He craned his neck and shouted toward the third room on his right.
“Huh?! Honey!”
A young, beautiful woman immediately responded, her voice filled with urgency.
These two were husband and wife.
“D**n it, where is this place?!” In Room 2, a middle-aged man dressed in relatively refined clothing roared hysterically.
The eerie situation left everyone unsettled.
Click—
A large overhead light suddenly turned on, and the strange noise instantly silenced everyone in the room.
Looking forward, they saw that beyond the glass wall was a massive chamber—there was no floor, only a bottomless abyss below.
At that moment, in the empty void, a giant red head flickered in and out of existence as it slowly descended. The head wore a peculiar black hat, resembling some kind of holographic projection.
Simultaneously, a deep, monstrous voice echoed through the room:
“Hello.”
“It is my honor to inform you all that you have been selected as special test subjects for Facility No. 2 tonight. I’m sure you’ve already noticed your current predicament. Pleased to meet you all. Allow me to introduce myself—I am ‘The Hatter,’ your host for this game.”
The scene before them was truly bizarre. A massive red head loomed in the air, sending chills down everyone's spine.
The middle-aged man in Room 2 had a hot temper. Realizing the situation, he immediately slammed the table in anger.
“No! I don’t want to participate! Let me out! I quit! I quit!”
BZZT!
A high-energy electrical surge suddenly crackled, followed by a piercing scream.
“Ahhhhhh!!!!”
The shackles on the middle-aged man's wrists emitted a powerful electric current, causing his entire body to convulse violently. His muscles tensed as he let out a pained howl.
Boom!
In Room 6, beside the young man, a bald, overweight man suddenly roared. His hands turned gray, transforming into the texture of granite as he yanked hard, attempting to break free from the shackles.
Lin Xian and KIKI’s expressions sharpened—this man was an Ability User!
Just as everyone thought he would easily snap the delicate-looking shackles, he encountered the same fate as the middle-aged man.
Like a coiling serpent, the shackles tightened violently, shattering his stone-like skin inch by inch!
Splurt!
Blood gushed as his flesh burst open, and a gut-wrenching scream echoed through the room.
“Ahhhh!!!”
Meanwhile, the massive red head simply watched the spectacle unfold with a twisted smile.
Everyone was utterly horrified. As they glanced down at the shackles on their own wrists, an overwhelming sense of dread began to spread.
“Don’t struggle! These things are rigged with traps!” The voice came from Room 4, where a frail young man dressed in tattered outdoor gear spoke. His chapped lips suggested severe dehydration.
Seemingly satisfied with the newfound silence, the red head continued speaking.
“If you’re ready, the game can begin.”
The moment those words fell, chaos erupted.
“Game…? W-What kind of game?”
“What do you want from us?!”
“Where the h**l is this?! Some kind of lab?!”
“Are you human or a ghost?!”
Lin Xian noticed that the young man in Room 7 remained silent, his sharp gaze carefully observing both the environment and the people around him. He seemed much calmer than the others. At the same time, Lin Xian began examining the occupants of the eight rooms.
Room 1 held the bespectacled man who had tried to talk to the woman in Room 3. He looked to be in his thirties, with a scholarly demeanor.
Room 2 contained the middle-aged man, whose well-groomed appearance was oddly out of place in an apocalyptic setting—he looked neither desperate nor worn down.
Room 3 housed a woman, likely the bespectacled man’s wife. Her face was filled with fear, her body trembling as she anxiously scanned the surroundings.
Room 4 belonged to the frail young man who had warned them earlier. His ragged appearance suggested he had been struggling to survive.
Room 5 held a blonde woman with an air of composure and an extraordinary aura.
Room 6 contained the bald, overweight Ability User who had just attempted to break free. He looked to be in his forties and was now in agonizing pain.
In Room 7 was the calm young man Lin Xian had taken note of.
And in Room 8, to his right, was a young girl with disheveled hair and a dirt-streaked body. She had kept her head down the entire time, only raising it now upon hearing the commotion.
Lin Xian was momentarily stunned—beneath the grime, her features were exceptionally delicate. Though covered in dust, her beauty remained striking.
At that moment, Lin Xian turned to Hua Xiaoling, realizing that this research facility had gathered a group of people for some kind of twisted experimental game.
“What exactly are you showing us?” Lin Xian asked directly.
“No need to be nervous,” Hua Xiaoling replied coolly. “This is just one of our research projects. You’re merely here as observers.”
Lin Xian and KIKI exchanged glances, both sensing something deeply unsettling about this situation.
—
Inside the experimental hall below.
“I can tell that you all share the same question.”
The projection of the red head abruptly vanished, and at the far end of the abyssal chamber, a single light flickered on, illuminating a massive glass display case.
Inside, a mountain of supplies was piled high—food, water, weapons, and even daily necessities.
Everyone’s pupils shrank in shock. Their minds momentarily went blank.
“The resources here are enough to sustain one person for ten years. This will be the reward for the game’s winner.” The red head reappeared.
“Then… w-what happens to those who don’t win?”
Someone asked in a panic.
The others snapped out of their daze, their eyes locking onto the floating head with palpable tension.
The crimson apparition seemed almost alive, its gaze piercing through them.
“According to the rules, eliminated players will be executed.”
A deathly silence fell over the room.
What kind of sick joke was this?!
“No! No! No! I don’t want to play this game! Let me out! Let me out!!”
The young man in Room 4 panicked and screamed in terror.
BZZT!
A bone-chilling electric shock surged through him.
His entire body convulsed violently, his limbs spasming in an unnatural posture.
Within seconds, a burnt stench filled the air as white smoke curled from his body.
“Ugh… ugh…”
The electricity ceased. The young man, who had been full of life just moments ago, now slumped limply in his chair, foam at his lips. His terrified eyes locked onto the red head, his breath ragged, too scared to utter another word.
Everyone was petrified.
Any sign of resistance was met with punishment.
“Well, well~ Looks like you’re all smart people. That only makes this even more exciting.”
The red head grinned, its voice dripping with eerie amusement.
“Now, I announce that the first round of the game is… Jump.”
Its words struck the hearts of every person in the room like a hammer.
Then, the red head vanished.
RUMBLE!
The massive chamber’s floor began rising. It was made of square black metal panels, shifting up and down with mechanical precision.
As soon as everyone saw the gaps forming, they understood—
This was just like an old-school video game.
Miss a step, and you fall to your death.
“That doesn’t sound too hard, does it?”
The woman in Room 3, emboldened by her husband speaking up, also chimed in, “What could be more important than our lives? As long as we work together, we can all be free soon!”
“Wait, can we discuss this among the eight of us?”
The woman in Room 5, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. Her tone was cold and firm, exuding a calmness that set her apart from the others. “I mean, before the game begins.”
“Of course,” the red head responded. “Each round, you will have 30 minutes to discuss. Once the game begins, the rooms will be sealed and soundproofed. If no one enters the game within 30 minutes, all players will be declared as having failed.”
The red head’s voice echoed powerfully, reverberating in everyone’s minds.
A countdown timer appeared on the screen, ticking down rapidly: 27:36, 27:35…
“Oh my god!~” The woman in Room 3 clapped her hands over her mouth and screamed, trembling as she stared at the timer.
“I think we shouldn’t waste any time,” the middle-aged man in Room 2 said grimly, his gaze sweeping across the rooms to his right. “Who’s willing to step forward?”
“Wait!”
The bespectacled man in Room 1 forced himself to remain composed. “This game clearly requires our cooperation, so… is anyone here an Ability User? Or do you have any special skills? Maybe we can find another way to solve this.”
His words were carefully phrased, but everyone understood what he meant.
He wanted the Ability Users to reveal themselves.
But after he spoke, silence followed. Seeing no response, he decided to take the lead.
“I-I’m Han Dong. Before the Polar Night, I was a math teacher. I… I don’t have any abilities.”
Following her husband’s lead, the woman in Room 3 quickly added, “I’m Qiao Min, a saleswoman. I don’t have any abilities either. Han Dong and I are married…”
“I don’t think self-introductions are necessary.”
The woman in Room 5 interrupted, instantly drawing all eyes to her.
Her face was cold and serious as she spoke directly, “This game seems simple on the surface, but in reality, it presents two problems: the sacrifice and the betrayer.”
“The sacrifice has to risk being betrayed, while for everyone else, there’s no real risk. On the contrary, the betrayer holds the power—if they kill someone, they can guarantee their own survival and even receive a mountain of supplies.”
The moment she finished speaking, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
It seemed like unity was the key to survival, but in an apocalypse, trust was far from easy to come by. Everyone here understood the darker side of human nature.
Seconds ticked by, stretching into minutes. The young man in Room 4 grew visibly anxious, unable to sit still. Finally, he blurted out,
“Then let’s just introduce ourselves. I’m Fang Xiaonian, a student. I don’t have any abilities, but my body has undergone some evolution—I’m quite agile.”
“You’re all Ability Users, aren’t you? Playing innocent, huh?” The bald, overweight man in Room 6 scoffed, his eyes flashing coldly. “The name’s Wang Anjian. I have an ability.”
“Zhao Bo, enhancement-type ability,” the well-dressed middle-aged man in Room 2 said in an indifferent tone.
The young man in Room 7 spoke nervously, “I’m Chen Jia. I was just a machine gunner in a convoy. No abilities.”
The girl in Room 8 hesitated, then raised her head fearfully. “I… I’m Wang Duo. I used to be a student. Now, I’m… a prostitute in a major convoy.”
The room fell silent.
A flicker of disdain crossed Wang Anjian’s eyes. He smirked and said mockingly, “Not bad, you do have some looks. If you were in my convoy, I’d keep you around for fun, too.”
Wang Duo instinctively shrank back, trembling slightly. But she kept her head down, showing no anger—just silent fear.
It was obvious her life after the apocalypse had been nothing short of cruel.
With the introductions done, everyone turned their attention to the last person—the blonde woman in Room 5.
Her expression flickered slightly before she finally spoke in a low voice, “Tan Meng… Wing-type Ability User.”
Everyone’s faces changed. Their gazes toward her grew complex.
No wonder she had refused to introduce herself earlier. She could fly.
That meant this jumping game would be effortless for her.
Feeling the weight of everyone’s stares, Tan Meng’s expression darkened. She lowered her eyes and muttered, “Don’t look at me. I’m not going to participate. But I promise—I won’t be a betrayer.”
“But you can fly! Even if you fall, you—” Qiao Min protested anxiously.
“Hmph.” Zhao Bo from Room 2 let out a cold laugh. “You think this facility didn’t account for Ability Users?”
His words silenced the room again.
The self-introductions had taken nearly ten minutes, yet no real progress had been made.
“Alright, we’ve all introduced ourselves. Who’s going to participate?” Zhao Bo’s voice carried a sense of authority, cutting straight to the point.
Silence fell once more.
The timer ticked down—16 minutes remaining.
Then, Fang Xiaonian from Room 4 hesitantly spoke up. “I… I have an idea.”
Everyone turned their eyes toward him.
“We can all raise a number with our fingers at the same time. Whoever’s number doesn’t get repeated will enter the game. But we must all agree—no betrayal. That way, we can all survive together.”
His suggestion made sense. It was the fairest, though also the most helpless, solution. The eight players exchanged glances, seemingly reaching an agreement.
“Alright, if no one objects, let’s do it.”
Fang Xiaonian clenched his fists and glanced at both sides. “On the count of three, everyone show their numbers.”
The air grew heavy.
“3…”
“2…”
“1…”
Everyone revealed their numbers simultaneously and looked around.
Only one person had shown a ‘1’—Tan Meng.
All eyes turned to her.
Tan Meng’s face turned deathly pale, her raised hand trembling involuntarily. Her lips twitched, and she suddenly shouted, “No, I don’t want to do it! No one can force me!!”
Wang Anjian from Room 6 let out a sneer. “Tch. Useless. Guess we’ll all just sit here and wait to die.”
The group fell into silence again, staring at the countdown as it continued ticking away.
3 minutes remaining.
Just as despair began to set in, a tiny voice suddenly spoke.
“…I’ll do it.”
Up in the observation rooms, Lin Xian’s brow furrowed as he instinctively turned toward Room 8.
The voice had come from Wang Duo.
KIKI’s grip tightened on Lin Xian’s hand.
Below, Wang Anjian’s expression turned strange. He suddenly let out a chuckle.
“Alright, I support you. I’ll make sure you get the right directions.”
His tone was sickly sweet—nobody believed he was sincere.
To him, a woman who had fallen to such a fate in the apocalypse was beneath notice. He even seemed amused that she was volunteering to step into danger.
“Really? Are you sure?” Qiao Min quickly latched onto the moment. “I-I support you!”
“So do I!” Han Dong shouted.
“Me too…” Fang Xiaonian chimed in.
“I’ll support you!” Tan Meng added, visibly relieved.
Zhao Bo raised his hand. “If anyone betrays her, I’ll kill them in the next round.”
His words sounded tough, but no one took them seriously.
Chen Jia, in Room 7, stared in shock at the frail girl beside him. His lips were dry as he nodded repeatedly, “I-I support you!”
The others grew visibly eager, not out of concern for Wang Duo, but because her sacrifice meant they had a chance to survive.
Wang Duo sat quietly, her expression unreadable. There was no fear—only an eerie sense of relief.
0:00
The countdown ended.
The massive red head reappeared, its eerie grin stretching wide.
“Excellent. Looks like we have our first challenger for tonight.”
The others exhaled in half-relief.
The red head let out a low chuckle.
“Now, let the game begin.”
Click!
At this time, the partitions of all the rooms became dark again, and at the same time, the surrounding sounds were completely isolated.
A small screen with three buttons floated on the metal table in front of the eight people.
They are ? [front], ? [left], ? [right].
One indicator light is gray.
This means that if the indicator light is on, you need to give Wang Duo instructions in the corresponding room.
Follow the movement trajectory of the floor.
There is only 5 seconds.
If you give the correct instructions, Wang Duo survives.
If you give the wrong instructions, Wang Duo dies.