Few ships had already found all three [Safe Seats] from the first stage. But at least, mostly one or two have been secured. Because of that, almost all of the ship's passengers have started to give up their opportunity to search for [Safe Seat]. They instead leave it to be searched for in the next stage. In the short time remaining, of course, Estre prefers to put up their body and look for a defensive spot, so they don't fall off the ship due to the [First Obstacle].
But the opposite situation actually occurred on ship number 13. While Estre on other ships busied themselves to prepare for obstacles, only Estre on the ship boarded by Grey were still vying for the [Safe Seat]. It became a spectacle of entertainment for those who were already relaxing in their [Safe Seat]. If they could, they would have brought popcorn.
Those watching should thank Grey for wasting those precious first few minutes. The situation became even tenser—Estre on the ship became even more panicked because they hadn't found any [Safe Seats] yet. The three young adults of ship 13 also have a hatred for Grey, who puts them at a disadvantage.
But at least one of them was much luckier than the other.
“I-I managed to find a safe seat! I survived, I won!” Shouted the man who doubted Grey's earlier offer of cooperation. Without hesitation, he immediately occupied the seat in column 9, row 1, and immediately fastened the seat belt. His face looked very relieved as if he was not found guilty at the death penalty trial. Another seatless Estre grew desperate with the seconds remaining before the [First Obstacle].
But not for the perpetrator who wasted that time. Even though his super-analysis failed miserably, he still wanted to cool his head, not letting despair eat away at him that could interfere with his brainpower.
Grey ran to the middle of the ship, shouting at the man, “O-Oy! What number is that seat?" Grey was slightly smacked towards the main mast due to the ship's sudden tilt.
The man thought a little, played with his curls, then smiled at Grey, “Hmm... Let me think about that... What is this seat's number? I forgot that~ It won't do me any good to tell you this seat number, will I?”
“Tck... Shit…” The man in the Oasis work uniform turned his face to the wooden floor of the ship. Grey was a little annoyed but couldn't blame the person. This is an individual-level survival game, so in the end, the activity they are doing is indeed a 'means' to reduce the number of Estre. The more that were eliminated, the better for Estre who managed to survive. Especially after being given an 'injection of motivation' and a reason to play by Revon, not a few of them deliberately wanted to take down another Estre.
Grey was already preparing to return to the ship's front, but his right hand that was holding on to the wooden pole felt something odd. There is a small part of the pole that is very smooth, rectangular in shape. It's a patch. It is a sticker, the same as the one he had found on seat number 38.
Why is there a sticker here? The one standing next to me is a mast, not a seat. Am I getting seasick?
Grey then remembered about the surprise gift from Revon. If true, then he would once again be amazed by how the Chronosseum government designed the game. Even though the place was easy to find and fairly simple, sticking the gift on the mast was a brilliant idea as Estre would definitely only focus on the seats.
To prove his assumption, he attempted to remove the sticker. This time more carefully.
He had barely removed the sticker, but he could already see what was behind it. It was a paper with a dream-themed design. Yes, [Golden Pass to the Dreamland's Grand Opening]. Grey proceeds to release it little by little because he doesn't want the ticket damaged and unusable. However, he was disturbed by a commotion in the rear of the ship.
“I told you, I won't tell you—to you guys! It's of no use to me!” The man who was able to sit up and stretched his legs casually spoke to the burly man in front of him.
"Oh I see. I thought you knew who you're talking to. Am I not famous yet? Well… It might be true since my debut will only start next month.” The burly man took a fistful stance then.
“H-Hey, what would you do?”
“There's no prohibition against hitting or even… Killing a player even if they're already sitting on a safe seat, right? Well… I don't want to spoil my name by killing someone anyway.” The man who had already sat down was gritting his teeth in fear, his legs shaking no less. Indeed, sitting in the [Safe Seat] doesn't mean literally 'safe' as the name says—there is no prohibition against violence. Plus, what is meant by 'uncontested ownership' is that whoever sits there can't unbuckle their seatbelt and is forced to sit all the way through the game. It's just like a small prison. The man can't escape from the burly man's presence.
"I also heard earlier, you're the one who doesn't believe in me... Then, I'll just make you as a punchbag. In this country we won't die easily, right? I've always imagined what it would be like to use a human as a punchbag, it must be much more realistic. I can correctly imagine my hook and uppercut landing on the punchbag's face which luckily doesn't die easily. You and I are sure to have a great time.”
After engaging in conversation, the burly man walked to the ship's main mast, approaching Grey who was still busy with his sticker. Seeing the burly man coming, Grey quickly covered up what he was doing and hid his work behind his head.
"That's seat number 43."
"Huh? H-How is that possible… At first I thought these seats were in order… Number 43 at the back of the ship… That's far from the number 50 I found… Does that mean they really randomized the seat's number?”
Grey is no longer focused because he is busy on his side mission. However, he realized that the gameplay in Chronosseum was not only 'intelligent' but also 'cunning'. The Chronosseum won't help Estre to win easily, giving them false hope for instance. This feeling is the same as what he felt in the premiere game.
"At this rate, we'll have to find safe seats one by one and hope for luck."
Grey then asked the man to return to search with the granny. But he did it with the intention of 'evicting' so that he could secure the sticker, even though the burly man was not at all interested in the surprise gift.
“Crew's candidates! Behold! Those are some big rocks! Get ready because the ship will shake violently!” Revon exclaimed from the center of the stage and felt himself as the captain of a pirate fleet. Indeed, the remaining time on the monitor currently only shows two seconds.
There's no more time. Yet Grey insists on taking the half-open ticket, so chooses to stick to the ship's main mast.
After all, there is no time to find a safe seat. The main mast is one of the best places to hang, after all, he thought. According to him, unless the last one, any form of obstacle can be overcome by hugging the pole tightly. So Grey continued to cling to the main mast while trying to remove the sticky ticket. He didn't want to take the risk of abandoning the ticket and giving up the chance to get a surprise gift before his eyes.
In the midst of his cautiously pulling the ticket, the first obstacle was executed. The sky suddenly turned cloudy, black and gray. Grey could feel the damp wind gusts getting stronger. The ship shook violently in all directions, shaking like an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale from massive rocks that didn't even exist—[First Obstacle]. Estre fell and got up repeatedly, except for the smart ones who chose to stay on the surface, hugging one of the seats to minimize the bounce from the quake.
Grey wasn't that smart Estre.
He was one of those stupid Estre that forced themselves to get up even though they knew they would fall again. It was done by him so that he could remove the surprise gift from the mast. It was about to come off, but Grey fell back from the strong jolt towards the front of the ship. He immediately grabbed the ship's main mast to help him up again so he wouldn't be bouncing on the surface.
At that moment, he saw the bespectacled girl with her hair in a braid, struggling difficult on the side of the ship. She clamped the wall of the ship between her arms and torso.
“OY, GIRL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! IT'S DANGEROUS THERE!” Of course it was dangerous because the ship shook in all directions, including rocking at a slight angle to the starboard side. It could increase the chances of the girl rolling over to the lake.
Grey dashed to the nearest seat from the mast, crawling little by little cautiously to the next seat. He didn't continue to the very edge seat because it would only put him in danger even if he were closer to the girl. For that, he stopped and hugged tightly to the second row seat of the fifth column, then extended his hand to the girl.
"HEY NERD! QUICK, GET MY HANDS!” Grey was forced to scream because of the very noisy ride mechanism. Not to mention the unnatural sound effect of a ship crashing against a large rock playing loudly through the speakers.
Because the distance is quite far, Grey instructs the girl to immediately run and grab his hand when the ship tilts towards the entrance. When the time came, the girl sped up and was able to hold Grey's hand even though she had to hit her chin on the wooden floor as she fell over from the shock that became much bigger. Then Grey and the girl hugged the same seat tightly.
Grey thought of the surprise gift ticket, suddenly. As he struggled to hold on to his position, he briefly looked up at the mast and noticed the ticket fluttering violently from the artificial damp wind, struggling to hold on with the only inches left adhesive on end. Grey regretted he didn't stick the ticket again; that might have helped it last longer. Now he could only resign himself to waiting, hoping anxiously.
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But moments later, Grey had to close his eyes in sadness, accepting the fact that the ticket and hope of keeping his promise to Marie were blown away by the strong damp wind.
The tremor of this [First Obstacle] continued for the next minute at its maximum strength. Grey and the girl helped each other ease the effects of the ship's shaking and ensured that no one bounced off the ship. The granny felt very safe in the arms of the burly man who was firmly holding on to one of the back seats. Two men without a secure seat can also hold up well in one of the seats. Meanwhile, the man in the safe seat sat uncomfortably, petrified from still in shock—perhaps still imagining himself being a living punchbag.
The Chronosseum government seems to have high hopes to knock Estre off the ship and make them food for the bull shark. Unfortunately, they had to bite their fingers because none of them were thrown from the fourteen available ships.
Even though all Estres were holding up well in their respective ships, perhaps the [First Obstacle] goal was to injure Estre physically. Almost all Estres without the [Safe Seat] suffered from abrasions, even bruises from falling or bumping into seats, wooden floors, or other Estres.
“BRAVO! We can pass through the sea of big rocks bravely! The crew candidates this time were really impressive! I think it's amazing that no one has fallen victim to the ferocity of the massive rocks!” Revon shouted excitedly but disappointed.
The [First Obstacle] has been officially discontinued. The condition of the rides has begun to subside, returning to the previous calm situation; heaving, wavy, and swaying 'naturally'. The sky is clear, the robot birds are flying again, don't forget the ASMR of the sea. This situation happened very suddenly, leaving a loud silence.
"By the way, here are the safe seat numbers and remaining time before the second obstacle appears!"
[Safe Seat] number: 8
Time to the [Second Obstacle]: 3 minutes
Revon is an expert in making parties. The situation turned into a frenzy again with just a few words, assisted by the appearance of numbers on the large monitor. Every Estre who doesn't have a [Safe Seat] is back in chaos, trying to find it in the lesser time. At this point, Estre couldn't stop themselves from hurting and deceiving others to save themselves. The crow tamer was satisfied with the excitement and the free show.
While on ship 13, to be more precise on the floor near the seats of Column 5 Row 2, Grey and the braided girl were still sitting and hugging the seat. Then they simultaneously looked at the [Tiny Monitor], which was clearly located on the front of the backrest.
That's seat number 8.
Grey took a deep breath before pretending to be stupid and, closing his eyes, stood up and left the girl who hadn't yet let go her hug of the free [Safe Seat].
Since the additional missions were removed from today's list, Grey could focus more on his primary mission of finding the [Safe Seat] and saving everyone. The two [Safe Seat] from the first stage (numbers 26 and 36) still haven't been found. Now he must not waste any more precious time.
***
Grey used his first few seconds to discuss with his temporary partner and make a plan for how they would search for the [Safe Seat] that had yet to be found. Grey updated the mental map based on the things that happened on the ship and the information he had gathered from his partner.
[https://i.ibb.co/D8WYL70/Ship-Current-Situation.png]
Grey felt that his analysis so far in the Chronosseum had only relied on his brain's ability. However, the chances of winning and surviving would be even better if he considered the game maker's point of view. Therefore, this time Grey tried to think like the Chronosseum government. This is an advancement of Grey's mindset, although it may not always be necessary.
If these damn Chronosseum governments wanted to make sure there was at least one loser on each ship, then they definitely didn't want Estre to shoulder each other to save someone without a seat in the [Fourth Obstacle]. Therefore, it makes sense that the safe seat is not next to another safe seat.
Indeed, if the [Safe Seat] were placed without any distance between them, it wouldn't be difficult for the two owners to help someone by making their hands like a rope or something for Estre who was forced to hang later. Getting that inspiration, this time Grey instructed the burly man and the granny to search for a seat that wasn't close to the [Safe Seat]—at least jump one chair in all directions.
It's 'thinking through a game maker's point of view' that Grey didn't apply to his previous analysis. If he did the same as he is doing now, he would surely be able to find the seat order pattern. However, Grey still does not realize it.
Dashing toward the front of the ship again, Grey planned to search the seats in the same column thoroughly. He had already checked one seat in the first and second columns, so he decided to look between the two. Since the [Safe Seat] is believed to be randomly placed, it is currently 50:50; both columns equally provide the possibility of a secure seat. Grey decided to go down the second column.
The seats in the first row wasted a minute of Grey's time. [Tiny Monitor] is not found anywhere on the seat. It must be a good hide and seek player. Everything has been carefully examined under the seat, the narrow crevices, the frame of the seat. Until Grey finds one spot he hasn't checked: the safety buckle. On the side was the [Tiny Monitor] with the number '32' displayed. Not the number he expected.
Grey then walked past seat number '38', which thwarted his great analysis to continue his search for the seat in the third row. Just as his hand touched the back of the seat, one of the men shouted at him, “Hey! You don't have to bother and waste your time looking for that seat number! It's not a safe seat, at least for now!”
Grey's gaze shifted to the man, who was struggling to find the number on the fifth column third row seat, “I've already checked that seat… As additional information so that you don't waste any more time like before, I've also checked all the seats in the fourth column—Wait a minute, I think I found the monitor of this seat… I'll let you know later.”
While waiting for the man to check the [Tiny Monitor], Grey left the third row seat in the second column and headed for the next one. He examined the parts of the chair carefully. Luckily, he could find the [Tiny Monitor]'s position easily—located on the right side of the backrest, so it didn't take Grey long even though he had to fall over due to the ship's sudden 'speed up'. Only, it's seat number 40.
At that moment…
“I FOUND NUMBER 26!” As he fastened his seatbelt, the man who had spoken to Grey earlier shouted at one of the men looking at the back of the ship. That person was his teammate, who happened to be on the same ship.
After the man was safe in seat number 26, his partner sped up quickly to the column 2 row 3 seat Grey had left a few seconds ago. He then sat up without hesitation and fastened the seat belt. It was seat number 36. This incident left an open mouth on Grey's face. He then sat languidly in unsafe seat number 40.
Grey's ultimate goal is to keep no one dead, and so far is going well. He should be happy, shouldn't he? But instead, Grey feels an overwhelming sense of panic and desperation, haunted by the prospect of losing his student status, which could disappoint his mother. Or be haunted by the loss of one of his primary sources of income, Oasis.
But more than that, Grey is human too. Grey was afraid to die—fearful of being eaten alive by the bull shark.
The man sitting in seat number 26 turned his head back, looking at Grey, whose face was wrinkled, “Thank you for giving us the idea! I almost went crazy because you almost checked that seat!”
Apparently, the man with his partner had overheard Grey's plan. The two of them had found seat number 36 since the first stage. They chose to keep it and search for the rest of the available [Safe Seat] together while keeping their eyes on Grey's activities at the front of the ship.
“Yeah, but I'm the one who knows how to thank, really. Not like that annoying person in the chair (43).” The man tried to guide Grey's blank gaze towards the seats in the fourth column using his index finger, “From top to bottom, the numbers are 18, 12, 20, 14, 16. Think of it as payment for being our strategy consultant. Good luck to you, Mister Smart!” The man smirked at Grey.
Grey felt utterly defeated. He was careless; a trick he invented used to outwit himself. His hands were tightly clenched at his sides, he bit his lip quite hard. Even though the three of them weren't looking for seats in an effective manner, who would have thought that he and his two temporary comrades lost in luck to those two men. However, Grey could not continue to be upset and let depression eat away at him because time was running faster than his mind; the next obstacle would be executed soon. At least he had to pass the [Second Obstacle] first.
“Candidates! Katrina is at hand! Don't be a victim of his tantrums!"
The sky was starting to cloud again, much darker. This time it was accompanied by heavy rain. The ride began to tilt, preparing to swing right and left rapidly in the pouring rain—[Second Barrier]. One of the hard swings made Grey slip and hit his ribs against the back of the seat. He fell in pain between the third and fourth rows, which actually gave him an idea.
Because the ship was swinging and tilted sideways, then reclining between the rows of seats would not make him topple over. Of course, he also had to make sure to wrap his hand around one of the seats.
The burly man did the same after seeing Grey hold on to that funny position. But of course, what he will do is much more exhausting because he also has to protect the granny. He held her in his arms, making sure she didn't collide too much and be hit by the rain, even at the cost of his own body.
[Second Obstacle] runs for roughly one minute. It was not a short time for the Estres who struggled to defend themselves on the ship in various ways. Grey's way means to prepare to have bruises all over his body from being ping-ponged by the rows of chairs. Grey will not complain because sleeping is his side hobby.
The heavy rain also subsided following the storm obstacles, which gradually slowed down until stopping altogether—again leaving an eerie silence because it just stopped suddenly. The ship has also returned to 'sailing' quietly.
Grey wakes up holding his ribs which may be cracked, looking at the crow tamer because Revon will provide essential information.
“There were no casualties, again?! Wow, you guys are really tenacious, huh! The lives of prospective crew members this time are indeed very many! You guys are like cats!” Revon was amazed at how Estre was still holding out.
Three Estre left on ship number 13 hasn't been able to sit still, with two [Safe Seat] yet announced. This means Grey had to figure out how he could 'share' the seats with his temporary partner if he didn't want to hang on the overturned ship in mid-air.
“Alright, for the next stage, please keep your eyes on the monitor!”
[Safe Seat] number: 13
Time to the [Third Obstacle]: 3 minutes
It wasn't the seat from the fourth column. The information from the man earlier was useless for now.