No Estre fell victim to the [Third Obstacle]. Other than the fleeting obstacles, that was just a joke to the seatless Estre—couldn't be called obstacles; they were just circling like on a teacups ride. However, those with sharp instincts would understand that it was just the calm before the actual storm.
[Safe Seat] number: 15
Time to the [Fourth Obstacle]: 2 minutes
One of the interesting and unique states in this last section is the pressure; there was no significant commotion, only eyes glaring intensely at the ship's only rival. In this last stage, the seatless Estre certainly will not look for the [Safe Seat] carelessly; they also need to keep track of the enemy's movements. On the other hand, Estre will not hesitate to injure or hurt others once they see their opponent finding the [Safe Seat] to seize it. Or disabling the opponent as soon as the last stage begins is also a strategy to give a slight advantage. What is clear, the pair on each ship must be cautious. In this section, bloodshed is a possibility.
So Grey kept his distance from the burly man, wishing luck on his side, hoping for the only remaining [Safe Seat] at the fore of the ship. Actually, at the ship's front, Grey could check only the fifth column, but the burly man was on standby and looking for [Safe Seat] in the center of the ship, so Grey couldn't immediately search that area. Grey is also unable to explore the ship's back as a result.
Grey feels this is just a waiting game and a mind game, waiting for an opportunity, waiting for someone between the two of them to find the [Safe Seat] to snatch it, waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. Grey returned to seat 48 while waiting for the opportunity to come. Also hope that some inspiration comes back to him if he sits in that seat.
In addition to the eerie silence, the sky was returned to a jet black state in this last stage once the [Safe Seat] number and search time were displayed. Lightning and artificial rumbling squealed in the black sky; torrential rain poured down on the Estre again, did not care if a small child or an older adult caught a cold. Then, the ship had already been swinging back and forth, like the regular pirate ship ride that Grey knew well. Not too intense, but high enough to let Estre slip, so they always have to be careful with how they walk.
Grey, this time again, used the contents of his head, searching for the possible position of the last [Safe Seat]. With the information he had gathered, Grey again updated the ship map in his mind.
It's useless; there are too many possibilities of where the [Safe Seat] is. Moreover, it was most likely that the [Safe Seat] was located at the ship's rear, meaning the burly man had the upper hand.
That's why, for now, Grey will just wait. Grey's only advantage is his complete eyes, so he will use that to pay close attention to his surroundings.
The ship swings forward, giving Grey a slightly higher position than anyone else on his ship. Grey was also able to clearly see how the [Safe Seat] arrangement on the other ships was thanks to it.
The ship swings backward. This time Grey could clearly see how the [Safe Seat] arrangement on his own ship was due to his current position being lower than the others. He could also see how the burly man struggled only to find the [Tiny Monitor] in column 6 row 2. Grey shuddered in horror as the burly man looked back at him with one eye staring intently while the other stared at him blankly and darkly.
The ship swings higher at a rhythm, back and forth in the next ten seconds; Grey glanced to the left and then explored his gaze to the right, comparing the entire array of [Safe Seats] in this entire line of ships. Meanwhile, the burly man had finished inspecting the column 6 row 2 seat and did not sit on it.
The ship swings back and forth even higher once more; something comes to Grey's mind.
The arrangement of [Safe Seat] throughout the ships is the same: three in the front and two in the back! Moreover, all of them are in the same column even though they are located in different rows.
Grey quickly memorized all the [Safe Seat] numbers and their positions. He also did not forget to recall the memory of all the seat numbers he had known, which had been given in the span of the previous three chapters.
Several patterns can be formed based on his findings. First, the seats in the front must have an even number, while the seats in the back have an odd number. Grey was already a little suspicious when he couldn't find the odd numbers on the fore of the ship, but there was no solid evidence until he recalled the information about the seat numbers in column four—all even numbers. Therefore, chances are—no, Grey is confident that the seat numbers on the front and back are divided by even and odd.
Another pattern was found after comparing with the [Safe Seat] position on other ships. Grey realized that each column of seats represented groups of 'tens' of seat numbers. For example, the second column is the group of '31-40'. If combined with the first pattern that Grey finds, then the description of the first column becomes 'Even number in group number 31-40'. Another clear proof is the fourth column. The Chronosseum government only has to randomize the placement of seat numbers in one column, and, voila, the seat placement will be perceived as random by the Estre, even though there are some actual 'patterns'.
To confirm this, Grey turned his eyes to the large monitor in the center. Nothing was written on it other than the seat number and time hint, but Grey had a list of rules in his mind taped to the monitor.
[Rule number 8: In order to keep the game fair, it is ensured that each ship has a different seat number placement.']
Randomly assigning seat numbers does not necessarily mean randomizing its 'pattern'.
This is one of the things that the Chronosseum governments love; they made a wordplay to give subtle hints and help the Estre, as long as they were willing to use the resources that resided inside their head. Just like in the premiere game about the name label, Farkas approved. Therefore, from this moment on, Grey will always repeat the rules of the game in his head, looking for keywords that can help him to win the game.
That's also what Grey lacks in his first analysis: it hasn't considered how game master's thought.
Number 15 fell on the last [Safe Seat]. Believing that all readers had forgotten the numbers, Grey again updated his ship's mental map. With all the information and also the lessons he has received while playing in this country, Grey shot the winning ticket placement accurately.
[https://i.ibb.co/QPZnxz4/Rotre.png]
A SMALL GAME/RIDDLE FOR READERS! Now, can fellow readers' be able to survive the bull shark together with Grey? Let's determine where [Safe Seat] that has been found by Grey! The information has been given very clearly in the previous paragraphs. It should be a walk in a park.
[https://i.ibb.co/z6gFJC2/Ship-Current-Situation-3.png]
It's useless to guess that in the end it will be wrong? Don't worry, spoiler alert: Grey's guess now SHOULD lock up his win in this game. The answer will be given in the paragraph below, along with an explanation of Grey's thought process. Cheating behavior will not be tolerated! Good luck! Note: Again, if you feel tired using your head, please skip this riddle; you are more than welcome to cheat your 'death'!
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
The [Safe Seat] has an odd number, meaning it is at the ship's back. Numbered 15, the seat must be in the same column as the granny's [Safe Seat] (number 13, column 6). If you think like the Chronosseum government like Grey, lines 3 and 5 can be ruled out of the possibilities. Since the burly man had already inspected the second row, there was only one definite possibility of where the last [Safe Seat] was placed.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
[https://i.ibb.co/z4TBr2j/Seat-Reveal.png]
Grey had to quickly gain possession of the seat because the burly man was already walking towards the [Safe Seat], ready to scan with his one eye. In addition, the ship has started to swing higher, considering that the [Fourth Obstacle] will be played in a matter of seconds. Grey should at least get to that seat before things get any worse.
Therefore, an idea popped into his head to distract the burly man from the [Safe Seat].
“I-I FOUND THE SAFE SEAT, SUCKERS!” Grey shouted proudly in the direction of the heavy rain but indirectly aimed at the burly man. Searching for [Tiny Monitor] on seats using one eye only must be difficult for him and take a long time. Therefore, Grey thought that if he became that burly man, then he must constantly be watching the opponent's movements and would try to forcefully seize the [Safe Seat] before the belt is fastened, at all costs. That would give him the greatest chance of winning, especially since he was confident in his strength. Therefore, Grey made a bet using this 'fishing' strategy.
Seeing Grey who had finished (pretending) searching for the [Tiny Monitor] and preparing to (acting) fasten the seat belt on the Column 1 Row 2 seat, the burly man removed his hand from the actual [Safe Seat]. He then walked between the first and second rows, rushing into Grey. Grey kept showing himself as if he was having trouble fastening the seat belt due to the heavy rain and the rocking ship, even though the seatbelt was clearly not working properly.
Grey did it on purpose not because he wanted to play with the burly man, but because he waited for the right moment. And the moment came to him.
Currently, Grey and the burly man are only one column of seats adrift. The big burly man's hands were ready to pounce on Grey. However, since the ship had begun to swing forward, the burly man had to let go of his stances to maintain balance by holding on to one of the seats.
When the ship had reached its maximum height forward, and just before shifting backward momentum, Grey jumped to rows 2 and 3's gap, then slid smoothly and quickly through the wooden floor using the slippery surface of the rain. Too fast, making Grey almost pass the [Safety Seat] column—Column 6.
Grey hooked his hands on the empty seat in the column, making his hands red with bruises from the hard impact. But he managed to stop himself from launching more on this giant slide.
The ship had started to return to the horizontal position, ready to swing backward. Grey stood up quickly and jumped towards the column 6 row 1 seat, the real [Safe Seat]. Grey had already seated himself when the ship began to swing backward. Now he had to make sure he didn't roll over to the ship's front. Therefore, before he fastened the seat belt, he turned around and hugged the backrest.
The ship is back in a horizontal position. Grey tried to fasten his seat belt.
The seat belt on the seat didn't work.
Isn't that supposed to be the [Safe Seat]?
True.
However, Grey forgot one of the crucial requirements to activate the seat belt.
One of the rules came to Grey's mind.
[Rule number 6: the [Safe Seat] seat belt can only be operated when the number has been notified and when Estre has made [Eye Contact] with the [Tiny Monitor]]
The ship swung forward again, higher and higher. Grey couldn't find the monitor in the swing, so he had to wait until at least the ship started to level again. Hence, he turned back around and hugged the backrest again.
Grey took a deep breath, calming himself to not miss any surface despite searching chased by the time. Seat's back, no; the back and sides of the seat, neither. Grey peeked under, and there he found the [Tiny Monitor]: below the seat. Grey can be relieved that it's seat number 15.
But he was reminded that he was not only being chased by time. Isn't there someone who hasn't been mentioned in a long time?
The figure of the big burly man stood firmly behind Grey who was still sitting on the surface. Grey faced backward as a vast lightning bolt flashed behind the figure. The backlight effect caused the jet black shadow, so Grey could only see the white of the one-eyed figure glaring with anger directed at him.
The figure gave its all in this one fist, aiming it squarely at Grey's right temple, only to punch through the air as Grey dodged swiftly. The burly man's fingers still brushed his hair slightly.
Grey was at a disadvantage as he was still sitting on the surface. But the ship started to swing back, so Grey took a moment to tackle the burly man's right leg. It doesn't have to be powerful, just enough to cause him to lose his balance and slip due to the ship's swing and slippery surfaces. He then also hugged the backrest of seat number 15 to maintain his possession.
Another thirty seconds before the ship capsized in midair. Thanks to an accelerating backswing, the burly man fell, slipped, and banged his head right into the seat across from safety seat number 15—just to the left of the braided girl. Taking advantage of the burly man's paralysis, Grey immediately tightened his seat belt upon returning to the horizontal position.
*Click!*
All of Estre's on ship 13 watched Grey's victory in awe and horror as it was possible that this man would become their opponent in the future. Especially for the girl with braided hair who was observing directly within a few steps from where she was sitting pretty. To her, it was the most incredible fight she had ever seen in her life, without a doubt.
Grey breathes fast, not believing that he can win this game. He returned to holding his (maybe) broken ribs which strangely he just felt again.
But despite enjoying the thrill of the fight, Grey didn't feel happy, proud, or even relieved by the victory. He just felt an emptiness in his heart. Something was bugging him. Grey felt he had missed something important but not Dreamland's grand opening ticket.
Don't you want to make sure no one dies?
What about that no-one-dead-before-your-eyes plan?
Didn't you… Promised me to be kind to everyone, Grey?
The voice and figure of the mysterious woman re-emerged in his mind, making him aware of something missing that made him empty. He was then frustrated.
"Sir! Come on, hold my hand! With my help, you will definitely be able to survive the final obstacle!” With a dim light in his gaze, Grey looked at the burly man who was still sitting weak across from him. The man returned Grey's gaze cynically. He held onto the swing of the ship only by hooking his hands on the nearest chair. Due to the rain that made everything slippery, he would definitely not survive when the ship capsized in the air without someone else's hand.
"Come on, please! P-Please, forgive me for hurting you, Sir!” The burly man just stared blankly at Grey's hand.
"Don't worry... Your eye will definitely heal once we come back to the real world, I have proven it that the wounds in this world won't be carried over... You don't have to throw your life away... Come on, please..." Grey's heart was broken because the burly man didn't reach for his hand, and unconsciously his eyes had started to blur.
“S-Sir! How about this… I'll leave this safe seat to you, okay? You have to survive… I understand if you don't want to help me later… I'll hold on to someone else…” Grey tried to open the seat belt that was already locked, but it wouldn't open.
“BE OPEN! FUCK! WHY DOESN'T THIS BELT OPEN?! PLEASE!” Grey pulled the seatbelt forcefully, banging on the buckle, hitting it so hard that his hand bled, but it stayed closed. Grey forgot one other important rule.
[Rule number 7: If Estre has sat in one of the [Safe Seats] and fastened the seatbelt, ownership of the seat cannot be contested.]
“Hey… I beg you one more time… I will definitely help you…” Despair dragged Grey deeper as he saw the burly man struggle harder to hold his body as the ship swung. With his face already messy, he again thrust his hands at the burly man limply.
"I... Beg…"
The last ten seconds before the ship capsized in midair. The ship began to level again for the last time. The burly man walked weakly towards Grey's hands, making hope fill his eyes and smile.
*SLAP!*
Grey watched his hand that started to throb in pain, then returned his gaze to the burly man who was glaring sharply with his one eye. Blood was still flowing from the empty eye socket, flowing slowly down the cheek, chin, before finally dripping together with rainwater.
Another rumble and a huge thunderbolt flashed behind the burly man, casting himself back into the black shadow and making his eyes glow with a sharp glare. The figure with the vengeful look in his eye was the last thing Grey saw before the ship shot fast into the air and capsized.
The entire ships stopped for a moment in midair, ensuring that the raindrops were accompanied by the fall of the Estre who didn't have a [Safe Seat].
“Ah, what a beautiful sight. When will I be able to see human rain again?” Revon's smile, along with his pet's, bloomed. He counted in the air, already confirming that at least fourteen Estre were now swimming with the bull shark. The crow tamer continued his smile with a laugh that boomed along with the thunder, forgetting to turn off the mic on purpose; he will definitely receive a bonus.
Meanwhile, the ship began to swing back down. Farkas gripped the gold pendant tightly against his chest, making sure not to drop it to the bottom of the lake. Leo tightly hugged the ship's main mast, creating a grip mark to the logs—he didn't get the [Safe Seat] because he didn't understand anything Revon was saying, nor was there an interpreter to help him. Makoto was stunned to see a human body falling straight towards the lake, hoping that all of Estre would understand how to survive a shark attack.
The ship began to swing back down; no one heard the desperate screams of any of the Estres on board 13—covered by the combined sound of the ship's swinging mechanism, lightning flashing, torrential rain, and the Estre enjoying the rides. Of all the Estre who survived and were happy to be able to live and win, only one Estre thought that it would be better if he plunged in, drowning at the bottom of a deep lake. Or, if only he could stop time earlier, that Estre was eager to grab the hand of his foe who was plunged fast right in front of his eyes.