“So… the timer was actually showing the time we have to reach the goal?” the dark-haired woman muttered, her displeasure clear as she stared at the screen. Not only had their waiting been in vain, but it had also proven counterproductive. The realization shook everyone, and they anxiously exchanged glances.
“Ah… so we weren’t supposed to wait for the timer?” the feminine-looking man added, his worried expression shifting to Lin for an answer, though Lin simply shrugged.
He should have stepped out of his block while everyone was still asleep. After all, it was exactly what he would have done in a similar situation.
The biggest problem with the so-called trial was the order in which they’d woken up. This sequence had greatly influenced the rest of the individuals who woke later, creating a bandwagon effect. Those waking last followed the trend set by the early risers, regardless of how good or bad it seemed—simply to avoid being the cause of everyone’s demise.
“But what now? There’s some kind of riddle,” the bald man said, drawing everyone's attention to the new information displayed.
----------------------------------------
Time Limit:
29 minutes 13 seconds
REACH THE GOAL!
"A stride for a strike, let the deaf burn except for those with heroes."
Make sure you’re in your block when this mini-timer runs out:
77 seconds.
----------------------------------------
“There’s a second timer,” someone muttered, their voice trembling slightly, causing a spike in the group’s anxiety. The second timer, unlike the first, would end very soon. But what would happen when it did? The uncertainty made everyone uneasy—even Lin, prompting him to speak up.
“There’s no point in trying to figure it out now. Just react to whatever happens,” he said, his words surprisingly confident for the situation. A few of them seemed to relax, their panic momentarily subdued.
"A stride for a strike, let the deaf burn except for those with heroes."
Burn? Does it mean actual fire? Lin wondered as his thoughts became more erratic. No obvious clues presented themselves, and his frustration grew.
58 seconds.
57 seconds.
He watched the seconds tick down, each beat heightening the tension as though counting down to their deaths. Maybe the previous screen has some clues? he thought, quickly replaying how he had deduced the hidden meaning of the first set of rules.
His earlier decision to step out, though reckless at first glance, had been a calculated risk. He had weighed the potential consequences of action versus inaction, leaning away from the worst-case scenario.
After carefully analyzing the rules, he had identified two distinct “penalties,” which suggested that as long as he avoided both, he would remain safe. The most critical factor was recognizing the implications of the first rule:
1. Do not leave your block before the timer runs out; otherwise, this will signal the trial to begin immediately.
Despite the stated consequence, this rule did not specify an actual penalty for disobedience. The trial would begin either immediately or when the timer hit zero—those were the only outcomes. Since the trial would start regardless, initiating it sooner wasn’t really a penalty. In fact, it had no disadvantage, especially given the absence of details on how to win or clear the trial which meant that starting later versus starting now provided no strategic or psychological benefit.
Some might argue that waiting gave newly woken participants time to adapt to the environment, but Lin disagreed. Even if someone had been awake for 30 minutes, seeing the new, cryptic rules would immediately erase any sense of calm. Anxiety and confusion would set in, leaving them as disoriented as they had been upon waking.
No amount of time could prepare anyone for the unknown. In truth, waiting for the timer to run out had been the wrong choice. There was no benefit—only a wasted opportunity.
2. You have One hour thirty minutes to reach the goal, but there will be a cost for wasting time.
In Lin’s view, standing still and staring at a timer for over an hour was the very definition of wasting time. The longer they waited in their assigned spots, the more time they wasted—an action that had landed them in their current predicament.
He should’ve tried waking everyone up, he thought again, glancing at the feminine-looking man, who sensed his gaze and responded with a self-deprecating smile.
He could have taken off his shoes and tossed them at those closest to him. Lin considered the options he might have taken even in a cautious point of view. Even if he missed, the person he managed to hit could carry on the process—taking off their shoes and repeating it. Two shoes would become four, then eight, eventually waking everyone up without the need to leave their blocks.
Finally, the last rule:
3. Do not follow the rules.
Weighing the benefits of starting the trial now versus later—and reflecting on the implication of “wasting time”—he felt even more certain that stepping out of his block had been the right choice.
The third rule was a hint—a way to prompt deeper consideration of the first two rules. Was it better to blindly obey or blindly defy? After reasoning through the possibilities, Lin arrived at the optimal conclusion.
There were only two real penalties:
1. The penalty for wasting time.
2. The penalty for failing to reach the goal.
If someone stayed put for the entire One hour Thirty minutes, they would inevitably incur the first penalty. Beyond that, the only other penalty would occur when the trial officially began. This meant that there was no real risk in stepping out of his block—other than starting the trial sooner than others might have expected.
And so, to Lin, stepping out wasn’t a gamble at all.
She had the right mindset, but her reasoning would’ve caused problems. He recalled the dark-haired woman’s earlier suggestion. Her reasoning, however, had been focused solely on testing the third rule, rather than strategically interpreting all of them.
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The current countdown—or “mini-timer,” as they had called it—further reinforced his reasoning.
Make sure you’re in your block when this mini-timer runs out:
17 seconds.
The first person to wake up would have had 100 seconds to wake everyone else. Lin thought about this as he stepped back into his block, watching the timer closely. Waking 19 individuals in 100 seconds would have been chaotic, but it was far better than the penalty they now faced for wasting time.
With roughly 28 minutes left, could they reach a goal intended to take more than an hour?
We’ll find out soon.
As the mini-timer ticked its final seconds, Lin quietly memorized the cryptic phrase from the screen, just in case the hologram changed again. More importantly, he suspected the message might hold the key to beating the trial.
“T-ten seconds, everyone—be ready!” the bald man called out, his deep voice snapping most of them from their daze. They had been so focused on the hologram’s screen that they nearly dissociated from their surroundings, forgetting that the goal was in the opposite direction.
“Five!” the bald man shouted again after a few seconds before falling silent. The silence felt more profound than before, as if everyone collectively held their breaths in anticipation.
Although no instructions had been given on how to reach the goal, most people bent their knees, ready to sprint at a moment’s notice. Lin, however, remained still, standing naturally with no intention of running.
It might take 20 to 30 seconds at a quick pace. He estimated, noting how the distance wasn’t too significant. However, his inaction wasn’t due to confidence in his speed but a lingering doubt about the trial’s true nature.
If we were meant to finish this within 1h 30min, then running straight to the other side doesn’t feel right…
I could be wrong, he thought, almost hoping he was.
His intuition was quickly confirmed.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The sound of bells echoed through the cave, each chime following the last in perfect sequence. As everyone frantically looked around, no visible change appeared—not on the hologram screen, not on the ground beneath them, not anywhere.
“W-what?” someone stammered, breaking the silence. Panic rose as more voices joined in.
“Do we run!? What are we supposed to do?” the dark-haired woman up front asked, her face growing pale. Confused murmurs filled the air, but no one had an answer.
What should we do…
Regrettably, the answer arrived swiftly.
Shhhhhhh!
S–shit! Lin’s eyes widened in horror as the nauseating sound of burning flesh filled the air, followed by a sharp, searing pain that pierced through his entire being. He looked down in disbelief—though no visible flames were present, his skin was blistering and charring right before his eyes.
“Uuuhh!” A screech erupted from a few blocks away, triggering a chain reaction of anguished cries that followed in rapid succession.
“Ahhghh!”
Their agonized screams echoed throughout the cave, the disharmony turning the space into a living hell. People frantically tried to escape the pain. Some stumbled to the ground, rolling and kicking wildly, while others clawed at their clothes and slapped their burning skin, desperate to extinguish the invisible fire. Yet their efforts were futile—the agony only deepened.
Their skin peeled away like burning paper, layer by layer, revealing raw muscle and blood beneath as smoke wafted into the air. Strangely, their clothing remained untouched, as though the invisible flames fed solely on flesh.
Lin’s thoughts turned dark, completely overtaken by the unimaginable pain. Every nerve in his body screamed; there was no way to distinguish one source of agony from another. His entire being was consumed by the burning sensation.
As his body reached its limit, he collapsed to the ground, anger flaring within him even in his torment.
Fuck!
The searing pain transformed into fury. Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself forward, his blurred vision barely registering his surroundings. Tears streamed down his face from the heat and smoke, and the nauseating smell of his own burning flesh barely registered in his dulled senses.
If I find the person who did this… he cursed inwardly, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, hard tug that yanked him forward.
What?
Looking up, he caught sight of the bald man. The man’s face contorted with pain, but before their eyes could meet, he quickly ran off. Confused, Lin tried to rise, and the fact that his body obeyed his instructions felt oddly unreal.
Now on his knees, he glanced down at himself. White steam rose from his body, like mist from a hot shower.
What the hell?
Disbelief washed over him as he inspected his arms. The exposed red layer of his skin—likely raw muscle—was regenerating before his eyes. Each layer reformed rapidly, brown skin wrapping back around him as though time itself had reversed. He slapped his cheeks hard, the sting bringing him to full awareness. Yet the bizarre, supernatural phenomenon continued to unfold.
This can’t be real.
“Aghhhh!”
A loud cry snapped him out of his daze, jolting him back to reality. He surveyed the scene around him. Most of the others had recovered and stood trembling on ‘safe’ blocks, watching the remaining stragglers with a mix of horror, guilt, and helplessness. Some looked away, unable to bear the sight, while others wept openly, covering their ears to block out the cries.
It was complete chaos.
Three left.
Lin counted the individuals still struggling and quickly rose to his feet, scanning the cave.
Everyone’s in a new block, but what’s the difference?
He glanced at his current block, then at the one he’d occupied moments ago. But because of his previously disoriented state, pinpointing its exact position was a bit difficult.
I’ll use the others.
His eyes darted to those around him, studying their positions and recalling where they had stood before. Using the four individuals closest to him, he started piecing together multiple patterns.
I see.
Having narrowed it down, Lin deduced the answer. As he prepared to act, his gaze landed on the bald man, standing two blocks away. The man’s strenuous breaths and pained expression suggested he was contemplating something.
Is he thinking of saving them? Lin wondered, recalling how the man had helped him moments ago. But from the bald man’s actions, it seemed he wasn’t yet aware of what Lin had figured out.
Lin’s thoughts shifted to the timer displayed on the hologram.
----------------------------------------
Time Limit:
27 minutes 21 seconds
REACH THE GOAL!
"A stride for a strike, let the deaf burn except for those with heroes."
Make sure you’re in your block when this mini-timer runs out:
11 seconds.
----------------------------------------
With mere seconds remaining, Lin gritted his teeth and stepped out of his block. Pain erupted once more, engulfing him as his skin began to sear. He pressed forward with a determined stride, enduring the agony as his flesh burned again.
Each step sent shockwaves of pain through his body, the sound of sizzling skin echoing in his ears. But just a few steps in, his legs gave out. He stumbled and fell, collapsing near one of the still-screaming stragglers.
The others watched in bewilderment as Lin forced himself up, grabbed the screaming man, and shoved him onto a nearby block before dashing forward again. Moments later, he reached the second straggler, hoisted him up, and took a step forward. But his weakened legs gave out, and he collapsed, the man's weight pinning him to the ground as his piercing screams echoed directly in Lin’s ears.
Damn it, you’re fuckin’ loud! Lin cursed inwardly, frustration bubbling up despite the overwhelming pain. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the man by the collar, dragged him three steps forward, and hurled him onto a nearby block.
Without pausing to catch his breath, Lin staggered toward the third straggler—the dark-haired woman, who was furthest away. Her screams rang out louder than anything he’d heard from anyone in the cave—no, louder than any scream he’d heard in his entire life.
With each step, his legs felt heavier, as though the sound itself was draining his strength, sapping his will to move.
It was then that a sudden realization struck the onlookers, their wide eyes darting between Lin and the blocks.
He knows which blocks are safe.