The players were utterly stunned by Xu Yuan's daring operation. None of them had expected that someone could breathe underwater in this game, and immediately, they felt a surge of gratitude that Xu Yuan was participating—without him, where would they have learned such techniques?
Xu Yuan's survival skills were nothing short of textbook. After falling from the sky, he was quickly besieged by melee monsters, stacking high in a frantic melee. His clever use of the underwater door to breathe and his quick-thinking had saved him multiple times—these were skills that could turn the tide of survival in any situation.
Mastering such techniques could significantly increase one's chances of survival in the wild. At this moment, many players secretly hoped that Moteng wouldn't die—perhaps he would come up with more creative ways to eliminate Xu Yuan, allowing everyone to learn from his ingenuity.
After setting up the underwater door, Xu Yuan calmly began to dig out the wooden planks he had used. Soon, he retrieved them safely and made his way back to the sea. With his resources secured, he started planning his next move, eyes sharp and mind clear.
Meanwhile, on Moteng's side, a scene of chaos unfolded. The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with darkness, taking damage uncontrollably—half in, half out of the frame! Overwhelmed, Moteng felt a wave of confusion. He didn't know where he was now, nor why he was taking so heavily.
All the watching players were equally bewildered. It was dark everywhere, yet health kept dropping—what kind of trap was this?! The space around him was fenced off, but why was there blood everywhere? It made no sense.
Moteng sensed he was trapped in a confined environment. He reached out and touched the surface above his head—it felt gritty, like sand. Ignoring the blood, he hurriedly picked up the sand, trying to find a way out. The blood kept flowing, but after touching three pieces of sand in succession, the bleeding finally slowed, and his health bar dropped to just one and a half blocks.
Relieved, Moteng saw that the bleeding had stopped. The players, watching, were surprised—who knew that being buried in sand could cause damage?
**"Sand can't be left in the air,"** they realized. **"If there's sand on top of a character's head, it only takes two blocks to bury them and cause damage. I've learned something new!"**
**"So, you can play 'buried alive' in this game?"**
**"Moteng's reaction was quick, and he barely escaped with his life."**
After escaping the deep trap, Moteng constructed his way up to a small platform—measuring two blocks long, one wide, and two high—positioned above the danger zone. Upon reaching it, he discovered a notice board mounted on the opposite stone.
On the billboard, a line of text read:
**"Congratulations on passing the test of sand. Now, you are surrounded by magma, but I have left you a way to survive."**
**"Among the stones around you, only one leads to life. Good luck."**
Moteng was stunned. He thought he had just narrowly escaped disaster, but now he realized he was still in grave danger. The players, seeing the billboard, couldn't help but shiver—this was terrifying.
**"It feels like I'm watching a chainsaw!"** someone exclaimed. **"This is horrifying!"**
**"Moteng thought he'd escaped, but there's an even bigger conspiracy lurking ahead..."**
**"My only thought now: don't offend Steve."**
**"Steve is really playing a game with Moteng—there are even billboards with clues…"**
**"Is there nothing else around? Maybe I should dig again?"**
**"Steve probably anticipated that. What's waiting if he tries to go back?"**
**"Shh… it's true."**
Hesitating, Moteng considered returning the same way, but he knew Xu Yuan wouldn't have been so careless. He couldn't risk it—his health was dangerously low, only one and a half blocks. Frustrated, he took out a roasted chicken from his bag, planning to replenish his health and satiety.
As he stared at the chicken, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his chest. This wasn't just any food—it was given to him by Steve! From the very beginning, he had been manipulated by Steve's schemes.
A wave of discouragement washed over him. He wondered if there was another level after this. Reflecting on the first round—when Steve had left him food, which he had taken willingly—he found it painfully ironic. Steve had already figured out how to toy with him, and now he realized he couldn't take the initiative in this game at all.
This was like a one-sided beating—a game where Steve held all the power, controlling every move, every clue, every trap. The realization hit him hard: he was completely at Steve's mercy.