[NEW CHALLENGE: "THE FLOOR IS LAVA"]
[PREPARATION IN PROGRESS… 00:30 minutes]
A rumbling sound shook the ground.
The air vibrated like a string.
We barely have time to breathe with this mechanical alternation.
Beneath our feet, the ground slowly cracked, releasing a hellish dust.
Plates rose at regular intervals, deforming the room until the atmosphere became oppressive.
I looked up.
The arena had changed.
It was a vast plain of metal, stone, sand and objects dotted with platforms suspended at different heights.
On screens:
THE DOLL
[THE RULES OF THE GAME]
[The rules are very simple; we've all played this game at least once, at school, on vacation, at home, filled with love and innocence. The concept is the same, but... let's just say the consequences are real, so the prizes reflect that.]
1. The ground is actually lava, but you'll understand that later, so stay as far away from the ground as possible.
2. You must remain in the safe zone during the entire downtime.
3. After the first part, only green zones will be considered safe.
4. Any non-green area will be engulfed in flames.
5. Duration: one minute.
AND FOR THIS TURN A TEAM WILL HAVE TO BE ELIMINATED BUT AS WE ARE GENEROUSTHE CHOICE IS YOURS TO ELIMINATE WHICHEVER TEAM YOU WANT
ONLY 1 MEMBER REMAINS IN AMERICA
5 MEMBER FOR RUSSIA
7 FOR LIBERIA
OR THE 3 FROM BELGIUM
OR EVEN THE 10 INTACT MEMBERS OF KOREA
HAAHA MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND GOOD LUCK ~
Because each round the survivors receive 1 million coins until an entire team disappears.
I felt my bracelet vibrate again.
A private message.
* [R]: "Observe carefully. And eliminate as much as possible."
I typed quickly:
[I am not a hitman]
*[R]: "What do you think you are? The loyal teammate? An innocent? A victim? Or an imposter?"
I raised my head, torn between anger and contempt.
Around me, the teams were already dispersing.
Seo-Hwan gave the orders. Kang-Dae grabbed my arm:
- Ki-Moon, come on! Let's climb up there, onto the container!
- Go ahead, I'll join you-
...
It was the first time
The first time?
I lied without even realizing it.
The countdown appeared in red on our watches:
00:60… 00:59… 00:58…seconds
I saw A-09 jump onto the highest pillar as soon as the countdown started.
The Russians regrouped on a metal tower and clung to one another.
And I, I cling to a simple high bar.
Silence
00:00
A dull thud.
VOUMMMMMMM!
The ground turned to fire.
Small sources of flame sprang up everywhere, engulfing the entire metal surface, which turned slightly red.
It was nothing. Just the instruction manual.
40 seconds
30 seconds
The flames were beginning to disappear
20 second
10
00:00
BIPPPPP
00:59
The floor lit up with a clack of green, scattered across the room.
I leaped from my bar and ran towards a narrow footbridge that shone with a magnificent green and just managed to pull myself up onto it.
DING !
FILLEN SPACE
displayed itself in all green
Beneath my feet, the metal vibrated, almost burning through my soles.
Kang-Dae creates:
- KI-MOON!, viens!
I shook my head.
- Stay there, it's already full!
I wasn't lying yet.
But I wanted to see what the "lava" would do when it flows
A mechanical voice echoed:
[END OF PHASE 1]
[CHANGE OF SAFE ZONES]
[30 SECONDS]
[ONLY GREEN ZONES WILL BE VALIDATED]
Green halos appeared in the distance.
Very far
I counted them with my fingertips.
Sept zones.
Twenty-six players still in the running.
Kang-Dae created :
- We'll stay together!
- No, it's too risky.
I knew there would be a closer area, but for several people, therefore more unstable.
Even if I wanted to make a team "lose", I first had to be sure of my target.
Seo-Hwan hurla:
Move it, you idiot! There's no more room here.
- No, no, the others are full
[ 5 SECONDS, 04.. 03… 02.. 0
HAAAAAAAAAAAAA
FOUMMMMMMMMMMMM!
a great jet of flame engulfed all uncovered areas
The flames could reach 2 meters, he was completely charred, his cries pierced my ears.
[KOREA: 0]
[RUSSIA: -1]
[AMERICA: 0]
[ LIBERIA : 0]
[BELGIUM: 0]
[Second phase.]
BIP
1 MILLION COINS
00 : 59
The green areas have disappeared.
"What's all this mess?" shouted a Belgian.
"RUN!" yelled Seo Hwan.
"KI-MOON!" Kang yelled, holding out his hand to me.
The area had changed location
I had no other option but to rush to find them, whether there were many or not.
SHIT
"Don't wait for me," I murmured.
The comments captivated the audience.
On the screens:
#TeamKorea
Damn, that's hot!
#runnnnnnnnnnn
I knew he was scrutinizing me.
I could feel his gaze and knew what I had to do.
So I moved, to be precise.
I dart towards my target, taking up position before them, and extend my hand to help them climb.
And
00 : 20
Enter the second
00: 05
My hand slipped.
VLAMMMMM!
A hellish fire devoured them.
He screamed and ran in flames towards a grounded area.
Kang-Dae screamed my name, mad with rage:
- KI-MOON, you could have caught him!
"I tried!" I replied.
Enraged, they tried to infiltrate the force zones, but Seo Hwan refused.
- OUT.
he whipped the first one with his jacket, which immediately caught fire
I wanted to tell him that this was precisely what was going to kill us.
But I remained silent.
"That's not normal!" shouted Kang-Dae.
Fire erupted.
And I saw its flames clinging to the edge, its face distorted by the heat.
- HELP ME!
- …
I remained frozen.
In my head, only one thought kept going:
"It wasn't your fault."
And I let go.
Not his hand.
But his gaze.
I looked away.
Her cries were swallowed by the fire.
00 : 00
When calm returned, I was alone on that platform.
Beneath me, the ground was nothing but a burning desert.
[1 MILLION COINS]
[ LOSS]
[KOREA: 0]
[AMERICA: 0]
[RUSSIA: - 2]
[BELGIUM: - 1]
[ LIBERIA : 0]
The cameras turned their attention to us.
The commentators were ecstatic:
- Incredible! This time there were two!
- IT'S INHUMAN…
- Where is crazy Kim Young?
I stared into space.
The fire was slowly going out.
*[R]: "Not bad. You're starting to make progress."
I squeezed the wrist.
My fingers were trembling.
Any progress?
I had just killed someone.
But in my reflection on the bracelet, I saw something else:
a slight, cold, almost imperceptible smile.
Mine.
I touched my face
It wasn't me