Of course, Fumiya Jin hadn't actually chosen to go with the chubby guy.
He was just testing another person.
And then he switched three more times.
He tested the madam, the curly-haired man, and the fleshy-faced woman as well.
But the results were rather disappointing:
Under the pressure of his insistence and the others egging them on, the chubby guy and the madam would eventually agree to go with him. However, they could only slightly delay Fumiya Jin's death, and at the cost of their own, earlier deaths.
The curly-haired man and the fleshy-faced woman, on the other hand, would refuse no matter what.
The former likely felt his skills were better suited for the water's edge and was unwilling to venture into unfamiliar territory—and since everyone else agreed it was better for him to go to the water, Fumiya Jin couldn't force him.
The latter was simply afraid of dying and refused to go under any circumstances.
In short... as things stood, taking anyone other than Nijika meant certain death.
And as for Nijika, she was already in a daze from staying up all night. Sending her into a snake-infested forest teeming with danger would be a death sentence, wouldn't it?
"Looks like... we need to think this through," Fumiya Jin sighed. "How about we all explore the beach first, and then we'll make a plan."
Hearing this, the others were momentarily stunned.
The fleshy-faced woman arched an eyebrow and sneered, "So after all that, you don't dare to go yourself?"
The chubby guy wasn't happy either.
After all, when Fumiya Jin had chosen him just now, he'd been so scared he'd plopped right onto the ground and begged for his life. He had made a complete fool of himself in front of everyone, especially in front of that beautiful girl not far away...
And now it turns out Fumiya Jin didn't dare to go either?
Didn't that mean he'd been humiliated for nothing?!
"Yeah... You acted all brave, like we were cowards for not going with you. Turns out you don't dare to go either... What was all that posturing for?" the chubby guy said resentfully.
Fumiya Jin, however, didn't much care for their complaints and taunts.
Knowing it was a scenario of certain death, he definitely wasn't going.
But he quickly noticed that the countdowns above most people's heads had changed again.
The curly-haired man's remained unchanged; he would still die this evening.
But his and Nijika's death times were delayed, while everyone else's had moved up. Although there were slight differences between the six of them, the gaps were probably only a few hundred seconds—they would all die one after another after dark tomorrow night. A cluster of deaths.
The result of this new calculation was that no one would clear the game.
A strange feeling crept into Fumiya Jin's heart.
Even if I don't die in the forest, I still won't survive tomorrow night's ordeal?
Is it because of the lack of fresh water? Dehydration leading to a diminished ability to cope?
But why are the people who could originally clear it now unable to?
Is it because more people are alive, so there isn't even enough tree sap to go around?
Lacking more information to support his theories, Fumiya Jin couldn't find any answers for the time being.
But one thing was certain: the future where they didn't go into the forest was not a good outcome either.
"Wait, what about me, what about me!" A clear voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps.
A breeze carrying a faint, fresh scent blew over, and Fumiya Jin knew who it was without even turning his head.
"You asked everyone else, why didn't you ask if I'll go?" Nijika asked, coming to his side.
Fumiya Jin turned around and shot her a look. "No. You haven't slept all night and you're exhausted. Going into the forest would be suicide. Besides, have you forgotten how scared you were when we ran into those venomous snakes yesterday?"
Nijika froze for a moment.
The memory of encountering the snakes in the forest yesterday still made her heart pound with lingering fear.
At the same time, she felt a little embarrassed, remembering how she had frozen on the spot, unable to even run, and had only gotten away safely thanks to Fumiya Jin pulling her along.
"I... okay, I admit I'm really scared of snakes... but I think I can overcome it if I try." Nijika scratched her head. "As for my energy... just let me take a short nap and I'll be fine. I should be able to hold on."
"Everyone has things they're good at. You don't have to force yourself like this," Fumiya Jin said, patting her shoulder and lowering his voice.
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the others nearby changed slightly, leaving them speechless.
Wait a minute.
What was your attitude when you were forcing us to go just now?
And now that it's this girl's turn, you're suddenly so gentle? Telling her not to force herself?
Are you for real?!!
The fleshy-faced woman, in particular, was so angry she was grinding her teeth, her fists clenched—she wanted to punch this damn couple.
"It's not... I'm not forcing myself," Nijika said, shaking her head. She looked up at Fumiya Jin earnestly. "I have to grow. I can't keep holding you back forever. Overcoming fear is part of growing, right? I want to try. Besides... the forest is so dangerous, I really don't want you to go alone. I want to fight by your side, to face the danger with you. Can I? I... I'll really try my best not to hold you back. And... I think I might even be able to help?"
Looking at the sincerity sparkling in the girl's bright eyes, Fumiya Jin was momentarily at a loss for words.
The girl's desire to train and improve herself was a good thing, absolutely worthy of praise.
But she didn't know that the forest held a danger great enough to kill even him. Training in a place like this was practically courting death.
However...
When Fumiya Jin heard her last sentence...
He remembered her ability, and his resolve began to waver slightly.
He fell into deep thought.
Just then, the chubby guy spoke up from the side. "You should probably forget it, Miss Pudding. The forest is so dangerous that even the Doctor doesn't dare to go. If you go with him, it'll just be one more death. There's no point."
Although Fumiya Jin's recent double standard had annoyed him as well.
He still didn't want this lovely young lady to die.
He even had a dark thought...
What if the Doctor dies? Miss Pudding would be all alone, and he might have a chance to swoop in.
"Yeah, no need to throw your life away for nothing," the curly-haired man added with a nod. "It's like the young man said just now, let's all explore the beach together. As for the forest, we should think it over carefully."
Nijika, however, paid no attention to their opinions.
She just looked at Fumiya Jin earnestly, waiting for his answer.
"Alright," Fumiya Jin said. "The two of us will give it a try."
Everyone was instantly shocked.
A hint of joy touched Nijika's face.
Although the thought of what they were about to face weighed on her heart like a great stone, stirring up a great deal of fear.
But the desire to help, the desire to be acknowledged by him, surpassed all of that.
"Okay! I'll do my best!"
And at that moment, the countdowns changed once again.
____
Hello! Walnut here! Or... Miku Dayo in this case heheh...
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