I can't toss out an unexpected good result. I need to see for myself.
Luckily, I corrected my steps and gave Kei enough time to undertake us. But that lucky guy caused a scene I didn't foretell.
Fèi Míng stepped back into the labyrinth's cold walls before Helena knew he wasn't with her.
His footsteps were soft against the stone.
And the metallic stench of blood filled his nose. His eyes darted to Rhys, where he'd collapsed. Rhys had rested his back against the walls, his legs sprawled on the floor covered in his own blood, which had soaked through his shirt, spreading in thick patches.
One of his eyes was puffed shut and bleeding from the corner. The other flicked weakly toward Fèi Míng.
He was barely conscious.
Fèi Míng stopped beside him and stared. The boy's breaths came sharp and shallow, each one scrapped up roughly his throat.
"Oh," Fèi Míng murmured, tilting his head. "You're a strong one. You stayed awake. Even with a bleeding head." He cracked his skull, I see.
He crouched, fingers brushing Rhys's cheek. The boy flinched, then relaxed with a shudder as blood smeared beneath Fèi Míng's thumb.
Poor thing, he thought.
Rhys tried his best effort to smile. The left side of his mouth twitched up before he coughed, spitting a thin line of red down his chin.
"You… manipulated me," Rhys rasped. His weak eye brimmed in tears, slipping down his cold cheek. "Didn't you?"
His voice shook, but he kept on a small grin. He knew. He'd always known… he just ignored the signs because someone finally spoke to him like he mattered. He was a shy boy from the very start, wanting to be seen and loved by anyone.
Fèi Míng nodded once.
"I only gave you a small push." His tone softened. "You tried your best."
Rhys let out a dry laugh that cracked into a wheeze. His hand twitched, fingers curling weakly into Fèi Míng's sleeve. "I'm dying, aren't I…?"
His gaze blurred. "Do you… ever consider me a friend?"
"Yes."
The boy's lips parted. His breathing became slower.
"What's your name…?" Rhys whispered. "You never… told me…"
Fèi Míng watched his chest rise and fall. But he found it amusing. Why would anyone on their death bed want to know his pathetic name?
However… He's slipping. Faster than I thought.
"My name is Fèi Míng," he whispered. "Given name: Fateless."
Rhys's eyes widened a fraction. Then his whole face eased, like the pain finally numbed into nothing.
"That's… ironic…" His voice was barely sound. "You're too special to be discarded… You're more of a hero… than someone like me." His breath hitched. "I'm… glad. I was useful… to you… at the en—"
His head slumped sideways.
[Current Players: 18.]
[Time Remaining: 5 minutes 37 seconds.]
Fèi Míng stared at the body. At the strange peace frozen on Rhys's face.
This human who died smiling… all because he thought he mattered.
Because he thought he mattered to him.
Fèi Míng's chest tightened for a moment. If only he knew the real truth.
He turned in his heel to finally leave the labyrinth. The world is too cruel for such friendship. But at least… he looked back. Rhys died smiling. That was unusual. Most people scream, or cry, or beg.
But Rhys smiled because he thought he mattered.
I wonder if ignorance really is bliss.
I was only trying to keep my head attached to my neck. Fèi Míng stared at his dirty rough textured hand. "Maybe if I was stronger… I wouldn't rely on such strategy to stay alive."
He then left the labyrinth, his environment changing to a golden orange horizon. I assume Helena is the winner? She talked about wanting a skill… hopefully better than mine.
Everyone else outside was gathered a few meters ahead, broken little silhouettes. Winter was kneeling with empty eyes, Caitlin folded over herself, her sobs folding the world in half. Helena… surprisingly, was upright.
However, she was barely holding on.
Fèi Míng didn't bother walking toward them. He turned toward the mold-coated wall instead, the entrance and exit that would teleport them out of the game realm.
He pressed his hand flat against it, expecting the system's notification for the final conclusion of the game.
But something slammed into his stomach.
Helena punched him in the guts.
He folded immediately like a crayfish with the soul knocked out of it. His knees skidded across the dirt as his breath shot out of his lungs in one ugly grunt.
Helena stood where he'd been, her fist trembling, her knuckles split. Her eyes looked lifeless, void of any light.
"Your rumors…" Her voice cracked, still she held her stern gaze. "Don't seem far-fetched now that I've witnessed it. You are a murderer. Do you… kill for your own enjoyment?"
Fèi Míng let the ache settle in. He then pushed himself upright and brushed off his worn out clothes.
"What the hell do you mean?" he asked.
"You." Her finger jabbed the air, shaking. "You led us the wrong way. On purpose! So Kei could catch up and die under that trap. And don't act like I'm stupid. I clearly see between your patterns."
She raised her voice higher. "I saw you whispering to that girl with the braids. You made her doubt Kei. And she died right after! Kei snapped, like you knew he would. A-and he threw her in!"
Fèi Míng breathed out, long and loud. This is mildly annoying… His gaze drifted past her, to Caitlin, who was still sobbing in hiccups, and then to Winter, whose mind had clearly refused to return to his body. He stood there, dazed.
Fèi Míng lowered his foot and kicked Helena's shin, knocking her off-balance and down into the dirt. Her breath caught as she fell.
"So?" he replied, his voice cold.
Helena's mouth trembled.
"When you saw all of that… Why didn't you stop me? Why did you cower when Kei bullied you?"
He took a step closer. "Why didn't you push Rhys off him when you knew he was going to die? You… you did nothing. And you are a thief. A thief trying to understand sympathy? How ironic."
Fèi Míng stepped on her leg. Not that it hurt. He knew he had the strength of a cockroach. However, it was just enough to make Helena flinch.
"Yet, you did nothing," he murmured. "You are a thief. You know when to talk and when to not show your cards. Don't act like you have more morals than I."
Her eyes filled instantly, tears spilling down her temples. "I-I… I did my best, too! I'm only trying to survive!"
"So am I."
His gaze never left hers. She scowled, her hands forming into a fist. But then she sighed, slumping fully onto the ground.
From behind them, more people exited the labyrinth. They were the 14 remaining adults that had survived this game. They stumbled through the exit in a frantic cluster, collapsing into the dirt one by one.
Fèi Míng took note of their appearance. 7 of the adults had bruised faces, most of their clothes were torn, 5 of them limped as they walked, and some had suffered severe body injury.
Helena flinched at the sight, her shoulders folding in for a heartbeat before she remembered who she'd been talking to.
She wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm and pushed herself up.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered, scoffing under her breath. She adjusted her brown cap. "I didn't… I didn't know you were like this."
Her jaw tightened. "But I admit: I'm not a saint either. I know I'm not a good person."
She let her gaze drop. "I-it still doesn't make you innocent. But… somehow, I know you made me win. I'm not sure if that makes you a good guy… or a manipulative genius bastard that's so fucked up in the head."
Fèi Míng blinked. "That's your problem, not mine."
She shot him a fierce glare.
"Still, what you did wasn't right." She folded her arms tight against her chest. Setting people up to die wasn't right. "However… we survived this long."
Suddenly, the Runic board appeared above them, flickering in glitching blue gradients before it stabilized.
[Congratulations, Neon! You have earned a Skill!]
Helena gasped despite herself.
[You have been given a Path!]
[Other prizes have been rightfully allocated! Check your systems!]
A shaky smile tugged at her lips. Even through the exhaustion, her face brightened.
There was always a silver lining for the last one standing.
[We Hope To See You Next Game!]
The board disappeared.
She turned back to Fèi Míng. Her expression fell flat. "Just know this, Fateless. I owe you nothing."
"I never expected anything from you," he replied.
Helena nodded. She clenched her jaw, her gaze unwavering as she walked to the moldy wall and pressed her hand on the flat surface.
"May our paths never cross again."
And then she disappeared, teleporting back to their world.
Fèi Míng closed his eyes and drew in a long breath, slow enough for his lungs to sting.
When he exhaled, his shoulders loosened and he stretched his thin arms.
His gaze drifted down to his sandals. The poor thing he'd stitched so many times the threads were starting to look like tangled strands of hair.
"Hmm. I guess this is it…" he murmured. "My calculations were a bit off the center." In a loose world like this… even as a thief, she still held onto morals.
It was a bit harsh for her to not applaud me for my efforts. Kei deserved death… he was a bit reckless. All I did was give him a little push, add a few numbers, subtract, and made him fall to his sweet death. A perfect result.
And she won. So why was she—
Whatever. He shook his head. My pride hurts. The least she could do was to tell what skill she got. I needed to know. What a waste of effort.
As he stepped toward the mold-coated wall, his palm half-raised to touch the wall… but then he stopped.
A quiet grin unfurled across his face as a thin tremor crawled up his spine, and before he could stop it, the corners of his mouth twitched into a full smile.
"At least," he whispered, tilting his head
"I got to see many fascinating death expressions."
Abruptly, his system lit up, and a notification popped on his screen.
Ding!
[Prizes won!]
[One Week Food Supply.]
[Rare Item Acquired: Dream.]
He squinted. "Dream?"
A reward he hadn't predicted. A variable that didn't fit neatly into any pattern he'd calculated.
Interesting.
He brushed his thumb along the edge of the invisible screen, eyes narrowed thin.
"That's new. I was starting to think they hate me."