Translator: AnubisTL
Clearly, no one answered the question.
Nor did anyone care whether the time bomb was fair to the players.
The competition had already begun.
Although the teams were evenly matched in numbers and both high platforms were drenched in kerosene, the tug-of-war remained deadlocked for a moment.
But the squad on the right high platform knew one thing for certain:
They were doomed.
With only two seconds left on the time bomb, their deaths were inevitable.
At that moment—
The squad on the right high platform threw their tug-of-war rope to the ground, declaring their surrender!
They exchanged glances, then wordlessly drew rifles from their chests, aimed at the opposing squad on the left high platform, and simultaneously pulled the triggers!
If we're going down, we're taking you with us!
Even if I die, I'll take someone with me!
At such close range, with multiple rifles firing simultaneously, the squad on the ground high platform had no chance to evade. They could only endure the hail of bullets tearing through their bodies.
Their bodies convulsed violently.
In mere seconds, the members of the left high platform squad collapsed heavily onto the platform, blood pooling around them.
And then—
BOOM!!!
The time bomb on the right high platform reached zero!
A massive wave of flames erupted, engulfing all the players on the right high platform!
Both squads had been annihilated.
Scar Dog stared expressionlessly at the scene before him. After a moment of silence, he murmured, "This is the most interesting tug-of-war I've ever seen."
"Back on Blue Star, schools used to have tug-of-war as part of their sports days."
"It looked so boring."
"Next time, they should try imitating this version. It's anything but dull—absolutely thrilling and tense."
Zhao Ritian glanced at Scar Dog with exasperation. "How could that ever happen? Since ancient times, schools have only signed contracts with electronics factories to send their students as cheap labor. I've never heard of a school signing a deal with the King of Hell to boost his daily quota."
And so it went.
After someone started it, the tug-of-war gradually took on a bizarre twist.
What had begun as a test of physical strength had evolved into something indescribable—a battle against strange and inexplicable forces.
The players, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, resorted to every trick and tactic imaginable to clear the first stage.
Those lacking such ingenuity had already plummeted to their deaths below the high platforms.
Meanwhile, the first nine-person squad to complete the stage sat on chairs nearby, their faces shifting between pale and flushed as they watched the ongoing tug-of-war.
At that moment, relief was the only emotion in their minds.
They were the first squad to clear the stage. When they completed it, the competition had been a straightforward test of strength, a simple tug-of-war where the side with more people won. Everything had been normal.
But after them, strange things began to appear, turning the tug-of-war into something unnatural.
The later the rounds, the more bizarre it became.
Especially as more and more people adopted the mindset of "If I'm going to die anyway, let's all die together," the tug-of-war descended into utter madness.
By the final match, when the last two squads faced off on the high platforms, both platforms had been completely ruined.
They were covered in oil stains, lubricant, and even filth.
Time bombs, poison gas, landmines, spider drones—there were so many, it was beyond counting.
This could no longer be called a tug-of-war.
It had become a life-or-death competition!
No one knew which side's time bomb would detonate first.
As for where the time bombs came from, they had been planted on the platforms by the previous squads who knew they were doomed, as a final act of defiance.
This was precisely why the nine-member squad was fortunate to have cleared the stage first. They had completely avoided this hellish scenario. Had they cleared it later, who knows how horribly they would have died?
Finally—
As the last squad member, battered and bruised, limped across the long plank into the second level's waiting room, a notification rang in the ears of all players:
[Second level officially begins!]
[The competition remains a two-squad format.]
[Second level name: "Red Light, Green Light."]
[Game rules:]
[If Team A and Team B are competing:]
[Team A must designate one member as the overseer. The rest of Team B will start 100 meters away and advance toward the overseer's position.]
[At the start of the game, the overseer must turn their back to Team B.]
[When the overseer turns around, all Team B players must freeze in their current positions. Any movement or failure to maintain their pose will result in elimination.]
[If all surviving Team B players reach the white line next to the overseer, Team B wins, and the overseer is eliminated.]
[The reverse applies if Team A wins.]
[The competition consists of two rounds. In the first round, Team A serves as the overseer, and in the second round, Team B takes on the role.]
[Additional rules:]
[1. The overseer does not need to shout a slogan. They can simply turn their head. If they see any player from the opposing squad moving, that player's squad is immediately eliminated.]
[2. Each time the overseer turns to observe the players behind them, they can maintain their gaze for a maximum of 2 seconds.]
[3. The overseer cannot be changed mid-game.]
[The competition has officially begun!]
[The first two squads to compete are the "Well, It's an Event, Some Movement Is Normal" squad and the "Overlord of the World" squad.]
[For the first round, the Overlord of the World Team will serve as the overseers. The Overlord of the World Team must select their overseer as soon as possible.]
[Both squads, please prepare to enter the arena within the three-minute countdown.]
Meanwhile—
[Buzzing!]
A gear-like sound echoed from beside them.
Chen Jiang and the other spectators suddenly felt their seats automatically swivel, turning from facing the high platform of the first stage to facing the opposite direction.
Behind them, a massive stadium-like arena had materialized below!
Two distinct white lines were clearly marked across the green lawn.
Evidently, one white line served as the starting point, while the other marked the overseer's designated position.
Their squad's name was—"Just a Little Action, It's Normal."
This meant they were the first squad to compete.
Which also meant they couldn't observe how others cleared the stage; they had to go first.
"This stage seems a bit buggy," Scar Dog remarked, resting his chin on one hand thoughtfully. "There's no need for 'Red Light, Green Light.' You can turn around anytime, and any player caught moving is eliminated?"
"Doesn't that mean the overseer just has to keep swiveling their neck?"
Chen Jiang, after carefully reviewing the rules, suddenly chuckled softly. "Any player caught moving is eliminated? Simple. Just make sure the overseer can't see them."
"True," Scar Dog nodded in agreement, grinning as he glanced at the group of men nearby. "But doing that would feel a bit unfair to them!"
That group of men was the "Overlord of the World" Team.
A massive group of twenty to thirty people, they had been the ones who initially provoked Team A.
Finally facing this squad, it was time to refresh their understanding of fairness.
At that moment, the squad leader noticed Scar Dog's ambiguous, half-smiling gaze fixed on him. He instinctively swallowed hard, initially wanting to look away, but then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his lips curled into a predatory grin, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust as he stared back at Scar Dog and his group.
"Just wait to die, you little pups!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
The arrogant laughter echoed across the area, drawing the attention of many who instinctively turned toward the source.
After delivering his taunt, the squad leader swiftly turned to one of his men—the one with the most flexible neck—and spoke urgently, his expression grim.
"I've explained the rules clearly."
"When the competition starts, you don't need to do anything else. Just stand at the white line and keep looking back repeatedly, got it?"
"The faster the better!"
"There's a bug in this event: no commands are required. As soon as you turn around and see a player moving, that player is immediately eliminated!"
"In this situation, there's only one thing you need to do: keep looking back, keep looking back!"
"Got it?"
"Mm-hmm." The younger-looking man nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, boss. I know how to handle this."
"Good. Keep it up. As long as you don't mess up, those guys are dead meat."
"Tough luck for them. Their deaths will be meaningless."
"In this second level, the overseer has a massive advantage. Whoever becomes the overseer first will secure the greatest victory."
Soon, the Overlord of the World Team had finalized their strategy. A younger man slowly made his way down to the football field below.
Chen Jiang and his teammates exchanged glances before rising and heading toward the same field.
The match was about to begin!
As the five members of Chen Jiang's squad stood behind a white line, the Overlord of the World Team's man successfully reached the white line 100 meters away. He took a deep breath, clearly prepared.
The next moment—
[The match has officially begun!]
[The first round ends when all attacking players are eliminated or when all surviving players reach the white line behind the overseer!]
[Time limit: 2 hours.]
"Any attacker who fails to reach the white line behind the overseer within two hours will be eliminated!"
The moment the announcement ended, the young man from the Overlord of the World Team, standing in the overseer's position, began jerking his head back and forth like someone having an epileptic seizure.
He whipped his head around repeatedly, his gaze darting back to Chen Jiang and the others, who remained motionless at the starting line.
In just a dozen seconds, the man had jerked his head around dozens of times.
Scar Dog stared at the convulsing figure in the distance, his expression mildly speechless. He desperately wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but since he couldn't move his mouth, he had to swallow his frustration.
Chen Jiang and his teammates remained frozen in place.
Of course, they had no choice but to stand still. Given the overseer's frenzied head-whipping, any movement would guarantee their elimination.
Meanwhile, the audience in the stands buzzed with speculation as they watched the scene unfold.
"Exactly as I predicted!"
The Overlord of the World Team member couldn't help but laugh triumphantly. "This stage has a massive bug! You can turn your head anytime, anywhere, without shouting a slogan. As long as you see a player move, they're out!"
"In this situation, the overseer is guaranteed to win!"
"The overseer just needs to keep turning around. The attackers won't stand a chance of moving even a hundred meters!"
"This squad is doomed!"
The men around him exchanged knowing glances, their faces twisting into cruel smiles as they burst into loud laughter. They then turned their attention to the football field, eager to witness the squad's gruesome demise.
Although the rules stated that failure meant elimination, not death, anyone with half a brain knew what "elimination" truly meant.
Nearby, a bearded man watched the football field with a grim expression. The overseer's rapid, relentless turns had completely paralyzed the attacking squad, leaving them utterly helpless.
Unable to contain his anxiety, he said to his boss, "Boss, does this second level, Red Light, Green Light, mean the overseer can basically guarantee victory?"
His concern wasn't for the players below, but for his own team, who would soon face the same impossible situation.
Their concern wasn't for the players below, but for themselves.
"The attackers have absolutely no chance to move!"
"And the overseer just needs to keep turning around. There's no skill involved—honestly, even a dog could probably do a better job!"
"You're overthinking it."
A young man in a tracksuit sat nearby, calmly pulling a piece of gum from his pocket and popping it into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he said flatly, "Only a fool would think this level's challenge is that simple."
"This activity seems overwhelmingly advantageous for the overseer—just keep turning around for two hours."
"But here's the thing you need to understand."
"No normal person can maintain this turning frequency for two hours straight."
"It's physically impossible for a human being."
"The overseer's turning speed was so fast at the start because he had just entered the game. Didn't you notice it's already slowing down significantly?"
"Try turning around repeatedly yourself and see how long you can last. If you can keep it up for three minutes, you're in good shape."
"That overseer must already be feeling unbearable neck pain."
"The true test of the overseer in the second level, Red Light, Green Light, lies in how they strategically allocate their stamina within the two-hour time limit!"
"Many overlook a crucial rule."
"Namely, the overseer can only pause for a maximum of two seconds when turning around."
(End of the Chapter)
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