Chapter 573: Rockhunter

"We won. We actually survived."

One of the women spoke through a mouthful of worm salad.

"I... I don't even know what to say. After I was thrown out of my old team, I was already convinced it was over."

"I hate this system event," the mental mage complained loudly. "How can you create a game that's decided almost entirely by physical strength? And it was so unfair that everyone only picked the strongest fighters."

"I expected this system event to be difficult, but forcing us into games like this without any warning—and not even giving us a chance to leave—is just cruel."

Thalion mostly stayed out of the conversation and silently watched the remaining matches of Game Two.

His nerves were still frayed from what had just happened.

Worse, he could already imagine countless nightmare scenarios for the coming games.

What if there were more team-based challenges?

He would most likely end up with this exact group again.

When it came to performing under pressure, they had been a complete disaster.

Several of them were chosen, yet Thalion couldn't help wondering how they had managed to win their previous system events.

Those events must have been significantly easier than the ones he had gone through.

There was no doubt they deserved their D-grades.

They were certainly capable fighters.

They just weren't among the absolute elite.

One question kept nagging at him.

"I have a question."

He looked at the healer.

"Which system event did you win?"

He hadn't intended for it to sound accusatory.

He was genuinely curious.

The healer let out an annoyed huff and looked at him as though he had asked the most foolish question imaginable.

"I won the very first system event," she replied. "My patron didn't just teach me healing. I also learned illusion magic."

"My mana pool is far larger than most people's, and I have two offensive skills. They were more than enough to eliminate my competition and claim the grand prize during the final stage."

Judging by the look she gave him, Thalion guessed the only reason she was answering at all was because he had just saved her life.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Thalion said calmly. "I was simply curious. Entering a system event alone as a healer sounds incredibly dangerous since most of your abilities only become useful when you have allies to support."

There were already enough people who disliked him for no reason.

No point adding another one to the list if it could be avoided.

"...I didn't enter alone," the healer admitted quietly, lowering her gaze.

"I came with a teammate."

She paused for a moment.

"We tried hiding in the living room."

"It... didn't work very well."

That explanation made far more sense.

There was still one detail Thalion couldn't quite piece together.

R-87 had specifically warned them that entering the system event as a team would be unwise.

So far, however, there hadn't been any real disadvantage to having friends alongside you.

Which meant...

That drawback probably hadn't appeared yet.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Thalion said sincerely before turning his attention back toward the towers, where another team of eight strength-based fighters effortlessly dragged their opponents to their deaths.

"Agreed," one of the mages muttered. "Those giants were terrifying. I've never encountered anything that powerful before."

From there, the conversation drifted back to complaints about the first and second game.

Thalion remained silent.

Instead, he focused on what might come next.

By this point...

Anything seemed possible.

Time passed surprisingly quickly, although watching the remaining matches had become much harder after standing on one of those towers himself.

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What felt like only a short while later, Game Two finally came to an end.

Without warning, everyone was teleported back once again.

They once again appeared on the familiar beds, and this time Thalion was rather pleased to see that the group of loudmouths who had annoyed him after the previous game was gone.

In fact, the entire chamber looked noticeably emptier.

Many of the beds now stood vacant, with only one hundred and five trial takers remained.

Two games and only one-fifth of the original participants were still alive.

That was one hell of a survival rate.

Thalion couldn't help but wonder how R-87 had ever received approval for a system event like this.

Then again, perhaps that was exactly how.

Only half of the participants had died during the second game.

It was certainly a creative loophole. No matter what happened, exactly half of the remaining trial takers would always die. A perfect way to disguise an absurdly lethal game.

Like before, Thalion ignored the conversations around him and simply closed his eyes.

The near-death experience still weighed heavy on his mind.

He had fought countless battles where his life had been on the line, but those had always been his choices.

On those towers, there had been no real choices.

Everything was predetermined.

Normally, Thalion found ways to gain an advantage over his opponents. If brute force wasn't enough, creativity usually was.

The tug-of-war had left almost no room for either.

Closing his eyes once more, Thalion focused on cultivating his soul.

Not because he expected any meaningful progress in the next few hours, but simply to distract himself.

Around him, the remaining trial takers were already reorganizing their teams.

The process had become remarkably pragmatic.

Whenever a group found someone stronger than one of its members, they simply challenged the weaker participant to a duel.

The fights were short and controlled rather than battles to the death.

After exchanging a few blows, the rest of the team voted on who deserved the position.

That was how most people spent the hours before the next game.

Fortunately, Thalion's bed stood near the back of the chamber.

He didn't have to worry about getting caught in the occasional duel, and his title would warn him long before anyone became a real threat.

Just like before, the hours slipped away surprisingly quickly.

Eventually, R-87 called everyone toward the portal for the next game.

"Wait," Minerva asked loudly before stepping through. "Isn't this supposed to be another team game?"

"In a sense," R-87 replied, "but not in the way you're thinking."

If the avatar had possessed a proper face instead of a stone circle, Thalion was certain it would have been wearing an infuriatingly smug grin.

Minerva merely huffed before leading her team through the portal.

This time, Thalion deliberately waited until everyone else had entered.

He wanted a quick word with R-87.

He wasn't even sure whether the administrator was allowed to answer his questions, but it seemed worth trying.

"So..." Thalion began with a faint smile.

"I honestly never expected you to be a fan of Squid Game."

To his surprise, the stone pieces making up R-87's face shifted and rearranged themselves into the familiar human face Thalion had seen before.

"Of course I watched it," R-87 replied cheerfully.

"As trial masters, we receive extensive information about every newly integrated world. Most of my early system events are inspired by the cultures that join the System."

He smiled proudly.

"It helps newcomers feel more comfortable."

Thalion couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

"Comfortable," he repeated dryly.

"Hmm..." He scratched the back of his head.

"Would you mind telling me how Ricarda and the Eighth Daughter are doing, or would that break the rules?"

"I assume they're facing completely different games."

R-87 tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Technically..." he muttered.

"I don't think telling you would violate any rules."

"It doesn't give you an advantage over the other participants."

"So it should be fine."

He paused dramatically.

"Ricarda is still alive. But her mental state is... questionable. The Eighth Daughter is the exact opposite. I have to admit, she's surprisingly cold. For her, the first game was a team challenge. She ate a few people and forced a small group to obey her."

"Really?" Thalion chuckled. "I can't imagine someone with that squeaky little voice being intimidating. You'll have to show me the recording later."

Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure there would even be a later. Not with the games he was facing.

"Of course," R-87 replied with an amused laugh. "I've already archived it."

"Oh, R-87, just one last question before I move on. How difficult are these games compared to the ones the others are facing?" Thalion asked. He was genuinely curious whether the other participants also had to deal with things like the giants.

"That's not an easy question to answer," R-87 replied. "Games like the tug-of-war will always have the same difficulty regardless of who is participating, but the others definitely won't have to face your first game with the giants. Actually, I was this close to giving the giants wings so nobody could even think about escaping by flying. Unfortunately, the survival rate became too low, so the validation test rejected it."

"Good to know." Thalion shook his head. "Well, see you at the end. I have to admit, this system event has been terrifying so far, and I sincerely hope there won't be another game like that tug-of-war."

With that, Thalion stepped through the portal, leaving the happily waving elemental behind.

A heartbeat later, he appeared beside ten other participants inside a massive white building with countless glass walls. Before he could even figure out where exactly he was, another system notification appeared before his eyes.

Welcome to Game Three

Game Three is called Rockhunters

Every player will receive five cards

You can't show your cards to any other player

There are four different colors of cards: Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire

Each card has a random value between one and ten

For the next twenty-four hours, you must challenge another player at least once every hour

Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification

To challenge another player, touch them and say, "Game on."

Both participants will then be teleported into a white room where nobody else can see or hear them until the match is over

You may only play cards of the same color

The player whose cards have the highest combined value wins and may take one card of color from their opponent

If you lose all color cards, you will be disqualified

There are three special cards: Master of Stone, Hammer, and Stonebane Potion

The Master of Stone card automatically wins the match when played and permanently transforms the loser into a Master of Stone as well

Only two players in each group begin with a Master of Stone card

Every participant starts with a Hammer card

When played against a Master of Stone, the Hammer instantly kills them. It has no effect on normal players

If you use the Hammer against a normal player, it is permanently destroyed

However, if you successfully kill a Master of Stone, your Hammer resets, and you receive a Stonebane Potion card

The Stonebane Potion transforms a Master of Stone back into a normal player

You may not use the Stonebane Potion on yourself

Whichever side—Masters of Stone or normal players—has more surviving members after twenty-four hours will win the game

Killing players without using a Hammer card is strictly forbidden

Kill notifications have been disabled for this game