"Damn it..."

Wang Yongxin cursed instinctively, but at this moment, he no longer had the luxury to think. He could only rely on instinct to lift the weight again and move forward.

But Ding Wenqiang was one step ahead of him.

Obviously, in a situation where there's no need for thinking, just mindlessly following the rules, Ding Wenqiang had a clear advantage.

The worst off, of course, was Cai Zhiyuan.

The earlier you complete the first stage, the longer the rest time you can win.

Ding Wenqiang could use the remaining 22 seconds to rest, but Cai Zhiyuan had just reached the resting area and had to set off again.

He could only gasp for air desperately and couldn't even wait for his heart rate to calm down a bit before having to lift the weight again.

The only good news was that the base of this mechanism had wide support feet, preventing it from tilting in any direction.

Otherwise, once you collapse and fall, getting crushed under the machinery would be a death sentence.

The distance in the second stage was 15 meters, 5 meters shorter than the first stage, but the time limit was reduced from 60 seconds to 38 seconds.

Adding the exhaustion, the game became even more challenging for those with less stamina.

At this moment, a cold, emotionless electronic voice echoed from the speakers.

[Audience No. 5 has rewarded Ding Wenqiang with 8,000 minutes of visa time, accompanied by the message: Press the button when the countdown is almost over.]

[Special reminder: The rewarded player may choose whether to fulfill this request.]

The sudden announcement left everyone bewildered.

The five in the arena didn't have the luxury to process this. Under immense pressure, there was almost no excess blood left to fuel their brains.

But this announcement at least revealed two basic points:

Those who voluntarily signed up to participate in the game became the "Audience" during the game.

Moreover, the audience didn't seem to need to participate in these physically strenuous tasks themselves. They could reward the five players in the arena, bestowing visa time along with a request.

Of course, the rewarded individuals could also choose not to comply.

It was somewhat akin to live-stream platforms where performers receive rewards.

Ding Wenqiang hesitated a bit. Audience No. 5's request wasn't difficult for him, just a minor gesture.

Anyway, after reaching the resting area, he could lay down the heavy machinery to rest. It seemed like when to press the button wouldn't significantly affect the game.

Obtaining 8,000 minutes of visa time so effortlessly made Ding Wenqiang quite pleased and even more motivated.

He continued stepping forward.

However, just as he approached the resting area, the broadcast echoed again.

[Audience No. 1 has rewarded Ding Wenqiang with 8,000 minutes of visa time, accompanied by the message: Press immediately for your own sake.]

"Huh?"

Ding Wenqiang was momentarily at a loss.

The two audiences rewarding him had given completely contradictory requests. Fulfilling one inevitably meant going against the other.

Seeing that the second stage's resting area was near, Ding Wenqiang was momentarily unsure.

At this time, Wang Yongxin suddenly realized something and shouted, "Uncle Ding... don't press yet, don't press!

"I... I get it! The time you press... right now is... is the next stage's... next stage's time!"

Due to carrying the heavy load, Wang Yongxin's voice was intermittent.

Moreover, speaking loudly leaked air, causing his core to collapse temporarily, making the mechanism touch the ground.

Then he took a deep breath, grimacing as he lifted the mechanism again to move forward.

Upon hearing Wang Yongxin's words, Ding Wenqiang instinctively froze for a moment.

The others in the arena also instantly realized what was going on.

The second stage's time limit was 38 seconds; it was a rounded number.

Initially, everyone thought this was a pre-arranged game time, but Audience No. 5's message made Wang Yongxin realize that the 38 seconds was actually the time Ding Wenqiang took to complete the first stage.

In other words, if Ding Wenqiang pressed the button at 58 seconds, the standard time for the second stage would become 58 seconds.

Pressing at 20 seconds would make the standard time 20 seconds for the second stage.

The same logic applied to the third stage.

...

Through the glass window, Lin Sizhi looked towards the position of Audience No. 1.

According to the numbers, Lin Sizhi was Audience No. 5; he was the one who sent out the initial message.

But clearly, Audience No. 1 reacted quickly, almost instantly realizing the meaning behind his message and retaliated.

...

Ding Wenqiang only hesitated for about two or three seconds before decisively hitting the button.

The countdown on his path also froze at 9 seconds.

For this 15-meter path, Ding Wenqiang took 29 seconds. But after deducting the time spent thinking, the average speed was slightly faster than the previous 20 meters in 38 seconds.

"Damn."

The remaining four cursed under their breath.

For Ding Wenqiang, waiting 10 more seconds didn't have an apparent downside but provided a valuable respite for the trailing four.

Especially Wang Yongxin and Cai Zhiyuan.

[Audience No. 1 has rewarded Ding Wenqiang with 3,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: Well done.]

Hearing the new broadcast, Ding Wenqiang became more convinced that he had made the right choice.

Although pressing the button obviously increased the difficulty for Wang Yongxin and Cai Zhiyuan...

In such a life-and-death game, who wouldn't prioritize themselves first?

You know, whoever reaches the finish line first becomes the "King," and the game's rules state that the player who becomes "King" enjoys significant advantages.

If he allowed others room to breathe, what if they overtook him at the last minute?

Since the game's name is "King's Game," then it's worth paying any price to attain the identity of the King.

[Beep.]

In the last second of the countdown, Wang Yongxin barely crossed the second stage's finish line into the rest area.

With the sharp buzzing sound, Cai Zhiyuan, who hadn't completed the path, let out a tragic cry.

The countdown on the path reset to 38 seconds, and at the same time, several spikes and barbs extended from the device on his shoulder, deeply piercing his shoulders!

These spikes and barbs weren't thick, and weren't severe enough to cause major damage to his body. Even if they left wounds, they would soon self-clot naturally.

But the pain was so unbearable that Cai Zhiyuan couldn't suppress his screams.

The pain-induced adrenaline surge rekindled strength in Cai Zhiyuan's body, forcing him to push past the finish line.

The spikes and barbs on the mechanism retracted, but blood gushed out, soaking the shoulder of Cai Zhiyuan's shirt in crimson.

He had no time to rest, as the countdown lit up again.

This time, it was indeed 29 seconds, which was the time when Ding Wenqiang pressed the button during the second stage.

Everyone seemed numb, no longer having the surplus to think, just lifting the mechanisms again, heading toward the final finish line.

Cai Zhiyuan's state was evidently the most concerning, inevitably falling to the last place again.

[Audience No. 3 has rewarded Cai Zhiyuan with 2,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: Hang in there.]

The Audience could affect the behavior of the five in the arena to some extent, but only influence.

Now, the game's sole variable was in Ding Wenqiang's hands, and as long as Ding Wenqiang didn't want to extend the time, the others couldn't do anything.

[Beep.]

The countdown concluded, and this time, only Ding Wenqiang, Zhang Peng, and Gao Zhankui managed to finish within the time.

As the countdown reverted to 29 seconds, the mechanisms on the shoulders of Wang Yongxin and Cai Zhiyuan extended spikes and barbs once more.

Wang Yongxin let out a muffled sound, although he was mentally prepared and had tensed his muscles; the piercing pain still darkened his vision.

But he had no other options. If he placed the mechanism on the ground to avoid injury before the spikes extended, it would indeed dodge the damage caused by the spikes, but picking up the mechanism again would be troublesome, only making things worse.

Therefore, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

As for Cai Zhiyuan, it was even more tragic; the yet-to-heal wound tore again, with the clothes around his shoulder almost entirely soaked in blood.

After the second countdown elapsed by a dozen seconds or so, he barely reached the finish line.

All spikes were retracted, and Cai Zhiyuan staggered forward to hit the final button.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.