Chapter 1417 - 1413: I Refuse to Work with You
Upon hearing about the punishment key, the three of them fell silent for a moment.
"But you don’t need to worry, besides the punishment key, there is also a reward key and a freedom jump key. The freedom jump key only allows you to jump backward, not forward. Those who clear the level are rewarded with amusement park star coins, which can resurrect any person of your choice, meaning that possessing a star coin gives you an extra life compared to others." As soon as the man finished speaking, Lian Ke and William Zamora were overjoyed.
"May I ask, if multiple people team up for the challenge, will stepping on the punishment key result in punishment for multiple people or just one?" Lian Ke’s mind switched quickly.
The man paused for a moment, his broad black hat obscuring his features, but Chloe Winston vaguely heard a very cold laugh.
"At least one person will be punished."
Lian Ke’s eyes lit up instantly. Looking at the massive star disk extending across the hall, she counted the total number of squares before looking at Chloe Winston and William Zamora, saying, "I have a way to clear the level. Let’s team up."
"I just counted; there are a total of 42 squares on this star disk. If we cooperate, by choosing to take the same steps, moving 6 squares each time, we can reach the end in just 7 steps. Even if luck is bad and we hit a punishment key every time, seven punishments can be borne by two people, and there’s still a chance of survival. Teaming up as three increases our odds of living." Lian Ke said with great confidence.
"That’s right, this is indeed the best solution." William Zamora, being the straightforward and physically capable type, nodded continuously in agreement, the two of them turning their gaze towards Chloe Winston.
Chloe Winston, still bearing her 50-liter backpack, grew even more silent under the weight.
Chloe Winston did not look at them, instead raising her eyes to the man on the central platform, asking calmly, "May I ask what the punishments for the punishment key are?"
"Undisclosed, when you step on the punishment key, you’ll naturally know." The man’s voice was indistinct, "Questions are prohibited."
"Chloe, don’t waste time. Are we cooperating?" Lian Ke looked at Chloe Winston, a bit impatient. This newcomer, hesitant and overly cautious, became famous on this show, but netizens probably have never seen real survival experts.
"If there’s an instant death punishment in the punishment key, who would you want to die among the three of us?" Chloe Winston spoke calmly.
An instant death punishment, stepping on it would mean immediate death, isn’t that a Death Key?
"Is there a Death Key?" William Zamora’s smile froze somewhat.
"I said if." Chloe Winston spoke calmly.
The two fell silent for a moment, and Chloe Winston already knew the answer. Lian Ke’s relationship with William Zamora was obviously better than with her. In case of a disagreement, she would be the first to be pushed out. Chloe had a woman’s intuition that Lian Ke disliked her, maybe even had some hostility towards her.
"I refuse to team up." Chloe Winston stated clearly.
"But on your own, it’s impossible to clear." William Zamora said, frowning, "The three of us might be able to make it."
Seeing her refusal, Lian Ke felt a flicker of disdain, quickly saying, "Chloe, aren’t you planning to watch us first and then observe our route? We can be your pathfinders. Good luck to you."
Lian Ke’s words directly abandoned Chloe Winston, pinning her down as a schemer, even giving herself a dignified reason for ditching a teammate.
Chloe Winston placed her 50-liter backpack to one side, saying calmly, "Good luck to you."
William Zamora hesitated, but in the end chose to follow Lian Ke to continue the challenge. Suddenly, the central platform in the hall descended along with the man on it, leaving only the three of them in the vast hall, beneath their feet, a sprawling star disk.
The two followed the previous plan, choosing to move 6 squares, stepping onto the 7th square key. A burst of colorful light flashed beneath Lian Ke and William Zamora’s feet, followed by a mechanical voice from the loudspeaker in the hall: "Players have touched the 7th square reward key, earning a death item, which can negate one punishment."
The 7th square was a reward key. Hearing this, Lian Ke and William Zamora not only avoided the punishment key but also obtained a death item, boosting their confidence as they continued with their initial plan.
The 13th square was a freedom jump key, allowing them only to jump back, so they jumped to the 12th square, landing on a punishment key. William Zamora used the death item, avoiding the punishment, and they continued moving 6 squares to the 18th square, still a punishment key.
At this point, one of them had to accept a punishment.
"I’m a man, I’ll go." William Zamora, embodying machismo, couldn’t shrink from the responsibility, he spoke up.
"Alright, next time we hit a punishment key, I will take it." Lian Ke nodded, showing immense responsibility.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the star disk beneath William Zamora suddenly gave way, dropping him down. The sudden loss of gravity made even an athlete like William’s face twist with fright, and Lian Ke paled as she watched him suddenly fall, realizing that the punishment was real. This was not an ordinary amusement park; this was Asia’s number one horror experience house.
The sensors beneath them, the mechanical male voice, the fear of falling at any moment, turned the survival expert’s face grave. Lian Ke looked back, seeing Chloe Winston sitting and resting on the ground.
Chloe Winston appeared calm, seated at the starting position, beside her was a travel backpack taller than she was, her features looked even more delicate and beautiful under the brilliant light.
"Chloe, where is the door we entered through?" Lian Ke suddenly realized they were in a massive circular space with no door.
"It’s gone. This is a sealed space, you have to clear the level or die to leave." Chloe Winston said calmly.
The hall fell into a deadly silence. No one knew what the punishment was, but William Zamora had disappeared. Five minutes later, William Zamora slowly rose up from beneath the hall, the burly man drenched in sweat, his face ashen like snow, eyes still haunted by fear.
William Zamora stood up, his voice hoarse and weak, "Continue."
Lian Ke noticed his arm muscles were trembling uncontrollably.
The two moved to the 24th key, and this time luck was on their side again. It was another reward key, providing a clue to the star disk, allowing them to inquire about any square’s information.
Lian Ke inquired about the 30th key they were about to step on, and the mechanical male voice announced: "The 30th key is the ultimate punishment key, stepping on it results in instant death."
A Death Key? The expressions on Lian Ke and William Zamora’s faces grew ugly. They remembered Chloe Winston’s earlier question — there really was a Death Key.
"Chloe, how did you know there was a Death Key?" The existence of the Death Key, William Zamora’s silence after taking the punishment, and the fear in his eyes kept Lian Ke’s nerves on edge, asking Chloe Winston with a trace of anger.