Chapter 2254: Past, Present, and Future
In an instant, he switched from Buliucheng to a pure white space, and Xu Huo realized he had entered the one-third game. Seeing the floating cube, like a Rubik's Cube, suspended before him, his first reaction was to open his personal panel, but the game seemed to have lost connection—no matter how he tried, he couldn't summon it.
After several failed attempts, he looked again at the Water Cube in front of him.
This should be the Water Cube the stranded players had mentioned.
Its overall appearance resembled a Rubik's Cube, with flowing liquid woven into the blocks of the cube. However, each stream of water should be connected, making the cube look like a living current.
But it wasn't real water—it was a cluster of multiple strands of time power entwined together. Even players who had never undergone time evolution could feel the chaotic, dense, and distinct forces emanating from it. Touching it was out of the question; even approaching it was enough to make one's heart race with fear.
Xu Huo didn't test the Water Cube. After standing still for a moment, a thin stream separated from the Water Cube and gradually formed a line of text in the air:
"In your view, among the past, present, and future, which is the most important? You can rank them."
The three words—"past," "present," and "future"—floated out from the question, approaching Xu Huo for him to choose.
Past, present, future—seeing these three words made it clear that the so-called one-third game referred to these three. If there was a most important, there was also a least important. Most of the people who had entered the game in Buliucheng had lost their memories of the past, indicating that the bet in this round was one of the three. Losing the "past" meant losing all memories of it.
Generally speaking, most people would consider the "future" more important because the past cannot be changed, the present is already set, and only the future is full of unknowns—it's also where many place their psychological hopes.
It seemed that the ranking and the bet weren't random. Since more people had lost their memories, the bet might start from the last of the three.
Xu Huo pointed at "past" from a distance, placing it first, followed by "present" and then "future."
Once the three words were ranked, the Water Cube suddenly disintegrated and wrapped around him. Then, as if weightless, he floated up. The next second, the time power "spat" him out, and the scenery before him changed again. The white space was replaced by a massive green wall, with several tall archways directly ahead. Inside the archways were more identical walls, making it look like a maze.
Around him were many others who had been sent here by the Water Cube. Upon seeing the maze ahead, no one acted rashly; they all stood still, on high alert.
Within a few minutes, no fewer than a hundred people had gathered outside the maze—both players and ordinary people. The players were fine, but some ordinary people collapsed to the ground as soon as they entered, unable to recover for a long time.
Xu Huo looked around but didn't see a single familiar face.
In Buliucheng, many had used items to alter their appearances, but upon entering this space, all their items had failed, and even the fake skin stuck to their faces had fallen off.
Xu Huo stuffed the simulation mask into his pocket and took a step forward.
"What are you doing!" A player in front of him suddenly turned around and shouted, "Don't move recklessly before the game starts!"
Seeing the panic in the other's expression, as if he might lose control at any moment, Xu Huo stopped and said, "I just wanted to see what's ahead. Is that a maze?"
Unfortunately, the other person only wanted him to stop and had no intention of talking.
Among those present were people who had arrived earlier. Unlike the newcomers' confusion, these individuals seemed to understand some of the game rules, but they all stood still, their eyes fixed on the maze entrance.
When the number of people outside the maze reached two hundred, the Water Cube began to flow again, gradually forming words in the air above.
"Welcome to the one-third game—Space Prison. From now on, you will receive one of two identities: prison guard or prisoner. Once assigned, the identity will not change."
"The game will provide prison guards with a number of rooms equal to their count, and prisoners with double the number of rooms. Obtaining the key to your corresponding identity is the only way for both prison guards and prisoners to return to their rooms by 8:00 AM each day. If you fail to return to your room by that time, you will be considered to have lost the game."
"From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM each day is rest time. During this period, only prison guards may move freely outside, and prison guards can open any prisoner's room."
"From 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM the next day is yard time. All prisoners must leave their rooms, and the obtained keys will be randomly placed again. During yard time, prisoners may not attack prison guards, and prison guards may not kill prisoners."
"Each day during the day, prison guards must kill three prisoners. Accumulating twenty-one kills wins the game. Losing the key will result in losing the prison guard identity and losing the game."
"Prisoners who seize a prison guard's key during the day win the game."
"This game lasts seven days. The number of prisoners killed during the game will be counted toward the instance clearance task."
The flowing words hovered in the air for three minutes before condensing back into a massive Water Cube. At the same time, several streams of water shot out in different directions, forming the word "Prison Guard" above the heads of different people.
Xu Huo had one above his head as well.
Looking around, among the two hundred-plus people, there were only five prison guards, meaning the rest were all prisoners.
Someone shouted, "Find the keys!" and the crowd in front of the maze surged toward the maze gates.
Xu Huo moved with the crowd. He hadn't run far when a player attacked him in the chaos. Dodging the short blade aimed at him, he was about to say something when a Water Cube suddenly appeared above the attacker. It poured down over him and then reformed on the ground. The player who had been drenched vanished as if he had never existed, not even leaving ash behind.
"Is this guy brain-dead?" A female player with the word "Prison Guard" above her head approached him. "It said yard time—prisoners can't attack prison guards. There are still three hours until 8:00 AM."
She smiled at Xu Huo. "We're both prison guards. Let's cooperate!"
"No problem," Xu Huo agreed readily. "Let's find the keys first."
As they ran with the crowd, they shouted for those ahead not to hide the prison guard keys.
"During the day, waiting for the prison guards to open your doors is the only way you can win the game! If you hide the keys now and there are no prison guards, you'll all lose!" the female player shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.
After just two rounds of shouting, a conflict broke out in the crowded area ahead. A tall man grabbed another player by the throat, lifted him up, searched him, and pulled out a key. He then hurled it with force toward Xu Huo and the female player! (Chapter End)