Chapter 866: First Round Display
Separated by a screen, the two parties selecting the spheres couldn't see each other's choices. No. 73 called out loudly, "Friend, let's both pick the white ball. If we pick white, we'll both be safe. This round, whoever gets the task depends on luck!"
The black, white, and yellow spheres represented 75%, 25%, and 50% difficulty respectively.
If both sides chose the white ball or the black ball simultaneously, the task difficulty would be the same, and the first to go would be randomly selected. In this situation, choosing the white ball together was the safest option.
First, the task difficulty was the lowest. Second, an individual's first-round ball selection set the starting point for the subsequent competition. If the starting point was too high, when teammates rotated, there might be a situation where only mutual slaughter remained. If No. 73 chose the black ball in the first round, then every subsequent round he would have no choice but to pick the black ball. Even if he got lucky this round and eliminated his teammate, the replacement teammate would have no option but the black ball, and he would be the second to die.
However, there was an exception: the yellow ball. Although the yellow ball's task difficulty corresponded to 50%, if both sides chose to complete the task together, the difficulty would drop to 25%, equivalent to a white ball task, and it would be completed by both people simultaneously.
From the known game rules, choosing the yellow ball and then opting for a joint task was the safest approach.
But there was also a problem: the two would have to share the risk in the very first task of the first round. By choosing random selection, one might avoid the risk of the first round. By the second round, it was hard to say how many people would remain.
Xu Huo stood at the side of the glass screen, arms crossed, watching the two making their choices.
No. 164 didn't answer his teammate's question. His eyes were fixed on the three spheres, visibly tense.
"Brother, say something!" His silence made No. 73 anxious, and he slowly moved from in front of the white ball toward the yellow one.
No. 164 finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse. He coughed before saying, "I... I'll also pick the white ball..."
No. 73 let out a long sigh of relief and glanced at the countdown on the screen. "Alright then, it's settled! We both pick the white ball!"
Despite saying this, he didn't move from his spot, his eyes fixed tightly on the yellow ball in front of him.
The three-minute countdown quickly neared its end. In the final five seconds, both reached out. No. 73 touched the projected ball first. Someone among the onlookers let out an inadvertent "Huh?" The opposite side's No. 164's face changed color, and he immediately switched direction, grabbing the black ball!
After the countdown ended, their choices were projected above the square. The host's voice appeared beside the projection, speaking with infectious energy: "Today's first pair of guests didn't set a good example for everyone. Guest No. 73 chose the yellow ball for his teammate, while Guest No. 164 chose the black ball for his teammate! From the projection record, it can be seen that Guest No. 164 originally intended to pick the white ball. For some reason, he changed his mind in the last two seconds. Truly regrettable."
He said it lightly, but No. 73 and No. 164 were about to come to blows. The former roared in anger, "Sneaky bastard!"
No. 164 was not to be outdone, sneering, "You said you'd pick the white ball, but you chose the yellow one instead. If I hadn't changed my mind at the last moment, I'd probably be the one dead!"
"Easy for you to say! You clearly planned to pick the black ball all along, putting on that act to fool who?" No. 73 said. "This round is me, next round will be you. Do you think anyone will let you screw them over after you chose the black ball?"
No. 73 had a point. No. 164 had escaped the first round, but when the next round switched sessions, it would be his turn.
His face turned pale, and he forced himself to say, "Since the teammates have changed, the next round will definitely be a new random selection..."
"Unless both sides are guests who were not randomly selected, the next round's task will be completed by those who remained in the square from the previous round." The host shattered his illusion and said passionately, "Now let's see where today's first guest's randomly selected first task is!"
The screen on the square's dome flickered with shifting light and shadow. Finally, a square block above No. 73's head lit up brightly, projecting the shadow of a tree.
"Congratulations to our Guest No. 73! The selected task location is the Botanical Garden!"
"Botanical Garden?" No. 73 forced himself to stay calm. "What kind of place is the Botanical Garden?"
"It seems our Guest No. 73 can't wait any longer!" The host laughed heartily. A non-transparent screen appeared beside him. As he looked at it, he said, "Dear audience, as you all know, all the adventure tasks on the 'Hello, I'm Fine Too' show are proposed by the children of Sea World. The innocent children's visions of friendship are wild and imaginative, truly captivating... But it seems today's audience doesn't like Guest No. 73 very much. Over half of the viewers have already voted to increase the task difficulty, and the number is still growing."
The color drained from No. 73's face below. But in the next moment, the host saved him again: "As the host, of course I want the audience to have a good time. But guests come from afar, and although this guest may not be the friend we hoped for, Sea World has plenty of magnanimity. Besides, even those who betray friendship should be given a chance to reform."
Amidst the applause and boos from the audience, the host announced the task: "Guest No. 73's randomly selected task is to plant a 'Hand in Hand'."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath No. 73's feet gave way, and he fell into the underground. Before he could even cry out, the floor panel retracted and sealed him in.
A few seconds later, a new projection appeared above the square. The No. 73 who had just disappeared was now in a dense forest of plants. The projected area was small, making it impossible to see the full appearance of the surrounding trees. But just from the plant leaves, it was clear this was an enlarged version. No. 73 stood inside, almost half-buried by the grass. After taking only two steps, he suddenly sank down. Then the nearby plants swayed, like ripples on water, and in a very short time, all traces vanished.
"What a pity. No. 73 failed to complete his task." The host switched the projection, and the square's dome displayed a scene of a giant python feeding. A python thicker than a person swallowed an adult with ease. Now only No. 73's shoes were visible outside.
"Botanical Garden! What kind of damn botanical garden is this?!" Someone shouted. "Who could survive going into a place like that? Why is even an ordinary person's task this difficult? Isn't this place meant for players?!"
"If any guest has complaints, they can file them with the relevant department after the show ends." The host said politely. "The competition continues."
Then another pair of numbers appeared on the central large screen.
No matter how unwilling, someone still stepped forward. This time, it was a player against an ordinary person.
No. 229 said to the player, "A player's task difficulty is different from an ordinary person's. You don't have an advantage either."
That player looked like a refined man. "I'm well aware of that. Don't worry that I'll change my mind like the previous person. We can choose the yellow ball. If we complete the task together, the chances of both of us surviving are greater."