Chapter 38 The Black-Clad Guest
"How peculiar," Qi Xia remarked quietly. "I had anticipated a more elaborate setup for a {physical strength-based elimination game}, something designed for continuous elimination."
"Yeah," Qiao Jiajin agreed, eyeing the straightforward setup with a look of confusion. "How can we be eliminated here?"
As if in response to his words, the massive iron door in front of them began to tremble before slowly rising upward.
"Huh?" The portly middle-aged man peered at the now-open door, bewildered. "What’s happening? Do we still need to move forward?"
As the door finished opening, the countdown timer on the wall activated, signaling the start of the game.
Confusion spread among the group as they exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of the next step.
But the next moment, a guttural, menacing roar emanated from beyond the door.
"F*ck..." Qiao Jiajin's hair stood on end, "You've got to be kidding me..."
From the gate emerged a colossal beast, its fur a deep, impenetrable black. It reared up on its hind legs, its mouth agape and drooling incessantly, as though it had been ravenously hungry for days.
Once the beast had fully emerged, the iron gate clanged shut behind it.
"Is that... a bear?!" Qiao Jiajin stepped back involuntarily. While he would be confident facing a human opponent, the reality of confronting a bear—particularly one larger than any average man—was daunting.
Qi Xia's expression darkened as he assessed the creature. This was an Asiatic black bear, identifiable by the distinctive white crescent pattern on its neck. However, the sheer size of this specimen was truly intimidating.
Typically, Asiatic black bears stand about 1.6 to 1.8 meters tall, but this one loomed at least 2 meters, its imposing stature highly intimidating.
A woman's piercing scream shattered the tension, startling not only the participants but also the bear, which flinched at the sudden noise.
After a brief pause, the bear emitted a deeper, more menacing roar, its rage palpable.
"What in the world is this cursed game?!" the middle-aged man howled, panic rising in his voice. He turned and sprinted, only to halt abruptly after a few steps.
The staircase they had descended was now gone, replaced by an imposing high wall. There was no escape.
The middle-aged man, seemingly overwhelmed by despair, sank to the ground. "It’s over... we’re done for.."
"Damn it... what do we do now?" Qiao Jiajin turned to Qi Xia, his face etched with concern. "This isn't a challenge we can beat with sheer strength."
"This is problematic..." Qi Xia's expression grew grim.
Why did it have to be a bear of all things?
A bear's close-quarters killing power surpasses even that of tigers and lions, and this confined space was an ideal hunting ground for it.
As the massive black bear advanced toward the group, the two young women nearest to it were paralyzed with fear, unable to move.
"Quick—play dead!" the middle-aged man on the ground shouted in desperation. "If you encounter a bear, pretending to be dead might give you a chance to survive!"
This shout scared the two young women back to their senses, they immediately lay on the ground, trembling as they closed their eyes.
"No!" Qi Xia shouted urgently. "Get up and run now!"
However, the two young women remained motionless, lying flat on the ground.
Seeing this, the others began to follow suit, sprawling out on their backs in an attempt to play dead. Soon, only Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and a slightly plump young woman were left standing in the field.
"Swindler Lad, why not play dead?" Qiao Jiajin asked, his face tense. "Shouldn't you pretend to be dead when you encounter a bear?"
"If you encounter a brown bear, pretending to be dead might work," Qi Xia replied firmly. "Brown bears typically attack humans to defend their territory, but they often stop when they believe the threat is gone. However, this doesn’t apply to Asiatic black bears. These bears are known to attack and even consume humans when they’re extremely hungry."
As soon as Qi Xia finished speaking, the massive black bear approached one of the young women lying motionless on the ground and began sniffing her face with its snout.
‘Fools…’ Qi Xia thought grimly. In the face of an Asiatic black bear, even the best attempts to escape would only result in a narrow brush with death. Lying on the ground, pretending to be dead, was nothing short of courting disaster.
Sure enough, the Asiatic black bear sniffed for a few seconds before suddenly clamping its jaws around the young woman’s neck.
Her scream was choked off almost instantly, a guttural sound caught in her throat.
She flailed desperately, her panicked arms striking the bear ineffectually, as though pounding on a solid wall.
The bear, unfazed, held firm and then deftly swung its paw, landing a crushing blow to her midsection.
The bear’s powerful swipe crushed the young woman’s abdomen, visibly caving in her stomach and likely shattering her ribs.
A gush of blood erupted from her mouth, and within moments, she lay still, her body lifeless.
Watching this brutal display, Qi Xia felt his heart lurch. While he had seen similar tragedies on news feeds, witnessing it in person was a harrowing experience. The scene before him was nothing short of a massacre.
"AHHH!!!!" Another woman’s scream pierced through the air.
Realizing the futility of playing dead, panic set in among the crowd. They scattered in all directions, desperately seeking an escape from the impending danger.
Despite humanity’s position at the top of the food chain, they were utterly defenseless against this primal force of nature. Without tools or weapons, they were no match for the bear’s sheer might.
Wait a minute... ‘tools or weapons’?
Qi Xia’s mind raced as he remembered the large iron plate in the middle of the venue. His instincts told him there must be something more to it than mere decoration.
"Qiao Jiajin, we need to get to that iron plate!" Qi Xia shouted, urgency in his voice. "We don't know what it is, but it could be crucial for our survival!"
"Damn... you really know how to pick," Qiao Jiajin observed the iron plate precariously situated beneath the Asiatic black bear’s feet, finding the situation quite challenging. "That item is temporarily unavailable, esteemed guest. Would you like to choose something else?"
"Cut the nonsense!" Qi Xia retorted sharply. "If we don't use that iron plate to shield ourselves, it's only a matter of time before we meet our end."
"Alright then..." Qiao Jiajin conceded with a determined nod. "I’ll distract the bear away. You make a move for the iron plate."
"Distract?..." Qi Xia hesitated momentarily but recognized that this was their only option. "An Asiatic black bear can reach speeds of 48 kilometers per hour. You won’t be able to outrun it. Try to confront it instead."
"Understood." Qiao Jiajin nodded in agreement.
With their plan decided, they split up to execute it.
Qiao Jiajin cautiously moved toward the black bear and then suddenly yelled, "Hey! Dumbass!"
The black bear halted and turned its gaze toward him, its eyes gleaming with a murderous intent.
It took a slow, deliberate step forward, testing the waters. Unperturbed, Qiao Jiajin matched its movement with a step of his own.
This mutual advance caused the bear to waver, unsure of how to gauge the resolve and capabilities of the man before it.
"Dumbass, you want to exchange a few blows?" Qiao Jiajin forced a grin and gestured provocatively at the bear, "Come and take me on."
Though the black bear could not comprehend human speech, it was evidently agitated by Qiao Jiajin’s taunt.
It reared up on its hind legs, expanding its already imposing frame to appear even more formidable.
The black bear let out a thunderous roar, amplifying its menacing presence, and the foul stench of its breath filled the air.
The resounding roar reverberated throughout the confined space, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Qiao Jiajin's face as he realized he had stirred up a formidable adversary.