Chapter 39 Iron Plate
The Asiatic black bear took another step forward, reducing the gap between it and Qiao Jiajin to a mere meter.
This time, Qiao Jiajin dared not advance further. The bear's long reach meant stepping closer would put him directly in its strike zone, essentially signing his own death warrant.
He began to slowly retreat.
Observing this, Qi Xia's expression grew increasingly anxious. The rules of confrontation between animals were straightforward. A retreat signaled fear, marking one as prey.
As Qiao Jiajin took a step back, the Asiatic black bear's hesitance transformed into aggression. It now saw him as non-threatening prey.
After a tense three-second pause, the bear lunged forward, its massive forearms swinging down like stone pillars.
Qiao Jiajin no longer attempted to show bravery and quickly rolled back, narrowly avoiding the bear's massive strike. He immediately scrambled to his feet and ran, with the bear hot on his heels, howling in pursuit of its newly declared prey.
"Swindler Lad! Hurry up!" Qiao Jiajin shouted, running frantically. "I'm putting my life in your hands!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Qiao Jiajin yelled, "Hurry up and get the item!"
With the black bear distracted, Qi Xia dashed toward the iron plate on the ground. Rationally, none of the {games} he had encountered before were truly inescapable; there was always a {way out}. In this room with its clear visibility, the escape route must be connected to this iron plate.
As Qi Xia drew nearer, he noticed that the surface of the iron plate was mottled and marred by patches of rust.
"This..." He reached out and touched the plate, only to discover it was an utterly ordinary round iron disc, devoid of any mechanisms or inscriptions. "What on earth..." Qi Xia felt a wave of disillusionment. The iron plate was nothing more than a mundane piece of scrap metal, as unremarkable as any found in a junkyard.
Qiao Jiajin sprinted for a dozen steps, only to realize that the black bear was almost upon him. He abruptly halted, spun around, and shouted, "Dumbass!!"
Startled by the sudden outburst, the black bear recoiled, rearing up on its hind legs once more.
Qiao Jiajin smirked, leveling a defiant finger at the bear, and taunted, "Are you scared? You dumbass, do you think I'm really afraid of you? Listen up..."
The Asiatic black bear fixed its gaze on Qiao Jiajin, seemingly intrigued and waiting for him to continue. The onlookers were equally bewildered as they watched Qiao Jiajin, unable to fathom what he intended to say to the bear. However, to their astonishment, after seeing that he had momentarily diverted the bear's attention, Qiao Jiajin turned and fled without a second thought.
Realizing it had been tricked, the black bear let out a furious roar and resumed its relentless pursuit.
At this moment, Qi Xia, who was still at the center of the arena, had overturned the iron plate and was scrutinizing it intently. The plate was cumbersome, lacking any handles, making it impossible to wield as a shield against the bear’s assault. Before he could discern any solution, a sudden jolt of pain struck his back, as if something had collided with him with tremendous force. He was crouched on the ground, and the intense impact made it challenging for him to maintain his balance, causing him to topple to the side. Qi Xia turned and saw that the middle-aged man from his team had barreled into him.
The middle-aged man glanced at Qi Xia, now sprawled on the ground, and murmured an apology. He then managed to lift the iron plate sideways, which was heavy and unwieldy, and rolled it toward the corner of the room. There, he braced himself against the high wall with the plate and trembled as he huddled behind it.
Qi Xia frowned, realizing that the situation had become even more precarious. He had considered this strategy earlier. Using the iron plate as a shield and hiding in the corner might improve his chances of survival. However, such an approach meant that only one person could survive, rendering the entire game a hollow victory.
To gamble one's life for a single {Dào} and end up with only one {Dào} in return was not a desirable outcome for him. If given a choice, Qi Xia would have rejected this scenario outright.
"Swindler Lad, are you finished yet?!" Qiao Jiajin's voice echoed with urgency. "Are you trying to get me killed here?!"
"Just a moment..." Qi Xia responded, his voice tinged with hesitation. "Give me a little more time..." His mind raced, grappling with the stark reality. Even if he retrieved the iron plate now, it would offer limited protection. His primary goal was to ensure the survival of both himself and Qiao Jiajin. Yet, the iron plate's limited area meant it could only shield one person at most.
What was the best course of action? In this dire situation, thanks to Qiao Jiajin's distraction, the remaining eight participants had been spared—for now. However, with only over a minute elapsed and the challenge lasting ten, relying on Qiao Jiajin alone was unsustainable.
At this moment, the slightly chubby young woman ran toward the middle-aged man, her voice trembling with desperation. "Can I hide with you? Please... I don't want to die..."
"No!" The middle-aged man shouted, his voice edged with panic as he huddled behind the iron plate. "Only one person can hide here. If you come in, we both risk dying!"
"No!" The young woman’s voice quivered with fear, and her legs shook uncontrollably. "We can hide side by side. We won’t die if we stick together..."
While they argued, Specs, who was also on the middle-aged man's team, dashed over in a panic. Without waiting for permission, he lifted the iron plate and wedged himself into the corner alongside the middle-aged man.
"Hey! Specs!" The middle-aged man’s voice was a mix of panic and frustration. "What are you doing?"
Specs gritted his teeth and retorted, "Ole Lu, you can’t just think about yourself!"
The iron plate, originally intended to be propped against the wall, now wobbled precariously with the addition of Specs. Ole Lu’s heavy build meant the plate couldn’t fully cover both men. Seeing this, the slightly chubby young woman ignored Ole Lu’s protests, grabbed the other side of the iron plate, and squeezed herself into the corner alongside them.
The remaining four people, seeing the iron plate as their last hope for survival, ceased their frantic running and crowded around it, desperate to find refuge.
"Fools..." Qi Xia muttered as he approached the growing commotion around the iron plate. In mere moments, the crowd had erupted into a chaotic scramble for the meager protection it offered.
"Ole Lu! Stop being so selfish! Let go of the iron plate—we’ll come up with another plan!"
"Specs! You’re still young, you can still outrun the bear, but I can’t!"
"Move aside and grab the iron plate!"
"Get out of the way! There’s no more space behind the plate!"
At this point, the aggression among the group had reached a fever pitch. They were so desperate to secure their own survival that they’d rather strangle and pummel each other than take a single step towards the bear.
The iron plate, once a potential savior, now lay abandoned and forgotten on the ground.
On the other side of the room, Qiao Jiajin was cornered by the Asiatic black bear. With no viable escape route, he resorted to his earlier tactic, shouting loudly and turning around to confront the bear once more.
Though startled, the black bear showed no signs of retreat. It lunged forward with its forearms outstretched, but Qiao Jiajin skillfully evaded the attack, leaving deep gouges in the wall from the bear's claws.
"F*ck!" Qiao Jiajin exclaimed, staring at the formidable beast. "You're really pushing it..."
Qi Xia realized that immediate action was crucial. If he didn’t intervene, Qiao Jiajin would likely perish, and the others would face a grim fate as the bear picked them off one by one. Qiao Jiajin was the only one daring enough to confront the bear directly. He not only had to fend off the bear's attacks alone but also protect everyone else. This was an utterly preposterous expectation.