Chapter 471: Qualifier Round – Bomb Tag (1/2)
No one here was afraid of a fight. However, they were afraid of greater power that couldn't be explained. They disliked being suppressed by the immortals.
The special rules in the battle royal game complicated things. Instead of fighting normally, they had to be wary of red tile traps and the unknown. Even though clearing the red tile challenge would net them a reward, the risks that would come with it were too great.
Yet, Huang Hansheng, Zhou Gongjin, and Brocell smirked. They looked forward to playing around with the special challenges and aimed for the extra rewards that Uriel had promised.
The divine pills or artifacts were too tempting to overlook. None of them was even bothered that Uriel might have tricked them.
On the other hand, Ling Tianlong was the only one who didn't trust Uriel. He turned to Miaomiao, blaming him for using another dirty trick.
He suspected that the qualifier round was tailored to favor Miaomiao and his subordinates. As for the rest, they were merely there to fill the number.
Ling Tianlong ignored Uriel's explanation, but the latter continued explaining the combat rules.
”As you can see, the platform is made of one million one-square-meter cubic blocks, 1000 x 1000 blocks to be exact. Here is the second special rule of this place – One person may stand or step on the same tile. If two or more people step on the same tile for longer than three breaths, they will be teleported to an enclosed space and trapped there.”
Uriel demonstrated by tossing two mannequin golems and manipulated them to stand on the same tile. Instantly, they vanished and reappeared west of the platform, being caged in a transparent cube.
10 square-meter cube slowly shrunk.
”The enclosed space will continue to shrink until there is only one person left. Then, the survivor will be teleported back to the tile that they had stood. You catch my drift?”
In short, the people who had stepped on the same tile would be forced to kill each other, and the survivor would return to the platform. If they couldn't finish their opponents in time, the shrinking cube would eventually kill everybody inside.
This qualifier round was complicated. Even Miaomiao swallowed his saliva, gazing at the mysterious platform in caution.
”And lastly, for the sake of fairness, every contestant will be randomly placed on the board! Therefore, a large group that comes with more than a hundred contestants can't abuse their number advantage!”
Uriel addressed Brocell, who had brought more representatives than the required quota. He was the only one that attempted to exploit this Selection Tournament while the others joined unwillingly.
Brocell raised his eyebrows and shrugged. He was still calm after Uriel nerfed him.
”Now, let's not waste any time. I shall randomize you to the chessboard!”
”Chessboard!?”
Miaomiao widened his eyes. Before he was teleported to the platform, he caught a glimpse of the platform, which turned into a checkerboard with white and red tiles.
As Uriel had declared, the platform turned into a gigantic chessboard without chess pieces.
The participants became the chess pieces instead!
Miaomiao found himself standing in the center of the board. Two tiles to the left, Zhao Yun was sent there. As for the two tiles on the right, Ma Moxi crouched on the ground, inspecting this place.
Behind Miaomiao, Dian Wei had a wry smile on her face, finding the one-square-meter tile under her too small for her stature. She reluctantly transformed into a human as she was afraid of stepping on the red tiles around her.
The rest of Miaomiao's teams were sent to the southeast and northeast corner. Their formation was ruined as all team members were separated.
Meanwhile, Brocell and his golem platoons were deployed on the board, too. Half of his golems were positioned near Miaomiao's teammates. As for the rest, they occupied the northwest corner and southwest corner.
Pillars of light shone upon the giant chessboard as more cultivators were forcefully teleported to the platform.
Then
WHOOSH
A person was sent to the white tile, two tiles in front of Miaomiao.
It was Zhou Gongjin!
WHOOM
Another pillar of light landed ten tiles away from Miaomiao's position.
Brocell, who came here in a tuxedo, stood still with his hands crossing behind his back. He looked around and noticed Miaomiao's group.
”Whoopsies. I think I'm fucked.”
Ma Moxi, the nearest guy to Brocell, sneered at the self-proclaimed demon lord, ”Yeah, you're fucked up now, boy.”
”Sir Ma Chao, you can't possibly be working for Cao Cao, right? This is cheating! Cao Cao's forces are too OP! GM, nerf please!”
”Now that I have another reason to kill you.”
Ma Moxi believed that he had hidden his previous life's name well as he only told Miaomiao about it. Since Brocell had discovered his secret identity and possessed the knowledge of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Moxi deemed him as a threat.
There was no demon lord in Romance of the Three Kingdoms Story, and those jargons belonged to the modern world.
This person might have the same origins as Miaomiao and him! For the sake of continental domination, Brocell was a dangerous variable that couldn't be left alive!
Ma Moxi made a resolve. He needed to kill Brocell before the latter could harm his lord or his wives!
Without waiting for a signal, Ma Moxi kicked the ground and vanished. He reappeared behind Brocell with Basilisk Dagger.
He stabbed the stone dagger into the back of Brocell's neck.
Brocell took the hit without resisting. Then, his body was instantly turned into a stone and crumbled to dust.
Ma Moxi heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the kill was easier than he had thought.
But a second later, he sharply turned 180 degrees as he sensed the presence of Brocell elsewhere.
One of the metal golems at the northwest corner suddenly transformed into a human in a tuxedo suit. The face of that golem slowly changed as it grew hairs.
Just like that, the golem turned into Brocell.
”Dear me. What a rude customer. You could have just warned me to back away if you want some spaces.”
Brocell laughed. Then, he purposely stepped on a red tile next to him.
”Hehe, oops!”
”…”
The participants hadn't adjusted to the gravity and the environment yet, but this demon lord already invited trouble!
RUMBLE
As soon as Brocell stepped on the red tile, all one million tiles below them turned crimson.
Then, they heard the same archaic voice in their mind.
'Dungeon Demon Lord, Brocell, has stepped on a red tile. The first challenge will be…'
Everybody gulped as they feared for the worst.
'A bomb tag!'
”Bomb Tag?”
Ling Tianlong, Yan Liang, and the others frowned as they found this challenge absurd.
Meanwhile, Miaomiao and Ma Moxi's expressions turned solemn as they had already deduced the game rules.
WHOOM
Suddenly, Brocell's entire body turned red.
'The rules of this game are simple. Brocell will be carrying the bomb. If he or his weapon touches someone, the person he has touched will be forced to carry the bomb. When the time runs out, the person who is still carrying the bomb will be detonated.'
”…”
Everyone turned to Brocell, who burst into laughter.
Then, digital clock numbers appeared in the sky. It showed as…
00.00.05
The time limit was only five seconds!
'The winner of this challenge is the person who tags another person last! The game begins!'
”HAHAHAHAHA!!”
In a split of a second, Brocell vanished and reappeared before Ma Moxi.
”YOU!!”
”Payback time, Dear Customer!”
Brocell ignored all defense and sent a palm to Ma Moxi's face. The latter dodged the strike and instinctively countered it with a cross hook to Brocell's face while he was holding the heaven-grade dagger.
BOOM
The power of Ma Moxi's tyrannical punch shattered Brocell's head like a broken watermelon. However, his entire body turned red.