Chapter 10: Chapter no.11 Let the Games Begin
[ Dreamland - Classroom 007 ]
" Ah, the competition hasn't even started and one of your classmates is dead. What do you think? Is this an advantage or disadvantage?"
The creature asked as the doors opened revealing a masked soldier carrying a cart of bags. Some of the backs were black and some were gold.
" Students, these are your supply bags. Within them, you'll find food, water, and a randomly selected weapon but you have to win this bag by answering my previous question. With your classmate dead, was this an advantage or a disadvantage?"
The creature stood in front of the class, its eyes scanning the room as it asked its question. The prisoners sat nervously in their seats, aware that their answer could mean the difference between life and death in this competition.
Chen Mong, a tall and confident young man, was the first to speak up. "I would say that his death is an advantage," he said confidently. The creature nodded, encouraging him to elaborate. "Well, Sir, our dear classmate acted out with extreme emotions towards an illusion and your respectful words. He would have been a liability since he would more than likely act out on his emotions rather than his mind," Chen Mong explained.
The creature smiled and threw a bag toward Chen Mong. Inside the bag, he found food, water, and a randomly selected weapon. The other students watched with envy as Chen Mong opened his bag and examined his weapon.
The creature then turned to a woman a few rows beside Chen Mong. "What is your answer?" it asked. "I would say it is a disadvantage," she replied. The creature nodded, waiting for her elaboration. "That man, while he acted out on emotion, would have given us a numbers advantage in contrast to the other classes," she explained.
But the creature didn't give the woman a prize, causing everyone's eyes to widen. The bags weren't given out based on their answers, but instead, the creature had its criteria for who would receive the valuable resources. The prisoners quickly realized that they would have to be more strategic in their answers if they wanted to survive this competition.
" Now you !"
The creature's words caused the third prisoner to scramble as it asked its question. "I, I would say it was an advantage because..." the man began, but before he could finish, the creature raised a giant ethereal finger and covered the man's face. As it moved to the side, it revealed that the man's head was missing. "Did I ask you to elaborate?!" the creature shouted, causing more and more prisoners to be alarmed.
The prisoners didn't know how to approach this situation. They were in a competition where one wrong answer could mean death, and they were being judged by a creature that seemed to have no mercy.
" You " The creature exclaimed while pointing at Zhongli.
"I would say that his death isn't an advantage or disadvantage," he said with a calm voice.
The creature's eyes lit up with intrigue as it asked Zhongli to elaborate. "We could see that the man couldn't control his emotions, but we didn't know if he could bring in another advantage like having the skill to cook or make medicine. His role while disadvantageous from the surface level doesn't define if he had another use. He could have given the class, advantages, and disadvantages," Zhongli explained.
His words seemed to cause a stir in the creature as it picked up a golden bag and threw it at Zhongli. "Good, your answer was well-liked by the guests," the creature said. The words hit a nail in everyone's minds as they realized that this whole Dreamland was being watched by those masked individuals. They and their struggle were essentially a form of entertainment for others.
The prisoner looked at each other in horror as they realized that they were nothing but pawns in a game. The thought of being nothing but a form of entertainment for others filled them with anger and despair. They knew that they had to find a way to escape this nightmare, but they didn't know if it was even possible.
" What about you ?"
The creature's words hung heavily in the air as it asked the girl behind Zhongli, "What about you?" The girl hesitated for a moment before responding, "Hmm, I would say a disadvantage." The creature nodded, "Elaborate." The girl took a deep breath before saying, "Well, I didn't have sex with them."
The girl's answer suddenly threw everyone off guard. The prisoners looked at each other in confusion as the creature paused before throwing her a golden bag. "Your answer was well-liked by the guests," the creature said.
And just like that, the prisoners began to answer more and more absurd things as elaborations to the question. A few got normal black bags while the majority got golden bags. The creature seemed pleased with their answers and moved on to the next task.
"Hmm, looks like everyone did quite well in that test. Now onto the main scenario," the creature said, picking up a chalk and drawing an oval shape on the board. "The main scenario will occur on this island. There are no "Out of Bounds" and there are no safe zones. I will be within the school premises if you need me. Remember that this world isn't real so there is no escape but your actions will have consequences on your time in this life so tread carefully and don't think you can hide and cultivate as it will cause a pillar to form that will show everyone your location," the creature warned.
The creature's words caused many to frown as it made a grid over the map. "Note the grid, the island has been somewhat divided into somewhat equal zones. At any moment, a grid will turn red and you will be advised to vacate that zone within five minutes of the announcement. Failure to do so will result in quite an explosive death from your collars but the audience can vote to save your life. On another note, if you don't fight for at least 24 hours then you will be immediately eliminated. We don't want jesters that can't dance, can we? Before I forget, this school will be a danger zone until only one surviving member remains," the creature said with a smile.
The creature snapped its fingers, causing everyone to seemingly disappear. "With that, the games have begun, my dear audience!" the creature announced.
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[ Zhongli's POV ]
As I stood in front of the school building's entrance, I couldn't help but feel a sense of vertigo. The desolate roads and buildings around me put my guard up, and I knew that I needed to be on high alert.
A shimmer in the darkness caught my attention, and I immediately pulled out my golden bag, which contained a shield. Approaching the shimmer with extreme caution, I couldn't help but try to absorb the Qi using the beast blood martial art. Seeing as there was no pillar of light, I smiled. Now I had an advantage over my entire competition.
Suddenly, I stopped in front of the shimmer, and I saw the corpse of the woman who had won the golden bag after me. She was dead on the ground, an arrow piercing her skull. The shimmer I saw must have been from a light reflecting from the arrow.
(~ Slizzh ~) Hearing the air tear apart, I immediately pulled my shield up as an arrow embedded into it. Looking at the roof, I found myself face to face with Chen Mong as he pulled the string of his bow back.
The school building in front of me was a monolithic structure made of grey concrete, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and murals that depicted scenes of war and death. The windows were boarded up, and the entrance was a large set of double doors made of steel. The doors were slightly ajar, and I could see a dim light coming from inside.
As I looked closer at the building, I noticed that it had peculiar architecture. The roof was pitched and adorned with gargoyles, and the walls were adorned with statues of warriors, their faces twisted in agony. The building had a sense of foreboding as if it was a place where death and suffering were commonplace.
On top of the building was Chen Mong, who was now pointing an arrow at me.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone