The room was pitch black, but Wang Hao knew where the iron door was. He'd been stuck here for four days. If he couldn't remember where the door was in the dark, was he really that smart?
He didn't touch the door, but it opened on its own with a creak. The smell of salt and damp air hit him. Wang Hao poked his head out carefully, looking around.
A dim hallway stretched out in front of him. Weak lights dotted the cracked walls, making it look like an old prison. Even though he could see the path ahead, Wang Hao didn't step out.
A dumb person might run out, thinking the test hadn't started yet. But Wang Hao knew better. The test began when he was taken. Every time Long Ao visited, every weird thing he said about not surviving the second option – it was all part of the test. If he couldn't handle this, why bother going on?
Soft footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway. Wang Hao stayed put, listening hard.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" a shaky voice called out. "I was taken from my home, and they made me—"
Wang Hao didn't let the voice finish. He jumped out and attacked with all his strength. He aimed to hurt the stranger badly, maybe even kill them.
The "innocent" person dodged just in time. Wang Hao got a good look at him – a young guy, maybe 16 or 17, with bright red hair and sharp blue eyes. He moved quickly, leaning back to avoid the punch and kicking Wang Hao away.
Wang Hao's fist still hit the boy's stomach. He'd aimed for the ribs, but the quick dodge surprised him.
They both stumbled back.
This was another person in the test. Pretending to be innocent was a rookie move. Anyone out here would do anything to win. Trusting someone was stupid.
Wang Hao liked martial arts in his past life. He wasn't great, but he knew some moves. He decided to mix it up – use whatever worked in a street fight.
They ran at each other again, both hitting at the same time. Wang Hao threw an uppercut while the red-haired kid swung at the back of Wang Hao's head. Wang Hao's punch landed, and he turned his head just enough to avoid the full hit.
It hurt, but the fight wasn't over.
Wang Hao dropped to one knee, pretending to fall. But it was a trick. He grabbed the kid's legs and slammed him into the wall over and over.
The young guy fought back, trying to smash Wang Hao's head against the wall. Wang Hao let go and hit him in the groin. The boy screamed and fell, letting Wang Hao get free.
Breathing hard, Wang Hao backed off.
Fear of death, showed the courage to live, he will not be prey to this world.
He grabbed the kid's head and kneed him in the face, breaking his nose. Blood sprayed as the young man fell, dazed. Wang Hao jumped over him and punched down at his jaw.
The red-haired boy tried to fight back weakly, but he was done. Beaten.
But Wang Hao didn't stop.
He kept hitting. He didn't hesitate. He'd chosen this path, and there was no going back – not when staying alive meant being cruel.
Wang Hao dragged the boy by his clothes back to the room where he'd been locked up. He left a trail of blood behind. He tied the kid to the bed legs with the sheets.
Killing him wasn't as tempting as Wang Hao thought it would be. He wanted to let out his anger at this world, but now wasn't the time.
Or was it?
Who was he kidding? He had time to kill him if he wanted. But Wang Hao held back, remembering what Long Ao said. There would be more people, but he didn't expect one so soon.
If he became known as a killer right away, it would scare others. No one would mess with him. But the downside? They'd think they knew him. It would be harder to trick people later.
Thinking it over, Wang Hao decided to let the boy live – for now. But he wouldn't pass the test.
Wang Hao wiped the blood off his hands and took a deep breath. The room, now dimly lit, felt even smaller than before. He looked back at the hallway. The lights flickered weakly along the cracked walls. His footsteps echoed as he walked, loud against the stone floor.
The doors along the hallway were either shut or open a crack, showing only dark, empty rooms. The smell of rot mixed with the salt and damp from earlier. Wang Hao looked at each door carefully, ready for the next test – or the next enemy.
But there was nothing. No movement. Just silence.
He kept going, deeper into the long hallway.
At the far end, he stopped. In front of him was a big, scary door, different from the others. It was made of thick, dark iron, covered in marks like it was very old. In the middle of the door was a single number: fourteen.
Wang Hao stared at the number. Fourteen. It meant something, right? He tried to remember Long Ao's weird words, but nothing came to mind.
He stepped forward and put his hand on the cold metal.
But there was no turning back now.