The crowd roared with fury, a cacophony of jeers and insults aimed directly at Sehuan. The venom in their voices was palpable, dripping with disdain.
"Go to hell!"
"You' ain't shit!"
"I hope you die!"
The demon looming behind Sehuan chuckled, its laughter a twisted melody of amusement. It seemed to revel in the chaos, feeding off the hatred in the air.
Before the demon could randomly select another set of participants, a figure emerged from the crowd, stepping forward with a purposeful stride. Sehuan recognized him instantly—the same guy who had taunted him earlier, asking if he was afraid.
Sehuan's interest was piqued. "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice low and steady.
The newcomer met Sehuan's gaze with a blank stare, his expression devoid of any emotion. "I'm hungry," he said simply. "And nobody's coming to save us."
Sehuan nodded, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Fair enough. When things get tough, you can only rely on yourself. I'm Sehuan."
The man gave a curt nod. "Duke."
The demon, growing impatient, selected three more individuals at random. They screamed and pleaded, their faces contorted with terror, but the demon paid them no heed.
"Wave two," the demon announced with a grin that stretched too wide across its face. "Make it entertaining for us."
In a blink, the five of them were transported to another setting—a vast, open field of tall grass swaying gently in an unseen breeze.
[Survive for 10 minutes]
[Party of 5]: Reward quality decreases by one grade.
[Party of 4]: 15% increased damage taken.
[Party of 3]: 5% increased damage taken.
[Party of 2]: 1% increased damage taken.
[Solo]: Rewards upgraded by two grades, plus an additional reward choice.
Sehuan's mind raced. 'This is different,' he thought. 'The rules have changed. Last time, the challenge was a simple fight, but now it's about survival. And there are penalties and bonuses depending on the group size. Interesting...'
The crowd outside watched anxiously, their murmurs filled with doubt and fear.
"Ten minutes? There's no way they survive."
"They should team up."
"Solo for the best rewards, obviously."
"Shut it, Dave."
The demon reappeared, its grin wicked and expectant. "Decide now," it commanded, its voice brooking no argument.
Duke approached Sehuan, a serious look on his face. "Should we join the others? It's probably the safest bet."
Sehuan glanced over at the other three—a trio of men who were clearly out of their depth, panic etched into every line of their faces. He shook his head. "No. I'm going solo."
Duke's brow furrowed. "Why? We stand a better chance if we stick together."
Sehuan's eyes were cold, his expression unreadable. 'He's right. A team would have a better survival rate... but I don't trust any of them.'
"Duke, go back to your team," Sehuan said flatly.
Duke hesitated but then nodded, backing away.
The demon cackled. "Alright, alright! Time's up! Let's split the groups so no one tries to game the system."
With a wave of his hand, Sehuan found himself separated from the others, standing alone in his own section of the field. The crowd outside watched, their confusion mounting.
"What's he doing?"
"Is he nuts?"
"He's so full of himself. Survives one wave and thinks he's hot shit."
"I hope he makes it."
"Hope he gets what's coming to him. Selfish bastard wouldn't even share his food."
The demon floated above them all, its wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the field. "Don't die too quickly, now. Good luck!" it sneered.
Sehuan's attention snapped forward as a horde of goblins rushed toward him, their weapons gleaming in the dim light.
'Time to get to work,' he thought, his muscles tensing in anticipation.
The first goblin lunged, and Sehuan sidestepped, delivering a powerful punch to its head. It crumpled to the ground, but two more were already closing in. Sehuan jumped back, his fists a blur as he jabbed at the goblin on the left. Enraged, the creature swung its weapon wildly, missing Sehuan by inches. The goblin on the right charged recklessly, and Sehuan seized his chance, grabbing it and slamming it into its enraged companion. The force of the impact caused the goblin's own weapon to slice through its ally's throat. Blood sprayed as the creature gurgled and fell, dead before it hit the ground.
The remaining goblin staggered, and Sehuan delivered a crushing downward punch, ending its life with a sickening crunch.
He glanced at the timer.
[2:30 / 10:00]
'Damn. I'm burning through too much energy.'
Before he could catch his breath, four more goblins appeared on the horizon, rushing toward him. Sehuan grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground and hurled them with all his might. The stones struck the goblins, not enough to kill, but enough to stagger them.
'I need to conserve energy. Aim for the throat this time.'
He focused on the goblins' throats, his strikes quick and precise this time. One by one, they dropped, clutching at their ruined necks, gasping for air. Sehuan quickly finished them off, but before he could prepare for the next wave, more goblins appeared.
He repeated his strategy, throwing rocks to disorient and weaken his enemies before moving in for the kill. Each time, he adjusted his stance, and his breathing, refining his technique slowly. His movements became more fluid, his strikes more lethal, and his foundation more solid.
By the time the timer hit zero, Sehuan was panting, drenched in sweat, but his eyes were sharper than ever.
"Congrats, looks like three out of five of you survived," the demon's voice boomed, mocking yet somehow sincere. It clapped its hands in false applause. "Good job. Really."
Sehuan glanced over at the other screen, where Duke and his group had barely made it through. Two of their teammates lay motionless on the ground, their bodies torn and bloody.
'Not my problem,' Sehuan thought coldly.
"Now," the demon continued, its tone dripping with excitement, "we have a special event! A spectator has taken a liking to your little performance and wants to see more. They're offering extra scraps if you entertain them by facing an early boss. How's that sound?"
Sehuan's eyes narrowed. 'An early boss? Already? This is supposed to happen every five waves, not now. What's going on?'
He looked up, glaring at the gods watching from above. 'You sick bastards really get off on this, don't you?'
The demon's grin widened as it read the conditions for the next challenge.
[Defeat the Boss: Hobgoblin 0/1]
Upon seeing the reward Sehuan's lips curled into a smirk. 'Fine. If it's a show you want, I'll give you a show you'll never forget.'