Beyond the Walls

...of the fittest

[00:13:21]

“The gap between you and the 10th is too high. 50 and 153 points. Elijah is on 11th ranking now.” Aaron said as he started at the remaining thirteen players at a timer of 13 minutes left.

“We should go look for Elijah.” Lucas answered but was stopped by Aaron.

“You wouldn’t right...?”

Lucas looked him straight in the eye. “I wouldn’t but … if a ranker finds him, they’ll kill him.”

“Why would they?”

“Because he is a threat, though at least top 1- 5, will less likely get involved with remaining three non-rankers left, they basically secured a spot… that is unless the lower rankers will target the upper rankers to secure more spots… but… if I am them, I rather go for someone with lower kill points or hide until the timer ends.”

The prison ward is wide and spacious so it’s a waste of time to look for them one by one.

‘If only I know how the pointing system works.’ Maybe he can remedy his points and overturn his result in a split second.

[00:10:01]

Lucas and Aaron walk stealthily around to hunt for other players but they don't spot anyone.

*Ting

[Ten minutes left. Safe zone is now available for occupancy… Please proceed to green lighted rooms. Once it turns red it means some player is in…]

‘Huh?’

[...Please be reminded that once a player enters the safe zone, Players can no longer go back to the current game and their score upon their entry will remain untouched…]

The announcement was repeating its announcements while Lucas was looking down from the third floor and eyeing the cell rooms that suddenly lit a green color.

“They are only on the ground floor?” Aaron commented.

*Swooosh

An undead has fallen from the second floor, then another one then another.

“You have to go down now.” Lucas said.

“Even if it's me, there’s no way I can get through that.”

Lucas agrees. The first floor is now swarming with undeads because for the last two days players tried the method of kicking the undead from the railings, but soon the floors were covered with undead bodies and the succeeding fallen undeads don’t die anymore. Just like what happened from Lucas before, they were cushioned.

“It will only get worse from here.”

A player from the same floor on the other side had appeared. He is ranked number 10.

Lucas and him met eyes. In all coincidence, Athena and Elijah pops out on the same lane as Lucas and Aaron and also on the opposite side of the 10th placer.

Panic washes the man and begin run away.

“What are you doing? Let's go?” Aaron urges but Lucas is standing still and watching the hologram window.

[00:08:21]

Elijah and Athena came closer to them.

“That’s odd, why aren’t you off to kill that man?” Athena said.

“Haaaa.How do you really view us? I told you we are not animals.” Elijah looked exhausted, as if he repeated it too many times.

“You two should go.” Lucas said to Athena and Aaron.

“What? Don’t tell me you are going to give up?!” Aaron exclaimed.

Maybe because the players are sweeping the upper floors now that it’s almost empty.

Lucas tilts his head on the screen and shows that several players are already in the safezone.

The picture and the score darked as if it is now uneditable.

“We can all go together. Ah!”

Lucas and Elijah rankings went up. The third placer suddenly died. Elijah is now on the top 10 rankings and Lucas is now on 12th.

“All of you go now.” Lucas said.

[00:06:40]

“Are you sacrificing yourself after all this time?” Athena raised an eyebrow at him.

Lucas already felt it from before but Athena seems to be hinting and implying something ever since the game 2 has ended.

“What if the safe zone doors close all go together after the timer stops or a swarm of undeads are let in? Are you suggesting we take all the risk altogether?”

Not being able to retort the three of them went away.

“Don’t die.” Aaron said and Elijah kept asking if Lucas was sure in his decision up to the last minute but was dragged by Elijah and Athena.

“I cannot afford to die here…” Lucas bit his lips and began sprinting all around the third floor. He found it, the room they had seen from earlier, it is a room with a rope placed on the bed. It was left untouched because there is no use to it.

Hurriedly he went to the open railings where he had fallen. There is still flesh that remained in the spiked metal that the undead was stabbed from a day ago.

[00:03:59]

With his years of experience as wall maintenance, securing the rope and proper propelling is a piece of cake for Lucas.

[00:02:30]

By the time Lucas looks at the ranking, Aaron and Athena are still in the game. Lucas’ ranking went up to 11th. The former 11th place moved up to 10th place and had secured a safe place.

Lucas put the last of the adjustments and looked down. He still gets chills and feels dizzy everytime he looks down but he turned his back on it and pulled the ropes one last time before he slowly dropped himself.

Rappelling is something he does for a living.

[00:01:40]

He heard someone running from below, then a silent sound of banging before the swishing sound of door closing.

Athena and Aaron secured a safe zone room.

Lucas is the only person left playing.

[00:00:59]

*drop

Lucas came down to the ground floor without much noise. He saw a green lit room not far. Only a couple of undeads had seen him since the majority was busy scratching the doors of the safe zone with players inside.

Lucas sprinted and was seen by several undeads. He pushes and kicks away the undead in front of him.

He looked up to the screen only his name was active in playing with 62 points. The current 10th placer is at 102pts. There is no way Lucas can bridge the gap in just…

[00:00:30]

Lucas dragged an undead with him to the safe zone which was instantly killed the moment it stepped in the safe zone.

Hanging on the ceiling of the room is a long gun with a silencer attached to it.

The dead undead’s body was dropped to the door’s way and the door is not automatically closing because of it.

Undead has begun to pour into the entrance.

*Ping ping ping ping

The gun kept working as it killed the undeads at the entrance. There was no shortage of undead trying to come in.

Lucas scurried away in the corner watching it.

*Ping ping ping ping

The door tried to close but it failed again.

[00:00:20]

Every second felt long as undeads died continuously.

For the duration of the long 20 seconds, Lucas not once dropped his guard.

The bodies piled like a mountain to the point the undead needs to crawl up if they want to reach him.

[00:00:00]

Lucas still tensed until a screaming resonated. Only then Lucas breathes out.

*Ting

[Congratulations! You’ve passed Level 3: Test of Strength!]

*Swiiish

Smokes begin to fill the room.