Abnormal

The game began, and the green light flickered on.

Everyone lunged forward.

Xia Xuanfeng’s footsteps thudded heavily against the concrete floor. In his peripheral vision, he saw the bald man sprinting at the head of the pack, moving the fastest.

The middle-aged man in the suit followed close behind. To increase his speed, he gripped his broken glasses in one hand and his leather shoes in the other, his bare feet slapping against the ground.

Xia Xuanfeng didn't run too fast; he stayed toward the middle-rear of the group, his eyes fixed on the massive signal light suspended in mid-air ahead.

The light was over two meters in diameter, resembling a giant eyeball.

The green glow suddenly turned red at an unpredictable moment, and a bloody light flooded the entire space, stretching everyone's shadows into long, distorted shapes.

“Red light!” the bald man at the front shrieked, slamming on the brakes. His body lurched forward, arms flung wide for balance.

He barely managed to stop, his soles letting out a harsh, screeching sound against the floor. Those behind him stopped as well, though some bumped into the people in front of them, stumbling and nearly falling.

However, everyone managed to freeze in time. Not a single person moved a muscle; only the sound of their heavy breathing filled the air.

After a moment, the green light returned, and the crowd surged forward once more.

Xia Xuanfeng took a few steps, discreetly observing the bullet screen drifting overhead.

【I specifically hopped over from the Leke stream to check this out. I heard the contestants in this live survival variety show are really good-looking.】

【Why isn't the long-haired one moving?】

【He’s moving! But he’s so slow.】

【Can he even reach the finish line at that speed? I bet he won't make it past the first round.】

【How much are you betting, person above? I’m in.】

【Five hundred says he won't stop on red.】

【One thousand says he gets disqualified for a foul.】

Xia Xuanfeng felt a surge of irritation. Being watched and judged like this was a truly terrible feeling. These damn dogs...

‘Oh, heavens, how could I curse the Audience in my head? The Audience is God!’

‘Amen-to-fo, I hope God can forgive me.’

Xia Xuanfeng prayed for atonement several times in his mind.

“Red light!” another scream rang out. Xia Xuanfeng stopped abruptly, bending his knees to stabilize his center of gravity.

The bullet screen continued to drift by, growing more crowded.

【Move over, you’re blocking my view of the handsome guy.】

【Which handsome guy? The one with the long hair?】

【Who else? Do you want to look at the bald guy?】

【What’s wrong with being bald? The bald guy’s looks are actually top-tier. He’s exactly some people's type.】

【The person above is blind.】

【Right back at ya.】

The green light turned on, and Xia Xuanfeng continued to run.

The game was simple yet difficult. The rules were ‘stop on red, go on green,’ and reach the finish line within five minutes. Anyone with a normal IQ could understand it.

The difficulty lay in the fact that the signal light wasn't a standard one; it was deceptive. When the green light was on, it would suddenly blink like an eye, providing no warning or preparation time.

Someone had been startled by a blink and slammed on the brakes, nearly committing a foul.

Every switch between red and green felt like a blade hanging over their heads, never knowing when it would fall.

The bullet screen became exceptionally lively at this point.

【Hahaha, that bald guy stopped so hard he almost threw himself forward.】

【Suit Uncle’s feet look so good. I’m taking a screenshot. I suggest giving him a streetwalker script next time.】

【Good lord, the person above is too vulgar.】

【The long-haired guy is still just strolling along. Is he here for a competition or a walk in the park?】

【I bet he’s the first one to be eliminated. Anyone want to join?】

【I’m in, I’m in.】

【Me too. It’s a shame to waste such a handsome face.】

As he ran, Xia Xuanfeng glanced at Yue Shi. Yue Shi was about ten meters behind him; although he didn't look like he was moving fast, the distance between them remained constant.

Xia Xuanfeng looked away, but a strange thought churned in his mind: Yue Shi shouldn't be this well-behaved.

Though he had only known Yue Shi for two days, he had already realized that this guy wasn't the type to follow rules obediently.

He should be flipping the table, smashing the signal light, and dragging the Audience out from behind the screen to turn this so-called game into a joke.

But he wasn't doing that. At this moment, he was acting like a genuine contestant.

Something was wrong.

After running a few more steps, the finish line drew closer. The archway marked ‘Finish’ was less than a hundred meters ahead.

The bald man in the lead had only fifty meters left. His speed slowed as he mentally calculated the intervals of the red light, figuring out how many seconds he needed to sprint across the line.

The middle-aged man in the suit was twenty meters behind him, his bare feet already worn red from the floor.

The yellow-haired woman was in third place. The fat man and the old lady were neck-and-neck for last place, their breathing louder than an old tractor.

The bullet screen was still drifting.

【Is the long-haired guy really just here for a walk?】

【He’s been walking for three minutes. He hasn't run a single step.】

【But he hasn't fouled either. He stops perfectly every time the red light hits.】

【What’s the point of this?】

【I feel like something’s off. I heard this guy has an unusual background.】

【What could be off? He’s just a handsome weirdo.】

Xia Xuanfeng glanced at Yue Shi again. Yue Shi clearly had his own rhythm, and the distance between him and the leaders remained constant.

Wrong. This was very wrong.

Meanwhile, somewhere behind the scenes, the Audience was discussing.

“That long-haired guy—who do you think he really is?” one voice asked, filled with curiosity.

“No idea, but he’s definitely not ordinary. I saw it with my own eyes—he appeared out of nowhere. There’s no information about him in this world; he’s an undocumented resident.”

“Could he have wandered in from another room on the ship?”

“Unlikely. The ship doesn't make mistakes like that.”

Silence fell for a few seconds.

“Don’t you think his behavior is a bit strange?”

“In what way?”

“I can't put my finger on it. In short, it’s just weird. He’s too honest. He doesn't look like the type of person who would play a game so obediently.”

“So what? No matter who he is, he has to follow our rules once he’s here!”

“We are the heavens of this world!”

...

At this very moment, in a mysterious place within this world.

There were no rusted pipes here, nor was there any sickly white light. There was only an infinite, boundless darkness.

Yue Shi stood in the darkness.

The real Yue Shi. All three of his eyes were open, with faint ∞ symbols flickering in the depths of his pupils.

In the vision of one eye, the game arena within the modified underground prison was reflected.

He saw the running contestants, the flickering signal light, the dense bullet screen, and the other Yue Shi.

The Yue Shi participating in the live survival game was merely a mirror clone.

His true body was hidden in the shadows, using the clone to attract everyone's attention and serve as a tool to deceive the Audience.

The corners of Yue Shi’s mouth curled up. His clone was moving forward in time with the green light, while the bullet screen drifted over the clone’s head in a cacophony of discussion.

The Audience didn't seem to recognize the clone. It appeared that the so-called Audience was not omniscient or omnipotent.