Chapter 76 - 22 Hours

Words : 1226 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 76: 22 Hours After 20 more eliminations that were served on a silver platter, the ambushers sadly stopped coming. And they decided that a bit of rest was in order. Xavier said it was because the next phase would be more intense and likely require more stamina. Luca actually pursed his lips at the mention of stamina. He really, really wanted to take a stamina pill but decided to see how far he could go in his current state. Plus, the small amount of spiritual water should last him long enough. Well, except for Xavier, who had to gulp down Luca’s mixed solutions. Sure, it would’ve been unfair, but no other student was taking the test while contaminated. Luca could not understand how Xavier was doing it with his limited energy and compromised meridians. He concluded that Xavier depended heavily on his physical abilities and training. But that was also why Xavier now looked worse for wear and opted to rest even when he would ordinarily never suggest that. Of course, Luca would agree because who wouldn’t want to rest after all those battles? Especially him, who had never had to fight like that. Even when he trained in his own space, the environment made it easy for him to recover and continue, but it was taking far too long here. So, the rest was really more mental and physical rather than spiritual. Without cameras, Luca would’ve opted to hide in his space to sleep peacefully. But since he wasn’t sure if someone was watching, he couldn’t risk it. And how was he going to explain his disappearance to Xavier? In reality, they were planning on picking sturdy trees to use as a resting and lookout area, but they didn’t get to do that because Xavier noticed a sharp drop in the number of survivors. "As expected, they’ve noticed the issue." "???" Luca wondered what Xavier meant as he watched him stare at his terminal. "There are only 221 examinees left." The days were longer now that they were outside the dome, but that didn’t adjust their body’s endurance. So, why did it seem like no one was resting? With the live broadcast going on for this long, many expected a silent night. So, most people went to bed, hoping to catch the viewing action tomorrow—except for the students whose grades depended on this. And it was them who saw the change in the exam’s pace. The examinees would be graded based on their rank. A grade of A or B was guaranteed for those in the Top 200, while a C would be awarded to those in ranks 201-300, a D to those in ranks 301-400, and an F to those in ranks 401-500. Now, only the survivors would get 25 points for their team, but what happens when both people are eliminated, or their badge doesn’t make it? Then, the points would be based on personal eliminations and then their survival time. After about 22 hours, only 221 examinees were left, and just six people held 119 points of the 279 eliminations. If some eliminated students managed to grab points before being eliminated themselves, then even now, they were probably guaranteed a higher rank than those who spent hours looking for clues but would get a zero the moment they encountered those hunting for elimination points. Instead of hunting for clues and focusing on survival, the examinees now had to eliminate someone before they were kicked out of the test. With several crazy teams upping the game, they would literally have no one to kill unless they went for the crazy ones. And that was not possible. They wouldn’t even dream of it. So, the fragile alliances were broken, and eventually, a fierce hunt was started. By this time, Luca already had 24 points, while Xavier had 41. And with everyone trying to kill each other, the points were starting to spread out. After reviewing the rankings, Luca asked, "It says here that 002 has 16 points. Finishing the mission first would allow him to tie with you, assuming we also survive. Should we also find the rest of the mission clues?" When the enemies started thinning out, Luca decided to let Xavier have the rest of the kills to safeguard their rank, but even then, they’d have to survive to ensure the top spot. Luca actually wondered why Xavier didn’t just ask for all the points, and even the ones he got recently were only obtained after Luca made a show of being tired and needing help. But that was because Xavier was already pushing it, and he knew his limits. In fact, he switched to using his gun more than close combat to be able to endure this long. His plan was also to finish as early as possible because prolonged combat was impossible for him now. Luca was actually invaluable this time, and he had to give it to the chipmunk. He contributed to the team and was as obedient as he could be. Save for forcing him to drink those nutrient solutions, there wasn’t much he could complain about, especially when he could feel that whatever Luca was doing was helping him last longer. But rest really had no place in the timetable because a certain scum couldn’t control himself. Several people would argue that they were having a difficult time, but Jax would probably take the cake right now. Not only did he have to deal with enemies and scoring points, but he also had to deal with Greg, who kept harping about Luca and their Captain. "They should tell us once they’re at the cave. I told them about that and should at least get something out of it. So, ask them if they’re already there." That would be the fourth time he’s asked. And Jax didn’t need to have Kyle’s brains to tell that something was wrong. Greg was being too pushy. His sharp instincts also told him that this guy was off. He was sweating too much for someone who barely did anything like he was nervous about something. In this regard, Jax was right. Because Greg was an idiot who didn’t think twice about fucking with nature. Greg just activated his family’s dormant mining equipment in his excitement and underestimation of Jax’s loyalty. Somewhere corded and sealed sat several devices that lit up for the first time in a long while. The machines didn’t roar to life, but the pulsating light from the activated energy cube starkly contrasted with the oppressive darkness. The air grew thick and heavy as shadows danced along the jagged wall rocks. There it was, something likely older than the mine itself, twisting and writhing as if alive. Then came the sound—soft at first, like the distant scraping of stone against stone, but then it grew louder, closer. A low, guttural growl echoed through the cavern, reverberating off the walls that could’ve sent shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned miners. Then, the light nestled firmly in the excavator’s heart suddenly disappeared. From the depths of the abandoned tunnel glowed a pair of eyes filled with an ancient hunger. It could smell the alluring scent of energy. There was energy that hadn’t been felt for so long. And it would be damned to let it get away again.

Chapter 76 - 22 Hours

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