Chapter 38: Black Visitor

"A bit strange..." Qi Xia said softly. "I thought a 'physical endurance elimination game' should have a very complex venue, so it could continuously eliminate participants."

"You're right." Qiao Jiajin nodded, glancing at the square field and the central iron plate, his expression turning puzzled. "So how are they going to eliminate us here?"

No sooner had he spoken than the large iron door in front of them vibrated and slowly rose.

"Hmm?" The chubby middle-aged man saw the door open and looked confused. "What's this? Do we have to go further?"

As soon as the door fully opened, the countdown on the wall started.

It seemed the game had truly begun.

"What the heck?"

Everyone exchanged glances, completely unsure of what was happening.

But the next second, a low, muffled roar came from inside the door.

That sound... wasn't human.

"Damn..." Qiao Jiajin's hair stood on end. "This can't be real..."

Out stepped a massive, pitch-black animal. It stood on two legs, its mouth slightly open, drooling continuously, and its eyes looked as if it hadn't eaten for days.

Once it had fully emerged, the iron door closed behind it.

"Is that... a Hei Xiong?" Qiao Jiajin involuntarily stepped back. If his opponent were human, he'd have full confidence to fight, but this was a Hei Xiong taller than a person.

Qi Xia stared intently, his face darkening. This was a "black bear," evident from the distinct white crescent pattern on its neck, but this one was enormous.

Normally, Hei Xiong don't grow taller than humans, usually between 1.6 and 1.8 meters, but this one appeared at least over 2 meters tall, utterly terrifying.

"Ah!"

A girl started to scream but instinctively covered her mouth, though a faint sound still escaped.

That abruptly cut-off noise not only startled everyone but also spooked the Hei Xiong.

After a brief pause, the Hei Xiong let out a deeper, more menacing roar, as if it had been provoked.

"What the hell kind of game is this!" the middle-aged man wailed and shouted, then turned and ran. But after just three steps, he froze in place.

He realized the stairs they had used to come down were gone.

Now, behind them was only a high wall, with no way out.

The middle-aged man seemed to lose his senses and plopped down on the ground. "It's over... We're done for... We're dead..."

"Damn... What do we do?" Qiao Jiajin turned to Qi Xia. "This isn't something we can win with just physical strength."

"This is tricky..." Qi Xia's expression grew heavy.

Why did the opponent have to be a Hei Xiong?

A Hei Xiong's close-range killing power was even greater than that of tigers or lions, and this confined space was the perfect hunting ground for it.

As the massive Hei Xiong slowly approached the group, the two young girls nearest to it were too frightened to move.

"Quick, play dead!" the middle-aged man on the ground yelled. "Playing dead gives you a chance against a bear!"

His shout snapped the two girls out of their daze. They immediately lay down on the ground, trembling all over with their eyes shut tight.

"No!" Qi Xia shouted. "Get up! Run!"

But the two girls ignored Qi Xia completely, remaining motionless on the ground.

Seeing others play dead, the rest of the group followed suit, sprawling out everywhere. Now, the only ones standing were Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and a slightly plump young woman.

"Qi Xia, is playing dead wrong?" Qiao Jiajin asked seriously. "Aren't you supposed to play dead when you encounter a bear?"

"Not for Hei Xiong!" Qi Xia shook his head earnestly. "It might work with a brown bear, as they don't eat people—they just attack to defend their territory. Once they think a dead human isn't a threat, they'll stop. But Hei Xiong is different. When extremely hungry, they will eat people!"

No sooner had he finished than the massive Hei Xiong approached one of the girls playing dead and sniffed her face.

"Foolish..." Qi Xia thought, sensing trouble. Humans had little chance of escaping a Hei Xiong even at full speed, let alone lying there waiting to die.

Sure enough, after sniffing for a few seconds, the Hei Xiong suddenly clamped its jaws around the girl's neck.

The girl let out a scream, but it choked off instantly, trapped in her throat.

Her hands flailed wildly, pounding at the Hei Xiong, but it felt like hitting a hard sandbag.

The Hei Xiong didn't let go; instead, it extended its front paw and firmly slapped her chest.

Her chest caved in visibly, as if all her bones had shattered.

The girl spat out a mouthful of blood and went completely still.

Witnessing this, Qi Xia felt his heart skip a beat.

He had only seen animal attacks in news on his phone, but experiencing this slaughter firsthand was horrifying.

Everyone, regardless of gender, gasped in shock.

Only then did they realize playing dead was useless, and they scattered in all directions.

Though humans are the rulers of Earth, they were utterly helpless against these native creatures.

Without tools or weapons, how could they fight this Hei Xiong?

Wait... Tools and weapons?

Qi Xia suddenly remembered the iron plate in the center of the field, about the size of a table.

Who said there were no tools or weapons here? The organizers had placed something, after all.

"Qiao Jiajin, we need to get that iron plate!" Qi Xia said. "I don't know what it is, but it looks like it could protect us."

"Damn... You sure know how to pick 'em..." Qiao Jiajin eyed the iron plate, which was practically at the Hei Xiong's feet, and said with difficulty, "That item's out of stock right now. Want to swap for something else, customer?"

"Stop wasting time!" Qi Xia replied. "If we don't use that iron plate to block the Hei Xiong, it's just a matter of time before we're done for."

"Alright..." Qiao Jiajin seemed to steel himself. "I'll distract the Hei Xiong, and you grab the iron plate."

"Distract it...?" Qi Xia hesitated but knew it was their only option. "A Hei Xiong can run up to 48 kilometers per hour—you won't outrun it. Just try to keep it circling."

"Got it." Qiao Jiajin nodded.

With their plan set, the two split up.

Qiao Jiajin slowly approached the Hei Xiong and suddenly shouted, "Hey! You idiot!"

The Hei Xiong paused, lifting its head to look at him, its eyes full of cautious killing intent.

It took a slow step forward, as if testing, and Qiao Jiajin stepped forward too.

This action made the beast hesitate; it couldn't gauge Qiao Jiajin's strength.

"You big idiot, want to go a round with me?" Qiao Jiajin forced a smile and waved his hand toward himself. "Come on, hit me."

Though the Hei Xiong didn't understand human language, it was clearly provoked by Qiao Jiajin's attitude.

It slowly rose to its full height on two legs, making itself look even larger.

"Roar—"

The Hei Xiong roared fiercely, as if building its own momentum, its breath reeking of rot.

The massive roar echoed in the confined space, making everyone's hair stand on end.

Qiao Jiajin felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down; he realized he might have provoked something he shouldn't have.