Inside the Game World, the trio had finally agreed to participate in the Game Master's first game: Freeze Tag. If they won, he would grant them whatever assistance they requested.
Meanwhile, outside the Game World, Kutcher continued desperately trying to cut his way into the enormous cube.
Outside the Game World...
Kutcher hunched over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air as sweat streamed down his exhausted body.
Damn it all...
Simply trying to cut my way through isn't working out in my favour!
He straightened up and wiped the sweat from his face.
My blade is already badly damaged...!
He clenched his fist in frustration before looking up at the enormous cubical structure.
"But seriously, though..." he muttered. "This thing's harder than steel! What the hell is it made of?!"
He scratched his chin, carefully examining the structure.
I don't see any sort of entrance...
So it's safe to assume that guy is controlling this thing from the inside!
Kutcher's expression grew troubled.
"Hmm..."
"If that's the case, then how the hell am I supposed to get in there if cutting it won't work?!"
"AHH—WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"
His frustrated shout echoed through the valley.
Meanwhile, Inside the Game World...
After several moments of reconstruction, the stage for the first game was finally complete.
"Sorry for the wait, contestants!" the Game Master announced, standing proudly in the middle of the newly constructed grounds.
The playing field was relatively large, measuring approximately seventy meters in length and thirty meters in width. It featured patches of grass and sand, along with swings and seesaws scattered around the area.
In other words...
It was a children's playground!
"What is it this time?!" Prīōra shouted irritably.
"Geez... it's been one thing after another ever since we entered No Man's Valley!" Tuziku complained, visibly annoyed.
Giō remained silent, studying their surroundings with a puzzled expression.
"At last! The final preparations are complete!" The Game Master flashed an excited grin. "There's just one more thing left to do before we begin."
"One more thing...? What's that supposed to be?" Giō asked.
Click!
The Game Master snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, a gigantic television screen appeared above his head.
The trio stared at it in bewilderment as the screen flickered to life, displaying miniature versions of the participants alongside their assigned teams.
"Now, everyone! Pay attention!" the Game Master announced. "As you can see, the screen shows how the teams will be divided."
He grinned.
"It'll be the three of you against me!"
"Three against one?!" Giō exclaimed in shock.
"Isn't that putting you at a disadvantage...?" Prīōra asked, confused.
Tuziku remained silent, his expression stern.
The Game Master chuckled.
"Not to worry! I like to make my games fun!"
"Games are no fun if everyone doesn't have a fair chance at winning," he explained.
"Is that so...?" Prīōra muttered doubtfully.
"Now, back to my earlier explanation," the Game Master continued. "I'll start on Team Freeze. After each match, the teams will switch roles."
He raised a finger.
"That means everyone will have a chance to play as both Team Freeze and Team Runners!"
Tuziku scratched his chin.
"I have some questions."
"What is it?" the Game Master replied.
"What happens if someone on Team Runners gets frozen but still tries to move? And how exactly do the Runners unfreeze a frozen teammate?"
Giō and Prīōra turned their attention toward the Game Master, waiting for his answers.
He responded with an eerie smirk.
"For a Runner to unfreeze a teammate, all they have to do is touch that person anywhere on their body!"
He paused, allowing his words to sink in.
"And as for ensuring that frozen Runners remain frozen..."
His smirk widened.
"PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE!"
Prīōra shuddered slightly.
"This guy seriously creeps me out..."
"Does that answer all your questions?" the Game Master asked cheerfully.
Tuziku and Prīōra remained silent.
"Hold on a second," Giō interjected, scratching his chin. "You said we'd switch roles after every match. So how many matches are we playing in total?"
"Hmm, let's see..." The Game Master scratched his head, pretending to contemplate the question.
"How about three matches? Sounds good?"
He grinned.
"Not that I plan on reducing the number anyway!"
Tuziku lowered his gaze toward the ground.
Three matches... That's three rounds of this stupid game.
He clenched his fists before looking back up.
"Alright, let's do this already!"
"I agree with you on that one," Giō added.
"Let's just get this over with as quickly as possible!" Prīōra declared, cracking her knuckles.
The Game Master let out an ominous chuckle.
"Excellent! Now, would you kindly gather near the entrance of the playground?"
He gestured toward a small gate leading into the playing field.
Once the trio had gathered near the entrance, the Game Master moved to stand beneath the giant screen.
BEEP!
A thirty-second countdown appeared.
"Alright, my fellow participants! As Team Runners, you'll be given a thirty-second head start to strategize and decide on your positions!" the Game Master explained.
The trio listened attentively.
"Once that countdown reaches zero, a ten-minute timer will begin. Your goal is to ensure that at least one Runner remains unfrozen when that timer expires!"
He flashed another grin.
"Alright, guys! Best of luck!"
Tuziku immediately turned toward the others.
"We need to spread out. If we stay together, it'll be easier for him to catch us all."
"Agreed," Giō replied. "But don't assume spreading out will keep us safe."
Prīōra glanced between them before nodding.
"Then let's make sure we don't lose track of one another."
With little time to spare, the trio prepared to move.
"Oh, and one more thing, guys!" the Game Master called out, raising a finger.
The trio's gazes snapped toward him.
"This game has a few hidden rules that you'll soon discover. Just keep that in mind as you enjoy the match!"
"Hidden rules?!" Giō snapped. "You didn't tell us there would be hidden rules!"
"What are these hidden rules?" Tuziku demanded.
The Game Master chuckled.
"Since I'm at a numerical disadvantage, I'm the only one allowed to know these rules beforehand!"
He spread his arms with a confident grin.
"But I assure you... these rules can benefit any player! I just happen to know them before you do."
Prīōra narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
This guy definitely has something up his sleeve!
"Alright, let's just get this game started," Tuziku said impatiently.
The Game Master let out a soft chuckle.
"Without further delay..."
He threw his arms into the air.
"LET THE GAME... BEGIN!!"
BEEP!
The thirty-second countdown began.
Tuziku, Giō, and Prīōra immediately dashed toward the far end of the playground, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the Game Master.
Meanwhile, their opponent threw his head back and burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS THRILL!!!"
His laughter echoed across the playground as the first game finally began.
CHAPTER 81 END!