Chapter 195: The Third Round
Rovel was undeniably handsome. Himeko and Wendy had already certified that fact on multiple occasions. Yet, it wasn't just his physical features that drew people in; he carried a distinct, magnetic aura. The longer one lingered in his presence, the more intoxicating that unseen gravity became. Even Bronya, who usually maintained a stoic indifference toward him, felt a faint, uncharacteristic heat creeping up the tips of her ears.
Rovel noticed the subtle shift in her demeanor. He mentally pinned the blame on his [Charisma] stat. Elysia's Crystal provided a flat ten-point boost, while the serpentine accessory gifted by Mobius tacked on another seven. Looking in the mirror, his actual facial structure remained exactly the same, but the system's numerical enhancements seemed entirely dedicated to amplifying his raw appeal to the opposite sex. It projected an invisible field that made people instinctively want to lean closer.
"Hey, Rovel..." Bronya murmured, her voice barely a whisper meant only for him.
"What's wrong?" he replied. The warm brush of his breath ghosted across her cheek, causing her shoulders to stiffen.
"Help me adjust my posture... I feel like my balance is slipping."
A tiny crease formed between her brows. A faint, glossy mist gathered in her usually deadpan eyes as she stared directly into Rovel's dark, clear gaze. Beneath her ribs, a frantic rhythm began to drum against her chest.
"That is technically cheating, you know. Are you absolutely sure?" Rovel whispered back.
He personally could not care less. His moral compass was notoriously flexible, and [It is only a crime if you get caught] served as one of his core operating principles.
Bronya, however, operated on a different wavelength. Despite her background as a master hacker, she rigidly adhered to the sanctity of fair play within games and competitive events. Her mechanical skill and processing speed provided more than enough confidence to crush ninety-nine percent of her opponents without resorting to underhanded tactics. Choosing to cheat now would shatter her own strict code of conduct. If she truly wanted to rig the game, she could have easily slipped a micro-camera onto Rovel's collar during the first round to instantly mirror his answers. That would have been entirely foolproof.
But she had not done that.
Rovel's gentle reminder acted like a splash of cold water. She realized instantly that if she secured the limited-edition Homu through foul play, the resulting guilt would completely ruin the prize.
"Forget it..." Bronya took a slow, measured breath, forcing the erratic thumping in her chest to steady. For the sake of the ultimate Homu merchandise, she would endure this. It was just Rovel. She could handle looking at him.
Their faces remained separated by mere inches. Every ticking second stretched into a grueling trial of endurance. To distract herself, Bronya's mind frantically booted up an internal database of psychological trivia.
'Prolonged eye contact acts as a psychological kiss. The visual cortex processes the emotional transfer faster than verbal communication and registers it deeper than physical touch. It simulates a silent embrace.'Her internal monologue raced faster, pulling up neuroscience journals.'Studies indicate that unbroken, sincere eye contact exceeding three seconds triggers the brain to flood the system with oxytocin and dopamine. These are the exact same chemical compounds secreted in massive quantities during intimate physical acts such as hugging or kissing.'
She aggressively flooded her own processing unit with clinical facts, desperately trying to overwrite the strange warmth blooming in her chest.
"Careful, do not lose focus. Three minutes left. Just hold on a little longer," Rovel murmured.
His voice snapped her back to reality. She had nearly broken eye contact while lost in her academic rationalizations.
"...Mm," Bronya hummed a tiny sound of agreement.
His calm reassurance acted as an anchor. Twelve grueling minutes had already ticked by. Only three remained. She could easily survive three minutes.
Yet, as she stared back into his dark pupils, her traitorous mind immediately resumed its chaotic wandering.
'His facial symmetry is actually quite high...''He is surprisingly reliable whenever a dangerous situation arises...''Is this specific angle what attracted Mei and Wendy to him in the first place...?''Warning. Wandering thoughts during prolonged eye contact occur because the brain's social alertness system and emotional projection mechanisms are fully activated. This triggers rapid, unconscious psychological deductions regarding the target's intentions, self-presentation, and potential relationship compatibility.'
Cold, hard logic violently yanked Bronya back from the edge of a very dangerous cliff.
"Is the timer not finished yet..." Bronya shifted her weight, a rare hint of restlessness bleeding into her tone. She genuinely feared that if she maintained this visual lock any longer, her brain would generate even more bizarre, uncharacteristic conclusions.
"Almost done. Just a few more seconds, good girl," Rovel coaxed, his tone gentle and soothing, much like one would use to calm a fussy child.
The buzzer finally blared, signaling the end of the agonizing fifteen-minute trial. Bronya practically launched herself out of Rovel's arms the millisecond the sound registered.
Outwardly, her expression remained a mask of cool indifference. Inwardly, her cheeks felt like they were hovering over an open flame.
'This is merely a standard physiological reaction to chemical stimuli...' Bronya rationalized to herself, smoothing down her skirt. She was not a walking hormone dispenser like Rovel. Her dedication belonged entirely and exclusively to Seele.
"Let us hear a massive round of applause for the three couples who achieved a flawless perfect score in our second round!" the host's voice boomed over the speakers.
A wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd. It was abundantly clear that the audience had taken a strong liking to their particular pairing.
Thanks to their flawless endurance, their overall ranking skyrocketed straight into second place. The current leaders were sitting only a meager two points ahead of them. Victory was entirely within striking distance.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! We are now moving into the third round, which is worth a staggering thirty points! That is right, you heard me correctly—thirty points! That is more than the first two rounds combined! So, for those couples currently lagging behind, do not lose hope! This is your golden opportunity to turn the tide!"
The host spun around, gesturing grandly to a series of tables being wheeled onto the stage. "The third round is officially titled: Keep on Loving!"
"We have prepared exactly one hundred puzzle pieces for each participating couple. Your objective is to complete this puzzle in the fastest time possible."
A subtle spark ignited in Bronya's eyes. Pure, unadulterated logic and spatial reasoning. This was her absolute domain.
"But of course, if it were merely a simple jigsaw puzzle, it would hardly provide proper entertainment for our wonderful audience, now would it?" The host grinned, holding up a finger. "Therefore, we have applied a few additional rules."
"When your puzzle reaches thirty percent completion, it will automatically trigger a Phase One task: The [Couple's Q&A Challenge]. If you answer the provided question correctly, you may immediately resume building. If you answer incorrectly, your team will be hit with a mandatory one-minute penalty freeze before you are allowed to guess again."
"Naturally, you may choose to skip the question entirely. However, doing so will result in a flat three-point deduction from your final score."
"Moving on! Once your puzzle hits the fifty percent mark, you will trigger the Phase Two task: [Couple's Action Replay]. A random ten-second video clip of a couple interacting will be broadcast on the main screen. The two of you must perfectly replicate the actions shown in the video within a strict one-minute time limit. Your success will be judged by the volume of our audience's applause!"
"Failure to replicate the action perfectly results in another one-minute penalty freeze, after which a new random video will be selected for your next attempt. And just like before, skipping this phase will cost you three precious points."
"Finally, when you reach eighty percent completion, Phase Three will commence. Our event staff will confiscate five of your remaining puzzle pieces and suspend them at a height of exactly three point five meters. You must use the tools provided by the organizers and work together to retrieve your missing pieces."
The host leaned forward, his voice dropping into a theatrical warning. "And here is the most crucial rule of all: Throughout the entirety of this game, you must hold hands! If you let go of your partner for even a fraction of a second, you will suffer an immediate one-minute penalty freeze!"
"The base clear reward for the puzzle is twenty points. The total game time is forty minutes. For every minute you finish ahead of the clock, you will be awarded one extra point, capping out at a maximum of ten bonus points."
The host raised his microphone high into the air as the crowd roared.
"Now that the rules are set... let the third round begin!"
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