"Move! Get out of my way!"
"I can't see! There's blood in my eyes!"
"Run faster! The finish line is so far!"
Han Jiang held back a little at the start. He used his better body control to stay steady. His long strides ate up the distance without any waste. No stumbling, no extra effort.
Wang Bo panted hard beside him. The fatty already struggled after just twenty meters.
"Han… Jiang… too… fast…" Wang Bo gasped between breaths.
Han Jiang reached out quick and grabbed the fatty's arm. He pulled him forward once to stop him from falling when someone bumped into him from behind.
"Keep going. Don't stop."
The concrete felt cold and hard under their feet. People still pushed and shouted all around. Some already started breathing too heavy. The finish line stayed far ahead, like it was laughing at them. Blood from earlier made the ground slippery in spots. Wang Bo's legs kept shaking, but he tried to keep running. Han Jiang stayed right there, not letting him fall behind.
"Red Light!"
Everyone froze right in the middle of their steps.
The doll's face on the big screens moved slowly, scanning the field. No real doll stood there — only the invisible rules that would punish anyone.
A few people who were still stumbling or breathing too heavy twitched without meaning to.
**BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.**
Three explosions came one after another, fast and loud.
The wet sound of flesh tearing filled the air. The smell of blood grew thicker, heavy and metallic.
A man right near Wang Bo suddenly blew apart. Chunks of meat flew out and slapped hard against the fatty's back.
Wang Bo whimpered softly, his whole body shaking inside. But somehow he stayed completely still. Not even a finger moved.
Han Jiang stood like a statue beside him. His golden eyes stayed calm. The finish line looked so far away. The cold concrete under their feet felt sticky now with fresh blood. No one dared to breathe loud. The doll on the screen kept smiling wide, watching everything.
Player count on the right screen suddenly dropped. From 1,000 it went straight down to 987.
Han Jiang stayed perfectly frozen. His new body made it easy. Every muscle listened to him. His sharper mind kept everything under control. Inside his head he thought: *My new body… it's like I was built for this. Every fiber listens. I can even hear individual heartbeats around me — some racing, some slowing in terror.*
The game kept going without mercy.
"Green Light!" — another wild surge forward. More pushing, more screams.
"Red Light!" — more people died.
By the fourth round, the player count had already fallen to 912. Panic spread faster now. Some cried openly while still trying to run. They couldn't stop in time and exploded on the spot.
Wang Bo's legs shook harder. Sweat mixed with the blood on his face. He kept breathing short and scared, but he didn't move when Red Light came. Han Jiang stayed right beside him, still as stone. The finish line looked a little closer, but still so far. The concrete under their feet felt wet and slippery. The doll on the screens kept smiling, like it enjoyed every second.
Li Wei and Su Mei were both still alive. They had moved a few meters apart from each other now. Li Wei ran with steady, careful steps and froze the moment the light changed. Su Mei stayed more careful. She took shorter strides and controlled every move.
Wang Bo was having a really hard time. His face turned all red. Sweat poured down nonstop. His legs kept shaking worse and worse.
During one messy Green Light, he suddenly tripped over a shoe someone had dropped. Han Jiang grabbed his arm fast and pulled him forward with easy strength.
"Thanks… bro…" Wang Bo panted, breathing heavy.
They had reached about halfway. Only 150 meters left to the finish line.
Then a really cruel sequence came.
"Green Light!" — this time it was very short, just five seconds.
People sprinted like crazy.
"Red Light!" — it switched right away.
Mass panic hit. Someone close to them screamed and tried to stop, but it was already too late.
The air felt even colder. The concrete under their feet was slippery with blood and sweat. Wang Bo's heart pounded so loud Han Jiang could hear it clearly. The finish line still waited far ahead, quiet and cold.
**BOOM.**
Blood and pieces of flesh sprayed straight into Wang Bo's face. He flinched hard, body jerking without control.
Han Jiang stayed frozen in place. He had no time to do anything.
Wang Bo's body twitched once — then it exploded.
**BOOM.**
Warm blood and chunks flew out everywhere. They splattered all over Han Jiang's golden-blonde hair, his face, and his clothes. The fatty's remains made a gruesome circle on the concrete around him.
Han Jiang did not move at all. He stayed perfectly still, now covered in his companion's blood. His golden eyes stayed wide open, but his body locked tight.
Then a soft, childish voice spoke straight inside his mind. Not from the screens. It felt close, like a whisper right next to his ear.
"Kid… impressive. You can remain calm even in this situation."
It was the doll.
Han Jiang could not move. He could not answer.
The player count on the screen now showed 874.
Blood dripped slowly down his face, drop by drop.
The game kept going without mercy.
But for Han Jiang, standing there frozen with Wang Bo's blood soaking into his new perfect body, the horror suddenly felt real. Deep and personal. The finish line still waited far ahead. The cold concrete under his feet felt sticky now. His golden hair stuck together with red. He stayed silent inside, but something had changed.