YOUR TIME STARTS NOW
Just thinking about that entity sends him into panic.
"Escaping from it is impossible… If it can read minds, then it will know my next move before I even make it. I can't outrun it, and even if I hide somewhere, it can hear through walls. The moment I make a sound, I'm done for."
He stops thinking and just starts running away from it because he only had 5 minutes left. He keeps running for a long time and the timer was about to end when suddenly, he finds himself in a strange hall filled with deep pits everywhere—so deep that their bottom couldn't be seen from above.
"Wtf, where did all of this come from? I'm already stressed about that entity and now this?"
Suddenly, an idea pops into his head—something he could use to his advantage.
"The gaps between these pits are really narrow… I can use that."
He starts moving between the pits, but the moment the timer ends, the entity would be coming to hunt him. So he tries to go as fast as possible, but no matter what he does, he can't outrun the entity. He hears its breathing rapidly closing in on him.
"Fuck, it got here this fast!? I have to do something quickly…"
The entity starts approaching him through the pits. Its speed has slowed down a little, but it was still far faster than him. That's when a realization hits him—the thing can read minds.
So he has only one final option:
To think of one plan, but do something else.
But then doubt hits him.
"If it can hear my thoughts… it must be hearing this plan too. Maybe this won't work… but I have no other choice."
He runs toward one of the pits and deliberately thinks:
"I have to jump into this pit!"
But instead of jumping inside, he quickly dodges to the side and drops onto the solid ground next to the pit. Because of the entity's incredibly high speed, it can't stop itself in time—it leaps straight into the pit.
He only hears its distant scream echoing:
"HIDE… N… SEEK…!!"
"Finally, it's over… maybe now I can go home."
Right then, an announcement echoes around him:
LEVEL 1 IS CLEARED
YOUR PRIZE WILL BE DELIVERED SHORTLY
"I hope the prize is the way back home…"
A minute after the announcement, a package materializes in the air and drops in front of him. Inside, he finds some food, water, and a key. Thinking the key might be his way home, he picks it up.
The moment he touches it, a door appears in front of him with a keyhole. Without thinking twice, he inserts the key. As soon as the door opens, a bright light pulls him inside.
When the light fades, he finds himself in a railway station waiting area. It looks familiar, but he can't remember where he has seen it before. In the distance, he sees a man sitting. The moment he spots him, he starts running toward him and shouting:
"HELP! HELP! HELP!"
The stranger panics, grabs his bag, and pulls out a loaded gun.
Stranger: "Stay back! Don't even think about stealing my food! If you try anything, you'll die just as fast as you ran here!"
Seeing the gun, he freezes and raises his hands.
"Sir, I'm not here to steal your food. I just want to know… what is this place?"
Stranger: "What is this place? What kind of nonsense… Did you risk your life to get high even here? This is the waiting area. Don't you know that?"
"Sir, I don't know anything. I don't even know how I got here. I was resting at home and suddenly ended up here. I just finished playing hide and seek with some entity. I don't know where I am anymore…"
Stranger: "Oh… so you're a new climber."
"Climber?"
Stranger: "You don't know anything yet, do you? Don't worry, I'll explain everything."
"Sir, can you please lower the gun first?"
Stranger: "Oh, sorry about that. Come sit. I'll tell you everything. Ah, and I forgot to introduce myself—my name is Li Mingfu. Nice to meet you."
"My name is William. And if I forget your full name later… can I call you Mr. Li?"
Mr. Li: "Of course. Call me whatever you like. Anyway, we can talk on the way—our train to the base is here."
William: "TRAIN!? There's a train here too!?"
Mr. Li: "You ask too many questions. Come inside, I'll explain."
Both of them sit inside the train.
15 seconds after they enter, the doors close automatically and the train departs.