"Yeah, let me do it," Kim Jae-In added, his serious expression matching Woojin's.
"No," Arial insisted. "I'm the best climber here. I can do it."
Li Yun looked at Arial, his gaze steady. "If you feel confident, then go ahead," he said calmly. "But be careful."
Arial nodded and began her ascent, her blonde hair catching the sunlight as she skillfully navigated the rocky surface. The group watched anxiously, their hearts pounding with each step she took. Halfway up, Arial's foot slipped on a loose rock, and she lost her grip.
"Arial!" Lisa cried out, her voice filled with panic.
Arial fell, landing heavily on the ground below. She winced in pain, clutching her ankle. Lisa and Ayesha rushed to her side, their faces pale with worry.
"I'm okay," Arial said through gritted teeth, trying to stand. "I can try again."
"No," Li Yun said firmly, stepping forward. "You need to rest. You've done enough."
"But we're so close," Arial protested. "I can do it."
Li Yun knelt beside her, his expression softening. "Arial, sometimes you need to trust others too. We can do this together."
Kim Jae-In stepped forward, his black eyes meeting Arial's golden ones. "Let me climb this time," he said. "We can't risk losing a friend."
Arial hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Okay. Be careful."
Kim Jae-In approached the cliff, taking a deep breath before beginning his climb. His movements were strong and sure, each grip and foothold carefully chosen. The group watched in tense silence.
Halfway up, he paused, glancing down at his friends. They gave him encouraging nods, their faces a mix of worry and trust. He continued his ascent, finally reaching the crevice where the token was lodged.
He grabbed the token, holding it up triumphantly. "Got it!"
The group erupted in cheers as Kim Jae-In began his descent, moving quickly but cautiously. When he reached the ground, they rushed to him.
"We did it!" Lisa exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
"Thanks to all of you," Kim Jae-In said, smiling. "And Arial, your effort wasn't in vain."
Arial smiled weakly, still in pain but happy. "I'm just glad we made it."
Li Yun stepped forward, placing a hand on Arial's shoulder. "You were brave, Arial. But remember, we're a team. We rely on each other."
Arial nodded, she was not alone here.
[Congratulations, Room 20,000 players.
Surviving 7 days: Completed. Reward: 5000 Points.
50 Tokens: Completed. Reward: 50,000 Points + Survival Pack (basic)]
A Portal opened to led them back to the room.
"Let's move on," Li Yun said, his voice filled with determination. "We have more floors to conquer."
As they walked towards the portal that would take them to the next floor, the rain began to fall, gently pattering against the leaves.
They had just endured seven grueling days in the dangerous survival forest of Floor 3, and exhaustion was evident on everyone’s faces.
Li Yun had just looked at the ranking and was surprised.
Their room was currently ranked 97th, a monumental achievement given their circumstances.
Li Yun, with his shoulder-length black hair tied back in a loose ponytail, was seated at a large wooden table in the common area. His deep blue eyes scanned the list of rooms that had completed Floor 3. Beside him sat Su Mingji, with his brown wavy hair and fair skin, leaning back and stretching. Kim Woojin, ever serious with his short black hair and intense black eyes, was going through their supplies.
These two were just like his left and right hands.
Arial Luana, her blonde wavy hair falling over her shoulders and her golden eyes reflecting the firelight, was helping Ayesha Khan prepare some food. Ayesha's long black hair was tied in a neat braid, and her gentle black eyes focused on the task. Lisa and Alex Parda, the silver-haired siblings, were chatting animatedly about their experiences. Lisa's innocent beauty contrasted with Alex’s more playful demeanor.
Lin Xinyue, with his petite frame and gentle brown eyes, was quietly observing everyone, while Xie Zhili’s elegant figure moved gracefully as he fetched water from the communal well. Si Xing, with his short black hair and grey eyes, was trying to start a fire, his innocent face scrunched in concentration.
Kim Jae-In, the tall and honey-skinned warrior, stood watch by the entrance, his black eyes sharp but gentle at the moment.
Li Yun tapped the table to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, come over here. Let's review the rankings and see where we stand."
The group gathered around, curiosity piqued. "So, how did we do?" Alex asked, his sky-blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
"We're ranked 97 out of 20,000," Li Yun announced, a small smile playing on his lips.
A collective gasp went up. "Are you serious?" Lisa exclaimed, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. "That's amazing!"
"We really did it," Arial said, her wild beauty lighting up with a smile. "I knew we had it in us."
Kim Woojin nodded, though a rare smile graced his serious face. "We worked hard. We deserve this."
Su Mingji leaned in, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously. "Hey, did you see? Ten rooms completed a hidden quest. Room 1, 5, 6, 12, 543, 345, 968, 3496, 6535, and 8753."
Ayesha looked up from her cooking, curiosity piqued. "Hidden quest? What kind of quest?"
Li Yun shrugged. "It's not specified. Probably something to do with the environment or a special task."
Lin Xinyue, spoke up. "It makes sense. There were a lot of strange things we encountered. Maybe we missed something."
"Like the giant ant hill," Si Xing said, finally managing to light the fire. "Who knew there'd be a token inside it?"
"Or the thorn maze," Kim Jae-In added. "That was a nightmare to get through."
Lisa clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Let's not dwell on what we missed. We did great! And we should celebrate that."
"Agreed," Li Yun said, raising a cup of water. "To Room 20,000."
Everyone cheered and ate and drank up.
As they settled down to eat, the conversation turned to lighter topics. "Did anyone else see Alex trying to race a deer?" Lisa teased, causing everyone to laugh.
Alex rolled his eyes, but a grin spread across his face. "Hey, that deer was fast! I almost had it."
"You almost fell off a cliff," Arial pointed out, laughing. "But it was impressive."
Su Mingji leaned back, smirking. "And what about Kim Woojin? I saw you talking to that tree for a good five minutes."
Kim Woojin blushed slightly, but kept his composure. "It had interesting bark patterns. Could be useful for future reference."
Ayesha giggled, her gentle laughter contagious. "And Li Yun, you spent an hour staring at the stars. Did you see something interesting?"
Li Yun coughed. "I was just dazed.."
Arial said softly. "From being the 'useless' room to ranking 97th. It's incredible."
"Everyone contributed," Lin Xinyue said quietly. "We couldn't have done it without each other."
"Yeah, even the 'useless' talents proved valuable," Si Xing added. "Who knew my Mirage talent would help us evade that giant spider?"
Kim Woojin said. "We all have our strengths."
Li Yun looked around at his friends, feeling a deep sense of gratitude.
"So, what's next?" Alex asked, stretching his arms above his head.
"We keep pushing forward," Li Yun said. "Floor 4 awaits. But tonight, we rest and celebrate our success."
"And maybe tomorrow we can figure out how those other rooms completed the hidden quest," Su Mingji suggested.
They stood up and left for their own houses in the community and said Goodnight. Floor 3 was extremely exhausting physically.
"My eyes are so beautiful, Hey, why did you hit me?!"
Alex Parda, Lisa's younger brother, grew up in the same nurturing environment. He was always the more adventurous and spirited sibling, constantly seeking new thrills and experiences.
Likes:
- Injustice and seeing the strong prey on the weak.
- Being confined to one place for too long, as he craves freedom and movement.
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