Chaos erupted once again. This time, the noise came from the straw warehouse—Room Two. Eve and I immediately turned, witnessing a crowd of people pushing and shoving through a narrow doorway, only wide enough for one person at a time.

  They were scrambling for safety from something terrifying that had now entered the room. Screams, curses, and cries blended into a cacophony. Bodies pressed against each other, and in the turmoil, someone fell.

  “Help me!” he whimpered—trampled and crushed—but no one had the chance to help. As a few people glanced back, a whip shot out from the shadows. Its end coiled around the ankle of the unfortunate person and yanked him back into Room Two with brutal force. All that remained was the echo of his scream, resonating into our room.

  Tension turned to fury.

  “We can't just stay silent!” a man shouted angrily, his voice cutting through the panic. “There’s only one butcher! There's a lot of us! If we attack together, we can beat that damn pig!”

  Some began nodding in agreement. Three of them answered the call, picking up wooden scraps around the room as makeshift weapons. They rushed toward Room One, where the butcher was last seen.

  I realized this could be my chance. Quietly, I took a detour—through Room Four, the brick warehouse—to observe the situation from a safer side.

  Shouts and loud banging started echoing from the straw warehouse. The four men were trying to draw the butcher's attention by yelling and pounding the walls and floor with wood. I peeked through the slit of the door connecting to the execution room.

  The butcher—a terrifying figure guarding the cages—slowly turned his head. The commotion was enough to distract him. He began walking toward the source of the noise.

  I couldn’t let this opportunity slip.

  I crept toward the cage—where someone who’d been captured earlier was still trapped, pleading for help. I quickly unlatched it and helped him out.

  “Go to the brick warehouse! Hurry!” I whispered.

  His eyes, once drained of hope, flickered with life before he nodded and dashed in the direction I pointed.

  I peeked again. Through the gap between the execution room and the straw warehouse, I saw the four men finally confront the butcher. They swung their wood pieces with all their might at the hulking butcher—but the pig-man just stood still. Unfazed, unhurt. He looked at them like a predator waiting for its prey to tire.

  And sure enough.

  A few seconds later, as their swings began to slow, the butcher raised his arm. One swipe—and three bodies were flung to the floor like limp ragdolls.

  One man, who seemed to have survived the initial blow, ran off immediately—no longer thinking of the others.

  The butcher stared at the three who remained, his face now full of rage. Slowly, he drew a metal rod from his pocket. The moment it touched their skin, electricity crackled wildly. Their screams of pain filled the air. They writhed helplessly—until finally, they stopped moving.

  My eyes widened. Just then, the butcher turned his head. Right in my direction.

  My chest froze. I spun around and sprinted down the corridor toward the wooden warehouse.

  Just before entering the room, I passed a man with an undercut standing by the doorway. He watched me—his face calm, but his eyes alert. Like an informant silently observing everything.

  I ignored him and slipped into the room.

  Inside, I found Eve talking to Nathan and Carla. I was still gasping for air as I approached them.

  “What’s wrong?” Eve asked, her eyes full of concern. “Did they make it? Did the butcher—”

  “Are you okay?” Carla interrupted, clearly worried about my condition.

  I shook my head quickly. “They... they were all defeated. Their attack didn’t work. The butcher wasn’t even scratched.”

  “What?” Nathan frowned, in disbelief. “That’s impossible! There’s only one of him, how could—?”

  “Then what do we do now?” Carla’s voice trembled.

  I took a deep breath. “The only way... we have to open the escape door. But to do that, we need the remotes. One is in Room Two, the Straw Warehouse, and the other’s in Room Four, the Brick Warehouse.”

  “Then we have to find both—right now,” said Eve, panic rising in her voice. “If not, we’re all going to die here.”

  I scanned the area. “Wait, where’s Daniel? Why isn’t he with you, Carla?”

  “He’s probably fine… maybe he’s in one of the other game rooms,” Carla replied, trying to sound reassuring—whether to me or to herself, I couldn’t tell.

  "Another room? You mean there’s more than one game arena?" I asked, both curious and anxious.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "I think so. Look closely—there are fewer winners in this room than in the previous game. That likely means we’re not all in the same arena—this game is divided into two separate rooms," Nathan explained quickly, sweeping the area with a sharp gaze.

  That explanation made sense. Indeed, I didn’t see the man who had helped me earlier. But still... how could Carla be so sure Daniel would be okay?

  "This isn’t the time to talk about other game rooms!" Eve exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly, filled with urgency. "What we need to focus on now is how to find the remote. Because I’m sure... the butcher won’t just sit back and let us get to it."

  Her eyes flicked nervously from one door to another.

  "Looks like we don’t have much choice," Nathan said. Then he looked directly at me. "Elio, come with me. We’ll search for the remote in the straw warehouse—room number two."

  I hesitated, but before I could respond, Eve spoke up.

  "Then Carla and I will search the brick warehouse?"

  "No." Nathan shook his head. "You stay here, Eve. Help Carla escape if the butcher comes into the straw or brick warehouse."

  Eve frowned but didn’t argue. Nathan continued swiftly, "The moment the butcher shows up, you two must run in the opposite direction. There’ll be a guard who tells us his location from the door."

  He looked at all of us.

  "If we work together, we have a better chance of surviving than if we split up. Let me and Elio search."

  Then, without waiting for a response, Nathan motioned with his head. I swallowed hard and followed him toward the door leading to the straw warehouse.

  "Wouldn’t it be safer if we all stayed together?" Carla asked softly.

  "I think... Nathan’s right," Eve replied quietly, though there was still doubt in her voice. "Sooner or later, we need to find that remote if we want to get out of here."

  She turned to Carla and added, "For now, it’s best to follow their plan. At least we can avoid the butcher."

  Carla stared at the door we were heading to, her expression filled with worry.

  "I hope they’ll be okay..."

  Meanwhile, Eve furrowed her brow. Her heart was beginning to race with unease.

  Is it really that easy to avoid the butcher? she wondered. Especially now that I have to protect Carla... I hope Nathan and Elio find that remote quickly.

  ---

  The straw warehouse—room two—was not what I expected. It was tall, two stories high, made of old wooden beams, with the scent of damp straw lingering in the air. A rickety staircase was the only way to reach the upper floor, which was stacked with loose, messy bundles of hay.

  On the ground floor, blocks of straw were arranged neatly to form corridors like a maze. In one corner, I spotted an empty cage—a safe zone, in case the butcher showed up.

  Searching for the remote here... is just as insane as looking for it in the brick warehouse, I thought, stepping cautiously onto the creaky stairs.

  "Check the upper floor. I’ll sweep the ground level," Nathan said quietly from below.

  I gave him a thumbs-up, then began pulling apart the piles of straw one by one, searching for anything that could be called hope.

  But a few minutes later, the harsh roar of a machine echoed from the execution room, followed by screams that froze my blood.

  Two screams. Two people dead.

  I ducked instinctively, breath caught in my throat. My eyes locked on the open door of room one. And from behind the thin mist that shrouded the space, that figure emerged.

  The butcher.

  His body was massive and grotesque—unnaturally fat, with pale skin streaked with mud and dried blood forming horrific patterns. His wide, sagging chest was covered by a filthy apron that had once been white but was now stained dark red with fresh, dripping blood.

  But the most haunting part was his head—a giant pig’s head, complete with a snout that exhaled heavily. His eyes glowed red, filled with the rage of a wild beast. The muscles in his face were taut, as if ready to explode at any moment. His breath sounded like the hiss of death.

  I held my breath. My left hand signaled Nathan quickly—the butcher had entered.

  We moved. Silently.

  I slipped into the pile of straw, trying to hold my breath as low as possible. My heart pounded wildly, slamming against my chest like a hammer. Every heavy step from the butcher below echoed, creating a deathly resonance throughout the room.

  I had no idea where Nathan was hiding now. But one thing was certain—I couldn’t afford to get caught.

  Step by step, the butcher moved slowly… closer.

  Then, his steps began to fade away.

  I nearly exhaled in relief—until the sound of frantic footsteps from the direction of the wooden warehouse suddenly shattered the silence, echoing toward the brick warehouse. It seemed the plan to circle the rooms had worked. The butcher’s massive body made him slow to react, and that gap was just enough to buy us some distance.

  I peeked through the straw pile, my breath still held. The butcher—that terrifying creature with a pig’s head and a snorting breath like a wild beast—was slowly moving away, stepping through the door toward the wooden warehouse. Carefully, I emerged from my hiding spot.

  But my steps froze instantly.

  From the direction of the execution room door, Nathan appeared, carrying an unconscious player over his shoulder. His clothes were soaked in blood, his face serious and unwavering. Without hesitation, he brought the player into this room and headed straight to the shelter cage.

  I could only stare. Frozen. Silent.

  Guilt slammed into my chest like a hammer. While I had just been hiding, hoping not to be seen, Nathan had risked his life for someone else. And to think—I had promised myself—promised Marlo—that I would change. That I would help anyone I could save. But the truth was... I was still the same. Running. Afraid.

  Nathan turned to me and called out softly but firmly,

  “Elio. What are you doing? Find the remote. Now.”

  That voice snapped me out of my trance. I nodded quickly, then began moving, scanning the upper floor of the warehouse, tossing through straw and checking every corner.

  But this place was too big. Too chaotic. The remote could be hidden anywhere—or it might not be here at all. I started to panic. I could hear the players’ footsteps outside entering the execution room.

  They had started the rotation. That meant… the butcher would soon circle back, and this room would surely be the next target.

  Panic began to flood my chest.

  Suddenly, from the execution room, a player emerged—a man with an undercut hairstyle I’d seen earlier. He dashed toward the door to the wooden warehouse, probably to check on the butcher’s position.

  But as he ran, he accidentally bumped into a stack of straw. One of the bales fell and split open, its contents scattering onto the floor.

  And there it was—a metallic object fell out, catching a faint glint of light.

  The remote.

  It was shaped like a pistol grip, made of dull metal, with a bright red button on top.

  The player stared at it for a second, surprised. Then Nathan rushed over and shouted,

  “Nick, press that button! We need to know the first pattern!”

  Nick, without hesitation, pressed the button.

  “TEETTT!”

  A sharp beep echoed across the room. In that instant, everyone fell silent. Nick quickly ran to the door of the wooden warehouse, peeking through with hurried breaths. Then he shouted, waving at Nathan.

  “Nathan! The indicator light above the gate just lit up!”

  My breath finally eased. Not because everything was safe—not yet.

  But at least we were one step closer. The first remote was found. The first pattern activated. Now, just one more remote. And five more patterns to go.

  For the first time… hope felt real.