Chapter 11 Let Us Continue

• Skyler remained seated, neither getting up nor searching for clues.
• He still felt something was off.
• Likewise, Pomeline, the psychologist, stayed seated as well.
• “What are you thinking about?” Pomeline asked casually, covering her mouth and nose.
• “Me?” Skyler was startled. “What? Are you going to give me a psychological diagnosis?”
• “Not really. Smart people like you usually have some psychological issues, but this isn't exactly the right time for therapy.” Pomeline smiled slightly. “I'm just curious what you're thinking about.”
• Skyler pondered for a moment before answering, “I'm thinking about the reason.”
• “The reason?”
• Skyler ignored her question and instead called out to Harvey. “Doc, how long can a person survive after being shot in the heart?”
• Harvey thought for a moment and replied, “If I remember correctly, someone shot in the heart will lose consciousness within seconds. But medically, death is defined as 'brain death', so the brain will keep functioning for a few more minutes, even after consciousness is lost.”
• Skyler nodded. “That Goat Head screamed for a few minutes after being shot, meaning his body is far more durable than a normal human, right?”
• “Yes, it seems so. Despite a shot to the heart, he lasted several minutes before losing consciousness.”
• Hearing Skyler and Harvey talk, the room quieted.
• Just moments ago, it was Skyler's clear thinking that allowed all nine of them to survive.
• “So, why do you think that happened?” Skyler mimicked a gun with his fingers, placing it against his temple. “Most people would choose this way to commit suicide.”
• He then positioned his hand under his chin. “Or like this.”
• Finally, he pointed to his chest.
• “Regardless, anyone attempting suicide would usually choose a method to minimize their pain. So why did he aim at his heart?”
• Fiddling with the Goat Head mask, Jeremiah shrugged and said, “Maybe the guy's got a thick skull. A shot to the head wouldn't have worked.”
• “If he bled, that means his body is like ours,” Spencer chimed in. “No matter how tough he was, a shot to the head at that range would have killed him.”
• Skyler nodded. “If that's the case, I can only think of one reason.”
• He pointed to the mask in Jeremiah's hand. “He chose to shoot his heart to protect something. The game probably isn't over.”
• Jeremiah was startled. “You mean... he was afraid of damaging his mask?”
• “That's right.”
• Following Skyler's instructions, Jeremiah turned the mask inside out. The rough inner lining of the sheepskin mask was now visible, and a rotten, acrid smell wafted through the air.
• As Skyler had predicted, words were written on the inside of the mask with black ink.
• Though some parts were smeared with blood, Jeremiah wiped them clean with his shirt until the writing became legible.
• “What the hell?” Jeremiah muttered, and in his broken Corvainan, he began reading aloud, “I am 'Man Dog'. You are cursed. I hope you survive. The quartz clock never stops, and death lies in the west. If you want to survive, turn toward your hometown a hundred times. By the way, people say mushroom springs up after the rain. Why aren't the mushrooms afraid of the rain? See you after the rain.”
• Skyler furrowed his brow slightly. Another clue for the next game.
• The shadow of death hanging over them wouldn't disappear.
• They had already died once. Were they now doomed to die again?
• “Hey, con man, what does this mean?” Jeremiah asked.
• “How would I know?” Skyler snorted. “There are nine of us here. Do I have to figure everything out?”
• Christine, the lawyer, slowly sat down in her chair. “As much as I hate to admit it, your thinking aligns closely with the organizer. If you have any ideas, you might as well share them.”
• “I....”
• Before Skyler could continue, the western wall began to shift.
• Everyone stared in shock as holes began to materialize in the previously solid concrete as if the wall itself was a living organism.
• In no time, rows of holes lined the western wall, as though they had always been there.
• At the same moment, the sound of chains being pulled echoed from the west.
• “What's going on?” Panic spread instantly among the group.
• “Quick, look at the ceiling!” someone cried out in surprise.
• Everyone looked up to find the ceiling was also full of small holes.
• Skyler finally stood up and took the sheepskin mask from Jeremiah. He examined the last line of writing.
• See you after the rain.
• “Rain?”
• Jeremiah cautiously approached the wall and peered into one of the holes. He immediately recoiled, stumbling back several steps.
• “Holy crap!” he shouted, looking around for somewhere to hide but finding no safe place.
• “What is it? What's in there?” Candy asked, her voice filled with fear.
• Jeremiah's bravery was well-known, so if something had scared him, it had to be serious.
• “Holy mother of... Harpoon! The holes are full of retreating harpoons!”
• “Retreating? What does that mean?” Harvey asked in confusion.
• “They must be loading,” Skyler said. “Since we started hearing the chain noise, the harpoons have been preparing to shoot out.”
• “Con man! Think of something fast!” Jeremiah begged, running over to Skyler. “If these harpoons shoot out from the west, where are we supposed to hide?”
• Skyler thought about it for a moment. Surviving alone wouldn't be too hard as there were already two corpses in the room.
• The harpoons wouldn't have enough force to pierce multiple layers. By stacking the bodies in a corner and hiding behind them, his chances of survival were fairly high even though he might get hurt.
• “This time, it's going to be difficult for everyone to survive. I need to protect myself, so I won't be saving you all again,” Skyler said quietly.
• “You...” Jeremiah hesitated, looking to Spencer and Harvey for help, but they both seemed just as lost.
• Skyler looked again at the writing inside the mask.
• Did I misinterpret it? The game will only end when there is only one survivor. If everyone stays alive, the death games will just keep happening.
• This room was bizarre. The western wall could change at any time, defying all scientific logic.
• It seemed more like magic.
• But if the organizer had such magical powers, why would they bother tormenting us nine dead people? Is this some kind of twisted game played by a ghost management agency?
• While Skyler was lost in thought, Pomeline looked at the mask in his hand and said, “It says here there's a way for us to survive. It says, 'Turn a hundred times toward hometown.'”
• The group calmed down a bit, starting to ponder what this could mean.
• “Does it mean we should face the direction of our hometown and spin in circles?” Candy suggested.
• “That doesn't seem right.” Jeremiah shook his head. “How are we supposed to determine which direction hometown is in this room? And even if you spun a hundred times, you'd just end up dizzy.”
• “Forget it! I'll give it a try!” Candy picked a random direction and began to spin.
• Skyler remained deep in thought. He knew it couldn't be that simple.