The trap in the game

The auditorium screen illuminated in a captivating white color, grabbing everyone's attention...

"[Difficulty: Nine of spades]"

I took a minute to process what I had heard and knew that if I divide the cards from 1 to 10, excluding the rest, this was the second most difficult game in the spades suit of the deck.

In simple terms, everyone knew they were about to die. If level eight to six were already considered dangerous games where very few could survive, a level nine was a completely different level, where not only did it depend on each person's ability to survive but also on the difficulty of the game itself.

In a few breaths, I adapted to the sudden change and then heard the rules of the game, what we had to do to overcome it. According to the explanation, this game is called "Pass the Bomb" and it consists of the player passing the active bomb in their vest to someone else.

Through a bomb vest, the timer would display the active time of each round just before it explodes. If the word "explode" is taken literally, only twelve people will die in the twelve rounds that had to be completed before the game ends.

But... Is it really that easy?

After hearing the rules, there was nothing preventing the use of weapons or any possible method to survive. The bomb would appear randomly, and that's when the game begins.

Each round is set to take place every ten minutes, which gives very little time to run and hide, to separate and distance oneself from others. If you have the bomb, your first reaction should be to pass it to another player as quickly as possible, hoping to get rid of that burden of death.

The fact that there were twelve rounds, each lasting ten minutes, within a two-hour period must have something hidden. It's impossible that it would be as easy as everyone was celebrating at this moment. The difficulty doesn't lie in escaping but in finding the players to pass the bomb to.

With 87 players, a single player would have to pass the bomb and traverse an area of 27,100 square meters in search of a target. In this place, there were not only auditoriums but also different floors and locations perfect for hiding.

Considering each person's endurance, at least for the one who has the bomb, they would be completely exhausted from running and searching for another player after just two rounds. Consequently, the best strategy would be to hide, but then comes the fact that if we're not in motion, the next bomb will have a higher chance of being with those who are stationary.

So, how can this game be won?

I know what you're thinking, what are the chances of being chosen to have the bomb among 86 players after the first round ends?

Fortunately for him, it wasn't difficult to distinguish what was best to gain better control of the game, and no, it wasn't by hiding in a corner of this place. There was something that bothered him about the game's rules and its easiness, so it was better to have a better overview of the game, and the ideal place was the Crystal Room, a large glass enclosure with an impressive structure of 228 meters long.

Not only would they have the height advantage, but they would also have a better view of where the players would be playing. In case they have the bomb, it would be best to know where the players are hiding to catch them more easily.

Now, I want you to think about what I deduced a moment ago...

Imagine playing a game with ten levels, each one more difficult than the previous. If someone who has been playing the game for a week tells you that very few manage to survive level 5. At that moment, you think, what will level six or seven be like? But when you're about to select a random game and you end up with level nine.

Think about it, what would you think in that situation?

Now, imagine that the rules and instructions to win that game are too easy. There are only twelve bombs that will explode with over eighty players gathered together.

Why gather so many players in a game where only twelve will die? The answer is very simple; there are many loopholes in this game, and the possibilities are endless. Murder is not prevented, the use of weapons is not prevented, and working together is not prevented.

That's how my mind works; I'm always thinking ahead and looking for the best way to survive alongside Usagi. Therefore, once we put on the vests, a kind of facial recognition displayed an image of all the survivors on the enormous screen.

...

"Usagi, let's run to the Crystal Hall where we'll have a better view of the terrain and surroundings. This game is not as simple as it seems." Jacob looked at Usagi and they both rushed out of the auditorium.

"I think the same!" Usagi wasted no time in verifying if everything she had heard in the auditorium was true or not. Winning the game was what mattered now, and she had no intention of carrying the bomb under any circumstances.

Usagi was sure about one thing: there were others around in the same confused state as her, so it was not the time to overthink. Just as Jacob had said, if she tried to explain all the events happening now with logic alone, she would limit her mind to other possibilities.

"Through here!" Jacob said as he climbed some stairs and surveyed the surroundings. With the help of his smart assistant, he could observe places that could be key in finding other players.

Minutes passed, and an eerie silence fell upon the arena. Jacob glanced at Usagi, and they both stood motionless. They were in a favorable position, with no problem in escaping or defending themselves.

"Do you think this is all fake?" Jacob suddenly asked, his tone normal as he sought Usagi's opinion.

In situations like these, it was hard to accept that the games were deadly and that they were forced to play endlessly to increase their visas. Having to play a mortal game gave everyone a chance to keep living or, on the contrary, to die in an unpleasant way.

"It doesn't matter what I think. What truly matters is what we are experiencing, and everything indicates that the games are real." Usagi looked at Jacob calmly and said, "I don't care what happens to others. They are all selfish, and I will do whatever it takes to win."

Jacob smiled upon hearing those words. He knew firsthand that was the case and accepted it. Everyone is selfish, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. When you give your all for others and they only think about themselves, you learn that selfishness is a defense mechanism. Everyone, no matter who they are, has been selfish at some point. Thinking about that, Jacob said nothing more.

Minutes passed in the arena, and there were no more sounds of gunfire or screams. It was now the phase of brute force and hiding. With such a vast playing field, the one with the bomb would be the seeker.

"[Master, the bomb is right in front of you!]"

Jacob unlocked his rifle, walked through the elevated area, and aimed in the direction indicated by his intelligent assistant.

"What's happening?" Usagi had already taken out her shotgun, ready to use the firearm if necessary.

Jacob didn't respond. His cold gaze focused on that point, and soon a person with a red-lit vest slowly walked while clutching their bleeding leg.

"[2 minutes and 10 seconds until the round ends!]"

"Is he injured?" Usagi murmured as she watched the person advancing, scanning the surroundings.

Jacob observed the wound and knew it was caused by the initial gunfire. "It seems the players are willing to harm others. We shouldn't trust anyone else."

"Please!"

"Don't hide like cowards!"

The minutes dwindled, and when the person looked up and saw Jacob and Usagi silently watching him, he stopped. There was no possibility of reaching them. "Damn it! I helped many survive, and now all of them have betrayed me."

"[00:35 seconds!]"

Jacob silently looked at him, feeling a bit of helplessness and the pain that person carried. This world was cruel, and the chances of dying were incredibly high. This wouldn't be the first time Jacob witnessed someone's death. However, it was just that—death.

"Time's up."

As Jacob said this, the person tried to hastily remove the vest from their body, but it was too late. The countdown for this round reached zero, causing the bomb inside the vest to explode.

"Ahhhh!"

Boom!

The vest exploded, the back of the person walking beneath Jacob and Usagi burst open like a watermelon. Guts and flesh scattered everywhere, and the intact half of the corpse fell to the ground. The brutality of the death left Jacob with a cold sweat and Usagi with a slight sense of fear.

"[First round completed, congratulations to the players who survived this round!]"

"[The second round is about to begin. Two vests will be randomly activated among the players!]"

"This time it's two?" Jacob's hands turned cold and sweaty.

"What's the pattern?" Usagi looked at Jacob as they contemplated.

"[The round is about to start. May the best survivor win!]"

"[Master, considering all possible variations of activated bombs in players' bodies, everyone dies in the games. But there is a pattern where at least five players survive, and that is by adding the numbers of consecutive rounds!]"

"[If in round 1, only one vest was activated, and in round 2, two vests were activated, it means that the round number determines the number of activated vests. By round 12, 78 players will have died, and only 9 will survive!]"

When Jacob realized this, he looked at Usagi and said, "I'm not sure, but the round number indicates the number of vests to be activated!"

"That means..." Usagi looked at Jacob and fell silent. It was not possible for 78 players to die in this trial. Including players killed by others, it meant that the number of survivors would be fewer than 9.

Minutes passed, and Jacob and Usagi managed to remain hidden. But after the ten minutes elapsed, two explosions were heard in the distance.

Boom! Boom!

"[First round completed, congratulations to the players who survived this round!]"

"[The third round is about to begin. Three vests will be randomly activated among the players!]"

"We need to start moving!" Jacob said after understanding the nature of this game.