LIVE OR DIE I

Meanwhile, Livi struggled in the pitch-dark room as the water continued to rise, covering half of her body. She held a touch light in her hand, using it to navigate the room.

"System! What do I have to do to get out of this room?" Livi asked, panting for breath and scanning the room with her touchlight.

Ding!

(There's a small key on the room floor, you have to find it to open one out of two doors.)

The system's announcement was followed by a sudden bright light, revealing two doors as the system had mentioned.

"A key? How am I supposed to find a key in a flooded room? Why didn't you tell me about the key earlier? I would have started searching immediately if you had informed me," Livi yelled angrily at the system screen. "And 'Live or Die'? What does that mean? Why are there two doors when there's only one key?" she asked, frustrated and curious.

Ding!

(The key you'll find opens both doors. After finding the key, you must choose which door to open. One door leads to the safe room for level two of the third game, while the other leads to certain death.)

"What? Any wrong guess could result in my death, even if I find the key?" Livi asked in shock and disbelief.

(Yes! Hurry up and start searching for the key before the water reaches the ceiling.)

Livi groaned in frustration as she swam around, desperately searching for the key.

Meanwhile, Axel was still in disbelief at his situation. Waking up in an unfamiliar room and being told that the third game had begun.

"What do I have to do to get out of this room?" Axel asked, his frustration evident as he shone his flashlight at the ceiling, only to be met with sparks from the wires. He trembled in fear as he looked down and saw that the water had already swallowed half of his body.

Ding!

(To leave this room, you have to solve three riddles.)

(If you fail a riddle after three attempts, you have to start over until you get all three riddles right without failing any of them.)

"I'm the best at riddles. Can we please start now? I really need to leave this room. I wouldn't want to die this way," said Axel, panting for breath. "I'm ready!" he added with a determined expression.

(A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside it is hid. Can you solve it?)

Axel pondered the riddle, furrowing his brow in concentration. "A pocket!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

(Wrong!)

The system's announcement dashed his hopes, and Axel's expression fell. He thought for a moment before suggesting, "The ceiling. You can hide things inside without needing a key to open it." He gestured with his hands, hoping his explanation would satisfy the system.

Ding!

(No! Keep trying, you might get it this time.)

"How many times do I have to try?" Axel said with anger in his tone, raising his index finger to the ceiling. "The wires are beginning to spark and the water is rising. If I keep guessing, I might run out of time and die!" he yelled, frustration evident in his voice and posture.

Ding!

(There's nothing I can do to help you, dear player. You just have to rely on your ability if you want to win this game.)

"Can you at least give me a hint?" Axel pleaded, his voice barely audible as he tried to keep his conversation with the system private.

Ding!

(I wish you the best of luck!)

I really have to rely on myself after all. Yes! Camille used to play lots of riddles with me, asking me to solve them, Axel thought to himself with his eyes wide open, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. She has asked me this type of riddle before, what exactly is the answer? Oh yes!

"System! Is the answer an egg?" Axel asked, his eyebrows raised at the system.

(Correct!)

A bright smile appeared on Axel's lips instantly as he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Camille. I will definitely get revenge on those who killed you and our precious children," Axel thought to himself, a tear falling from his eye without him realizing.

Ding!

(Are you ready for the next question?)

The system announcement brought Axel back to reality, and only then did he realize that he had shed some tears. "Now go ahead and ask the next riddle," Axel said, as the water flowed steadily, sending a cold shiver down his spine, and the naked wires up the ceiling kept arousing fear in him.

No one is willing to die by being electrocuted, and Axel is definitely not an exception.

Ding!

(Now for a tougher one: "I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?" Can you solve it?)

That's easy, it's a map. Axel said with a smile. Now for the last riddle, and then we can be done with this, he added with a grin, his gaze fixed on the system.

Ding!

(Correct!)

(Now for the last riddle: You asked for it! Here's a really hard one: "A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid. The box in the sun does not get hot. The box in the snow is never cold. The box can be open, but it's not. What is it?" That's a doozy!)

"It's an egg, haven't you asked it before," Axel said with a grin.

Ding!

(Read it again and see that I've added more words to it.)

Oh yes!" Axel murmured after reading the words on the screen. He blamed himself inwardly for not having read the full sentences, but only half. "What is the answer then?" Axel thought, trying to remember if he had ever answered such a riddle before.

"Is it maize then?" Axel said, but the words just blurted out without him knowing.

(Wrong!)

"I'm not saying that's the answer, I'm only talking to myself," said Axel with an angry tone.

Ding!

(You should make all assumptions in your mind. But since you said the word maize out, then you've already said your answer. Now you have one chance left for you to pick an answer so as not to restart the game all over again. So what is your final answer?)