This was all too sudden, but he had to move quicker before the apocalypse descended on his own world.

Standing at the portal, with a virtual screen showing the name of the mini-game, Ray had only one thought: finish this soon and challenge the next mini-game where he'll meet Red Hand.

He gave it a last glance and entered the portal once it was his turn.

'So I'm all alone here.' He thought upon looking at the black and white small steps leading him toward the end. Though he could see the ending, it wasn't going to be easy to reach.

…

[Player: Ray]

[Level: 11]

[Health: 100/100]

[Mana: 100/100]

[Skill: Scavenger One]

[Passive skill] -Pocket Dimension -Restore -Modification -Search -Lucky one

…

Ray was met with silence, with walls behind him and on both sides.

The path, which contained black and white tiles he had to cross, was illuminated by a light from above. Then, he was met with a system notification and a mechanical voice in the silence.

[Three Steps: Live or Die]

[You know those games where you have to cross a path, and some tiles are safe, but others are traps? This is like that, but way more serious. You have to walk a long path, but if you step in the wrong place, you make a mistake.]

[You only get three of those mistakes. If you make a fourth one, that's it—you're dead. The game sends you back to the previous safe zone, losing so much progress. It's a test of focus, observation, and precision, and the stakes are as high as they can get.]

[You have an hour to completely cross the pathway.]

[Stepping wrong for the fourth time means the end]

[Failed to cross the path in given time means the end]

[You cannot use any of your skills. This is the game of skills itself]

Then, the digital clock ticked in front of his eyes.

[Your time starts - 59:59]

[59:58]

[59:57]

[59: 56]

…

Ray stared at the first four tiles laid out before him. White, then black, then white, then black. A simple pattern, but a life-or-death decision hung on his first step.

"Well, this is just a glorified game of hopscotch," he muttered to himself, a wry smile on his face.

The silence was unnerving, broken only by the steady tick of the clock. He had to be smart about this. He couldn't just guess.

He looked at the first black tile. It felt like the right move, a kind of gut feeling combined with his logical thinking.

"Okay, let's see if this game is as simple as it looks," he thought, and he carefully placed his foot on the first black tile.

There was a moment of absolute silence. Then, a voice echoed in the emptiness.

[SAFE]

Ray let out a small sigh of relief. He then looked at the path ahead. The next tile directly in front of him was white. It clicked in his mind.

The first one he stepped on was black, and the next one in the pattern was white. He quickly looked at the tiles in front of him and saw the pattern. Out of every four tiles, only one was likely to be the wrong one.

With a new hypothesis, he decided to take a chance. Instead of a straight line, he took a step to his left, onto another black tile, hoping to avoid the corner.

Again, the mechanical voice confirmed his choice.

[SAFE]

He was right. It wasn't about a simple pattern; it was about the right combination.

The path in the mini-game is made of a repeating pattern of white and black tiles. Think of it like a grid or a large chessboard, with each section arranged in groups of four.

The first row of tiles is a simple sequence: white, black, white, black.

The second row, however, flips the pattern, starting with a black tile, followed by a white, a black, and a white. This creates a complex, interconnected pattern that Ray must navigate.

The challenge is to figure out which tiles are safe to step on.

According to the game's rules, a wrong step means losing one of his three chances. If Ray makes a fourth mistake, he dies.

The game isn't just about luck. It's a test of observation, forcing him to find the hidden pattern within the tiles to make it to the end.

W B W B

B W B W

W B W B

B W B W (Ray is here at this moment)

W B W B

<Start>

Ray stood on the black tile, a sense of cautious relief settling over him. The path in front of him shifted, and he faced the next row: W B W B.

The digital clock in the corner of his eye flickered, [56:23]. He didn't have much time to waste as just to cross two tiles, he wated around three and half minutes.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, thinking through his next move. The pattern seemed to be an alternation of colors between rows. He took a calculated step onto the first white tile in the new row.

A moment of silence passed. Then, the mechanical voice confirmed his choice.

[SAFE]

A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. The theory was holding up. He was now three steps into the mini-game. The path curved slightly to the right, presenting the next four tiles: B W B W.

He had to decide quickly.

The ticking of the clock was getting louder in his head. Ray, standing on a white tile, saw the black tile in front of him. It seemed to make the most sense.

He stepped.

Instead of a chime, a low, ominous rumble echoed through the silent space. The black tile under his foot flashed a dark red, and a single crack spread across its surface.

[MISTAKE]

A cold jolt of adrenaline shot through him. The mechanical voice was as calm as ever, but its message was a punch to the gut.

He looked down at the cracking tile, a bead of sweat tracing a line down his temple. The easy-going game was over. He had just learned a hard lesson. His first mistake was made.

He had two more chances. That's all.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.