Ten Day Ultimatum

Just as expected, the third game passed without incident. Under Qi Xia’s lead, the group dangled from the ropes, suspended as they awaited the arrival of Mortal Snake.

“Long time no see, everyone,” Mortal Snake finally appeared, his voice calm as he addressed them. “I am Mortal Snake.”
“‘Mortal’ my ass!” Qiao Jiajin exploded. “First Goat, then Dog, now Snake? Believe me, I’m finishing you off this time!”
“Please, no need to get so worked up,” Mortal Snake replied evenly. He glanced up at them before continuing, “You’ve reached the final stage of the trial. I have a lever here at my side—once I pull it, you’ll descend safely, and no one will be hurt.”

“Then can you pull it now?” Xiao Ran asked.
“Well…” Mortal Snake’s lips curved faintly. “First, a game. Your survival will depend entirely on your performance.”
At that, Qi Xia turned to the others and ordered, “No one speak. I’ll handle this.”

Mortal Snake’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he stepped closer. “Here’s a thought-provoking question: if anyone gives the correct answer within three attempts, I’ll pull the lever and let you down.”
“A thought-provoking… question?” Qi Xia paused. He noticed that Mortal Snake’s tone and phrasing were different from before—a small but jarring change.
“Listen closely. You are gravely ill and stranded on a deserted island with two identical life-saving medications, each with ten tablets. You must take one tablet from each type every day to survive. But you accidentally mix them up and can no longer tell them apart. Rescue will arrive in ten days—how do you manage your medication to stay alive?”

Qi Xia frowned. The games set by Mortal Goat and Mortal Dog had mirrored previous ones, yet Mortal Snake had suddenly thrown in something different. The deviation left him uneasy.
“Um… are the tablets different colors?” Xiao Ran ventured.
Mortal Snake shot her a cold look. “Two chances left.”

“Hey! Leng-mui?!” Qiao Jiajin barked. “We only get three tries—don’t waste them!”
“I…” Xiao Ran lowered her head, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
Qi Xia’s impression of her shifted—she clearly thought herself infallible, with little regard for the group.

“Qi Xia… what’s going on?” Officer Li whispered. “Why did the question change?”
“I’m not sure,” Qi Xia admitted, shaking his head. “But even last time, I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something different about this Mortal Snake.”
“In [N O V E L I G H T] what way?” Officer Li pressed.

“Well, despite our win last time, Mortal Snake walked away unscathed,” Qi Xia said firmly. “Mortal Goat lost and died, yet Mortal Snake survived. That’s… strange.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Officer Li agreed, before steering the talk back. “So—do you have the answer?”
“Yes.”
It was, much like Yes or No, a classic logic puzzle. Qi Xia suspected that {snake}-type games leaned toward {logical} or {intellectual} challenges—befitting the cunning nature of a snake.

Mortal Snake fixed his gaze on Qi Xia. “You know the solution?”
“Yes,” Qi Xia nodded. “Crush all the tablets into powder, mix thoroughly, then divide into ten equal portions and take one each day.”
“Oh?” Mortal Snake’s eyes lit up. He pulled a small notebook from his pocket, glanced at it, and muttered, “That makes sense…”

The murmur was so faint it was almost inaudible, but Qi Xia caught it—and the odd feeling that Mortal Snake himself hadn’t known the answer.
Moments later, Mortal Snake laughed aloud. “Hahaha! You’re truly interesting.”
Interesting? Qi Xia’s eyes narrowed. He recalled that last time, when he’d solved Yes or No, Mortal Snake had laughed in the exact same way and said those exact words.

“One moment. I’ll let you down now.” Mortal Snake pulled the lever, lowering them to the ground.
“Congratulations on surviving probation,” the snake-headed figure announced, clasping his hands behind his back as he stood beside a wooden door. “Open it—beyond lies a new world.”
“Puk-gaai zai…” Qiao Jiajin advanced, brimming with all the frustration he’d stored up from Mortal Goat and Mortal Dog.
Mortal Snake turned coldly, unmoved.

“Are you lunatics?!” Qiao Jiajin roared, grabbing the snake’s collar. “Wearing these creepy masks, trying to kill us over and over—now I’ve got you!”
Mortal Snake scoffed. “While you’re still breathing, I suggest you let go.”
“What did you just say?!” Qiao Jiajin raised a fist to strike, but Officer Li quickly restrained him.

“Let it go,” Officer Li urged. “Don’t waste yourself on these lunatics.”
Qiao Jiajin reluctantly stepped back, and the group followed Officer Li out.
Qi Xia lingered at the rear, just about to step through, when Mortal Snake called out, “Qi Xia—I look forward to our next game.”

Qi Xia froze, then turned, teeth clenched. “You remember everything, don’t you?”
“Hehehehe…” Mortal Snake leaned close, his cracked mask swaying. “Why wouldn’t we? Everything here is delightful. In the days ahead, we’ll meet like old friends—and you’ll answer all my questions.”
A deep sense of despair gripped Qi Xia.

Yes. They would meet again and again. On the tenth day at {End Point}, destruction would come—and so would his own death. Then he’d wake in reality, only to face the massive earthquake the next day, and die again.
Whether in {End Point} or the real world, he was trapped in a twisted cycle. His life spanned no less than a day and no more than ten. As long as this place existed, he could never go back. They hadn’t only confined him—they had erased Yu Nian’An.
“Mortal Snake, you’ll regret toying with me,” Qi Xia said coldly.

“Regret?”
Without another word, Qi Xia stepped outside. As he crossed the threshold, the familiar heavy scent rushed over him, bringing with it a wave of nausea.