Pairing up

Upon sighting the timer, the team began to scrutinize the doors situated on either side of the hall, only to discover that they were all locked. As a result, their attention was drawn towards the combat chickens that were positioned in the middle of the vast room. The avian creatures were strikingly yellow with chubby, chick-like bodies, yet they stood as tall as a human adult. It soon became evident that the chickens' level was directly linked to their size, with the fattest ones possessing the Level 2 title. As the level increased, the chickens became progressively slimmer. Following Level 2 were various Level 3 combat chickens. Suddenly, Sun Jing's "Detect" skill was triggered while he was observing the chickens. Fortunately, his team remained oblivious to his skill's activation as there was no physical manifestation of it. Sun Jing quickly identified a unique chicken amidst the others: its feathers were the same hue as a rooster's, and it wore boxing gloves and a red headband, giving it a ferocious appearance. Remarkably, this chicken was at Level 5 and, most notably, Sun Jing observed a key dangling from its waist.

Sun Jing was contemplating a strategy to disseminate the message to his comrades when a pair of resounding barks shattered his thoughts. "Ride!" "Boost!" The source of the commotion was revealed when Sun Jing caught sight of one of the level 5 contenders, whom he had encountered previously, flinging his cross and leaping onto it, propelling towards them at a breakneck speed. Meanwhile, the level 5 girl, Yi Lin, emitted a faint blue aura from her body and cross, sprinting towards their direction at a pace that easily surpassed that of an ordinary athlete. The team members were quick to discern the pair's intent, but Sun Jing alone deduced their aim - to acquire the coveted key. It was apparent that the duo shared the elusive "Detect" skill, a realization that Sun Jing kept to himself.

The exhibition of their skills rendered Long Tao speechless, his admiration for their prowess palpable. "Oh my God! Their proficiency is awe-inspiring! Could we possibly learn those skills now?" Long Tao quizzed Sun Jing inquisitively. Sun Jing affirmed Long Tao's query, citing that they were now in a combat zone, where the unlocking of battle skills was plausible. Long Tao seized his cross and attempted to hop on it, but the feat was more arduous than he anticipated. Meanwhile, Yi Lin had reached the combat chicken with remarkable speed. The chicken confronted her, hurling a swift right punch at her. To the astonishment of everyone, Yi Lin responded in kind, launching her own right hook, resulting in a collision of fists. "Iron Fist!" Yi Lin cried out, activating her skill, causing the chicken to hurtle backwards and crash into the wall.

The raucous applause of the onlookers was deafening as they witnessed the combat chicken's swift defeat. Long Tao and Hao Ren cheered boisterously, while Shao Qiang offered a nod of respect to Yi Lin's exceptional abilities. Sun Jing contemplated his own chances of triumphing against her in a duel. "What a show-off!" Mei Zhen exclaimed enviously, eliciting a disgusted look from Ya Hui. Though Yi Lin had overheard Mei Zhen's comment, she opted to ignore it, as she remained focused on acquiring the key.

"Not bad for a little girl, but you are not the only one with this skill. Boost!" the level 5 contender, who had previously flown towards them, activated the same skill as Yi Lin, emitting the same azure glow. He dashed towards the chicken and snatched the key from its grasp. Though the chicken attempted to retaliate with a punch, the level 5 guy was already airborne, making a beeline for a nearby door. He turned back to his companion, urging him to hasten. "Faster, what are you waiting for? Hao!" The group shifted their attention to the other level 5 member, Hao, who was visibly embarrassed by his friend's impetuousness. With no other choice, he followed suit. "Ride! Boost!" he hollered, activating the same skill as his friend and mounting his cross.

As Yi Lin hurled her cross at the guy, he deftly evaded the projectile. "How could you do that? She was the one who defeated the chicken," Jia Le scolded him. The guy merely cast a fleeting glance in Jia Le's direction and chuckled, dismissing him as insignificant. Jia Le could sense the implication behind the guy's disdainful gaze- he was too feeble to warrant any attention. Soon after, Hao arrived, and they selected the door nearest to the ceiling. However, before they could unlock it, they heard a voice calling out, "Ride unlocked!" They turned around to see Yi Lin speeding towards them on her cross.

The guy chortled with exhilaration, "It's been a while since I felt this alive." "Let's go, Yu," Hao urged, taking hold of Yu's arm and unlocking the door. Yi Lin leapt off her cross and launched a punch at Yu, who grinned broadly with excitement as the fist approached him. "Boost!" Hao activated his skill, pulling Yu out of harm's way at the last moment. As Yu soared through the door, he glanced back at Yi Lin and declared, "We will meet again." The door disappeared, and Yi Lin's fist collided with the wall.

The onlookers were incensed at the unfairness of Yi Lin's defeat, but they knew that they were too weak to intervene. Long Tao vented his anger at Hao and Yu, convinced that he could have easily defeated them if only he had a higher level. Shao Qiang shook his head disapprovingly, unable to fathom the arrogance of those who used their strength to bully others. Hao Ren then chimed in, revealing that he used to work as a reporter and knew the background of the two young men. "Jiang Wen Hao and Huang Fu Yu are both wealthy young masters. Their fathers are old business partners, with Huang Fu Yu's father rumored to have connections to the mafia." Everyone was taken aback by this revelation, and they started to share their own past occupations from their previous lives. "I'm actually a police inspector," Shao Qiang said, introducing himself again. "I stumbled upon this place while investigating a missing persons case." Long Tao sheepishly added, "I've been job hunting when the lady found me and brought me here," "I'm just a project team member," Sun Jing added. Afterwards, Sun Jing reminded them that they only had six minutes left on the timer.

After observing the situation earlier, the group realized that their only hope for escape was to obtain the keys required to unlock the door. "Jia Le, I have tallied the doors and we have 24 left, the exact number of people we have," one of Jia Le's teammates informed him. Upon hearing this news, everyone quickly started to seek out their partner for escape. Ya Hui expressed her desire to team up with Yi Lin, but was told to join forces with Mei Zhen instead. "I don't need a woman to protect me. I'll find a man to do it," Mei Zhen stated, before approaching a nearby individual. The person she found had a youthful face, tanned skin, and seemed to possess considerable athletic ability, with a level 3 rating. Mei Zhen asked him, "Do you want a beautiful girl to accompany you?" The man stared at Mei Zhen before responding, "Where is the beautiful girl?" Despite sensing no animosity in the man's words, Mei Zhen was still irritated. "I'm the beautiful girl, you imbecile!" "How do you know my nickname?" the man asked in a stunned tone. It was then that Mei Zhen realized that he was, in fact, a true blockhead. Yi Lin chuckled softly and approached the man. "I'm Yi Lin, what's your name?" "My surname is Yu, and my given name is Mu. You can call me Yu Mu or blockhead," he replied. Yi Lin smiled and asked if he would like to partner with her. Yu Mu nodded, stating, "I may not have any special abilities, but I'm a fast runner, so you don't have to worry about me. I can definitely escape." Yi Lin laughed heartily, feeling a sense of happiness that she hadn't experienced in a long time.

After some deliberation, Shao Qiang determined that he and Sun Jing would form a team, while Hao Ren and Long Tao would join forces as another duo. Once they paired up, the two teams began to scour the area for the chickens carrying the keys. When the timer reaches the five-minute mark, the chickens sprang into action, each selecting an opponent of equal strength. It quickly became apparent that everyone would be facing off against a chicken alone, as each bird picked a foe that was at their own level.