Chapter 11: The Long Walk

"The Third Floor: The Long Walk..."

Linus read the short phrase before walking forward.

It was noticeable that the number of people left was considerably smaller than what they previously had. However, nobody really questioned why.

They already knew why.

The echoes of their boots on the white, plain surface directed them forward, deeper into the unknown.

Wondering what they would encounter next, Linus expected another twisted game by the so-called mastermind behind all of this. However, he was surprised when this floor let them pass through without a single test or condition.

This situation prompted him to think deeply, though on the surface, his expression remained calm and relaxed.

"What are you thinking?" asked Velvet at his side. She was examining the knife in her hand, casually twisting it between her fingers, wondering what material it was made of and why something this soft and elastic suddenly hardened into such a deadly weapon.

"Nothing special," replied Linus, scratching his head, "apart from not really having the possibility to guess what the individual behind all this is trying to accomplish."

"In my opinion, this feels like a form of training," Velvet shared her perspective.

Linus glanced down, raising his eyebrows slightly, wondering if her theory had merit. "So, if what you say is right, what might follow next?" he asked.

Velvet shook her head. "I don't know. Each training depends on the kind of environment we're being prepared for, so I can't predict what comes next."

"So then… what environment forces people to fight each other and jump across cubes?" asked Levi, walking past them and giving them a stoic glance.

Both Linus and Velvet turned to look at him.

"You're the boy who jumped first," said Linus lazily, pointing at him with a faint smile. "I applaud your temerity."

Velvet looked around. "Where's the girl you were tagging along with?"

"She's dead," Levi answered flatly, without an ounce of remorse.

"I see. Poor kid. Seems she wasn't strong enough," said Linus casually.

Levi glared at him. "Indeed. She wasn't strong enough," he repeated, his tone sharp, before turning his gaze back to Velvet.

"I think I've figured out what the next trial is," he added.

Linus and Velvet exchanged glances before refocusing on him, silently urging him to continue.

"Actually, we're already taking it," said Levi.

This prompted Velvet to look around cautiously as they walked forward. Linus took a quick scan of their surroundings and smiled.

"I see. How come I didn't notice?" he mused aloud.

Velvet glanced up at him. "What?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Linus asked back, his smirk deepening. His one blue eye shimmered slightly as it reflected Levi's face.

"Kid… your past is surely as rotten as ours," he murmured.

Neither Velvet nor Levi understood what he meant by that.

Linus spread his arms slightly while continuing to walk forward. "Haven't you realized… people are still walking?"

Velvet frowned, confused.

"Try stopping," said Linus.

Velvet lifted her right leg and prepared to pause mid-step—when suddenly, a shiver traveled through her body like a voltage surge. She instinctively resumed walking.

"What was that feeling?" she asked, disturbed.

Linus smiled, and Levi's expression darkened—his suspicions confirmed. He had felt that same oppressive weight ever since stepping foot on this floor.

It wasn't that they couldn't stop walking—they were fully in control of their bodies.

"However," said Linus, "there's something in this space that kills anyone who stops."

A cold shiver ran through Levi and Velvet.

The enemy is invisible...

---

"What are you waiting for?" asked the cute girl.

Benjamin stood at the entrance to the third floor, frowning. He sensed something was wrong the moment he laid eyes on it.

"Let's go," he finally muttered, bracing himself and stepping forward, accompanied by those who had made it this far.

Behind them, the echoes of survivors still struggling to jump across the cubes and resist the humanoids filled the air—but no one turned back.

Nobody was willing to help anymore.

---

Linus and the others walked forward, trying to sense their surroundings. They could no longer feel the earlier murderous intent, but every time they tried to stop, an instinctual terror crept into their bones, compelling them to keep moving.

"We're reaching the end of the fourth floor," Linus eventually said.

They had crossed from the third to the fourth floor without stopping once—and without realizing it.

"There's no passage leading up… it's as if we've never even left the first floor," a man muttered nearby.

Levi and the others nodded.

Usually, one would expect stairs, ladders, or elevators to ascend floors. But here?

There had been none.

In all this time walking, they'd supposedly crossed four floors. And six still remained.

Remarkably, only two days had passed—and the third was just beginning.

"This is going pretty well," murmured a girl nearby. Levi and Linus glanced at her briefly before looking ahead again.

"Have you guys noticed?" Velvet asked, frowning.

Both men nodded.

"The signs of fatigue are building up. I don't know how our bodies lasted this long, but ever since the pressure dropped, it's been catching up," said Levi.

"I can tell you this much—it has something to do with our clothing," Linus added, tugging at his shirt and feeling a sticky, uncomfortable sensation beneath. "It seems the superhuman boost it gave us is finally demanding a fee."

"We need to leave this area immediately," Velvet urged. "If fatigue hits us while we're still walking, that invisible threat could come after us."

Both boys nodded in agreement.

---

Far behind the main group, another batch of survivors was still walking steadily.

Benjamin could clearly feel the exhaustion setting in.

Unlike the main group of elite survivors, this group was made up of those who could blend in with society—normal-looking people who weren't particularly athletic but were always in decent shape.

"How far is this going to go?" Benjamin wondered, his breath labored.

He dared not stop.

The cute girl was still walking beside him, calm and collected.

Strangely… she didn't look tired at all.

"How the hell is this small body still coping with such stress?" he thought, glancing at her.

She looked anxious, yes—but no sign of physical strain.

The others around them were clearly worn out.

And then it happened.

One man from their group, unable to go any further, sat down to rest.

In the next instant—

He vanished.

Gone.

Without a sound.

Panic spread like wildfire through the group.

"D-Did you see that?!"

"He just disappeared!"

"What the hell is happening!?"

"Don't stop! Keep walking!"

Fear consumed them as they realized the rules of this floor—

You stop… you vanish.

And no one knew what happened to those who vanished.

— To be Continued