Doomsday Wonderland c1-855

by N. Heller

  Lin Sanjiu was confident that they had at least covered ten kilometers, if not more, yet she still could not see the end of the running track.

  Both of them rolled on the ground a few times until friction finally came into action and stopped them. Lin Sanjiu quickly sprang up to her feet. Panting heavily, as she waited for the dreadful pain to ebb away, she heard somebody yelling at her, "It's coming! Don't stop! Run!"

  Lin Sanjiu could hardly make out what the bearded man was talking about. The sound of her own breath filled her ears, raging and violent, like a lashing storm. And when she finally get what he was trying to tell her, Lin Sanjiu grabbed Soulsqn by her collar and rushed forward again.

  Her effort did not get her out of danger yet. It merely brought her back to the main body of the group. Gazing around, Lin Sanjiu found that everyone was even more desperate than before. Even though their eyes were red and their complexions chalk-white, they did not slow down by a single bit and continued to dart forward with all they were worth.

  Running along with the other contenders, Lin Sanjiu finally saw how they increased their speed.

  There were not many Evolving Abilities that solely increased a person's speed. Hence, almost all of them were using Special Items. One of them wore ankle weights that seemed heavy enough to impede his movement, yet he was moving swiftly and as lightly as a feather, and his speed was increasing exponentially with every passing second. Then, there was a man who squatted on the ground like a frog. He had a mechanical device of some sort strapped around his four limbs. When he leaped, the device could give him a boost that propelled him at least a dozen meters ahead. Lin Sanjiu shifted her gaze again and saw another contender who increased his speed tremendously by consuming a purple drink in his hand.

  While the bearded man next to Lin Sanjiu was not slow, he was not that fast either. Neither was he using any Special Item nor was he relying on an Evolving Ability to augment his speed. He was running purely with his raw strength and willpower alone. Although it was commendable, it was the wrong choice in their current circ.u.mstances. Soon, he fell behind Lin Sanjiu.

  Knowing for a fact that the ripple of light would soon catch up to the bearded man, Lin Sanjiu gritted her teeth and turned her head around. Just when her gaze fell on the bearded man, she swallowed her words back into her stomach.

  The bearded man was mumbling something under his breath. It sounded like a kind of mantra unknown to Lin Sanjiu as he ran. His body was getting fainter and fainter as if it were a disappearing bubble. Eventually, his entire being vanished from the spot. When he reappeared again, he was very far ahead of Lin Sanjiu.

  "I suggest that you take care of yourself first." Soulsqn, who was lying on her shoulder, sighed. "The ripple of light is getting nearer, and I bet we're the only ones in the lion's paw."

  Only now did Lin Sanjiu realize she was the only one not cheating. What made the situation even worse was that she still had to carry a burden—Soulsqn—on her shoulder. However, it was also in this extreme situation that her superb physical strength shone. She was able to keep up with the other contenders without using any tools to increase her speed.

  It was all thanks to Hei Zeji who had taught her how to manipulate her body better and maximize every ounce of her strength. Coupled with the advantages she had as a Growth type, she soon caught up with the rest of the contenders.

  When she ran past the bearded man, he asked in a harsh, raspy voice, "First... first time?"

  "Yeah!" Lin Sanjiu's eyes glowed when the bearded man initiated a conversation with her. "Do you know what that thing behind us is? Why does it increase in speed as we move faster? How far do we still need to run?"

  It required a lot of talent to learn this skill, and only a few posthumans could master it.

  The bearded man gazed Lin Sanjiu in surprise. His reddened eyes were glistening with tears due to the strong wind, but he was not the most severely affected one. Some of the contenders were running so fast that their faces looked like a banquet of brine. Tears and snot were flowing at the same time as the relentless wind assaulted them.

  "It's time!" As if squeezing the few words out stung his throat terribly, the bearded man paused for a second before continuing. This time, his voice sounded even rougher. "The faster we go, the faster it becomes…"

  The bearded man waved his hand. Fatigue had overwhelmed him, and he could speak no more. Once again, he fell to the back. Then, in the blink of an eye, his figure slowly materialized out of thin air ahead of Lin Sanjiu.

  "Time? The thing that's chasing us is time?"

  Lin Sanjiu was even more confused, but she cast her doubts away when she realized she had slowed down. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself to the front of the crowd before feeling a little bit more at ease.

  "Look over there!" Soulsqn shouted as she pointed to a running track.

  "Do you think I have the time to look now?" Although she snapped back, her curiosity got the best of her, and she threw a glance at the direction Soulsqn had pointed in. Then, her eyes grew wider in astonishment, and she almost tripped over her own feet. She recomposed herself soon after that and resumed her sprint, yelling, "Why he is still alive? Didn't he get crushed to death by his afterimages?"

  Although the fatty was about 20 running tracks away from them, his white Jello-like appearance was something Lin Sanjiu would never forget. The line of fatties behind him was now gone. It was as if he had returned to how he used to look like.

  "Something isn't right. He seems much smaller in size now." Soulsqn did not have other things to do, so she became a broadcaster that reported everything happening behind Lin Sanjiu to her. "He was humongous and could fit in at least two of his current bodies into his previous body size. I wonder how he survived such an impact. Didn't his organs get crushed?"

  "Don't just focus on him. Focus on time!"

  "Time? I think it's half-past seven now. Hmm, you don't say… He's much faster now after losing some weight, but I bet it's only a matter of time before he gets caught by the ripple of light again."

  "Look behind us! Look at the ripple of light!" Lin Sanjiu almost fainted from anger. "Who the hell wants to know what the time is now?!"

  Soulsqn came to a sudden realization that the "time" Lin Sanjiu was talking about was not the "time" she had in mind. She lifted her upper body from Lin Sanjiu's shoulder like a cobra in an attacking position and gazed behind them. "The ripple of light is about 300 to 400 meters away from us. Make sure you maintain your speed and don't slow down. Then, it won't… Ah!"

  "What's wrong?"

  Soulsqn clumsily pressed her body against Lin Sanjiu's back and said breathlessly, "It has become closer! The distance has reduced by at least half! You have to go faster! "

  Before the words could sink into Lin Sanjiu's mind, Soulsqn yelled again, "That fatty! The ripple of light has caught up to him!"

  The same scene repeated.

  The only difference was that since they were even further away from the starting point, there were a lot more fatties behind the real one. Half of the fatties were like the previously humongous fatty. The scene of many fatties fusing together was far more shocking than the last time.

  Cold sweat began to form and trickle down Lin Sanjiu's back. She rummaged through her mind, desperately looking for something that could boost her speed, but she failed to find anything of use. The wind continued to lash at her face, and her c.h.e.s.t felt as if it contained a burning furnace. Her body began to feel pain, and she could not go any faster than her current speed.

  If "time" sped up again, then...

  "Big sister! Do you want to buy a rocket?"

  A clear and crispy voice pulled Lin Sanjiu out from her thoughts and back to reality. She lifted her head and was surprised to see a tiny figure flying at high speed outside of the running tracks. When Soulsqn raised her head, Lucy's euphonious voice came to her ears. "My rocket has three ranges of speed. The lowest gear is fast enough to bring you to the first place. Besides, it can be used
for four hours straight. It's small and light-weight, so I'm confident it won't affect your movement. You'll never be able to find such an ideal item to use in a footrace elsewhere!"

  "Why are you here?"

  "This is your first time, so you might not know that. The race will cover the entire continent. You are no longer in the Salvation of God zone. There're only one starting line and one end-point in each zone!"

  Lin Sanjiu did not doubt that because she was able to see the contenders of the other competitions amidst the murky green mist in the distance.

  "I'll buy one!"

  "Alrighty then. One rocket and that brings you to four Special Items."

  "You said two just now!" Soulsqn yelled loudly. There was a hint of anger in her voice. She could not believe that that a mere backup human pouch dared to raise the price.

  "The situation has changed. It's a horse of a different color now." Lucy giggled. Gone was her fear of Soulsqn. She knew that the weird-looking woman would not be able to do anything to her right now as she could not leave the running track. "I bent over backward to deliver the rocket to you. In any case, you have to compensate me, don't you?"

  "How should I give you the items?" Lin Sanjiu chimed in.

  "That's easy! Since I don't accept any item, you have to tell me the name of the four items you want to trade with me. If there's something I want, you throw them to me, and I'll toss the rocket to you," Lucy said. She paused for a moment before going on, "I know this sounds ridiculous, but this is the best option for you now, Sis. You don't have any other choice."

  Lin Sanjiu did not reply. She continued to dart forward in silence. After she had gained some distance from the ripple of light, she huffed out a question, "You still haven't told me the actual use of the rocket!"

  Lucy sighed as she found it hard to persuade Lin Sanjiu. "It can save your life!"

  [Toy Rocket]

  A toy for children. Many parents ban their children from playing it.

  Instructions for use:

  1. Put the rocket on.

  2. Shout "Launch the rocket!"

  3. A fake fire will then shot out from the bottom of the rocket. It can increase children's playtime exponentially by up to 100 kilometers per second.

  4. This toy can last for four hours. The allocated time of use for each range of speed will be as follows:

  Top Gear (Third Gear): 30 seconds (Can be split for multiple applications)

  Medium Gear (Second Gear): 10 minutes (1 kilometer per second)

  Low Gear (First Gear): 3 hours 49 seconds 30 minutes (1 kilometer per minute)

  Condition to note: Children will not fly into the sky after putting the suit on. Putting aside the fact that many children have gone missing due to this rocket, parents are just over-thinking.

  Lin Sanjiu suddenly let out a sigh. She turned her head to look at the "time" before shifting her gaze back to Lucy.

  "Have you decided which Special Items you want to trade?" Lucy yelled from afar. She had followed them for at least an entire zone. Lin Sanjiu was genuinely amazed by her dedication to doing business with them.

  "I'm sorry, but I don't want to buy it anymore!" Lin Sanjiu shouted. There was a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "I… just remembered that I have a rocket too!"

  Once again, Lin Sanjiu's Battle Item had saved the day.

  Chapter 607 - Past And Future

  After Lucy stopped running with them, her figure was soon out of sight.

  "Terrific! Did you see her face just now? She almost cried!" Soulsqn exclaimed happily. "She seems to have returned to the previous zone. Remember that place. I'm coming back after I finish this damn race…"

  "Leave her alone!" Lin Sanjiu yelled amid her heavy breathing. Perspiration stung her eyes. She was remorseful and sorry for what she had done to the little girl. 'At the very least, I have to make sure that little girl is out of Soulsqn's reach.' With that thought in mind, Lin Sanjiu said to Soulsqn, "Don't take your eyes off Time!" Then, she began to put on the [Toy Rocket].

  The [Toy Rocket] looked like a plastic white shell; Lin Sanjiu had no idea whether it was because it was an imitation or if this was its actual look. After she put on the suit, she found three speed-adjustment knobs right below her chin.

  "Hold it!" shouted Soulsqn as she repositioned herself onto Lin Sanjiu's back after getting pushed away by the rocket suit. It was a good thing that Soulsqn was much lighter than a human; otherwise, she would have brought Lin Sanjiu down onto the ground with all the commotion she was making on her back. "All right, let's get rolling! That thing is about to catch up to us!"

  Lin Sanjiu nodded her head in assent. She closed her eyes, turned the top speed gear knob, and counted one second inside her heart.

  She had never experienced such a painful second before.

  By the time the second had passed, Lin Sanjiu's face was bent out of shape.

  Soulsqn was in no better shape. She had been talking when Lin Sanjiu sped up. After a second passed, her mouth ripped apart from her face to the back of her ears, revealing the dried meat underneath. Right now, she was trying to say something, but no words were coming out of her torn mouth.

  The silver lining was that their suffering had paid off.

  After scorching down a hundred kilometers in one shot, not only had they had left all the other contenders behind, but "Time" was also out of their sight. However, those contenders who claimed the first few places were not to be trifled with. Both of them just took a short break before beginning to appear in Lin Sanjiu's vision again. Looking at their speed, it would not be long before they caught up to her.

  Lin Sanjiu rubbed her face and looked ahead at the endless running track. She cursed inwardly.

  'When is this stupid game going to end? Where the hell is the finish line?' As she thought this, she switched to the lowest speed gear and resumed running with the help of the propulsion from the rocket.

  The moment she began to move again, she felt a sharp pain course through her body as if all of her bones had been crushed into a million pieces. Every step she took, she would have the misconception that her crushed bones were falling off through her heels. The pain was too much to bear.

  Suddenly, Soulsqn emitted out a sharp, weird cry.

  "What now?" Initially, Lin Sanjiu did not want to respond to her call, but Soulsqn was persistent; she kept uttering a series of weird, muffled cries that ticked Lin Sanjiu off.

  The meat worm had lost its mucus due to the strong wind, so she could not articulate her mandible as flexibly as she used to. She hissed and g.r.o.a.n.e.d for some time before emitting a legible sentence.

  "Some… Somebody is calling to you," she said in a strange voice, "The 1st place has been waving at you."

  Lin Sanjiu turned her head to see that there was indeed a small figure waving his arm. She weighed her distance from Time and turned off the rocket. The first place soon caught up to her once she slowed down. Lin Sanjiu was amazed by his speed.

  "Hi." Contender no. 17, who held the lead all this time, was a bronze-skinned youth. He sported a huge Afro and wore a pair of goggles to protect his eyes. He was well-prepared, unlike Lin Sanjiu, who now had red-rimmed eyes, and snot and tears sl.i.c.k.i.n.g down her face. "This is your first time, isn't it?" the youth asked, offering Lin Sanjiu a smile.

  "Yeah…"

  Huffing, contender no. 17 wiped off a sigil on the back of his hand and slowed down. "I knew it! You're new here. I suggest you don't use that rocket anymore."

  "Why?" Lin Sanjiu frowned her brows.

  "The farther away the first place is from Time, the more Time will accelerate." Contender no. 17 huffed heavily like a broken blacksmith's bellows. "Thanks to you, Time increased its speed all of a sudden and killed a few contenders."

  Lin Sanjiu's face turned pale.

  "Ahem," contender no.17 waved his hand as he gasped, "Take it easy. It's not your fault. Those people were going to die eventually anyway. I'm here to tell you that you should not be so reckless."
<
br />   Lin Sanjiu did not reply. Her countenance was ugly, even though she knew he was telling the truth. She glanced at the contenders behind her and wondered whether the beardy had survived or not. After a few minutes, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Then… why did you run so fast? If you go a little slower…"

  "Hold it right there," the youth interrupted abruptly, "Don't get me wrong. Time will accelerate no matter how fast or slow I run."

  Lin Sanjiu was stunned.

  She pressed down the guilt that crept into her heart, twisting like vines of ivy, and asked, "What the hell is Time? What happened to those people who were touched by it?"

  "As the name suggests, it's time."

  "What?"

  "If time is a dimension independent of this world, then every second you spend contains an independent version of 'yourself'." Apparently, contender no. 17 had explained this matter to many people. His thoughts were smoother than butter, and the d.e.s.i.r.ed words rolled off his tongue with the least bit of effort. "Is it difficult to understand? Well, then imagine time as a line beyond the height, width, and length… Done?"

  "Yes, I'm done," Lin Sanjiu replied readily.

  Contender no. 17 kept his running pace as he continued his explanation. "As you move along the line, you will move to the next second or the next day. If time is an independent line, then any point from this line should contain everything that happened at that particular time point. For instance, if you fell to the ground three minutes ago, you would remain on the ground at that particular time point. You will never be able to get up from the ground, as that event only happens in the next time point."

  Lin Sanjiu had somehow gotten the gist of it. She asked again, "Then, what does this have to do with the game?"

  "Oh, you still haven't figured it out yet, have you? The moment you set foot on this running track, a new timeline will be generated. From the starting line, every point in this timeline will materialize as the light ripple you saw earlier on. Every time point and each of you in that specific point of time is getting faster and faster while catching up to your current location."