I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 248: Chapter 213: The Rules Have Changed

Everyone was amazed by Mr. Ya’s endurance; he was still nowhere to be seen, even after the two oldest participants had returned.

Only two of the Trialists were over fifty, and they had both returned to the Dice Space at almost the same time.

The only difference was that one returned lying down, while the other, though staggering, at least came back on his feet.

The one lying down was dead.

Su Ze shook his head. It was a shame.

Not because someone had died, but because the one who died wasn’t Mr. Ya’s enemy, Firoz.

Although Firoz had survived and passed the trial, he had clearly been through a tough fight and was seriously injured.

While taking medicine to heal his wounds, his eyes scanned the area. His gaze lingered on the Dongli trio for a moment before he looked away.

’That old bastard is looking for Mr. Ya...’ Su Ze realized. ’Even in his state, Firoz hasn’t forgotten about Mr. Ya. He’ll definitely make a move if he gets the chance.’

But he was underestimating Mr. Ya’s strength. Even without help from Su Ze and the others, Firoz couldn’t have done a thing to Mr. Ya.

After searching the area and finding no sign of Mr. Ya, Firoz asked the other two Trialists from Luofan Country. When he learned that Mr. Ya hadn’t emerged yet, his eyes widened in disbelief.

And so, everyone was stuck waiting for Mr. Ya.

There was no sign of Mr. Ya, living or dead, which meant he hadn’t died, but he hadn’t passed the first trial either.

Apart from the three from Dongli, no one else cared whether Mr. Ya lived or died. The problem was, the second trial wouldn’t begin until the first one ended!

An awkward silence fell over the room, and people would occasionally glance toward the Dongli trio.

Su Ze looked completely unbothered. ’What can I do if people like to stare at someone handsome? Let them look.’

Li Yongguan, the ”cool guy,” was actually rather thin-skinned. He could only maintain a cold expression and lower his head slightly, avoiding the stares directed at them.

Finally, someone couldn’t take it anymore and shouted at Su Ze’s group, ”What’s the deal with that Trialist from Dongli? Dead or alive, he should be out by now!”

”Yeah, how long are we going to have to wait?”

Su Ze threw up his hands. ’Don’t know, not sure, don’t ask me.’

Su Ze really didn’t know for sure, but he could guess what was happening. It was likely that Mr. Ya’s pathetic damage output wasn’t enough to kill the enemy, but the enemy couldn’t kill Mr. Ya either. They were stuck in a stalemate.

What could they do? They could only wait.

Those who had been injured in the first trial took the opportunity to treat their wounds. The rest could only make small talk while they waited for Mr. Ya to appear.

No one had expected three people to die in the very first round.

There were two reasons for the deaths. First, due to the anomaly with the Divine Dice this time, the first trial had indeed changed, and it was extremely unforgiving for the older Trialists.

This round wasn’t primarily a test of strength, but of talent. The younger the Trialist, the easier it was to pass.

In the past, trials that directly tested talent only appeared in the latter three rounds. The first three rounds, even if they were combat-based, usually didn’t involve an age factor.

The second reason was related to the increased number of slots for this trial.

Previously, the Divine Dice trial had fewer slots, so every faction sent only the best of the best. This time, the increased number of slots had actually lowered the minimum standard for the Trialists’ strength.

After all, the factions might not have been able to gather that many top-tier geniuses on short notice. Furthermore, considering the increased danger of this particular Divine Dice trial, they probably wouldn’t have dared to send all their top talents in anyway.

A thought surfaced in the minds of the Trialists over forty... ’When the first trial ends and the exits open, should we be the first ones to leave?’

Most of these older Trialists shared the same duty as Zhang Tai: to enter the trial and protect their faction’s young geniuses.

They would typically leave after the second or third round and almost never proceed to the fourth.

However, this trial was clearly different. The first round being tied to age had already proven difficult for them. If the subsequent rounds were similar, given the rule that each round’s difficulty increases, many of them might not even survive the second trial.

Therefore, many had to start thinking about saving their own skins.

...

It wasn’t just the Trialists inside the Divine Dice who were getting antsy. Outside, the various Saint-level powerhouses were also growing perplexed.

Why was the first trial taking so long this time?

After the first trial, the Divine Dice was supposed to open six exits to let some of the Trialists out. But now, more than an hour had passed, and the giant die remained perfectly still.

”This anomaly with the Divine Dice really is different from before. The first trial has never taken this long,” a Saint-level hegemon from Lin Hua Country said with a frown.

”It seems this Divine Dice trial is going to be very difficult. I wonder how many will die in there!” someone sighed.

Just then, the enormous die suddenly began to turn slowly.

”The first trial is over!”

”Someone’s coming out! We can ask them what happened in the first trial.”

Under the expectant gazes of the Saint-level experts, the die rotated until the face showing the number ”6” was facing up, and then it stopped.

...

Inside the Dice Space, Su Ze couldn’t feel the die rotating on the outside at all.

He only knew that as everyone craned their necks in anticipation, Mr. Ya finally appeared. Then, six beams of light shot down from above.

The moment Mr. Ya appeared, all eyes were on him. Being stared at by more than fifty people at once left him a little stunned.

He especially noticed that many of the gazes were filled with dissatisfaction, impatience, or outright hostility.

Su Ze looked Mr. Ya over. Seeing that he was completely unharmed, he beckoned for him to rejoin the group.

”Boss, what’s going on?” Mr. Ya asked, blinking innocently.

”I’ve been waiting here for you for over an hour. What do you think is going on?” Su Ze retorted.

”It’s not my fault! That crystal person was too tough. I couldn’t even scratch it!” Mr. Ya said, sounding wronged.

”So what happened? How did you finally wear it down?”

”I didn’t wear it down! How could I possibly wear it down? I punched it twice, and it didn’t even flinch!”

”Then how did you pass the trial?” Su Ze asked, puzzled.

”I don’t know. The crystal person kept chasing and attacking me, so I just ran. I don’t know how long I was running, but then I suddenly appeared out here.”

Su Ze facepalmed. ’You can pass like that?’

It seemed the first trial had a time limit. If you hadn’t been killed by the crystal person when time was up, you were considered to have passed.

”Alright, that’s enough. The exits are opening.”

Su Ze noticed the six beams of light from above gradually contract into six rings. The rings then faded, and a natural light shone through—a welcome, familiar sight completely different from the light inside the Divine Dice.

Everyone knew these were the six exits, and they were now open.

Many of the Trialists felt an instinctive pull toward those exits, especially the older ones who had faced mortal danger in the first trial.

The rewards for passing only one trial weren’t great, but flying through one of those exits meant they would at least save their own skin.

In previous Divine Dice trials, the twelve exit slots available after the first round often went unused because many people were unwilling to leave, feeling it was a waste.

But this time was clearly different. It was likely that the twelve slots wouldn’t be nearly enough.

If there weren’t enough slots, a fight would be inevitable.

”Mr. Zhang, why don’t you go ahead and leave first?” Su Ze said, turning to Zhang Tai.

Zhang Tai’s injuries hadn’t been too severe, and he had already recovered with the help of an evolution potion. He shook his head. ”If I leave, what will happen to you all?”

”To be honest, it’s not like we really need your protection. If you don’t believe me, ask these two,” Su Ze said, twisting the knife.

That was him being polite. He hadn’t directly said, ’You probably couldn’t even beat me.’

Zhang Tai’s expression froze, and the words stung more than his previous injuries. He glanced at Mr. Ya, knowing he certainly didn’t need protection. Then he looked at Li Yongguan; the kid wore the same cold, fearless expression, as if to say ’I’m afraid of nothing.’

Still, he shook his head. ”I’m not as weak as you think, nor am I that old. Let’s wait one more round. I’ll definitely leave after the second one.”

Seeing Zhang Tai’s insistence, Su Ze didn’t press the issue. Besides, Zhang Tai had only just turned forty, giving him an edge over those who were in their mid-to-late forties.

So, no one from the Dongli group of four would be leaving this round.

Many of the other older Trialists, however, were tempted. Finally, one of them made the first move. A Trialist approaching fifty years of age flew toward an exit.

The others watched as the man’s figure grew smaller and smaller until he entered the exit, flew out of the Divine Dice, and vanished from sight.

Then, something completely unexpected happened!

The exit he had passed through closed!

”What’s going on?!”

”How did the exit close after only one person went through?!”

”Did the rules change? Does this mean only six people can leave after the first round?”

In the past, six exits would appear after the first trial, and two people could leave through each one. But this time, an exit closed after just one person passed through!

This meant the number of people who could leave had been cut in half!

If the next few rounds were the same, the implications were terrifying.

The six faces of a die have a total of 21 pips. If each pip only allows one person to exit, then out of 63 Trialists, a maximum of only 21 could survive to the end!

This revelation made up the minds of those who had been hesitant. They shot toward the remaining exits at full speed.

The reduction in exits sparked a panic. A dozen or so older Trialists shot into the air at once, but there were only five exits left.

Conflict was inevitable. People began to fight in mid-air.

This set off a chain reaction. After all, who didn’t have teammates?

Some of those on the ground who hadn’t planned on leaving had no choice but to fly up and support their teammates.

The situation descended into utter chaos. Some were injured, while others seized the opportunity to slip through an exit.

Su Ze glanced at Zhang Tai, who shook his head, still not intending to leave. Su Ze said nothing more. The four of them retreated to a corner, content to watch the chaotic brawl unfold above them.