God's imitator

Chapter 173 'Trial of the Coward'

"Di-"

A sharp buzzing sound rang out, jolting He Xiaojun awake.

He felt his heart pounding and his breathing becoming rapid.

"Is this what trial games are all about...?"

After entering the new world, He Xiaojun spent most of his time as a marginal figure in Community 14, and so far, he has only participated in two allocation games and one selection game.

Aside from some risks of death in the selection-based games, everything has gone smoothly so far.

The three players from the same community were not so lucky; they each died in two different trial games.

The Trial Game is a game that all players in the new world dread.

In designing trial games, copycat offenders seem to be given greater authority to kill. Furthermore, trial games often feature targeted traps designed to address the original sins of each offender.

Driven by both the pressure of life and death and human instinct, criminals often seem to act spontaneously, but in reality, they have no other choice but to take their own lives.

He Xiaojun originally thought that he would not be chosen by the trial game.

Because he believed he had not made any mistakes, neither legal nor moral.

So when the invitation to the trial game appeared, he panicked instantly. Within 5 minutes, his heart was pounding, his breathing was rapid, and his mind went blank.

What's worse, he was the only one in the entire 14th community who was forced to participate in this trial game.

Others are not eligible to volunteer.

This means that he will be completely isolated and helpless in this game, with no community members able to help him.

This made He Xiaojun feel even more desperate.

In this oppressive atmosphere, he breathed deeply into the musty air that filled the space, while looking around at his surroundings.

This was a cramped and narrow basement, with nothing but some dirty clutter piled up in the corners and an old CRT television.

Suddenly, the TV screen, which had been filled with static, displayed a game introduction, and a lifeless voice came from the cheap speakers.

Hello, He Xiaojun.

Now you will be put on trial, participating in a game called "Trial of the Cowards."

From childhood to adulthood, you have been disciplined by your family and society, adhering to the life principles of "it's better to do less than more" and "a moment of patience brings a brighter future."

You always tolerate and yield to all conflicts and contradictions.

However, often, forbearance doesn't bring peace; instead, it can drag you into a bigger vortex. Taking a step back won't lead to a brighter future, but rather to utter ruin.

Because of a female colleague's false accusations, you repeatedly gave in, ultimately losing your job, suffering cyberbullying, and experiencing a mental breakdown—losing almost everything.

Your current situation is just like the moment you were falsely accused:

You will be injected with a slow-acting poison, which will take effect in 30 minutes. Before you know it, a life-or-death crisis is already looming.

Continue forward, and you will arrive at four different trial grounds, participating in four different trials, all led by those who once plunged you into utter ruin.

In each trial, you must choose the "more appropriate" punishment for the person being judged from two different options.

If you choose correctly, you will receive an antidote.

If the wrong choice is made, the antidote will be destroyed.

Passing through the iron gate and leaving the initial area signifies that you have officially begun this trial.

At the same time, the iron gate, which had been tightly closed, was suddenly opened with a "bang".

But the rules were still being explained on television.

Of course, since this game is called "Trial of the Cowards," you will also have a "coward option": you can choose to run away, do nothing, and wait here for the game to end. If you haven't left this starting area after 10 minutes, the iron gate will close again.

The sinners who should have been judged by you will spontaneously carry out their own judgment; they can choose a punishment to judge themselves.

After the trial, the criminals will regain their freedom, and they too may receive the antidote, which will then be delivered to you.

[Will you die from cowardice, or bravely break free from the whirlpool? Now, make your choice.]

The picture on the TV disappeared, leaving only static.

He Xiaojun's mind was in chaos, but just then, a sharp pain in his wrist brought him back to his senses.

He quickly looked at his wrist and saw that a needle seemed to be piercing out from the inside of the visa bracelet, rapidly injecting some kind of toxin into his body.

A tingling sensation came from my wrist.

Although his body is temporarily out of danger, as stated in the game rules, the chronic toxin has spread throughout his body. Without an antidote, he will undoubtedly die within 30 minutes.

Shock, fear, madness...

A multitude of emotions instantly overwhelmed He Xiaojun's mind, making him want to scream or cry, but ultimately they were all suppressed by a sudden surge of survival instinct, which temporarily restored his rationality.

"Calm down, I must calm down..."

"According to the rules of the game, there will be four trials ahead."

“Every trial is a choice between two options.”

"If you make the right choice just once, you can get the antidote."

"This trial game isn't difficult. Even with completely random choices, there's only a one in sixteen chance of dying. If you choose correctly even once, you'll survive..."

"Yes, that's right, I need to pull myself together..."

He Xiaojun slapped himself twice hard, and the surge of adrenaline gave him renewed courage.

But as he prepared to step through the newly opened iron gate, He Xiaojun hesitated again.

He stepped back.

"The game rules state that there is a 'coward option.' If I stay here, the sinners can judge themselves in 10 minutes, and they might also get the antidote and come to save me..."

"Since it's mentioned in the game rules, then it's certain that this is a necessary mechanism. The only question is the exact probability of 'possibly getting the antidote' and 'possibly being delivered to me'..."

"The copycat who designed this game probably couldn't have predicted the behavior of all players."

"If one of the four trials gets the antidote and is willing to bring it to me, I will be saved, right?"
"Conversely, if I rashly judge others, no matter which choice I make, I will make enemies of the person being judged."

"Making a series of wrong decisions could completely destroy one's hope of survival..."

He Xiaojun hesitated, because once he left the initial location, the "coward option" would automatically become invalid, leaving him with only two choices.

The ingrained way of thinking that He Xiaojun had developed over the years made him subconsciously want to escape.

In that previous selection game, he also faced the risk of death, but he did nothing and was lucky enough to survive to the end.

On the contrary, many players who lost their minds and acted blindly due to the risk of death died because of their own stupidity.

"But will I have that kind of good luck again this time?"
"The subject of the trial is my cowardice, and I must remember that..."

After hesitating for a few minutes, He Xiaojun finally made up his mind to walk out of the iron gate.

"No, I can no longer rely on others; I must take control of my own destiny..."

　It's the last day of the month, please vote with your monthly tickets! Tomorrow, the 1st, at midnight, there will be a burst of 8 chapters! This time, two games will be running simultaneously. The "Coward's Trial" is just a small appetizer, only 5 chapters long, while the "Birth Trial" is longer, around 14 chapters. I'll continue to work hard to update and climb the rankings next month, and I hope everyone can save some monthly tickets for me. Thank you so much!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)