2. Chapter 2
The "studio" mentioned by the mechanical voice is a bright and luxurious hall.
The gorgeous and bizarre red gold chandelier hangs from the high dome, and the wall is engraved with exquisite relief paintings, which are lifelike. Platinum candlesticks are placed in the corners, with flickering flames and shadows.
The hall is distributed in a stepped shape, with a total of nine steps. The stairs are more spacious as you go down, and the widest level is even enough to accommodate a large football field. Each step is covered with carpets of different colors and decorated with different decorations.
Of course, the most eye-catching is the ten thrones on the top step.
The base of the throne is made of crystal, which is extremely luxurious. It is padded with velvet carpets, and drinks and fruits are placed next to it, which clearly shows the strict level difference.
The stairs have only one thing in common, that is, they all face a three-dimensional projection floating in the air.
The five big words "Thriller Trainee" are suspended on the projection.
When you look up, these words are projected in three dimensions, projected on the lens of everyone's eyeball. No matter how big the hall is, you can see it effortlessly. Just like the sound that appears out of thin air and does not need any medium to transmit, it is obviously not the height that the current scientific level can reach.
People gathered up and down the stairs and entered in a line, gathering in the center of the studio.
The expressions on people's faces were varied, mostly anxious, and noisy.
The size of this hall cannot be observed by the naked eye. It feels that you can't see the end at a glance, and the crowds of people are countless.
Zong Jiu stood there calmly, moving his fingers while accepting the baptism of all parties' eyes.
Needless to say, the beauty of the original owner of the cannon fodder, and because of the congenital lack of pigment, he showed the appearance characteristics of a mild albinos, such as this natural white hair. Along the way, as long as there were people, he could harvest a lot of eyes without any effort.
Zong Jiu felt a little pity.
If this is an ordinary entertainment industry talent show, just based on this face, there will be no problem that no audience will buy it.
The crowd suddenly became agitated, and screams came one after another.
They found something that appeared out of thin air on their chests.
"What's going on?!"
In the noise, Zong Jiu silently lowered his head and saw the blue letters that appeared out of thin air on his chest without any surprise.
Horror trainee. E-level.
The original owner was just a beautiful vase, with little meat on his body, just a white-cut chicken with a combat power of five. Giving an E is reasonable and perfect operation.
If the previous things have room for explanation, then this chest card that appeared out of thin air now is not pleasing.
The crowd began to riot. But not everyone is like this.
At least the group of people by the wall are not like this.
They have the same calmness and indifference on their faces.
The letter cards of these people are all above C-level, and the highest in sight is A-level, which is in sharp contrast with the panicked E-level and F-level people around Zong Jiu.
In addition, they seem to be divided into several different organizations, which do not interfere with each other and maintain the necessary social distance.
Although he does not know the plot, Zong Jiu, who knows the background of the original text, knows this scene clearly.
Not all trainees are like Xia Chuan and others, who are directly transferred from reality to this bloody and terrifying trainee program.
Over the years, there have been "chosen children" from all over the world who have been unlucky and entered this terrifying infinite loop plane. The number is not small. After all, the number of people who disappear inexplicably in the world every year reaches more than two million, and it is estimated that there are millions of people struggling here.
There is no way to return to the real world in the infinite loop. Let alone escape, it is difficult to save your life. Most survivors died in the never-ending, round-by-round forced participation copies. Only a very small number of people survived and struggled to survive.
Compared with these experienced and experienced survivors who don’t know how many ways to save their lives, Zong Jiu, a newcomer who seems to be pulled in to make up the numbers, obviously has no chance of winning.
"It's been a long time since I saw so many people at once."
Just as Zong Jiu was secretly observing the group of people, the survivors over there were also whispering to each other.
In the past, they were all fixed teams in the group, and the teams could not meet each other, and could only meet in the dungeon. Now, seeing so many old faces at first glance, and countless newcomers making noises below, I can't help but feel a little emotional.
Although the rewards of the horror trainee plan are extremely tempting, the mortality rate given by the main system also makes many survivors discouraged. So even if there are so many survivors, only 10% of them dare to sign up and pass the screening.
There are not many old people participating in the competition. In order to create momentum, of course, some newcomers have to be brought in.
"What's the use of having so many people."
Qin Ye folded his arms and sneered: "The high-level faces we see now are all old faces. I guess the newcomers are just sent by the main system to give us more sense of participation."
The other person said nothing, agreeing with him in his heart. He only looked at the other side with pity, "What a pity. If the newcomers had struggled for a few more copies, they would have a better chance of surviving. It's hell mode right away. It's miserable."
The newcomers over there were still making noises, talking as if they were buying vegetables in a vegetable market.
The old people looked at them indifferently, and did not intend to step forward to explain or maintain order.
This is the only large-scale planned task released in the infinite loop for so long, not to mention that there are such generous rewards. The difficulty can be imagined.
The old people can't guarantee that they will not be eliminated and survive to the end of this draft, let alone the newcomers who are unarmed?
No one is a saint. Even a clay Buddha can't save himself when crossing the river. It's good enough to take care of himself.
[Time is up, the door of the studio has been blocked]
As if in response, the next moment after the voice fell, the doors around the hall fell like jacks, blocking all those who didn't have time to enter the studio outside.
[End of the first round of preliminary selection]
A mechanical voice without any emotion resounded throughout the hall.
The candles began to go out one by one, and the sparks after the extinguishing floated into the air, forming a burning virtual figure.
"Welcome, the horror trainees who have successfully entered the venue. I am the anthropomorphic form of the main system."
"Next, I will explain to you the basic rules and schedule of the horror trainee program. Please look forward to it."
####
Xia Chuan sat on the steps with his mobile phone in one hand, bored, and looked down from time to time.
After so much trouble, his mobile phone was almost out of power, and the power bar retreated to a dazzling red. It might shut down automatically at any time.
Disappointingly, the signal bar at the top was still empty.
After some encouragement, many people gathered in the stairwell, and many people took out their mobile phones and came to the stairs to take pictures with Xia Chuan. Although Xia Chuan was impatient, he had no choice but to acquiesce because he had no assistants or bodyguards around him.
"No, why is it so quiet?"
After everyone lined up to take photos with the big star, someone finally noticed something was wrong: "Hey? Where are those people who went upstairs before? Why is there no sound?"
After the mechanical voice made the last five-minute countdown, there was no sound in the corridor. The footsteps and noise before also disappeared completely. Only their voices echoed in the stairwell, which sounded inexplicably creepy.
"Wait, damn, there is an exit upstairs, and they have all gone out!"
The man had just taken a photo with Xia Chuan, and suddenly a light bulb went off in his head. He slapped his thigh, "Everyone else has gone out, and we are still sitting here stupidly. What are we still doing? Let's go!"
"Fuck! That's right! Otherwise, how can we explain the silence!"
"It's really stupid, still standing there stupidly."
Everyone suddenly realized and rushed to the stairs, making a loud bang on the stairs.
"Damn it, I've been trapped here for so long, I've had enough, let's go!"
They rushed forward.
After running past a few corners, the people standing at the corner of the corridor in front suddenly stopped collectively.
"What's wrong, don't block it, let's go!"
The people behind were noisy, not understanding why the team suddenly stopped.
For some reason, a strong sense of uneasiness suddenly swept over Xia Chuan's senses.
He just wanted to look up, but he only felt something hot and sticky falling from the air on his head.
Suddenly blinded, Xia Chuan subconsciously pulled the thing in front of him away, "What is this?"
When he grabbed the thing, he realized that something was wrong.
The thing was sticky and bloody, with sticky tissue and blood dripping from one end, and the broken part of the other end was leaking a foul-smelling black and yellow mucus.
The body that was broken into two halves fell heavily into the crowd, and blood and broken internal organs flew everywhere.
The expressions on their faces were forever frozen in joy, perhaps mixed with a little bit of surprise.
Xia Chuan was trembling. He screamed, higher than any high note he had sung in a concert, and then quickly threw away the thing in his hand.
What he just held in his hand was actually a bloody intestine.
####
The main system explained the rules of this infinite talent show to all the trainees in the studio in a straightforward voice.
Although Zong Jiu had known these rules for a long time, he still listened carefully from beginning to end.
The rules are very similar to the talent shows in the real world.
The hall is full of thrilling trainees who have successfully entered the preliminary selection. There are at least tens of thousands of them, and they will have to participate in the competition together in the future.
They will go through countless horror copies, and the elimination will be repeated until the last 100 people and the only c position are selected.
The preliminary selection is to roughly divide the trainees into seven levels of sabcdef according to the personal strength evaluated by the main system.
"After each section competition, the system and the instructor will re-evaluate the level of the trainee according to his or her performance in the section competition."
"The higher the level, the more privileges you have in the trainee dormitory and the higher your personal authority. High-level trainees can have their own rooms, service privileges, and even know the tips or content of the next section competition in advance."
Everyone in the hall has stood on different steps according to the levels on their badges. Even the other nine thrones have their own people, but the throne representing No. 1 is still empty.
The white-haired young man silently raised his head and looked at the highest row behind him.
Unfortunately, Zong Jiu stood too low, and the people above could easily see him, but he couldn't see the people above.
Zong Jiu remembered the description in the original text.
The dormitory for S-level trainees is on the top floor of the trainee dormitory. It is an ultra-luxurious open-air viewing room, an ultimate luxury suite with a 360-degree sky garden, and the surfing bath alone is as big as a flat floor.
And the E-class people live in the same simple eight-person room as before, which is totally without human rights.
"Because it is a variety show, the whole program will be broadcast live to the survivors, and the bullet screen function will be turned on. In order to ensure the program effect and prevent leaks, the bullet screen and live broadcast room functions are temporarily not open to trainees. During the program, except for fellow trainees, the survivors' communication system is also not open."
"After the explanation, the next is the time for free questions. As long as the questions are within the rules, I will answer them for you."
Obviously, some people also have the same doubts as Zong Jiu, "Why is there no one in the first seat in the top row?"
"This is a good question." The main system said coldly: "If you are No. 1, you can also have the privilege of not participating in the rally."
There was a commotion in the crowd. The old people squinted their eyes and whispered to each other, with fear in their expressions, and they didn't seem to be surprised that the vacant No. 1 seat belonged to them.
It turned out that people were just scared, so they listened to the explanation obediently. Now, after the main system finished speaking, another unconvinced voice immediately emerged: "Why should we listen to you?"
"That's right, there are so many of us, and we can walk if everyone contributes a little. A spit can drown you. If we work together, what can't we do?"
The main system never answered these noisy questions.
Instead, the old people standing aside. When the newcomers were confused and still in the mood to question, they had already memorized the rules just mentioned by the main system and began to analyze quickly.
At this time, a faint voice suddenly sounded, easily covering the debate in the hall.
"You didn't mention the rules of elimination."
The source of the voice was very high, coming from the ten thrones on the top floor.
The old people exchanged glances with each other.
"If death in the copy is equivalent to elimination, is the level division related to this? If it is related, can it be regarded as falling behind in level, and elimination is annihilation?"
The pleasant and slow voice directly pointed out the problem that the main system did not explain.
I don't know if the questioner's authority is too high or the question is sharp enough, the main system quickly gave an answer.
"The level division is indeed related to elimination. After each round of the section competition is re-evaluated, the lowest level will be eliminated." The golden-red phantom replied, "Trainees eliminated because of the level will be put into the punishment copy. If you can pass the punishment copy, you will have a chance to revive."
"If you die in the copy, you will not have the opportunity to challenge the punishment copy."
"Then, the last question." The voice said coldly, "——Teacher, who is it?"
All the old people's eyes flashed and their backs tightened.
Just now, the main system has mentioned that the level evaluation will be completed by the system and the mentor. This means that the mysterious mentor holds the power of life and death for everyone.
In the entire infinite loop, all the strong men with names have signed up to join the ranks of horror trainees, without exception. And for so long, except for the main system, they have never come into contact with other beings who can hold absolute power and even interfere with life and death.
The main system calmly replied: "The question is beyond the scope of authority, and no answer will be given."
"Wait."
Hearing this conversation, the newcomers who were just making a lot of noise were stunned, "What are you kidding, how could they die?"
He laughed as he spoke, "No way, there are so many of us... Even if you have the ability to get us here, do you want our lives?"
"Since things have come to this, you still refuse to face reality." The main system said: "Then use your eyes to verify everything."
On the high platform in the center, the flickering figure of the main system suddenly cracked, and scattered into thousands of bright sparks again, flying onto the previously extinguished candles.
The blocked studio door slowly pulled up from the ground.
It is not right to say that it is the gate, but the dome of the entire hall is rising. It is like a gift box waiting to be opened, the exquisite packaging on the outside is removed, and the cake inside is exposed.
The barriers around are all removed, and the bright sunlight is projected from outside, coating the thick carpet with a layer of golden red silhouette, flowing in pieces.
As eye-catching as the sunlight is the bright red blood on the ground outside the corridor.
The corpse that no one cares about lies on the side, with a pale face, and the chest is completely ripped open, and the contents taken out are casually placed like garbage.
The sea of blood and corpses is like purgatory.
At the end of the tragic bright red, there is only one who is still breathing.
The man's back is bleeding, and half of his spine has been pulled out, dripping with broken meat.
There is silence in the studio.
The old man has experienced countless storms and waves, and he accepts this scene well. Only the low-level newcomers were so scared that they peed and vomited with a "wow--".
Amid the vomiting, someone suddenly asked fearfully, "Wait, wait... that... isn't that Xia Chuan? The lead singer of that group is Xia Chuan!"
Almost at the same time, the man crawling on the ground heard the sound of the jack rising, and crawled over here in ecstasy.
His hands were digging on the thick carpet, enduring the severe pain, his face was in agony, his eyeballs were bulging, and the white bones on his fingertips dragged a long blood trail on the ground.
"Huh, huh..."
Xia Chuan made an untuned and broken sound from his throat, calling for help weakly.
It was like crawling for a century in just a dozen meters.
Finally, just when Xia Chuan was about to reach the door, his head suddenly fell off his neck, rolling to the side like a ball, and his white brain was scattered all over the ground.
A star who usually only appears in front of media cameras and surrounded by microphones, now has no power to fight back, like a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, without any signs, no weapons, no unknown existence, and even no one knows how he died.
But he died just like that, and died under the attention of the public.
The newcomers all watched this scene tremblingly.
They were scared and didn't dare to step forward.
"This is the result of not following the rules, and it is also the explanation and evidence you want."
"Congratulations, you have chosen the right path in the first step."
As if in response, the wide dome fell from the sky again.
In an instant, everyone in the hall was pulled into the air by an invisible force.
The voice of the main system resounded throughout the hall, "I have received a notice from the instructor that the first game originally scheduled to start tomorrow morning will be moved forward to today. Please be ready."
People were shocked, and the next second, the carpet under their feet suddenly changed, dragging everyone into a bottomless darkness.