3.7 per cent for option I, 55.6 per cent for option II, 33.3 per cent for option III and 7.4 per cent for option IV.

……

[Option 2]

[Grab the lighter in the store, light it, and throw it into the trapdoor]

……

Ignition!?

Zheng Zhuo flashed a trace of surprise in his heart.

But at the same time, he could clearly see that the trapdoor was closing.

There is no time left for selection.

(—I can't do that much!) ）”

Zheng Zhuo gritted his teeth and rushed to the counter. He slammed into the countertop, and cigarettes, chewing gum and pens were knocked off by him and fell on the countertop and floor with a clatter.

And then......

When the long, when the long.

Several brand-new lighters fell in front of Zheng Zhuo's eyes.

"—this ——!"

Zheng Zhuoyi grabbed the lighter, "clicked", and pressed it.

The flames immediately flickered in Zheng Zhuo's palm.

"Good!"

Zheng Zhuo threw himself to the ground and threw the lighter forward—

The lighter slid against the ground and slid in before the trapdoor closed.

The light of the fire fell into the dark underground, as if falling into the void. It disappeared with a soft "bang".

Smack.

The wooden door closed. It fits the texture of the floor so tightly that if Zheng Zhuo hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have thought that there was a door there.

Yes...... Did it work?

Zheng Zhuo gasped and stood up.

After a while.

He heard a "crackle, crackle" sound.

The sound was faint, like the sound of a short circuit in a wire.

But soon, it became a "pop" sound when a single firecracker was ignited.

“……”

The room is starting to get hot. Especially underfoot.

"-Oops!"

It's really lit! Zheng Zhuo hurriedly picked up the unconscious bearded store manager beside him, dragged him hard, and dragged him out of the house.

He slammed the door of the grocery store with his shoulder, and the store manager was covered in blood. The surrounding townsfolk all looked shocked when they saw him, and some of the women covered their mouths with their hands.

I seem to have been surprising people lately......

The thought came to his head out of place.

Hey, now is not the time for jokes.

"Run!"

Zheng Zhuo shouted loudly.

The ground beneath his feet grew hotter. What's even more terrifying is that he has left the grocery store, however, from the store to the dirt road, the temperature not only does not drop, but shows signs of rising.

That's when it happened.

“————”

He heard beneath the ground of the grocery store, deep underground.

There was a terrible scream.

The screams were inaudible as human beings.

The screams continued, like something inhuman howling.

“…… Miscellaneous...... ......"

Zheng Zhuo only felt that his scalp was numb, and the hairs on his back stood on end.

The screams moved rapidly underground. In the blink of an eye, we were far away.

The townsfolk in the neighborhood finally reacted. They began to cry out of fear, scurryed around, and fled back indoors.

Meanwhile.

On Zheng Zhuo's left hand, the interface of the [Subconscious World] popped up.

“！！”

Zheng Zhuo saw that the 100% progress bar, which represented the progress of the event, turned red at this moment. Moreover, it is falling rapidly.

39.7%、37.2%、35.6%……

"What!"

Zheng Zhuo's mind was "buzzing".

He had heard the thief read the Explanation of Rules. It says that the participants are going to investigate a truth. When the knowledge of the truth reaches 100%, the participant is victorious and can leave.

What does it mean now......

Is the truth disappearing? Forever incomprehensible? Stay here forever –

Zheng Zhuo's hands and feet were weak, but he ran forward two steps with force.

35.6%、34.7%、33.9%……

“！！”

Zheng Zhuo suddenly found that as he advanced, the decline in the number slowed down.

(The clue hasn't been completely broken yet!?) It's disappearing. No, in the destruction -)"

(Well—just—before it's gone—)"

"Carry it for me!"

Zheng Zhuo forcibly stuffed the store manager who was carrying on his back, covered in blood, to a townsman who approached and had not yet had time to run into the house.

Without waiting for the other party to respond, he ran towards the entrance of the town.

……

“…… Damn, damn it......"

Zheng Zhuo ran wildly all the way. The ground was so hot that it was as if the whole town had been placed on a hot pan of oil.

"Won't you...... Is the underground connected? ”

Zheng Zhuo saw sweat on his forehead. Now, he can only think of this possibility. Moreover, it is the greatest possibility.

Connected...... Where is the connection?

Zheng Zhuo's mind suddenly appeared in the underwater cave next to the waterfall spring on the southwest side of the town.

The schematic diagram of the cave is intricate and extends in all directions. At the time, Zheng Zhuo could only measure visually, but he estimated that the longest section was still more than two kilometers.

Two kilometers.

From the town to the waterfall spring, it is only a little more than a kilometer.

Is it possible......

Part of the cave actually extends under the town?

“…… Waterfall Spring! ”

Zheng Zhuo ran in the direction of the waterfall spring.

……

…………

………………

A few minutes later, Zheng Zhuo arrived at the waterfall spring, he had never run so fast before, and he almost coughed his lungs out.

The leaves of the surrounding vegetation began to shrivel due to the heat. Zheng Zhuo brushed aside the grass and leaves that had been scorched by the heat, and walked forward with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

The waterfall in front of him was completely devoid of the quiet beauty of his first visit. Now, in the waterhole outside the waterfall, the spring has erupted. The jets of water that had come from the height of the two erupted violently, splashing against the surface of the water and buzzing around the pool.

It was not so much a spring eruption as it was a ......

“…… Boiled ......"

The vicinity of the waterfall spring does not become cooler due to its proximity to the water source. On the contrary, every step Zheng Zhuo took was like stepping on a hot rock.

“…… Progress bar...... How's it going......"

Zheng Zhuo looked to the left.

He had already run as fast as he could, but the downward trend of the progress bar did not stop with a slowdown. At the moment, only 20.7% remained.

“…… 20.6%。 ”

After arriving at the waterfall spring, the value did not stop.

Zheng Zhuo raised his head.

There is no further path. Further on, he will reach the entrance to the underwater cavern.

"Meaning...... Want me in? Grab the ...... What is it...... Before it was completely ruined? ”

Zheng Zhuo already vaguely understood the situation in his heart, however, he couldn't take that step.

He looked at the mouth of the cave.

The depths of the cave, which was originally dark and lightless, and could not see the five fingers, were faintly glowing red at this moment.

“……”

At the moment when Zheng Zhuo hesitated and poked his head into the cave.

“————”

From the depths of the cavern came a terrifying sound of fragmentation, a mixture of screams and laughter.

"-all-mine-nobody-can't ——!!!"

Accompanied by barely legible, fragmented phrases. Zheng Zhuo saw the progress bar on his side turn red again.

20.7%，16.4%，11.9%……

Values are dropping faster than ever before. The numbers scrolled, almost unintelligible.

The next second.

The page of "Subconscious World" was flipped over.

The Subliminal Voting page appeared.

……

【Question】

[Advancing is dangerous, but it increases progress.] It's relatively safe to go back, but progress can drop to zero. So? 】

[Option 1]

【Forward】

[Option 2]

【Turning Back】