Chapter 31: Timepiece
"A plan?" Donald and the rest raised their eyebrows in question.
"For the next floor, we have to work as a team." Adam said and continued with, "If there is only one minute to defeat the Clown Boy, we have to work fast."
"Work as a team?" Donald's eyebrow jumped in surprise. "I didn't expect you to say such words."
"Hmph." Ramon scoffed and rolled his eyes. "What're you planning, Adam? I know for a fact that you won't let anyone else have the kill!"
"Believe it or not, I have no interest in killing the Clown Boy." Adam said.
"As if!" Ramon loudly laughed, not believing a word Adam said. "There is no way that you wouldn't want the kill!"
"Yeah, that is very hard to believe." Donald added.
Everyone around the table showed similar suspicion towards Adam's claim. In their opinion, there wasn't any straight-minded person who wouldn't want the kill in this situation.
After all, every point counts.
Adam chuckled and shook his head.
In fact, he did not lie.
'The Clown Boy does indeed give lots of points, but there is something else that gives even more—another golden opportunity.
'The Adult Centipede Skeleton wasn't the only thing on the second floor that was found in the future. There was something else, something greater.
'It was something that changed the tutorial completely.
'So far, it has been discovered only a few times, and it still isn't public knowledge. Konrad Moriarty, the High King, also found a similar thing on the fifth floor. That's why that floor is now considered a safe haven...
'The same thing was discovered on the second floor in Year 2161, a long time away now. However, now I have a chance to discover it myself... Compared to killing the Clown Boy, it is far more important.'
"Listen," Adam said. "I won't kill the Clown Boy. If I do, you all can just kill me right there and then!"
Many surprised expressions flashed by in the faces of the players. Some were curious, some baffled, and some looked relieved, knowing that they wouldn't have to fight him for the kill.
They all knew that Adam was currently leading the tutorial with a very strong lead. That's why, most of them believed that he didn't care about that kill anymore, as he already had so many points.
"What the hell..." Ramon squinted his eyes. "You could've kept the information to yourself and gotten the kill, and there was nothing we could've done. Now, not only have you shared the information with us, but now you are forfeiting the kill?
"That sounds far too suspicious."
"I found a pocketwatch." Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out the small silver timepiece. "It was hidden in the books on the black castle."
"And?" Ramon stared at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
After seeing the pocket watch, he thought it looked quite nice and would probably sell for a decent price. However, that's about it.
"What about it?" Donald asked as well.
"There is a time limit with the Clown Boy." Adam said. "I also have reason to believe that there is more than that."
"What do you mean?"
"This pocket watch is strange." Adam said with a chuckle and showed it to everyone.
After seeing it, they also saw the weirdness of it and were intrigued. It had twenty-four numbers instead of twelve. It took 48 hours for the clockhand to make a full rotation.
It was clearly out of the ordinary.
"So what?" Ramon looked annoyed. "It is just a pocket watch."
"I don't think it is a mere pocket watch." Adam said, "What do you think will happen after the clockhand has made a full rotation?"
"It starts another rotation." Ramon said with a twitching eyebrow. "What's the big deal?"
"I don't think that's the case." Adam said, "I think, after those 48 hours, the Clown Boy will vanish."
"Vanish?!"
"It already has a time limit, and I found this pocket watch from there for a reason." Adam closed and opened the pocket watch with a gentle click. "I believe that once the time runs out, he will disappear completely."
"What do you think will happen to us then?" Donald asked with sweat trickling down his forehead. "Will we get disqualified?"
"Perhaps I don't know." Adam said with a serious look.
"Why didn't that guy tell us that?" One of the players chimed in.
"He didn't know." Ramon said with a serious look. "Or didn't want us to know, but I doubt it. He was scared enough."
"Only those that has experienced the time limit would know, but they would most likely be disqualified." Adam said.
"That makes a lot of sense..." Donald bit his nail with a nervous look. "We don't have a lot of time."
"But I am sure that we've been on the second floor longer than 48 hours." One of the players said, "Shouldn't the time limit be over already?"
"I think the time limit started from the moment we found the Clown Boy." Adam said.
"Right..."
"That's why you need us..." Ramon looked at Adam with a frown. "You could fail and get disqualified."
"I think beating the Clown Boy in its game alone is far too difficult." Adam said with his arms crossed. "If it wants to play tag, it will be far too fast for me to beat. That's why I need you all."
"Yeah, it was extremely fast..." Donald nodded in agreement.
"All right, I believe you now." Ramon said and leaned back in the chair. "So, what's the plan?"
"I'll face the Clown Boy and try to beat it in its game. I most likely will fail; that's where you guys come in. You guys need to be on every floor and attack the Clown Boy at the moment's notice.
"It is hard to make a plan without knowing what the game will be. If it is tag, I won't be enough to beat it, that's why I need all of you to be on every corner of the castle, ready to kill it if it appears near you."
"What if you somehow beat it?" Donald asked.
"I'll leave the killing to you all." Adam said and pocketed his timepiece. "Whoever gets the kill won't be harassed afterwards, deal?"
"Deal."
All the players nodded in agreement, satisfied with the conditions and the current plan.
"If you plan to betray us, I will shove my machete down your throat." Ramon whispered in Adam's ear and then left the cafeteria with his friend, Hannibal.
Following that, most of the players started to stand up to prepare for the night. Most of them planned to leave for the second floor after breakfast, but after finding out that the Clown Boy only appears at midnight, they decided to wait until then instead.
The table emptied quickly, and then Seth took away his tray without even glancing in Adam's direction.
If he had, he would've noticed the smile on Adam's lips that hinted at mischief.
Adam touched the timepiece in his pocket and couldn't help but chuckle.
About the 48 hour time limit, he was lying.
They had unlimited attempts to kill the Clown Boy, and the silvery timepiece was simply a unique item with twenty-four numbers engraved around its rim. It was nothing special.
'If I succeed in this, S-ranked score might actually be within my reach.'