The young man pointed to the path, where they saw the shredded remains of contestants torn apart by the explosions. They realized what had happened when they heard the explosion sounds. Noor felt disgusted, while Jean's inner terror increased. Noor asked:
"How will we cross from here?"
A large man with broad shoulders and blonde hair emerged, telling them in a gruff voice:
"I can pass through with my power, but I don't know if I'll be harmed or not! The explosive force might be greater than my endurance."
Keno scrutinized him and asked:
"And what is your power?"
"I can cover my body with a solid metallic substance like iron, but I don't know if this iron will withstand the explosive force or if I'll be blown apart!"
Keno fell silent briefly, thinking, then said suspiciously:
"Has anyone managed to cross?"
The Asian youth replied dryly:
"Yes, some have already crossed. The person who flies and the one who jumps high were able to pass the path easily."
Keno looked at the path and continued:
"Noor, Jean, follow me. I can navigate through these mines."
Everyone looked at him in astonishment. A young man about Noor's age emerged, with wavy black hair and Arab features with a light tan. He smiled and said:
"Really? Can you help us cross?"
Noor looked at the young man and felt he knew him, experiencing a headache for a few seconds again upon seeing him. The young man seemed to share the same feeling. Noor asked him:
"What's your name?"
"My name is Youssef, and you?"
"I'm Noor."
They looked at each other for a few seconds, then Youssef said in a resonant, cheerful tone:
"Pleased to meet you."
The large man said impatiently:
"I'm Ivanov, and this isn't the time for introductions. We need to cross before the rest of the contestants catch up with us."
Keno interrupted:
"Yes, you're right... Now... my companions and I will cross. Whoever wants to follow us may do so, I won't stop them."
The Asian youth said rudely and fiercely:
"I won't cross behind you. I'll cross alone." Ivanov agreed with him.
But Youssef and ten others decided to follow Keno.
Noor insisted:
"Keno, what is your power?"
Keno said with a meaningful tone:
"You shouldn't know my secret now, or you might use it against me."
Jean agreed with Keno and added:
"I don't think Noor would do that, but you're right, we shouldn't tell anyone our secret. But be careful; we don't want to be killed."
Keno moved cautiously along the path with everyone following him. He veered slightly left, then slightly right, with everyone mimicking his movements in fear and great confusion, until they crossed half the path. Suddenly, one of the trailing contestants accidentally stepped on a mine. The mine exploded, taking two people with it, then another mine exploded.
Keno said nervously:
"Damn it, run!"
Everyone began to sprint along the sandy path, with Keno examining the ground, checking the locations of mines, while explosions sounded and rose behind them, taking out contestants until five of them were gone. Meanwhile, Keno dodged the mines left and right with agility, followed by the rest with haste, tension, and fear, until they approached the end. Keno shouted:
"We're almost there... Hold on a bit longer."
Unintentionally, Keno stepped on a mine. The explosion hurled him through the air, tearing his body apart. Everything went black as he closed his eyes, surrendering to death.
Suddenly, he opened them again.
He was back—running on the path, completely unscathed. Confused, he whispered to himself, "What happened? I felt like I... Was I hallucinating?!"
Shaken but alert, Keno scanned the ground and spotted the mine he had triggered in his vision. This time, he avoided it. He kept running, with the others close behind, dodging debris and explosions until they finally reached safety. As the last echoes of destruction faded, they collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.
Noor glanced around. Only six had survived. Four were gone.
"Now... I know... why they call it... the Death Race," he muttered between labored breaths.
They soon spotted the Asian youth and Ivanov casually making their way across the path. The Asian—Sairi—gave them a smug look and began clapping sarcastically.
"What a magnificent fireworks display, boys. Didn't I tell you, Ivanov? Let them go first—it clears the way. Much easier for us. Of course, I could've crossed alone, but a little caution never hurts. Name's Sairi, by the way. Pleased to meet you."
Noor's jaw clenched with fury. What a scoundrel, he thought bitterly. He used us as bait just to make his own passage easier.
Ivanov - the russian guy - simply raised his hand with a half-smile. "Farewell, comrades. See you at the finish line."
He and Sairi turned and began running ahead.
Youssef, still catching his breath, said, "Don't worry. I doubt that was the end. This has to be just the beginning."
Jean groaned sarcastically, "Oh great. That makes me feel so much better."
Youssef chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood, but Keno cut in firmly, "Enough. This isn't the time for jokes. We move—now."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They stood, muscles still aching, and began running once more after Ivanov and Sairi, who had already vanished into the distance.
One of the contestants glanced over his shoulder. "Hurry. The others must've figured out the trick by now."
Panic gave way to urgency. They picked up their pace, racing toward the unknown. This wasn't just a test—it was survival.
After several more minutes of intense running, they spotted Ivanov and Sairi again—this time stopped, along with two unfamiliar contestants.
Noor, half-laughing, said, "Looks like trouble caught up sooner than I thought."
As they joined the group, Keno spoke coolly, laced with sarcasm, "Why the pause? Don't tell me you're waiting for us to clear another death trap for you."
Sairi didn't respond. He merely lifted his arm and pointed forward.
Everyone followed his gesture and froze in stunned silence.
Jean's face went pale. "My God. What is this?"
Before them stretched five narrow bridges suspended above a vast lake. Each bridge was barely wide enough for a single person—one wrong move, and they would plummet into the water below.
And that water. it was still. Too still.
They didn't know what awaited them beyond the edge—but something told them this challenge had only just begun.
Keno surveyed the path ahead and said, "It won't be more difficult than the mined road, but we must take caution while crossing."
Sairi let out a small laugh at his words, which immediately irritated him. Emotion rising in his voice, Keno demanded, "Why are you laughing?"
"You'll know soon enough," Sairi replied calmly.
Keno sensed there was more to the path than met the eye—something he hadn't accounted for. Perhaps things weren't as simple as he first assumed.
The two figures accompanying Sairi and Ivanov stood up. One of them—a tall, somewhat slender youth with large white wings protruding from his back—declared, "We won't wait here any longer. We've analyzed the path, and it appears there's nothing dangerous. Besides, our powers will allow us to cross easily, even if there is extreme danger."
Without waiting for a response, the two set off. The winged one took flight, soaring over the bridges, while the other leapt high across great distances—so high that some thought he might be flying too.
Sairi said sarcastically, "Now… observe carefully."
Suddenly, a gigantic falcon—larger than an elephant—descended from the sky with terrifying speed, aiming directly for the flying contestant. Panic overtook the winged youth, and he tried to retreat midair, but it was too late. The falcon snatched him in its claws and soared off into the clouds, his screams fading into silence.
The high-jumping contestant, witnessing the horror, turned pale. Trembling, he abandoned his leaping strategy and tried to cross by foot instead. But just as he made progress along one of the narrow bridges, a massive blue fish burst from the water—leaping impossibly high with its jagged fangs wide open. It devoured the narrow wooden bridge—and the contestant along with it—before crashing back into the water, vanishing beneath the surface.
Everyone stood frozen, horrified by the sheer size of the monstrous creatures. No one could speak. The question rattled in their minds: How can such beings even exist? But considering the strange powers they themselves had acquired, the impossible had begun to seem possible.
Jean collapsed to the ground, her voice trembling. "I'll never cross from here. we'll all die if we try!"
Noor replied, tension etched in his voice, "You'll die if you stay here too. We're already caught in this death race, so we go forward. If we work together—combine our abilities—we can make it."
Keno turned toward Sairi, clearly irritated. "Did you let them die, knowing what would happen?"
"The fewer contestants, the better for us," Sairi replied coldly. "Besides, they wouldn't listen. They rushed ahead, full of arrogance and overconfidence. Sometimes confidence kills its owner."
Keno clenched his jaw in frustration but said nothing.
During their tense exchange, two new figures arrived. One had a strange, sky-blue tinge to his face—an odd sight that drew everyone's attention. He also had soft, thick silver hair that shimmered faintly. The other had dark brown skin, short disheveled hair, and calm yet cunning features. They both looked formidable.
Youssef quickly updated them on what had occurred. After listening carefully, the blue-faced youth introduced himself as Yassin, while the other gave a nod and said, "Name's Ares."