Chapter 266 - Not The Time!

"Okay, let's think about this calmly," Zhihao breathed out but as soon as he did, the two of them heard a system notification. 

[Hulk0_0 and BBtrash have been eliminated!] 

"..." Zhihao didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry as he heard this unexpectedly expected piece of information. 

"Oh sh*t..." Li Ling cursed under his breath as he gulped and looked at Zhihao. 

"So it is officially proven that we can be easily eliminated," Zhihao awkwardly chuckled as he commented and Li Ling simply nodded his head in turn. 

"So let's try our best to get out of this trap without being eliminated," Zhihao added rather calmly and Li Ling once again nodded his head as he agreed with the man. 

"So do you have any ideas?" Zhihao questioned as he looked at the man and this time, Li Ling shook his head as he responded.

"I have nothing. My mind is only filled with you so I can't think of anything else." 

"It would have been romantic if it were the right time, but it's clearly not the time to be romantic." 

"I have a habit of getting the wrong timing." 

"And I can see that." 

The two didn't dare move an inch as they had a calm conversation over a topic that was clearly not important. 

"What if we both jump together?" Li Ling questioned as he suggested an idea. 

"Then we both die together. Come up with something more creative," Zhihao replied as he sighed in disbelief.

"It's the only thing I can come up with. If it's a battle then there must be a winner. If we both jump down, there would be no winner so wouldn't the system let us go?" 

Zhihao frowned as he heard this logic and instead of even thinking if this method could work, he questioned back in turn, "How the hell are you the gamemaster when you come up with such stupid ways that could get you killed?" 

Li Ling pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulder in response and even this small action had managed to affect the platform beneath them that moved slightly, almost giving a heart attack to Zhihao and Li Ling. 

"Okay, no more joking around!" Zhihao breathed out as he tried to calm his heart down, "We need to come up with something before we both die here." 

"I wouldn't mind dying if I'm dying together with you." 

"Gege, like I said before. This ain't the time," Zhihao sighed once again as he heard the man. 

Li Ling smiled brightly in turn but didn't dare say anything. 

"Do you think we can walk?" Zhihao asked as he came up with the only thing that seemed to be a little logical. 

"Walk where?" Li Ling frowned as he questioned and Zhihao couldn't help but want to ask if Li Ling had hit his head and damaged his brain somehow in this maze. 

The question was simply that stupid! 

"To the middle," Zhihao replied with a sigh, "We walk together towards the middle." 

"And then what?" Li Ling questioned as he blinked innocently in turn. 

"Then nothing," Zhihao shrugged his shoulder and immediately regretted it as the platform moved ever so slightly because of him. 

"Then what's the point?" Li Ling sighed as he asked. 

"If we can manage to get there, we wouldn't have to worry about falling off," Zhihao informed. 

Li Ling was silent for a minute as he thought about it and even though he was clearly not agreeing with Zhihao's idea, in the end, he ended up nodding his head as he responded, "Let's try that." 

There was possibly nothing else that they could do so they might as well try this and see if it works. 

Zhihao took a deep breath in as he calmed himself down and gave a nod as he looked at Li Ling, signaling that he was ready whenever the man wanted. 

Li Ling closed his eyes as he lifted his right leg and gave a nod back before taking a step forward and Zhihao mimicked the man's actions as well. 

The first step was surprisingly safe. The platform indeed moved a little but it wasn't enough for either of them to completely lose their balance and hence, the two were safe this time. 

"Okay, let's count," Zhihao suggested as he looked at Li Ling and Li Ling nodded in turn as he agreed to the man's suggestion. 

By counting the steps that they took, they would be able to create a constant rhythm. It would make it easier for the two to act together and would be safer as well. 

"One," Zhihao lifted his left leg as his eyes remained glued at Li Ling. 

Li Ling gulped as he lifted his leg as well and on the next count, both of them placed their leg forward together. 

"Two," Zhihao breathed out in relief as he saw that their second step had also been successful. 

"A-Zhi, is it just me, or is it really hot in here?" Li Ling asked as he blew away the sweat that trickled down his nose bridge from his forehead. 

"You're standing right above magma," Zhihao sighed as he stated the obvious, "Did you think it would be cold?" 

Li Ling chuckled as he found this response a bit funny. 

"Gege, I think the heat is getting to your head. You're starting to be childish." 

"You just want to call me stupid, don't you?" Li Ling pouted as he questioned and Zhihao sighed, not giving the man a clear response.

"Let's take another step," Zhihao spoke as he took a sharp breath, "One." 

The two once again did the same thing and lifted their feet together before placing it in front of them at the same count. 

"Good," Zhihao breathed out as they got another step closer to the middle. 

"It would be really a pity if one of us misses a step," Li Ling sighed as he commented. 

"Don't say stuff like that." 

Li Ling smirked as he felt the sudden need to tease the man a bit, "I have a feeling that you'd jump down after me if I fall by mistake." 

Zhihao pursed his lips and looked to be unimpressed as he heard this. 

Zhihao, "Then you're thinking right." 

"..." 

"I would jump after you so that I can scold you for being clumsy." 

Li Ling immediately frowned as he noticed the honesty in Zhihao's voice. 

"And also to save you," Zhihao added and Li Ling couldn't help but smile in turn. 

"A-Zhi, you're surprisingly romantic sometimes," Li Ling chuckled as he stated and Zhihao didn't know if this was to be considered a compliment or not, "Although I have to say that this is not the time to be romantic." 

Zhihao also couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he heard the latter comment, "You're the one who started it," He was quick to push the blame onto Li Ling and Li Ling didn't seem to mind it at all. 

"What can I do?" Li Ling sighed with a playful smirk, "My boyfriend is too handsome, smart, and kind. I can't help myself when I'm in front of him." 

"You can't?" Zhihao raised his eyebrows as he repeated the man's words, "Go ahead and help yourself all you want. I'm not stopping you." 

Li Ling chuckled as he replied, "Now that you've said it, don't you dare take it back!~" 

"I wouldn't even want to," Zhihao responded playfully with a bit of honesty. 

The two continued to calmly take one step at a time as they moved closer to the center of the platform. 

They had no idea what they would do once they reached the center but it didn't look like they were worried about it either. Or at least, their worry couldn't be seen on their faces nor could it be sensed in their voices either. 

After every step forward, they would take a small; few seconds break to talk about something lighthearted, and even though the two kept reminding each other that it was not the time to be so carefree, it didn't look like they were being serious. 

The main reason why they were talking about useless things was not because they were not worried about their situation, nor was it because they didn't care. It was simply because it was the best method used to calm themselves down.

Both seemed to have already realized this and they could indeed feel a bit more lighthearted as they continued to talk. This method of calming themselves down indeed worked and not only did it take their mind off of the magma that was waiting underneath them, but it also managed to take their mind off the excruciating heat that they were forced to be in. 

This was clearly a virtual game but it felt too real. 

A single drop of sweat trailed down Zhihao's face and fell down on the platform where it was immediately evaporated with the mere heat. 

"We could even roast an egg in here," Zhihao chuckled as he commented playfully. 

"Or we could become the roasted dish," Li Ling added jokingly, knowing that there was very well a possibility of that happening as well.