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Chapter 3: across the Chain Bridge

As the group of students Mike, Nicole, Olivia and Patrick stepped through the door  from their warm-up challenge led out of a cabin surrounded by a thick dense forest. They were greeted by the vast expanse of the lake in front of them. The water was dark and still, and the surrounding forest was eerily quiet. In front of them were diving gear, including wetsuits, oxygen tanks, and some kind of advanced tinted glasses. As soon as everyone put on their gear, their phones buzzed, signaling the start of the challenge.

The words ” Challenge 1: Blind Descent,” appeared on their phones with the time limit of 45 mins to complete. It required the team to search the depths of the lake for a sunken treasure chest and its key, as they dive deeper with only 45 minutes of oxygen left. 

They quickly grabbed the gear and put it on. The group slowly walked into the lake as the level of water rose on their bodies the deeper they walked. Finally submerged, they descended into the water, they felt the freezing cold seeping into their bones and the fish rubbing against their bodies, making it difficult to navigate. But the real horror was yet to come.

They descended deeper into the lake, and suddenly they encountered a disfigured sea beast. The sea beast was a grotesque and terrifying sight. Its body was massive, easily larger than a school bus, and covered in a thick, slimy mucus that seemed to glisten in the dim light. Its bones were visible through the translucent skin, jutting out at odd angles, giving the creature an almost skeletal appearance. Its eyes were cloudy and milky, and its mouth hung open, revealing rows upon rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. It moved with a slow, undulating motion, its tentacles wriggling and writhing around it as it lumbered through the water. The stench emanating from the creature was overwhelming, a mixture of rotting flesh and sulfur. It was a creature that should not exist in this world, a nightmare made flesh.

The team was horrified as the beast lurched towards them, its twisted body writhing in the water. They knew they had to escape if they wanted to make it to the treasure and complete the challenge.

The team quickly realized that they needed to be stealthy in order to avoid the beast. They moved cautiously, using hand signals to communicate and trying to move as quietly as possible. After several tense minutes, they were able to sneak past the beast undetected. They were alive but had lost many precious minutes in the process.

It was a close call, but they were able to successfully sneak past the beast and continue their search for the treasure. As they searched for the key, they encountered a school of luminescent jellyfish, their long tendrils trailing behind them like ghostly streamers.

The group descended deeper into the lake, the water grew colder and darker. The fish were no longer just rubbing against them, but now swimming in and out of their legs, making it difficult to move. Suddenly, they saw a glimpse of something glinting in the distance. They swam towards it and found a partly concealed treasure chest sitting on the lake bed. Excited, they approached it and noticed that it was locked with a key. The key was nowhere to be found.

They decided to split up and search for the key. Mike and Nicole headed left, while Olivia and Patrick headed right. Olivia and Patrick soon found themselves at the entrance of an underwater cave. They cautiously entered and were met with an eerie silence.

As Olivia and Patrick swam deeper into the underwater cave, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. The cave was dark and damp, and the water seemed to grow colder with each passing moment. They could hear the sound of water dripping from the cave ceiling, and the eerie echoes of their own breathing.

As they ventured further into the cave, they noticed that the walls were lined with strange markings. They couldn’t quite make out what they were, but they seemed to be some kind of ancient symbols or runes. The markings seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, casting an eerie glow on the cave walls.

 As they swam deeper into the cave, they heard a low growling sound. Suddenly, a large, evolved beast emerged from the shadows. It was a MerBear, a dangerous creature that had the body of a bear and the tail of a fish. The MerBear was a grotesque sight, with the body of a grizzly bear, but its fur was matted and tangled, giving it the appearance of a zombie. Its eyes were cloudy and its mouth hung open, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. But the most terrifying aspect of the beast was its tail. It was elongated, with a skeletal structure, resembling that of a fish. As it stood there, staring at them, they knew that they were in grave danger.

The MerBear confronted the students and gave them the ability to freely leave the cave with the key if they could answer a series of questions correctly.

The first question was: “What is the name of the original cryptocurrency, released in 2009?”

The second question was: “What is the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization?”

The third question was: “What is the process of converting data into a fixed length and typically alphanumeric string?”

The fourth question was: “What is the process of adding transactions to the blockchain and releasing new cryptocurrency?”

Olivia hesitated, unsure if she knew the answers to the questions. She had read about cryptocurrencies before, but she didn’t know the specifics. Patrick was equally intimidated, but he knew that their lives were on the line. The students looked at each other, silently exchanging encouragement, then turned back to the MerBear. They took a deep breath and began answering the questions.

They knew they had to answer the questions correctly or they’d never make it out of the cave alive.

Olivia stepped forward, her voice shaking slightly. “Bitcoin,” she said confidently.

The MerBear nodded its head, “Correct, but don’t get too excited, that was the easy one,” it growled.

Patrick spoke up, “The second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is Ethereum,” he said with conviction.

The MerBear let out a low rumble, “Good job, but you still have two more questions to go.”

Olivia took a deep breath, “The process of converting data into a fixed length and typically alphanumeric string is called Hashing,” he said with a smile.

The MerBear’s eyes narrowed, “That’s correct, now for the final question,” it growled.

Patrick stepped forward, “The process of adding transactions to the blockchain and releasing new cryptocurrency is called Mining,” he said with a smile.

The MerBear let out a loud roar, “You both have passed the test, here is the key,” it said, handing over the key to the students.

Olivia and Patrick thanked the MerBear and quickly swam back to the surface, feeling grateful for their knowledge of cryptocurrencies

With only a few minutes of oxygen left, the group of students made their way back to the treasure chest. But as they got closer, they could see the twisted, disfigured sea beast looming in the water, waiting for them. Patrick knew that they had to act fast if they wanted to make it out of the lake alive.

He quickly hatched a plan and used himself as a distraction, drawing the beast away from the chest and towards him. The beast was fast and powerful, but Patrick was able to outmaneuver it and escape, though not without taking a hit to his oxygen tank. He kept this hidden from the others, not wanting to alarm them.

With the beast distracted, the group was able to reach the treasure chest and open it. Inside, they found a locked box with a group of movable tiles on the top, forming a nonsensical equation. They quickly worked together to solve the puzzle, moving the tiles to form a complete equation. As soon as they got it right, a powerful current was released from the box, shooting out of the lake and giving them a way out of the depths.

As they made their way to the surface, Patrick’s damaged oxygen tank quickly began to run out of air. The others were unaware and focused on the current, but Patrick knew his time was running out. He pushed himself to the limit, using all of his strength to stay alive and make it out of the lake.

As they shot out of the current and back to the surface, their phones buzzed with a message from Dada congratulating the team on their first victory and transferring a Bitcoin to each of them. The energetic hologram doing a cartwheel in the process. The team’s excitement quickly dissipated as they made it ashore and found that Patrick was not moving. They quickly realized that something was wrong and they quickly rushed to his side, trying to revive him.

As they searched through his gear, they found his oxygen tank pierced and filled with water, the realization hit that Patrick had sacrificed himself to save them from the sea beast. The group was in shock and couldn’t believe what had just happened. They sat there in silence, trying to process what had just occurred.

As they sat there, they noticed that Patrick’s body didn’t disappear, as it was supposed to after they were eliminated. They began to question what this meant and if Patrick was really gone. They wondered if there was a way to save him, or if he was truly lost to them forever.

The group discussed their options and decided to move forward, but they couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt and sadness that weighed heavily on them. They knew that they had to stay focused and complete the next challenge, but they couldn’t help but think about Patrick and the sacrifice he had made for them. They couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to bring him back, or if he was truly gone for good.

As Alex, Brittany, and Carlos approached the bridge, they could feel their hearts pounding in their chests. The roar of the water beneath them was deafening, and the sight of the massive troll blocking their path was intimidating. But they were determined to continue on their journey, no matter what obstacles stood in their way.

“What do you want from us?” Alex asked, trying to sound confident despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

The troll, looking like the Pokemon Snorlax’s cousin, looked at the group, shaking its head from left to right. “Those who can’t answer this riddle shall not pass,” it said, in a deep, gruff voice. It then proceeded to scratch its butt and let out a series of massive farts that could be heard from miles away.

Brittany let out a sigh of frustration. “Great, just what we needed. Another riddle.”

Carlos stepped forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

The troll cleared its throat and recited the riddle: “I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?”

The group looked at each other, trying to come up with an answer. Finally, Alex spoke up. “Is it a fire?”

The troll shook its head and, with a menacing glare, reached down and picked up a boulder. “Nope, try again,” it growled, hurling the boulder at Alex.

Alex, with quick reflexes, ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the projectile. The boulder smashed into the bridge, causing it to shake and creak dangerously. Brittany hesitantly stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “I’ve got it! It’s a candle!”

The troll let out a belly laugh, its belly shaking like Jell-O. “That’s correct! You may pass.”

As the group continued walking across the bridge, they had to dodge falling debris and leap over gaps that had formed in the structure. Dana then stepped on what seemed to be a cracked block resulting in her tipping over the edge. Alex quickly tried to grab at her hand in an attempt to hold her, but with a loose grip, he felt it quickly slipping away.

A look of fear on Dana’s face appeared. Could this be the end? A few moments later, Dana slipped into the roaring water screaming and out of sight of the rest of the group. terror on the faces of the remaining group members they just stood there.

As Dana disappeared into the water, the group was left standing on the bridge in shock. They had just lost one of their own, and it was a terrible feeling.

“This is terrible,” Brittany said, her voice shaking. “We have to find a way to save Dana. We can’t just leave her to drown.”

Alex nodded, his mind racing. “We have to find a way to get down there and rescue her. There has to be a way.”

Carlos, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “But how do we even know if it’s possible to save Dana? This is just a virtual reality game, right? How real is the danger here?”

Brittany looked at Carlos with a determined glint in her eye. “We don’t know for sure, but we have to believe that it’s possible. We can’t give up hope. We have to keep pushing forward and find a way to save Dana and the rest of us.”

The group took a deep breath and continued on their journey, determined to see it through to the end. They had to find a way to save Dana and complete the game, no matter what. They came across what looked like a ladder on the bridge that led to the bottom of a trail path next to the roaring body of water, but the ladder was unreachable and swarming with a few giant wasps. The group had no choice but to push onward for the moment.

Not too far off, across the roaring lake and into the dense Forgotten Woods, Mike, Olivia, and Nicole could be seen making their way through the thick underbrush and battling the obstacles that led in its wake. Faces of determination on all of them coupled with horror-stricken wide-eyes kept them on high alert. 

As the group made up of currently only Brittany, Alex, and Carlos reached the end of the bridge and stepped onto the southside of the campus, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. They had survived several challenges and were starting to get a hang of this virtual world.

“Well, I guess going south was the right move for us,” Alex joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Brittany and Carlos chuckled, but their thoughts were still with Dana, who had fallen into the raging water below the bridge. They couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in danger and needed their help, or even worse.

As the group approaches the business building, they notice a group of businesspeople gathered outside, deep in discussion. A receptionist can be seen inside, typing away at a computer.

“I think we should try our luck here,” Alex suggests. “Maybe we can invest some of our crypto and make a profit.”

But as the group reaches the front of the building, the suits turn to face them, blocking the entrance. Suddenly, their phones chirp, and a timer for 12 minutes appears on the screen.

“Looks like this is the second challenge,” Brittany says, glancing at the timer.

“But what do we have to do?” Carlos asks.

The group looks at each other, unsure of what to do next. As the timer continued to countdown, Brittany with her bubbly personality decided to step forward to the group of business people and ask them what needed to be done. The first of the businesspeople simply said “answer all of our questions correctly and you may pass. But beware any incorrect answers will result in you starting over. If the timer reaches zero, then you fail.” The group at that moment became serious and said they were ready. 

” The first question,” continued the businessman, “What was the first popular cryptocurrency created?” Alex confidently stepped forward and answered “Bitcoin.” The businessman nodded in approval and moved on to the next question. “What is the process of verifying transactions on the blockchain called?” This time Brittany stepped up to answer, “mining.” Again the businessman nodded in approval and moved on to the third question, with his brow becoming more stern and face more serious. “What is the maximum number of bitcoins that will ever be in circulation?” Carlos thought for a moment before answering. “Twenty-one million,” he said in which he was greeted with a nod of approval from the businessman. The group high in spirits were ready for the fourth question which turned out to be more difficult.

Suddenly, a different businessman interjected, “Oh, while we’re on the topic of mining, let me tell you about the time I went to a mining conference in Australia. Oh boy, let me tell you, the kangaroos were hopping all over the place! And the drinks at the hotel bar, oh my.” The group rolled their eyes and groaned as they realized the precious time they were losing to the businessman’s tangent.

The first businessman rolls his eyes and proceeds with the fourth question. It is a difficult one, involving complex financial concepts. “A self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. The code and the agreements contained therein are stored and replicated on a blockchain network. What am I?” The group takes a minute to think about the answer, their eyes darting back and forth as they try to come up with a solution. With only 7 minutes left on the timer, the pressure is on. 

They answer incorrectly and the businessman shakes his head, disappointed. “Start from the beginning,” he says, and the group groans as they prepare to answer the first question again. Brittany tries to lighten the mood with a joke, “Well at least we know the first question now!”  The tension is palpable as they quickly begin answering the questions once more, determined to get it right this time. 

Again at question 4, just as the group is deep in thought, the comical businessman interrupts again with another detailed, entertaining story about his wild experiences with crypto trading. He regales the group with tales of outsmarting savvy traders on the market, using unorthodox methods and insider knowledge to come out on top. The group can’t help but be entertained by the businessman’s charismatic storytelling, even as they groan at the precious time they are losing. He tells one story of how he once convinced a group of traders to invest in a seemingly worthless cryptocurrency, only to sell it at a huge profit a few days later. He also shares a hilarious account of how he tricked a rival trader into buying a huge amount of a coin that was about to crash, causing them to lose a significant amount of money. The group is simultaneously in stitches and annoyed as the businessman continues to spin his tales of high stakes and clever maneuvers in the world of crypto trading.

After a brief moment of hesitation and frantically searching their phones, Alex blurts out “smart contracts” The businessman nods his head in approval as the group lets out a sigh of relief.

“The final question is,” the businessman said while clearing his throat and as the timer showed exactly 69 seconds left, “How many miners are needed to validate a block in the Bitcoin network?”

The group fell silent as they tried to recall the answer. The timer slowly creeping closer to zero, Carlos, with his programming knowledge, stepped forward. “It’s approximately 10 minutes for a block to be validated by the Bitcoin network, with the difficulty of the mining process adjusting every 2016 blocks. So, it really depends on how fast the miners can solve the complex mathematical equations and validate the block.”

A pause as the timer reached 3…2…and 1. It was now or never. The businessman looked at the group and nodded in agreement. At that moment all of the businesspeople slowly disappeared, and the group’s phones began flashing as each member again received 1 Bitcoin. A message from Dada appeared. “Congratulations on another win. Here is a riddle about the next location. What subject is all around us, influencing everything from the way we live to the way we think? It’s the study of the natural world, and the way we interact with it. What is it?” 

“Hmm,” thought Brittany, “Study of the natural world has got to do something with science right?”

“Yeah you are right,” chimed in Alex, “Let us first invest some of this crypto and make our way towards the science building.”

 In agreement and with a cleared path ahead, it was time to enter the business building with the intention to invest. A strategic move by the group to create a steady income that would surely come in handy in this interesting world.

Continue the story with Chapter 4: cash, wallets, check!